Harry accepted Vlad's hand and was pulled into a standing position. They both transformed back into their human selves and sat at a nearby lounging area. A nameless ghost served him water. His uncle had a lot of those - nameless ghost servants.

"We should probably take a break from physical training at least," Vlad said in the seat next to him. "You really are getting better Harry, you lasted two minutes longer that time."

Harry didn't fight the urge to roll his eyes this time. They had been training for weeks and Harry still felt weak. He could control his powers now but he still lacked technique and basic fighting skills. Hogwarts didn't exactly have a P.E. class and quidditch only did so much for muscle building.

He was a lot stronger now that he was half ghost, he still didn't quite understand why. In the wizarding world ghosts were so much different, Peeves was the only ghost he'd ever seen that could actually move physical objects and he was a poltergeist. So what did that make Harry?

"Hey Vlad? Why are we so different from the ghosts at school? All the ghosts I've fought since the accident have been way more powerful than any in the wizarding world. They're like completely different creatures." Harry asked while they cooled down.

"Well simply put, they are completely different creatures. You see, you and I as well as all the other ghosts you've faced here in the muggle world are ectoplasmic echoes of post human consciousness. When you and I became 'half-ghost,' ectoplasm became infused with our DNA.

Now a wizard ghost is the transparent, three-dimensional imprint of a deceased witch or wizard, which continues to exist in the mortal world. It is those with 'unfinished business', whether in the form of fear, guilt, regrets or overt attachment to the material world who refuse to move on to the next dimension. Are you following?" Vlad asked when he saw the confused look on Harry's face. He had asked a similar question years ago when he had begun to do trades with the wizarding world. His curiosity led him to many books on the subject and from there he was able to make his own conclusions.

Harry only knew so much about the ghosts at school between nearly headless Nick's deathday party and moaning Myrtle's constant fawning. He began to wonder if they would be able to sense his new half dead status when he saw them in a little over a month. Would they tell Dumbledore? Should he tell Dumbledore? Harry began to feel anger towards his headmaster, he'd still received no word from him since summer began.

He felt so in the dark, he'd received a few more letters from Ron and Hermione but they refused to answer any questions about the wizarding world. Their letters were short and lacked any substance at all. He knew they were up to something, they'd been through too much for them to suddenly ice him out. He hated that they were keeping things from him.

"Wait a second." Harry paused. "How do you know so much about wizarding ghosts?"

Vlad smiles, "Well little badger after you were revealed to be a wizard I decided to learn as much as I could about this whole new world. It wasn't too difficult given all my unique resources." Vlad gestured to the ghost butler leaving the room.

Harry nodded in understanding, his uncle had always made it a point to have as much information as possible. It made sense that after 20 years as a half ghost he would have countless contacts and resources at his disposal.

"Come, I have something to show you." Vlad said as he phased through the floor. Harry stared at the spot his uncle disappeared from for a moment, before turning into his ghost form and following him.

When he arrived in the lower room he noticed shelves of books lining the walls. Some were chained and looked hundreds of years old. They'd fit right in at the Hogwarts library. As he landed on the dark stone floor he started noticing even stranger books upon the shelves. Books that were glowing ectoplasmic green, books that seemed to be floating, even books that looked like they were pulsing with their own heartbeat. His uncle had taken a seat on a set of dark arm chairs that sat across a matching couch with a coffee table separating them.

"What is this place?" Harry asked, still looking around. He slowly made his way to the couch, eyeing an encased black candle carved with ancient runes he didn't recognize. Another display case showed off a large, black feather quill. Much more grand and expensive looking than the ones he had ever seen at Hogwarts.

"This is my personal study, it's where I keep my most precious items from all across time and space. There is so much I can teach you Harry, not just about your new powers but a whole new world that they will open up for you." Vlad said proudly with a smile.

Decades of acquiring knowledge and having no one to share it with had left him more lonely than he had thought possible. His godson turning half ghost was the best possible solution to his problems. He would show Harry everything his new ghost powers could do for him and how to use them to rise to unfathomable power.

࣪ ﹏﹏𓂁﹏ ࣪

The next day Harry was vibrating with excitement, he just had to get through a couple more minutes of summer school before Vlad would pick him up and take him to his mansion for a whole weekend of training. Training with his godfather had given Harry a sense of purpose after everything that had happened in June. He had felt powerless going against Voldemort, and he hated it. He wanted to feel strong, he wanted to feel confident in his abilities. Vlad has been instrumental in helping him master his ghost abilities but he's worried now more than ever about his magic.

His magic had failed him against the dementor and though he knows he's not allowed to do magic outside of school he's tried ever since to get his wand to respond to him, to no avail. He's worried his new half-dead status may have done more damage to him than he had thought. If he can't manage a simple first year spell, how in Merlin's name is he supposed to return to school in just 5 weeks? Not to mention Voldemort is now officially back and no doubt gunning for Harry's head. Maybe a well aimed ecto blast would scare him off? Harry smiled slightly at the thought, it'd feel good to knock old snake face on his-

"Something amusing Mister Fenton?" Mr. Lancer stared down at Harry with an eyebrow raised.

"No sir, just looking forward to the weekend." Harry gave a small smile. Mr Lancer had been Harry's teacher for most of his childhood, choosing to move up alongside his class. Though he hadn't been to muggle school in 4 years he still saw Mr. Lancer every summer, as they were neighbors.

Unfortunately for Harry there were only a few students taking summer classes this year, which meant that Lancer kept a very close eye on Harry. His new found clumsiness around anything glass and breakable had been met with a stern word and a harsh, untrusting gaze. Harry had improved drastically once he had started training with Vlad, he had complete control over his intangibility now. Not that Lancer knows that, so he is still forbidden from handling most of the fragile items in the classroom.

Suddenly a woman walked into the classroom, she had curly orange hair cut in a short bob and was wearing a pink dress with large purple flowers. She had a large grin on her face as she approached Mr. Lancer.

"Woah who's that?" Harry heard a student whisper behind him. She looked familiar to Harry but he wasn't sure why.

"It's your lucky day today class, seeing as my sister decided to surprise me with a visit, I'll let you start your weekend early." Mr. Lancer announced, to the joy of his students.

'Ah, that's where I know her from,' Harry thought to himself glancing at the picture frame sitting on Mr. Lancer's desk. Harry collected his things, sending a quick text to Vlad to let him know he was ready to be picked up and started to make his way out of the school.

"So that was Harry Potter?" Elenore questioned him, leaning on his desk. She had kept her eyes on the young wizard before he turned down the hallway out of sight.

"Yes, that's Harry, but he goes by Fenton when he's not at Hogwarts. His parents decided to forgo homeschooling him this summer, which has made my job a lot easier." Lancer replied, grabbing his work bag. "What brings you to Amity anyways Elenore, surely MACUSA has more important things for you to be doing than checking in on a teenager." He questioned his sister as they made their way out of the classroom.

"I've been tracking a person of interest nearby, I figured I'd stop by and see you before heading back to New York." She explained with a shrug. They arrived at the front of the school and spotted Harry waiting by the curb.

"How has he been?" She asked, nodding towards Harry. "We heard about what happened last month, though the British Ministry is trying to hush it all up."

"He seems to be doing okay, aside from some excessive clumsiness I haven't noticed anything abnormal worth reporting to Dumbledore." As a local squib with familial ties to MCUSA Dumbledore had asked Lancer to keep an eye on Harry, luckily he's never had much to report. Harry acted like any other teenager during the summers, mostly hanging out with his family and friends. They watched as a sleek black car stopped in front of Harry. He opened the passenger door and slid inside before they took off away from the school.

"Uh is that normal?" Elenore asked, brows raised.

"What, me letting my students out early? No, it's not."

"Not that! You're too much of a stooge for that" She swatted his arm with a smile. Lancer rolled his eyes indignantly. "I just didn't think he'd be the kind to hang out with dark wizards." She said with a shrug.

Lancer looked up sharply, his eyes wide, "What do you mean 'hang out with dark wizards?'"

"That guy who just picked up your boy? That's Plasmius, he's been on MACUSA's watchlist for years."

"SHIT!"

"Oh wow a real swear word. I guess you didn't know."