Harry turned the page of his potions book and continued scrawling out the properties of woodworm in the draught of the living dead while avoiding the piercing gazes of his fellow classmates. He refused to acknowledge them.
The start of the year was not going well for Harry. Between avoiding Dobby's attempts to save him which ended up putting him in immediate grave danger instead, to regrowing all the bones in his arm, he felt like he couldn't catch a break.
Harry couldn't take the heavy staring and glared up from his books only to see several heads quickly look away. He sighed in frustration. Something terrible had been happening in Hogwarts. Students, ghosts, and cats have been attacked by someone known as the 'Heir to Slytherin,' but no one could identify who was behind it. When Harry recently discovered his ability to talk to snakes, a trait known to manifest in Slytherin descendents, he became "public enemy number one." No one wanted to talk to him for fear of being the next victim. It was infuriating!
He focused back on his work and instantly felt the eyes on his back. The pressure of the stares were suffocating and Harry could no longer take it. Shouldering his bag, Harry hotly shoved his half-written essay into his bag before marching out of the library. On his way out, he roughly bumped into Ernie Macmillin. Students around them gasped.
"Ernie! Get out of the way or he'll attack you next!" a Hufflepuff hissed.
"Yeah, didn't you see what happened to Justin?!" another whispered.
Ernie looked at Harry with horror, causing Harry to frown. This only increased the poor Hufflepuff's anxiety and he began hyperventilating.
Throwing his arms in the air Harry exclaimed, "I'm not going to hurt you!" He received several 'shh!' in response. Harry glared at the library's occupants and stormed out the door.
He hadn't felt this out of place since his first day of school at Casper Elementary when he was incessantly labelled a ghost freak. Jazz never got the name, and to Harry's relief, it was passed on to Danny, but it still hurt to think about it. He certainly felt like a freak now.
Danny had taken the blame for the lab explosion. When Harry called them from a phone booth in front of the Leaky Cauldron, he discovered that Danny was grounded for the rest of the summer and banned from the basement indefinitely. Danny wasn't bothered too much since it meant his dad had a harder time trying to teach him about ghost gadgets, but he couldn't wait for school to start so that he could see his friends again.
Harry's letters home were not as frequent as last year. He didn't want them worrying about him, and it was hard to find something to say that wouldn't cause his family to worry. In his last letter, he was able to fit in some small things about Moaning Myrtle, Ron throwing up slugs, and a little about the quidditch game before the bludger incident, but other than that, his letters were brief. Hedwig was off sending his most recent letter.
Harry spotted Ron and Hermione chatting away in the Great Hall. The one good thing about the year was that Ron and Hermione were here to help him through it. He didn't know what he'd do without them. He sat next to Ron as Hermione explained the current progress on the polyjuice potion from the opposite side of the table.
While Harry was the school's primary suspect, Harry had his own suspicions. Who better to be the Heir of Slytherin than a Slytherin? And with the way Malfoy was mocking the victims, it had to be him! Hermione came up with the idea to disguise themselves as Slytherins in hopes they would witness Malfoy gloating about his "accomplishments." That's what the polyjuice potion was for, right? Once Malfoy had regaled his misdeeds to his "friends," the disguised trio would then take the news to Dumbledore. He would be overjoyed with the news and proceed to expel Malfoy for attempted murder.
"We'll have to wait a couple more weeks, then it should be ready," Hermione finished.
"Brilliant! We'll be able to use it right before winter break!" Harry exclaimed. He couldn't wait for this ordeal to be over.
Hedwig flew overhead with a note from home and a package. The trips to America had improved since Hedwig's first journey. Since she was often travelling, Hedwig's wings developed into strong, lean muscles, causing her to have a higher endurance. Though she was still tired after a long journey, she was no longer dead on her feet.
Lifting her foot for easy access, she waited patiently for Harry to grab the letters and hand her some food. After untying the parcel from the owl he handed her a piece of his beef casserole and gave her a small 'Thanks'. Opening the envelope, he found four letters from his family. Not wanting to be rude and ignore his friends, he put them away to read at a later time and turned to the package in Ron's hands. He was gently shaking it waiting for Harry's approval to open it while Hermione eyed it with mild curiosity. Harry gave a nod and Ron started tearing the slightly green tape off. Hermione's eyes widened suddenly and she yelled, "Don't-" but Ron had already taken the tape off.
The box opened with a burst, and a large Thanksgiving turkey flipped out. It started running on its drumstick legs, chucking silverware and bread rolls like they were ninja stars. Any nearby student was pelted. Dean brandished his wand and when he pointed it at the living dinner entree, the turkey grabbed a candle and pointed it back at the boy. It quickly dodged Dean's spell which hit Ron instead. Ron stiffened and fell backward. The turkey then used his candle as a sword and hit the wand out of Dean's hand. It pointed the candle in Dean's face until he raised his hands in surrender. Suddenly the turkey dodged another spell which, in turn, hit Dean right in the face. The spell was meant to turn the turkey into a flower so when it hit Dean, his eyebrows started blooming.
"It's ecto meat! What spell did Dumbledore cast to get rid of the hot dogs last year?" Harry asked desperately at anyone who would hear him.
"He used 'evanesco,' but this turkey is a lot smarter than the hot dogs. It's going after individual students and when a spell is cast, it moves so that the student behind it gets-" the turkey dodged another stunning spell which shot Angelina. "-hit instead." Angelina fell with a clump. The turkey proceeded to naruto run toward the unassuming Hufflepuff table.
"Then we corner it," Harry said with determination. "Hermione, you take the left, I'll take the right. We'll cut it off before it can hide behind a student."
The turkey continued to terrorize the Hufflepuffs with renewed vigor. It moved down the table giving flying kicks to any nearby student using its stubby drumstick legs, and flinging food projectiles at innocent passersby. Whenever a spell was sent its way, it expertly dodged as if it had years of experience. Harry and Hermione ducked as rogue spells flew by and followed the turkey quickly but subtly so as not to be seen. The turkey eventually caught on to their tactic and tried to avoid them until it finally had nowhere else to go. Once they were at a good angle to fire without any casualties, Hermione raised her wand to cast the vanishing spell, only to be roughly shoved aside.
"Not to worry, I know just the spell!" came a flamboyant voice. With a grand flourish, the famous Defense against the Dark Arts professor shouted, " incendio !"
Instead of bursting into flames like the turkey was supposed to, it was doused with water. The turkey shook off the water and turned to Professor Lockhart menacingly. With a quick jump and flip it latched onto his head, introducing Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile to the inside of a gobbler for the first time. The professor shrieked and flailed his arms in a panic. All the students were frozen in shock except Harry, who, having a semi-fixed target, pointed his wand and shouted, " Evanesco!" The spell hit the turkey square in the chest, vanishing instantly with a burst. Slightly dazed, Lockhart looked around confused. Spotting Harry with his wand out, he beamed. "Well done, Harry!" He clapped Harry on the shoulder and continued, "Of course I could've done it myself, but thought I'd give you an opportunity to gain some hands-on experience. Five points to Gryffindor!"
"Thanks?" Harry replied as more of a question than a statement. He shrugged the professor off him and hurried over to Hermione, who was getting up from her fallen position. He ignored the students frantically moving out of his way as he walked.
Hermione took no notice of them either and beamed at Harry. "Harry, that was brilliant!" she said proudly. "Though, how did you know you weren't going to hit Professor Lockhart?"
"I didn't," he replied honestly. He then broke into a smile. "I just didn't care if he left too." Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled back.
"Am I to assume that your American holiday is today, Mr. Potter?" Harry turned and spotted Professor McGonagall walking over.
"No, professor. It was a week or so ago, but I think my brother wanted me to have some of their dinner." It had to be the turkey Mom made on Thanksgiving.
"Then perhaps it's time to send Mr. Fenton a formal warning." Harry cringed, wondering what a formal warning could entail. He'd have to send Hedwig to warn his brother right away. Even if the twerp deserved it, he wouldn't want him to suffer through a howler. Harry made his way back to his seat and all but collapsed into it. He looked across at Hermione who was eyeing the now empty box. "You knew," he concluded. Hermione looked up at him.
"It was around the same time as last year. It wasn't hard to guess," she replied. "There's probably something about it in your letters."
Harry rifled through his pockets and pulled out the stack of sealed envelopes. Finding the one with messy, rushed handwriting, he tore it open.
My dear sweet unassuming brother,
It has occurred to me that you are not getting enough Fenton weirdness. Since I am currently receiving it tenfold, I feel like I need to share my wealth. I couldn't let you down, so have this reanimated turkey on me!
Honestly, it was quite docile until mom started teaching it martial arts. She wanted to see if an ectoplasmic manifestation could learn. Of all the things she could've taught it! Needless to say, it learned VERY quickly and then went all ninja kamikaze on us like a pro dojo master. The fight that ensued was terrifying but epic. Remind me never to get on Mom's bad side again - she has nunchucks !
Dad's fudge got tossed in the crossfire, but luckily Mom had a spare. It's like she knew what was going to happen and didn't stop it. Maybe she's always known how to make the food come to life and intentionally turns our food into living creatures to terrorize us and further her research. Okay, now I sound like a conspiracy theorist. Quick, where's my tin foil hat!
The only good that came from the night was that Mom and Dad are not arguing about the big man from the North Pole yet. They're almost done with the portal so they're too busy to start up the old feud….. or Christmas in general….. I wonder if we'll get any presents this year.
Anywho, I'm still banned from the lab so I can't even see what the blasted thing looks like. They said they'll let me back down to see the portal turn on and go from there. I think they're really just tired of cleaning their own messes. They're letting me back down under the pretense of more privileges, but really they just want to give me more work - yippy!
I can't wait to see you! We're gonna have a blast when you come home.
See you soon! Don't let the snakes bring you down!
Love,
SpaceAce
Harry smiled at his brother's playful yet snarky letter. He could always count on Danny to raise his spirits. His heart was always in the right place.
He looked up from his letter and noticed people staring at him and talking in hushed tones.
"-Not only is he pertifying muggleborns, now he's using his freaky family's food mutations?!-"
"- He's grabbing for attention by terrorizing half the school-"
"- let loose a raging turkey on the house with the most muggleborns-"
Harry shook his head and looked back at Danny's letter in a slump. Running a hand over the last sentence he mumbled, "How could the snakes bring me down when I'm their freaky heir?" He decided to tell Danny what was going on at school in his next letter. He'd keep out the gruesome details, but he needed an outsider's perspective. Danny was just the person for it.
He closed the letter, hoping his brother was having a better time than he was.
Pain. Unimaginable, incomprehensible pain. Coursing through every vein. Stabbing each nerve. Jolting each muscle. Shutting down every organ.
Fire seared through every inch of Danny's body. He didn't know how long he had been in agony. It could have been seconds or hours. It felt like an eternity to him.
Please make it stop, he thought desperately. Danny had long given up the desire for survival and accepted the fact that he was dying. No one could last through this much pain and survive. Just kill me already! he begged the portal.
He heard anguished screaming, but couldn't tell if it was from himself or someone else. The thought of someone following him into the portal horrified him. What if Sam or Tucker are dying, too?!
He struggled to move despite his pain. Flashing green light swirled around him as Danny scoured the area on all fours, trying to find his friends. Please! he thought frantically. He cried out when fiery pain laced through him, but continued his search. Let Sam and Tucker be safe! This is my fault! They shouldn't have to suffer through this much pain .
He continued to look, but soon felt death closing in on him. He knew it was coming and couldn't concentrate. A flash of red light blurred his vision, reminding him of Jazz. She would be devastated when she found out. With Harry gone months at a time, Danny and Jazz only had each other as reliable, daily support through their parents' antics. He couldn't leave her to face their carelessness alone.
With the sudden thought of his parents' neglect came a rush of clarity. He staggered to his wobbly feet. "No," he stated firmly. Determination flowed through him and the screams slowly fell into the background. I will not leave anyone alone to fend for themselves. Not Sam and Tucker. Not Jazz. No one. Strengthened by the sudden protectiveness he felt, Danny spotted the cluttered piles of paper and junk and the sleek metal lining of the lab. Stumbling, he made his way towards the exit.
Meanwhile, two preteens stood frozen outside the electrified contraption listening to the agonizing screams of their friend. Tears trailed down their cheeks as they looked on in horror. Green swirls and electricity blocked their view of Danny. Feeling helpless, they shouted his name, but anguished cries were their only response.
"Is there anything we can do?!" Tucker shouted. He turned to find that Sam was frozen with fear at the swirly abyss. The screams intensified, breaking Sam from her inner panic. She looked at her shaky friend with desperate determination.
"F-Find an outlet! This thing must get power somehow!" They frantically scoured the lab and looked for the cursed power source. They followed wires behind cabinets and desks but their search was fruitless. The Fentons had threaded the wiring through the walls and no amount of pulling would cause them to budge.
Dread caused their stomachs to turn when they heard the screaming finally stop. Looking at each other in terror, they turned to the ominous green light of the portal. Standing before them was a ghostly figure in a black hazmat suit staring at the pair of them with glowing, radioactive-green eyes which rolled up as he fell face-first on the ground, unconscious. Sam and Tucker ran towards the figure and hesitantly flipped him on his back. Moving his white hair out of his face they looked at the ghost. Tucker gasped when he recognized the figure.
"S-S-Sam, t-t-that's D-Danny!" he cried in shock. What had become of his friend? Renewed tears sprang forth and despair took hold.
Sam glanced at her crying friend then back down at the ghost trying to keep her emotions in check. "I know," she stated evenly, refusing to acknowledge the fear that kept surfacing.
"I-Is he d-d-dead?!" Tucker asked bitterly. Sam grabbed the ghost's wrists and winced at the cold touch. Before she could find a pulse, she gasped and pulled her hand away as a bright ring of light flashed at Danny's midsection and split into two rings moving in opposite directions. The once glowing, white-haired ghost in a black hazmat suit was now a black-haired Danny with a white hazmat suit. Sam widened her eyes when she spotted Danny's chest moving up and down. She returned her grip on his wrist, looking for a pulse.
"Tucker, I feel a pulse," she said firmly. She sighed in relief. "It's small, but it's there."
"Thank God!" Tucker said, releasing the breath he had been holding. His heart was still hammering from shock.
Below them, Danny groaned.
"Danny!" they cried together, placing their hands on his shoulders. Danny blearily opened his eyes before slamming them shut due to the glaring fluorescent lights. He placed a hand on his head and released another groan.
"Ugh, what hit me?" he asked groggily.
The corner of Sam's lips twitched at the familiar comment, and Tucker let out a sob and pulled Danny into a hug. Danny winced at the touch.
"Dude, we thought you were dead!" he cried in Danny's arms. Danny weakly looked down at his friend with confusion, then sent a puzzled look at Sam.
With nerves still flaring, Sam shakily breathed. "Welcome back to the land of the living," she stated with a forced smile.
Unanswered questions plagued her thoughts. She wanted to know why the portal turned on with Danny in it, and if there would be any lingering side effects. She thought about the strange ghost version of Danny that appeared after the portal turned on. Is that ghost still somewhere inside Danny? Fear spiked at the thought. She looked down at Danny who was still trembling with pain. Does Danny even know what happened to him?
Sam was startled from her thoughts when she heard the garage door opening above. She looked down at her two friends who were still hugging and talking nervously about what had happened. "I hate to break up this touching scene," she began, "but it sounds like your parents are home, Danny, and I don't think they'd appreciate us being down here."
Danny widened his eyes and looked back at Sam. He swallowed thickly. "No, they would not." He struggled to stand up on his own, but his efforts were in vain. Tucker quickly grabbed his arm to help, but then shouted in alarm when his hand went straight through Danny.
"T-That's not s-supposed to happen," Tucker stuttered in horror. Sam stared at Danny with concern. What have I done to you Danny? she thought miserably to herself.
Still on the ground, a pale Danny looked at his arm. "What is happening to me?" he asked fearfully. He sent a panicked look to the only person who appeared to be calm, though Sam was far from calm. She shook her head to clear her mind.
Speaking in a voice much stronger than she felt, Sam said, "We'll figure that out later. Right now we need to get out of here. Danny, wrap your arm around my shoulder. I'll help you up the stairs. Tucker, be ready to catch Danny in case he falls..." Sam struggled to find the right words, "...through me," she finished lamely. She gave Danny a pointed worried look. "Please, Danny. Please try your best not to fall."
Danny gulped and nodded. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and heaved himself upright. "For you," He suddenly began as he winced and caught his breath. "I promise….. I won't fall…. for you." He looked up with a weak grin at Sam. She blinked and managed to give a feeble smile and elbowed him lightly. Leave it to Danny to try joking around when his living 'condition' was still up for debate.
"Keep it up, deadman, I'm dying to know what else you got," she replied sarcastically, slowly making their way towards the staircase. He wheezed a laugh through his pain and exertion, while Tucker looked at Danny like he'd gone insane.
"That's the spirit, Sam," Danny said in a strained voice. He gasped in pain, and Sam suddenly felt the weight on her shoulders increase. Grunting with effort, she looked over at Danny whose right foot was falling through the step. Tucker quickly grabbed a hold of Danny's other arm, and together they pulled him out.
Sam caught Danny's eye and all the playfulness was gone. He looked at her terrified. "Sam, what if my whole body falls through the floor and I keep falling to the center of the Earth? What if I solidify and I'm still underground?!" he asked in a frightened voice. Sam and Tucker exchanged worried glances at the thought.
Clearing his throat, Tucker looked at Danny. "Well that would be g-ground-breaking news," he replied in a shaky voice. Danny Looked back at Tucker with wide eyes before he barked a laugh. He then winced softly at the movement, but the pun had done its job. Danny was distracted from the terrifying 'what if' questions. Tucker sighed with relief. Thank goodness Danny's mood was easily altered by terrible puns.
They reached the top of the staircase with no further scares. Having no time to move upstairs before Danny's parents walked in, they carefully placed Danny in a chair at the kitchen table. Sam decided to sit next to him in case any further oddities popped up while Tucker moved to the counter so that by the time Danny's father walked in, it looked like Tuck was fixing up a snack for the trio.
"Hiya kiddos, what cracking?" Mr. Fenton said with a grin that split his face. He looked from Danny who was sitting at the table with his head on his hand trying to look bored instead of in pain, to Sam who sat stiffly straight and gave Mr. Fenton a tight smile.
"Nothing really, sir," Tucker commented with fake nonchalance, catching the man's attention as he worked on his hastily put together bean dip. He had scrounged up the closest materials for his recipe to make it look like he was working on it well before Mr. Fenton walked in. Cringing at his creation of beans, peanut butter, ranch, and sesame oil he looked up at Mr. Fenton. "Would you like to try my world famous bean dip?" he asked, praying that the man would decline.
He didn't realize who he was talking to.
"Would I?! Maddie's not gonna be home for hours, and I'm starving!" Mr. Fenton joked joyfully. He walked over to Tucker and stuck a chip in the bean dip disaster. Tucker cringed as Mr. Fenton placed the chip in his mouth. They watched with mild curiosity as Mr. Fenton's face went from joyful to disgusted, then to an eventual pout. "You should stick with computers, son," he said before grabbing some fudge from the fridge and making his way toward the lab.
They all tensed when Mr. Fenton opened the basement door and proceeded down the steps. They knew that the portal below was still working and glowing with a surge of raw power.
Hoping that Mr. Fenton wouldn't be suspicious, the three held their breath in anticipation. Then they heard a shout of excitement from the basement.
"Guess your dad found the portal working," Sam commented, stating the obvious.
Danny grimaced. "He doesn't need to know we were down there. Not yet anyway. The portal just started working on its own." He looked at his two friends who nodded in agreement.
Tucker looked down at his bean dip.
"I can't believe he ate that," he said with a mixture of disgust and awe.
"Well it doesn't have any of your disgusting meat," Sam retorted, wrinkling her nose.
Tucker opened his mouth to defend the luxury known as meat, when a strangled yelp brought his attention to his helpless friend. Only, he couldn't find Danny. "Uh, guys, why can't I see my arm?" a disembodied voice asked nervously.
"Dude I can't see any of you!" Tucker sputtered. They heard a gasp from where Danny was supposedly sitting.
"I can't either!" his voice called out.
"Take a deep breath, Danny, and relax your body. This might help you return to the visible spectrum," Sam reasoned in a calm voice, looking in the direction Danny was last seen. They heard an intake of breath and waited. Tucker jolted when Danny appeared out of thin air. Seeing himself again, Danny sighed with relief.
Giving Sam a grateful look he said, "Thanks for the advice, Sam, I think staying calm is the key to working this out...whatever this is." He then looked at Tucker who paused in cleaning his bean dip disaster. "I-I really don't know what I'd do if you guys weren't here," he said honestly. Sam looked at Danny seriously.
"You wouldn't be in this situation if we weren't here, Danny," Sam said, miserably glaring down at the table as her eyes finally began to water. She was the one who told Danny to go in the portal. It was her fault that he was suffering, and if he died, it would be her fault too.
"Sam," Danny called in a firm tone. Sam looked up and found her gaze trapped by his glacial blue eyes which were set with a hard unwavering gaze. "This isn't your fault," he stated firmly, "I decided to go in the portal, and I tripped on the cords in there. When I fell, I pushed a button on my way down and I think that was what turned it on. Regardless, this one is on me," he finished with a note of finality. There was no room for argument in his voice. Danny's hard look was cut off when he winced in pain.
Sam sniffed. Danny was too nice to admit that he wouldn't have even been down in the lab if she hadn't insisted on taking a look. She was curious about Mr. and Mrs. Fenton's work, but didn't want to hear them blather on about ghosts. The supernatural always fascinated her and as a goth, she felt it was her duty to explore a lab devoted to ghosts.
Tucker had also wanted to see the lab. From a nerdy tech's perspective, it was a treasure trove of unorthodox methods of engineering, and amateur prototypes to go with them.
When they had heard that Danny was no longer banned from the lab, they couldn't wait to check it out the new portal. After much persuasion (and a little coercion), Danny had finally agreed to show them. It was clear he hadn't wanted to be anywhere near the lab, since it was the main reason for most of his family's frustration, but he had wanted to indulge his friends who were interested. They all were regretting that decision now.
Danny whimpered and Sam turned sadly to her friend, only to find that he was no longer in his seat. Following the sound of the whimpers, she spotted her friend floating toward the ceiling. Danny looked down at her pitifully. "Help," he whispered.
Tucker, who was gawking at the poor boy, shook himself out of his stupor. "Just when I thought it couldn't get weirder," he muttered. He went to stand on a chair and grabbed Danny's foot. As Tucker pulled Danny down, he was reclaimed by gravity and fell flat on the ground with an 'oof'.
Danny scrunched his face as a wave of pain hit. Eventually the pain subsided, and a silence fell on the three friends. "I guess now Dash is justified in calling me a ghost freak," Danny grumbled from his place on the floor. With a grimace he sat up but remained on the floor. "They'll start calling me Freaky Fenton all over again." Tucker looked down at his friend in sympathy.
"No, he'll start calling you the Fantastic Phantom. Fantastic cause you're like a magician-" Danny gave him a skeptical look. "Hear me out man! you can literally go through any trap he sets up for you and Phantom cause you can disappear and he'll never be able to find you!" Tucker exclaimed. Danny hummed in response. His mood lightened at the thought.
"I don't really like magicians so Fantastic is a no-go, but I like Phantom. We should use that as a code to describe my new, uh, unique traits," Danny said thoughtfully to get his mind off the pain.
"You mean superpowers," Tucker grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at Danny, who laughed in return. "You even have your own origin story, dude." Sam rolled her eyes. She couldn't take this conversation seriously any longer. She settled a concerned gaze on Danny who looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion.
"We should continue this conversation in your room, Danny. You look dead on your feet." The boys both looked at her and began cackling with laughter. Sam winced as she realized the unintentional pun. "I'm serious!" she yelled indignantly.
"I hate to say it, bro, but you look like a deadman walking," Tucker snickered as he pulled Danny up from the ground.
"Talk about the dead rising," Danny grinned back, mirth replacing his previously pain filled eyes. He wrapped an arm around his laughing friend and they made their way up to Danny's bedroom.
Once they made it to his room, Sam and Tuckered placed Danny on his bed.
The past hour had affected all three of them. Danny looked at his friends who were showing signs of exhaustion themselves after their traumatic afternoon. He stifled a yawn, "Guys, seriously. Thanks again for helping me out. I can't thank you enough. I think I'll be fine now, you should go home and get some rest." Danny didn't want them to leave in case his newfound 'powers' began acting up again, but he didn't want them to feel like they had to stay.
Tucker gave Danny an incredulous look. "You're crazy if you think we're leaving you here alone," he stated fiercely, sitting down on Danny's desk chair with crossed arms.
Sam nodded firmly and crossed her own arms. "I already told my mom I was spending the night here before I left. She doesn't expect me home until tomorrow. Face it, you're stuck with us."
Danny inwardly sighed with relief. "If you're sure," he said softly, looking down at the ground. Sam and Tucker looked around the room, refusing to make eye contact. Now that they were no longer in danger, the three were finally able to register the events of the day.
Danny took a stock of all his ailments. He still felt extremely weak, and flashes of pain occasionally jolted through his body. He felt cold and his body tingled with uncontrollable energy. This cold energy was most noticeable in the center of his chest. He mentally touched the cold energy and it flared with power. The energy stretched throughout his whole body and Danny stood up in shock as two white rings formed at his midsection.
Sam and Tucker bolted upright and gaped as the familiar white rings moved, changing Danny back into the ghost version of himself.
"What's happening?!" Danny shrieked, his voice now echoing ethereally. He was looking at his now white gloved hands then up at his friends. His glowing green eyes were a mixture of panic and fear.
Tucker screamed and cowered behind the desk chair. Sam's shock turned into frustration as she smacked Tucker harshly in the arm.
"Alert the whole neighborhood why don't you!" she hissed. Tucker looked at Sam indignantly.
"This is the only logical reaction!" he yelled back.
"Guys," Danny cut in fearfully. "Reaction to what? What's happening? I feel different…. oddly energetic, and lighter but I'm also really cold. When I stretch my hand…." Danny continued to ramble as Sam and Tucker exchanged a nervous glance. Moving slowly, she hesitantly grabbed the shoulders of the chatting ghost Danny. He was icy cold, but still solid. She turned the ghost boy towards a mirror hanging on the wall. Danny continued talking, looking intensely at his hands. "And everything looks different too. Like my hands- they look like they're glowing. And my gloves are white when I know they used to be…." Danny trailed off when he looked up at his reflection. His face paled and he gasped. When his reflection matched his expression, Danny pointed and screamed at the mirror. He jumped in panic and yelped when he remained in the air. He waved his arms wildly to steady himself as Sam came to assist. She grabbed Danny's white belt and pulled him down.
"Danny, you need to relax and think about this calmly," she stated in an even voice. Danny gave her an unconvinced glare.
"Calm?! Calm?! How can I be calm when I'm a - I'm a ghost!" he sputtered.
"Tuck and I have seen this side of you before, and we've seen you turn back to normal. I know you still can," she said confidently, shoving her doubts aside. "What were you thinking of before the white lights came?"
Danny shivered and thought back to when he was taking stock of his injuries. "I-I felt really cold in my chest," he eventually said, rubbing the cold spot on his chest. "When I focused on it, it spread throughout my body and the lights appeared."
Sam put a finger on her chin in thought. She glanced over at Tucker and scoffed at the boy who was cautiously peering over the desk chair at his ghostly friend. "You should try shoving all that cold back towards your chest. It might help," she suggested, turning back to Danny.
Danny nodded, thinking the same thing. Closing his eyes he tried to focus on the cold energy in his body. Scrunching his brows with effort, Danny mentally forced the energy back into his chest.
A couple gasps were heard and when Danny opened his eyes again, he was back to his normal human self. Relief and exhaustion fell on Danny. He laid back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He looked miserable. "What will my parents do if they find out I can turn into a ghost?"
Tucker stood up from his hiding place. "They wouldn't hurt you, would they?" he asked timidly.
"They hunt ghosts for a living, Tuck - What do you think?" Danny replied sarcastically.
"They could hunt you," Sam began slowly, "or they might accept you. We don't know and we cannot assume anything. You should get your, uh, ghost powers under control first so that we can tell your parents on our own turf. That way we can form a contingency plan in case they, er, decide to get violent." Danny shuddered at the thought, but nodded in agreement. He stifled another yawn, causing Tucker and Sam both to yawn.
"Let's start working out your powers tomorrow, Superman," Tucker said, winking at Danny and grabbing a foldable futon from his closet.
"I am not Superman," Danny mumbled with a furrowed brow.
Tucker's grin widened. "You're right. With that anime girl transformation, you're definitely Sailor Moon!"
Danny gave Tucker a scathing look "Ugh, I am not!" he said indignantly.
"We'll need to work on your banter too, bro."
" You need to work on your banter, Tucker."
Tucker laughed. "You just made my point."
"...I hate you….."
"I know," Tucker said with a patronizing smile. Sam rolled her eyes and snatched the futon from Tucker, setting it up between Danny's and Harry's bed. She then left the boys to their shenanigans and made her ways towards the bathroom to complete her nightly routines. As she removed her makeup, Sam let the stresses of the day finally escape. No one needed to know that the water that rinsed her face was saltier than normal.
Upon returning, Tucker stood up quickly with a finger on his mouth. He pointed to Danny who was curled up under his covers fast asleep. A soft snore breaking the silence.
Sam smiled at the sight. "For someone who was just in a life and death situation, he sure looks peaceful," she whispered.
Tucker snorted at the look she was giving Danny. "Take a picture, it'll last longer," he snarked quietly.
Sam stuck her tongue out at Tucker in response and crawled into the futon. "God, I can't wait for this nightmare to be over," she grumbled.
"Me too," Tucker said seriously. "Do you think Danny will be alright?"
Sam took a moment to ponder the loaded question. "Yes, it seems like he can control his powers to some extent. With a little practice he should be able to function normally."
"God, I hope so," he rolled over in Harry's bed. "I just want today to be over with. G'night Sam."
"Night Tuck."
A/N - Harry's part was a little redundant, but it'll make sense later. Work starts tomorrow :/goodbye free time.