Chapter 6: A Hop with a Smeller

Once again, Danny Fenton went to Greendale, California to meet Sabrina. "Thank you for inviting me, Sabrina." Danny said and then noticed how uneasy she looked. "What's wrong, Sabrina? You seem worried."

"Danny, you don't know the half of it." Sabrina replied. "Tim the Witch Smeller escaped."

"Who?" Danny asked, having never heard of Tim the Witch Smeller before.

"A warlock who doesn't have magical powers and, because of that, was bullied by other warlocks and witches while growing up." Sabrina answered. "After studying under Leonardo Da Vinci, he developed anti-magic equipment and started hunting the whole magical community in retaliation."

"Even those who never bullied him before?" Danny asked. He could understand that Tim character wanting revenge on those who bullied him but going after others just for having the same powers didn't sit well with the halfa.

"Hi, Spellman." A new voice interrupted them. "Is that the Danny Fenton I've heard about?"

Sabrina sighed. "Yes, Cassandra. That's Danny Fenton. Danny, this is Enchantra's niece Cassandra."

Danny was surprised. He knew there were witches who looked like normal humans but he didn't expect there'd be any among Enchantra's relatives. "No need to be impressed, Phantom." Cassandra commented.

"What did you call me?" Danny asked, worried that a girl he never met before knew his secret.

"With you knowing about the Netherworld, Aunt Enchantra decided it was time to let us know about you." Cassandra explained.

"Did she tell you about Tim the Witch Smeller?" Danny asked.

"Who cares? He looks like a total geek." Cassandra replied while showing a picture of Tim.

"A geek-looking guy like that manages to be feared by witches?" Danny asked, not understanding why they would feel anything other than disgust at being near a dork.

"Don't underestimate him." Sabrina warned Danny and Cassandra. "His devices make him a serious threat. Especially the spell scrambler."

"Wasn't it destroyed?" Cassandra asked, still underestimating Tim.

"He built that one, he can build another one, Cassandra." Sabrina pointed out.

"There's something I don't understand." Danny commented. "Why is he called 'witch smeller'?"

"He uses an aardvark to sniff out witches and warlocks." Sabrina explained.

"Oooookay." Danny was weirded out but decided he didn't want to know anymore.

"Anyway, I came here to tell you I'm going to the hop with Harvey Kinkle." Cassandra said. "Jealous?"

"No, why would I?" Sabrina asked.

"Don't you and Harvey have some history together?" Cassandra asked.

"Harvey and I are just childhood friends, Cassandra." Sabrina replied. "Don't mind her, Danny."

"Don't worry, Sabrina." Danny reassured his girlfriend. "I have a female best friend and quite a few classmates have made jokes about us being lovebirds."

"Thank you, Danny." Sabrina replied.

"By the way, does Harvey know about you and Cassandra being..." Danny asked.

"No, he doesn't." Sabrina answered.

"I'll tell him after the wedding." Cassandra said. "If we get to that point."

"Was it like that with your parents, Sabrina?" Danny asked.

"I don't know." Sabrina replied. "I can't believe I never asked her when she found out."

Unbeknownst to them, Tim the Witch Smeller was spying on them. "Elton, are you sure that girl with Sabrina Spellman is also a witch?" Tim asked his aardvark. "She could be a mortal with a magical object like that boy from last time."

Elton nodded. "I'll check that later." Tim commented. "What about that boy?"

Elton shrugged. "You don't know what you feel about him?" Tim asked. "Nevermind. We'll find out more about him."

As a guest of the Spellmans, Danny was welcome in their home but Hilda and Zelda were very clear about the rules. "Respect our privacy." Aunt Zelda said.

"Yes, Miss Hilda." Danny replied.

"We're only tolerating you because your powers make you an asset against Tim the Witch Smeller." Salem commented.

"Don't give us a reason to turn you into a frog." Zelda ordered.

After settling into a guest room, Danny called Jazz. "How are you, little brother?" She asked. "Is love steady like magic?"

"Very funny, Jazz." Danny sarcastically replied. "Anyway, remember mom and dad talking about an ancestor of ours who lived in Salem during the time of the witch hunts?"

"John Fenton Nightingale, right?" Jazz asked.

"Yeah." Danny confirmed. "Will you please bring him up in a conversation with our parents and ask about other witch hunters from John's time?"

"I'll talk to them but you'll owe me, little brother." Jazz replied.

After the conversation was over, Danny joined the Spellmans in the living room. "Danny, I appreciate you joining us." Aunt Zelda said. "As a safety measure, Hilda and I have decided that Sabrina cannot be left unattended while outside the block."

"Understood." Danny replied. "That being said, can Sabrina and I go to the ice cream shop?"

"Only if it's the one near here." Aunt Zelda firmly said. "And don't take your time."

"Zelda, they're teenagers." Aunt Hilda tried to be flexible.

"Another reason to want them to come back soon." Zelda argued.

"Danny and I will abide by this rule, Aunt Zelda.

"And pigs will fly." Salem commented.

"Salem!" Sabrina scolded him.

"Pardon my skepticism, Brina, but I don't need to be a warlock to know a teenage boy and a teenage girl are a recipe for disaster even without adding Tim the Witch Smeller." Salem stated.

Meanwhile, Tim the Witch Smeller was celebrating his latest triumph. He had captured Cassandra. "Get me out of here!" she demanded. "Do you know who my aunt is?"

"Another disgusting witch like you," Tim replied.

"She is Enchantra, Queen of the Netherworld, and she will come after you to rescue me." Cassandra declared.

"Then you will serve as bait." Tim declared.

"What's going on?" Harvey asked.

Tim had a chance to respond, Skulker appeared in front of him. "What do you want, ghost?" Tim asked.

"My name is Skulker and I want your help in capturing the half-ghost with the blonde witch." Skulker said.

"Half-ghost, huh?" Tim pondered. "He'll be no match for my... blood blossoms!"

Later, at the ice cream shop, Danny and Sabrina were having fun when Skulker appeared, scaring everyone else into leaving. "Skulker, have you forgotten what happened the last time you attacked me in this town?" Danny asked, counting on Sabrina.

"Powers worth the price, turn that ghost into ice." Sabrina tried to cast a spell but a familiar (to Sabrina) device prevented the spell from working. "How do you have a spell scrambler?" She asked in horror.

"I made someone named Tim an offer he couldn't refuse." Skulker replied. "And the scrambler wasn't the only thing I got from him in our 'deal'." He added as he fired a missile at Danny, who was surprised to see blood blossoms coming out of it.

"How?" Danny asked.

"The more it surprised me that somebody still had these things nowadays, my armor still protected me." Skulker proudly declared.

"What are those things?" Sabrina asked, seeing that they were somehow hurting Danny.

"Blood, ugh, blossoms," Danny replied in pain. "They, ugh, weaken ghosts."

Thinking quickly, Sabrina ran to the supply closet. "Good thing she got away," Skulker commented. "I would have been bored if the spell scrambler had made things too easy."

"Too easy, too hard, ugh" Danny managed to say. "You're never, ugh, satisfied."

"I will be when I hang your skin on my wall." Skulker replied.

"Ewww." Danny reacted as usual.

Suddenly, Sabrina returned with a vacuum cleaner. "Say goodbye to blood blossoms." She said as she vacuumed Danny's weakness.

Furious, Skulker fired at the vacuum cleaner. Fortunately, Danny took advantage of the distraction to fire a beam at the spell scrambler. "Powers worth the price, turn that ghost into ice." Sabrina's spell worked this time.

"I'll take him back to the Ghost Zone." Danny said.

"No!" Sabrina exclaimed. "We need him to tell where Tim the Witch Smeller is hiding."

Sabrina's decision turned out to be the right one since Tim had captured Cassandra and Harvey. Enchantra came personally to thank Sabrina and Danny. "Don't worry about Harvey Kinkle." The Queen said. "We'll erase any and all memories he has of this incident."

"What'll happen to Tim and Skulker?" Danny asked.

"Tim will be returned to solitary confinement and Skulker will be placed in a cell with an anti-ghost enchantment, Danny." Enchantra replied.

"I'm glad to hear that." Danny commented.

"And what about you, Cassandra," Enchantra said. "I hope you've learned your lesson about underestimating enemies."

"Yes, Aunt Enchantra," Cassandra said with a hint of annoyance.

Seeing Enchantra scold her niece like that made Danny understand that witches weren't that different from humans. He eventually returned home. "Jazz, did our parents mention anything about other witch hunters from John Fenton Nightingale's time?" He asked his sister.

"Just some tale about a silly sounding guy called Tim the Witch Smeller." Jazz answered. "What?"

"Jazz, I have a lot to tell you." Danny replied and explained about Tim's true background and abilities.

"Little brother, let me check if I got this right." Jazz said. "Tim the Witch Smeller is still alive and, other than having a warlock's longevity, is essentially a squib?"

"Yes." Danny answered.

"And he met Leonardo Da Vinci and learned how to develop weapons that make him a credible threat to magical people?" Jazz asked, still finding it hard to believe a guy with a name like that could be feared by witches who could easily defeat Skulker.

"Yeah, even I find that hard to believe and I'm used to ghosts." Danny commented.

"Little brother, I have only one request for you." Jazz stated. "If I'm ever turned into a frog, don't let Tucker use it as an excuse to kiss me."

"Request noted, Jazz." Danny replied.

"So, how was the hop?" Jazz asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Sabrina and I had a good time but it was rather uneventful in comparison to the troubles caused by Tim and Skulker." Danny answered.

"I wonder how Tucker will react to this." Jazz said.

"He'll probably want to know more about Cassandra." Danny commented.

"No arguing there, little brother." Jazz agreed.

Danny later met Tucer and learned he was right. "Does Cassandra have a boyfriend?" Tucker asked.

"She went to the hop with their school's basketball team star but I don't know if they're that steady." Danny answered.

"Is this basketball star a jerk like Dash?" Tucker asked.

"He's nicer than Dash, Tucker." Danny answered.

"One can be that and still be a jerk." Tucker argued.

"True but I have yet to see him being a jerk." Danny conceded.

"If he isn't, we should transfer." Tucker suggested.

"Tempting idea, Tucker, but somebody must protect Amity Park from ghosts." Danny sadly replied.

"Stupid ghosts." Tucker grumbled. "Being the reason we can't run away from Dash."

"Life's unfair, Tuck." Danny commented.

"You have no right to say that, Danny." Tucker complained. "Not while you have a girlfriend and I don't."

"For as long as we have to endure Dash, the both of us have that right." Danny argued.

"Anyway, are you sure you don't know any available witches?" Tucker asked.

"Yes, Tucker, I'm sure." Danny answered.

"In that case, is Hilda still waiting for me?" Tucker asked, shocking Danny.

"I'm not dignifying that question with an answer." Danny replied.

"Danny, I cannot count on a girl to wait four whole years even if it's for me." Tucker pleaded.

"We didn't discuss Hilda Spellman's love life." Danny stated. "And, back to the school transfer issue, I still don't know anything about Greendale's other jocks to be sure none of them is a jerk."

"Bummer." Tucker replied.

End chapter