#but harry reeks of the weekend before and it only gets worse after the field autopsy

[valhalla-dancehall]

FYI: if you choose Moralist dialogue options during their debrief on the balcony (you don't need to play the whole game as a Moralist if you don't want to, it's just those that one dialogue option), then Kim will call Harry 'my kind of officer'. So, Kim will flirt with Harry on the balcony, on the first day of meeting him, while Harry looks and smells like that, not once but twice.

[ciestessde]

Phantasma Magica Ch. 5

STORY SUMMARY

Clockwork and the Observants send Danny to Hogwarts on a special mission. But, cryptic as ever, that Old Stopwatch never actually told him what would happen on it!!! “All you need to do right now, Daniel, is stay focused on your mission. And remember, the-” “‘The Lions with the time-turner, lightning-bolt scar, and hair like fire are friends; watch out for the rat; and the black dog is not a threat.’ Yeah, you’ve only repeated that a few dozen times today.”

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Harry was stuck, by order of the school nurse, in the hospital wing the rest of the weekend after his fall. Which was fine by Danny -- Harry was the only overnight patient, so, other than the occasional visitor and the nurse, the hospital wing was empty most of the time. Which meant, with Danny able to turn visible when needed, he could spend the entire weekend guarding and visiting with his friend. (A fantastic balm to his newfound paranoia!)

Harry didn’t seem to mind the company, either, filling Danny in on various things about the wizarding world. … Well. He mostly talked about Quidditch -- the upcoming rematch occupying the boy’s mind. Danny was an expert on the sport by Monday morning. And (despite his aversion toward sports in general) Danny found he was looking forward to watching Harry play -- without rain blocking most of his vision. But the entire weekend -- even though spending time with a friend did much to calm him -- something kept bothering Danny. That taint in Harry’s metaphorical “smell” kept itching at his nose…

Even after his release, Danny decided to continue prioritizing Harry’s safety -- only resting when he knew Harry was in a safe environment. And with all the practice he got following Harry around, Danny finally perfected the art of concealing the chilling effect of his aura. ~Poor~ Malfoy, though, was unaware of his nemesis’ ghostly bodyguard, and had decided Harry’s weakness to the dementors was hilarious. If he had known… perhaps he wouldn’t have decided to make fun of Harry during potions… and maybe he would have avoided having his stool, and a bit of the table in front of him, turned intangible -- covering him in his unfinished potion… (Much to Danny’s annoyance, Snape didn’t take any points from Malfoy’s House. He considered pranking the professor as well, but didn’t dare risk it. … Yet.)

Because he was prioritizing Harry’s safety, Danny found himself staying with him when Lupin asked to have a word after class, too. Once all of the students had left, Danny went ahead and turned visible. “I heard about the match,” Lupin addressed Harry, “and I’m sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?” “No. The tree smashed it to bits.” Lupin sighed, beginning to prepare for the next class. “They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance.”

Hesitating, Harry asked, “Did you hear about the dementors too?” Lupin paused, glanced at the phantasm floating in the corner -- then looked back at Harry. “Yes, I did. I don’t think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for some time… furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds… I suppose they were the reason you fell?” “Yes,” said Harry, hesitating again before, “Why? Why do they affect me like that? Am I just-” “It has nothing to do with weakness,” Lupin interjected sharply. “The dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that the others don’t have.”

As Lupin explained the horrible creatures that were dementors again, Danny was bothered by the mystery that bugged him all weekend -- the tainted smell of Harry’s soul. There was another piece of the puzzle. He could feel it, just out of reach… “When they get near me--” Harry’s throat tightened, “I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum.” Lupin moved as if to comfort him, but stopped. There was a moment of silence.

“-Why did they have to come to the match?” Harry said bitterly. “I expect knowing a phantasm was nearby agitated them. But mostly -- they’re getting hungry.” Lupin shut his briefcase with a snap. “Dumbledore won’t let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up. … I don’t think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement… emotions running high�� it was their idea of a feast.”

‘--Wait…’ Danny thought, ‘... If it was the crowd that drew them -- why did they target Harry? And… I get reliving bad memories is common around them, but -- Harry was a baby when his mother was killed…‘

Finally, something clicked: This wasn’t the first time the dementors had singled Harry out; reliving a memory he shouldn’t have; the tainted “smell.” … Danny’s mission -- Clockwork’s clues… An idea -- which seemed almost impossible -- occurred to Danny: ‘What if… Harry is a horcrux…?’

Now that the idea had occurred to him -- -- It was unmistakable. Danny’s senses honed in on Harry’s soul without his volition -- and there it was. Like an infected wound, or a parasite -- a piece of a soul reeking of death clung to Harry. It’s essence seeped out of his scar, right where they had said Voldemort’s curse rebounded. For the first time since becoming a phantasm, Danny genuinely felt cold.

But he couldn’t dwell on this. What felt like hours to Danny was only a couple seconds -- before the name “Sirius Black,” and the abrupt motion of Lupin almost dropping his suitcase, pulled him back into their conversation.

“Yes, Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn’t have believed it possible…” Lupin said. ‘But Harry wasn’t on the list of objects!’ “Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long…”

‘Harry’s my friend -- I will NOT attack him!’ Harry interjected, “You made the dementors on the train back off.” ‘Oh, of course Clockwork didn’t tell me, he knew I wouldn’t-- no… Waaait. He said that Harry was a “friend” …’

“There are -- certain defenses one can use.” ‘That old- He manipulated me! --Not that… I didn’t know he was doing that... --but STILL!’ “But there was only one dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist.” ‘Okay. Breathe. Calm down.’

“What defenses? Can you teach me?!” ‘Clockwork didn’t put Harry on the list.’

“I don’t pretend to be an expert at fighting dementors, Harry… quite the contrary…” ‘That means I don’t have to do anything.’

“But if the dementors come to another Quidditch match, I need to be able to fight them--”

Lupin hesitated… ‘And if Harry knew… He’d freak out…’ “Well… all right. I’ll try and help.” Danny was trying his hardest to not freeze the walls behind him. “But it’ll have to wait until next term, I’m afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays.” ‘If Clockwork didn’t mention this… Yeah--’ “I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill.”

‘--Harry doesn’t need to know.’

He was about to follow Harry out of the room -- still visible -- when Lupin called, “Danny?” His gaze jerked around, his mind still reeling. Lupin locked eyes with him, concerned. “I hope this isn’t over-stepping, but… Are you alright?” Danny didn’t know how to answer that. He wanted to trust this teacher -- he really did, but… He smiled, “Yeah, I’m fine.” Lupin couldn’t have missed the pause if he had tried. But he continued on, “Well, I was wondering if I might have that interview tomorrow. During lunch, perhaps?” Lunch was safe. Harry was surrounded by other wizards -- Hermione and Ron, other friends -- during lunch. “Yeah, that works for me.” Danny’s desire to protect his young friend was stronger than ever. And the more positive relations he could build in this unsafe environment -- the better.

So as promised, he met the professor in his office the next day. He asked mostly standard questions… Which was rather awkward for Danny. “What do phantasms eat?” “Uhhh… Well…” Only the first question -- and he already wanted to fly away. In his defense, he thought they already knew AT LEAST this much!? “We-I mean, they eat mostly… ummm…” ‘How do I answer this without freaking him out?!?!’ Resigning himself, he sighed. “Phantasms eat... souls.”

Lupin almost dropped his quill. He stared at Danny, certain he had misheard. Danny quickly added, “But- I don’t! I eat -- My guardian, he makes this substance. A substitute for souls. I- Here, let me show you!” And like that, he darted off, grabbing them from where he had stored them in the system of giant-unused-wall-pipes. Lupin was fascinated by the glowing green bottles, and Danny agreed to let him have one to study.

““We were aware that phantasms were capable of sucking out souls, of course, but… I never thought a creature would use it as their primary food source. I wonder-- is being a soul eater--” “--‘Spirit-eater’--” “--what causes the space around both species to become cold?” “I… don’t know. Maybe?” “Now, I know this might be uncomfortable, but… What about reproduction?”

And so the interview went. Many awkward questions, many not. Some curiosity easily satisfied: “I see. You can spread your aura into it to turn another object invisible or intangible as well!” And many questions he didn’t have answers to: “How do you switch between a corporeal and intangible form?” By the end of it, Lupin seemed to have lost any remaining reservations he had towards Danny, and Danny had decided that Lupin really was a good guy. But still… a good guy or not, Danny didn’t know whether he could trust Lupin with his mission. Not just yet…

  Before classes were to end for their winter break, another Hogsmeade trip rolled around -- with the promise of Danny and Harry being stuck, once again, inside the castle. But on the way back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry was lured into an empty classroom by Ron’s twin brothers, Fred and George.

“Early Christmas present for you, Harry,” Fred pulled a worn, blank piece of parchment from inside his cloak, and, with a flourish, laid it on a desk. “What’s that supposed to be?” “This, Harry, is the secret of our success.” George patted the parchment fondly. “It’s a wrench, giving it to you, but we decided last night, your need’s greater than ours.” “Anyway, we know it by heart. We bequeath it to you. We don’t really need it anymore.” They explained they’d gotten (stolen) it from Filch; a drawer in his office labeled “Confiscated and Highly Dangerous.”

With a tap of George’s wand and the words “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,” ink spread out on the parchment forming a map with the title:

Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present THE MARAUDER’S MAP

It showed every detail of Hogwarts and its grounds (‘Where was this when I needed it?!’), even -- with a moving dot and a name -- where people were inside it. For an instant, Danny and Harry’s pulses raced. But they quickly realized -- Danny wasn’t there. They were both just as confused as they were relieved. (Danny even more so when he saw the names of the Hogwarts’ ghosts and Peeves were shown on the map.)

Fred traced a secret passage on the map with his finger, “Right into Hogsmeade. There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four,” he pointed to them, “but we’re sure we’re the only ones who know about these. Don’t bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it’s caved in -- completely blocked. And we don’t reckon anyone’s ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow’s planted right over the entrance…” ‘That… Doesn’t make sense. Of course it was used! It was built, so -- oh, y’know what, forget it. I’ll investigate it later.’

After the twins left, Danny turned visible. “Danny look! If the twins are right -- and I’m sure they are -- I can get into Hogsmeade!” “Yeah…” Danny hesitated, while Harry studied the map more closely. He knew he couldn’t stop Harry if he really wanted to go, but… “Hey, uh…” Harry looked at him, grinning. Danny smiled back. ‘I’ll just have to go with him.’ “If you’re going to do this, you should probably grab your coat and invisibility cloak first.” “No, I’ll be fine. I don’t want to wait any longer.” And like that, he took off. Danny sighed, but smiled. It was good to see Harry so happy. He had been in a slump ever since losing his broom. Some fresh air and new sights would probably do him good.

Danny followed at a distance. Harry met up with Ron and Hermione right away. Hermione did not approve of Harry being there, of course. Ron, though, pointed out a notice pasted on the door of the shop the secret tunnel had let out in, which said that dementors were patrolling the streets of the small town during the night. ‘Only during the night, huh…?’ Ron’s point was that Sirius Black couldn’t get into the town because of these patrols. Danny disagreed (he’d gotten into the school, hadn’t he?), but he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with the creatures here during the day.

  After buying some candy from the shop, the trio made there way to a small, warm pub/inn called the “Three Broomsticks.” Things were going well. Ron even got Danny his own mug of “Butterbeer” -- a non-alcoholic beverage which, Danny decided (though not as good as hot cocoa) wasn’t half bad. He floated above the table, drinking from his invisible cup, when he noticed a group of teachers headed towards the building.

Danny reached down and turned Harry invisible with him. “Danny?” asked Harry. “What’s wrong?” Hermione looked around, quickly spotting their professors and the other adults coming inside. ‘Oh, this is going to be another long day, isn’t it?’ He resigned himself to it when they sat down at the table right next to theirs. Apparently, one of them, a man he didn’t recognize, was actually the “Minister,” and they even invited the waitress, Madam Rosmerta, to join them. The topic of conversation was, of course, Sirius Black. But… things turned personal.

Well… even more personal than attempts on Harry’s life. Danny was worried he’d have to restrain Harry. He almost had to restrain himself.

Black was Harry’s godfather. He’d been Harry's father’s best friend! But even more than that…

“... Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm,” the Minister said. “How does that work?” asked the waitress. Professor Flitwick (the teacher of the Charms class) filled her in. He explained that it hid a secret inside a chosen “Secret-Keeper’s” soul so that, unless revealed by the Secret-Keeper, it would be impossible to know or find out -- even if the “secret” was directly in front of you. Black had been chosen as just such a Secret-Keeper to hide the Potter family’s location from Voldemort. And, seeing as they were murdered barely a week after he became their Secret-Keeper…

Danny struggled not to freeze Harry’s shoulder, but managed to control himself. Their story wasn’t finished, either. Soon after Voldemort “died” (as Danny knew better), another friend of Black and Harry’s father, “Peter Pettigrew,” confronted Black. And Black didn’t just kill him -- Black blew him up! ...

  After making sure Harry and the others made it back to the castle safely, Danny flew himself down into one of the rare places that could provide the space and privacy he needed right then: the large underground room he had found connected to the pipes. (He had been mildly concerned by the gigantic snake carcass that was down there when he first found it -- but he didn’t even spare it a glance.) He spent that night and into the morning letting off steam. The snake’s body was frozen solid and shattered into millions of pieces, the walls were scorched and scarred by ethereal fire and his sonic attacks (as loud as he could make them without drawing attention down there).

It was like his mind was racing -- but had nowhere to go.

He wanted to find this Sirius Black and kill him -- No, he wanted to protect Harry, to make sure no one hurt his friend --

Harry must be feeling even worse right now, he should be comforting him -- No, Ron and Hermione were closer friends to Harry, and there was nothing he could say or do that could help --

He could kill Black, that would help his friend -- ‘I WILL NOT KILL!’ --

-- ‘But I want to protect them…’

~~~~~

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