CHAPTER -2 The Train and the Oaths

September 1st 1991

King's Cross Station

10:43 AM

"And you have your first aid kit?" Emma asked.

"Yes mum." Hermione replied, trying not to roll her eyes, Danny just nodded his head.

"And you have our address memorized to send us owls?"

"Yes mum, you made me memorize it as soon as I could read." Hermione and Danny nodded again, this time she actually rolled her eyes, then her father cut in

"And do you have your lucky knickers?" Making no effort to hide the eye roll this time Hermione practically shouted

"Yes da-DAD! I do not have 'lucky knickers'!"

"Then you're not as prepared as you thought you were were you? Lucky for you-" Emma leaned over and whispered into her husband's ear

"Dan, if you pull a pair of our daughter's knickers in the middle of the station then you won't be getting into mine for a month. Understand dear?" Dan paled and joking turned to Danny

"You wouldn't happen to have your lucky knickers would you?" Emma smacked him upside the head while Hermione began to reprimand him looking back when she gestures to Danny

"Honestly dad, why would Danny-" she didn't get much further though because she, along with her mother and father as well, were gawking at the skimpy purple lace thong, little more than a see through triangle and some sting, dangling from Danny's finger. Spluttering, she asked "Wha-, how, where, I mean, I...where did you get those Danny!?"

He gave her a deadpan look.

"Well, I don't know where you got them, that's why I'm asking you!"

He inclined his head and raised both eyebrows for a moment.

"Yes I want to know!"

He smirked and raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm sure I am old enough to know!" however, before this could get any further Emma screech- uh, reasonably intervened.

"No you most certainly are not young lady! And you!" she rounded on Danny "Get back here Daniel!" only to find him smiling broadly, walking backwards to push his trolley and using one hand to tap the watch on his other, incidentally still holding the knickers. Looking at her own watch she saw that there was still only eight minutes left to go through the barrier, get on the train and load their luggage. Emma scowled and looked back up to Danny, even farther away "We will be talking about this Daniel! Don't think I'll forget," He saluted her with the hand still holding the thong "and put those away!" He didn't of course, he just turned around and sped through the barrier.

Emma just scowled in his direction before turning back to Hermione and the...man-child, she was unfortunately married to and rolling her eyes. Squatting to get to her daughter's level she spoke.

"Dear, you'd best get going, don't want to be late for the train do you?" mother and daughter embraced, father joining not a second later. Leaning back from the hug she smiled "Now, when you see your big brother, make sure you kick him for me will you?" Hermione nodded dutifully smiling "And tell him I love him." Hermione smiled bigger and Emma quickly kissed her daughter on the head, Dan doing the same. "We love you Hermione, always remember that. Now go on, can't be late." With a quick hug to both of them Hermione turned and began pushing her trolley, huffing just a bit and running through the barrier.

Dan and Emma stood there holding each other, staring at the place their daughter had disappeared from their view, and if their eyes were at all watery, well, no one was going to say anything.

On the other side of the barrier Hermione and Danny had already loaded up their luggage and were aboard the train, Danny glaring at Hermione, a bruise on his shin forming. Sitting in a compartment on the train Danny made it a point to sit on the other side of the compartment and to huff playfully while glaring at Hermione. Hermione made a point to ignore him, smirking all the while. A small redhead and her blonde friend opened the door to the compartment and opened their mouths to ask if they could sit when they caught sight of Danny's Glare. They both paled, one of them almost whimpering and shut the door quickly running off.

"Danny!" Hermione berated him. "Why did you do that?"

He turned his glare to her, honestly confused as to what she was talking about.

"Don't give me that look! You know exactly what you did!"

He honestly had no idea what he did.

"You scared them off!"

He cocked his head to the side, questioning.

"You glared at them. With a capital 'g', that's what you did!"

His head didn't move except to dip, still questioning.

"Yes you glare at everyone, but these were eleven year old girls Danny, and you can be quite intimidating!" Suddenly the door opened once more and a blonde kid, a boy this time, with slicked back hair and two large children that would look more at home in the cromagnum man exhibit. Those in the compartment looked at those at the door. Those at the door rapidly paled, gulped and shut the door quickly, the sound of running feet heard a moment later. "See?!"

Danny scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I don't care if they were boys this time, they were still eleven, and you still scared them off, three of them this time!"

He sighed exasperatedly.

This scene replayed five more times with students of all ages and even one with a silver badge with a 'P' on it coming to the compartment and all leaving before they even said a word. Hermione had been practicing small spells all the while. Eventually a pudgy boy with a bowl cut opened the door, he went to ask for help from anyone in the compartment, but as he went to open his mouth he stopped and asked instead,

"Why is he wearing a blindfold?" and indeed, Danny was wearing a blindfold, one of his spare ties.

"Because he scared away the sweets lady." Hermione said petulantly sending her own feeble yet still improving glare towards the blindfolded boy who just clicked his tongue and pouted.

"Okay...I've lost my toad, have either of you seen him?" he paused then turned to Hermione "Well he can't see anything, but have you?" he asked causing Danny to 'humph' and sink down further into his slouch.

"I'm afraid we haven't," Hermione said a bit regretfully, "but we can help you look if you want?" The boy brightened visibly at that, but was still sad looking.

"You'd do that?" he asked

"Of course," she replied, pulling her brother's blindfold off "both of us, right Danny?" The boy just rolled his eyes, but he did stand up, sweeping his arms grandly, bowing as he gestured towards the door. Hermione rolled her eyes before saying "That's Danny by the way, he's my brother, and I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger."

"Neville Longbottom." The pudgy boy replied. Hermione brightened a bit and smiled.

"Well then, shall we?"

While interesting, their search was largely unsuccessful. The first door opened to see three girls of light medium and dark skin tones, generally around Danny's age with shiny broomsticks huddled in close and a crimson patch on their left breasts. They were seemingly reviewing a diagram in hushed whispers and all three looked up in a synchronized movement with the same expression on each of their faces, which was oddly creepy, finally, after one second, the oldest and darkest skinned girl asked-

"Yes?" Danny gestured to the two small people tailing him. Neville took a deep breath and stepped forward, quietly sputtering for a good few seconds before Hermione took pity on him and spoke.

"Neville's lost his toad, have you seen one?" the girls looked to each other confirming that

"No, I'm sorry but we haven't." Hermione turned to leave but Danny held a grip on her shoulder and when she looked up at him he gestured to the troika of girls meaningfully.

"Oh, um," she turned back to the girls "Thank you for answering our questions."

"It was no problem." Replied the medium skinned girl on the left with the ponytail, she was second oldest.

Hermione nodded and then left leaving Danny to roll his eyes and close the door. After they left the troika spent a moment staring at the door before the youngest girl that hadn't spoken up did.

"I've never seen him before...he was kinda cute, do you know what house he's in?"

"No," replied the second oldest "which is weird because I would totally have remembered seeing him before." The oldest agreed

"Yes, and now we have something to look into to make sure the year's not boring."

"Not boring indeed." Agreed the youngest of the Gryffindor chasers affectionately known as the 'Crimson Vixens'.

On the eighth door they opened they saw an older girl with a yellow and black tie and a yellow and black crest on her left breast vigorously exploring the mouth of a boy with a blue tie hanging over his shoulder, his left breast obscured by the girl's hand which was pulling his robes in close to her so she could count his molars with her tongue. The thing that made this stand out from the other two instances they had previously encountered opening compartments up was that the girl's hair was down to her waist and changing from straight to curly to wavy to a combination of those while the color cycled from anything to everything all at once. It was truly a dizzying display.

Neville looked left, then right, then up, then down and sighed.

"Trevor's not here."

"No," Hermione replied, scrutinizing the snogging pair "but it looks like he might have a frog in his throat and she's trying to help him get it out."

Danny snorted.

The snogging couple finally broke apart, a small trail of saliva connecting them and the boy looking like he had his brains just sucked out, and he may have, along with his lungs and other internal organs as well judging by how hard the girl was going to work on him. Wiping her face with the back of one hand the girl, whose hair had returned to a general uniform color and style turned to the intruders-

"Do you mind? I'm trying to teach him something here!" Hermione cocked her head and quirked her lips.

"I don't think you're doing it right, it looks more like you lobotomized him, which would not be conducive to teaching him anything, though by the look on his face it doesn't look like he'll be complaining any time soon." Rainbow-bright (as Hermione had taken to calling her in the last seven seconds; admittedly a habit picked up from Danny) looked back at Dopey (another name from the last seven seconds) and grinned in an evil yet satisfied way.

"No, I'm definitely doing it right." She purred. Then she looked back to the group looking them up and down "Now what was so important that you had to interrupt Professor Tonks' lessons?"

"Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost his." Rainbow-bright roller her eyes (an interesting effect when she's shifting the color as well as the size), crossed her arms under her chest and shook her head.

"I was teaching Ryan the proper way to snog the sense out of someone, I haven't seen much of anything."

"Oh," Hermione's left pointer finger came up to her mouth "well thank you anyway." She said nodding.

"No problem kid." Was the parting shot, the parting scene however was Rainbow-bright grabbing Dopey's tie and crashing her lips into his again. If one were to observe Mr. Longbottom at this point his face would be capable of putting to shame a tomato in color and a bonfire in heat.

The next compartment was...interesting. it looked like a shouting match between a lovcraftian horror in blue crested robes and...uh...well, there weren't exactly words...adequate to describe...whatever the hell that was wearing green crested robes but they were shouting and exchanging colored lights vigorously.

Needless to say, they left rather quickly.

Trevor leapt out of the way as a tentacle with an eyeball that opened to razor sharp teeth. He was already regretting letting that pudgy human take him from the garden with promises of all the flies he could eat. Now he had to deal with seven years of this crap? Hell no, he was escaping...as soon as the door opened, for now though, he was hiding behind the cushions.

In one of the later compartments, which they got to after deciding to split up, Hermione and Danny found two boys with red and black hair in the middle of an explosion of sweets. Wrappers were everywhere and there was even a rat gorging on - a box of jelly beans. That didn't immediately register though, as she had been doing it so long Hermione automatically spouted-

"Have anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one." What caught Hermione's interest a moment later however, was that the redheaded child had his wand out and pointing at the rat. Red replied

"No." while looking at them strangely

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then." Red cleared his throat, mouth covered by his left hand then recited

"Sunshine Daisies Butter Mellow, turn this Stupid Fat Rat Yellow!" There was a tiny whoosh, a flash of yellow light and a displeased rat that had just been blinded and relieved of his feast. The four of them looked at the squealing rodent then the two younger boys shrugged their shoulders, they were just students, and not even in their first class after all.

To Danny it was clear that that incantation was nothing but made up crap and he displayed this thought with an imperious eyebrow raise, Hermione on the other hand couldn't contain her disdainful disbelief and had to ask.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well," she continued on ignoring the looks of 'who the hell is this?' directed from Red to Specs, as the black haired boy was called. "it's not a very good one is it? I've only tried a few simple ones myself, but they've all worked for me." She reached into her robe and took out her wand, highly polished, as it was obvious she was excited to do so. What she didn't understand though was why her whole family laughed each time she announced she was off to 'polish her wand'. She sat down. "For example," she pointed her wand at Spec's specs "Occulous Reparo."

With a sputtering whoosh the tape flew off of a newly mended bridge and the glass in the frames of his glasses mended together, neither of them cracked anymore. Danny, despite knowing what she was going to do, nearly had an aneurism watching his little cousin point a wand at someone's head. He did that once and he nearly skewered the poor woman on a spear of ice! He knew Hermione knew what she was doing, but still, it didn't help him freak out any less.

"There, that's better now, isn't it?" the boy, specs, took off his glasses and stared at them in awe, turning to look at red he inadvertently shifted his bangs allowing a lightning bolt scar to show through. "Holy Cricket! You're Harry Potter! I'm Hermione Granger and that's my brother Danny." She said brightly and, just a bit snobbishly. She turned to red asking almost disdainfully of the boy with dirt on his face and cheeks stuffed full of food "And, you are?"

"Um, Ron Weasly." Red said pleasantly. Or he would have if it didn't sound like 'grum Hrung Hueezey'. Fortunately for the boy though, Hermione was the daughter of two Doctors of Dental Surgery, in a more common sense, she was the daughters of two people who were experts on how to understand what people meant when their mouth was full of drool and foreign objects, in pain on one half and numb on the other, a skill that lent itself well to understanding 'Hrung Hueezey'.

"Pleasure." She said, warily eyeing him, she did not want to end up splattered in food like the cushion Ron was across from. Turning back to the less dangerous side of the compartment Hermione addressed spec-er...Harry. "You two had best change into your robes, I expect we'll be arriving soon." With that she got up and got ready to leave saying to Ron, "You've got dirt on your nose, by the way, just there." she pointed to the side of her own nose "Did you know?" She then dragged an exasperated Danny behind her leaving the two boys slightly very much confused as to what had happened.

Three compartments later Neville came up to them holding a traumatized toad. And Neville somehow had gotten his robes turned fluorescent purple and they were now gnawing on him. Hermione took one look at him and, taking a leaf from her mother's book upon seeing the strange conditions Danny sometimes turned up in, decided

"I'm not even going to ask."

It was dark out when the train began to slow down. Hermione, Danny and Neville had eaten whatever snacks they could (the sweets leady had made another round), but were still hungry as it was getting ready to be past their usual dinner time. Finally when the train softly screeched to a halt the windows on the train were rattled by an enormous voice calling out to the students pouring out of the doors of the train opened by the youngest looking group of people with shiny 'P' badges on their chests, two from each color group seen so far.

"Righ' then, firs' years, this way please! C'mon now, firs' years don't be shy! C'mon now, hurry up! C'mon!" The voice seemed to be coming from a ten foot tall man with hands the size of trash can lids holding an old style lantern. 'Seemed' was the appropriate word because it was hard to see his face in the dark with the lantern shining so much light in it, and the giant wiry black beard reaching two feet down to just around his chest didn't help show his mouth either.

The large man's hair was rather unkempt, he wore what seemed to be self made clothes, crafted from animals he had possibly killed himself. He had a leather belt with a large ring of keys adorning it, just to the side of a brown leather pouch that, if Hermione wasn't mistaken, had a mole's head as a cover flap. Beady black eyes shone from the darkness, like two beetles glimmering in the dark, before fixing on to a single target. From the way the beard stretched to the sides he was either smiling or frowning, doubts of which it was were dispelled when he called out in a jovial voice-

"Hello Harry." To which spe- er- Harry replied

"Hello Hagrid." Hagrid, as Hermione now called him, which was much better than the name she had previously come up with, then turned and started walking calling out behind him

"Right then, this way to the boats, c'mon now, follow me."

After trekking through the small townlet the group came upon a small dock with boats. They received instructions of, apparently, no more than four to a boat and each group held a lantern.

In his dark robes and with his stern visage holding the lantern in one of the leading boats, shadows cast harshly upon his scowling face, he might easily be mistaken for Hades own Charon. Ferrying new souls across the misty waters under the palest moonlight, clouds casting glancing shadows over the landscape yet not over the silent procession gliding across the inky black waters all heading to the same destination.

Hermione felt quite poetic describing her older brother as such, the only downside being that everyone would be dead if she was making a proper likeness...and people were whispering everywhere so it wasn't silent...and a cloud just cast a shadow on them. Honestly, it had sounded better in her head when she didn't second guess and argue with herself. Well, the castle really did look majestic up on that cliff there...how were they getting up there? Were they supposed to climb a ridiculous amount of steps or something? Oh well, don't ruin it for yourself and no one will ruin it for you.

Of course, then came the startled yelp and great splash followed by the sound of a Danny face-palming, she had grown quite familiar with that sound over their time together, and a sprinkle of water signifying, yes, Neville had fallen into the lake. Before they were gone too far though, Danny reached in and hauled him back in, sputtering and dripping water everywhere. Seeing this Danny took off his robe and Gave it o Neville, getting a small

"Thanks."

After a long walk up an un-godly amount of stairs they came upon Professor McGonagall standing expectantly at the top of the last set of stairs at the edge of the landing, speaking when they had all stopped before her.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. Now in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses, they are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw...and Slytherin." The disdain hanging from that word wasn't just heard, you could nearly see it dripping from the air itself, almost as if to become solid. "Now while you're here your house will be like your family, your triumphs will earn you points, any rule-breaking, and you will lose points." Around this time a tiny sound faintly started "At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup." Neville interrupted however

"TREVOR!" he shouted lunging through people to the top of the stairs and the front of the pack (not a crowd, these are rabid-child beasts, they are a pack) and directly in front of the ever stern Minerva McGonagall. There was a small smattering of laughter before Neville looked up into the professor's face and back away, muttering a "Sorry." along the way. As he had retreated back into the pack the professor continued.

"The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." She was about to go off, but stopped, looking straight at Danny "Mr. Fenton, you will be the last one sorted, your circumstances will be explained before you are called up. Please stay by the entrance when we arrive." 'Circumstances' being the cover story she and Dumbledore had come up with and notified the Grangers of. This time she did turn and go through the great golden doors, leaving more than a few people staring at the tall fourteen year old. That is of course until Slick (a name of seven seconds Hermione came up with when Danny had first scared him off) started to talk in a, bad, casually surprised voice.

"It's true then, what they're saying on the train...Harry potter has come to Hogwarts." Danny saw that little gleam in Slick's eye (Hermione liked to tell him her names for people, it generally amused him and she did so like to see him smile) as the excited whispering spread and new that that little...ponce would be a major annoyance, if for no other reason than because of his bad acting skills. His apparent need to be the center of attention didn't help either. "This is Crabbe," he nodded to tweedle dee "and Goyle," and to tweedle dum "And I'm Malfoy," at this point he got all up in Spec's personal space...Harry, Harry's personal space, standing on the stair just above him looking down, smirking. Oh hellz yes, this kid would be annoying. "Draco Malfoy."

Red snickered. Slick looked over assessing Red in less than half a second.

"Think my name's funny do you?" then he sneered, quite badly too, "There's no need to ask yours..."

And so it went, the first move for most dominate/popular kid in their year.

Famous kid VS. Rich kid.

FIGHT!

Hermione shook her head a bit, she really needed to stop watching her brother play all of those fighting games, but really, the background music was so catchy, and it was interesting to watch your brother go into the games and kick all of the character's arses. Regardless, Hermione stopped listening, there was no point really, she didn't get along with girls that liked to gossip for one, and what eleven year old could beat her brother the superhero? Yeah, right, like that was going to happen, he'd saved the world several times, and the time stream, and the fabric of reality. Really, there was no comparison.

The sound of paper, parchment, they used parchment here, ruffling against something brought her attention back. Slick was moving back to the pack and Professor McGonagall looked slightly more irritated than usual as she eyed him. She addressed the pack again

"We're ready for you now, follow me." She turned and lead the pack up the last staircase and down the hall, great golden doors opening in front of her as she walked leading the students into...quite honestly, it looked like a cult gathering. Candles were everywhere, everyone wore the exact same thing, all of their heads were on swivel turning to look silently at the new arrivals. Not a word was spoken. It seriously creeped Hermione out for a moment. Then, someone coughed, and the moment was broken, it had lasted less than a second anyways.

The pack followed McGonagall in between the middle of four long tables, each student wearing a colored crest on their left breast, under banners of the same color. The banners were depicting, from left to right, a bronze and silver eagle on a blue field, a black and white badger on a yellow field, a golden lion on a crimson field, and a silver snake on a green field.

"That's not really the ceiling, it's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it, in Hogwarts, A History." Hermione spouted. She didn't even know the girl next to her but she couldn't help it, she was excited, and when Hermione was excited she spouted facts. As the procession stopped McGonagall informed them that 'Professor Dumbledore has a few start of term announcements he's like to make.'

The elderly Merlin-y looking wizard in the golden throne stood, tucking his impressive beard into himself and clearing his throat before calling out in an aged and scratchy voice that was still somehow full of life

"Before we begin, I have a few, start of term notices I wish to announce." He looked directly at the group of children, briefly glancing at the back of the hall "The first years, please note, that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch" he inclined his head briefly to a gangly balding man, in dirty brown clothes, with a permanent sneer etched on his face and standing next to a raggedy cat. Danny knew they were dirty because he could smell them. "has asked me to remind you all, that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds, to everyone who does not wish to die, a most painful death...Thank You." He finished with a smile.

Danny raid an eyebrow. Hermione wasn't needed to interpret this, it was a clear cut case of 'What. The. Hell?' The feeling continued even as the hat started to sing, which he promptly blocked out until the applause was done.

McGonagall spoke again.

"Now when I call your name, you shall come forward, and I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses."

It was started off with 'Abbot, Hanna' who was a Hufflepuff and before she knew it, 'Granger, Hermione' was being called.

Hermione walked, warily, shakily, to the stool, to the hat that would play a crucial role in the next seven years of her life.

She sat down.

She felt the weight of the cloth on her head.

Inside her head she felt a...twitch? A brush? A...movement. It was searching, searching for something...then, it made a connection, and, inside her mind, like only Danny had ever done to her, it spoke.

Hello miss Granger. Oh, what have we here, already exploring mind magics are we?

What? She wasn't exploring, more...she needed a way to communicate with Danny, so she did.

A fine Rationalization, if I do say so myself, I find myself impressed with your thirst for knowledge; blue and bronze will look good on you in the hou-

NO! STOP!

No need to shout. I'm in here with you, I hear even the faintest whispers inside your mind. Now, tell me child, why don't you want me to sort you into the house of knowledge?

well...I was...hoping...you might consider sorting me into...Gryffindor...maybe?

Oh? Why would you want to go there? The house of the brave, bold and courageous, the brash and the foolhardy, the Lions' Den. You could certainly fit in there, thrive even, but why not encourage academic growth? Why not sit with like minded individuals?

b...bec...Because Danny is most certainly going to be sorted into Gryffindor...and I don't want to be without him...He's my only friend.

...from what I see of him in your memories, he's certainly smart enough, intelligent enough, cunning enough and resourceful enough to easily fit into Ravenclaw or Slytherin. From the stories he's told you, he cares enough, is loyal enough and trains enough to be in Hufflepuff, and yet...you're absolutely sure that he'll land in Gryffindor. He certainly is brave enough, and his brash attitude would make him a hit instantly, if he spoke that is, but that's true enough for his other characteristics and the other houses. Why are you so sure he'll be a lion?

I...Danny told me I'm as brave as I am smart but in situations with equal amounts bravery and intelligence, intelligence wins out; intelligence only loses when someone's a lot more brave than they are intelligent...or they get really mad...or drunk.

Interesting wisdom to pass on to a younger relative, true, none the less. You didn't answer my question however.

Danny has done a lot of things that while intelligent...were also incredibly stupid and amazingly brave. He usually ends up saving the day too. He's very courageous.

Hmmm...he will be an interesting one to sort no doubt, but we're here for you miss Granger. While Mr. Fenton most likely will turn out a lion, it doesn't seem like he would take to his house above his family now does it?

I...well...

Why not the real reason you want to be a Gryffindor, the one we both know I can see, in the back of your mind, hmmm?

I...don't want Danny to be disappointed in me.

He won't you know. He'd be even more proud of you if you were an Eagle, in the house of knowledge, where you belong.

I...I'd be disappointed in me if I wasn't in Gryffindor. I know I'm smart, but I want to know I'm brave too.

I am the penultimate authority on where you belong, on where you will go, on which house you belong in. I made my choice the moment I saw you're intelligence...yet you stood up to me, argued with me, and most importantly, asked me. I think that's definitely brave enough to be sorted into-

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted, resulting in an explosion of cheers from the red and gold, the house of the brave, the House of the Lions!

Hermione jumped off the stool the moment the hat left her head and made her way to the Gryffindor table, the whole way her eyes were locked on Danny. At first there was no reaction other than the light widening of his eyes, but then, finally after an eternity of one second, the largest, proudest smile she had ever seen on Danny's face broke out. It made her feel warm and tingly in her chest and as her own smile grew to Cheshire proportions, she knew she'd made the right decision.

Danny saw Hermione smiling nervously and looking straight at him, the hat having just placed her in Gryffindor, and he could see, could practically feel her desire, her need of him approving of her placement. All of this was communicated in less than a second, but he understood, and to be honest, he was kinda proud of her, so he smiled. Not just one of his usual half grins or self depreciating smirks, but a full blown smile. So the sorting continued, the noise level plummeted to a fierce whisper when 'Specs', he gave a mental snicker at that, Hermione was corrupting nicely now, was called but it grew to nearly a Super Bowl level when he was sorted into the same house as his little cousin. Eventually the last small firstie was sorted and everyone began to talk before Dumbledore rose up again to speak.

"We have a special student to be sorted this year; due to a muggle construction company's mistake, an ancient druidic artifact was broken, which blanketed the surrounding area for miles in a strong concentration of wild magic." There was some hushed murmuring at that "Because of this unexpected release and the resulting interference, the ministry sensors were not able to detect the birth of a muggle-born wizard some fourteen years ago. Only due to the happy circumstance of him visiting his cousin, Miss Hermione Granger recently of Gryffindor House, when she received her own letter was it determined that he was in fact a wizard." What the hell? It was going to get out eventually, but before she made any friends in her house? What the Hell? "He chose to accompany his cousin to Hogwarts to learn instead of opting for tutors and will be starting as a first year." There were a few scoffs around the room at that, most from the green section but some from the blue "Once he is sorted, please welcome him as you would any other new student, thank you." Dumbledore sat once more and there was more excited chattering as McGonagall held the parchment open and picked up the sorting hat calling-

"Fenton, Daniel." There were only a few gasps around the Hall, the loudest being from a Ghost passing the Great Hall, speeding off to spread the news to every ghost she saw, telling them to spread the news as well, eventually the portraits got in on it and in less than thirty seconds every non-living being in Hogwarts knew, Danny Phantom had come to Hogwarts.

As Danny walked, calmly and with measured steps to the front of the Great Hall, he felt the eyes of every person on him, after a year of constant battle how could he not? With the speed of his walk he reached the stool in ten seconds. The thing was designed for small eleven year olds. Danny was over six feet tall. The thing didn't reach his knee. He spent five seconds staring at it before looking to McGonagall with an incredulous eyebrow raise, he was getting very expressive with his eyebrows lately. She just raised her own eyebrow right on back.

"It is tradition." She stated so, with a drawn out sigh, so she would know how ridiculous he found this, he sat down on the foot and a half tall stool. His knees were higher than his butt. Immediately there were snickers around the hall, one or two even from the staff table, but they were ignored with all the dignity he could muster, which considering his seat, wasn't all that much. The Hat descended.

Silence for a good ten seconds before a sigh was heard.

"Please lower the shields around your mind Mr. Fenton, my design makes me incapable of intentional harm." More whispering broke out at this and he could feel a few of the stares get more intense, a couple of them were from behind him. Danny tensed for a moment, but eventually, slowly, almost tentatively, he let his shields open a crack, when no attack was immediately forthcoming Danny opened them further just enough to let someone see, but not touch and heard it's voice in his head.

Part of the magic that makes me able to sort the students correctly gives me an inability to lie, but if you do not believe that then you will not believe anything I may say. Having said that however, I am supposed to go through a person's entire life and determine where they may best flourish. Ah, yes, you caught that, determine, not judge, and I am incapable of divulging your secrets without your permission, another of my functions, so if I may?

Danny had no worded thoughts in his head, rather he was fighting his natural sense of mistrust versus the need to do as thousands had done before him without any notable harm, at least, not documented in any history book his little cousin had read. With a final flash of begrudging, he let the hat in, it only took a moment for the blanket to fall through his entire mind, and the hat seemed to process it all very quickly before it began thinking at him again.

Hmmm, at first glance a Gryffindor, Brave and Brash and Hard Headed, charging in at the first sign of danger, until your impressive Loyalty is called into play; Loyalty to an entire town of people who gave you naught but scorn. You even took care to return your enemies home rather than just destroying them or handing them over to your parents, Loyalty and Compassion, a Hufflepuff if I ever saw one, especially with the inordinate amount of Hard Working sleepless nights you gave to their safety as well as ensuring you got your lesser duties like homework and chores done in addition to being the town's guardian. Loyalty, Compassion, Hard Work and Determination. Very Hufflepuff.

But then there is your Intelligence, you sought to end as many conflicts as you could without violence choosing instead to reason with them, and your exploration of the knowledge of an entire realm of new beings must be taken into account as well. You acted as negotiator and peace-keeper more than once, using your brain to produce a solution agreeable to all with no violence and bloodshed, or as little as possible at the very least. People see you as an under achiever, but really the only way you could even keep as high of an average as you did was to rely on your innate Intelligence and the small amount of studying you get in. That and your extensive knowledge of mechanics, engineering and programming as demonstrated when you saved the world this latest time along would have guaranteed you a spot in Ravenclaw alone. Yes, Intelligence, Logic and Reasoning skills, Ravenclaw would welcome you with open arms and open pages as well. But no, neither your year group nor your age group would accept you, both for the same reasoning, the knowledge gap; too much for first years yet nowhere near enough for fourth years.

Now on to your inner Slytherin, you, alone, sought to protect a town of thousands, all by yourself, with no back up whatsoever, from all Ghost attacks as well as preventing crimes you come across. Oh I know you had your friends, but they never truly fought at your side, merely offering distractions at best and interference at worst. That is pure Ambition, enough alone to gain you access into Salazar's house, but then there is your Cunning, fiendish as it is, and how you use it to defeat you enemies. Yes, many have knowledge of their enemy's weaknesses but it takes Cunning to apply them creatively and skillfully enough to defeat them, and with your record of victories and the number of people after your head for their defeat, your Cunning is truly impressive, in and out of battle. I especially enjoyed watching you frequently get one over on that Vlad character, a true Slytherin if I ever saw one. Yet, your morality and the current immorality of a large portion of Slytherin House would see the entire castle razed to the ground in a month's time, no, definitely not Slytherin.

Which brings us back to Gryffindor...you have shown Bravery, Courage, Daring and an extreme willfulness to protect others. Also, it is rather hard to distinguish between Hufflepuff Determination and Gryffindor Stubbornness at times. But what truly tipped the scale in deciding where you belong is the sheer Brash Audacity you have in deciding to give me to your dog as a chew toy if I don't, what was it again, 'Shut up and place you with your cousin'? Hmph!

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Through the ridiculous amount of cheering Danny could hear his little cousin's excited squeals. God, he was a bad influence on her, Emma said she never made a noise even close to a squeal before she met Danny.

Hermione watched, calmed from her squeal, Danny was a terrible influence on her, as Danny got up, stretched his back out and pushed the stool to the side, gave the hat back to McGonagall and then she saw it, Danny tensed, his eyes extra blue for a moment, and he opened his mouth letting his breath out, the air so cold that everyone could see his breath. Then they came, through the walls and through the floor, through the ceiling and through the door, they came. Ghosts were pouring through everywhere, eliciting shrieks of alarm when their icy bodies passed through Hermione jolted when she felt then saw a young woman travel through her chest. This wasn't her first experience with walking through a ghost, just the only time it was a ghost she didn't know. Slowly their objective became known as they all congregated on a single spot, right in front of Danny. All the while, Hermione heard the students talking, interspersed with shrieks of alarm, about what was happening, how it had never happened before, how the Bloody Barron was never seen with the Grey Lady, how Sir Nicholas was looking unusually severe and that for once, the Fat Friar was not smiling. She only knew who was being spoken about because someone down the table commented that it was odd for them to all come together at once, not to mention leading a veritable army of ghosts as well.

The 'Bloody Baron' was dressed as a musketeer with the traditional clothes, hat and sword, shackles on his wrists and a bloodstain spread across his chest and sleeve, a visible hole over his heart and blood coming out the corner of his mouth. His face was one of Great Fury and Broken Regret.

The 'Grey Lady' was dressed in a simple gown, with a swooping neck line hinting at but showing no cleavage, sleeves reaching her wrists and the bottom hem just showing the tips of her shoes. The dress was mussed and ripped in places, only a shadow of a bruise on her face, her sleeve was slightly torn and under her left arm was a wound which had bled profusely having soaked her side under her arm. If carefully examined the back of her head carefully, you could see bloody bark entwined about her once elegant curls. Her eyes held Sadness an Fear even as her face remained empty.

Sir Nicholas was dressed to the nines prepared for a royal court, his buttons shone, his ruffles were fluffed, his clothes stiff and sharp, his cape sweeping off his shoulders in a Dashing way, even his socks were the best, there were only a few droplets of blood around his neckline and in his goatee. His face held Annoyance and Resignation his lips slightly quirked as if in self Depreciation.

Last was the 'Fat Friar' dressed simply in monks robes, head shaved as monks were wont to do just on the top. His face was Panicked even as it held a bit of Mirth.

The four aforementioned ghosts stopped a good twenty feet from Danny and started divesting themselves of weapons. The Baron removes his sword a boot knife and a bloody dagger from his sleeve, putting them on, and somehow in the sword's case, in the stone floor. Sir Nick removed a knife from his boot and tossed it aside, the Friar sheepishly removed a club from the folds of his robes and the lady a dagger, twin to the one removed by the Baron and handed it to the Friar who took it and placed it carefully on the ground.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked McGonagall.

"We seek an audience with the Defeater of Pariah Dark." Said Sir Nicholas

"Knight of the Dragon Court." Spoke the Lady

"High King Phantom." the Friar piped up.

"Lord of all Ghosts." added the Baron

With each title the noise level ratcheted down to silence, then exploded with shouted whispers, everyone was whispering, except Hermione, Danny, McGonagall, Dumbledore and the hook nosed man in black. Everyone was looking up to the front of the room, talking out of the sides of their mouths but not willing to miss a single second of what was happening. So they got noticeably quieter when Danny raised his left hand, silencing, just like he wanted them to, and he spoke.

Everyone heard his voice and in the coming months would realize how rare a thing that would be even as it etched itself in their memories. It was slow and somewhere between boy and man, deep, but not much so, soft, and yet carrying an edge of steel, cool to the point of frigidity sending shivers down many a spine, more than a few in fear but others in something hotter and more primal as their eyes glazed over a small amount.

"For what reason do you seek audience with the High King? To beg a boon perhaps?" The Baron took a half step forward and inclined his bowed slightly, never taking his eyes from Danny as he rose and spoke

"We seek his audience to rectify an inexcusable discourtesy on our part. Though we felt his coming, saw the portents and signs, we ignored them, believing him incapable of the journey required. T'was a grievous gaffe on the part of the Hogwarts Ghosts, and one we seek to rectify immediately. Might an audience be granted?"

Everyone, ghost or not, held their breath, waiting for what was going to happened. Then, Danny sighed, and somehow, it carried clearly to even the back of the Hall. Finally, after standing silent for a few, infinite seconds, a ring of light exploded from his middle, pausing at two feet away and pulsing twice in quick succession, all silently watching in fascination. They had told McGonagall of the transformation and she had obviously told Dumbledore everything for him to go along with the charade that he was born with magic instead of acquiring it by accident, but they hadn't shown any of his powers to her. When asked to demonstrate he had just scowled lightly and Hermione informed McGonagall he didn't like performing for a crowd.

He didn't even transform on command for Hermione, so it was a show for everyone as the ring expanded and split, going up and down simultaneously transforming robes to a black and white jumpsuit, sculpted to his body, silver belts holding a regal and deadly looking sword. His legs, from the spiked knee down, were covered in metal whiter than snow shining bright, dark elegant carvings covering them in stark contrast to his black leggings. His right arm from the wrist down the same in the color of black oblivion white line carvings shining like starlight from the depths of space, ending in the deadly sharp points of his fingers, left arm much the same, ending at his shoulder instead. On his left shoulder lat the silver head of a snarling dragon seeming to breath out the swirling flame like carvings upon his armored arm horns jutting proudly up, a mix of light and dark. Under the dragon, across his shoulders, lay a cape, pure white and shining on the outside, and darker than nightmare on the inside. His skin had darkened slightly, his hair had grown out and bleached to a color of shining white to match his greaves and cape, or they to match his hair which, but for a few errant strands framing his face, was pulled back and tied by a ribbon making it easy to see his eyes. His eyes, his glowing toxic, deathly green eyes that seemed to pierce directly into your soul and keep on going as if you were insignificant to their mission of seeing what they decided, as if nothing could hide from them.

No one spoke. No one moved, save Danny. He lifted his right hand, palm outwards fingers tilted left hand flat and fingers spread, as if against a wall or a sheet of glass. The tips of his fingers lit in a white flame, a flame that seemed more solid more real than any other flame many had seen before shining white like his hair, and he rotated his hand clockwise, flames trailing in wake before connecting with each other in a perfect circle of fire. Thumb, previously down was now up and Danny flattened his hand out, as if offering the fire, which had moved with his hand and was now hovering and inch above his palm, to the audience. Then the fire turned and weaved upon itself forming stronger and stronger until it was the same metal as his greaves now formed into a simple elegant shining crown framing a bright green gem in the middle as a crowning jewel. Then it lit up as before, in 'regular' white fire. The flames drew in towards the center of the crown, turning to a shade lighter than the black color as his gauntlets, but tinged slightly with green before gaining the same 'realness' of the crown and becoming a ring with the image of a sole skull where a crest would have been.

Danny took the two items, the Ring of Rage and the Crown of Fire and put them on, the ring first, it sliding easily over his armor, and then the crown, some of his own hair coming alight and joining the crown in its blaze. Cupping his hands he blew into them, chilled air visibly falling from them, before releasing his hands and letting a shining blue light fall to the ground. The light quickly became hoarfrost which crept and crawled at an incredible rate, growing to an icy throne directly behind him, which he promptly sat in. Danny put his right hand across his lap, close to his sword and his left on the arm of the throne, his head resting on the armored palm.

"You have your audience, speak." Danny's voice had gained an ethereal quality, fading quickly yet lingering inside of an echo yet he looked...bored? Resigned? Exasperated? Perhaps a little of all three. Once more, the Hall exploded into a thunderously hushed storm of whispers screaming softly across the hall. The Grey Lady came forward first, curtsying respectfully to him, head bowed.

"We did not know, my Lord, that you were capable of Magic, and so did not think that you could visit us inside the Wards. We, the Ghosts of Hogwarts, beg forgiveness for our ignorance and ask nothing of you but to accept the solemn oaths we must make, not as a matter of restitution, but as a matter of propriety and protocol." She intoned rigidly and emotionlessly.

"Of which oaths do you speak? There are many which might apply as well you know...Helena." Not only the Grey Lady's but also the Bloody Baron's head jerked at the mention of her living name.

"How-" she started, fire in her eyes, before remembering her station in the proceedings "Might I inquire, my Lord, as to how exactly you came upon that name?" she was barely restrained from screeching at him, everyone would know know her mother, know her shame.

Danny raised an eyebrow...snobbishly at that.

"Do you not think I would research the relevant subjects I was to spend so much time around?" She stiffened greatly but carried forth none the less, bowing slightly.

"It is as you say, my Lord. The oath I spoke of was the Oath of Fealty to be performed under service to an ascendant King by each vassal fiefdom's ruler. The grounds of Hogwarts being the joining of four separate fiefdoms gifted by a living king at the time to the four greatest witches and wizards of the age for the deeds performed in service to the crown. The castle itself is on the border of the four lands as equal ground and thus requiring the four 'House Ghosts', as your loyal subjects, to swear our oaths under your rule for each ghost Hogwarts contains and resides under the banner of the house we represent, my Lord."

Danny sighed, long and deep.

"I knew of that already, I asked of your intended oath and you gave answer. I only ask as gatherings such as this are precedent for either oaths of vengeance and feuds or for celebrations or attempted celebrations when one tries to sell their daughter to me as a bride. I take a dim view of such poor maneuvering." He announced and, if any had been paying attention to the quarter of the students with green upon their breast, one might find signs of the table as a whole calculating their first move towards the king. "Are you prepared to give your Oaths then?"

There were four responses to the tune of 'yes my lord'. The Lady started off, curtsying so deep as to almost be kneeling.

"I promise on my spirit that I will in the future be faithful to my lord, never cause him harm and will observe my homage to him completely against all beings in good faith and without deceit, so swear I, Helena 'The Grey Lady' upon the house of Ravenclaw." She remained bowed until Danny stood, walked forward and took her hand in his own saying-

"I accept your Oath, Helena of House Ravenclaw." So saying he raised her up and, without bowing, kissed her hand, a shock going through her, causing her to gasp, stiffen up and then grit her teeth until...she was washed over with color and her shadow grew, as did her sense of 'realness', she was solid again and shocked into silence. Without a care he pushed the hand he still held, making her float backwards to her spot until she was caught by Sir Nicholas and the Fat Friar. "Whom shall be next to give their oath?" he asked blandly.

Next was The Bloody Baron, swearing as 'Christoph de Sang'.

Then Nearly Headless Nick, swearing as 'Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington'.

Lastly was the Fat Friar as 'Edmund Burr'.

Each in turn gave their oath, and each in turn regained solid form, they were weak, but they were solid. Throughout the entire oath giving, the Hall was speechless. He had touched a ghost. He had made a ghost solid! No such thing had ever been done before!

Ignoring the crowd in general, Danny turned his back on the hall and placed a hand on his throne, calling the ice back into himself. Then he removed his ring, and his crown, and sent them back to their primordial being in flashes of fire which were then absorbed back into himself. He then turned back to the Ghosts and said-

"Your audience is over, return to your business." Then he walked through the solid ghosts, and through the incorporeal ghosts, and straight down the middle of the Hall. A blazing point of white appeared before him, expanding in a double pulse of light to a vertical ring that Danny walked through, returning himself to his common raven haired appearance, before returning in a double pulse back to a disappearing white speck.

Danny sat beside his cousin, giving her a one armed hug, for which he was immediately glomped, and she began to question him, retaining eye contact.

"I didn't know you had a crown like that, why didn't you show me?"

He shrugged.

"What do you mean 'not important'? It certainly is, if for no other reason than so I don't freak out if I see your head on fire!"

He rolled his eyes. Reaching into his pockets for something.

"Yes I know you have ice powers, but even if it is cold it can still catch on fire and I wouldn't have known, I'd have just seen my brother with his head on fire!"

He sighed exasperatedly and rolled his eyes. Hermione crossed her arms and raised her left eyebrow, a move she had been practicing for just such an occasion.

"I can send a letter to Mum to tell her that you never thought being on fire was important enough to tell her. She's still angry about those lacy purple knickers you know, she demanded I find out who they came from. I think she wants you to bring her by the house."

Danny snorted and began to chuckle and removed his hand from his pocket, iPod clutched in hand, he put a single earbud in and pressed play. Hermione was going to start in on him again when a polite cough broke through causing her to look towards the front hall. Dumbledore had risen and was removing his had from his mouth.

"As interesting as your discussion has become Miss Granger, the feast still needs to be started, I think the other students have waited long enough."

That was when Hermione realized, the students, all of the students, were now looking at her and Danny. Mostly Danny, but she was doing all of the 'talking' so her as well, especially after the knickers comment. Hermione blushed and tried to hide in her brother's side, her brother who was just laughing about the whole thing, silently of course.

"I would like to say a few words now, before the feast begins," there was a silent yet physically felt groan from the hungry students. "and they are, Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, Tweak. Thank you." He raised his hands as if in a sign of prayer then spread them "Tuck in."

Food appeared, and the students dug in with a fervor. Students were asking Danny about himself, Hermione mostly answering after explaining-

"He doesn't really talk much, in fact, I think that's the most I've ever heard him say at once. It's rare for him to speak that much." At the end of the meal the people with shiny 'P' badges on their robes led the first year students to their dorms and he found he would not be in the dorms with the rest of the first years, he would instead be with the third years, which consisted of a pair of red headed twins and a black kid with dread locks and a tarantula. They were Fred and George Weasly and Lee Jordan.

Tomorrow, the first day of schooling would begin.