The new semester was still hardly exciting at the first glance. Sure, Danny took pleasure in the teaching process, but that's not something to be called exciting either. Ember taking residence near him was a neat bonus, and the staff was noticing that more and more the youngest professor was spending his nights away from Hogwarts. Nobody considered this part worthy of an address. After all, Fenton was only twenty and had as much right to a love life as all other professors. It was the latter's choice not to pursue it in the similar way. It wasn't always fun, quite often he had to hear complaints from the villagers about his lover's behaviour. Bored diva was one of the most destructive forces around and no amount of complaints, but now to her from Danny, could change that. However, the halfa was hard-pressed to do something about this.

"You know why we are here," Danny said and focused the light of oil lamp at the face of his girlfriend, who sat across the table of her house's kitchen.

"The fu..." she shielded her eyes. "Is this about that Randy fella? Because I'm not apologising."

"Em, he is seventy. And he nearly had a heart attack," the halfa scolded her. "Did you have to show your little minion to him?"

"Hey, wrong place, wrong time. It's not like I walked around with the idiot in toe."

"And that's the only reason you aren't being chased out of here," Danny sighed. "Luckily everyone thought it to be an inferius from one of the regional graveyards. This is just one case, babe. You know that the locals don't like you much."

"That's their problem," she huffed and leaned back in her chair. "You always cared too much about such things."

"It becomes ours if you can't stay, you know?" The halfa continued. "Look, I get it that it's boring for ya around here."

"That's an understatement," Ember commented and moved her hair behind her ear. "No electricity means I don't get to do anything interesting. Or do you expect me to participate in their dung throwing tournaments?"

"They don't..." Danny sighed again.

"Babypop, you are not going to live here forever, anyway, what's the point?"

"I'm not you, Em. You have your spot in the Zone, I don't. So unless I want to spend my life on the run from every place I visit, I have to be nice."

"Isn't your whole research thingamajig meant to move us all there?" Ember raised her eyebrow.

"I don't have residence there. The castle is Pariah's, it's his lair, not exactly passed down to me. Besides, I like the human world, still. I don't plan on living there all the time."

"Ain't you the future king? This kinda means that you have to live there."

"Clockwork once told me about this...I don't have to, actually. This job only means that I have to solve some big world-ending problems. I don't have to run anything and thus move closer to ya, people."

"Huh...that's certainly new," Ember chuckled. "So we go from telling YOU history of our world near a shitty dollar store campfire to you being the knowledgeable one?"

"Comes with knowing the Time Master, I guess," Danny shrugged, before his look turned serious. "So you see what I mean, Em?"

The girl groaned. "Come on, Dipstick. This may be a rule for you, but why do I have to become a hopeless goody myself?"

"I'm not hopeless," Danny argued with mock drama. "Look, nobody here minds you doing what you do. It's that you treat them all the way you do. The problem is that instead of doing anything to rectify such things, you make it worse. I can't convince you to be nicer, sooo," he smirked. "I may have signed you up for some community service."

Horror emerged on the ghost's face. "You wouldn't dare..."

"We go picking up trash tomorrow morning," Danny grinned.

"But it's Sunday!" Ember exclaimed.

"Which is exactly the time everyone will be free to help each other. No buts, you don't have a job anyhow."

"You can't make me!" She said and decided to bail.

Whistling quietly, Danny took a metal thermos from his belt, pointed it towards the ghost before she could leave the kitchen. With a scream of surprise, Ember got sucked into the diabolical contraption. As Danny put it on the table, he heard her pummelling on the walls of her prison.

"You are the worst!" she finally shouted from the inside.

"I love you, too, babe," Danny chuckled.

It appeared that living together was new experience for them both. But just like everyone, they had to make certain sacrifices. Ember was to sacrifice her free time to pick up trash under the watchful, yet playful gaze of her boyfriend. Once again, the villagers of Hogsmeade were baffled by that sight, especially as they noticed Ember dumping some of Danny's trash into her own bag to appear more diligent than she actually was. But she did her part, so nobody complained, especially since the young professor obviously knew of her little ruse, evidenced by an amused smile on his face. She was so childish sometimes. The whole show reassured the villagers somehow that the rowdy girl could be kept in check by her much more well-mannered lover.

Danny's smile did vanish, however, as right after the cleanup Ember announced that he too would have to make sacrifices.

He was spending the the next week on the metaphorical couch. Still, that was worth it. And true enough, her more harmful mischiefs were on decline. But it could not go forever, as he could understand where she was coming from, as Ember really had nothing better to do with all the free time on her hands. So, Danny tried to give her some work to do as part of their upcoming revolution. The activities slowed down due to all other parties lying in wait, so the rebels decided to take rest themselves, taking the time to use what they already gained to strengthen the positions. But there were still things for Ember in particular to do.

On one of those days in march, however, he was summoned to the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore had told him that it had something to do with Voldemort's horcruxes. Danny immediately went just there, wondering what the old man had managed to find. In the office, he was surprised to see Severus of all people, who seemed to be finishing his report to the Headmaster. For the sake of politeness, as he suspected he was not meant to hear this, Danny knocked on the door. Their exchange stopped, as both older men turned to face him.

"Professor Fenton, you are very quick," Dumbledore commented as the halfa approached his desk.

"Well, this is a special occasion, isn't it?" Danny smirked.

"And not a bit winded," Severus commented with a raised eyebrow.

"I exercise a lot," Danny smirked. "So, boss, you said that you are on Voldemort's trail?"

"Indeed. I believe I have a clue worth checking. You finding the ring in his ancestral house made me think that perhaps he hid his other horcruxes in another place that holds...sentimental value to him. If such word is applicable."

"Well, we never said that the sentiment has to be good," Danny shrugged. "But you have me hooked, not gonna lie. So, where should I go?"

"Where 'we' should go."

With a surprise on his face, the halfa looked at Severus.

"Not that I mind, Severus, but...why? I can perfectly handle this on my own."

"I just think that there should be assistance," Dumbledore smiled.

Or he was being spied at. Again. But Danny chose not to voice that theory, willing to dismiss it as long as it was Severus. After all, that's what the man had been doing for a while, miles better than some other member of their order he had never met. However, a question soon arose.

"Aren't you a spy in Voldemort's camp? Isn't it a bit risky?"

"A reasonable question, and we have just the measure in case you are confronted by his followers," said Dumbledore.

"Lemme guess: he stabs me in the back," Danny said dryly.

"Severus is the only member we have available at the moment. So we will take the risk."

"Sheesh, a fake betrayal and later imprisonment. Not that I won't get out, but we are risking a lot, still."

"You are taking your supposed disposability quite well," Severus commented without enthusiasm.

"Hey, no offence, but I'm the most indispensable guy here," Danny grinned. "I am the one with reliable means of destroying the thing, am I not?"

"Then what do you suggest?" Asked Dumbledore.

"You could go yourself," Danny suggested lazily. "You aren't risking the exposure."

"My absence will be seen by everyone," Dumbledore argued. "The Ministry is always on watch. Severus can easily be excused. Just like you."

The halfa nodded. "Or we can simply send me alone."

"If my guess is correct, you will need magic to access the Horcrux. So we do need a person with a wand there," Dumbledore rebutted. "So this, I'm afraid, is our best option. If we are lucky, Voldemort won't go against his habits and suspicions. If he refuses to tell the location of the artefact to any of his followers, it would be best for us."

Phantom couldn't help but agree. With Voldemort disposing of revealed bewitched spies, he was bound to suspect people around. Too much in fact to reveal his most cherished secret to anyone.

"Fine, you make your point, old man. So, where are we going?"

"There is one seaside site. Since you found Voldemort's family home, I figure you are aware that he lived in an orphanage. And said orphanage also brought children there on holidays. It is also where some of his peers were tortured so much that they refused to speak. The perpetrator was never found."

"I see where you are going with this. Alright. Pack your things, Severus! We are going on an adventure!" Danny grinned and put hands on his belt.

"Merlin help us," Severus whispered.

"The guy can't hear you, he is busy drinking margaritas in a nice company of pretty girls. Can attest to that," the halfa said.

-Linebreak-

And thus, a small expedition of two professors set out soon after. Umbridge was given the excuse of the two getting supplies for their research, and, while not buying it completely, she still let them go, for she couldn't just lock the professors within the school walls. When Danny and Severus left the grounds, able to now apparate with ease. It was, probably, yet another benefit of Severus tagging along. And as they appeared in another end of the country, Danny felt a small pang of jealousy. Teleportation whenever one wanted was extremely convenient. He also felt the sea breeze blow into his face, and the sounds of waves crashing into the coastline reached his ears. And below, he saw a large black cliff.

"That's a big dive from here," Phantom commented and stepped away from the cliff's edge.

"Feel free to do that. Only I'm not washing you off those sharp rocks," Severus responded, still unenthusiastic in the slightest.

"So, the old man tells you more stuff," said the halfa and turned to face his companion. "Is there anything more to the story he told me?"

"Not much. You have to understand that Professor Dumbledore doesn't know everything. We operate on guesses."

"Sure. That honour goes to another nosy old man," Danny rolled his eyes.

"But by looking at this place, I understand the choice of location. It is nigh inaccessible by muggle means, so there won't be any extra witnesses. Which made it the perfect location for the Dark Lord's crimes. We need to descend and enter a cave at the bottom."

"Can't you just apparate down there?"

"I can't. Which means that the cave is charmed. This is probably what led the Headmaster to believe that the Horcrux is here."

"Well, no big deal," Danny grinned and once again approached the edge of the cliff. "I can get us down. Just take my hand, pal."

"What do you have in mind?"

"My magic allows me to float," Responded the halfa. "So I can get us down no sweat."

"Allows you..." Severus sighed. "You are a walking contrivance, Fenton," he muttered.

"That's what my Mom told me," Danny gave a cheeky smile. "Well?"

"I'd rather try and find a closer location I can apparate to..."

"Too late."

Before Snape could pull away, Phantom grabbed the man's hand and pulled the potions master after himself, down from the cliff. That was perhaps the only time Danny ever saw his accomplice raise his voice in fear. Phantom only laughed as he grabbed Severus tighter and slowed them down. A couple seconds later they softly landed on one of the rocks by the shore.

"Never thought you could be this loud..." Danny cackled, before noticing a wand pointed at him, with Severus giving him a furious glare.

"Don't you ever do that again," he threatened and put his wand away.

"Killjoy. But hey, now you know that I wasn't kidding."

Snape did not respond, and instead began to look for a possible entrance to the cave. Realising what Severus was doing, Danny as well started to look. Eventually they came across a small fissure, half filled with water. Exchanging glances, the two of them realised that they would have to go for a swim and they had no choice about it. Snape's clothes choice made it especially difficult for him to accomplish this, but he still managed to get inside the small cavern, his soaking wet clothes becoming much heavier. As Snape climbed back on the ground, inside a poorly lit cave, he saw Danny outstretching his hand and helping him out. Severus immediately casted a lumos to see better, and noticed that his companion was as dry as a goose feather. Then, looking at himself, he saw that after touching Fenton's hand once more, he was dry as well.

The young professor, it seemed, had no clue about how off-putting his demeanour was. Not that Severus would audibly put it like that. The professor merely lit the way for them to follow. Just as Dumbledore had instructed, Severus was to look for the traces of dark magic he was so accustomed to. Danny, in the meantime, was trying to pick up a different trail, one that the Horcrux might have been emanating. He got nothing, but was willing to write it off as the charms clogging up his ghost sense. However, even he could feel something extremely foul nearby.

"I wonder how Voldemort even found this place," Danny commented. "It's not something you can easily stumble on."

"I do not know and I don't care to know," Severus responded. "Now don't distract me, Fenton."

He pointed his wand at one of the rocks, and all of a sudden blinding white light started emerging from behind, its source seemingly located there.

"Wow, you think he got an ithildin somewhere in here?" Danny tilted his head.

"No, but it has a blood toll," Severus sighed.

"How cliché," responded Phantom and lightly pushed the wall. The surprise was seen on his face. "Huh. I can't get through. For once he took some security measures. Okay, so, not really a cliché," he said, before his blue eyes glowed. A second later, a small sharp icicle appeared in his palm. "I wonder if mine will do for this little curse magnet."

"I guess we shall see."

Danny gave Severus a deadpan look. "You were supposed to try and stop me from committing a grave mistake."

"We do need blood. And if you heal as fast as you claim to, this should not be a problem."

Phantom sighed and lightly cut his palm, letting the crimson blood drip on the rocks. Had it been brighter within the cave, Severus would have seen the oil-like stains on the liquid — the traces of ectoplasm coursing through his veins.

Almost immediately the rocks blocking their path vanished, and after exchanging glances, the two of them went deeper inside. Their feet sloshed on the slimy and wet rocks, and these sounds echoed throughout what seemed like a much more spacious location. And indeed, there appeared to be an enormous cave lake. It was filled with dark, murky waters, on which there was not a single ripple. There was nothing that could be seen in there, aside from a single spot far off at the distance, the one that emitted greenish, eery glow. It couldn't be made clearer where to go. The question was about 'hows'.

"Hm...another riddle?" Mumbled Severus.

"Every trap and lock has a little cheat," Danny smirked. "The owner needs a way to access his treasures as well."

"Yes, there must be a way in there."

"Unless he planned on bringing a broom each time. In which case you won't have a choice but to use Fenton Airlines once more."

Severus ignored his companion's statement and once again began looking for traces of magic. Eventually, he made it towards the edge of the lake. A single fling of his wand later, and both of them saw a metal chain appear out of thin air, slithering into a coil with a quiet rattling sound, and then, before their eyes a single boat materialised for them to ride.

"Wow. A boat," Danny commented, sounding disappointed. "Of all the things he could have put in here. A boat to cross the lake full of the undead."

Severus glanced at him. "Care to clarify, Fenton?"

"Inferi," said Danny without enthusiasm. "You trained to sense normal magic. However," he sat on one knee and looked closer to the water, as if knowing that nothing would jump at him. "I can feel the energies that are interconnected with...certain rituals."

"Let me guess, you sense the living dead in general."

"When you put it like that, it makes me sound like a creep," responded Danny. "Point is, this place is full of them. There are possibly hundreds of inferi, and I don't want to know how they got to this place."

Disgusted as he may have been, a certain part of him felt relieved to an extent. Inferi still had the pattern of recognition, as they rarely attacked others of their kind. The halfa's bizarre half-dead nature made it so that the foul creatures ignored him. Voldemort would never have expected a freak like him to ever wander within the cave. However, Severus was there as well, so the inferi would probably still crawl out. They remained dormant so far, but who knew how exactly they were woken up.

"It is pointless to try and think of it," Severus said, although disgust showed on his face. "Get on with it."

He showed the initiative by carefully stepping inside the boat. Danny shrugged and followed suit. Severus swished his wand and the boat slowly swam forward, and neither of the intruders spoke much initially. Even Fenton quietly observed the dark depths outside of their boat. And in there, the white, lifeless bodies could be seen if one was to scrutinise their eyes. His thoughts were grim, with the idea voiced before weighing on his mind. But soon, he let out a small huff.

"What do you find amusing all of a sudden?" Asked Severus.

"Well, the thought of bringing the bastard closer to his own grave certainly helps," Danny mumbled. "He deserves everything that will happen and more."

Severus couldn't help but internally agree. Eventually they made it to the isle of dark rock in the middle of the lake. The two then made their way towards a small basin, which was, perhaps, the only source of magical light around. And within that basin was a dark, murky liquid.

"A potion?" Asked Severus nobody in particular.

"You are the expert," Danny shrugged. "Which one is it?"

Severus silently noted the signs: the colour, the visible viscosity. While checking the latter he also found out that the potion could not be touched — evidently a measure to prevent the intruders from simply reaching into the potion. Severus then tried several spells, trying to remove, replace, or transfigure the potion, but to no avail.

"The Horcrux must be at the bottom," Danny noted. "And I bet he left only one way of disposing of the potion."

"I would not recommend drinking it," responded Severus dryly. "I cannot figure out which potion it is in particular, but it is obviously meant to make the drinker wither away."

Danny sighed. "I guess the honour falls on me again."

"Fenton, this time it is serious. Think twice before doing this."

"Can't be much worse than my aunt's cooking," Danny grinned. "Besides, out of the two of us, I'm the one with better health AND natural resistance. We haven't come all this way for nothing. Now, make me a goblet, Severus."

The Potions Master saw the determination in the halfa's eyes. Fenton wasn't just voicing his frustrations, but was willing to act and risk serious damages. It did come across as brashness, and it was not something Severus appreciated. Severus was, deep within, glad that it wasn't him drinking that wretched thing, but he was also unwilling to see how exactly the potion would twist the young man inside out. Seeing hesitation on Severus's face, Danny sighed as his eyes glowed. In a second he made a coffee mug out of ice, managed to scoop some of the potion and then suddenly splashed it on the rocky surface. In an instant the potion reappeared in the basin.

"It was worth a try," Danny mumbled and poured the liquid into the mug once again. "Well, cheers!"

He gulped the drink in one go and immediately made a loud belching sound. "Ancients, this tastes like Dash's underwear...don't ask," Danny shivered at recollection.

"Are you feeling the effects, Fenton?" Asked Severus.

"Other than the strong desire to part with my lunch? Nothing," the halfa grumbled. "Although for a drink it feels really dry. Like I just ate a bag of salty pretzels. Maybe that's what it is? A salty pretzel water?"

"Or its effect is making you dumber," Severus grumbled.

Danny gave him a deadpan look, before taking even more of the potion in his mug. He really wasn't feeling anything but the dryness so far. His half ghost body was resistant to many adverse effects, but who knew what was in that concoction. Nonetheless, he drank a couple more mugfuls, before taking a deep breath.

"I don't know if that's the potion talking or something, but I'm starting to have second thoughts," Danny grumbled and suddenly hiccuped. "Well, here goes."

He drank another mug with, despite his words, the same resolve as before. Severus was growing more worried with each intake. Potions did not necessarily work in an instant, and if that was the case, Fenton was slowly but surely piling up its potency. It couldn't be poison, it wasn't Voldemort's modus operandi at all. But then, what was the potion meant to do?

"Severus," Danny mumbled with half-closed eyes, "Is there two of ya?" He asked and hiccuped.

"Are...are you drunk?!" Asked Severus incredulously.

"Maybe...I dunno!" The halfa responded, with every sign of alcoholic haze present on his face, starting from red face and absent-minded look. "Although, it doesn't taste that bad now...maybe deathly potions is an acquired taste," he cackled, going for another mug.

Was that the intended effect? That was Severus's main question. While being drunk in a cave is a death sentence, it appeared too much like a joke. And if it was Fenton's own reaction, he didn't even know what to think. As long as one of them was sober, they could deal with it.

Danny drank what seemed like the seventh mug of what was to him an extremely strong alcohol. And to a young man that never actually was exposed to being drunk, the effect was only worse.

"Hey, Severus," he spoke with a goofy smile. "Do ya think we can call Mouldy Wart and ask 'im about this thing? Get it?" He asked and wheezed a laugh.

"Merlin's beard," The wizard sighed and snatched the mug. "Aguamenti!"

Just gulping down alcohol as is could be disastrous. Besides, Danny did complain that he wanted water. However, when the halfa took the mug and tried to drink, both found out that the mug was actually empty. The water had vanished the moment the mug touched Danny's lips.

"Hey, are ya screwin' with me?" Danny asked and glared lightly at Severus.

"No, I am not. It appears that this is another safety measure," a look of realisation crossed his features. "And in your desire to get water you would inevitably go for its only source..." he mumbled and looked back at the lake. "To the waters infested with inferi. This does sound elaborate and twisted."

"He's twisted like a pretzel," Phantom cackled, back at the topic of unhealthy carbohydrates. "Well, not like ya will be able to stahp me from dooming us, but do try."

Having said this, the halfa kept drinking like there was no tomorrow, having obviously gotten the hang of it. Severus was growing actually concerned this time round. Now he was pretty confident that getting a wizard drunk was not the intended effect. It was Fenton's own bizarre physiology at work. And finally, after the twelfth round Fenton breathed out and tossed away the mug, reaching for a necklace and snatching it triumphantly.

"Yesh!" He said, his tongue twisting. Severus carefully took the locket and put it in his own pocket, not trusting his drunk accomplice to keep hold of it. Absentminded Danny didn't pay this attention at all.

"Whelp," Phantom mumbled. "Guess it's time to go back."

And as he said this, the ice mug that rattled on its way down, fell off from a rock and right into the lake with a loud splash.

And for several seconds, both of the intruders remained silent, for even Danny's fuzzy mind realised what he had done. The cave remained in an oppressive silence for a good chunk of time. Then, their ears caught more splashing sounds, and before their eyes pale, lifeless bodies limped and crawled from the waters.

"Eh...oops?" Danny asked as Severus brandished his wand, trying to come up with a plan. Their boat was cut off by this horde of the undead.

"Fenton, we need to..."

A loud blast nearly gave Snape concussion. A green blast completely obliterated a good chunk of the inferi. And the island. Severus turned to Danny, whose eyes were glowing green and emitting a thin smoke.

"Come on, ya malnourish' punks!" He chewed on the words. "Ya want some lunch, eh?"

Sober Fenton was a dangerous and destructive man. Take away the first adjective and he could be absolutely terrifying.

"Fenton, you'll kill us all!" Severus shouted as Danny fired again, obliterating another swarm of the inferi. 

"Nah, I'm fine," Danny grinned as the cave ceiling lightly crumbled on their heads and pulled Severus towards the boat.

Snape would have pulled away, but Danny's grip was as vicious as that of inferi themselves. But very soon he observed that the undead seemed to learn their lesson. And...was Fenton glowing? That pearly white aura alone illuminated their path, and the creatures of darkness backed off at the approach of a limping and barely walking man. Severus was starting to fear that Fenton was going to pull them both into the lake, but the latter's sense of direction was almost untouched. Well, he did trip and fell inside the boat face down.

"It's too dangerous to sail now. If they flip the boat, we won't escape!"

Danny grumbled and got on the boat's seat. "It's you who refuses to fly!" He exclaimed and threw his hands in the air. So much that he fell back, once again sprayed on the floor of the boat. However, not before firing a scorching blast that reduced to rubble even more of the already small island, killing more of the creatures.

"I wouldn't trust you to carry me out in this condition!" Severus raised his voice angrily, casting "reducto" on the nearest group of undead.

Danny managed to once again climb over the walls of the boat, and only his head and bored face were seen above it. He turned towards the lake and got a brilliant idea. Without saying anything else, he fired an ice beam from his eyes, and to his shock, Severus saw how a wide line of ice leading towards the exit formed in mere seconds. And then, very soon, the entire lake was just a glacier, with many trapped inferi below. The fact that Fenton was capable of all that while being drunk was a miracle by itself. Was...was it that simple for him? Snape was at a loss, but very quickly he decided to ask questions later. Danny climbed out of the boat and made his way towards the opposite shore without looking back. Sighing, Snape decided to stay closer. The inferi that were lucky enough to remain on the surface seemed to still back away from Fenton's ethereal glow.

That's how they made it to the opposite shore. Danny still was shaky on his feet, but was still led forward by some innate autopilot. Only rarely Snape had to direct the halfa in the right direction, thankful on the inside that he was still able to walk on his own. But soon they hit the next obstacle. The door behind them had shut, demanding yet another blood toll.

"Curses," Severus hissed, rolling up his sleeve. "Don't you dare to black out, Fenton."

"If orange is orange, should eggplant be called purple?" Danny tilted his head curiously and cackled.

"No...why am I entertaining this?" Snape hissed. Finding a sharp rock, he left a cut on his palm and gave the wretched rock its pay.

Eventually, they could once again see the evening sky, having finally exited the cave. Snape did not want to waste a single second, spending any more time in that place. Grabbing Danny, he apparated them back to Hogsmeade, where just after the arrival, Danny once again lost his footing and fell on the ground.

Severus looked around and saw how surprised the few locals were upon seeing them.

"Get up, Fenton," said the older professor with exhaustion dripping from his voice.

Danny's response were snores.

"You little," Snape muttered and sighed.

"The hell is going on here?!"

The professor turned to see the cyan-haired girl angrily coming towards them. Although she immediately went for Danny, checking up if he was alright. The halfa stirred and finally opened his eyes, finding his head on Ember's lap and then giving her a goofy smile.

"Hey there, cutie, I'm back," he said.

Ember gave him a small smile, too, but Snape received only a minor glare.

"Explain," she demanded.

"Fenton will explain," Snape responded. "Once he...sobers up. If he shows any signs of debilitation, inform us."

"What's that supposed to mean?! Hey, come back!"

Snape did not want to hear any more of it. Feeling the locket in his pocket, the professor started walking towards the castle. What mattered is that another Horcrux was in their hands.

-Linebreak-

As much effort as it was getting rid of the British Ministry of Magic, one could not deny that the Wizarding world did not end with them. And as such, there were others that were always interested in the news coming from other corners of the world. In particular, it was MACUSA whose interest was piqued by the recent news from one island in particular. So much in fact, that the newspapers regarding the issue were currently lying on the president's desk. Winston Quahog was a short, portly, bespectacled man wearing an official suit. As his visitor was sitting in front of him, sorting through the reports in order to get the gist of what was happening, the president was smoking a cigarette and staring at the circular ceiling that had the seal of MACUSA drawn on it.

"As you can see, ma'am, the situation with these brits is quite dire."

"Supposedly, the Dark Lord returns and that's not even the only of their problems," the young woman commented.

"My advisors dismiss the whole 'You-Know-Who' theory. Rather, they believe that the corresponding incidents are in fact related to someone else. What's your take on it?" Asked the president as he tapped on his cigarette.

"Phantom," she mumbled.

"Indeed. I know that when you were an auror, you crossed paths with that menace. We haven't forgotten what he did with his murderous spree that didn't spare even the most respected and well-protected members of our society."

The woman nodded, albeit on the inside she scoffed. Some of those 'respected members' were some of the greatest scumbags she had ever had to meet. However, it did not erase all the rest, she remembered her own fears of her family being eventually targeted for their wealth and stature. She may not have loved them very much, but she would not have allowed it. The guest had a question of her own.

"Phantom lacks any agency, though. He is a merc, a thug, even if he is above and beyond anything aurors could put against him."

"Implying that someone is making him break into Azkaban?" The president asked sarcastically. "I was an auror myself back in the day, as you know, although I never got a chance to meet the bastard. But from my experience I can say that people like him are bound to work on their own sooner or later. Mostly because they get too full of themselves. And someone with his profile is bound to do just that."

"And what do you think about this revolution thing? He is a moralist in a way, but to proclaim these things..."

"Which you sympathise with," the president interrupted with a raised eyebrow. "Don't pretend that in the Ivory towers we can't look outside," he cackled. "I saw the protests you lead."

The woman crossed her arms. "Magical beings deserve equal rights. That he chooses to utilise these slogans to his own end doesn't make me like him any more."

"So you think that he is hiding his true intentions? It makes sense, given who we are dealing with."

"It gives him an excuse for robberies and terrorist acts. The Azkaban break-in can bring him followers, but it also shows that said followers can always hope to be bailed out by their boss," the young woman reasoned. "But if his true goal is indeed revolution, I don't want to know where it can possibly lead."

The MACUSA president nodded. "I was right in asking you, Ms. Manson. We seem to be on the same page. And this page clearly reads that we cannot allow one of the most influential wizarding centres to fall into anarchy."

"You did not interfere when the last Dark Lord was around."

"For one, it was one of my predecessors. And two, anarchy is different from what that man had in mind. The former is what I envision his actions to lead to."

"Mr. Quahog," Sam said. "What do you think of my belief on what he is?"

"Ah, yes. That notion that Phantom is in fact what his name means. Ms. Manson, I don't know where you got the idea that he is some tough poltergeist, but you shouldn't be led by a faulty assumption. Who told you this? Or was it your idea?"

"I saw what he could do. Back in the student years, even. But there was someone who tried rationalising this to me."

"An expert on the field, I'd wager?"

"Well, he...was interested in the topic. Perhaps too much for my liking, and the principal thought so too when he expelled him," Sam muttered, recalling an unpleasant memory. She didn't want to recall him of all people.

"Hm...mind telling me the name?"

"Fenton," Sam responded. "I don't see how this is..."

The president raised his hand to stop her and dropped the remainder of his slow-acting poison into an ashtray.

"Seems to be a widespread last name. Is his first one 'Daniel' by any chance?"

"How do you know?" Sam asked with wide eyes.

"Them workers bring a lot of foreign correspondence to me. Our ambassador was interested, and we even responded to one of the requests of a very high-ranking official. Even their Ministry is perplexed about how he managed to become a professor at Hogwarts."

There was no end to Sam's confusion. She thought that it really was a similar name, because how could he...

"Danny? A professor?" She chuckled sadly and shook her head. "He was expelled and almost imprisoned. He never even finished his studies!"

"I don't care about hows," the president shrugged. "He is in there, that's what intrigues me and the head of your department. And soon after Phantom appears there as well. Could he be chasing that criminal? Is it another way around? Or are they in the league? Whatever the case may be, he is the crucial point of our own investigation. He is as good place to start as any."

We want Phantom because he is an American criminal and should be judged here. After all those years he finally emerged once more and we cannot afford to lose this chance. I want you, Ms. Manson, to lead this investigation."

"I...I don't know what to say..."

"You should ask about time and details of your departure," the man smirked. "This is a matter of dire importance. We get our criminal, the British thank us dearly for helping with the horrid crisis of theirs. So, the stakes are high, and if you succeed, promotion awaits you. If you fail, then we can no longer put the same amount of trust into your abilities. If you get, what I mean."

Sam sighed. It seemed that her past was catching up to her at incredible speeds. And to be honest, she wished she didn't have to encounter those two men. One was a criminal that mocked all of the aurors' efforts to stop him, seemingly unbeatable and dangerous. Sam had little desire to be humiliated once more, and there was actually little reason for her to be enthusiastic about it. She was an auror not because it was her vocation, after all. The second person...she wanted to see him even less, yet it was Fenton who she was setting out to meet.