Amycus Carrow was many things — a Death Eater, a thug, a man sleazy enough to evade the cruelest punishment the wizarding kind had in store — Azkaban. What he never thought he would be was a man with a bag over his head, tied up to a chair and gagged. Upon realising the dangerous, confusing position he was in, the Death Eater began shaking on his seat, resulting in the eventual, but inevitable — the chair fell and he followed, his face kissing the floor. However, tied up he might have been, his ears still served him well. And what they caught was a boyish laughter.

"Not so scary once you catch them." The voice spoke as the chair and the Death Eater were flipped in a standing position.

Carrow began shouting in rage, but the gag prevented him from doing so.

"Oops, forgot about that. Here, let me help."

The bag was taken off, and Amycus stared into a pair of sickly green eyes. The man before him was young, scrawny, but unearthly at the same time. Aside from the unnatural glow emitted by him, the boy possessed bleached white hair. Dressed in a strange combination of black and white, the boy floated in front of Amycus, wearing a Cheshire grin that made him even more unsettling. Before the Death Eater could properly process what was happening, the gag was painfully taken off too by the gloved hand.

"Argh, untie me, you stupid child!"

"Let me think...no," the boy responded. "I didn't knock you out and carried here to release you soon after."

"That was you, punk?! You are a corpse when I get out!"

"I am already a corpse," the boy rolled his eyes. "You aren't exactly enticing me to release you."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Name is Phantom. You know, 'cause I am a ghost."

"Someone isn't very original."

"Someone adds "Lord" or "Prince" before it. And it still beats that stupid "Inviso-Bill" crap," the ghost grumbled. "That's not the point of our little talk. I want to know what you guys are up to," he said and pointed at the man's elbow, marred with the dark mark.

Amycus stared at the strange ghost before him. Aside from him looking nothing like a ghost, his behaviour and intent were baffling even for Carrow.

"Do you really think I will betray my lord and babble everything to some insignificant ghost?"

"This insignificant ghost knocked you out back in your home and dragged you here. To this abandoned shack."

"Why did you even target me?!"

"Simple. I needed a starting point. Obviously I can't just sniff where your boss hides. So, I ran down the newspapers that talked about the trial you decisively won. I obviously didn't believe your innocence, because Wizengamot is a joke. And look at that, I was right."

Phantom leaned on the back of his chair, turned towards the captive.

"I can get the information out of you at any moment I want. But believe me, it won't be pleasant."

"I already told you, punk. I am not going to tell anything! Where did you put my wand?!"

"Something-something fragile cargo. Wasn't handled with care and broke in the process of transportation."

The dark wizard turned furious. "You little piece of shit!"

The boy didn't seem phased by that. "You wizards are not a threat to begin with. Much less so without your sticks."

Phantom snapped his fingers, and the rope around the man was loosened.

"But I'll give you a cha..."

With a roar, Amycus lunged forward, trying to grab the neck of the annoying child, but his hands expectedly just went through. As the result, the momentum made Amycus stumble forward and fall, along with the chair Phantom used to occupy. The boy just floated at the same spot.

"You aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, are you?" He tilted his head, the snow-white hair flipping along. "I am a ghost, you can't hurt me."

As the Death Eater tried to stand, he suddenly received a kick to the stomach that knocked out all the air from his lungs, forcing him back to his knees. The shocked wizard was at a loss for words. Sensing this, the ghost continued.

"But I can and will hurt you if you don't cooperate," he said coldly and menacingly. "Are we on the same page, Carrow?"

"Why," Carrow panted. "Why in the world would a ghost want something like that?"

"Because I hate you," the boy smiled. "And the Ministry too, but," he sighed. "They are a bit out of reach for the time being. So, we do one at a time. From the small fries to the big catch."

"Who are you calling small, punk?"

"The one lying at my feet maybe?" Phantom raised an eyebrow. "Don't bother getting up. This will work just fine."

"I will get killed anyway. There is nothing you can do to make me speak."

With a chilling smirk the boy got on his knee, his face in shadows except for his glowing eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," the voice of the dark wizard slightly shook.

"Well," the boy took off his glove. "I guess we will resort to underhanded tactics."

Before Carrow could do anything, Phantom roughly put his palm on the man's face. The excruciating sensation of getting an instant frostbite made the man scream in agony, his body writhed, but he felt himself pinned to the ground. Carrow's eyes glowed with the same colour Phantom's did, and only then the ghost released the man, who by then had stopped resisting. But the glowing mark in the shape of the palm was still where it used to be.

"Well, then. Let's start our inquiry. Tell me, where is your boss now?"

"Malfoy Manor," Carrow responded emotionlessly.

Phantom blinked. Draco must feel like the luckiest person around to be away at this time. "Okay, next question. Do you know anything about the recruiting campaign?"

"Giants want to join us," came a response. "Dumbledore sent his own goon to try and take the initiative, but he failed."

"Is this a done deal?"

"No, they are still on the fence. But they are as good as ours. The meatheads just want to beat shit out of everyone. We give them that."

Phantom's expression didn't change. "Anything else?"

"Greyback will go to recruit a pack of werewolves in Wales. Should be in Cardiff by next Sunday."

"Right before the full moon," Phantom mumbled. "I need details."

"The pack lives at the outskirts. Where wizards in general live. I don't know anything else."

"I'll take note of that. Next we have a very interesting question: what are you guys up to?"

"Most of us are still locked up in Azkaban. The Dark Lord wishes to free them as soon as possible."

"When," asked Phantom with all seriousness.

"January at the earliest. My Lord needs to recruit dementors first. I don't know how in the world he is gonna do this. But I won't put anything past him."

"Dementors?"

For the first time the ghost remained stunned. To pull off something of such magnitude was truly impressive. Although, as he had learned long ago, people obsessed with one particular thing are the easiest to sway. One should simply direct that obsession in the proper direction. Dementors were the ever-hungry beasts even Danny had no sympathies for. Voldemort could promise them a feast, and they would oblige. Then a thought occurred in Danny's mind.

"Say, you know Umbridge?"

"Who doesn't know that toad."

"Wow, even to you she is deplorable. Now that's an achievement. Does she work for your boss?"

"If she does, I don't know that."

That really was an awful coincidence that two most disgusting people Danny knew (and were alive) were intertwined in that dementor business. Although he could fish out the information from Umbridge, an assault on her would not be so easy to cover. Voldemort couldn't exactly go and issue a plea to the aurors.

"I think I got what I needed. Thank you for your assistance," Phantom said and snapped his fingers. The mark and the glow in the eyes were gone. Carrow blinked several times, before staring in shock at the ghost.

"What the hell did you do?!" He yelled.

"Simple. Ghosts can possess people. It is a complicated process, but I figured that I don't need to overshadow to get them to do what I want. I just scrambled your brain chemistry so much that you would have killed yourself should I have demanded. And the best thing is," he laughed. "It's not a spell, so nobody can track it."

Now the Death Eater was growing terrified.

"I got what I wanted," the boy kept smiling. "Go on, the door is out there."

"You are... letting me go?"

"Yep. It's not like you will go to the Dark Lord and tell him: "Oh, I'm so sorry, boss, I told our secrets to the random ghost. Let me kiss your boots and beg for forgiveness," spoke Phantom with feigned drama. "You better keep our conversation a secret. If he doesn't kill you, I will. Shoo."

Carrow bolted out of the room that instant. Danny could hear the footsteps, the door loudly opening, and by looking out of the window he could also saw the silhouette running off into the night. Then, he allowed himself to release a loud fit of laughter.

"Oh, that was priceless. A weekend well spent," he mumbled, looking at the old, tilted grandfather clocks. They were in terrible condition, so relying on those was probably not the best idea. Still, it was probably the time for him to go. Lest he was late for the morning classes. The nostalgia of sleeping only for a couple of hours came over the half ghost. And it was unwelcome.

Floating through the wall, Danny saw the wizard somewhere far off, running towards the green hills of a typical English countryside. He still wasn't very good with locations of the isle, so he couldn't tell the name. Still, there was something serene about the landscape, especially with the moon being so high in the sky, shedding the light upon the treetops and admittedly worn out shacks and cottages. Danny had picked the place because it was the nearest to the hideout Carrow had employed. He couldn't interrogate the man there, for at any moment other Death Eaters could come without his knowledge and ruin everything. For now, Carrow was the only person who knew about Phantom's plans. And even he was not aware about what was going to transpire. Danny felt the rush he hadn't experienced in a while. Putting the criminals and murderers in such a helpless spot felt cathartic.

Taking a deep sigh, the young half ghost took off into the sky, in the approximate direction to the north, in hopes of actually finding the castle. It had been a while since he had switched into the ghost form. Maybe it was because he could use most of his abilities while being a human. It took some time to grasp, but it was still, admittedly, not the same. His ghost form could lift a truck with ease, a human would easily lift a heavy desk. And flight, the greatest part of being a ghost, was so limited, it was almost laughable. What good would soundless steps do if he couldn't launch himself into stratosphere in several seconds? But it also meant that he had to be extra careful when bashing the skulls of his opponents. Lest they looked like a train had run them over.

If the Ministry was aware that such ghosts even existed, it could cause a panic among them. For there was a race they couldn't easily subjugate with their magical sticks. Since Phantom was the first among them to be seen by wizards, he had to make sure they remembered that the world didn't spin around them. But perhaps he could find some helpers not only among the more conventional races. Someone who would love to go against the people in charge. Yes, he had a couple of ghosts' contacts. One of them, by a miraculous chance, was not so far away. And looking at one of the city billboards below, he was quite aware where to find her.

"Thank you, thank you, people, you are a lovely crowd, you stinking brits!"

The somewhat insulting words were not interpreted as such by the adoring crowd of teenagers. After all, many rockstars were hardly the examples of politeness. And thus, the teens only laughed it off as the singer stepped down from the massive stage. Grinning widely, popping her tongue, she disappeared behind a black curtain, her group-mates following behind. Well, it was a bit of a stretch to call those mindless idiots anything of the sort. All they were good for was playing in tact. Humans didn't think that the sickly shades of their skins, empty eyes were something but makeup. It was good for the singer herself. She would never share a stage with anybody else, anybody who was not her mindless puppet.

Going through the corridor and dismissing the security (not that there was any actual need for those), she entered her own little room in the backstage. There, in the mirror in front of the chair, she could see her own reflection. Ember McLain appeared as a teen girl, barely an adult. Her most striking feature was probably long, blue hair tied in a ponytail. The flaming shapes were the general theme, and her leather gloves, boots and other pieces of attire had azure flames drawn all over them. Her grime, the eyeshadows capitalised on the otherworldly air around her. Which was to be expected. From a ghost.

Ember didn't examine herself for long, however, because in that reflection she saw a person hidden behind a large newspaper.

"Long time no see, Ember."

Danny put away the piece of paper, crossed his legs and smiled, the green eyes of his ghost form bore into hers.

"Dipstick, is that you?" Ember smirked and huffed. "You are lucky I am not in the mood."

"To use that guitar of yours to burn me to the crisp?"

Danny stood up and approached her. Getting awfully close. There was a time when Ember could call him a kid, but as she was stuck to her date of death, the half-ghost before her had the perk of actually ageing until a certain point. And thus, the former kid now towered over her. Which she immediately noticed, as well as the hand that pinned into the wall, blocking the way of escape.

"Wh-what the hell are you here for?" The girl stuttered, backing into the wall.

Danny smirked. "What? Am I not allowed to see an old friend?"

And then he began to chuckle. "Always meant to try this," he said and backed down.

Just as he expected, the girl slapped him across the face, so hard that he had to back away. The glass in the mirror near them gained several cracks from the force of the hit.

"Shut up, dipshit and tell me what you are here for!"

Danny rubbed his green cheek. The ectoplasm had rushed to his face to heal the caused damage.

"I really meant to see you, for one."

"You ain't my dad, beat it. I don't have to report to you."

"I am the one who lets you roam around humans, though," retorted Phantom and floated to the sofa. "How is it going, Em?"

McLain realised that she would not force Phantom out anytime soon. She had reached her power ceiling long time ago.

"The usual stuff," she shrugged. "Adoring fans, fanboys and fangirls trying all too hard to mimic the perfection that is me. But you know what I was doing. What about you? Skulker occasionally meets you, he told me you became... a teacher?"

"Why yes, that's true."

Now it was Ember's time to break into laughter — a very loud one.

"Oh, man, what did these brits do to ya, Dipstick?"

Danny smirked. "I've grown all too fond of my new job. Sadly, the spot is cursed and I will get tossed out at the end of this year. But that's not all I do."

"Really? What else? You've learned knitting?" Huffed Ember and reached into a mini-fridge by the table. Fishing out a can of beer, she opened it and began gulping the contents down.

"It is a magical school. I suppose you can guess that I'm back to the wizarding world."

"What for? Didn't they kick you out because talking with our kind is a big no-no?"

"They did. But you can say I still hold the grudge. And because of that I want the British Ministry to eat shit."

Ember stopped her chugging and put a nearly empty can on the table, never diverting her eyes from the young man.

"What are you planning, Dipstick?" She asked slowly.

"To make sure that the high and mighty wizards realise," Phantom got up and smirked. "That there are forces much more powerful than they are. Like us."

"Us?" Ember snorted. "There is only you, Phantom."

"I am your king, am I not? The whole "represent our race" thing and all?"

"Yes, except you ain't a full ghost. At this point you are your own specie. What a pity it will die off. With only two males around," she cackled.

"Hilarious, McLain," Danny rolled his eyes. "Never took you for a purist."

"Am not. You are just a perfect target for a little bit of bigotry. Why did you come to me and started telling me all this?"

"Because you asked. And because I want you to join my effort."

Ember's green eyes were ready to pop out. "I always thought you were a bit out of this world."

"Did those posters of space in my room tip you off?" Phantom asked. "Look, Ember. If I know anything about you, it is that you are all about teenage rebellion. You picked up rock not only because you liked it, but also because your parents hated it. So, I offer you to join the biggest rebellion of your afterlife, short only of the whole Pariah fiasco."

"I have my musical career, Dipstick."

"Yes, among humans mostly," Danny began circling around her. "And you know what humans do? They age. Something you can't do. At some point they will notice this. And unless you want scandals, pitchforks and torches, you should think of something else to entertain yourself."

"You ain't my boss," Ember's blue hair began to wave, her expression dark.

"I am your king," stated Danny, firm as a rock. "Try to ignore this all you want, all of you do. You know I am right."

"How will this even help me?"

Phantom grinned. "Feed your obsession for one. As you imagine the faces of those bureaucrats degrading themselves before you, don't you feel the surge within your core? That's what you want above all else — to push adults from their high perch. Don't you want that?"

"Bringing up the obsession, aren't you?" Ember hissed, looking less and less human by the second.

"But you just cannot refuse now, can you? I am unlike you people in this department, too," Danny smirked.

"You piece of shit!" Yelled Ember.

"Just a little bit of bigotry. Calm down, Ember. The only thing keeping you from joining me is the dislike towards your benevolent monarch. If we can move past that and cooperate, just like when we fought Pariah, we can also achieve some great results."

"You leave me no choice," the girl responded as her anger subsided. Now she sounded bitter. "Fine. What do you want?"

"The next stop of your tour will be Cardiff. Do what you want, I just need you to be there by next Sunday. I have a plan for a little bit of civilised debates."

By the next weekend the traveling singer had to make a little detour, just as the insufferable royal had told her. Phantom had paid little interest in how she would have to go through the massive headache of organising the travel. In the end Ember opted for simply departing from the rest of her crew, traveling on her own, flying west, to the city of Cardiff. She wasn't exactly bothered by the need to find Danny in that metaphorical haystack. He was the one finding them all the time, thanks to the built-in radar of his. Back when he was the local hero and they were his Saturday morning villains. Although, his relationship with all of them wasn't exactly hostile around the clock. Occasionally, there was the need for them to team up, and Pariah Dark was the prime example.

Ember had to give it to the half ghost. There was something about him that just made them all follow the boy to what probably would be their end. The word "likeable" was probably a bit of a stretch, Ember found his overt righteousness annoying and off-putting. Which made his current change of attitude appear so sudden. He did portray his reasons in a more childish way, as a wish to spite the adults, but Ember was not stupid, Phantom did so only to woo her into his scheme. There was no feasible way for a man like him, the one who was obsessed with protecting others, not to see what road he was taking. The road that could potentially bring havoc. Not that the anarchist by heart had anything against it, but she hadn't expected Phantom, who was supposedly their future highest authority, to go against the authority of the Ministry.

And still, Ember should have expected this. She had heard stories about how harsh the wizarding world truly was. And how oblivious the wide-eyed kids were to its problems. Since she never got a letter to that world of wonders, her vision was only obscured by her cynicism, the one that prevented her from feeling sympathy towards anyone who could get harmed in the process. Danny saw those problems, it was only natural for this goody-two-shoes to try and put an end to the most disgusting practices wizards sullied themselves in. The main question was whether or not he would succeed. And who would end up being hurt in the process. Well, hopefully she would have fun doing this.

True to his preceding promise, Phantom crossed paths with her in the sky above the city centre, she didn't even have to wait for him. Floating upside down, he just popped up in front of her after his invisibility dropped.

"You made it! Great. Now we can move on to the fun part."

"So are we just going to look around for these "Death Eaters?""

"Nope," Danny rolled in the air and now properly faced his partner in crime. "I already have what we need."

In fact, Phantom had arrived in Wales that morning. Since he had to be inconspicuous, he first took a Knight Bus to London, to throw the potential nosy teachers off the track. He had also visited the Cauldron, to create an alibi and to converse with newly employed Chiara. With satisfaction Danny had noted that she was very thankful to him for that opportunity. Only then had the young half-ghost took off to another part of Britain, violating the airspace of the isle. By the end of his journey, he could finally get down to business. Asking around the magic fellows quickly gave him pointers as to where he and Ember were going to go. As was the case with all ostracised communities, the werewolves grouped together to weather the challenges together. And it was there where the meeting was going to take place, of that Danny had little doubt.

Two ghosts quickly took off, hoping that they weren't too late for the party. The wizards in general preferred to hide their world behind a veil of devastation. To a muggle the cauldron appeared like a disused old building. One could only expect that the lowest lows of the wizarding kind would hide in an actually decrepit place. An issue arose soon enough, because two metaphorical lightbulbs were bound to gain attention. Danny couldn't go human, lest his face got recognised, and Ember was too far from her stage to play the supernatural down. They couldn't let themselves to be seen too early. Not having a wand was also a problem, because usually the wizard hid behind such veils.

"So, what are we going to do once we find the hideout?"

"We talk. If the Death Eaters stand in the way, we hurt them. Sounds like a plan."

"That's one simple plan."

"A simple plan that works."

"A simple plan which can fail."

Danny rolled his eyes as the two ghosts landed on the roof. Ember could use more optimism in her afterlife. Going back to the question of getting there, the barriers could also be enchanted to block the muggles from entering. Danny sincerely hoped that that was the case for the old warehouse before them, because he never was a muggle, and he could get Ember inside just fine, especially if they both were ghosts. Magic worked in mysterious ways. Without asking, Danny took Ember's hand and pulled her inside. With a yelp, she was phased through the wall. The second she stepped inside the warehouse, her burning glare was ready to pierce the idiotic overlord.

"Touch me again and I will..."

"Shh..." Danny put a finger to his mouth. "Listen."

Despite her anger, Ember did as she was told. Soon she started hearing the bits and pieces of conversation.

"I am telling you!" The gruff voice sounded. "The life you people have is no life at all!"

"Looks like we are late to the party. Come on," Danny whispered.

Only now the visitors noticed the surroundings. The warehouse was filled with tiny rundown shacks made of scrap, meant not to shelter people from rains and horrid weather, but to secure some personal space. The sad state of affairs was to take note of, and Danny made sure to do just that. He would shove this situation into the face of those disgusting bureaucrats in London as much as needed. But that would wait. Now he had a more fitting enemy to fight. The entire populace, children and elders included, huddled together to watch the propagandist actions of one man. He was, without a doubt, Greyback. Not only had Danny seen the pictures of the man before, but the speaker was giving himself away.

The dark robes and shady henchmen hinted at his allegiance. The sideburns, the unclean shave and a messy haircut made the man look more feral. And gave away what he really was.

"The Ministry gives no shit about ye. They tossed you out of your jobs and made you toil 'ere for nothing."

Danny could see that the locals wanted to ask their questions, but had no courage to do that. However, some matters needed to be addressed.

"So... what are you offering?" One of the men asked.

"I offer you to join our cause. You will get payback on the Ministry, I assure you."

Phantom only sighed. The guy wasn't much of a speaker, it seemed. Better put him out of that misery. Telling Ember to wait behind the Death Eaters, he himself prepared a theatric entrance. As Greyback continued with his lacklustre speech, Danny loudly and slowly clapped, interrupting him outright. All eyes turned towards the newcomer, and his unusual appearance surprised even the servants of Voldemort.

"Marvellous speech, Mister Greyback," Danny commented, stepping in front of the Death Eater. "If it isn't the man responsible for creating half of Britain's werewolves."

"And who in the bloody hell are you?"

"Phantom is the name. The Lord and Prince of all things dead. And by coincidence, a ghost myself."

"Who?" The man tilted his head, looking genuinely befuddled.

Danny sighed. "Figures you know not about me..."

"Get outta the way, bugger. This doesn't concern you. You," he turned towards the locals. "You never said anything about poltergeists."

"I don't live here, Greyback. Came across the entire Britain just to track you down," Danny floated closer to him.

"Ghosts don't just travel wherever they want," the Death Eaters reached for their wands.

"Yeah, but I'm the strongest one around. And I have a bone to pick with your boss. By the way, have you told these folks about them serving Voldemort himself?"

Everyone around let out the obligatory gasps of horror that Phantom had grown tired of hearing.

"What? I'm already a corpse." He complained. "Go on, Greyback. Tell these good people the truth."

"There is no denying that. But my Lord offers these people the salvation. The werewolves would no longer have to fear for their future."

"Tell this to the people you doomed to such fate, you buffoon. I had a chance to talk with one of your victims. She was just a little girl when you chose to bite her. Good people, this ruffian IS the walking epitome of why the Ministry has any sort of legitimacy in public's eyes when it comes to your status. Do you wish to sink even lower? To the level of this little bastard?"

"Shut your mouth," Greyback let out an animalistic growl.

"Oh, the evil dog barks, but can't bite," Danny mocked. "This is what he is, everyone. A dog, the caricature of what you are like."

"What are you even here for?" Someone from the crowd shouted.

"I came here for several things. One, I wish to stop you from making a grave mistake. I understand that your position is hard, unbearable to some. But will it really become better? I remind you, this guy wants to purge the wizards he doesn't like. Those who do not suit his standards of purity. Do you really think that that bigot is any better than the Ministry? I hardly think so."

"Yeah? And what are you offering, brat? Are you working for Dumbledore?" Greyback barked.

"I am not. Dumbledore is too... shackled. Indecisive. He doesn't seek to change this world, he only wants to defeat the Dark Lord. I will do both. That's what I am offering to the people here. I want to bring change to this stagnant society. Where the werewolves or the likes of me will not be ostracised. Both you and the Ministry are my enemies. You, Death Eaters, are just a very low-hanging fruit. A perfect start for my quest. And I will not let you poison their lives any more, Greyback."

"Have you bothered to ask us?" Another person from the crowd asked loudly.

"Let us decide right after," Danny smiled. "What I can't allow is for Voldemort to continue his slaughter. So the choice is this: join my group, good people, the side that has the backing of the future king of ghosts. Or, you can remain here. Simple as that."

"If you think that I'll let one stupid ghost decide what to do..."

Greyback took out his wand and pointed it into Danny's face.

"It's just that. I am a ghost. You can do whole nothing. You will only harm the locals."

"I'll be careful," Greyback gave him a wolfish grin.

Danny sighed. A little demonstration could help his cause, he supposed.

Before anything could happen, the werewolf casted a spell. Danny could not dodge and endanger the people behind him. Thus, "reducto" made the direct impact with the summoned shield.

"What in the..."

"I told you. You can't kill me, you piece of shit!" Danny's eyes seemed to ignite.

The next second a powerful blast came right from the sockets. The blasted wizard had no chance to react, and Phantom followed the hit by dashing forward. In a split second he reached the opponent and pinned him to the wall with the force that felt like a truck had just hit him. Grayback even dropped his wand in the process. Danny glanced back and saw the other Death Eaters, readying for the attack.

"Ember, would you?"

A single loud note got the attention of the dark wizards. The masked individuals turned to the side and saw the other ghost, who lazily adjusted her guitar.

"Thought you would never ask. You like rock, dipsticks?!"

She swiped her hand across her instrument, and the devilish contraption let out a loud metallic noise.  The sound waves were strong enough to hit the wizards with a force of a truck, blasting them into the nearest shaky building. Everyone else had to shield their ears from the thunderous tune. Danny himself was hardly comfortable with that. His flinch was enough for the werewolf. Barring his teeth and letting out a roar, he head-butted the opponent. Caught off-guard, Danny had to let go of his enemy. Grayback used the opportunity and punched the half-ghost with all the strength he could muster. Phantom took a step back, subconsciously putting a hand over his bleeding forehead and staining the white gloves with the glowing green liquid. The werewolf lunged for his wand.

Ember had her eyes focused on the other Death Eaters. They quickly bounced back and managed to utter several spells. The diva jumped back and phased through the wall behind her. Using the opportune moment, the wizards shifted their attention to the white-haired annoyance. Danny heard them shout the curses and was quick to summon a shield with his free hand. Grayback was still behind him, Danny had to remember. In a split second Phantom dispersed the defence and fired a clumsy shot in the Death Eaters' general direction. It did the job, and the small explosion threw the wizards off. Danny immediately turned away from them, just in time to block another curse. He vanished in thin air, and Grayback tried to trail the ghost by the metallic smell the ectoplasm left. Danny attacked almost immediately, and his next punch came right into the stomach. With several broken ribs, the werewolf was smashed through the flimsy wall of one of the shacks.

One of the dark wizards, once again gaining his footing, was about to retaliate, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw the grinning ghost once more. And in the next second, her guitar was used to inflict physical damage. Ember swung her instrument and launched the man away like a baseball, right towards where the other half of the fight took place. Upon landing, he got a kick into the face from the half-ghost, who then quickly lowered his head to avoid a spell.

Phantom grabbed the nearest plastic chair and flung it at the werewolf. The granted second of delay allowed to fire another green blast. All the dust in the room flew upwards when the wave hit. Grayback was coughing out his lungs and was barely standing at the seems. His resilience greatly impressed his opponent.

"You are sturdier than you look," he commented.

"Go to hell," rasped Grayback and spewed blood at where the half-ghost was standing. He almost managed to reach the boots.

"I wish I could, buddy. Been trying to for quite some time."

Grayback raised his wand-holding hand, but his tongue betrayed him, he was not fast enough. Phantom's eyes turned ice blue, and a split second later the cold beam pinned the wizard's entire arm to the wall, having encased it into an icy prison. Danny smirked, approached the man and patted the his head.

"You tried your best," he mocked. "Then again, the approaching full moon certainly does wonders to your people's better judgement."

"The Dark Lord will hear of this, you bloody poltergeist. And when he does, you will regret coming back to this world."

"Oh, I certainly do hope that he hears of this. Does he read the newspapers by any chance? Just wait a sec," Danny raised a finger, "Ember, are you done out there?"

"Yep! N0t much of a challenge, are they?"

"Alright then," said Danny before knocking Grayback out. He released the hold on the wizard, melting the ice trap and letting the water soak the Death Eater. Upon sniffing the air, the young half-ghost grimaced.

"Smells like a wet dog," he mumbled.

Danny grabbed the man's collar and started dragging him out. And once there, he came to notice a strange thing. Despite Ember's previous reassurance, one of the Death Eaters stood by her side. To Phantom's curious look she responded by flipping off the man's mask. The Death Eater's look was blank and void of any conscience, and his eyes glowed with a bright pink colour. After noticing this, Danny involuntarily cringed, which didn't escape Ember's attention and brought a gleeful expression to her face.

"What's wrong, Dipstick? Nasty memories come to mind?"

"That won't work on me again. Although, if he comes to the Aurors on his own, it'll be of use to us. Alright, people, this shitshow is over! You can come out now."

Finally, Danny took a good look around, without having to worry about the Death Eaters sneaking up on them. The few residents that had the courage to come out were looking worse for the wear, which was to be expected. The full moon was going to be in its zenith soon. They also wore some very cheap clothes, and the reason for that could be two-fold. They had no money and when werewolves transformed, it was in what they were when coming into this world. So, nothing at all. It would be wasteful if they had to tear apart pricey clothing and then buy a new one each time. But that's a digression. Danny stood in front of them, and whatever impression he was leaving on them was making their instincts go all over the place.

"You said you wanted to have a talk," one of them said.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Now that we won't be interrupted."

Out of nowhere, several chairs, composed of ectoplasmic energy, emerged, swiped right under the locals, forcing them to take a seat. Danny himself landed on one.

"As I said, I want you people to join my cause. But that's not much about what I myself need. More like, I want to ask what I can do for you," he smiled.

"And what CAN a ghost do?"

"You saw it yourself. Me and my accomplice took down three above-average Death Eaters with no major issue. And that is counting the fact that I didn't want to break your stuff. Or to kill them for that matter. Point is, I am a Ghost King for a reason. I am among the strongest members of my kind, and I want to use this power to bring positive change to this world."

"Why would some ghoul even care? Don't you people float around, all absorbed in your past lives?"

"That seems to be a trend wherever I go. But I am not them. I care because I myself faced great prejudice that ruined my life. We are kindred spirits, should I say," Danny chuckled quietly and leaned forward. "I can help and protect your people. And that means stepping on the Ministry's shoes as well."

"Are you suggesting we become terrorists?"

"Goodness, no. When have terrorists achieved anything? Other than taking lives of the innocent? And just like that, killing Fudge or Umbridge, despite my clear ability to do that, will achieve nothing. They will simply be replaced by the people that share their sentiments."

"What is it then?"

"I ask that you become revolutionaries. The difference is that we will not be attacking random officials. One day we will storm that accursed office of theirs and force them to accept our demands."

"Still sounds like terrorism to me."

"We aren't killing anybody unless they attack us. Simple as that. I want this to happen with as few lives taken as possible.  I had my doubts, but the Ministry made it abundantly clear that no peaceful means will dissuade them. So, we have to up our game. That is why I am first aiming at Voldemort himself. By beating that monster, we will do this world a service, as well as making our intentions clear. That we all will not stand the disgusting practices of the wizarding world."

The locals seemed to be contemplating the idea.

"How can we trust your word? You are a ghost. There is no telling what you will do once this is over."

Danny raised an eyebrow. The next second he vanished and then reappeared right next to the doubtful man.

"Are we putting labels on people who are different, now?"

"T-that's not what I meant! You are the only ghost around that cares, at least acts like it. What point is there to save this world for you? And how do we know that this is not just some game for a poltergeist? For all I know you can just raise your hands and leave when you get bored."

"I assure you, the thing that keeps me tied to this world is also beneficial to you. I genuinely want to help."

"We don't promise you anything, kid. If you still are a kid, hell knows if you are older than all of us. We will consider it."

"That is fine. I already have one thing to ask of you, however. Grayback is going to the prison, I hope. But in any case, Voldemort will send some more goons. I want our stories to align for your own good. I was the one to beat them up, you never agreed to anything what I said and for now you remain neutral. This way his anger will be towards me and not you. To the police I will say that I came across these criminals and fulfilled my civic duty. We can't let the Ministry know that you even can be recruited. Or they will make your lives even more miserable. Are we on the same page?"

The werewolves looked at each other and nodded.

"Yeah, sounds good enough, lad."

"And also. I hope you know how muggle phones work. Or, at least, the phone booths I see all around."

"We do, but, why do we have to know?"

"Well, for one, the stuck-up wizards will never learn how to actually tap the phone lines. Our communications will be safe. And besides, if you get in trouble, I can come to the rescue as soon as possible. I promised I would protect you," Danny smiled. "Alright, I think we will be going. Ember, pick up that guy, we still have to carry them to the aurors."

The diva's eyes widened.

"Wait, wait, wait, Dipstick. We never agreed on that part."

"You agreed to come along. That kinda entails following me until we are done."

"I ain't gonna come and show my face to the aurors. And I think that you shouldn't either."

"Why so?"

"Your only saving grace is the colour palette. And the last time I checked, the wizards only have black and white pictures."

"Well, not really, but you do make a point. They may just be smarter than the residents of the good old Amity Park. I still need to get them to the aurors..." Danny rubbed his chin, before brightening up when the idea struck him. "Yes, that may work. Ember, get the charmed guy to pull his friends to the post. Can he pass on the message or is his brain fried at the moment?"

"Dunno, guess you will have to try. Hey, dum-dum, do as he says."

Danny turned towards the Death Eater. "Hmm, let's keep it simple. Tell the aurors who apprehend you who you people are, tell them that you are under a mind control spell. Remind them that Grayback is a werewolf and that he can turn any moment now. Oh, and tell them Lord Phantom was the one to do this to you. Got it?"

The wizard dumbly nodded.

"I sure hope he doesn't fall into the nearest mud puddle," Ember smirked. "Lord Phantom, eh?"

"What?" Danny asked as they turned towards the exit. "The Lord of the Infinite Realms is one of my titles."

Ember followed him, as the Death Eater struggled to pull his companions. Thankfully, he was fit enough to do the job, although not without difficulties. And some damage to the ones he was told to deliver.

"Don't let that get into your head, Phantom. You forced me to join you. It wasn't because you get some sort of reverence."

"If any king's legitimacy depended on what traveling singers thought of them," Danny snorted, "This world would have none at all."