Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
...
Daphne sat nervously inside Harry's personal chambers. While she was doing her best to represent herself in the way that her mother had taught her from a young age it was difficult to maintain her composure. It didn't help that Harry was staring directly at her, as if judging her every intake of breath and any potential fidget that would give him any sort of psychological advantage.
As odd as it sounded, Daphne was perhaps one of the few people in the castle who wasn't grotesquely disgusted by Harry's outwards appearance. This was mostly due to what her father had shown her from the last war. While they had stayed out of much of the actual fighting between the Dark and the Light, her father had deemed it necessary to show her what two opposing forces could do to one another.
He had shown her memories of when he had walked through the halls of St Mungo's Hospital where one of his friends had been admitted. He had taken the time to look at as many of the patients as he could, to remind himself what the horrors of war could accomplish and with the use of a Pensieve, Daphne could feel the same.
Yet it wasn't the scars and disfigurements which had her on edge. It was Harry's eyes. They were cold, calculated and she dared not imagine what had befallen someone her age to look at someone in the way that Harry was looking at her.
There was a deep intake of breath before Harry leant back into his armchair, closing his eyes for several seconds before opening them once more and allowing himself to exhale. "You didn't have to come you know."
"Yes I did," Daphne snapped back before flinching at the tone of voice she had used. She wanted to mutter an apology of some sort but Harry cut her off beforehand.
"No, you didn't. What I sent you wasn't a command or an instruction, it was an invitation," he said.
'That was NOT an invitation!' Daphne thought but chose not to question Harry's ability to ask someone to go somewhere. "A little more detail on why I was wished to come would have been nice," she said instead.
"Yet you still came."
There it was, his voice changed once more into the calculated tone she knew. Daphne bit at the inside of her lip as she wondered whether or not those fleeting moments just before were the expressions of the real Harry Potter and this was his defence. Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she responded. "As you said, the note you sent me was an invite and it would have been rude of me to not accept without a valid excuse."
"Indeed," said Harry leaning forward once more so that his elbows were on his knees and his fingers laced together and resting beneath his chin. "Which then begs the question as to what you want to get out of this? Slytherin is the house of the ambitious is it not? So I take it that you want something, you wouldn't have come here otherwise."
Daphne felt Harry's words sting and she couldn't help but know that he was correct. Steeling herself, she mimicked Harry and leant forward so that their eyes were on equal levels. "I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Who is Harry Potter?"
Daphne studied Harry intently, wondering what his reaction to her question would be. She had expected a flinch or some sort of small movement to show that he was scared of talking about himself. She could still recall the day when he had been summoned up to the Sorting Hat. She had already been sorted into Slytherin by that time and had as surprised as everyone when his name was called out. Sure Draco had tried to get a rise out of the boy before they had entered the Grand Hall but nobody had answered his call, making her feel that it was just a ploy by the Malfoy heir.
When he had been called out a second time before sprinting out of the room, she had felt more intrigue than before and been shocked when the fabled Boy Who Lived bolted. She had paid no attention to the brutal amount of rumours that had swelled on that table that night and had merely wanted to know the truth. She was not fascinated with rumours and theories.
The real Harry Potter was what she was after.
"That's a big question," answered Harry after a few moments before he flashed his teeth and Daphne couldn't help but see how perfect they were, a complete contradiction to the rest of his form. Too perfect. Potion perfect. She felt herself become ill at the mere thought of why her peer had had to have potions to fix his teeth but knew that this was part of the reason why she was here.
She wanted answers.
And she would get them.
"How about you break it into smaller parts?"
Okay, that wasn't what she was expecting. Before she could retort, Harry held up a hand, silencing her before she had the chance to speak. "I propose a challenge then," said Harry. "We'll play Chess. For every piece that is lost, the person who took it gets to ask a question of reasonable proportions that the other player must answer truthfully. Do we have an accord?"
Daphne couldn't help but bite at her thumb. This was the chance she had been after. Any question she asked would be answered. But what did he mean by reasonable proportions? Did that give him the right to refuse every question she asked? Was he the one who decided what was reasonable?
"Before all that though, why don't we get to dinner. I made it myself after all," declared Harry gesturing to the nearby table.
Daphne had paid minimal thought to the display when she had entered the room, having kept her eyes on Harry. Now that she had been shown the food designated for consumption her stomach decided to play against her will and growled. Loudly. Fidgeting in her seat, she couldn't even make eye contact as she spoke. "D-Dinner would be appropriate."
Well, at least she had a meal to contemplate potential questions to ask.
...
Would have been her main thought were the cooking not on a professional level! She had been sceptical at first, wondering just what kind of meal someone her age could produce but this had blown her mind right out of the water. Harry meanwhile just sat there and Daphne couldn't help but wonder if he did this on a regular basis?
She put down her cutlery and looked at Harry who was currently making his way through his own dinner. The moment she went to open her mouth and question Harry he raised a finger without lifting his eyes from his plate. Daphne's mouth shut in an instance and knew that had she even asked a question he wouldn't have answered. They still had their game coming up shortly and she could ask every question she wanted then.
After all, she had won several junior tournaments as a child against teenagers many years older than her. Her mother had been against the idea but when her father had discovered her talent for the strategic game at a young age he had been more than happy to help develop Daphne's ability. He had proclaimed that no daughter of his would be limited to the duties of a housewife.
Now, due to her father's dedication, she was about to uncover the secrets of Harry Potter.
And it would all be worth it.
...
Draco sat in the corner of the Slytherin common room, his eyes glancing over every other student in the area. Many were in discussions with one another regarding what the other did over the festive break while a few of the older students were talking about assignments and what they should work on leading towards OWLs and above.
The Malfoy Heir paid no attention to that whatsoever.
His time with his family had been anything but pleasant. When his father wasn't disciplining him, his mother had been berating him. It had been terrible. Yet, and this was a big yet, he had learned something. His childhood had been filled with false beliefs. Being told that he was destined for greatness was perhaps the biggest lie he had ever been fed. Half a year at Hogwarts had shown him that he wasn't destined for anything.
While his father had sought to teach him many lessons as a result of his shortcoming against Potter, he knew that the advances he had made in his own lessons would mean nothing. He had the ability to summon a cobra now, one of the most poisonous snakes on the planet. That meant nothing in the grand scheme of things!
So what? He could summon a serpent he had no control over, how was that beneficial in any way? It was just as likely to attack him as it was to attack himself. Sure it could be used as a distraction but that didn't mean that it wouldn't sink it's fangs into him whilst cursing his target.
No, whatever strength he had gained over the holidays would prove fruitless, and there was always the possibility that while he had increased in power, Potter had been doing the same. There was an entire library filled with knowledge that seventh year students required for the NEWTs, it was highly unlikely that Potter hadn't managed to take a peek at what the Hogwarts endgame was.
Chances were that he would never get the strength to tackle Potter one on one and thankfully he wasn't stupid enough to even contemplate trying it. Also with the Blood Traitor Longbottom backing him up, politically he would be pretty much ready to tackle the Wizengamot the moment he stepped foot outside of Hogwarts. The one saving grace in all of this was that from what Draco had noticed, Harry didn't seem to have a fondness for the Headmaster which was a bonus in the greater scheme of things.
Now though, he had to play things smart, play from the background. Crabbe and Goyle were going to remain loyal to his cause no matter what path he stepped down, the alliances between their families would ensure that. The older students would tolerate his presence for some time until he could truly show them his worth and if that worth were to include a couple of Galleons then so be it. In the years to come though he had to make sure every student in the snake pit was aware that he was the one that they should be following.
He felt though that his goals, while ambitious, were too localized. Slytherin was just one House after all. Gryffindor students would never listen to him, the House rivalry was too fierce and many of his peers under the lion banner. Those in Ravenclaw would only see him as a distraction, their academics were their first priority if stereotypes were to be believed.
That left the students in Hufflepuff. Specifically the one he had already contacted.
Their loyalty was both their greatest asset and potentially their biggest downfall. Should one of them feel threatened in any way it was more than likely that the rest of the students would support them and consequently band together in order to prevent anything following up. The pieces were in place and should all go according to plan, the fear that a single student felt could very well be the beginning of the end for Potter.
...
Daphne stared at the board in front of her and did her best to recall all of the stipulations Harry had laid out before dinner. The food had thrown her thoughts astray but the aim was still simple. Win the game and find out as much as she could in this single chance. She still didn't know what technically qualified as an appropriate question however and knew that she could very well have to lose a piece or two in order to understand.
She would be the victor at the end though, of that she had no doubt.
"Do you have a preference?" asked Harry.
"No." Daphne had confidence she would win regardless of whether she went second or first.
"Very well, I'll go black then."
Daphne couldn't help but see the irony in that the son of one of the most well known 'light' families had opted to choose the darker colours and subsequently go second. Commanding her pawn to move forward, the game began. When Harry moved his pawn onto the board, Daphne considered her options momentarily before sending her own piece forward, directly into the path where Harry could destroy it.
He didn't seem surprised at this move, as if having expected it before taking her piece. Daphne thought nothing of it, losing a single pawn this early in the game would have no real downfall for her in the long run. She just needed to know what kind of questions she could give.
"How are you enjoying your time at Hogwarts?"
Well that was disappointing. "It's fine," she answered wondering whether Harry had played her like she had been trying to play him.
"Is that your honest opinion?" asked Harry, his eyes glaring at her making her feel uncomfortable once more under his gaze. At the same time though there was something else in the look that he was giving her, an understanding of sorts. It was for this reason, Daphne found herself opening up.
"It's been difficult at times," she said casting her gaze to the floor. "The schoolwork is pretty easy and that could just be because it's our first year, but the politics are getting to me. Everyone in Slytherin has a family with a background and some of the students you have to be very careful what you say. In the first week no less than four students had to make formal apologies for their actions and behaviour. It's...I don't know."
"That's okay," said Harry before gesturing at the board. "Your move."
Focusing on the board in front of her, Daphne was happy that Harry hadn't pried further and hazarded a guess that he didn't want to make her feel more uncomfortable. 'Reasonable proportions,' she reminded herself. Two turns went by and now she had her own chance to ask a question of Harry.
"How do you know how to cook so well?"
"I started when I was five," answered Harry looking up from the board. "If I didn't cook as my aunt wanted, I was beaten. If I didn't cook it well enough, I was beaten. If I didn't cook enough, I was beaten. I had to learn how to cook well in order to prevent myself from getting hurt."
Daphne had found her eyes widening with every sentence Harry said and her mouth was now hanging open. Beatings? Harry had been beaten? By his aunt? Before she could continue this train of thought however Harry played his next move, taking out one of her own pieces but putting himself in a precarious position overall.
"Why didn't you go home for the holidays?"
Still struggling to get her head around what she just heard, Daphne floundered for a bit before answering. "I was going to but a couple of days beforehand I got an owl from my father telling me that my sister had come down with an illness and that it would likely spread to me were I there. He suggested I stay and that we'd just spend the time before second year as a family. Now what was this about you getting beaten?"
"What's to say, I got hit repeatedly, your move," said Harry treating his past injuries as if they were nothing, something which shocked Daphne. She was swift in taking out his next piece, a bishop this time and she was already asking her question before the member of Harry's forces had been destroyed.
"Why are you so casual about this? You were a kid getting beaten up by your relatives and you treat it as if it was nothing?"
"Because it was all I knew," said Harry calmly yet the words struck Daphne like a Cutting Curse. "At school and at home it was all the same, while other children were shown love and caring from their parents I knew no such thing."
Several more moves passed without much action before Harry played aggressively, putting Daphne into Check before having the minor advantage destroyed. The female student bit at the inside of her lip as she wondered just what to ask from here, her mind still reeling from the information she had been given.
"What subject do you like the most?" she eventually asked, a rush question to prevent herself from sitting there in silence for minutes on end. It was a silly question and one that she didn't really need an answer to but her mind had mostly gone blank.
"Potions," answered Harry. "While Snape isn't the best of professors the subject itself is pretty fascinating."
Well, at least Daphne got an answer that she hadn't been expecting. Now though her mind was focused on the board in front of her and more specifically, her way to victory. There would only be a couple of pieces taken as a result but she felt that were she to drag this game out for longer than she wished Harry could get some intel out about her. Sure he had only asked simple day to day questions so far but she knew that he could change that in a heartbeat.
Black knight down.
"Check. What are you going to do at the end of term?"
"Probably rent a room at the Leaky Cauldron or some other hotel, don't really want to go back there."
White bishop down.
"Did the Sorting Hat contemplate putting you in another house?"
"It contemplated putting me into Hufflepuff before going for Slytherin."
Black rook down.
"Check. Do you know what you want to do after finishing Hogwarts?"
"Probably travel, see the world a bit before figuring out what I'm going to do from there."
Black bishop down.
"Checkmate."
...
It was barely moments after the game had finished before there was a knocking on the door. Daphne nearly leapt from her seat, having been so focused on how to get Harry to reveal more of his secrets.
"Wonder who that could be?" mused Harry as he stepped up from the table. Daphne meanwhile was somewhat flustered, not having expected the conclusion of their match to be interrupted in such a way. Also she was somewhat worried. The Hogwarts gossip wheel was an atrocious thing and Daphne knew that were one of the more imaginative minds were to see her spending one on one time with Harry Potter, the rumours would spread until the end of the year.
Harry opened the door to reveal Fred and George, the two Gryffindor students with their arms crossed over their chest. "Well, well, well, young Harrikins," said the one on the left.
"Imagine our surprise," said the one on the right.
"When we decided to have a look on the school."
"To discover, to our horror."
"That you were not alone in your room."
"But with a Slytherin first year girl no less," they said as one, their eyes glancing at Daphne who had stepped up from her seat and was now looking somewhat ashamed of being there. In the back of her mind however she did bury the fact that she had been notified that she was with Harry alone. As much as she would have wished they knew was due to wards, her own knowledge of wards may very well have allowed them to know that there was someone else in here. But for them to specify her down to being one of the four first year Slytherin girls, including herself, Pansy, Millicent and Tracy was more than impressive. It was terrifying.
How had they known that someone else was in this room in the first place? How had they limited it down to such a group? Could they have really tracked the person down in Harry's room even further? Did they know that she was here specifically and opted not to say so? She was scared and it took all of her teachings in order to not show it. Or at least she hoped it wasn't showing.
"George, how's your chess game going?" Harry asked of the Weasley twins, waiting for one of the two to answer. He knew that under normal circumstances both would repeat in their twin thing that they normally did. Yet they knew that this was something specific and consequently George changed his pose and gazed at Harry.
"It's been improving. Why?" he asked.
"Good, go get your ass handed to you by Daphne," said Harry. George, seeing it as a challenge, stepped forward to tackle the first year student in the game he had been building up for for weeks.
"What's George's chances?" asked Fred as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
"I got smashed," declared Harry. "George is going to lose and in doing so, I think we found someone else to go down the rabbit hole with us." Anybody else may have been confused at the statement, but at one time, a miracle as it may have been, Harry had been able to watch the classic animated film, Alice in Wonderland. He had wanted to communicate as often as he could with the Weasley twins without drawing attention and as such had opted to use the 'Rabbit Hole' quote for when they were talking about what the Cerberus on the third floor was guarding. It seemed somewhat appropriate.
"But with Daphne Greengrass? Can we trust her?" asked Fred as the game in the middle of the room began.
"Maybe," said Harry honestly. "We've got time before we go downstairs. I reckon I can convince her by then."
"When do you want to go down?"
"March."
Fred seemed to connect the dots and merely nodded in understanding. "Anybody else coming down the rabbit hole with us?"
"Hermione and Neville."
"Gotcha," said Fred before moving over to witness what Harry assumed was his brother getting his but whooped. Looking at the board thus far, the first year Gryffindor student may very well have been right.
Harry meanwhile turned to look at the blazing fire as his mind went about wondering how best to get Daphne to join them in their quest. Technically she had taken his king and rightfully deserved the answer to one more question but that wouldn't be enough. He needed to give her something big in exchange for her skill and the sooner the better.
What he could give however was the question. 'Hey, we're going to violate the rules of the castle and could possibly get expelled in the process, you in?' Yea, he was going to need to offer something really big here.
...
Two games passed and as George breathed a sigh of relief at the game being over and his humiliation done and dusted, the twins left with winks and sly remarks leaving just Harry and Daphne alone once more. The Slytherin girl fiddled with her garments momentarily having not been expecting the company that had barged into what she would loosely describe as a date.
"I know you've got one question left," said Harry. "Instead however, I want to show you something."
"Show me something?" Daphne repeated.
"How about I take you to where I killed the troll and walk you through what I did step by step?"
Now this was an offer Daphne couldn't refuse.
...
"How was it?" asked Tracy, the two girls sitting in the Slytherin common room and the Davis heiress already keen to get the gossip.
"It was awkward at first," declared Daphne. "It was like he didn't really know how to interact with me but I think that may very well been because..." Daphne found herself unable to relay the sensitive information that she had heard from Harry in the common room. She didn't know if she'd be able to ever tell it to anyone, the thought alone made her sick.
"Because?" repeated Tracy, clearly wanting to know what Daphne was going to say.
"It's nothing," said Daphne but Tracy knew her friend better than that but merely opted not to push further. Yet.
"Alright then, so when are you meeting Harry again?"
"Sunday," answered Daphne before standing up. "C'mon, I'll tell you more in the bedroom."
Tracy nodded and followed her friend, neither of them noticing that the back end of their conversation had been overheard by one Gregory Goyle. The member of Slytherin may not have been the brightest individual in the world, but he knew well enough that this was something Draco would probably want to know about.
...
Hope you enjoyed. See ya in the New Year.