Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Daphne and Snape

"Potter! You're late!" Snape spat as Harry hurried through the door to Potions.

"Sorry Professor Snape. I was just…"

"Just thinking you could get away with being late your first day of class this year!"

"No, it's not that…I…"

"Five points from Gryffindor…and it will be ten if you don't take your seat quickly."

Harry did as Snape said and sat down next to Ron in the back of the class. He glanced around and noticed that Daphne was way up at the front of the class, sitting alone. Snape walked over to her. "Now then, Miss Affigo. What were you saying before we were so rudely interrupted?"

"Wait 'til you see this," Ron whispered to Harry, motioning to Daphne and Snape at the front of the room.

"Yes, Professor." Daphne's face lit up with a smile. "As I was saying, the memory potion is quite difficult to make because it calls for Jobberknoll feathers…and we all know how difficult they are to capture, let alone pluck. And the feathers should be handled delicately, or they might loose their potency."

"Excellent. Five points for Gryffindor." Harry gasped. He had never heard Snape give points to Gryffindor before. Snape crooked his mouth into what Harry reasoned must be a smile. "Miss Affigo, will you please demonstrate for us how to remove the wanted portions from the Jobberknoll feather."

"Certainly." She stood up and carefully picked up one tiny blue feather from Snape's desk. She then began blowing on it, causing tiny bits of dust to fill the air around it. The feather seemed to perk up at the loss of the dust. Daphne pinched a bit of it that was especially shiny and pulled it off. She placed the small feather scrap in a mixing bowl and continued removing the shiny bits until the feather was picked clean. The whole class watched in awe as she finished and Snape applauded her work.

"Tremendous. Perhaps you should consider becoming a Potions Master," Snape smiled again.

"No, I think one Potions expert at Hogwarts is enough." She laughed lightly and took her seat again. Every eye in the class was on her, but she didn't seem to notice.

"I don't believe it!" Harry whispered to Ron.

"I know. Snape smiling…at a Gryffindor? And he was like that from the moment she came into the dungeon," Ron said, awestruck.

The rest of the Potions class was spent trying to duplicate the process Daphne had demonstrated. It was difficult work since the feathers were so small. Harry had a hard time pulling off such tiny pieces, and he wasn't the only one. Half the class ruined several feathers trying to get it right. Snape, however, had gone back to being his mean and nasty self, commenting on everyone's "shoddy work," as he called, and continuing to praise Miss Affigo.

At the end of class, Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched with wonderment as Daphne helped Snape put away the unused feathers. They saw him whisper something to her and she giggled. What was going on? The three friends hurried up and left the dungeon, deciding that they would have to ask her about it later.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Gryffindors gathered in the Great Hall for what Harry was certain would become his favorite class, Duelling. It wasn't just the class that excited him, but the thought of getting to see Professor Lupin again was perfectly delightful. The class quieted down as the rather scruffy looking professor entered the Hall.

"Good afternoon, Gryffindors. Glad to see you all again." Harry, Ron, and Hermione smiled at each other. "Before we begin the lesson, there are some things that need to be discussed. I'm sure by now you have all heard about why I left the school a few years ago."

"Because you're a werewolf," Dean Thomas blurted.

"That's correct, Mr. Thomas. I am indeed. But Professor Snape will provide me with a special potion around the time of the full moon to calm my spirits. And, as I will only be seeing each house once a week, I will be able to take the time I need to recover. So, please put your worries to rest, and take your wands out."

Everyone did as they were told. Lupin spent some time teaching them how to aim properly. He had brought in some straw targets for practice, and soon, the students had them almost demolished. He demonstrated a few simple curses that wore off quickly and let the class practice on each other for a while.

"Now then, we will be advancing rather quickly with the duels. Today, your house was alone. But from now on, you will be matched up with one other house for practice. That is why I found it necessary to begin with aiming techniques. When we add more students to the group, you might hit the wrong target and mix your curse with someone else's and cause more damage than you intended. But for now, practice with those you already know and be sure to use the targets when you do. Class is dismissed."

The students all filed out, except for Hermione, Ron, and Harry, who stayed behind to chat with the Professor they hadn't seen for a long time.

"It's good to see you three again!" He ruffled Ron's and Harry's hair and patted Hermione on the shoulder. "How have you been?"

"Well, this last summer was a bit rough, but things are going well here so far…except for Snape." Ron said.

"And you, Harry?"

"Pretty good. Sirius gave me the Amulet you worked on." He pulled it out to show Lupin and he smiled at the sight of it.

"I'm glad to see that you're wearing it faithfully. And how are you, Hermione?"

"I'm fine, thank you. But you look a bit rumpled."

Lupin laughed at her honesty. "I had forgotten how out spoken you were! Yes, I am rumpled. But I'll get better as I go."

They chatted with him about their summers and Harry told him all about Mrs. Figg and how she was now the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. They spoke of Daphne and the strange Potions class they had just witnessed. Lupin assured them that even though he didn't care too much for Snape, that he still could be trusted and not to give Daphne a hard time of it.

After a while, Lupin looked at his watch and told them he had to meet with Dumbledore about his class schedule. They said their good byes and headed for the common room in Gryffindor Tower. Harry looked over his shoulder as Lupin walked away. This was going to be a good year, he decided.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself. In fact, I STILL don't believe it," Ron said later that evening, as he was playing chess with Harry.

"Believe what?" Ginny Weasley asked, approaching their table.

"Oh, just something that happened in Potions." Ron looked at her as if he expected her to go away now that she had an answer. "What d'you want?"

She smiled at them. "Nothing. Can't I just be here?"

"No, go sit with Hermione." Ron pointed to the other table where Hermione sat working on her Transfiguration assignment. Ginny scowled and huffed off in frustration as she did as her brother had said. Harry watched her as she sat down next to Hermione. Ginny gave a shrugging motion towards the boys. Hermione looked daggers at her and shook her head no. Harry looked back at the game and tried to concentrate, but found it very difficult.

"Hey, I meant to tell you. I bumped into Cho Chang. She said to say 'Hi'" Ron said, taking one of Harry's knights with his bishop.

"Cho?" Harry thought for a minute. He hadn't really thought about her for a while.

"Yeah, you know, the girl of your dreams," Ron drawled rather dramatically.

Moving a pawn, Harry said, "She's not the girl of my dreams, Ron."

"Oh really? Is there someone else now?" Ron teased.

"No, Ron, honestly…." Harry really didn't want to have this conversation. "I think…it's just…a little weird…you know, with Cedric and all."

Ron was quiet for a minute while he looked over the board. He began playing with the captured knight and said softly, "Sorry, Harry. I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't worry, Ron. I shouldn't have gone for an older woman," Harry tried to lighten the mood. "In fact, I think I should stick to girls my own age."

At that, Ginny stood up and stomped up the stairs. Harry, realizing what he had said, looked after her as she climbed the stairs to the girl's dormitory, wanting to tell her that he didn't mean it like that, but held his tongue.

"What's got her all in a fit?" Ron said, taking Harry's queen with his castle.

"I dunno."

They both turned their heads at the sound of the portrait hole opening up. Daphne entered with a wide grin on her face. "So, here's where you're all hiding. She bounced up to Harry and Ron. Hermione put her book down and stared at her. They all stared at her.

"What?" She glanced at them all. "What is it?"

"Oh…just that…well…when you said that you liked Snape, we didn't know that you LIKED Snape," Ron said, putting words to what all three of them had been thinking.

Daphne was gobsmacked. "Are you upset with me because I get along with Professor Snape?"

"Get along? Is that how you describe it?" asked Ron sardonically.

"Professor Snape is like an uncle to me. How would you like me to describe it?"

"Please, Daphne," Ron said holding up his hand to her, "Stop. I don't think it's possible for Snape to be related to anyone human."

She threw her arms up in frustration. "So that's it now? You hate me because I like him?"

"I never said I hated you…I just found it peculiar," countered Ron.

"Harry, do you feel the same way?" Daphne asked, turning to face Harry.

Harry did indeed feel the same way, but didn't want to upset Daphne even more. After all, she had been friendly to him. "Daphne, you keep saying that we don't know Snape the way you do. Well, you don't know him like we do. He has been simply awful."

Daphne straightened her back and said rather proudly, "Then I guess the only thing we can do is agree to disagree." And with a small jerk, she headed up the stairs to her room.

Ron leaned over the chessboard to Harry. "You know, Hermione's right. There's something fishy about that girl."

At her table, Hermione Granger sat up a bit taller and couldn't stop herself from grinning ear to ear. Ron had said that she was right!

****Many thanks to Lin-z for the beta reading!!!

**** Daphne Affigo is an Alphie creation. Harry Potter and all other characters are property of J.K.Rowling and Warner Brothers.