The Fight
Classes the next day were hard to take. Harry couldn't think of anything but Anya. The fact that she was Snape's daughter just made Harry like her more. He remembered her eyes and the shape of her cheek. He lived to see her again, but the only time that he saw her that day was in Potions. Obviously, he couldn't talk to her there. He was having enough trouble trying to help Draco pass the class on his own.
"What's the next ingredient?" Draco whispered to Harry. Harry looked down at his own potion. The Unbreakable Potion, which was supposed to be a deep brown, was instead a filmy green. Harry shook his head and tried to fix his own mistake. Anya leaned over and sprinkled a powder into Harry's cauldron. The orange turned brown.
"What was that?" he asked her quietly.
"Powered heart of a falcon. You forgot to add it in," she explained.
"Miss Vincent," Snape hissed from the front of the class, "I need to talk to you now." Defiance burning in her eyes, she stood up and walked up to the professor. Harry couldn't help noticing that the flush in her cheeks when she was angry made her look beautiful. He couldn't hear what was being said, so he tried to help the struggling Draco beside him. Draco had put in bat's blood instead of fox blood and it ruined the potion. Luckily, Draco still had half the class left to start over again. With Harry's help.
Anya sat back down again ten minutes later. Her eyes threatened tears.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked softly. She shook her head and returned to her potion. Harry shrugged and turned just in time to stop Draco from blowing up his potion with the root of a grubby-looking plant.
Harry caught up with Anya after class. She had calmed down enough to talk to Harry.
"My aunt is sick. Very sick. Even the wizard doctors can't do anything for her. I'm going to move all my things from her house to my father's house this Christmas. I'll probably have to live with him from now on," she explained, barely held back tears trying to burst through again.
"What do they think is wrong?" Harry asked, concerned.
"It was a magical attack. They think it's you-know-who trying to get back at my dad, so they attack his daughter. He's hurt me again," she said, looking away.
"But Anya," Harry protested, "Your dad didn't know that you were going to be affected the way you were. At least you can give him a chance. I gave my dad a chance, even though I knew the things he did were very, very wrong." Anya looked back at Harry, her eyes blazing.
"You don't know my dad, Harry. He was never there for my first steps, my first loose tooth, my first ride on a broomstick or any of the other things dads are supposed to be there for. He missed my first word Harry. And do you know what that was?" she cried softly.
"No."
"It was 'Daddy,' Harry. My first word was 'Daddy' because my mum always loved him more than she should have. She wanted him to have that honor. And he was too busy recruiting for you-know-who." Harry stopped in the middle of the hallway.
"My father missed my first day of school, my first fight, my first day of Hogwarts, my first broomstick ride, my first Quidditch game, my first game as Captain. But I'll never have the chance to get that all back. At least you have the chance to have your father back. At least he's going to try to be the father that he never was. All I have is a good substitute." The two youths tried to stare each other down, their wills flashing. It was Harry who backed down. "I don't want to fight with you, Anya. I just though that you were strong enough to try." He turned and left the stunned Anya in her tracks. He went to the common room and found Draco reading a book. Crabbe and Goyle sat on the couch next to the fire, doing what they do best. Eating. Draco turned when Harry entered and saw the look on his face.
"What happened, Harry?"
"Nothing, Draco. Just had a fight with Anya," Harry explained, plopping on the chair next to him.
"Well, don't let dad see you like that. The Quidditch match is tomorrow and he doesn't want to think that we might lose."
"Actually," a voice behind them cooed, "Quidditch is canceled." Harry turned around and saw Lucius standing there.
"Why?" Harry asked, alarmed.
"There have been so many attacks because of the release of you-know- who. The git who runs this school is finally worried. It will be canceled until he is caught. There are too many people at the match and too little supervision. The new rule says that every two students must have a chaperone at all times. That's why I'm here."
"What about Hogsmeade, Father?" Harry asked.
"As long as every two people have a chaperone. Now, Harry, I think Draco needs help with his Potions homework. Snape has informed me that you are barely passing, son. Harry, you're doing fine," Lucius reported and meandered over to Snape.
Classes the next day were hard to take. Harry couldn't think of anything but Anya. The fact that she was Snape's daughter just made Harry like her more. He remembered her eyes and the shape of her cheek. He lived to see her again, but the only time that he saw her that day was in Potions. Obviously, he couldn't talk to her there. He was having enough trouble trying to help Draco pass the class on his own.
"What's the next ingredient?" Draco whispered to Harry. Harry looked down at his own potion. The Unbreakable Potion, which was supposed to be a deep brown, was instead a filmy green. Harry shook his head and tried to fix his own mistake. Anya leaned over and sprinkled a powder into Harry's cauldron. The orange turned brown.
"What was that?" he asked her quietly.
"Powered heart of a falcon. You forgot to add it in," she explained.
"Miss Vincent," Snape hissed from the front of the class, "I need to talk to you now." Defiance burning in her eyes, she stood up and walked up to the professor. Harry couldn't help noticing that the flush in her cheeks when she was angry made her look beautiful. He couldn't hear what was being said, so he tried to help the struggling Draco beside him. Draco had put in bat's blood instead of fox blood and it ruined the potion. Luckily, Draco still had half the class left to start over again. With Harry's help.
Anya sat back down again ten minutes later. Her eyes threatened tears.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked softly. She shook her head and returned to her potion. Harry shrugged and turned just in time to stop Draco from blowing up his potion with the root of a grubby-looking plant.
Harry caught up with Anya after class. She had calmed down enough to talk to Harry.
"My aunt is sick. Very sick. Even the wizard doctors can't do anything for her. I'm going to move all my things from her house to my father's house this Christmas. I'll probably have to live with him from now on," she explained, barely held back tears trying to burst through again.
"What do they think is wrong?" Harry asked, concerned.
"It was a magical attack. They think it's you-know-who trying to get back at my dad, so they attack his daughter. He's hurt me again," she said, looking away.
"But Anya," Harry protested, "Your dad didn't know that you were going to be affected the way you were. At least you can give him a chance. I gave my dad a chance, even though I knew the things he did were very, very wrong." Anya looked back at Harry, her eyes blazing.
"You don't know my dad, Harry. He was never there for my first steps, my first loose tooth, my first ride on a broomstick or any of the other things dads are supposed to be there for. He missed my first word Harry. And do you know what that was?" she cried softly.
"No."
"It was 'Daddy,' Harry. My first word was 'Daddy' because my mum always loved him more than she should have. She wanted him to have that honor. And he was too busy recruiting for you-know-who." Harry stopped in the middle of the hallway.
"My father missed my first day of school, my first fight, my first day of Hogwarts, my first broomstick ride, my first Quidditch game, my first game as Captain. But I'll never have the chance to get that all back. At least you have the chance to have your father back. At least he's going to try to be the father that he never was. All I have is a good substitute." The two youths tried to stare each other down, their wills flashing. It was Harry who backed down. "I don't want to fight with you, Anya. I just though that you were strong enough to try." He turned and left the stunned Anya in her tracks. He went to the common room and found Draco reading a book. Crabbe and Goyle sat on the couch next to the fire, doing what they do best. Eating. Draco turned when Harry entered and saw the look on his face.
"What happened, Harry?"
"Nothing, Draco. Just had a fight with Anya," Harry explained, plopping on the chair next to him.
"Well, don't let dad see you like that. The Quidditch match is tomorrow and he doesn't want to think that we might lose."
"Actually," a voice behind them cooed, "Quidditch is canceled." Harry turned around and saw Lucius standing there.
"Why?" Harry asked, alarmed.
"There have been so many attacks because of the release of you-know- who. The git who runs this school is finally worried. It will be canceled until he is caught. There are too many people at the match and too little supervision. The new rule says that every two students must have a chaperone at all times. That's why I'm here."
"What about Hogsmeade, Father?" Harry asked.
"As long as every two people have a chaperone. Now, Harry, I think Draco needs help with his Potions homework. Snape has informed me that you are barely passing, son. Harry, you're doing fine," Lucius reported and meandered over to Snape.
