Chapter Six: Christmas Miracle

Over the next few days and even weeks, none of them got even a single step closer to finding out who Flamel was. Daphne, though, had a bit of a different mission for herself. She'd taken to observing Snape whenever she could, during mealtimes and classes, to see if he did anything suspicious.

Other than tearing into the Gryffindors — especially Harry — even more than before, though, he didn't seem all that different. Harry, for his part, seemed to weather the storm with a new kind of resigned determination, after the revelations they'd heard at Hagrid's place.

She'd seen him and Ron have a couple of discussions about it, but it was clear that Ron just didn't understand. Fortunately, Ron seemed to realize that as well, and after a few times he'd simply let it be.

Daphne wished she could do something for Harry, but she didn't really know what. She knew, more or less, how Harry felt. While she hadn't ever been bullied herself, she knew that in Noble House politics, people bullied each other in different ways.

She'd hated that idea from the moment her parents had told her about it, and as she got older her distaste of the practice had only increased. In her eyes, it was only worth sabotaging someone if you could truly, measurably make things better by doing so, even if it was only for your own family.

But what Snape, and many other people, did was just stupid. They weren't working towards a goal, or even lifting themselves up. They were just tearing others down, sowing hate and anger for their own sake.

She still didn't believe that Snape had truly tried to kill Harry. Appearances could be deceiving, after all. But she had no proof, and the thought of asking Snape himself about it was just laughable.

To top off her frustrations, Malfoy had become even more unbearable after Slytherin's loss. To her great relief, he apparently hadn't seen her leaving the pitch with Harry and the others, but he kept complaining about Harry's catch to anyone who would listen, which really came down to only Marcus Flint, Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinson.

As Christmas approached, though, and the weather became colder and colder, Malfoy switched tactics, and began belittling anyone who would stay in Hogwarts for the holidays because 'they were not wanted at home'.

She wanted to tell him that he was an idiot, and that only the Slytherin common room was in the freezing dungeons, but she decided against it. She had, however, decided that she'd stay over the holidays as well. If she went home, she'd just be hanging around the mansion, after all, while by staying she might find out interesting things about either Snape or Flamel; a much more useful way to spend her time, in her opinion.

Once the holidays started, however, she wasn't keen on beginning her search immediately. She had the entire dorm to herself, since all her classmates had gone home, and the common room itself was much emptier than it usually was, meaning she could take the best seats near the fireplace whenever she wanted.

The absence of her classmates also had another positive side-effect. "I thought you couldn't be seen with us?" Ron asked when Daphne sat down next to him and Harry for breakfast on the first morning of the holidays.

"My classmates are all gone, so it doesn't matter," she said, loading up her plate.

"Aren't there still some Slytherins here, though?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but the only ones that matter are those in my own year. It's kind of an unwritten rule that, unless you're deliberately drawing attention, you only pay attention to your direct peers, and not the people either above or below you — in school, meaning you only keep tabs on your own classmates, and not everyone else, and that goes the other way as well."

"I don't think I'll ever get those rules," Ron said with a shake of his head. "Why'd you decide to stay, anyway?"

Daphne shrugged. "Gives me time to hang out with you without constantly looking over my shoulder. Besides, I was hoping we might be able to find something about Flamel while we're here."

Harry shook his head. "We've been scouring the library ever since we spoke to Hagrid, but we found nothing. I don't think we'll get through all those books during the holidays."

"Not with that attitude," Daphne admonished him playfully.

Harry grinned at her. "I didn't say we wouldn't try, did I? Just…give us a rest, at least until Christmas."

"That just sounds like 'I'm lazy' to me, but fine, have it your way," Daphne said.

She got up and stretched. "I'm going to see if I can find something, anyway. By the way, does either of you play wizard chess at all? I thought maybe we could have a few games here after dinner. I mean, it's not like we can go to each other's common rooms, after all."

Ron nodded enthusiastically. "I wanted to teach Harry, anyway. Are you good?" he asked.

Daphne shrugged. "I'm not bad, I think. My pieces trust me, at least…usually."

"Your pieces…trust you?" Harry asked blankly.

Daphne giggled at his clueless expression. "I'll at least beat you then, by the sound of it."

That evening, the three of them played wizard chess in the Great Hall after dinner. First, Daphne played against Ron to show Harry how the game worked, and how you commanded the pieces and pawns to move. If the pieces had a good rapport with the player, they were quick to obey, and they would give their commander subtle hints, conveyed through minor movements and gestures that an outsider wouldn't understand, in order to increase their chance for victory.

Ron's pieces, which had belonged to his grandfather, knew him very well and trusted him completely, which meant it took them very little time to dismantle Daphne's defense and beat her.

"Not bad," she said appreciatively.

She gestured at Harry. "Do you want to try it?" she asked.

"Er, sure. Seamus lent me his set," Harry said nervously.

He took a seat opposite Daphne and set down the pieces, who looked resigned before the game had even started. Their dejected look gave Daphne's own pieces renewed vigor, and they stood up a little straighter.

The game was a massacre. Harry's pieces didn't trust him one bit and often simply refused to listen to him. Making matters worse for Harry was that Ron would inevitably groan when Harry had finally browbeaten his pieces into listening to him. It ended up being one the most fun games of wizard chess Daphne had ever played.

When Ron played against Harry next, he obliterated him in only a few moves, causing Harry's pieces to angrily declare they were done for the day unless a competent player picked them up.

When Daphne lay in her bed that night, she was still smiling. She'd never had friends like these before, and the thought that she'd have to pretend to be distant from them again when the holidays were over irritated her more than it should. Why did she have to be part of a Noble House? All it seemed to be good for was being forced to keep her distance from people.

It was quite amazing to her how, in only a few months, she'd gone from intending to fade into the background and remaining entirely neutral, like her family dictated, to wishing she could just openly declare herself as a friend to the Gryffindors.

Well, she thought ruefully, that's a problem for later. I can at least enjoy the holidays here. Maybe I should get them some presents…

With that thought still in her mind, she fell asleep.

When Daphne woke up on Christmas morning, she was surprised at the gift her parents had sent her. It was book titled The Usefulness of Strong Alliances in Wizarding Society. An odd gift from a family so keen on remaining neutral, but it would probably a fairly interesting read.

Just as interesting would be the book she got from Hermione. It was a book called Important Inventions from the Twentieth Century, which listed all kinds of advancements Muggles had made over the past century. Judging by the book's heft, they'd been quite busy.

She hoped that Hermione would enjoy her gift, a book detailing the intricacies of pureblood society through the centuries, as well.

She got up and made her way over to the Great Hall, where Harry and Ron were already eating breakfast. "Merry Christmas," she said when she sat down next to them, which they both echoed through stuffed faces.

"Thanks for the chess pieces," Harry said. "I, er, I'm sorry I didn't get you anything. I didn't really know..."

Daphne waved him away. "Don't worry about it," she said. "I didn't expect anything. I know boys don't really think things through anyway, let alone Gryffindor boys, but I'll be expecting something for my birthday. May the Second, write it down."

"Hey, I can think things through," Ron protested. "If I couldn't, how did I beat you in wizard chess these past evenings?"

He grinned. "And with the book you gave me on opening theory, I'll only get better, so thanks for that."

Daphne grinned back at him. "You're welcome. So what else did you two get, aside from, I presume, those sweaters? Nice color, by the way, Harry."

Ron blushed when Daphne looked at the maroon sweater he was wearing, which clashed magnificently with his red hair and Harry, whose sweater was emerald green — practically Slytherin green — laughed.

"My Mum made them for us," Ron said. "I told her Harry wouldn't be expecting anything, so…"

"That's nice of her," Daphne said.

"Harry's other present was even better, though," Ron said.

Daphne gave Harry a questioning look and Harry beckoned her to lean in closer.

"Someone sent me an Invisibility Cloak," he whispered. "Apparently it used to be my father's."

"Wow. That's…those are really rare, aren't they? I've never seen one," Daphne said, and Ron chuckled.

When Daphne realized what she'd said, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up, you. You know what I meant."

She turned back to Harry. "Have you used it yet?"

He shook his head. "No, just tried it on briefly. Fred and George ambushed us and we headed downstairs not much later."

Daphne nodded slowly. "I see…well, such a thing does give you a lot of options…" she mused.

Then she stood up and clapped her hands. "Anyway, Harry, I have another present for you today," she said.

"You do?" he asked looking around to see if Daphne was carrying another package.

"Yep. You're going to talk to Snape," she said.

"I'm going to what?!" Harry shouted incredulously, causing a small group of Ravenclaws at another table to give them an annoyed look.

"Why would he talk to Snape?" Ron asked, looking at Daphne as if she'd lost her mind.

"Look, I've been thinking about it a lot," Daphne said. "You feel bad about your father bullying Snape, right? And Snape hates you because he hated your father, right? Well, then we're just going to talk to him about that and set it straight."

Harry shook his head. "Daphne, I'm having the best Christmas of my life. Why would I ruin that by trying to talk to a man who tried to kill me a few weeks ago?"

"Because I don't think he was trying to kill you," Daphne said.

"You saw him too," Ron said. "What else could he have been doing?"

"I don't know, but it just makes no sense for him to try and kill you like that. He has you in his classroom every week and he teaches Potions. There are easier ways for him to get rid of you. Besides, whatever else you might say of Snape, he's smart. He wouldn't do something dumb like this. There has to be a better explanation."

"Begging your pardon, but I still don't want to talk to him," Harry said. "You're right, I do feel bad about what my father did to him, but I don't see how me talking to him is going to change that."

"Because he sees you as your father, that's why," Daphne said. "If you show him, really show him, that you're not the same person…"

"That only works in children's stories," Ron said.

"I told Harry and Hermione to talk to each other before Halloween when you were ignoring each other, and guess who are friends now?" Daphne asked smugly.

"That was…you know what? Fine. Let's do it. Let's talk to Snape," Harry said.

"Mate, are you sure about this? Think for a second, here. He tried. To kill you," Ron said.

Harry gave a frustrated sigh. "I know, but Daphne's right, too. If I don't…make amends, or something…for what my father did it's going to keep eating at me. I want to believe he was a good person and that he stopped bullying when he got older, but…Look, I don't care if Snape likes me. Truth is, I don't think I'll ever like him, either. But I at least want us to dislike each other properly, and I don't care how stupid that sounds."

"Besides, I'll be there as well, so I don't think he'll try to murder Harry on the spot," Daphne said. "But if we're not back by this afternoon, you should probably warn Professor McGonagall just in case."

Harry groaned. "Why did I let you talk me into this…?"

As Daphne and Harry made their way to Snape's office in the dungeons, Daphne went over her plan again. She had thought this through, and though she'd been pretty blasé about the whole thing to Harry and Ron, she was nervous all the same. Still, she was convinced that they were doing the right thing.

She was well aware that Snape would probably never be a pleasant person, but she knew that Harry would continue to chafe under both the knowledge they'd learned from Hagrid and the constant abuse from Snape during classes, and that had to stop, one way or another, before things got worse.

And what she'd told them earlier was true, she really didn't think Snape had been trying to kill Harry, even though she wasn't sure what he had been doing.

He won't do anything to Harry while I'm there, she told herself.

What, exactly, a first-year student would do against a teacher who decided that violence was the answer, she didn't know, and she did her best to push that possibility as far back in her mind as she could.

They reached the door to Snape's office and exchanged a look. "You ready?" she softly asked Harry.

"As I'll ever be," he replied glumly.

"That's the spirit."

Without giving either of them any more time to hesitate, Daphne firmly knocked on the office door.

"Enter," Snape's voice said from the other side.

Daphne pushed open the door and she and Harry stepped through into the gloom. Shelves lined the walls, each filled with glass jars with twisted, revolting things.

When Snape saw who'd entered his office, his already sour expression became even darker.

"Potter," he said, and even Daphne shivered at how much loathing he managed to put into those two syllables.

Snape turned to Daphne. "What is the meaning of this, Miss Greengrass?" he asked stonily.

"Well, sir, we were at Hagrid's cabin after the Quidditch match and…well, Harry has some things he wants to tell you, sir," Daphne said.

Snape switched his glare back to Harry. "Speak, then, Potter, but make it quick," Snape said.

Harry took a deep breath to steady himself, and then he began to speak. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry for how my father treated you, sir," he said. "I…I know what it's like to be bullied. It's the worst feeling in the world, and I hate the thought that my father was a bully as well. Everyone always says I look just like him, so I can imagine why you don't like me."

His expression became a bit fiercer, and he looked Snape straight in his eyes. "But sir, I am not my father. I'm me. I know you don't like Gryffindors. I can't help that. But at least don't hate me because you hated my father. Whatever else you are, sir, don't be that kind of person."

He fell silent. Snape held his gaze for a few moments longer, then said, "Was that it, Potter?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, sir."

"I see."

There was a long pause. Daphne was clenching and unclenching her fists, unable to stand still in the tense atmosphere of the shadowy office.

"Thank you, Potter," Snape said eventually. He sounded like it cost him physical difficulty to say it, but nevertheless Daphne let her breath, which she hadn't even noticed she'd been holding, slowly escape through her teeth.

"You may go. Miss Greengrass, a word, if you please?" Snape went on.

Harry gave Daphne an uncertain look, and then turned around and left the office.

"I take it this was your idea, given that you have been helping Potter all year in one way or another?" Snape asked.

Daphne nodded. "Yes sir. I…don't like bullies, sir."

She feared he might reprimand her for the implied accusation, but he let it slide.

"The initiative is worthy of praise, Miss Greengrass," he said, without really looking at her. Instead, his gaze remained fixed on the door Harry had just left through. "Yet there are wounds too deep to ever heal with a simple apology. Some wrongs cannot be made right, no matter how much one tries to atone for them."

"I know, sir," Daphne said.

To her surprise, Snape shook his head. "No, Miss Greengrass, you don't. And for your sake, I hope it will remain that way. Nevertheless, I appreciate the attempt. A point to Slytherin and…"

He hesitated for a moment. "…a point to Gryffindor."

Daphne almost expected him to shiver with disgust at that last part.

"Do not expect things to change much, Miss Greengrass," Snape went on. "It isn't in my nature, I'm afraid."

Daphne nodded. "Thank you for listening, in any case, sir," she said.

Snape inclined his head, and Daphne took that as her cue to leave the office.

Harry was waiting for her in the hallway, some distance away from the door. Had he taken his distance deliberately so as not to overhear? What a chivalrous and Gryffindor thing to do. If Snape had sent her outside earlier, her ear would have been glued to the door to pick up what was being said.

"How'd it go?" Harry asked.

"He says that he appreciates the attempt, but that some things cannot be fixed, and that it's not likely that much will change," Daphne summarized. "He did give us both a point, though, so I suppose I wasn't lying about another Christmas present after all."

She grinned, and Harry grinned back, albeit a bit hesitantly.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as they began to walk back to the Great Hall.

"Better, actually, but also confused," Harry said.

"Why confused?"

Harry shook his head. "Well, d'you know, I'm beginning to see your point a bit, I think. I don't think Snape's the one who tried to kill me, and I don't think he's the one trying to steal whatever Fluffy is guarding, either."

"How do you figure that?"

"The first time I looked into Snape's eyes, our first night at Hogwarts, my scar hurt. It's one of the reasons I didn't trust him from the start. But just now, when I looked into his eyes for a longer period of time…I felt nothing. Not even a vague discomfort, other than the nerves of staring down Snape."

Daphne gave him a puzzled look. "Does you scar hurt more often?" she asked.

Harry shook his head. "Not usually. Sometimes I have…nightmares, I guess, about the night my parents died. I'll hear this high, cold laugh, see a flash of green light, and wake up with my scar hurting a bit. It doesn't usually happen when I'm awake, that's why it was so odd when it happened on the night we got Sorted."

"And because it didn't happen now, you no longer think he tried to kill you, or steal whatever is beneath that trapdoor?" Daphne asked skeptically.

"Well, that, and the fact that this is probably the first time I've ever really spoken to him," Harry said.

He shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I still don't like him, and I'm pretty sure he still doesn't like me, either. I still think he's going to be horrible to all the Gryffindors in Potion classes and favor Malfoy to ridiculous degrees and all that stuff. I just…don't think he's the person we're looking for anymore."

Daphne laughed. "Good. Then now all we need to do is convince Ron and then re-convince Hermione when she gets back, and we'll be good to go," she said.

Harry laughed as well. "For now, we'd better make sure Ron hasn't given us up for dead yet. And who knows, maybe after he's beaten us both at wizard chess a couple of times, he'll be willing to listen…"

Given the nature of this chapter, I just want to make some pre-emptive clarifications. Snape will not become a stereotypical good guy now. He will remain a dick. I tried to make that as clear as possible in the chapter itself, but I don't want there to be any misunderstandings about this. He's still going to be antagonistic throughout a lot of the story, as he was in canon, but the events of this chapter will become important down the line. For now, please let me know what you think, and until next time!