"So, I hear you have an interesting dilemma," the Hat told McGonagall as she settled down to some well-deserved reading in the Headmaster's Office.

She looked up over her spectacles at the Hat, sternly. "There is no dilemma," she told it. "And I believe you have exhausted your allotted word count."

"For the year?" the Hat enquired.

"For the century," she snapped in return. This battered relic had been particularly annoying – and persistent – this year, from its horrific Sorting Song to the revelations of its various Missorts over the generations.

The Hat ignored her warning tone. "Students crossing to other tables? Tsk tsk. You would almost think that they don't need to be separated into Houses at all. So what are you going to do about it? Forbid them? Make a pretty speech and tell them to stick to their own tables?"

"No," McGonagall said bluntly. "Frankly, I don't see the use in it, or the need."

"And what if it were to happen more and more?" the Hat asked. "What then?"

"Then it happens more and more," McGonagall responded drily. "Do not mistake this as some sort of victory on your part, Hat. The four Houses were never meant to be locked in enmity. Even Gryffindorians and Slytherins used to intermingle regularly. Most classes are still taught jointly. That's the way it is supposed to work."

"Mm Hm," the Hat murmured, and fell silent. After several minutes, McGonagall glanced up at it suspiciously, but it remained as still and quiet as if it was inanimate.

"I'm not doing it," Drucy told Daniel firmly. "I'm not bringing her to Hagrid."

"He knows what he's doing. He can help!" Daniel replied.

"I'm not even supposed to-"

"Oh, come on, Drucy! Hagrid has been sneaking 'round shady creatures all his life! He's not going to turn you in, and he's not going to give you trouble."

"But she's a…" Drucy lowered her voice worriedly. The two stood in the courtyard, a crisp breeze ruffling his hair, her hood raised for protection against the cold. "She's a snake, Daniel. And I'm a Slytherin. Hagrid doesn't like Slytherins."

"He likes you," Daniel pointed out. "It'll be alright. You know Jade's getting paler every day. If you don't do something, your snake might die anyways."

Drucy shook her head, but her resolve was beginning to waver. Jade had started worsening in appearance several days ago, growing pale and acting lethargic. The snake was resting in her usual spot, hidden beneath Drucy's robe, along her shoulder. "Class is starting soon," Drucy told Daniel. "We'll talk about it later… okay?"

"Sure, Drucy." Daniel knew by now when not to push, and Drucy was particularly tense today. "What have you got?"

"What do you think?" Drucy grumbled. "Double Charms, the period before lunch and the period after. I don't think Professor Flitwick likes me at all."

Daniel shook his head. "Flitwick doesn't dislike people, and he's used to backfiring charms in his class. I know you don't like the class, but trust me, it's not mutual."

Drucy wasn't entirely convinced. Flitwick had taken to ducking pre-emptively whenever she tried a charm, and she had not yet, several months in, managed to perform a single one correctly. Her wand seemed to have a perverse desire to avoid charmwork. Under Professor Krum's stern but encouraging tutelage, her Transfiguration work was progressing nicely. She had become a star pupil in Potions. Her other coursework was basically average. Charms was the one grade she was certain she was failing, and each class weighed heavily on her. Today was no exception. Rowena was happily dribbling bubbles out of her wand by the end of class, but Drucy's best effort somehow backfired and gave her a bad case of hiccups that took Flitwick ten minutes to untangle and remove. To make things worse, as she followed her class out of the room, they had temporarily mixed with the Gryffindors heading down from Defense Against Dark Arts, and Matt Briar tripped her. "Curse him!" Rowena whispered to her as she struggled to her feet, but her wand had started trembling in an echo of her fury and shooting out green and gold sparks. She didn't dare use it for anything in that state, especially curses.

As she saw the main hall looming ahead, she felt as if she could not imagine eating before going back to that horrible class. Telling Rowena a partial truth – that she was tired and would join them later – Drucy diverted and wandered back to the Slytherin dungeon. "Oh, just let me in already," she told the door, and it politely opened for her. She bee-lined for her favorite chair, dropping her bag on the way, and rested her head in her hands. Jade slithered out just far enough to give her a sympathetic look, and the state of the pale, weary-looking snake just made Drucy feel worse. She felt hot tears forming in her eyes.

"It is lunchtime, you know," drawled Snape from his portrait above the table where she was resting her elbows. Drucy startled, then lifted her head. There was a moment of silence, and Snape said, "Oh."

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Drucy admitted. "I can't face another one of those classes. I can't do it. I'm just not capable of charms. Jade is sick and I can't do anything to help her. I think she's going to die." The next words burst out passionately, as the tears escaped and started running down her face. "And I hate that Matt Briar. I hate him! He's always tripping me up, or embarrassing me, saying cutting little things about Slytherin, and there's nothing I can do about it, nothing at all!"

Snape remained silent during her outburst. She didn't even know why she was telling him these things. His sardonic wit had intimidated her from the start of their tutoring sessions, and she didn't expect any sympathy from him. To her surprise, when he spoke, he sounded almost kind. In a way, it was scarier than the sarcasm. "Can't you stand up to him? I've heard the spells you weave into your door lock. Use one of them. You might have trouble with charms, but I refuse to believe that a basilisk wand can't curse."

"I'm afraid of hurting him," Drucy admitted tearfully. "I know I can. I know the wand wants to. But I don't want to hurt him… too badly."

"Child," Snape responded wryly, "if you don't want to hurt him too badly, you don't hate him." He sighed deeply. "Take your pet snake to Hagrid. He has been teaching Care of Magical Creatures for more years than you have been alive. Surely he knows more about its care than you do."

"Will he… get me in trouble for it?" Drucy asked hesitantly, wiping her tears on her sleeve.

"Handkerchief. Use your handkerchief," Snape scolded gently. "Hagrid was raising acromantulas at your age, silly girl. Did you really think he was going to turn you in for a simple greensnake?"

Drucy took a breath. "I can't go back to that Charms class. I don't want to go back. But if I don't…"

"You're Slytherin. It's time you understood what that meant. We are supposed to be teaching you how to bend the rules safely and to your advantage. Take the snake to Hagrid. As for Matt Briar, come close and listen carefully. Appreciate this, girl. I do not teach my spells to people as a rule."

"A rule you're bending today?" Drucy asked, leaning up towards the portrait.

"You're learning," was Snape's almost-amused response.