disclaimer: No...I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is a genius! also...while I do use the main characters of the Harry Potter stories, there are a few characters that belong to me, namely Thomas Crowe, Isabeaura and Katrina.

Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday! I am looking forward to the new year!!! Here are the next two chapters...enjoy!!!! And as always, feedback is always appreciated!

-boots26


Snowflakes danced across the grey sky as if it were a grand ballroom. Hogwarts felt unusually still as the students packed away their things for the winter holiday. Rumors of what had gone on at Black Lake only a week before had run wild throughout the school like a pack of starving wolves.

Did the "great" Harry Potter defeat the Lake Snake? Was Malfoy attacked by the monster? Did Neville faint? Was Hermione pure blooded after all? Was the Lake Snake the offspring of a Basilisk?

Everyone seemed to have a heard a different fantastical story and naturally had deduced equally absurd conclusions from them. Dumbledore had attempted to diffuse any rumors by "explaining" the incident at the end-of-term feast, but many of the students felt the story incomplete and were obliged to listen to an "eye-witness" account from none other than Pansy Parkinson, who gave a rather exaggerated version of the events, particularly when it came to Draco Malfoy's "heroic performance". In truth, both Draco and Hermione had been kept in the hospital wing for a few days after the unpleasant episode and Draco had in fact been sent home early. Hermione, though released from Madame Pomfrey's watch, was excused from the remainder of her classes. Oddly enough, she hadn't put up much of a fight over it and seemed so very unlike herself that she appeared quite withdrawn. Over the course of the week, Harry and Ron had barely seen the young witch at all and though they were each questioned furiously by the Headmaster, neither one had formally discussed the strange occurrence with anyone else; hardly mentioning it between themselves. Professor Snape had also interrogated the lot of them, bringing Lavender and Parvati to tears several times and leaving poor Neville with the worst nervous twitch imaginable. Several times Ginny Weasley had tried to visit Hermione but always found the door locked.

And now, as Hermione sat idly by her window- watching the snowflakes whirl and dive about the sky, she felt her only company was a single crow looming above, keeping a watch on the merciless winter.

"Headmaster- what can we do?" Minerva McGonagall stiffened in her chair a little and set her teacup down on the old wizard's desk with a resounding clink.

"Something must be done about the monster- we simply cannot-"

"It's Alright Minerva- I assure it is being taken care as we speak…"

Albus Dumbledore paced in his customary fashion, tapping his index finger upon his brow from time to time. He thought hard on what Severus had revealed to him and all the pieces to Hermione's puzzle weighed heavily on his mind; the postcard, Miss Katrina Malfoy's "suicide", the Lake Snake, Tom Riddle...

"It must have been absolutely maddening for Severus" he chuckled for the first time in a week. Minerva stared up at him with a most disapproving look.

"What do you mean?"

The Headmaster said nothing but the incessant twinkle had undoubtedly returned to his eyes. Minerva poured herself another cup of tea, and peered over the rims of her glasses.

"Albus…do you think Lucius will make the connection when he hears of what has happened at Black Lake?"

Dumbledore crossed the room to sit at his desk, looking unnaturally pensive.

"I cannot say for sure." At this moment, a series of crystal-like raindrops caught his attention on a wall at the corner of the room. He followed the glow with his eyes, tracing it to a corner window where a prism had been hung up near the curtain.

"What a remarkable thing light is"

"Headmaster?" Minerva cocked her head, observing the luminous reflections.

"Minerva, without this prism we might never see the full potential of this little bit of sunlight we've no doubt been blessed with on this otherwise gray wintry day. Without a prism to reflect it, only a single shaft of light would be plainly visible"

The wizard smiled warmly but his eyes reflected a singular apprehension.

Harry Potter closed his trunk with a heavy sigh and sat on top of it. This Christmas he was staying at the Burrow and it was to be the first holiday he had spent in a long time, not dwelling on the Dark Lord's next move or his own demise. While he was relieved to be spending the holidays within the warm walls of the Weasley home, his thoughts quickly turned to the little red head who had only a few weeks earlier revealed her love for him; Ginny Weasley. Harry had tried his hardest to speak with Ginny about their exchange in the common room but every time he approached her, she would scurry away in flustered embarrassment. The boy sighed again and tried to imagine how he would approach the subject with Ron. Surely, he would have to discuss it with him and he preferred to do it sooner rather than later.

"You all packed mate?"

"Just about" Harry leapt up from his trunk; already feeling a slight pang of guilt, and began packing together Hedwig's cage. "Did you manage to talk to Hermione?"

"Through the door!" Ron huffed in annoyance.

"And?"

"She says she wants to stay here"

"At Hogwarts?"

Ron nodded and closed his trunk with a firm thud. "Harry…do you think…you know…what they're all saying…bout Hermione…do you think it's true?"

"I don't know…what else could it mean?"

"It's just…hard to imagine- you know? Hermione as a pureblood…"

"It's not that surprising, Ron. You said so yourself- Hermione's far more powerful than the lot of those snotty purebloods in Slytherin"

"Yeah, that's true"

For a moment, both boys were too caught up in their memories of Black Lake to utter another word. They knew only one thing could have possibly been implied by the bizarre occurrence; Hermione Granger was a pureblood witch, plain and simple. But what of it? If Hermione was adopted by the Grangers, why should it seem so unbelievable a thing to consider that her true parents might be purebloods? And why had Dumbledore questioned them so frantically? It seemed fairly obvious to both boys that there was something ominous at work- something lingering over their friend that they desperately hoped they could decipher before she was consumed by it.

"Oy- you two comin' down? The carriages 'll be leavin' soon." Seamus Finnegan hollered up from the common room, snapping both young wizards back to the present moment.

"Yeah- we're coming"

As the boys dragged their suitcases towards the stairs, Neville Longbottom entered the dormitory, looking severely agitated.

"Bugger it all!"

Neither Ron nor Harry had ever known Neville to swear and so were quite shocked by his explicit entrance.

"Alright there Neville?"

"No- no, I'm not bloody alright Ron!"

"Calm down Neville"

"Calm down? How can I? How could she?!" Neville's face was blanched and surly as he stood by the window, his eyes fixed on the clouds assembling overhead. Harry approached the taller boy with some subtly and placed a hand on his shoulder. Neville turned to face him and swiftly sank to the floor.

"What's happened Neville?"

"It's Luna, Harry…she…she's going home you see…"

"So it's true? You really are dating Looney- er Luna Lovegood?!"

"Ron!" Harry sighed and ruffled his hand through his already messy hair "Go on Neville"

"Well, you see we had planned to stay here together- at Hogwarts- she…she wants to tell her father about…well, you know and I can't- she won't listen to me"

"About what?" Ron interjected.

"Nothing Ron…just…"

"The two of you better get a move on- the carriages are leaving any moment"

"But Neville…"

"I'm fine Harry. I just…I'm fine, really. Happy Christmas!" Neville forced a smile but his distress was all too apparent in his glassy eyes.

"Happy Christmas Neville. I'm staying at the Burrow- owl if you like" Harry gave him an encouraging smile and reluctantly made his way down the stairs.

"What the devil was that all about?"

"It's nothing Ron"

"For being 'nothing' he sure seemed upset."

As they approached the Thestral drawn carriages Harry suddenly stopped and glanced up at the castle.

"Do you think we ought to have tried harder to convince Hermione to come with us?"

"Are you mental? You know how stubborn she gets when she puts her mind to something. She threatened to hex me if I brought it up again. Besides- she can always owl us if she gets lonely- but I reckon with the entire library to herself there's not much chance of that happening."

Harry chuckled somewhat forcibly and climbed up onto the carriage, never breaking his eyes away from the castle as they disappeared into the distant winter fog.

The wind howled like a banshee around the grounds of Malfoy Manor and seemed to scratch at the window- begging to be let in. The hallways of the manor were quite still and as Draco Malfoy lay in his grand four poster bed, he shivered a little at the haunting sounds of the approaching tempest. Since he was a very small child, Draco had always been particularly sensitive to storms. His mother had always been a comfort to him during the winter season, warming him with her motherly embrace and hot cinnamon drinks. Once, when Draco was only five years old, he had been awoken by thunder in the middle of the night and gone sprinting down the hall to his parent's bedroom in hopes that his mother would soothe him. When he pushed the door open, he could just make out his mother sitting on the far end of the bed, cupping her face in the most agonizing way. Lucius Malfoy then approached his trembling son and rather viciously ordered him back to bed. When Draco had inquired after his mother and refused to return to his room, his father's cold gray eyes narrowed on him menacingly and he backed the tiny child against the wall, pressing his wand firmly into the boy's throat. At this, Narcissa had leaped on top of him, prying him away from Draco. Lucius threw the back of his hand to her face, slicing her cheek open with his large, pointed ring. It would not be the last time Draco would witness his father's cruelty. Even now, laying in his bed, listening the wind, he remembered that moment and tried his hardest to shake it from his mind. He wanted to be his father's pride; arrogant and entitled, a death eater, a skillful duelist…and yet, his mother's endless compassion for him seemed to threaten his resolve to do so. He gripped at his arm and suddenly wondered if he had made a horrible mistake.

"Draco?" Narcissa Malfoy's voice was soft as a soap bubble and she gently pushed the door to her son's room open. "Are you awake, dearest?"

Draco moved a little but made no sound.

"How are you feeling?" She sat down carefully on the edge of the bed and ran her slender fingers through his pale hair.

"Alright I guess"

Narcissa waved her hand across the room to light the lamps and softly shut the door. "Your father is most upset by the recent event" She paused for a moment as if she was considering her words very carefully.

"It just didn't make sense." Draco rolled over to face his mother. "Granger? A pureblood? It's a mistake…It…it must have been that necklace- it must have had some sort of charm upon it."

"Necklace? What necklace?"

"I didn't get a good look at it- I've seen Granger wear it before though…she's hardly ever without it"

"What does it look like?" Narcissa raised an eyebrow in interest.

"It's a curious thing- two snakes linked together- bit odd for a Gryffindor"

"Indeed…most odd" Her blue eyes were wide with intrigue and she seemed to be lost in some ghostly remembrance of the past. Draco immediately made notice of his mother's strange expression and coughed a little.

"Shall I fetch you some warm milk and cinnamon?"

Draco faintly smiled and for a moment was overcome with the desire to bury his head in her lap like he had done as a child but the lingering pain in his forearm seemed to hold him back and he could only wish as he watched her depart.

Hermione twirled a single curl around her finger as she rested her head against a mountain of pillows. Her thoughts were unfocused; one minute she was thinking about N.E.W.T.S. and the next she was tormenting herself with speculation as to her true father's identity. She had driven herself mad all week and hardly eaten a meal in days. Crookshanks leaped up to her bed with a fierce purr and nuzzled himself under her arm. Hermione tilted her head and smiled appreciatively at the fluffy little kneazle. The young witch felt so utterly pathetic, lying there, her face streaked with day old tears. It just wasn't like her to wallow in sadness when there was a task so obviously set before her.

"It won't do to lay about, Crooks"

The kneazle looked up her and let out an audible yawn.

"Well…if that's how you feel- I shall visit the library by myself!" She lifted the cat away from her and placed him gently on her wool blanket.

"But first- something to eat!"

Crookshanks raised his fat little head and made an inquiring miew.

"Oh- so now you're interested" She giggled and quickly used a scourgify spell to clean her face before heading downstairs to the Great Hall.

On her way, she was met by the sight of Neville in the common room, leaning over a book on rare aquatic vegetation.

"Neville? I thought you were going home to your gran?"

"Oh…I- uh…decided to stay behind. Why didn't you go home?"

"Oh…my…parents…they went away on a holiday abroad"

Neville closed his book and let his eyes wander the room. Hermione observed that he looked as though he'd been crying but said nothing of it.

"I'm heading down for dinner- will you join me?"

Neville considered her offer and timidly nodded in agreement.

"I'm absolutely famished!" Neville stood and stuck out his arm to Hermione in an over-exaggerated manner. "Milady?"

"Oh my! What a gentleman!"

The two laughed as if it were the first time they had laughed in years but after a minute Hermione's face became deeply serious.

"Luna is very lucky to have you Neville."

The lanky young man looked into Hermione's face as if he was searching it for some sort of hidden passageway.

"I…I didn't think you knew"

"It's a bit obvious" she laughed.

"Is it?" His face suddenly grew deathly pale.

"Goodness Neville- are you alright?"

"Oh…yes…yes, I'm fine…shall we?" Neville stuck out his arm once again and Hermione latched onto it.

"We shall!"

In the Great Hall, the two students made their way to Gryffindor table. There were a few Ravenclaws and one or two Gryffindors seated, but the Slytherin table was all but deserted save one student; Thomas Crowe. Hermione stared down at her plate of ham and boiled spinach and immediately felt guilty that she wasn't at "home" with the Grangers, enjoying her "mother's" magnificent cooking. Nevertheless, she forced herself to eat and languidly scanned the room, chattering with Neville from time to time about various antiquarian artifacts of old world magic and inventive uses for nettle and other mundane plants.

Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall watched the two intently from the Head Table, but were very much engaged in their own conversation concerning the grades of none other than Mr. Thomas Crowe.

"Albus- he is so far behind in his Transfiguration assignments that I think any further extensions on them would be most unfair to the other students. He simply must improve or I will be forced to fail him! I cannot understand how a young lad who showed enough promise to be admitted from Raspin's Correctional to Hogwarts can show no initiative to succeed! Albus- the boy falls asleep in my class on a regular basis! It is absolutely beyond me how he could-"

"Sleep through your incessant lecturing?" A voice like molasses oozed over McGonagall's shoulders and she turned to find herself face to face with Professor Snape.

"Severus, my boy- how nice of you to join us for some dinner" Dumbledore beamed, raising his glass to the dark wizard, who responded only with something that was almost a smile as he took his seat.

"You seem in awfully high spirits" Professor Lupin noted.

"And why not Lupin- two weeks without those miserable imbeciles you call students is enough to make me sing Christmas carols".

His eyes suddenly snapped up from his plate when they caught sight of Hermione Granger, throwing her head back with a jovial laugh. Dumbledore grinned as he took a drink from his goblet, his eyes darting back and forth between Severus and the young witch.

"Indeed Severus- perhaps you will delight us all later this evening with a rendition of 'Greensleeves".

Hermione was so engrossed in her meal and discussion with Neville that she hadn't even noticed that her Professor had entered the Hall at all.

"Hermione- I had no idea how much you knew about seaweed!" A wide smile spread across Neville's face as he stuffed it full of extra lumpy potatoes. Hermione giggled and found that she really was enjoying being a little distracted from her "quest for truth".

"Neville- thank you!"

"For what?"

"For just being you…for being a friend"

Neville said nothing in response, just smiled and dove into another helping of honeyed ham.

At the Head Table, Severus gritted his teeth and averted his eyes to his plate.

"Merlin's Beard, Severus! Must you grind your teeth like that? It's dreadful sounding!" Minerva quipped.

"Yes- I dare say, if you continue to grind your teeth in such a manner, there'll be nothing left!!" Professor Flitwick joined in with a hearty chuckle.

Severus said nothing but let out a low growl. It wasn't very loud but it was enough to silence the hysterical little dwarf. He picked at his food for a while but his attention was continually drawn to Hermione's bushy hair as if it were devil's snare. The sensible side of him wanted absolutely nothing to do with her and yet the recent business with Black Lake intrigued him immeasurably. There was no doubt in his mind anymore that she was indeed of pureblood and he was quite resolved as to her father's identity, yet there was still so much mystery about the young woman- so much secrecy. And Severus knew; where there was secrecy, there was inevitably the possibility for treachery. After another moment he stood and excused himself from the table. Albus watched him leave, his eyes twinkling like light through a prism.

Narcissa Malfoy moved silently through the dark halls of Malfoy Manor, carrying a single candle. She vigilantly looked over her shoulder as she approached the door at the end of the hall. She placed her wand at the keyhole and whispered "Alohomora", pushing the door open with some difficulty as it was quite stuck in position.

Along the walls of the room, enchanted photographs danced and played in continued ignorance to the reality of time. Narcissa guided her candle along the wall to a wooden bureau by a boarded up window, bumping her knee slightly against a bed. This was Katrina's old bedroom; her one time sanctuary and home. Upon the dresser was a small jewelry box, some scattered letters, a bottle of Violet perfume and a framed photograph of Lucius and Katrina. She lifted her candle to the photograph and studied it with great scrutiny. A tear instantly rolled down her colorless face when her eye fell on the bauble hanging from Katrina's neck. She quickly lifted the lid of the jewelry box and observed it was quite empty. Narcissa felt her heart ache in the way that any mother's would upon such a ghastly realization.

"My dear, dear wife…" Lucius Malfoy waved his hand, illuminating the entire room at once. "Whatever are you doing in this wing of the manor…at such a late hour of night?" He slowly approached her, gripping his wand in a tight fist by his side.

"I was…just thinking of her…I wanted to see if there wasn't some nice bit of jewelry which Draco could give to that lovely Parkinson girl." She smiled feebly and looked directly into his dull, lifeless eyes.

"Well- my love…" A sly smile spread from the corner of his mouth. "What have you found?"

"Nothing of any material value, perhaps I will give him something old of mine" She began to nonchalantly saunter past him but he grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her an inch from his face.

"Do not…enter this room again. Do you understand me?"

Narcissa nodded in silence, a hard lump catching in her throat as his eyes bore into her.

"Good" he smiled wickedly "Now…I suggest you get down to the kitchen and make yourself useful. Our…guest…is most ravenous."