A/N: Getting closer and closer to the end! Maybe five or six more chapters, I would like to close this one around Christmas with a big old get-together, where Harry, Lilah, and Hermione spend a little time just as regular children for a bit.

Autumn at Hogwarts was in full swing – it was just a few days from Halloween, and the mighty oaks and maples had already begun shedding their brilliant foliage earlier in the month. There was a hint of a chill in the air – winter was not too far away, and students and faculty began bundling up with scarves and caps and occasionally even outergarments to protect themselves from the elements.

Harry already had a couple of therapy sessions under his belt, and while the main purpose was for Harry discuss his past life with Madam Trudy Peel, he looked forward to the sessions because he viewed it as an opportunity to learn more about his parents – particularly his mother, whom Madam Trudy had a personal relationship with prior to the former Lily Evans' death. To Harry, learning about his mother was therapy, in and of itself. The pumpkin pasties and pumpkin juices were an added benefit as well. After the second session, Harry started feeling a bit more at ease – he saw Madam Trudy as a trusted confidant… even a grown-up friend, not unlike his relationship with Hagrid.

He respected all of his professors – even Professor Snape – but couldn't bring himself to consider any of them a real friend. He really admired Professor Dumbledore, and of all the faculty, felt most comfortable around him for some reason. The droll smile, his penchant for sweets, and the twinkle in his eye gave him an almost childlike innocence, but it certainly belied his wisdom and sheer brilliance. He couldn't quite call Dumbledore a friend – mainly because it was just so awkward for a student to be friends with a faculty member, particular the headmaster, but it was a very positive relationship, at least. Harry thought of Dumbledore as the grandfather figure he never really had – the fun kind of grandfather that allows a certain amount of mischief, but also one that he didn't want to disappoint. In fact, one of Harry's biggest fears was letting Dumbledore down.

The Monday morning before the Halloween Feast, Harry and Hermione visited Lilah and her fellow Hufflepuffs at their table. Lilah was even more bubbly than usual, as she got a long-awaited reply from her old friend Dawn from the school owls. She shared the letter with Harry and Hermione so they could see for themselves:

Dear Lilah,

It's been ages! I was honestly shocked when I heard from my Headmaster that you thought that I might be a witch, and wanted to reach out to me! I'm glad you did, though. You were my first-ever friend and I will never forget that!

How are you liking Hogwarts? I've thought about you a lot – even after coming to Snakebinder Academy! I rather enjoy it here, but I'm rather curious about Hogwarts, it seems to be a much larger school with more history.

Making friends has always come easy to you, so I'd imagine you have several already. I have a couple, but it's also a small school so our social groups are rather small. I've attached an updated photo of myself – I know it's not the greatest but I figured you'd like to show your friends at least.

I'm looking forward to your reply!

Love,

Dawn

"That was a very nice letter, Lilah," Harry said. He looked at the photo of Dawn. "She's got reddish hair and green eyes, rather like my mum. She's very pretty."

Hermione took the letter and the photo from Harry, and then smiled broadly. "Dawn sounds like a very nice girl, Lilah. I'm sorry she's not at Hogwarts with us." She nodded at Harry. "And you're right, she is a pretty girl."

"I'll write back to her this evening," promised Lilah. "I don't think I'll have time before class as we only have a few minutes." She turned to Harry. "Oh, remember what Professor McGonagall said about reaching out to Daphne and Tracey? I think you might want to make a move today… how about right after Potions as you suggested?"

"I s'pose that's as good a time as any," replied Harry. "I know I'll be by myself since I won't have you as backup, but maybe we can try the Snake Pit sometime after I break the ice."

Hermione threw her friends a look of utter disbelief. "Wait… you're wanting to reach out to Slytherin students? Are you two crazy?"

Lilah shot Hermione a look. "It was Professor McGonagall's idea. She said that she's happy that Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws get along well, but she was hoping that someone could maybe reach out to the Slytherin table… not everyone there is a prat like Malfoy."

"And why did she ask you two, of all people?" Hermione asked.

"Because I was strongly considered for Slytherin," Harry replied. "It's not something I'm proud of, but it's true. I had to practically beg the hat to sort me elsewhere."

Both Lilah's and Hermione's respective jaws dropped.

"There's nothing Slytherin about you, Harry," Lilah murmured. "You're too selfless and brave. You were always meant to be a Gryffindor."

"I was almost put into Ravenclaw, myself," admitted Hermione. "But Gryffindor seemed like home."

"I was strongly considered for Gryffindor myself," said Lilah. "Ravenclaw a bit, as well. Had I wanted Gryffindor just a little bit more, we'd all be housemates."

"What made you want Hufflepuff a bit more?" asked Harry.

Lilah shrugged. "I value friendship and duty just a bit more than bravery, I suppose."

"Do you wish you were a Gryffindor?" asked Hermione.

Lilah smiled broadly. "At times, yes, but at the end of the day I really think Hufflepuff is the best house for me. Like you said, it feels like home."

"Professor McGonagall considers you an honorary Gryffindor, Lilah," added Harry. "That's got to count for something."

"It does, Harry," murmured Lilah. "But if I'm being honest, I'm getting the best of both worlds. I'm in the house that's the best fit for me, and I also have two terrific friends from Gryffindor that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world."

"I hear you," replied Hermione. "That's basically how I feel."

That afternoon, the first-year Gryffindors and Slytherins shared Potions together. Harry waited until after class to give the students a chance to disperse before hurrying to find Daphne and Tracey. He felt a big lump in his throat, even though Professor McGonagall said that they were fairly amiable for Slytherin students. He was nervous mainly because he was by himself with no backup, but he didn't want to thrust Hermione to do something that she really didn't feel comfortable doing either, so it was up to him, and him alone.

Harry speed-walked his way to catch up with Daphne and Tracey in the courtyard. "Uh… hello there," he said, trying to sound as casual as he could.

Daphne arched an eyebrow, somewhat suspicious of Harry. "Erm, can I help you, Potter?" she asked with only the barest hint of interest.

"I guess?" Harry replied, unsure of how to respond. "I don't see you hanging out with a ton of other Slytherin students, so I just thought I'd invite you to either the Gryffindor or Hufflepuff table one of these evenings? Maybe make a couple of new friends?"

Daphne and Tracey looked at each other, wondering what to make of this offer.

"And why are you asking us?" Tracey asked in a slightly accusatory tone.

Harry shrugged. "Because… 'cause…" He sighed, wanting to choose his next words carefully. "Because I think there are good witches and wizards in Slytherin and they're worth getting to know. And that you're probably tired of hearing your house slandered by everyone else… I'm hoping that maybe you're open-minded enough to think that not everyone hates or fears Slytherin…"

A smirk crossed Daphne's face. "You're absolutely right about that, Potter. All of it, really." Her smirk broadened into a full smile. "Tell you what, we'll think about it and get back to you sometime, okay? Going to the Gryffindor table makes me a bit… nervous, so it would probably be the Hufflepuff table if we're going to do this."

Harry returned the smile. "Would you rather I joined you at the Slytherin table? Would that make it easier?"

Tracey gasped. "You'd actually sit at the Slytherin table? You've got some stones, Potter."

"Why not?" Harry answered with a shrug. "I'll do it if that's what it'll take for me to get to know you better."

Daphne smiled again. "I suppose you can stop by for a few minutes this evening. We'll be sitting not too far from the end." She cocked her head. "Is it going to be just you?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, this time it probably should be just me. I don't think my other friends are ready for this." He smiled. "I promise, I'll play nice."

Tracey returned the smile. "We'll play nice as well. It's just a bit… shocking that someone outside of Slytherin wants anything to do with us.'

Daphne nodded. "And a Gryffindor, at that!" She then looked at Harry with sincerity. "Now Potter, while Tracey and I find you… pleasant, not everyone in Slytherin is going to be as welcoming – but I'm sure you know that already. I just want you to be aware that some students may show their lack of appreciation of your presence, so my advice is to do your best to ignore them." Her light blue eyes met Harry's green eyes. "It won't be easy, I'm sure, but I also know you're above that. I'll do what I can to secure a seat near a prefect so things don't escalate. Gemma is a very reasonable prefect – she's very fair for a Slytherin, and has no love for Malfoy, if that means anything."

Harry grinned. "That would be terrific, Daphne… uh… may I call you Daphne?"

Daphne shrugged, then smiled. "Well, I would have thought that it's a bit premature for us to be on first-name-basis, but I suppose you can call me Daphne."

Harry looked in Daphne's eyes, and smiled. "Y'know, Daphne, you kinda remind me of someone I know."

"Who's that?" asked Daphne.

"The very first friend I've ever made, Lilah Darling," Harry replied. "You're very pretty, like her. You have the same kind of eyes, and your hair is similar."

Daphne blushed. "Darling, you said? The Hufflepuff? I'm afraid I don't really know her very well, but from what I gather, she's a very sweet girl, yes. Very bright, too." She arched an eyebrow. "She's Muggle-born, is she not?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, she's Muggle-born. She's uncannily gifted, though."

"She's more talented than many half-bloods and even purebloods," added Tracey. "I know some Slytherins have called her a certain epithet behind her back, but they're really just jealous of her. She's a very good student. She doesn't have a bad bone in her body."

"I heard Malfoy call her that name once… I made her cry just by bringing it up," said Harry, with a note of shame in his voice. "I don't even like saying the word in front of her, even if it's just a reference."

"I don't like saying it either," admitted Daphne. "It's really an ugly word and only ignorant wizards and witches use it. I may be of pureblooded ancestry, but it's not my place to determine who should and shouldn't practice magic, you know? I'm open-minded enough to befriend… perhaps even date half-bloods or even a Muggle-born. Even among so-called 'purebloods' there tend to be gaps in the family tree."

"I'm glad to see that not everyone in Slytherin thinks like the Malfoys do," replied Harry. "Thanks for giving me a few minutes of your time, you two. I'll stop by for a few minutes this evening."

"Sounds good, Potter," replied Daphne. "I look forward to seeing you then!"

That evening, Harry told both Lilah and Hermione his plan – to sit at the Slytherin table with Daphne and Tracey. He assured them that he would be fine, and that he already spoke with Daphne and Tracey, who were both reasonable girls. He figured that it would easier to come to them because they were a bit leery of visiting the Hufflepuff and (especially) Gryffindor tables, so he'd take one for the team and meet them at the Slytherin team.

Harry was still a bit nervous, so he had hoped that Daphne and Tracey were sitting near one of their prefects so that some semblance of order could be maintained. He scanned the table, and breathed a sigh of relief when he found an older girl with a prefect badge just a couple of seats away from Daphne and Tracey.

"Hi Daphne, hi Tracey," Harry said in a friendly tone. "Mind if I sit between you two?" A couple of other Slytherin students shook their heads towards Harry in a disapproving manner.

"That's fine, Potter," replied Daphne. She smiled at him. "You're true to your word… I was half expecting you to stand us up."

"Why would I do that?" Harry asked. "I do my best to keep my word." He returned the smile. "It looks like you got a good seat too, you're just a couple of seats away from a prefect so that'll be helpful."

Daphne giggled. "She's not just any prefect, she's Gemma Farley. She's a good one – she doesn't put up with gits like Malfoy and his cronies. Don't get me wrong, she's proud to be a Slytherin, but she's got a heart of gold."

Harry's face turned pink. "D'you think you could, erm, introduce me to her?"

Daphne shrugged. "I don't see why not." She leaned over, reached around the student to her right, and tapped Gemma on the shoulder. "Hey, Gemma, I have someone here that wants to meet you."

Gemma turned around. "Oh, hello Daphne. Who is it?'

Harry stood up, stepped toward Gemma, and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Harry Potter," he said softly.

Gemma stood up and took his hand. "I've heard of you, Harry Potter. I'm Gemma Farley." She smiled sweetly. "It takes some guts for someone outside of Slytherin to visit the Snake Pit, but I promise, not all of us bite. I'm glad to see that you're willing to look past the stereotypes and try to make new friends. I'm not going to lie, it's a little hurtful that a lot of students outside our house lump us all together, like we're all corrupted, dark practitioners of magic." She gestured towards Daphne and Tracey. "If you want to make friends in Slytherin, you can't go wrong with those two. They're open-minded and friendly, and once you get to know them, you'll kind of forget that they're a Slytherin to begin with."

Harry whispered in Gemma's ear. "Professor McGonagall said that Daphne was very nearly a Gryffindor."

Gemma giggled. "I can see that. But I would imagine that since her whole family is Slytherin, she probably wanted that a little more. But between you and me, she'd be a great Gryffindor," she said softly.

When dinner was over, Harry shook Gemma's hand once more. "Thanks for letting me spend a few minutes at your table this evening. I know not everyone appreciated my presence here, but you've been nothing short of kind to me, and Daphne and Tracey have been good sports. I look forward to getting to know them better."

He then shook Daphne and Tracey's hand appreciatively. "Thanks for giving me a chance," he said sincerely. "I hope you'll join me and my friends at the Hufflepuff or Gryffindor table sometime. I promise you'll be treated with kindness and respect."

Tracey smiled at Harry. "We'll return the favor, Potter. We promise. And we thank you for giving us a chance. It really means a lot to us."

Daphne smiled as well. "Have a good evening, Potter… erm, Harry. I'll see you tomorrow for sure."

"Have a good evening, you two," replied Harry, smiling broadly himself.