Eleanor found it hard to maintain a jolly Christmas spirit after the discovery of Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick.

Like Eleanor, most of the school would be using the upcoming holiday as a well needed escape from the horror of what was happening in the castle. Eleanor only wished that she wouldn't be leaving behind her friends to fend for themselves.

She wasn't particularly concerned about Draco, with him being a pureblood and all, and any concern she did have was shooed away the second she learned that the brutish Crabbe and Goyle would be staying as well. Draco had also told her that Theodore Nott would be there with them, and Daphne later explained that all four of those families had been threatened with raids, and didn't want their kids back home around all the fuss. It made Nell a little sad to think that the four of them wouldn't be home with their families for Christmas, the way they ought to be.

But Nell was far more concerned when she learned that Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be staying behind spending the holiday in the castle. With whatever it was that lurked within.

She was most worried for Hermione, obviously, as she was muggleborn, and therefore a prime target for attack. But Harry and Ron were certainly no safer with their ever present dedication to tossing themselves directly into harm's way.

This fear, combined with the increase of rumors surrounding the golden boy, had thawed the annoyance she had felt to Harry over the last few weeks. She sought him out the following day, eager to get a word or two in before she left them all to their own devices.

Eleanor found him in the school library, sitting alone by a window and reading. Outside, the grounds were still thick with snow that had continued the unrelenting downfall of yesterday. Harry looked up when she approached him and offered a weak smile.

"So, I've heard you're the true heir of Slytherin, then. Thought you might've brought it up by now," she said as she sat down, her tone light.

He looked momentarily cross before he saw the smile that bloomed across Eleanor's face. The anger faded with a familiar roll of his eyes.

"I had no idea that other wizards couldn't talk to snakes, you know," he said, closing his book. "I didn't think it was special."

"I was the same, actually," Nell said. "About the whole flying thing. Had absolutely no idea it wasn't normal for wizards."

"Oh, that's right. I'd forgotten," Harry said. "Lucky you got the jump on figuring that out before you went ahead and embarrassed yourself in front of the whole school."

"It was lucky," Eleanor said, before pausing. "Well, luck and Draco, actually…"

" Malfoy helped you?"

Nell laughed. "Not on purpose. It was when they announced flying lessons last year. I read the notice then went about asking why we'd need a broom."

Harry laughed, the glum expression finally melting a little. "God. How'd you keep him quiet? Knowing him, I'd expect the whole school to have known by lunch."

"You're giving him far too much credit, Harry," Nell said with a smile. "He didn't actually figure it out immediately. When I saw the look on his face after I asked about the broom, I realized there was something I wasn't getting so I ran off to ask Professor Snape."

Harry scowled.

Eleanor ignored it. "Anyway…" she continued. "Draco still figured it out in the end. But that part is actually your fault."

"My fault?" Harry said.

Nell laughed. "Yeah. D'you remember that mad duel he challenged you to last year? He told me he'd help me in Potions if I came along as his second. And I thought it was a wonderful way for me to try to keep you out of trouble. But, alas, on the way to the trophy room, Filch nearly caught us. I had to fly us out of sight."

"Er– why would you want to keep me safe?"

At this, Nell felt her cheeks warm with blush. "Oh. Well, I… I felt like I owed you, I s'pose."

" Owed me? For what?"

"Well… for that," Nell said, nodding her head in the direction of the lightning bolt scar that bloomed across Harry's forehead. Automatically, his hand shot toward it, ghosting along the ridge of pale skin.

"You never owed me for this. Nobody does. Y'know, I can't even remember it," Harry said, looking somewhat surly.

"I know. Or… at least I figured. But…" Nell sighed, remembering how she once wanted nothing more than to thank Harry for everything, yet feeling, now, with him in front of her, she was coming up short. "It's just… Well– when my mum got pregnant with me, she and my dad had to go into hiding from you-know-who. And once I was born, and even after she died... If it weren't for what happened to you, me and my dad might still be hiding or more probably dead. Certainly, I wouldn't be here. At Hogwarts, I mean."

"I know," Harry said, his eyes sad. "Hermione told Ron and me last year about your mum."

"Well, so yeah. I guess I wanted to do something for you too," Nell said with a shrug.

"Okay, well no more, alright? Consider us even," Harry said, his cheeks now reddening as well.

Nell rolled her eyes. "Well, since you are the heir of Slytherin , afterall…"

Harry groaned. "Damn Malfoy and his stupid snake spell. If he hadn't–"

Nell scoffed, interrupting him. "Do you actually blame Draco for all of that? He had no clue you were a parselmouth."

"It turned out to be a great way to throw the trail off of him, didn't it?"

"Harry, honestly… Do you really believe that Draco is the one doing all of this?"

"You heard what he said—"

"Yes, I know. He can be an arse. But that's not what I was asking. I was asking if you really believe the same Draco who couldn't even realize the snitch was flying next to his thick head could be the same person powerful and sneaky enough to run around the school petrifying students right under Dumbledore's nose?"

Harry paused, his eyebrows furrowed. "I hadn't… I hadn't thought of it like that."

"Don't you find it a bit ironic that you're angry that everyone thinks you're the heir just because you're a parselmouth, er– and because you keep getting caught at the scene of the crime–"

"I can't help that!"

Nell sighed. "I know. Being where you shouldn't be is in your DNA or something. But what I'm trying to say is that you're doing the same thing in assuming Draco's involved just because he's a Slytherin and because—"

"Because he actually shouted 'Mudbloods you're next' after the first attack?"

Nell pressed her lips together. "Wouldn't that be an extremely stupid thing to do if you were the one responsible? I mean, honestly , Harry, don't you ever watch movies?"

"Not really. My aunt and uncle would never let me."

Nell grimaced. "They sound like loads of fun."

"You have no idea."

"You're aware that Draco's father is rotten too, aren't you?"

"I know. I saw what he said to Mr. Weasley."

"Do you ever think about what he might be saying to Draco, then?"

At this, Harry paused. "It doesn't make it right."

"No, it doesn't," Nell said.

"Fine, let's say it isn't Malfoy, then. Who is it?" Harry asked.

"Beats me," Nell said. "The two people everyone is running around suspecting are two of the only people I know couldn't be."

Harry sighed. "It could be anyone, I suppose."

"Yeah," Nell said. "Maybe it's Lockhart."

Harry laughed, surprisingly deeply. "Talk about someone too incompetent."

"Ugh. That's a good point," Nell said.

They paused for a moment, and Nell looked out the window, watching the snow falling in gentle swirls to the ground.

"Do… do you think I'm the heir to Slytherin?" Harry asked her, his voice quiet.

Nell looked him over. "I dunno. Do you think you are?"

"The hat almost put me in Slytherin, actually. It couldn't choose. I asked it to put me in Gryffindor."

"You asked ?!" Nell gasped. "I didn't know you could ask!"

"Er– yes?"

" Merlin , if I had known you could ask…" Nell said, rubbing her forehead in shock.

Harry stared, his face shocked. "D'you mean that you don't want to be in Slytherin?"

"No!" Nell laughed. "Er– well, I didn't want to be last year. I thought if I got put there it meant I was evil or something."

"Where did you want to be?"

Nell blushed again. "Um… Hufflepuff."

At this, Harry grinned broadly. "You know… I can actually see that."

"Yeah. But, now, I think Slytherin fits me best, really. I didn't see it back then. But I do now."

"You're different from the rest of your house."

"No I'm not," Nell said with a sigh. "You just don't know them very well."

Harry gave a half-hearted smile, unconvinced.

Nell continued, "Listen… Even if you are the heir of Slytherin, I don't really think it matters. Slytherin isn't evil. Salazar might have been, sure, but the people in his house aren't evil just because they have the qualities he valued. It took me a while to realize that, but it's true, I'm sure of it. And, it's the same with being a parselmouth. It doesn't make you evil either, alright?"

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not. I'm just following some advice I got last year. Something that went like 'there are few traits inherent to a person to sway their inner compass enough to determine their path ' or whatever. It's what Dumbledore said to me."

"That… sounds like something he'd say," Harry said with a small laugh.

Nell smiled at him, and hoped that some of what she said might be enough to sink in. "Well, I ought to go— I haven't packed yet. I just wanted to remind you to be careful over Christmas, okay? I'm going to be quite put out if I come back to you three a bunch of statues in the hospital wing."

"Yeah, alright," Harry said.

And Nell walked away, absolutely sure she didn't believe him.

It was during the train ride home for the holidays when Nell talked to someone she was sure she'd never speak to again.

She had been sitting with Pansy and Daphne, eating peppermint imps and chocolate frogs while they talked about what they hoped they'd be getting for Christmas. In the middle of trying to explain who Kate Bush was, Nell noticed that Daphne had become suddenly distracted, staring through the window of the door to their compartment.

"Why is Susan Bones staring at us?" Daphne asked, the same way one might ask about the weather.

Pansy's and Nell's heads shot up, Pansy's face an instant scowl, and Nell's no doubt a nervous mess.

Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott were on the other side of the glass looking terrified, fidgeting with the ends of their robes, but staring in with pure determination. After an awkward moment of silence, Susan finally pushed open the door, and Nell couldn't help but notice the way her hand trembled as she did.

"Er— hi," Nell said, her voice more pinched than it usually was.

And Susan didn't smile.

Instead, she choked out, her voice trembling, "We want to know if you know who's behind all of this."

"What?" Pansy asked, eyes mean. "What are you on about?"

But Susan didn't cower at Pansy the way most others usually did. Instead, Pansy's threatening voice seemed to bolster her nerves. "It's Harry, then, isn't it? He's the heir of Slytherin?"

"Harry Potter?" Daphne asked with a laugh, as if this conversation were incredibly normal. "Wouldn't that be ironic."

Susan glared. "He's a parselmouth! We all saw it. During the dueling club when he set that snake after poor Justin."

"And who was attacked right after that? Justin!" Hannah Abbott added, her face red and splotchy.

"Oh, please . Potter isn't nearly interesting enough to be the heir," Pansy argued.

"So who is it, then?" Hannah demanded.

"How are we meant to know?" Daphne asked, her voice still casual.

"Is it you?" Susan shot, suddenly staring directly at Nell with those brown eyes empty of any of the kindness Nell had once seen in them.

Nell's skin burned, anger and embarrassment all firing at once.

" Nellie ?" Daphne asked, laughing. "That's the second time, isn't it? How ridiculous."

"So other people think so too?" Hannah said.

"I'm not the bloody heir!" Nell shouted.

"What, and we're just supposed to believe you?" Susan asked, glaring.

At this, Pansy shot up from her seat, and finally the Hufflepuffs began to back away when faced with her stoney face and squared shoulders. "You know what? Maybe she is the heir. Or maybe I am! Think it's a good idea to piss us off, then?"

Hannah squeaked and grabbed Susan, who was still glaring daggers into Pansy's eyes, by the sleeve before they both booked it away and down the train.

With a groan of frustration, Pansy slammed the door shut.

"How silly," Daphne said.

"Hufflepuffs are the worst," Pansy said. "I really ought to curse them when we get back after the holiday. Where do they get off with all that rubbish? Coming in here and accusing us like that?"

"Oh, they're just scared, Pans," Daphne said. "Don't pay it any mind."

But Nell still raged too. "Pansy's right. That was nonsense. Accusing Harry just because he can talk to snakes. Or us just because we're in Slytherin."

"Well, actually, they were probably accusing you because of your mum," Pansy said simply.

Nell watched Daphne shoot her a warning look the second the words left her mouth. It was the first time she ever saw anything like anger in Daphne's delicate features.

"It's not that I agree!" Pansy defended. "I'm just saying."

Nell sighed. "No… you're right. It makes sense, I suppose."

Daphne patted Nell's knee and said, "Don't worry. They're just being silly."

Nell nodded along but thought secretly to herself that she couldn't clear her mother's name fast enough.