"Okay, so remember when we spoke about the war..." Daphne began carefully. "I told you that my parents didn't support You-Know-Who?" Once Harry had nodded, following along, she continued. "That was true, they were both Aurors and they actively fought against him. But..." She said haltingly, not sure how to word the rest.

Harry could see the nervousness and fear as she stood there, biting her lip. Gently, he took her hand and led her over to the bed where they both sat and got comfortable.

"It's okay, Daphne, you can tell me." He encouraged with a smile.

She smiled thinly. "Thanks. Okay...whilst my parents fought him, not all of my family did. My Uncle, Anthony, my Dad's older brother - he was a Death Eater." She finished with a whisper, fearing Harry's reaction.

She needn't have worried, he was still giving her a soft smile, giving her his full, undivided attention. She blew out a breath, relieved.

"As I said, my parents were both Aurors and had been for a few years when the war broke out. They're both purebloods from old families and when the war began they were both approached and offered the chance to join the Death Eaters, along with their families. They both refused, as did my Mum's family, but my Uncle...he joined him." She said thickly. She hated thinking about Anthony Greengrass.

"He was a professional dueller, a brilliant one, and he'd won the European Championships two out of three times he entered. Professor Flitwick trained him himself. And he put those talents to use for You-Know-Who." She said bitterly, shaking her head. "He was an awful man. I never met him, obviously, but my parents told me enough. He was a monster." She finished harshly, angry tears forming in her eyes. "My Grandparents, the Greengrass ones...they were killed early on in the war, and Dad's always suspected that my Uncle did it."

"He was one of You-Know-Who's best weapons, he killed so many people. But, on the other side were my parents. They're brilliant, Harry, they really are, and they are both powerful. They fought, and they stopped as many Death Eaters as they could...and it made them a target." Tears were now rolling down her face, and Harry tried to offer as much comfort as he could, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and holding her hand in his.

"You-Know-Who...he was evil. Pure evil. A-and, he decided that rather than destroy my parents himself...he'd have them destroy each other." She spoke shakily. Harry froze next to her, apprehensive as she continued. "Dad was in Diagon Alley on duty one night, and he was cursed in the back - by my Uncle. The Imperius Curse."

Harry coughed slightly. "What's the Imperius Curse?" He questioned with an apologetic smile.

"It's one of the Unforgivables, curses that if you're caught casting it's a one-way ticket to a lifetime in Azkaban. The Killing Curse - you know that one, the Cruciatus Curse, which tortures people with the worst pain imaginable...and The Imperius Curse. Used to control people, turn them into puppets at the whim of the caster, fully aware but unable to stop it. That's what my Uncle cast on his brother." She whispered, and Harry was horrified.

Horrified, because hadn't he done the exact same to Eddie Richardson, the muggle boy he'd forced to be his friend?

Numbly, he listened as Daphne continued. "The curse can be fought, but it's very difficult. My Dad is a powerful wizard...but my Uncle was stronger, and Dad wasn't expecting it. And the orders he gave Dad, were to gather my Mum and her family, the McKinnons, and kill them all." She said in a wobbly voice, tears streaking down her face now.

"And he did. He couldn't fight it, and he had to watch as if he were a passenger in his own body as he carried out the orders of his brother and his Lord," She said harshly. "On Friday nights, my Mum's family would gather at her parent's house to spend time together. The day my dad was cursed was a Friday. All he had to do was apparate over as normal and they'd all be there. They were. My Mum, my Grandad, my Nanna and my Aunt Marlene."

"It was a slaughter. He killed my Grandad before anyone had even realised he was there, and my Nanna soon after. Aunt Marlene managed to pull her wand, but she too was killed. And then it was only my Mum left. My Mum, who was pregnant with me." Her voice shook, and Harry winced. He couldn't imagine what her Mum must have been feeling. "She was in shock, she'd just watched her husband kill her entire family for no reason. But she was an Auror, and when Dad turned his wand on her, she fought. And she won. Because my Mum is stronger and better with a wand than he is, and he must have been fighting as hard as he could to not harm her...or me." Daphne swallowed, closing her eyes at the thought of herself dying before she'd even had a chance to live. "She nearly killed him. She was going to use the killing curse on him, but she saw his eyes. That's the thing with the Imperius Curse, you can see it in the eyes if you know what to look for. And as an Auror, she knew the signs."

"She took him to St. Mungo's - the hospital, instead of the Ministry and they helped Dad get control of his mind back. And mum...she forgave him, she never blamed him because she knew he had no choice. He was put on trial for the murders, but the charges were dropped when my Mum testified and told them what had happened and that he was under the Imperius. People were sympathetic when they heard what had happened, they knew my Dad was a good man and a good Auror and wouldn't have done what he did under his own power. But it didn't help Dad very much, he was a wreck. They both were, really. But then I was born, and things got better. They'd both left the Aurors then, my Mum because she'd just had me and Dad because he was terrified that it would happen again. That he'd be used to kill Mum and me."

Harry nodded, understanding the man's reasons. He couldn't imagine what the guilt must have been like, the fear that it could happen again.

"But then, a few months after I was born, the Death Eaters attacked the alley, and my Uncle was killed by an Auror. They found the Dark Mark on his arm." She laughed bitterly. "And then, people began to think. Maybe Daniel Greengrass wasn't as innocent as they'd first thought? After all, if one Greengrass brother was a Death Eater, it stood to reason that the one who murdered the McKinnons was too." She spat scornfully. "For months, it went on like that. Mum or Dad would be out, on the few occasions Dad would leave the house, and they'd hear the whispered suspicions."

"And then, you. You destroyed You-Know-Who, and the Death Eaters were all caught and put on trial. Only, some of them got off, and do you know how?" She asked, and Harry shook his head. "They claimed they were under the Imperius Curse. Malfoy, Nott, Avery, Macnair...those bastards got off because of it, despite the fact that they had the Dark Mark. Do you want to guess what happened after that?" She said rhetorically, angry again. "Everyone turned on my Dad. They all thought that he'd done the same thing, that he'd been a Death Eater all that time and murdered the McKinnons, just like his brother, and got off like all the others by claiming he had no choice. Only, for my Dad it was true."

"And Mum? People thought she was in on it. After all, isn't it suspicious that the only McKinnon to survive was her? She gave evidence on Dad's behalf, she must have helped him get off because she was a Death Eater too."

"Idiots" Harry muttered, and Daphne nodded her head sadly.

"That's why I never had any friends growing up, why everyone hates me, it's because they hate my parents. The ones who fought You-Know-Who hate them because they think they were Death Eaters and the ones who were Death Eaters hate them because they know they weren't." She sighed, leaning her head against Harry's shoulder tiredly.

"I was so scared, Harry...scared that someone would tell you the lies about my parents, and that you'd believe them. You're the only person I've ever met who didn't see my name, or my parents, just me." She whispered quietly, heart beating hard in her chest.

"You're the only friend I've ever had. I-I didn't want you to start hating me like everyone else...I didn't want to lose you." She admitted fervently.

"You won't." He said firmly, and she looked up into his green eyes. "Daph, you're the only friend I've ever had too. I could never hate you." He told her with a soft smile.

She smiled back and didn't care at all about the tears that formed in her eyes. She laid her head back onto his shoulder and there they sat, time passing without notice by the two of them.

Unknown to them, hours had passed before either spoke again.

"There's something strange, though," Daphne said, puzzlement in her voice. "The Auror that killed my Uncle was Sirius Black, and we both know he was a Death Eater. I wonder why he did that."

Harry frowned and looked down at her. "Who's Sirius Black?"

Daphne gaped at him.

It was well past midnight by the time Harry made it back into his own room, kicking his shoes off angrily, tearing off his clothes and flopping onto his bed, glaring at the canopy above him, thinking about what Daphne had just told him about the man who had betrayed his parents.

Voldemort and Sirius Black.

He would kill them both.

It was a drowsy pair who found themselves sitting in their first History of Magic lesson the next day, blearily trying to stay awake as they listened to the droning lecture on a Goblin revolt from hundreds of years ago. Not even having an actual ghost teaching them could make this any better. Halfway through the double period, Daphne decided to pull out her matchbox and start practicing with them instead.

A much better use of valuable time, in her humble opinion.

Luckily for them, they managed to find the library during their free period, both entranced by the thousands of books on offer to them. Harry had nodded meaningfully towards the restricted section as they passed it, mouthing 'cloak', and Daphne nodded with a wide grin at his suggestion. They'd definitely be back later to explore further.

'And won't it be snug under that cloak?' Hopefully, the restricted section would have a book on how to get rid of annoying voices in your head.

Their double period of Defence Against the Dark Arts could have gone better. The teacher, Professor Quirrell, was a twitchy, stuttering mess, and the whole classroom stank of garlic. She sympathised greatly with Harry who had a pounding headache throughout. They hadn't even gotten the chance to use their wands during the two hours and fifteen minutes they had spent there. The man had at least been useful enough to point them in the correct direction of the Owlery after Daphne had approached him at the end of the lesson.

With classes done for the day, the two made their way to the Owlery and Daphne sent off her letter, and then they were free to explore the castle for the first time.

They were lost within minutes and enjoyed it immensely. They were unable to return to the library (and the restricted section) that night however as they had their first Astronomy lesson at midnight.

Harry gazed happily through his telescope at the stars above. He'd never really gotten to see them much at the Dursleys - his cupboard had no windows, after all. Daphne had smiled at his enthusiasm, knowing why he was so excited.

She wondered if she could get away with murdering his relatives. Her parents had been Aurors, they'd be able to tell her how to cover her tracks.

The rest of the week passed quickly, and they found themselves enjoying the majority of their lessons.

Potions found Professor Snape notably more subdued, his ire towards Harry reduced to hateful glares, but he didn't vanish their Potion this time. He hadn't given them a grade, either, and so Daphne had scooped some of their finished potion into a vial, telling Harry that she would send it to her mum and she could tell them if it was a good brew.

Herbology was taught by a plump, cheerful witch called Professor Sprout who was the Hufflepuff Head of House, but she was fair and helpful to any student. Harry found he had a talent for the subject, but no real love for it after a childhood spent tending Petunia Dursley's garden. Daphne just hated getting her hands dirty and left the majority of the potting and planting to Harry.

For Charms, they discovered that Professor Flitwick was a brilliant teacher and enthusiastic, bouncing around the room and offering encouragement to his students as he taught them the Lumos charm. They both earned their house ten points each when they had successfully performed the Charm for the watching Professor, who had clapped joyfully.

Harry had decided on a strategy of performing whichever spell he had been assigned on the first try, ensuring the teacher in question saw him do so, and then spent his time alternating between encouraging Daphne and reading ahead, pointing out useful charms, jinxes and curses to Daphne, who would mockingly glare at him as she carried on with the given task. She couldn't find it in herself to be jealous of him, especially not when he would help her whenever she asked without question.

The two of them would spend their evenings either in the library or in one of their rooms, where Harry was free to let loose. Daphne decided that she had been right and he really was amazing as she'd watch him breeze effortlessly through their first-year syllabus and beyond. It was less amazing when Harry had put a full-body bind curse on her and she'd toppled like a statue immediately. After he'd unfrozen her, babbling apologies and swearing he'd never do it again, she had promised him that by the time she was able to do the spell, he would be her very first test dummy.

Practicing with Harry meant that Daphne herself was progressing quickly, but she knew she'd never hold a candle to him when it came to anything practical, but she was determined to at least beat him on the theoretical parts and wandless subjects, with the exception of Herbology. Harry was welcome to that one.

She regretted that slightly when their next History lesson found Harry asleep on the desk whilst she had to force herself to pay attention, seriously contemplating jabbing him with her quill to wake him up.

'But he looks so cute like that!' For once, Daphne agreed with the voice without complaint.

But unfortunately, not everything was perfect for the two, and the main problems they faced were their fellow students. Harry's clear talent, and Daphne's quickly improving skills, did nothing to endear them to their year-mates. If there had been any who were on the fence about them before, they weren't any longer, with the exception of Longbottom who seemed constantly on the verge of a breakdown as he struggled through his classes.

Their fellow Slytherins had already made their hatred clear, but it was the rest of them that had surprised Harry. "They were probably expecting you to ditch me by now." Daphne had told him quietly one morning as the Hufflepuff students gave them both dirty looks in Charms. "Probably jealous, too. I mean, you're you, and I'm obviously much better than all of them." She had joked, pretending to look down her nose at them all.

Malfoy and his group had backed off slightly, wary of Harry as they had seen his abilities in their classes, but that didn't stop them from sending disdainful looks and muttering insults under their breaths to each other, causing raucous laughter and mocking looks to be sent their way.

It didn't really matter to either of them in the end, not when they had each other. It was much easier to deal with hostility when you had a friend by your side, supporting you without question.

A smaller but no less irritating problem appeared two days into their Hogwarts tenure when Daphne spotted a discarded copy of that morning's paper with the headline:

THE-BOY-WHO-LIVED IN SLYTHERIN!

The article, written by a woman named Rita Skeeter, reported on his sorting and the shock it had caused to the nation, suggesting that his parents, who had been Gryffindors, would be less than pleased with him. Harry, incensed at the words and at the fact that his sorting had somehow made headline news, set the paper on fire as he held it in shaking hands.

Snape had tried to give him detention for arson but was shot down by Professor McGonagall, who was eyeing her own copy of the paper with a dangerous look.

On Friday morning, Daphne had received three letters from her family after her own, and she had torn into each one with delight, eyes sparkling as she read their words. Astoria had complained about how bored she was on her own, how she kept getting caught by their father in her attempts to access his locked study and it was Dapnhe's fault for not being there to help her. Her father had written complaining about Astoria, telling her that he was exhausted corralling her without Daphne to aid him, and how proud he was that he had been right and she was sorted into Slytherin. He told her he'd have been proud either way, but it was being right that made the difference.

It was her mother's letter that had her eyes welling with tears, however.

Dear Daphne,

Congratulations on your sorting, your father hasn't stopped gloating about it. I know it may be difficult, but I know you are strong, and you will thrive because that is who you are. You are a Greengrass and a McKinnon, and I know you will make me proud, just as you always have.

I'm sorry that it was not a welcoming reception for you, but it makes me so happy to hear that you've made a friend already, though it was a surprise to read that the young man you spoke to in the summer was Harry Potter.

He sounds like a lovely boy, sweetie, and I hope all goes well for you. It might be wise to tell him about our situation, it would be best for him to hear the truth from you before the lies from somebody else. Let me know how it goes.

I have written to the Headmaster about Snape and he has been warned not to allow his disgusting behaviour to continue. If it does, write to me immediately and I will be there to personally remind him just why his masked friends feared me.

Study hard, but remember to have fun, sweetie. We're all desperately looking forward to Christmas and having you back with us again.

With all my love,

Mum

Daphne was smiling for the rest of breakfast after reading her letters, and Harry had been delighted for her, though a small part of him mourned that he would never receive a letter from his own parents.

When breakfast had ended, they were just about to stand to leave when a looming shadow appeared behind them. Turning, Harry saw the giant gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, standing there wringing his massive hands nervously.

"Alrigh' there, Harry?" He said, trying to keep his voice quiet but failing quite spectacularly. "I was jus' wondering if yeh wanted ter come ter me hut fer some tea this afternoon after classes?" He said with a smile, though his eyes quickly widened. "If yer want ter, tha' is. Yer parents were friends o' mine, an' I have some stories if yeh would like ter hear 'em." He turned to Daphne. "You too, err..."

"Daphne, Mr. Hagrid." She told him quickly. The man chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeh can jus' call me Hagrid. So, wha' d'you say?"

The two shared a glance and Daphne gave him a tiny shrug, leaving the decision to him. Harry turned and smiled at the man. "We'd be happy too, Hagrid."

"Tha's great! I'll go an' get some rock cakes goin'" He beamed, giving them a cheery wave and thundering out of the Hall.

Harry stared after him.

"Did he just say rock cakes?"

And so, that afternoon found the pair knocking on the wooden door of Hagrid's hut, sharing a wary glance when they heard the booming barks and shout for a 'Fang' to get back.

The door opened, and there stood Hagrid, wearing a fetching pink apron and a happy smile, one hand wrapped around the collar of an enormous boarhound.

The one-room hut was cramped but very cosy, with pheasants and rabbits hanging from the ceiling, a large circular table and a gigantic bed in one corner. And, Harry spotted, a plate of freshly-made rock cakes.

"Make yerselves at home." Hagrid told them, and once they were seated at the table he released Fang, who immediately bounded over and licked Daphne's face from the bottom all the way to the top.

Harry was astonished when she began cooing at him.

"Oh, who's a good boy? You are, yes you are!" She told the dog, whose wagging tail was smashing into Harry's chest repeatedly as she stroked him behind the ears.

She looked at the gaping boy next to her and smirked. "Don't get jealous, Harry, you're a good boy too." She said in a simpering voice, reaching out to stroke him too, causing him to duck as she began laughing.

Hagrid smiled at them as he walked to the table carrying a tray holding three massive cups of tea and a pot of sugar.

"Help yerselves, the cakes are still hot." He said, sitting down with a thump.

Once they'd served themselves, the giant man gave Harry a fond smile. "Ah, Harry, I remember yeh when yeh were a baby an' now you're all grown up! Yeh look righ' like your Dad. But yeh eyes are jus' like your Mum's. They were grea' folk, James an' Lily." He said, eyes watering slightly.

"But look at yeh, in Slytherin! Tha' would have shocked yeh Dad, tha's fer sure." He said with a laugh, but quickly clarified. "Yer Mum woulda set 'im righ' though. They loved yeh, Harry."

He turned to Daphne with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, ah didn' mean ter leave yeh out. Who're your parents?" He asked her.

Daphne paused for a second as she froze, but then went back to stroking Fang as she said in an even voice. "Daniel and Marie Greengrass."

Harry watched Hagrid's eyes widen, darting between them with alarm. Harry narrowed his eyes at him, hoping he wouldn't say anything hurtful to Daphne. Hagrid's eyes settled on Fang and his wagging tail.

"Can' remember much 'bout 'em" He decided, and Daphne nodded with a soft smile.

They spent the afternoon with the man, who told Harry stories of his parents time at Hogwarts, particularly his Dad who Hagrid said he'd had to chase out of the Forbidden Forest on numerous occasions. He asked them how their first week had gone, and they took turns to tell him about it, one speaking whilst the other almost broke their teeth on a rock cake.

During a conversation about their upcoming flying class, Hagrid discovered that Harry knew barely anything about Quidditch other than it was a sport played on brooms and launched into a passionate explanation of the game. When Harry had asked about what teams there were, Hagrid had pulled out an old copy of the Daily Prophet, opened it to the sports pages, and showed him the Quidditch standings, giving an explanation of each team.

When he did, a clipping fell out of the paper onto the table, and Harry glanced down at it, eyes widening when he saw the words.

GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST

Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown.

Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in face been emptied the same day.

"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you." Said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.

"Gringotts was broken into? This is the first I'm hearing about it." Harry said, shocked. "I was in the alley then, and there was nothing to suggest a break-in."

Daphne shrugged, having heard about it already over the summer. "They wouldn't want to make a big deal out of it, would they? The news only leaked a couple of weeks ago, it was all kept quiet for the most part. The goblins are prideful creatures, and Gringotts is well known for being impossible to break in to. Until now, at least." She told him.

Harry noticed Hagrid looking mightily uncomfortable and wondered what that was about.

Harry was just about to question him when the man jumped up, nearly banging his huge head on the ceiling. "Blimey, is tha' the time! Yeh two bes' be gettin' off ter the castle, yeh'll be missin' dinner."

He shooed them off, telling them they could come back anytime whilst Daphne gave Fang a final goodbye. Harry felt a growing fondness for the gentle giant who had invited them to his home, especially after he had treated Daphne with the same kindness he did Harry, after the original shock at who she was had passed.

They walked up the path back to the castle as the sky darkened around them.

"You noticed that too, right?" Daphne questioned.

"Of course I did, what do you take me for?" Harry responded indignantly.

"A good boy! Come here, good boy," She cooed instantly, reaching out to stroke his hair.

Harry bolted.

She chased him up the path, laughing all the way back to the castle.

Thursday found the pair on the grounds of the castle, standing apart from the cluster of Slytherin and Gryffindor students awaiting the arrival of Madam Hooch for their first flying lesson.

Harry was beyond excited, lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation. He'd been looking forward to this ever since he'd learned that wizards actually flew on broomsticks, as cliche as it was.

Daphne was less enthusiastic, neither of her parents were Quidditch fans or owned a broom, so this would be her first time flying as well. She just hoped she didn't make a damned fool of herself.

All week, everyone around them had been sharing boastful stories of their flying exploits, growing more and more outlandish as the days passed. At least now they'd be able to see who was all mouth.

Madam Hooch arrived levitating seventeen old, battered brooms, one each for the students gathered. She was a stern-looking witch with hawkish eyes and spiky, grey hair.

Once the brooms were placed on the ground in two opposing lines, she instructed them all to pick a broom, causing a quick but short rush for the best brooms available. Needless to say, Harry and Daphne ended up with two brooms that looked like they were on their last bristles, which hardly helped Daphne's confidence. Harry was either too excited or too reckless to care.

"Stick out your hand over the broom," Called Madam Hooch loudly. "and say 'Up!"

They did so, and Harry was delighted to find his broom shoot into his hand instantly, a warm, exciting feeling tingling up his arm when he made contact with the broom. Daphne's broom sailed smoothly into her left hand, and she was grateful for it, as around them not all of their classrooms had experienced the same success. Granger's had simply twitched sullenly on the ground, Longbottom's hadn't moved at all, and Weasley's had shot up and smacked him on the nose, causing the Slytherins to guffaw and Harry and Daphne to wince.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms, walking down the rows and correcting their grips. Harry and Daphne shared a delighted look when she loudly told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years, and listened carefully to her instructions when she came to them. Neither of them much fancied sliding off the back of their broom when high in the air.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," Madam Hooch instructed. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three, two-"

But poor Neville Longbottom, scared and nervous to be left waiting on the ground, had pushed off before the whistle and was now rising quickly into the air. "Come back, boy!" The flight instructor shouted, and they watched his pale, terrified face as he gasped, slipped sideways off the broom and began to fall.

Harry whipped out his wand as quickly as he could, pointing it at the ground beneath the rapidly descending boy, and sending a burst of magic at it, wanting desperately for the other boy to have a soft landing. Longbottom landed on the ground with a soft thump, bouncing slightly.

Madam Hooch rushed over to him, waving her wand and checking for any injuries, her face as white as Longbottom's. The boy was shaking and frightened, and Harry looked up to find his broom flying lazily away and out of sight over the Forbidden Forest.

"Best get you to the hospital wing, dear, for a calming draught," She said consolingly to the boy as she began to lead him away towards the castle, but turned back sharply to the others, fixing them with her hawk-like eyes. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'" And with that, she disappeared with Longbottom, whispering consolingly to the distraught boy.

"That was amazing! What magic did Hooch use?"

"It must have been a cushioning charm"

"Did you see his face, the fat lump?" Malfoy burst out, laughing, the other Slytherins joining him.

"Shut up, Malfoy" Patil snapped.

As Parkinson shrilly accused the other girl of harbouring feelings for Longbottom, Malfoy darted forward, snatching something from the grass where the boy had fallen.

"Look! It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." Malfoy grinned, holding up a ball filled with red smoke.

"Give it here Malfoy!" Weasley shouted, ears reddening in anger.

Malfoy smirked evilly. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about up a tree?" He mounted his broom and Weasley hurriedly grabbed his own.

Harry pulled his wand to intervene without thinking.

"Accio, say Accio!" Daphne whispered urgently to him, and Harry pointed his wand at the ball, focusing hard on pulling it towards him, and with a loud "Accio!" it flew from Malfoy's hand to his own.

Everyone around them went silent.

Harry stepped over to the Gryffindors who eyed him warily and held the ball out to Granger. "Give this back to Longbottom when you see him." He told her, and she took it from him with a surprised look.

Harry returned to his place next to Daphne, who smiled at him happily. Malfoy threw his broom down and stalked over to them, reaching into his robes to his wand. Harry, who already had his wand out, leveled his at the boy, who stopped suddenly.

"Something to say, Malfoy?" He whispered dangerously to the blonde, who was eyeing the wand in his face with trepidation. Wisely, Malfoy stepped back with a scowl and returned to the rest of the Slytherins who began whispering amongst themselves, eyeing Harry with utter hatred.

Finally, Madam Hooch returned, somehow unaware of the nervous tension between the first-year students, the lesson continued and they were finally allowed to kick into the air.

Daphne rose slowly but found that it wasn't as bad as she had feared and the weightlessness of flight was very enjoyable. Smiling, she look at Harry who hovered beside her, a look of absolute joy on his face which warmed her heart to see. When they were cleared to fly around they did so in lazy circles, and Daphne saw that his smile was blinding and he looked very much like he wanted to urge his broom to go faster, but he still remained flying next to her at the speed she was content with.

Rolling her eyes, she gestured forward with her arm. "Go on, Harry."

With a final smile, he shot off, making wide circles as he pushed the broom, testing its capabilities and his own.

He was a natural.

And when they had landed at the end of the lesson, Madam Hooch had told him so herself. "Your father was one of the finest flyers I have ever met, Mr. Potter. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, it seems." She told him kindly.

Harry was exhilarated as they walked back to the castle, already looking forward to next week's lesson.

Daphne knew exactly what to get him for Christmas.

The weeks passed quickly, and soon enough it was the end of October. Harry and Daphne were enjoying their classes and had set themselves apart as talented students, always at the top of their classes with Hermione Granger and some of the Ravenclaw students. Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Sinistra were delighted with the two, Quirrell and Binns seemed largely oblivious and Snape was his usual unpleasant self. The man looked constantly as if he were holding himself back from insulting Harry, and Daphne by association, but managed to hold himself in check barely and merely glared at the pair of them, refusing to offer them any feedback on their work. Marie Greengrass dutifully sent them her own praise when Daphne continued sending their work to her, along with helpful tips on how to improve.

The two continued to visit with Hagrid (and Fang) on Friday afternoons, enjoying the man's company greatly as he told them stories and taught them about all the magical creatures he was so very fond of.

Harry snuck out one night alone after finding out that Daphne's birthday would be on November 2nd, sending a letter to her parents with a request for advice on what to get her.

Astoria Greengrass suggested a book but begged for him to get Essence of Insanity, slip it into Daphne's breakfast and then take photos of what happened and send them back to her.

Daniel Greengrass begged for it be anything but a book, suggested chocolate, and thanked him for his thoughtfulness.

Marie Greengrass told him to get her anything she thought she might like, telling him that she would love it whatever it was because it came from him, and thanked him from the bottom of her heart for being her daughter's friend.

Harry thought her parents seemed lovely people - her sister worried him.

Their explorations of the castle continued, and they would spend weekend nights sneaking around under Harry's cloak, where Daphne learned that it was indeed a snug fit when she had to stand in front of him, closely pressed to his front. She didn't mind this arrangement as much as she otherwise would have thought. They had indeed broken into the restricted section with ease but found many of the books they perused both advanced and full of magic they had no way of practicing. Many were curses and spells designed to harm, and as they only had each other to practice on they both refused to do so.

One night whilst on their way back to the common room from the library they encountered the Weasley twins who were sneaking through the third floor, both staring at a piece of parchment that one of them was holding and muttering quietly to themselves.

"Snape in the dungeons, Flitwick and Dumbledore in their offices, Sprout on the sixth floor, McGonagall on the fourth." One said to the other, pointing at the parchment.

Harry and Daphne crept closer and looked over the shoulder of the one holding the parchment and had to hold in their gasps of surprise.

It was a map of Hogwarts, and on it they could see dots clustered together, and with a closer look at one of the clusters they noticed that it was the location of the Slytherin common room. Daphne's eyes searched the map and she found two dots on the fourth floor labeled 'Fred Weasley' and 'George Weasley' where they were currently standing, but no dots to indicate herself or Harry.

The one holding the map, George she idly corrected in her mind, whispered "Mischief Managed" and the map cleared, and after folding it up and tucking it away in his robes the twins left, going in the direction of the corridor Dumbledore had warned the students to not enter.

"Did you see that?" Daphne whispered and felt Harry's chest vibrate against her back as he answered. "Yeah, that map is incredible! How do you think they got it?"

"It is, but I wasn't talking about that. Harry, we weren't on it." She told him, and Harry let out a thoughtful noise.

"The cloak must have hidden us. Dumbledore did say it could avoid things like that." Harry pondered. And it was a good job it had, they both had no desire to be caught out of hours by the prankster twins.

"That map could come in handy." Daphne had suggested, which Harry agreed with but refused to take it from them.

"It's theirs, I'm not going to steal from them." He had said firmly.

"I wasn't suggesting we do, but if we found something to trade, or offered money for it?"

"I doubt they'd be willing to hand it over to us." Harry decided, but Daphne was determined to think of a way to get their hands on the map and what they could offer to the Weasley twins in exchange.

When the twins had appeared at breakfast the next day, unharmed from their excursion into the corridor that promised "a most painful death", it had taken only a shared look for the other to know their thoughts.

They made their own venture that night.

It was dark and eerily quiet as they walked along, both expecting something to jump out of the shadows and attack them, but they went undisturbed as they walked along, opening each door to find nothing but dusty and abandoned classrooms before finally reaching another innocuous door at the end.

Daphne reached out to try the door and found it to be locked. "Alohomora?" She suggested, and Harry shrugged behind her.

"Do you think it'll be that simple? This is the only door that's locked, whatever's here is behind it."

"It's worth a shot." She pulled her wand and pointed it at the lock. "Alohomora!"

And, with a click, the door unlocked.

"You've got to be kidding me," Harry said in disbelief at how easy it had been.

"Shall we?" Daphne sang, opening the door and revealing the room and what lay within.

Which, to their immediate fear, was an enormous three-headed dog, each of the heads lifting up and sniffing the air as the door seemingly opened of its own accord.

"Huh. A Cerberus. You don't see that every day." Daphne said in an oddly calm voice as she froze in place.

The Cerberus got to its feet to closer inspect the doorway they were standing in, and they both saw the trapdoor that had previously been hidden by its body. When it got closer, Harry dragged Daphne backward, slamming the door closed behind them and breathing heavily.

They walked quickly back through the corridor until they exited, rushing back through the school silently until they arrived back in the common room and entered Harry's room.

"What the hell is that doing in a school?!" Harry questioned frantically, feeling the adrenaline dump.

"It was guarding the trapdoor, that's what they're known for, they're guardians," Daphne told him as she sat on his bed.

"In a room that could be opened by a first-year spell?" Harry asked incredulously.

"We were warned not to go there." Daphne pointed out evenly.

"How are you so calm about this?" Harry demanded, eyeing her. "Wait...you wanted to pet it, didn't you?" He asked suspiciously.

Daphne gave him a filthy look. "Of course not! Do you think I have a death wish?"

They fell silent.

Until...

"Although, it was kind of adorable."

Harry had suggested that they ask Hagrid about the Cerberus, but Daphne had argued against it.

"We were told not to go there on pain of death, if anyone finds out we did we'll be in detention until Easter."

In the end, they said nothing, though they had gone back the next night and Harry had charmed the door to become see-through on their side so Daphne could examine the dog, gushing all night about how cute it was. Harry told her she had issues, and she happily agreed with his assessment and shamelessly began sketching the Cerberus whilst Harry tried not to fall asleep standing up.

There was no question in Harry's mind that they would be taking Care of Magical Creatures as one of their electives in their third year.

Thursday night of that week found them in the Great Hall, tucking into the Halloween feast. Almost every inch of the hall had been decorated, jack o' lanterns dotting the tables and thousands of bats fluttering around their heads.

Daphne was in the process of convincing Harry to try and turn Snape into a bat when the doors to the hall burst open and Professor Quirrell sprinted into the hall, a look of terror on his face.

"Troll! Troll in the dungeons!" He shouted, running to the Head Table and coming to a stop in front of Dumbledore. "Thought you ought to know." He said, and fainted.

Harry couldn't believe that this was their Defence teacher as around them the hall exploded in an uproar of terrified screams and shouts.

Purple firecrackers shot out of Dumbledore's black wand with a bang, silencing the students.

"Prefects," He said authoritatively. "Lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Without question, the students began to rise and leave the hall, prefects quickly taking the lead and guiding their houses from the hall. The Slytherins lucked out, as they could follow Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick as they raced into the dungeons, depositing them at the door and disappearing in search of the troll.

They entered the common room and found the tables covered with plates of food - evidently, the feast had been moved to each common room. Not very hungry after the excitement, Harry and Daphne retreated to the latter's room and discussed the events.

"Trolls are really simple creatures, there's no way one could wander into Hogwarts." Daphne said, thinking hard.

"It could have wandered out of the forest?" Harry suggested, but she shook her head.

"No, they live in the mountains, their skin is grey so it helps them blend in."

"So, what? Do you think someone let it in?" He asked, and she quirked her mouth as she thought about it.

"Maybe, but I don't know why anyone would. Trolls are dangerous."

In the end, all they could do was speculate, and they decided to catch up on their homework for the remainder of the night. They had been at work for an hour before a loud ringing echoed throughout the room, and the voice of their Head of House spoke:

"Get in the common room immediately!"

Following his instructions, they gathered in the common room with the rest of their house where Snape stood in front of the door, arms in his sleeves and a blank, unreadable look on his face as he waited for them all to arrive.

Once they had done so, he spoke in a toneless voice. "The troll has been dealt with...however, your classes tomorrow have been canceled." The room erupted into furious whispers until the man glared at them all. "A student has been killed by the beast."

They all stared at him.

"Who, Professor?" An older girl whispered fearfully.

The man's eyes raked over them all before he answered.

"Hermione Granger."

I told you.

Things will deviate, and we will be deviating from canon logically.

I hope the backstory for Daphne's family was satisfactory, it was a lot of fun to write, as was the rest of this chapter because I can now show the relationship and interactions between them both more.

English-To-Hagrid translator was my friend when writing this. I know it might seem strange to have Hagrid befriend Harry, as he has a natural distrust of Slytherin, but I figured that Harry being his parent's kid, and McGonagall probably praising him in the staff room he'd extend the olive branch and give him a chance. Daphne just wins him over because of how she was with Fang, Hagrid probably knows that as a child she would have nothing to do with whatever crimes he believes her parents committed, and anyone who loves animals will win points in his book.

Also, it's my story and I adore Hagrid so I had to have him. Sue me.

I'm sorry to anyone that loves Hermione but she had never going to have a role in this story, it was always going to end like this in my mind when Harry went to another house.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the first scene and the last scene were really important to this story so hopefully they've been acceptable.

And thank you to everyone that has followed, favourited and reviewed, you are all amazing.

Enjoy.