All that chaos had started in an almost innocent way: a snowball flying towards Megan Jones, hitting her squarely on the head. The culprit? Sally-Anne Perks, who, just minutes earlier, had exchanged harsh words with Megan during a trivial argument about who should organize the next book club meeting. Who could have imagined that such a simple, almost childish gesture would trigger the greatest chain reaction ever seen in the history of Hogwarts?
What began as a confrontation between two students quickly escalated into a general frenzy. In a matter of minutes, the snow in the main courtyard turned into ammunition, and students from all houses — from the reserved Ravenclaws to the competitive Hufflepuffs, the cunning Slytherins, and, of course, the daring Gryffindors — were swept into a wild snowball fight. The sound of laughter, shouts, and taunts echoed through the castle grounds, mingling with the muffled impact of snowballs hitting moving targets.
And in the midst of all that pandemonium was Harry Potter.
With disheveled hair and glasses fogged by the snow, he laughed gleefully while throwing snowballs at his targets with the precision of a chaser. "Potter, duck!" someone shouted, and Harry instinctively dived, narrowly dodging a snowball that looked more like ice than snow.
Getting up quickly, he looked around, trying to locate his friends amidst the confusion. Ron was leading an attack against a mixed group of Slytherins and Ravenclaws, shouting something like "Flank them!" with the enthusiasm of a general. Hermione, on the other hand, with hair even wilder than usual, was throwing snowballs with an uncharacteristic fury after being hit and seeing her precious books fall into the snow.
Harry, however, didn't have much time to reflect. A snowball thrown with military precision struck his shoulder, scattering icy flakes all over his cloak. He turned to find the perpetrator — and there she was, Daphne Greengrass.
Tall and slender, Daphne had her blonde hair tied in a messy ponytail, with a few loose strands framing her pale face, which displayed a mischievous smile. Her blue eyes shone with a mixture of malice and amusement, as if she were having far more fun than she should with all the chaos. She wore the typical Slytherin uniform but with a touch of negligence rarely seen: the edges of her cloak were dirty with snow, and her green tie, instead of being around her neck, was tied around her forehead like an improvised headband, giving her the appearance of a wild warrior in the midst of a battlefield.
Something about that sight made Harry's stomach twist strangely. Daphne Greengrass looked… dangerously attractive, which left him slightly disconcerted. But there was no time for distractions. This was still a war, and she needed to be taken down.
With a new snowball in hand, Harry launched himself towards her. Daphne, noticing his move, let out a teasing laugh and dashed in the opposite direction, disappearing amidst the chaos of students in the heat of battle. Determined, Harry followed her, dodging snowballs and shouts while trying not to lose sight of his opponent. She was fast, almost as if she knew exactly where she was going, and he realized he was being led to a more isolated part of the courtyard.
When it seemed he was close enough to hit her, Daphne made a sharp turn, leaping over a pile of snow with impressive agility. Harry followed without hesitation — and almost fell into her trap. Beneath the soft snow, Daphne had hidden a heap of hard, slippery ice. He slipped, almost losing his balance, but managed to grab onto a low branch of a nearby tree before falling completely.
"Close one, Potter," she taunted, stopping a few meters away. Her smile was even broader now.
Harry quickly regained his footing, forming another snowball in his hands. "You'll have to do better than that, Greengrass."
Daphne laughed and took a few steps closer, narrowing her eyes as if sizing him up. They now stood face to face, just a few meters apart, and the world around them seemed to silence for a moment. The air was charged with tension and challenge, like one of those Western standoffs Harry had seen on the Dursleys' TV.
Both stood motionless, each with a snowball ready in hand. Her eyes gleamed with anticipation, while Harry felt his heart race — and not just because of the imminent duel.
"Ready to lose, Potter?" she asked, her voice low and challenging.
"Not in a million years, Greengrass," he replied, leaning slightly forward, ready to act.
For an instant, it seemed like time had stopped, and then, simultaneously, both threw their snowballs with relentless precision.
The snowballs flew through the air, crossing the space between them like two spells fired in a duel. Harry saw Daphne's snowball coming directly at him and instinctively sidestepped, feeling the icy chill pass just inches from his ear. His, however, found its target, hitting Daphne on the shoulder and scattering snow all over the left side of her uniform.
She took a step back, the impact drawing a small surprised exclamation from her lips but not wiping the teasing smile from her face. "Good shot, Potter," she admitted, brushing the snow off her shoulder with one hand, while the other was already forming another snowball. "We're tied now."
Harry narrowed his eyes, gripping his next snowball. "For now, Greengrass. But not for long."
"You're quick, I'll give you that," she said, tilting her head slightly as if evaluating the situation. "But how about your stamina? Let's see if you can catch me again."
With that, she spun on her heels and darted across the snowy ground, leaving Harry standing for a second, surprised. "Oh, no, you don't," he muttered to himself before taking off after her.
Daphne weaved through the trees and the snow ruins that once served as improvised forts in the general battle. Harry followed, feeling the cold air cutting across his face as he stepped on the compacted snow. For a moment, it seemed like he was gaining ground, but then Daphne abruptly stopped, turning to face him with a mischievous look.
"Catch this!" she shouted, launching a snowball with all her strength.
Harry had just enough time to duck before the snowball exploded against the tree behind him, scattering snow in all directions. He stood up, laughing, but before he could react, Daphne was already on the move again, disappearing behind another tree.
When he finally caught up with her, she was leaning against a trunk, panting but still smiling. Harry stopped just a few meters from her, the two of them staring at each other like before, but this time, both seemed to be enjoying themselves.
"You don't give up, do you?" she asked, her eyes shining with a mix of exhaustion and excitement as they both tried to catch their breath.
"I'm not very good at giving up," Harry replied, his grin widening. He held another snowball in his hand but hesitated, watching her closely.
"Good," Daphne said, tilting her head slightly. "Then I surrender."
Harry raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. He had learned that Slytherins rarely did anything without an ulterior motive. "That seems too easy. What's the catch, Greengrass?"
She laughed softly, a sound that made something twist in his stomach again. Slowly, Daphne raised her hands as if she were truly surrendering and began to untie the tie from around her head. Harry watched every move carefully, expecting some sort of unexpected trick, but she simply took a few steps forward and held the tie out to him.
Before he could react, Daphne gently took Harry's arm and tied the tie around it, as if it were some kind of trophy. He looked at the green and silver fabric now wrapped around his arm, still slightly skeptical.
"There," she said, giving a small smile. "Now it's official."
"Official?" Harry repeated, confused.
Daphne took another step forward, and before he could say anything else, she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. The unexpected warmth made Harry's face flush almost instantly, and he stood frozen, completely caught off guard.
"These are the terms of my surrender," she murmured, the mischievous smile returning as she pulled back just enough to look into his eyes.
Harry blinked, still trying to process what had just happened. A mix of emotions hit him all at once, like a wave: confusion, surprise, and something harder to identify, something that made his stomach feel like it was flipping.
His heart was beating faster than he'd like to admit, and the warmth where her lips had touched his skin seemed to linger, even with the cold air around them. He felt an unusual nervousness growing in his chest.
"I accept your surrender," he finally said, trying to force a playful tone, although his voice came out slightly huskier than he intended. His heart was still racing, but he tried to hide it, adjusting his glasses and giving a small smile, while her eyes sparkled with evident amusement.
Daphne shrugged, already retreating slowly with a smile that seemed full of promises. "Great. But remember, Potter… next time, you might not be so lucky."
And with that, she turned and walked back toward the castle, while Harry stood there, instinctively touching the cheek where she had kissed him, unable to stop himself from smiling.
--
My entry in Haphne's Christmas challenge
Prompt:
Haphne participates in or is involved in some way in a snowball fight at Hogwarts.
Thank you for reviewing HollowBody
Happy reading!