Chapter 4

A week passed by, with nothing fascinating happening. The usual routine returned, identical to before. The troll was the only thing that had amused Harry, but that amusement had reverted back to boredom the very next day. The week was rather annoying for Harry, as the rumors about the troll being dead had spread around Hogwarts, everyone knew about it. Harry was sick of hearing about the troll everywhere he went, most noticeably in the Great Hall.

Harry was so used to rumors that they hardly annoyed him anymore, but what irritated him was the Weasley boy's never-ending boasting about the troll. He never shut his mouth about it, telling anyone who would listen that he was the one who had coached Daniel to defeat the troll. What a nuisance. When Harry was in a very bad mood, he had been forced to hang the Weasley upside down in the Great Hall in the middle of his bragging speech. As soon as Harry had done so, all of his frustrations had poured out of his system. He had smirked at Weasley's look that day, and his act had brought a round of laughter to the Great Hall.

It had surprised Harry that his brother hadn't been the one to brag about his victory. As far as Harry could tell, Daniel had piped down about the whole fiasco. The incident had probably dealt him a healthy dose of reality. He noticed the Granger girl was now hanging around him more often. That might be a good thing, the girl would unquestionably keep him in line and prevent him from doing anything foolish, not to mention save his arse in a life or death situation.

"Have you noticed how different Sheila has been today, Harry?" Callista formulated an idle conversation.

Harry smiled slightly, recalling the perky girl. "Yeah, she was pretty confident and excited. You know how much she loves playing Quidditch. Do you think Gryffindor will beat Slytherin today?"

Early in the morning, he had wished the perky girl well in her game to which she hugged him enthusiastically, creating some excuse about how the hug was good luck and all that. Harry had shrug it off, thinking it was a girl thing.

"Nobody knows, Harry. We can predict the future, but we can never guarantee it will happen." Callista sliced chocolate pie and handed the pie to Harry, who took it gratefully, before cutting another slice for herself.

"I'm just asking, okay? You know, for making a bet or something…" Callista looked disapprovingly. "Not that I'll be doing that anytime soon," he added hastily, grumbling that he wouldn't be able to wager his galleons.

"You'd better not stake your galleons on something like that, Harry Potter, or else you'll have to answer to us," Callista threatened, pointing her spoon menacingly at his face "We won't be happy if you pull some silly stunt like that again, especially Daphne. Her parents gave you those galleons to spend wisely, not on something as ineffectual as a Quidditch bet."

Harry grunted, shoving a spoonful of pie in his mouth. They were joined by Regine, who sat on Harry's other side as she stretched her hand out for bacon. Nobody minded this, frightened if they produced a comment, they would be forced to confront Harry Potter's wrath. It still made them shudder to think of the events of Harry's first year. Fortunately, each year, every first year was warned to never, ever cross Harry Potter, nor make any scathing statements to his companions.

"What's with the glum face, Harry?" Harry harrumphed, thrusting another spoonful of pie into his mouth. "Callista?"

"Don't mind him, Regine." Callista rolled her eyes. "He wants to gamble, but I won't allow him."

"Harry, how many times do we have to tell you? Gambling isn't good for anyone. I still can't believe the staff allows the Weasley twins to arrange it." Regine straightened her attractive, cascading scarlet hair with her fingers. "Besides, Daphne will never forgive you if you spend your money that way."

Regine offered him some bacon instead, which he snatched and shoved into his mouth without looking at her. Rolling their eyes, both girls shook their heads at his immature behavior. "I think we spoil him too much for his own good, don't we Callista?" Regine whispered in a low voice, grinning.

"Yes, of course, should we lessen it?" Callista murmured softly, returning the grin.

"It's not like you two are sitting beside each other, I'm sitting right between you!"

"Are you, Harry? Oh, gosh, I hadn't noticed. Had you, Callista?" Regine asked innocently, fluttering her eyes.

"So sorry, Harry. Guess we didn't know you were there." The girls burst to giggles at the look on his face.

"Fine, make fun of me and have your laugh. Let's see if it's funny when I flirt with the other girls and ignore you two for the rest of the day."

The girls abruptly concluded their laughter, glowering irately at him as well as remembering his last flirt an hour ago.

"If I find you flirting again, Harry, I'll use that curse I learned from Daphne."

"And, I'll let one of Hagrid's nasty creatures to play with you." Regine scowled.

Harry smirked at their words. "My, so possessive..." He smiled, turning his charm on full force.

Their faces reddened and both turned away from him. The other girls around him blushed at his smile, dropping what they were doing to concentrate on his handsome face.

"Potter, that's enough. You're causing a scene here," Daphne rumbled from behind him, folding her arms and eyeing him with criticism. Harry merely smiled at her, causing her cheeks to turn pink. "I said enough! We're going to be late for the match, come on!"

She spun around and scurried out of the Great Hall. The two girls hastened to Daphne's side. Rising to his feet, Harry sent one final charming smile to the girls at the Ravenclaw table and he chased after his friends. Harry caught up to them outside the castle, making their way to the stands. Harry admired his surroundings, bright and cold, as he towed behind the girls. By the time the clock struck eleven, the stands were filled by the entire school. Harry and the three girls were in the middle, taking the bottom seats. They each had their own omniculars to watch the Quidditch plays.

"Welcome! Welcome to all the ladies and gentlemen out there! I'm Lee Jordan, your commentary for the rest of the Quidditch matches! Remember, my name is Lee Jordan, so if any of you single, hot ladies out there-"

"JORDAN!" McGonagall roared.

"Sorry, Professor... All right, folks, this is the first match of the Quidditch tournament! So, without further ado, allow me to welcome the Gryffindor and the Slytherin!" Students cheered at this, clapping their hands uproariously. "Now, we all heard the rumors, and it appears they're true - it seems that Gryffindor has its own special player this year. Yes, my fellow classmates, it's DANIELLLL POOOOOOTTER!" The cheering grew louder once Daniel mounted his Nimbus 2000 and flew sky-high for everyone to see. "Gotta admit though, it's quite a surprise to see him on the team in his first year. Shocked me quite a bit. It seems that Potter is following in his brothers footsteps, must be in the blood, people. Although, Daniel is taking the position of seeker, and not chaser. The real question is, is he any good? Considering how well Harry Potter rides a broom, we might be looking at the same results with this brother of his. And, we all know how crazy Harry Potter flies on the broom!"

The two captains gathered in the middle of the pitch, Wood and Flint shook hands. Madam Hooch detailed the rules. The whistle from Hooch signified the beginning of the game, and every player in the field clambered aboard their brooms and flew into the air.

"And, they're off! Warrington, not wasting any time, snatches the Quaffle! He passes it to Flint, and the Slytherin chasers are off to Wood! Good player that Wood is, last year only reserve - Flint is making is way over to Wood, trying to score, but stopped by an excellent block from Wood! Angelina Johnson has the Quaffle, and she passes it to Spinnet... Back to Johnson, once again... Oh, and she throws the Quaffle high above! What is she thinking? Chasers Warrington and Pucey fly to it - I knew that was a bad idea - but wait a minute, people! Sheila Jonnet is making a mad dash to the Quaffle! She's got it, evading two chasers all the way! That's some flying, too! Nice dodge on the Bludger, and another skillful dodge from the second speeding Bludger by Jonnet! Out-flying the three chasers, spinning, evading, diving her broom! She's so slippery, it's like her body is covered with slick oil and now, she's rushing to the goal posts! Nothing can stop Jonnet now! Yeah, you bloody show those Slytherins, girl!" McGonagall was too caught up in Sheila's performance to reprimand Jordan for his language or bias. "She's getting closer! And, she takes her shot, wait a minute, it's a fake-out! Keeper Bletcher fell for it! He fell for it! And... and GRYFFINDOR SCORES FIRST, THANKS TO SHEILA JONNET! A great fake-out by Jonnet!"

The cheers from the Gryffindor, aided by Callista and Regine's squeals, sounded through the cold air. Daphne decided to remain neutral, choosing not to support the Gryffindor, though a slight smile was on her face. The howls and moans from Slytherin were clearly drowned out by all the cheers. Harry's binoculars locked onto Sheila, who was grinning at the crowd. The girl must have been training pretty hard over the summer.

"Sheila, I love you so much! Why won't you go out with me?"

"Jordan!"

"You're so hot, so pretty, and so sexy-"

"JORDAN!"

"But it's true, professor! Just look at her!"

"I'm warning you, Jordan!"

"Fine, fine. Back to Slytherin again. They're making their way to the goal posts..."

The game started to get more intense in the last forty-five minutes. The Gryffindor chasers were getting slaughtered out there by the Slytherin. Harry had to restrain himself from hexing both Beaters on the spot. He snarled crossly when Sheila got hit by a Bludger from behind. He wasn't the only one who reacted to it. He had to hold down three girls to keep them from whipping their wands out and cursing the life out of those poor guys. The Slytherin, on a last resort, turned to cheating when the Gryffindor took an outrageous lead. It was 310 to 250, a sixty-point lead.

Relocating his omniculars to find his brother, Harry cocked an eyebrow. His sharp eyes weren't fooling him, his brother's broom was acting weird. It was lurching, for no apparent reason. On top of that, the broom was carrying Daniel higher and higher. If he fell from his broom at that height, there was a strong possibility that he would die. Harry lowered his binoculars. Strange… someone must have used a spell to curse Daniel's broom. Harry delved into his brain for such a spell. The hurling hex. Someone wanted to kill his brother. For that to happen, the person must have casted a wordless, wandless spell or sabotage the broom before the game. But the latter part made no sense, since the broom had acted fine for the last fifty-five minutes.

Clearing his mind, Harry shut his eyes and tuned out the deafening roar of the crowds. The only thing he could do was to trace the magic back to its owner. He breathed calmly and routinely. Yes, there was magic on the broom, and someone had cast it. The magic seemed familiar. Harry concentrated harder, snapping his eyes open to find that the culprit was none other than Quirrell. Harry immediately raised his omniculars and zoomed in on the staff stands. Sure enough, Quirrell's gaze never left Daniel, and his mouth quietly muttered the spell.

But why Quirrell? It shocked Harry to the core.

He had believed Quirrell to be a pathetic failure, both as a professor and a man. It was a slap across Harry's face to learn that all this time, it had been a coward's act to force other's to lower their guard. What a Slytherin. Should he do something? He caught Snape doing something similar to Quirrell. Harry deduced that the greasy Bastard knew what was going on and was choosing not to take any immediate action other than to counter the spell. At least, that was what Harry suspected. There was no other reason for the potions master to be acting in the same manner as Quirrell.

But what was so special about Quirrell that kept Snape from making any commotion? Harry grumbled annoyingly, wishing that Merlin had taught him mind magic. He rearranged his omniculars to look once more at his brother. Daniel was no longer seated on his broom, but was now holding both hands above his head, strongly gripping his broom. Harry lowered his binoculars, quirking his lips in amusement. The kid sure had some luck. Most first years would have simply fallen, not his brother. The crowd was now watching, horrified, and the Weasley twins attempted to get Daniel to land on one of their brooms. Perhaps Harry should just stay put and not lend his brother his aid.

"Merlin, do you guys see that? There's a fire in the professors' stands! How did that happen?" Harry promptly whirled his head to the staff's stands at Regine's comment.

He quickly raised his omniculars to search for the source. Under Snape's feet, Harry caught a glimpse of Granger in a crouching position. So they thought Snape was responsible for this. Well, they were dead wrong about that. As a result, Harry wouldn't have to do anything to help the matters. It's their funerals. Harry shifted his gaze back to his brother as Daniel sped to the ground. Harry saw him clap his mouth, looking entirely sick after his fall. Harry chuckled slightly. He got the Snitch, alright. Daniel coughed it out and held the Snitch in the air, screeching excitedly as he did so. Removing his eyes from his binoculars, Harry shook his head, feeling overwhelmed. The match terminated in complete confusion.

25 December 1985.

A small boy of no more than eight woke in the early morning. He draped himself in an old blanket, clutching it tightly around his body. Today was Christmas, and yet he felt a void of emotion inside him, no happiness, exhilaration, or ecstasy. He coughed from a sickness that was getting the best of his small body. He didn't expect any gifts today, so he simply remained in bed. It wasn't like anyone cared about him, after all. His ears perked up at the sound of laughter. Removing himself from his bed, he walked to the window, fragile body still enveloped in the blanket. He shivered at the cold tiles as his small feet connected with the ground. Tiny drops of falling snow were visible out the window, but nothing more. Scowling weakly at the height of window, the boy cursed his small height.

He feebly dragged the nearest stool over to his window. Climbing warily, he shakily stood atop it and gazed outside. He coughed violently once more, eyes heavy. But he refused to allow his sickness and sleepiness to stop him from watching the happy people outside, laughing, playing childishly, and enjoying the day with high spirits. He hated the way they enjoyed each other's companionship. They playfully tossed snowballs at each other as the boy growled to himself. Locking his eyes onto a married couple, he watched a man with messy black hair chase after a red-headed woman, his little brother in her arms. They laughed, smiling happily.

Unconsciously wiping tears from his eyes, the boy carefully climbed down from his perch. Like an old man, he slowly approached his bed, bringing the old blanket with him. He clambered up and slumped his body into the mattress. The boy struggled to ignore the sound of laughter coming from downstairs and he tried to force himself to sleep.

18 December 1991.

"Nice for all of yeh to drop by, I appreciate that," Hagrid chirped, passing out his notorious rock cakes. The teens smiled nervously and declined the pastries politely. "Can get awful lonely here sometimes. 'Course there's Fang, but he's not much company."

"Of course, Hagrid. We missed you, after all," Regine replied enthusiastically, playing with Fang all the while. The dog was all too happy to see her, his tail wiggling excitedly in joy.

"That's true. As much as I detest expressing my emotions openly, I do miss you and your... animals, Hagrid," Daphne carefully phrased, smiling up a little at the big guy. She sipped from her tea and posed with her ankles crossed, the poster child of a true pureblood.

"See? Even Daphne misses you, Hagrid!" Sheila proclaimed from the floor, where she lounged with Regine and Fang.

"We're sorry we didn't come sooner, Hagrid. A lot has happened these past few months." Callista smiled gently.

"Ah, shucks. Yer makin' me blush now." The gatekeeper did blush.

Harry observed Hagrid. "So, do you like our gift? It was supposed to be for Christmas, but uh... we decided it was more proper as an apology for not visiting you often."

"Do I!" Hagrid boomed happily, admiring his new coat for the millionth time. Finding a coat with that many pockets, coupled with the fine texture of the fabric, was a trip that had cost the children many galleons. "Yeh didn't have to git me anythin'. This giant owes yeh a lot of thanks! I feel awful guilty now, havin' not got anything' for yeh kids. Sorry about that."

"Of course not, Hagrid. It was us who owed you the apology." A glance to his companions, Harry confirmed they were busy with each other to notice what he was about to ask. He leaned across Hagrid's pockmarked table, closer to the giant for a quieter conversation. "Say, Hagrid... out of curiosity, does my brother come here a lot?"

"Now that yeh mention it, he does, Harry. Visits me lots a times. Nice kid, I'll give ya that, much like yerself. Always with Ron and Hermione. But those kids keep meddlin' in things that don' concern 'em, accusing Snape of tryin' ter kill your brother, can yeh believe that?" Hagrid noted absently, chewing his rock cakes.

"Obviously..." Sneaking another glance at the girls, Harry was pleased to discover they were still occupied with something else, and he persisted, "What kinds of things?"

"Well, it's not my place ter say, but... it's always about the Forbidden Corridor, yeh know the one? They sure are persistent, if yeh ask me. That's top secret information Professor Dumbledore gave me, but they keep on askin' me about it. Busybodies, the lo' of 'em."

"I'm sure you'll do an excellent job protecting what the headmaster requested you protect, Hagrid," Harry said, a little too innocently. This went unnoticed, and Hagrid beamed at the compliment. "So, how did you meet my brother? Did he introduce himself to you? I'm just worried about him, Hagrid, you know how siblings are. The elder always looking out for the younger..."

"Tha's quite alrigh', Harry, I understan'. But yeh got it all wrong about that. We starte' our friendship when I gave Daniel some gift. A beautiful snowy owl. I think he named 'er Hedwig. He did defeat you-know-who so I'm expressin' me gratitude to him. Then, I sent him a letter, askin' him to visit me hut for a cup of tea and whatnot. I don' mean ter brin' harm to yer brother, honest. He's a great kid, an' I like 'im."

"Absolutely, Hagrid. I trust you with all my heart. You're my friend, and I'm positive no harm will come to my dear brother when you're with him." Harry smiled, patting Hagrid's large left arm in a friendly gesture. "Enough about my brother. I hope you enjoy the coat we brought for you. Wear it a lot, would you? That would make the girls happy."

"Don' yeh worry, Harry, I intend to. This coat of mine is old and worn, and I'd be happy ter wear that one fer the rest of my life," Hagrid said with determination, again gazing in veneration at his new coat.

In truth, Harry couldn't care less what happened to his brother. Let him die and rot, for all Harry cared. But all of these strange happenings ended in the same conclusion, the Forbidden Corridor. Harry knew it wasn't just some Death Eater wishing to kill his brother. It piqued his interest to know what was inside that room, particularly if it contained a large magical core. It was no coincidence that these occurrences began the same year Daniel began at Hogwarts. But this time, Harry knew that was all the information he would get from Hagrid. He felt a bit guilty for screwing with the big guy's mind, so he stopped digging for any more information, at least for now. If he continued any further, the girls would involve themselves. Above all, Harry wanted to avoid them from knowing.

"You're really going to stay in Hogwarts, Harry?" Sheila blurted out.

It was now afternoon and the group sauntered back toward the castle, having just left Hagrid's hut.

"For the last time, girls, yes, I'm going to stay in Hogwarts, just like the previous year. I'm fine here." Harry sighed.

He scrutinized his surroundings, his four usual companions surrounded him on all sides. Most of Hogwarts Grounds molded in snow, stealing away the green grass. It had been early morning when Regine opted to visit Hagrid, affirming that it had been far too long since she'd last talked with the big guy and she missed him dearly. It prompted for the other four to accompany her to Hagrid's.

"You could come with me to the Muggle world, Harry," Callista suggested. "I'm sure my parents won't mind... Well, mum would be fine with it, but dad is an entirely different matter."

"Or with me, Harry? My family won't mind you staying with us for a couple of weeks," Regine proposed, poking him on the side. "The twins might be a bit of trouble. My little brother Noah might not like it, but you'll fit in there."

"Or mine," Sheila chirped. "The mansion is kind of big for just three people to live in. It's awful lonely with just me and my parents. Well, there are the elves too, but they're always busy working."

"Look, I appreciate what you guys are trying to do here, but I'm staying in Hogwarts like always."

"Mother wants you at home for Christmas, Potter." Harry cocked an eyebrow at her tone. "Don't give me that look. She said if she must, stun you, tie you, and then drag you back home, she will. Just so you know, she wrote me a letter saying she wouldn't take no as an answer. She insists you come with me."

"Why don't you take the offer, Harry? You're close with Daphne's family," Callista piped in.

"Yeah, and Elizabeth is a stubborn woman. Just like someone else I know..." Daphne looked fiercely at Sheila for addressing her mother in such a casual way. "What? Your mum was the one who asked me to call her by her given name, so don't get angry at me for doing what she says."

Harry sighed, reluctantly rejecting her offer. "As much as I'd like to accept it, I have to stay. This year is different... There's something I have to do."

"And what might that be?" Regine enquired.

As on cue, the girls unconsciously leaned in, making Harry feel uncomfortable with the close proximity of their bodies.

"Look, it's just some business that I need to attend to during Christmas. Like I said, I'm staying at Hogwarts. No more coaxing me to get out of here, end of discussion. And that's final," Harry commanded grouchily, quickening his pace.

The four girls shared a look, noiselessly communicating amongst themselves. They were aware they had touched his nerve. Harry never celebrated Christmas with anyone. He stayed in Hogwarts every year, refusing their gracious offers to spend time with them and their families. It seemed that Christmas never fail to remind him of many painful memories from his childhood. And now, they would be forced to fight the awkwardness for the rest of the day. Bit by bit, a grin coiled upon Sheila's lips, making the other girls wary. But before they could advise her not to execute whatever plan she had in mind, she had already dashed to Harry. Bending down expertly whilst running, she scooped up a handful of snow and constructed it into a ball, tossing it straight at her friend. It hit Harry's back, halting him in his tracks.

The other three girls watched Sheila's display of boldness in horror. Although, such behavior was to be expected from Sheila.

Her grin fell in small increments, as it occurred to her that he might be angry. As she was on the brink of apologizing, full-frontal snowball assaulted her. She gasped at the sudden coldness rushing to her face and she wasn't the only one. Fluttering her eyes, she glanced sideways to see the other three girls' stunned expressions. They, too, had been hit by snowballs, each of them having landed at the same time. Looking upfront, they stared at a superior-looking Harry, his wand in his right hand and a snowball in his left.

Lightly tossing the snowball in his left hand, he pointed his wand at the flying orb. "Geminio." The single snowball duplicated itself into four, all aimed at the girls. They gasped again as they were each hit at the same time. This time, however, Sheila grinned evilly as she used her Quidditch skills to toss a perfectly aimed snowball right back at Harry. Harry sidestepped the flying ball and Sheila pouted. Amused, Harry pointed to her side. Bewildered, Sheila glanced to her left and gasped audibly as three more snowballs struck her. Callista presented her an innocent smile, Regine was looking a bit guilty, whereas Daphne's was with a smirk of contentment. She didn't even bother to hide it. Huffing, Sheila dug into the snow and routinely launched more snowballs at them.

A grin erupted from Harry's lips as he entered Sheila's assault. The shrieks of joy from the girls, followed by laughter, could be heard around the castle grounds. All five fourth years dove into the snowball fight, mischievously attacking each other from a distance. For once, Harry ignored them matter of immature childishness and simply took pleasure in his entertaining companions. For the first time in years, Harry laughed blissfully. His morose sadness didn't reside in him on that bright, sunny day. It was the first time he'd experienced a snowball fight the likes of which he'd observed among others playing around the Potter mansion every time Christmas rolled around.

24 December 1991.

King's Cross Station was packed, full of people awaiting their children's arrival. They itched in excitement, barely able to suppress their joy at the thought of spending Christmas with their children. As a final burst of smoke was released from the chimney of the Hogwarts train, it pulled to a stop. Children enthusiastically burst from the train, hustling toward their respective families.

Lily Potter's lips curled into a smile of their own accord and she engulfed Daniel in a loving embrace. Happiness was written all over his features. A mixture of guilt and pain stabbed Lily's heart, thinking of her eldest son. Never once had she greeted Harry when he came home. Tears began to materialize in her emerald eyes, and she desperately held them back. Liberating her youngest son from her loving embrace, he hustled to greet the others. Lily could hardly concentrate and she found herself drifting off as Daniel introduced her to his friends. She forced a smile when her son introduced her to a bushy-haired girl, not wishing to make a bad impression on her son's friends. Where was Harry? She averted her gaze to the bustling crowd, visibly searching for her other son.

Transferring her attention back to her family, she observed that they were fairly occupied with themselves, and she surreptitiously slipped away. Evading the crowds with her petite body, she walked in the direction of the train, peering on her toes from left to right, seeking Harry. Her eyes flickered to a group of four girls descending the train steps. Lily's mouth parted slightly, recalling these girls from Harry's pictures. Mustering up her courage, she strode over to them, observing them as she got closer. They were chatting together, giggling at something, or in the blonde's case, smirking. A sense of disbelief dwelled inside Lily at the thought of four girls, especially a Slytherin, befriending others outside their own house. One thing was for certain, she couldn't put aside of how pretty and suitable each girl was to their own house, in their own way.

She inspected them rather scrupulously. Her eyes settled on the blonde.

She was like her mother, extremely beautiful, bearing a certain grace, and possessing deep, icy light green eyes. The lustrous straight blonde hair cascading down with stylish bangs matched her porcelain skin. The girl beside her had a length of attractive blue hair, her skin the color of ivory to compliment her gorgeous blue eyes, aided by a touch of azure. Those eyes seemed capable of enthralling people when they darted straight at you, mesmerizing you. She had a constant aura of gentles exuded out of her. Standing next to her was a girl whose red hair was disparate to the Weasley's, or Lily's own. It was more in scarlet color.

To Lily's credit, the girl's hair was much darker, thicker, and above all more luscious than any of the girls in front of her. The girl's long hair was appealingly smooth with a bit of curls, and her golden eyes dazzled with such rare colors. Her skin was unblemished, comparable to the Greengrass girl's. The last girl was perky-looking. Her raven hair was boyishly spiky, pointing in all different directions, yet somehow maintaining a sophisticated manner. She was definitely tomboyish, but there was no qualm in the eyes of males that the perky girl was a jewel worthy of a good chase, what with that athletic figure of hers. The girl's skin was lightly tanned, and her enticing red orb eyes shone enthusiastically.

The girls were too caught up in their own conversation to detect her eavesdropping them from a close range.

"I hope Harry likes my gift," Sheila chirped, smoothing out her costly robe.

"Let me guess, it's some sort of Quidditch equipment," Daphne drawled teasingly.

The energetic girl glared at the blond, her cheeks tinged red. "At least he likes it!" In response to it, Daphne smirked. This infuriated the black-haired girl even more and red flames spread throughout her entire face. Daphne just loved pushing Sheila's buttons.

"Daphne, will you please stop teasing Sheila? At the very least, she put forth an effort and Harry enjoyed her gift as much as ours, so leave Sheila alone," chastising her friend softly, Callista mended the blue scarf around her neck. Sheila poked her tongue out, grinning jubilantly. Daphne grumbled.

"You guys didn't get him anything expensive, did you? He's uncomfortable with gifts that cost too many galleons, not to mention he doesn't have enough galleons to buy us those kinds of gifts. But I did... I hope he won't be mad at me."

Smiling to some extent, Daphne hugged Regine lightly. "No need to fret about it, Regine. You're not the only one, the rest of us did too. He'll just have to deal with it. After all, my parents bought him with even more of a luxurious gift than we did. It makes me wonder if they love him more than me and my sister." She rolled her eyes at this last statement, recollecting one of the letters her mother had sent her.

"He'll be so surprised tomorrow. The look on his face will be priceless! Oh, I can't wait!" Sheila squealed. The three girls grinned knowingly for the events they anticipated tomorrow morning.

Lily disregarded the culpability of her never having gotten a gift for Harry, not even once. She drew closer to the teenage girls. "Um…Excuse me?"

"Yes?" Sheila excitedly greeted the new stranger, though her grin died down once she recognized the person.

Lily marveled at what had just transpired. She detected the same emotions radiating from the other girls as well, particularly the Greengrass's eldest daughter. What had she done to them to make their eyes blaze with pure hatred and revulsion? She concealed the quiver in her spine as warmth immediately fled from them, the temperature sinking to ice. Lily was beginning to think that approaching them had been a terrible idea.

"What do you want?" Regine snarled crossly.

"What my friend means is, could we help you with something, Mrs. Potter?" Lily was conscious that the girl's smile was plainly forced.

"You know me?" Lily asked lamely.

Sheila snorted, spitting her words out, "Oh, please. Who doesn't know the mother of the great Boy Who Lived? Everyone in the Wizarding world knows her! Every woman wants to be her! Let's all salute and bow down to every girl's idol, Lily fucki-"

"Sheila!" Callista shot her friend looks of reproach. She shifted her gaze from her huffing friend back to the woman in front of them. "I'm sorry for my friend's... boorishness, Mrs. Potter. She's not usually like this. Please forgive her."

While surprised at the callous treatment she was getting, Lily hid it. "It's fine." At the back of her mind, she rummaged her memory, trying to place the exact moment if she had offended any of them.

"Yes, well, what can we do for you? We have to meet our family sooner or later, we don't have time to dawdle here all day," Daphne spoke mildly, discounting Callista's glare.

Lily startled at the scorn in the girl's tone. "Yes, um... I was wondering if any of you have seen my eldest son. Harry?"

It was quickly evident that that had been the wrong thing to say. Each girl scarcely contained their anger, noticeably trembling and clenching their fists as their jaws hardened furiously. The Ravenclaw girl saved Lily from the three girls who were dying to curse her right on the spot. Her eyes narrowed coldly.

"Mrs. Potter," she began, inhaling a huge amount of air to systemize her distress emotions. "I'm not familiar with being a mother such as yourself. You can see that I'm underage. But, I am quite convinced that if I did have children, I would know where they were, how they were doing, how sad or happy they were, and most essentially, I would understand them, interior and exterior, without missing even the tiniest speckle in their life. I'm perplexed by this question you've asked us, when clearly you, yourself, must know where your son is, yes? You are his mother, are-you-not?" She emphasized the last three words through her gritted teeth, her knuckles white and her body was quaking with fury.

Blanched, Lily's eyes grew wide, her tongue too dry to respond to the verbal slap the girl had just handed her. "If you'd bother to jog your memory back, you would find that he's remained at Hogwarts, just as he has the past three years. Surely you're aware of this, right? Now, if you'll excuse us, our families are waiting. Have a pleasant day," Regine intercepted briskly, steering an irate Callista away from Lily and guiding her other two friends in the same direction. Without a single glance, they abandoned Lily there, with her mouth hanging open and her mind replaying their words again and again.

24 December 1980.

"Harry? Harry, where have you gone off to?" a voice cried out.

Twenty year old Lily was hunting for her son everywhere in the mansion. Anxiety was rising inside of her as she couldn't make out the small three year old boy anywhere. For him to be missing during a time of war spiked Lily's worry. To add to her fear, night was about to fall. Honestly, ever since that boy had begun to walk on his tiny little feet, he'd been vanishing from her sight more than one occasion. He was sneaky for his own good. Relief swept over her when she spotted a tuft of black hair through a window at the rear of the house, directly in front of the garden. Her son was attempting to build some sort of figure in the snow. Wasting no time, Lily rushed to the door. She wrapped a coat tightly around her body, slipped her feet into high boots, and sauntered to her son.

"Harry, what are you doing outside? What did I say about telling me before you go somewhere? What do you have to say for yourself, young man?" Lily's hands were on her hips in an attempt to appear mad, however, her face softened at the bright smile on her boy's baby face. Nobody could resist Harry's smile, it never failed to put people at ease. Such a thing made Lily wonder to herself if it was a blessing, or a curse. "What are you doing, baby?"

"Making snowman! Mommy told Harry Muggles build for fun, so Harry wants to try!" He smiled cheekily and resumed his fun.

Lily studied at what her son claimed was his snowman, giggling quietly at what looked like a snow version of a goblin. No way would Lily be capable of doing such thing without magic. She shook her head in amazement. She and James frequently thought their son may be some sort of genius. It was simply extraordinary for a three year old boy to pronounce his words accurately and perform the tasks usually left to adults. Nevertheless, he was still a child and fun was what attracted him, as opposed to learning from his experiences.

Fluttering her eyes in mild incredulity, she laughed so loudly she swore people at Hogwarts could hear. Harry was creating a perfect imitation of James's round glasses around the eyes of his snowman. Harry pouted at her, scowling cutely. He didn't like it when people laughed at him for no apparent reason. Choking the laughter aside, she cradled him in her arms and smiled down at him. Harry's scowl dissolved at his mommy's smile and he grinned, looking back at his snowman. She transferred her gaze to the snowy figure as well.

Twirling her head back to her baby, she kissed his cheek lovingly and embraced him securely. "Let's go inside, baby. I'll make your favorite, a cup of delicious hot chocolate."

"Yay! Chocolate! Harry gets to drink one!"

"Yes, but not too much. Too much will be bad for you." He pouted, his bottom lip shoved forward and quivered, his small arms crossed.

Lily grinned, pinching one of his soft cheeks tenderly. "Alright, alright… But, just this once."

Harry grinned and she rolled her eyes affably. Out of the blue, a pair of strong arms emerged, snaking around her waist. Lily jumped.

"What about me?" the man whispered huskily in her right ear, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

"James! Don't creep up on us like that!" Discarding the shudder she felt from his affection, she reprimanded him for scaring the life out of her. The man grinned in response, causing her to blush madly and bury her face in Harry's hair to hide the color.

"Daddy!" Harry shouted enthusiastically, squirming in excitement in his mother's arms.

James reverted his grin to his son, detaching himself from Lily to focus on him.

"Harry!" he greeted in the same tone his son had. Harry giggled. "How's my son today? Did you have fun, Harry?"

"Yes, Harry did! Harry makes snowman! Look daddy, there!" He giddily pointed his small finger at his snowman, proud of his handiwork.

James shuffled to his son's snowman, squinting his eyes and rubbing his chin. "It looks more like a goblin to me. Are you sure this is your snowman, Harry? Isn't a snowman supposed to be three snowballs, two sticks, bunch of pebbles, a hat, a scarf and a carrot? Isn't that what you told me, Lily? And Merlin... Are those my glasses?" James asked in shock.

Lily burst in laughter, unable to restrain herself. Diverting his astonishment to his son, James joined in his wife's laughter. Harry gazed from his daddy to his mommy, perplexed. What was it about adults laughing at him?

"It's not funny! Don't laugh at Harry!" he shrieked, throwing his tiny arms in the air indignantly. He folded his arms over his tiny chest and huffed angrily.

"I'm sorry, baby. It's just so funny, that's all." Cackling all the while, Lily wiped the tears from her eyes.

James grinned. "Daddy sorry, too, Harry. Like mommy said, it is funny."

Lily smiled fondly at her son, who refused to respond. "Alright, to make up for it, mommy will make that hot chocolate she promised. How's that?"

"Yay! Chocolate!" Like a flip of a switch, Harry rooted for it, accompanied by a laughing James.

Shaking her head with a smile, Lily carried her son back to the house, James at her side. Both males chanting for chocolate as the Potter family entered the mansion. They didn't notice the first that a single snowflake glided its way to fall atop the snowman, followed by a shower of more. Crystal snowflakes poured from the heavens to announce the arrival of Christmas.

25 December 1991.

Harry roused from the dream slowly, staring blankly at the ceiling.

He had fallen asleep in the Ravenclaw common room last night, sprawled on the sofa near the fireplace, a blanket draped around his body. Not many people remained in Hogwarts, most people opting to return to their homes for the holidays. In fact, Harry was the only Ravenclaw to stay in Hogwarts. A fact he didn't mind as he was far too used to being alone that at times he hardly even noticed what might be called a lonely situation. Turning his body sideways, he gazed at the crackling fire warming the common room.

Remembering it was morning, Harry rose to his feet. Waving his hand, he summoned his bathrobe and threw it around his body. He sighed wearily. He should have accepted Daphne's offer to accompany her to her mansion and spend time with the Greengrass', but he really hadn't wanted to get in the way of their family time. He was becoming a burden to them, always commanding their money and attention, indirectly, of course. He walked lazily to the boys' dormitory, heading straight for the bathroom, intent to shower in fresh, hot water.

After twenty minutes spent refreshing himself and putting on some elegant clothes, he moved to his gifts, surprised to find only one - a stark contrast to the piles of gifts he had acquired in previous years. Harry had believed he was used to not receiving gifts, but found that he felt hollow to know that the girls hadn't gotten him anything. Persistently ignoring the emptiness inside him, he snatched the package from the ground. Sitting on his bed, the package rest in his lap. He wondered why the package was so small. He was suspicious of this, examining it thoroughly. Not sensing even the slightest danger, he unfastened the small box and discovered a single piece of parchment inside.

Curiously, he lifted it and read the words:

As you finish reading this line, a Portkey will be activated.

Harry's eyes grew wide with alarm as he tried to release the parchment, or burn it wandlessly. Before he had the time to react, he was sucked into a whirling vortex. He landed roughly in an improper heap, somewhere in an opulence room. Massaging his sore butt incessantly, he studied his location. The sound of giggles behind him immediately raised his guard. Instantly rising to his feet, he spun around in a defensive stance, ready to beat the living crap out of his kidnapper. Instead, he found his jaw dropping open slightly when he stumbled across familiar faces.

"What did I tell you? He's horrible at magical travel." Daphne was smirking.

"What are you girls doing here?" Harry whispered breathlessly.

"Oh my, did we shock the mighty Harry Potter?" Regine teased. "Behold, the mighty Harry Potter, crumbling at our feet!"

Sheila laughed, launching herself at Harry and embracing him. "Happy Christmas, Harry!"

She was soon mimicked by the other girls, all but Daphne, who stood rigidly from where she was. She offered only a tender smile to her friend.

"What are you all doing here? More importantly, what the hell is going on? Why am I not at Hogwarts?" Harry loosened himself from their hugs.

Daphne spoke for all of them. "As much as we respect your decision to stay at Hogwarts, and admire your sacrifice to allow us to spend quality time with our families, we disagree with it. Because of this, we came to an agreement. We each refused to allow you to spend Christmas alone, so..."

"So, we planned to spend Christmas together at Daphne's place!" Sheila finished excitedly for Daphne. "All of us have been waiting here for you to drop by."

"Us?" Harry's head was spinning dizzily.

"Yes, us four, plus our families. My parents, too," Callista pointed out to Harry.

"B-but I should stay at Hogwarts! I don't have permission from Flitwick to go home!"

"Have you ever wondered to yourself why Professor Flitwick never approached you this year, Harry? He usually wants to know the reason why you won't go home during Christmas. But this year, he didn't ask, did he?" Sheila cracked a mischievous grin. "Someone must have slipped your name to Professor Flitwick."

"A-aren't we supposed to write our names down in our own writing?"

"That charm you used to alter a person's writing style to match someone else's does continue to prove its usefulness, Harry," Callista filled in with a matching grin.

"B-but h-h-how did you do it without confronting him? You have to give the parchment to your head of house yourself, not by giving it to other people. That's against the rules!"

"Funny you should mention that, Harry. You never know when a nice cup of Polyjuice might come in handy," Regine offered innocently, flashing Harry a similar grin.

"What? B-but brewing Polyjuice takes months. There's no way anyone could do it in such short time!"

Daphne's smirk turned to a sly grin. "Not if your mother supplies you with the potion and assists you with your plans. Did you really think a group of fourth years such as ourselves could produce a Portkey to transport you here, all by ourselves?" Their eyes glinted in hilarity.

Harry had to admit that it was a devious plan. They had managed to do all that behind his back? Thankfully, he never underestimated the girls. If he did, there would be hell to pay. "Bloody hell, that was brilliant! You managed to do all that without me suspecting anything? In just three days, too! Wow... I - what - this is - you girls... I can't believe you girls have made me speechless... This must be a bad dream... Yes, Potter... A very bad dream..." The girls erupted in laughter, clearly taking pleasure in his reaction. It wasn't everyday they shocked Harry Potter to death. This was the first time, and they relished every moment of it.

"Alright, girls, leave the poor boy alone. That's enough surprises for one day," a soft voice butted in. Harry looked up to come across a smiling Elizabeth by the door. "This also means you'll be living here for two weeks in the manor, before returning to Hogwarts, Harry."

"What about my clothes? I don't have anything to wear."

"Oh, honestly, Harry. Is it really that bad to spend time with us? So bad that you're forced to make such ridiculous excuses?"

"N-no! I just don't want to be in the way..." He smiled nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

"Nobody said you would be. Now, come downstairs, everyone is waiting for the five of you," Elizabeth said to the teenagers. "As for your clothes, Harry, now don't worry, William and I took the liberty of buying you new clothes-" Harry was about to object, but one stern look from her, and he shut himself up. "Yes, I know how uncomfortable you are with it, but just think of them as gifts from William and I, alright, Harry?"

"I - um..." Calming the raging storm of his emotions, Harry seized a deep breath before smiling sincerely at her. "...Thank you."

This elicited a large smile from her as she welcomed him, hauling him into her warm embrace. As she let him go, she commanded them all one final time before fading from the room and heading downstairs. Both of Harry's hands were tugged by Sheila and Regine as both girls gleeful lead him away, keener than ever to tear open their presents. Callista good-naturedly placed her hand on the small of his back to lend her support, smiling gently at him. Daphne just lay a hand on his shoulder, squeezing kindly as she smiled softly. Harry was astounded by all of this, but nevertheless, a large smile wiped across his face.

Lily moved a stray strand of her daughter's raven hair away as Rosaline slept peacefully, a smile upon her face. A wolf doll was enveloped in Rosaline's arms. From downstairs, there came a bustle of laughter and chatter. Today was Christmas, and as per usual, the Potter mansion was filled with friends, acquaintances, distant relatives, so on and so forth. Lily had constructed many reasons to withdraw herself from the party, the best of all was the need to take care of her daughter. Though she had left a bit too abruptly, and far too early in the evening. Since Rosaline was about to collapse from exhaustion, yawning constantly, Lily had to prepare her for bed.

Her eyes examined her daughter's tiny form, the thickness of the blanket enfolding her body protecting her from the cold chill of winter. Her daughter momentarily turned to a delusion of five year old Harry. Questions popped into her mind. When Harry was five, did he freeze? How had he coped with the cold? Did his body constantly shiver in the frosty snow? Most importantly, how had he handled the loneliness of celebrating Christmas alone? She held in the sob that threatened to escape from her throat, tears blurring her eyes.

She stood to exit her daughter's room, careful not to wake Rosaline with the noise of her sobs. Hearing cheers echo up the stairs, Lily realized she was no longer in the mood to celebrate Christmas. The thought of her eldest son had dampened her spirits. So she resigned herself to her room, quietly closing the door behind her. She strolled to a small trunk, silently sitting atop one of the desks. Unlocking it, she lifted the cover to see a singular photo laying inside it. She lifted this, now neglecting the trunk as she brought the picture to her chest, clutching it tightly. This was the only picture she had of Harry.

She had searched the mansion from top to bottom, looking for anything that could remind her of Harry, but she had wind up empty-handed. She wished to explore Harry's room in search of memories, but had eventually chosen against it, seeing as she hadn't stepped foot in the room for many years. He might be angry to find that she had been touching his things and messing around his tidy room. Lily walked to the large balcony on the edge of her and James' room. The scene of nature from the balcony was magnificent, consisting of trees, mountains, and the ocean. In spite of the coldness outside, she ignored the chill. She sat down in one of the comfortable chairs set out on the balcony, collapsing deeply into the softness of the texture.

Her mind switched to the events yesterday, the day she had confronted the four girls that usually framed Harry in all his pictures. The words from the girl with the pretty azure eyes kept replaying in Lily's mind, the truth in her insensitive words. Even though what the girl spoke of wasn't directed at Lily, she could appreciate what the girl was implying. The words had felt as though Lily had been slapped by the girl's own hand and she couldn't blame them for their anger. They knew her role as a mother hadn't been performed flawlessly, as even she would admit she had neglected Harry. She was glad, though, pleased that there was someone out there who cared about her son so much.

A blanket placed around her body jolted her from her thoughts. She looked to her side, expecting to see her husband, but instead finding her son, looking inquisitively at her. "What are you doing out here, Mum? Without anything to cover your body from the cold? And…have you been crying?" Hastily, Lily wiped at her tears, smiling softly at her son.

At times, Daniel could act like James, but at other times, he could be so gentle, sweet, and caring. Lily could see her own self in him. It was like he had split himself into two people. His usual attitude was a bit pompous, constantly basking in his glory, while other times he was selfless, putting others before himself, noble, attentive, and caring for his loved ones. She disliked his pretentiousness more than anything, and she blamed James for it. James was more arrogant than Daniel was in his youth. Thankfully, James had wise up and she couldn't ask nothing more for the love of her life and for a man she would gladly spend the rest of her life with.

Nonetheless, after the Troll Incident, Lily became aware that her son was no longer as conceited as he used to be. It was like his eyes and mind had been opened to the reality of the world. She was also aware that he was putting a lot of thought into things these days. People believed that Daniel hadn't changed a bit, but they were all wrong. He was beginning to. His best friend Hermione was one of the reasons for his slow-paced changes, and the other was the Troll fiasco. Lily and James were still somewhat shaken from Daniel's encounter with the Troll, much less the way he had killed it. Deep down, they knew Daniel was as shaken from the experience as they were.

"I'm fine, sweetie, just revisiting some old memories," Lily made an excuse for herself.

Daniel seated himself in the chair beside her, adjusting his round glasses. "That must be some memory if it made you cry. Is it really that bad, Mum?"

"Daniel, don't worry about me. I'm fine… Why don't you just enjoy yourself?" she proposed.

Daniel chortled without much humor. "I'm not in the mood to celebrate Christmas this year, Mum… I have a lot on my mind…"

"What's wrong?" When her son didn't respond immediately, Lily became concerned. "Daniel, what's the matter, honey?"

The boy exhaled his breath noisily. He leaned his back against the chair, looking at the dark sky. "It's just... Well, a lot, actually... It's nothing important, but I've been thinking a lot about something Harry said to me."

"Harry said something to you?" Lily asked in shock. "W-what did he say?" She tried to restrain her hasty tone, but failed miserably.

Daniel pursed his lips, ruffling his already messy hair. "He said... He doesn't consider me his brother. The only family he really has is Rosy. You should've seen the look in his eyes, Mum... It was like they were burning in distaste. Distaste at me..." Lily's breath hitched, her eyes wide. Daniel furrowed his brows in aggravation. "I know I don't talk to him a lot, and sometimes I may have treated him like a stranger, but did he really have to go that far? Even if I try to talk to him, what am I supposed to say? It's awkward with him sometimes. I wonder if that's the reason he didn't come home for Christmas... Come to think of it, he's never come home to celebrate Christmas with us ever since he went to Hogwarts. Do you think I'm the reason he never come home?" Daniel nudged his head at Lily, wishing she would supply him with an answer.

"No! No, of course not, dear. He must have his own reasons, don't blame yourself for this." Lily wanted very much to tell her son it was her fault, and that Harry didn't want to be in the presence of his family, but she couldn't. She was compelled to silence herself.

"Hey, Mum..." Daniel broke the silence. "Did you know Harry is popular at Hogwarts?"

Her heart leapt at that and she promptly whirled her head to her youngest son. "Really? Tell me more about your brother?" She was eager to get to know him.

"Yeah, well, he's real popular at Hogwarts, and when I say he's popular, I mean he's really popular. People are always talking about him. After I was at Hogwarts for a few weeks, people barely remembered I was the Boy Who Lived. I've never felt anything like it. There are always rumors about him, but most of them aren't that bad. Girls chase him everywhere, crazy about him. I even caught a group of girls following him without him noticing it." Daniel chuckled at the memory. "The professors adore him a lot. Every time we have a new lesson, the professors always bring him up, using him as an example. Especially Professor McGonagall. By the end of the lesson, she told us that Harry should be in Gryffindor, since he shows so many traits of a true Gryffindor. The look on her face, it was hilarious."

Mother and son shared a sincere chuckle at that. "Hermione told me and Ron that the professors are always comparing her to Harry and to some Ravenclaw girl, Callista her name if my memory serves right. Hermione would rant on and on for hours. She hates it how someone can best her at being smart. For the most part, though, he's really good at Quidditch. I saw him play against Hufflepuff. It was like watching a professional play against students. I have to say, Mum, he is an amazing person... Doing so many things by himself, and handling it so well..."

Lily smiled sadly as she lifted her gaze to the sky. By the sound of it, she had missed out in most of her son's life. How badly she wished to make up for what she had done to Harry and to be there for him now. But it was impossible to reach out to him as he had been taking care of himself all this time and no longer depended on her and James.