Severus Snape strode down the drafty Hogwarts corridors with purpose. He'd been up since five am that morning preparing things in the guest quarters he'd chosen to use on the first floor. He felt like that was neutral territory between the four houses and a good central location to bring students to, and he knew Minerva had used the same quarters last year for this tradition. The tradition didn't have a name exactly, but each year Professors (and even the Headmaster) drew lots to see who would take the honor of preforming this duty for the students. This year Severus had drawn the tradition ticket out of the Sorting Hat. It had been nine years since he'd last drawn it, and he felt out of place taking on this duty. Minerva and Hooch, Pomfrey and Albus were the ones best suited to this kind of thing: coddling students who were lonely. That is what he was supposed to do anyhow, round up students who had stayed for Christmas who seemed lonely or down and make sure they had a good day. There were thirty three students staying in the castle over the holidays this year, and it was his job to roam around and round up any who didn't seem happy.

He'd been making preparations for days, decorating the room (or rather having the elves do it), buying gifts he thought children ages 11-17 would like and wrapping them, buying candy and filling stockings and buying other treats and putting stasis charms on them to keep them fresh. He'd even taken board games from Slytherin and brought them to the room so the children he brought there would have something to keep them occupied.

It was eleven am now and he'd already sent Draco Malfoy to the room along with a first year Hufflepuff girl who he'd found crying alone in the corridor. Apparently she'd changed her mind about going home after the train had already left days before and was now homesick. He'd known beforehand he'd need to get Draco into the room (and nearly had to bribe him to go) because he'd been depressed for weeks. This year his father was too busy on errands for Voldemort and his mother was too depressed to put anything together for Christmas, and had told Draco to stay at the castle. He shook his head, feeling disgusted with the situation in general.

Over the course of an hour and a half, Severus had made his way through Slytherin common room, as well as Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor. He'd picked up two second year Ravenclaws, and a fourth year Hufflepuff and sent them all to the room. Not being there to supervise, he hoped they had pulled out some of the games to play. After each of the common rooms, he'd gone to the top of the castle and made his way down, being sure to check the library, the Hospital Wing, and every dead end corridor and secret passageway he could think of. He passed Potter twice, sitting in the same location on the floor with his head buried in his arms, and the child hadn't given any indication that he knew Severus had passed by. Severus passed him by a third time on his way to check bathrooms, and when he came back a fourth time and the fifth year hadn't moved from his spot, Severus was unable to keep in the heavy sigh he'd been wanting to release for twenty minutes. The sigh made Potter look up, and the green eyes seemed startled to see the Potions Master standing there staring at him.

"What are you doing Potter?"

"Just sitting sir. I can go somewhere else if you want."

"Why are you not in your common room?" He asked, but he already knew the likely answer. Granger and the Weasley's had gone home for Christmas and the only other Gryffindors there were several seventh years who were studying for their NEWTs.

Harry looked away. "Just- wanted some time alone I guess sir."

Severus narrowed his eyes at him and then turned and stalked away. He was all the way down the corridor and around the corner before he cursed quietly. This was just the brat seeking attention! That was all it was! If he wanted time alone, the empty Gryffindor common room was the place to have it. No, it was just a lie. The Gryffindor should be up in his dorm with his piles of presents instead of trying to get attention from whichever student or staff member happened to pass him by. Severus kept walking and was nearly back to the room before his mind started spinning in an irritating fashion. Even if Potter had been seeking attention, he had looked tired, like he hadn't slept the night before. And the way he had cast his eyes down and refused to look at his Professor bothered Severus. Potter reminded him of Draco and possibly a little of the first year Hufflepuff girl who was homesick. Why hadn't the stupid boy just gone home then if he was going to be homesick over Christmas? It wasn't like this was his first year at Hogwarts. He should have known better. Regardless, Severus grudgingly came to the conclusion that Potter should be one of the ones rounded up. With another sigh he turned on his heel and stalked back towards Potter on the third floor. He found him exactly where he'd left him.

"Potter, get up."

Harry lifted his head from where he'd buried his face again and looked uncertain for a brief moment, before he did what he was told. "Do you want me to go back to my common room sir?"

"No," Severus snapped. "Follow me." He strode off. If the brat chose to do as he was told for the first time since he'd come there, then so be it, and if he chose to run off and hide, then that was fine with him. There were children who genuinely needed to be in that room this Christmas, and he wasn't about to cater to and coddle Potter just because the boy wanted a little more attention for himself over the Holidays. He didn't turn back to see if the Gryffindor was following him until he made the guest quarters on the second floor. He narrowed his eyes at the boy when he found him there behind him and opened the door to let him in.

Laughter met his ears, and his expression softened for a moment. The first year Hufflepuff and two second year Ravenclaws were playing a game of Exploding Snap and Draco was in the middle of a chess match with the fourth year Hufflepuff. They all looked over as their Potions Master came in, followed by Potter. Severus had expected Draco to roll his eyes at Potter's entrance, but the blond's gray eyes only seemed dull. He turned back to his game as his opponent made a move. Severus was surprised by what happened next. Harry went straight over to Draco and the chess set and sat down in an empty chair. Severus thought for sure that he had gone to pick a fight with Draco and cause trouble, but neither boy exchanged words, and as soon as Draco check mated the Hufflepuff a moment later, the Hufflepuff got up and Harry moved into his seat and started setting up the pieces for another match. How... odd.

He watched the pair play for a few moments before there was a startling explosion from the Exploding Snap game and another bout of laughter. He looked at his watch. It was twelve thirty and time for lunch. He could see that some of the sweets like cookies and muffins and sticky rolls had been eaten off the plates that littered the room and mantle piece, but knew the students needed a less sweet and more substantial meal. He called one of the two elves that was supposed to be serving just this room and asked for him to bring lunch. After a few moments, food began appearing on the large table in the guest quarters, along with plates, cups, and cutlery, and four of the six students gathered there excitedly went to the table to start serving themselves honeyed ham, roast chicken and turkey, potatoes, vegetables, rolls, and the wide variety of other foods available. Draco and Harry simply continued with their game, and Severus tried to watch and listen over the excited noise and chatter of the younger students.

"You missed breakfast," Draco commented dully, but Harry didn't respond aside from to move his bishop several spaces. "I can hear your stomach rumbling," Draco told him after moving his queen.

"I'll get lunch after I win."

"You never win."

And it seemed like Draco knew what he was talking about in that moment as he moved his queen again and said, "Check mate." Harry didn't seem angry though as he rose quietly and went to the table to fill up a plate. Draco followed him and Severus frowned. It was almost a comfortable familiarity the two had, though how that could be Severus didn't know. Outside of this room they were frequently to be found getting in trouble for dueling in the halls, and were almost always heard throwing rude comments back and forth at each other. Every person, elf, and ghost in the castle knew that Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were enemies, but here they seemed indifferent to each others presence.

Harry took his plate of food to one of the two gray couches and pulled out a gobstone game and began setting it up on the coffee table, and when Draco sat across from on the other couch with his own food, they began playing and eating.

"You always lose," Harry commented as he ate his roll with one hand and moved his gobstones with the other, and Draco scoffed. But Potter had been as right as Draco had been at the chess set twenty minutes earlier. Draco did lose, and they set the game up again as they finished their lunch.

When everyone had finished eating, Severus said, "There are presents for all of you." The first year, Janna, and the two second years, Peter and Jason seemed surprised, and even the fourth year, John seemed excited. Harry and Draco watched as they younger students went to the brightly decorated tree and sat in front of it.

"You may each take two presents," Severus told them, "a large one and a small one." That was all that really needed to be said though, as the next moment they were picking presents based on their favorite colors and ripping into them. They squealed with delight at what they found inside. Board games and toy dragons, hats and mittens, magical cameras and wizard rock music. Harry and Draco didn't move for the presents until the other children had cleared away with their gifts into different parts of the large room. Draco brought the four remaining presents back to the coffee table and pushed two towards Harry. They opened them silently, not seeming happy or excited like the other children, just present and accounted for. Harry had opened a new pair of flying goggles and two Quidditch posters, one each for two different popular teams. Draco had opened new emerald green mittens and a snow cap, and a magi-camera. They looked at each others gifts, and Severus wondered if there was some sort of telepathy going on as they silently exchanged them. Harry handed Draco the leather flying goggles and Draco handed him the mittens and cap. What was gong on here?

Harry unrolled the two posters and Draco seemed to be eyeing the one for the Falmouth Falcons so Harry handed that over to him as well. Why on earth would Potter give Draco the expensive flying goggles in exchange for a hat and mittens, and then give him a poster to boot?

Unsettled by this display between the two rivals, Severus cleared his throat to get the attention of the students gathered and pointed at the stockings lining the mantelpiece. The younger children rushed to get a stocking for themselves, filled with candy and small toys, and Harry got up this time to bring two over to the table, giving one to Draco. Draco dumped his out and began organizing into sets of candies and Harry pulled one thing out of his stocking at a time, laying certain things down on the table and others on the empty couch beside him. Severus narrowed his eyes, wondering if they were going to start exchanging things from their stockings as well, and wasn't disappointed when he saw Draco starting to set things on the table. Draco reached forward and took one of Harry's chocolate frog boxes and Harry took a bag of Draco's every flavor beans. They swapped this way until only a few things were left, which they left there as they began packing their sweets back into their stockings. Finally it was too much for Severus and he went over to them and cleared his throat. Draco looked up, eyes a little less dull then they had been that morning.

"Might I inquire as to what you are doing?"

"Eating candy sir," Draco said. Harry's eyes flickered between the two of them, clearly wondering if Draco would get in trouble. If he had said that, he would have gotten points taken away for cheek.

"Clearly," Severus said. "Why did you exchange gifts and candy."

Harry looked as though he wasn't sure how to answer, so Draco spoke again. "He had things I wanted and I had things he wanted."

"You have barely spoken several sentences to each other since this morning. How did you know?"

Finally Harry looked at him and said, "It's this way every year. We put out the candy we don't like on the table and trade."

"Every year?"

"Well I went home first year," Draco said, "and I didn't come second year, but this is my third year in the losers room."

"It is not a losers room," Severus was quick to say, aware that the other students might be listening, but if they had heard they didn't give any indication. They were busy eating candy and telling jokes around the large table in the dining area and devouring the last of the lunch food. "I was unaware this was your third year." He turned to give a curious look at Potter, who didn't feel inclined to say how many years he'd been there.

"He comes every year," Draco supplied for him after a moment though. "His stupid friends never stay for Christmas."

"Ron stayed in first year, and they both stayed second year," Harry said, though his voice lacked any real conviction and he sounded depressed.

Draco scoffed. "Two years, big deal. If they were real friends they would stay every year instead of leaving you alone."

"We had a row this year," Harry mumbled, and Severus cast his mind around for any indication he had seen of the golden trio fighting or being on the outs. Maybe he wasn't as observant as he prided himself on being.

Draco gave him a hard look and Severus was pleased that the blond no longer looked dull and apathetic. "They didn't give you anything this year did they?"

Harry looked up, hurt in his eyes and then looked back down and began fiddling with his new gloves. "Pratts," Draco said, and he seemed genuinely angry.

"Professor Snape, can we use this in here?" Severus was forced to drag his attention away from the two fifth years and go over to the table where they were asking to use a Potions Kit one of them had opened. When he'd helped them set it up and warned them about working safely, he looked back to where Harry and Draco were sitting, but they'd already opened up another board game and were starting to play. So Potter and Draco had both been in the round up group for the last few years? And apparently they were comfortable with each other in this place. He knew Minerva had taken the group last year, Pomfrey the year before that, and the Headmaster the year before that. He wondered if each of them had been as shocked as he was to see the two schoolyard enemies sitting in a comfortable silence with each other and playing board games, and trading gifts and candy. If they were this civil here, why weren't they during the rest of the school year?

The afternoon passed in a flurry of laughter, another game of exploding snap, and the finishing off of the plates of treats that Severus had prepared. Finally it was time for the Christmas feast and Severus informed the six children that they would need to gather all of their things and take them with them as they would not be returning after the feast. Harry was the first to leave, and Draco the last. Finally alone with the blond, Severus gave him a curious look and asked, "Why would Potter give you the expensive flying goggles in exchange for the hat and gloves?"

"He doesn't have anything warm to wear. Whenever I get winter clothes in the room I give them to him."

"What do you mean nothing warm to wear?"

"His family are jerks. They don't send him to school with winter clothes. You've seen the garbage he walks around in."

"I have not."

Draco raised his brows at him. "Every year he borrows one of Weasley or Longbottom's coats, and the only long sleeve shirt he has is whatever ridiculous thing Weasley's mother knits for him. But if he had a row with them I doubt she gave him one this year." Draco went to the door, not wanting to be late for the feast, but then stopped and turned back to his Head of House. "For a while, I didn't think you were going to bring him in." And then he left, arms full of his presents and stocking full of candy.

Severus looked around the empty room, still festively decorated, and stared at the spot Potter had occupied all afternoon. He didn't have warm clothes, and his friends hadn't sent him presents this year, and he came to this room every year. That also meant he never went home for Christmas. Why was that? Severus knew why he had rarely gone home for Christmas when he was a child. He had often found himself in the round up group in his school years, but not every year. There were years when Lily had stayed behind and they'd spent Christmas together, and he always had presents. Surely Potter's family had sent him something? The two gifts he'd received from Severus couldn't have been the only ones he'd received?

Deep in thought he made his way down to the Great Hall where the feast was just getting under way, and where everyone was sitting together at the Hufflepuff table. Potter, he noticed, was the only one present wearing only a t-shirt. He was sitting with a group of Ravenclaws and Draco was sitting with the other seven Slytherins who had stayed for Christmas. He seemed in a better mood and was even laughing at something one of the younger Slytherins had said, but Harry still seemed down. Severus watched him as he pulled a Christmas Cracker and a pair of warm red socks fell out. He took them and disappeared under the table for a few minutes and then reappeared. He'd probably put the new socks on.

"How many this year Severus?" Albus asked, leaning closer to him so he could speak more quietly.

"Six."

"I can spot two of them," Albus said, eyes traveling from Harry and then to Draco. "Who were the others?"

Severus told him, but wondered that the aging man knew that Potter stayed behind at the castle each year.

"Potter's family-" Severus started, and then stopped, not sure he wanted to get involved and ask certain questions.

"Yes?"

He grumbled internally. Now he had to ask. "They send him presents?"

"I wouldn't know Severus," Albus said, "I would assume so with the large stipend I give them every year to take care of him."

Albus turned back to his plate and was soon drawn into a conversation with Madam Hooch about new Quidditch regulations. Severus however was busy turning things over in his mind. If they got a large stipend and weren't spending it on clothes for Potter (his shirt did look old and thin), then he was willing to bet they probably weren't sending him presents either. But what family didn't send their children presents? Granted they weren't Potter's parents, and Petunia Dursley was always a sour woman, but still. They would send him something wouldn't they? Severus excused himself from the meal early and went to the staff lounge on the first floor. There were wooden cabinets with neatly organized school records for each student. He rifled through the P names to Potter and pulled out the file, trying to find the owl inventories. Each owl that brought items to students was cataloged by the castle's magic. It was a necessity to ensure students weren't having dangerous books or potions ingredients shipped to them, though staff rarely checked the files. There was a short list for the year and he scanned down it quickly:

*Hedwig - Letter - Sirius Black
*Hedwig - Letter - Remus Lupin
*Prophet Owl - Weekly Prophet
*Prophet Owl - Weekly Prophet
*Hedwig - Letter - Ginny Weasley
*Prophet Owl - Weekly Prophet
*Prophet Owl - Weekly Prophet

The list went on to list several other deliveries of the Weekly Prophet, but nothing else. No presents, not even from Molly Weasley. Presumably she could have sent him a gift through one of her sons, but from what Draco had said, it was unlikely. If Harry was on the outs with the Weasleys (Severus wondered over what) then even if Molly had sent him a gift, Ron or his brothers may have withheld it from him.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn't Potter he was reading and thinking about. It couldn't be. Potter was spoiled. He got hundreds of letters from adoring fans and hordes of presents and candy, and his family was responsible for his spoiled rotten attitude and the way he strutted around the castle like he owned the place. Only he hadn't been strutting earlier that morning when Severus had found him, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd actually seen him act like he'd owned anything of value at all. He had a Firebolt and invisibility cloak, those were things of worth, but Potter didn't flaunt that he owned them. Damn.

Severus put the file away and went back to the feast, but it had wrapped up by now and most of the students had cleared out. Potter was gone and so were the majority of the staff. He left and started back towards his quarters, but suddenly felt too wound up to sleep, so instead turned his steps towards the upper castle. Maybe he'd catch a couple out past curfew doing something they shouldn't. That would take his mind off of Potter. But he didn't find any couples. He did come across Potter in the library just before curfew however. He was sitting at a table near the front of the empty library, writing something on parchment. Severus watched him for nearly ten minutes before the Gryffindor seemed to realize the time, got up, and hurried out so he could get back to his dorm before curfew. He'd left the parchment though, and Severus was too curious for his own good at this point in the evening. He walked over and picked it up and was surprised by what he saw. It was a letter to Santa. Letters to Santa were supposed to be written before Christmas, and sent away by owl where the Wizarding Post office banished them since there was no real Santa to send them to. And besides that, fifteen-year-olds didn't write to Santa, but apparently this one did.

'Santa,

I know it's late to write to you since Christmas is almost over. I haven't written in a while. Things haven't been so good though. I got a couple of nice presents this year. A hat and mittens and a poster and some candy. It's nice that they do that for us here. My friends are mad at me and I don't think they're going to be my friend when they come back, and you know my family doesn't ever send anything. Even my godfather forgot about me this year. I thought since I haven't asked you for anything in three or four years that maybe you could give me all my presents in one go. One really big present. This year for Christmas, could you just send me someone who cares? It's all I want.

Yours,

-Alone'

Severus stared at the letter in disbelief. Not even Black had sent him anything, he knew that from the owl records, but it was even more real seeing it written in Harry's own hand. He folded the letter in half and went back to his quarters. He wasn't Santa. How was he supposed to just grant Potter's wish? Surely the boy didn't believe such things were possible. But the letter felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket, begging to be replied to. Severus sat down in his chair to think, and couldn't get the image of Potter sitting sadly in the corridor out of his mind. He had been right in his earlier assumption that it was a ploy for attention though wrong in what he thought the motivations were. Harry had been sitting there waiting to be found and rounded up. Waiting for anybody at all to care enough about him to give him a good Christmas. And this year it had been Severus' turn...

* * *

Harry Potter sat at his desk in front of the only window in the dormitory. It was dark and snowing out, and the hours were moving on towards midnight. He just stared out onto the grounds and wondered if there was anybody out there who felt as lonely as he did right now. He bet Ron and Hermione had had a wonderful Christmas, and wished he could have been a part of it. In November Ron had hinted at inviting Harry home for Christmas this year, and Harry had looked forward to it and to maybe being allowed to see Sirius, but then they'd had their falling out a few weeks before Christmas holiday.

Harry had asked Ginny out without asking Ron or the twins first, and Ron had gotten angry. Then they'd come to blows and Harry, swinging wildly had punched Ron in the nose. The twins, though they didn't care if Harry dated Ginny, or asked her out without asking them, did care that he'd hit Ron in the face with intent to harm him (even though Ron had thrown the first punch and had hit Harry in the side several times). Hermione also didn't seem to appreciate that Ron had thrown the first punch. With that one argument blown out of proportion, Harry's dreams of a Christmas with friends, of dating Ginny, and of having friends at all, disappeared completely. It had been a lonely month spending time by himself, sitting in classes by himself, studying by himself, and in general, being all alone by himself. Ginny sometimes gave him sad looks, and occasionally Hermione gave him tense greetings if they passed each other in the halls or the common room, things like 'Hello Harry,' or 'did you pass the Potions exam,' but that was it. Ron and the twins wouldn't even look at him. It had been nice to play games with Draco today in the 'losers' room as Draco had called it, but he knew that come tomorrow Draco and he would be rivals again. It would be back to, 'Your hair looks worse than a hippogryff's Potter,' and, 'when are you joining the ranks Draco?' He wished it wouldn't be like that, but he and Draco clearly weren't meant to be friends. They were in different houses and their parents were and had been on different sides of the war. Different things were expected of them and it made Harry sad.

Harry didn't see the owl that flew up to the window, he was only startled from his thoughts as there was a sharp tapping directly in front of his face. Eyes focusing, he found an unfamiliar owl outside, trying to brace itself against the wind. He quickly let it in and looked it up and down. "Got ruffled out there didn't you?" It was a snowy owl like Hedwig, but obviously a boy, and he wondered if his owl knew this one. It held out it's leg and Harry took the envelope. "For me?" He hoped it was from one of his friends, but was surprised when he opened it. The owl flew out the window and Harry closed it quickly to keep the snow and wind out, and then turned back to the letter. At the top it said his name in an unfamiliar handwriting, and at the bottom it clearly said, 'From Santa,' but it couldn't be real. It wasn't even Christmas anymore. Harry looked at his watch. Ok, so it was ten til midnight and was still technically Christmas, but Santa had never written back before. Harry wasn't even entirely sure there was a Santa.

'Dear Harry,

I received your letter. There is someone who cares about you. I do. So does your Headmaster, your head of house, and someone who is waiting for you in the room you spent the day in. If you want your Christmas present, hurry to the room before Christmas is over.

Sincerely,

-Santa'

Harry couldn't believe his eyes. Santa was real! And if he could get down to the second floor in the next nine minutes, he could actually have a real Christmas present from someone who cared! Harry raced out of the room in his socks and pajama bottoms and t-shirt, not even bothering to put shoes on, past the studying seventh years, and out the portrait hole. His watch read four til when he made the door to the 'losers' room and stopped to breath heavily. What was his present going to be? Had Santa somehow brought Ron and Hermione and Ginny back? Was Sirius there?

Hand shaking slightly in anticipation, Harry turned the knob and pushed the door open, but was surprised to find the room occupied by Professor Snape, who was on a step stool taking Christmas decorations down.

"It is well past your curfew Potter," he said, giving him a lazy look as he took the red and green garland down and put it into a box.

"Oh- I- I'm sorry sir, I-"

"Yes?" He sounded impatient.

"I came for a present," Harry said lamely.

"The things I gave you earlier weren't enough?" Severus queried, though Harry noted it was more surprise and less anger than normally would have been aimed at him. He flinched anyway, and remained silent. "And that on top of the rest of the things you received for Christmas from your friends and family?"

"I'm sorry sir," Harry said, backing out of the door, but Snape called out for him to stop and come back in.

"While you're here, the least you can do is help me clean up Potter, since you're awake."

"Yes sir." Harry moved to begin stacking dirty plates and cups without a complaint, and Severus wondered at that. Draco would have complained, he was sure, especially at this hour of the night. It was only one minute until midnight.

"I asked you a question Potter," Severus said, using his wand to tightly seal a box full of decorations that would be put into storage until next year.

"Sir?"

"About the hoards of presents you received."

"Oh."

Harry began scraping up a piece of cake from the floor where someone had dropped it and forgotten about it behind a chair. "I- I only got what you gave me sir."

"I'm sure Black spent some ungodly amount of gold on flying gear for you. That is why you gave the goggles to Draco isn't it? You already have several pairs?"

"No sir. Draco knew I wanted the hat and mittens."

"How could he possibly know that? What use would you have for those?"

Harry put the cake in the thrash. Maybe it was because he was tired, or disappointed, or just sad, perhaps all three, but he didn't stop to think about lying or not having to answer these questions the terse Potions master was asking him. He just answered dully, knowing he had no one else to talk to anyhow, so he might as well talk to Snape while he cleaned and be thankful he wasn't losing points for being out after curfew or getting a real detention.

"It gets cold out. It's nice to have something warm to wear. Once Draco gave me a sweat jacket the day after Christmas. It was lucky that someone had given him two and he doesn't like the color red."

"You think he gave it to you because he had two?"

"That's what he said."

"It's not possible that it was a gift to you since he knew you had nothing warm to wear?"

Harry paused from the frosting he was trying to clean off the floor, and looked up, confused. "Why would he do that sir? No one gives me presents unless they have to."

"Your friends do," Severus observed.

"No," Harry said sadly, going back to the mess. "Not anymore. They only give me presents because they have to as friends. But they're not my friends anymore."

"The golden trio is finally broken?" Severus asked, and Harry was too busy being sad to realize that his Professor didn't sound snide or angry.

Harry shrugged as he put the cake and napkins he'd been using to clean up in a trash bag and then moved to clean up a spilled drink behind the couch. "They're not talking to me or looking at me anymore. I was going to go home with Ron for Christmas but they left me here."

"Why?"

"I punched Ron in the nose."

"And pray tell, what would make you do such a thing?"

"He punched me in the side a bunch of times. We were having a row because I asked Ginny out and I didn't ask him about it first. And when I punched him in the nose he and the twins and Hermione stopped talking to me. And Ginny won't talk to me either."

"They do not care that he apparently started the fight?"

"Nobody saw it. We were out on the grounds. They only know that he came in with a bloody nose and a big bruise. He told them I hit him and that was it."

"And you care so little for your friends that you are willing to let them believe whatever it is he told them without telling your side of the story?"

"I tried to tell them," Harry said, suddenly feeling more upset about the whole thing than he had all month. "They wouldn't listen. They just walked away. I think Ginny knows what happened but she wont talk to me because they'll get mad at her. She can't choose me over her own brother."

Severus sighed. "So you spent Christmas without them."

"They spent it without me. They always do."

"Why did you not go home?"

Harry seemed to realize himself then and who he was talking to. His face turned red and he looked away.

"Well?" Severus asked impatiently.

"I don't have one anymore," Harry said very quietly. "Not since... not since they died."

"It is my understanding that you live with relatives."

"They don't like me."

"Hm."

They worked quietly, taking down decorations and cleaning for a few minutes, before Severus asked, "Is that why they do not provide clothing for you?"

Harry's face turned red in embarrassment then and he shrugged and mumbled something along the lines of, "I guess."

"As it so happens Mr. Potter," Severus said, "there were several packages of clothing left under the tree. We had expected more students this year and there were presents left over."

Harry looked up and Severus was disturbed to see that his eyes were wet though the tears hadn't yet fallen. "You should give them to someone who needs them."

"You need them Potter. Do not be foolish." Severus waved his wand and several presents flew out from behind the tree where Harry must have missed them before. He went to the couch and sat down, and carefully pulled one of the boxes towards himself. When he unwrapped it he found a white clothing box with several shirts inside. They were his size. In the other three boxes he found several pairs of pants, a coat, socks and underwear."

"They don't usually give people clothes," Harry said, looking up at Snape who was watching him curiously. Severus didn't respond and Harry continued, "They're all my size."

"Perhaps Santa left them."

Harry frowned at him and then said, "Do you have a snowy owl sir?"

"What of it?"

"You wrote back to me. It wasn't Santa."

"What would make you suggest such a thing?"

Harry held up the blue coat that fit him perfectly. "You didn't yell at me when I came down. And you could have let the elves clean all this up instead of staying until midnight. You staged all of this."

"What did your letter say Potter?"

"You know what it says!" He was suddenly angry, feeling like a big joke had been played on him.

"Tell me anyway."

Harry pulled it out of his pajama pocket, fumbled with it angrily for a few moments and read it out loud until he got to the part that said, 'I care.' He looked up and met his Professor's eyes.

"Why would you care about me? I'm a Gryffindor and you don't even like me."

"I did not know you."

"You still don't."

"Tonight you told me about yourself. It is a start."

Harry opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it. "You shouldn't care about me. That's not nice to say things like that and get my hopes up when you'll just leave me alone like everybody else."

"It is no business of mine how other people choose to ruin their relationships. I cannot control them. I can only control what I say and do."

"And what are you going to say and do?" Harry asked, uncertainty filling him and showing in all of his features.

"Care Mr. Potter. About you and your well-being, whether you like it or not. Now take your new clothes and go to bed, and the next time you decide to break curfew in the middle of the night, remember to put on slippers or shoes so you don't catch a cold."

Harry stood with his armful of clothes, feeling uncertain and overwhelmed at the same time and Severus ushered him out the door. Harry wondered if the man knew what he was getting himself into. Everybody chose to leave him in the end.

He made his way back to Gryffindor tower, and just outside met McGonagall. Apparently one of the seventh years had gone to get her when Harry had rushed out at ten to midnight.

"Mr. Potter, where were you and what are you doing with all of those clothes?" She didn't seem angry, just concerned, and Harry remembered that the letter from Santa- from Snape said that she cared about him and so did the Headmaster.

"Santa gave them to me," Harry finally decided on telling her.

"Santa?" She seemed surprised.

"Yes maam."

"And- you were with him?" Maybe she thought he'd been with Dumbledore. He did have the long beard.

"He made me clean up the Christmas room and then scolded me for leaving the dorms without shoes or slippers."

"Santa did this you say?"

Harry turned to climb into the portrait hole with his armful of clothes and then turned back and gave her a half grin. "I wonder where Professor Snape keeps his sleigh." And then he was gone, leaving Minerva McGonagall feeling perplexed, at half past midnight on the day after Christmas.

His friends still weren't talking to him when they returned after the holiday. Ginny looked sad, Hermione stiff, and Ron and the twins still angry. Harry had tried to approach them, but the twins' stern looks and Ron's glare were enough to send him away without even asking how their Christmas had been. His only comfort was that he was warm for the first time in his remembrance, and each time he zipped up his soft blue coat, he was reminded of Professor Snape and the letter from Santa. Someone cares, he said to himself, but as the first few days turned into a week, and then two, he had a harder and harder time believing it. Sitting alone all the time without anyone to talk to or joke around with had taken him right back down to the bottom of things again. He felt lower than he usually did when he was with the Dursleys, because he used to know he at least had his friends to go back to. That wasn't the case anymore.

His friend's chilly attitudes towards him and his new warm clothes weren't the only things that were different for Harry though. On the first day of term Draco had tried twice in the halls to goad him into throwing some sort of rude remark at him, but knowing now that Draco had given him a coat one year as a gift, Harry didn't feel like going back to their same old routine. Draco seemed disappointed but also curious as he tried for several more days to taunt Harry, but Harry wasn't budging. Harry's behavior in turn lead to some interesting results that he would never have expected.

School had been back in for three weeks, and Harry was trying not to let himself get used to being alone again. He didn't want to feel like he had growing up with his aunt and uncle, even though the feeling of hopelessness and despair was slowly beginning to overwhelm him again. He was aware that Snape was watching him like he had promised he would, but hadn't been aware of the other Slytherin eyes on him as he walked from class to class with his head down and eyes firmly on the ground. It wasn't until a Transfiguration class with the Slytherins that Harry started to notice that things were changing for him in a peculiar way.

He was the last one to walk into class, and Ron had sandwiched himself in between Hermione and Neville, leaving no room at their table for Harry. Trying to hide the hurt from showing on his face too much, Harry lowered his head and started to head to the back of the room, but was stopped when a hand shot out from the Slytherin side of the aisle and gently stopped him. He looked up and found Pansy Parkinson (who he'd never spoken a word to in their five years there) looking at him.

"You can sit here," she said, and she moved her bag from the seat between her and Draco to make room for him. Harry looked around the room and noted that Ron and the other Gryffindors seemed stiff, and that some of the Slytherins did as well, but Draco gave him a nod. What have I got to lose, he wondered to himself. He didn't know why they wanted him to sit with them, but he was so desperate to have any kind of companionship at all at this point, that he was willing to allow himself to be pranked if that's what they had planned. He didn't get pranked though, and at the end of the class, though none of the Slytherins smiled at him, they didn't complain about him sitting with them either.

Harry had to sit alone in his next class, as they had it with the Ravenclaws, but was surprised after lunch when Draco motioned for him to join a group of Slytherins at a workbench in Herbology. Pansy did give him a smile this time, and though Teddy Knott seemed cautious, he didn't say anything about Harry joining them again.

They were allowed to talk in Herbology as they planted and experimented, and Harry was interested to hear how the conversations the Slytherins had were similar and different to what he was used to with the Gryffindors, though he hadn't been included in any conversations at all with the Gryffindors since before Christmas. Teddy talked to Draco about Quidditch (Teddy didn't play but had a lot of interesting ideas about how to manage the team), and Pansy huffed with irritation that all they wanted to talk about was some stupid game that nobody cared about. Finally Draco asked Harry from across the table, "What do you think? It's not a stupid game. People make a lot of money playing Quidditch."

"Uh-" Harry wasn't sure at first that Draco was talking to him, but all three of them looked up at him as if waiting for an answer. "I like it," he said, feeling shy all of a sudden. He looked back down at his snapping tuber pods and turned red, feeling awkward.

Pansy pulled a weed out of her pot and said, "It figures he'd say that. He is a Seeker. None of you ever thinks about how long Quidditch careers last though. So many players get hurt they're lucky if they get two years. The ones who last longer are usually only around for five. And then what?"

"Oh stuff it Pansy," Teddy told her. "I'm going to be a team manager. I'll make a career out of bossing Draco around."

"I'm not playing for any team you're managing," Draco said to him. "You're too demanding. Besides, I'd rather work at the Ministry."

"And I suppose you're going to play Quidditch?" Pansy asked Harry. Draco and Teddy exchanged a look when Harry looked up, startled that they were talking to him again.

He cleared his throat. "Um... I don't think so."

"See, at least he's sensible," Pansy said, looking smug.

Harry wondered why they had invited him to sit with them in classes that day, and was still waiting for some elaborate prank or plot to unfold, but it never materialized. They invited him to sit with them in Potions the next day, and again in Herbology and Transfiguration the day after that. Ron seemed to be even angrier with Harry even though he still wasn't talking to him. Ron took all of his things out of their shared desk and wardrobe and moved his things across the dorm room to share with Neville instead, who had always had a desk and wardrobe to himself. It stung Harry more than he thought it would. Dean and Seamus and Neville didn't seem angry with Harry, only cautious, and he'd never really been friends with them anyway, so they weren't used to inviting him to play games, or get involved in conversations. He didn't expect them to include him, but after a few more days of sitting with the Slytherins, he was beginning to expect them to, though he still had no idea why.

One day, his curiosity finally got the better of him when Draco and Teddy crossed the Great Hall to sit with him at the far end of Gryffindor table, where he'd been sitting in his usual isolated spot. Harry looked at them, startled as they began putting food on their plates, ignoring the shocked and irritated looks of the students around them.

"What- what are you doing?" Harry asked carefully. He was aware that most of the hall was staring at them and that his friends... former friends looked more than irritated.

"It was becoming painfully obvious that you weren't going to cross the hall to sit with us," Draco said. "I thought you were a Gryffindor. Where's the courage?"

"Sit- sit with you?"

"Come on Potter," Teddy said. "Don't look so shocked. If you sit with us during classes, you should sit with us at meals too."

"But I'm not Slytherin," Harry said. He gave an involuntary look down at his robe sleeve to make sure that it was still red, and Draco snorted into his cup of pumpkin juice.

"But you are our friend," Teddy said seriously.

Harry stared at him, face blank.

"What do you mean?" This was it. They were finally going to burst into laughter and try to embarrass him, he was sure of it. They'd been trying to get his hopes up for three weeks and now they were going to pull the plug on their operation and say, ‘did you ever think we'd want to be your friend? Who would want to be anywhere near you?'

Draco looked at him like he was dense. "Those gits down the table, they aren't your friends. They left you alone for Christmas, didn't send you any gifts, and still won't talk to you now."

"We had a fight," Harry mumbled, but Draco shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. I got into a fight with Crabbe last week, and we're still friends today. Teddy and Pansy argue all the time, and they haven't stopped being friends. Crab and Goyle get into fist fights twice a month and still give each other Christmas gifts. I don't know what you fought about, but if they stopped being your friends over it they weren't good friends to begin with. Did you really fight with all of them anyhow?"

"Only Ron," Harry said.

"So you fought with him? Big deal. If this is what it means to be Gryffindor, then being Gryffindor sucks."

Several second years scowled from a few feet down the table at Draco's words, but Harry wasn't paying attention.

"But- why are you saying you're my friend? You hate me." Harry was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Because you need a friend Potter," Draco said plainly, and Harry met his eyes. He did need a friend. Hadn't he written to Santa asking for anyone at all who cared about him? Snape had replied and said that he had cared (and he had tried to check in with Harry a few times since Christmas, even though Harry hadn't told him much), but it was too much to hope that even one person could care about him, let alone a group of people.

"But you can't just decide to be someone's friend," Harry tried to protest. It didn't make any sense. They were Slytherins. Slytherins hated Gryffindors. Crabbe and Goyle usually taunted Harry and his friends in the halls and threatened them with violent gestures. Teddy had never been one much for snide remarks or name calling, but Draco had.

"Not everyone wants to be your friend," Teddy agreed, "but when Draco pointed out to us that your friends had abandoned you over Christmas, it irked us. People just don't do that."

"So just like that-" Harry paused, trying to work out what they were saying to him. "you just decide to be friends?"

"Look, you're a Gryffindor, we don't expect you to understand," Teddy said, sounding a little irritated. "But that's how it is in Slytherin. You stick together. You help each other. You don't abandon anybody for any reason, even if they've done something wrong. So if we need to make you a Slytherin for a while, or even forever, so be it. We're not going to stand around and watch you sitting alone all the time feeling sorry for yourself. Now you've got us, and you've got nothing to feel sorry about. No pity. That's what Professor Snape says. The moment you start to pity yourself, it's all over."

It did sound like something Snape would say.

"Did he put you up to this?"

"He didn't have to," Draco said.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence, and Harry pondered on what they'd told him about Slytherin house. Hadn't the hat said something about loyalty? If Gryffindors were all courage, and Slytherins were all loyalty, then what was it like in the other houses? He sort of wanted to know in a way he never had before. He used to try to imagine what the other house common rooms and dorms looked like, but his ponderings had always stopped there. The words ‘this is what it is to be Slytherin' had brought back those ponderings though. To be Slytherin wasn't all about making snide remarks and bullying people apparently. There was more to them than that.

* * *

Teddy and Draco were not at dinner. They'd been sitting with Harry at meals at Gryffindor (and sometimes Pansy had also) for a few days now. Harry stood on the threshold of the Great Hall with his bag slung over his shoulder. Teddy and Draco weren't at their usual spot at the end of Gryffindor table, and neither were they at Slytherin, though Pansy was sitting there laughing at something Milicent Bulstrode had said. He looked over at Hermione and Ginny, and felt a pang to realize how down Ginny looked. Hermione looked up and caught him staring, and he looked away quickly, suddenly interested in his shoes.

‘Where's the courage?' came Teddy's voice from days before. What had they said? That it was obvious he wasn't going to cross the hall to sit at Slytherin? Well they weren't even there, so why should he? He felt bad though. They'd taken it upon themselves to include him seeing that his own friends had abandoned him, and he wasn't even courageous enough to go over and sit with them. Even if the other fifth year Slytherins weren't keen on making friends with him, they were keeping their mouths shut, and seemed neutral to his presence either way. Making up his mind, he stepped into the hall and put one foot in front of the other, intent on going to sit with Pansy. They'd surprised him so much, maybe he'd surprise them for a change.

He was just pulling even with Gryffindor table when Ron stepped out in front of him and blocked his path. Wordlessly, he held out a hand to Harry's chest, though not touching him, to stop him from going any further. They stared at each other for long moments, Ron's face hard and Harry's uncertain.

"You can't go over there," Ron said. "You're not one of them."

Harry didn't know what to say to that. He wasn't one of them. He had liked being a Gryffindor for all of these years, but the last two and a half months had made him less and less sure about his choice to go to Gryffindor instead of Slytherin as the hat had suggested. ‘A family?' it had asked as it covered his eyes. ‘If it's a family you want, you would do well in Slytherin.'

"Maybe not," Harry said, looking his friend in the eyes. "But if abandoning friends and punching them and then getting mad when they fight back is what it means to be Gryffindor, then I don't want to be Gryffindor anymore."

Ron looked taken aback, and he heard a few gasps because several people (including Hermione) had been sitting near enough to hear him. Harry stepped around Ron and continued his walk to the other side of the hall, the eyes of staff and students alike following him. Pansy looked up at him with a smile when he stood next to her at the end of the table.

"Hi Harry. You can sit if you want. Teddy and Draco are in detention until after dinner. They got into it with a pair of Ravenclaws over which Quidditch team is better."

Feeling more courageous than he had felt upon entering the Great Hall, Harry sat down. "Which team did they say was better?" Harry asked. Crabbe and Blaise gave each other a look and then went back to their food, but Milicent spoke up and said, "Draco likes the Falmouth Falcons and the Ravenclaws like the Cannons. Teddy hates the Falcons but had to side with Draco."

"He did?" Harry asked, wondering why, but Blaise rolled his eyes and decided to explain it to him in much the same way as Draco and Teddy had done days ago.

"It's a Slytherin thing Potter, you wouldn't understand."

"Well," Harry said, aware that a lot of the Slytherins on their end of the table were now listening in on the conversation, "being Slytherin doesn't sound too bad."

Pansy smiled at the shocked looks on her friends faces, and Harry chose to smile at that moment too as he began putting food on his plate.

Ron was avoiding Harry, but not in the same way he had been before. Before he had seemed angry and irritated, and now he looked meek and ashamed. Some of the younger Gryffindors had taken to calling Harry, ‘Slytherin' when he passed them in the common room or halls, but Harry found that he didn't mind too much. As he'd said before, being Slytherin wasn't all that bad. It seemed to have it's downsides (like being loyal to the point that you got detention for things you didn't do), and being associated with Voldemort's bad reputation (though Harry found that most of the students belonged to families that had no association with him at all), but overall wasn't horrible. Some of the teachers seemed surprised by Harry's new friendships, but not dismayed, and Dumbledore seemed downright pleased that Harry was ‘bridging gaps' between houses.

Not everyone was pleased though. Younger students Harry didn't much care about, but when the twins cornered him one day with serious looks at the end of a corridor after their last class of the day, Harry's throat tightened. They were a year older and knew more spells, not to mention that there were two of them and only one of him.

"We want to talk to you Harry," George said, frown set firmly in place and hands on his hips. Harry put his hand behind his back so he could take his wand out of his back pocket and hold it in case he needed it.

"Ok," he said warily. He didn't like being so alone with them, though it would never have bothered him before his falling out with Ron.

"What did you do to Ron?"

"We know you don't want to be in Gryffindor anymore. That's fine. We don't care. It's just a stupid school house. But you said something to him and now he's moping around the castle. Did you threaten him?"

"I wouldn't-" Harry tried, but Fred cut him off.

"You already broke his nose, and now you're hanging around with Slytherins. Did you curse him?"

Harry shook his head vehemently. "No. I don't curse people."

"But Slytherins do."

"I'm not a Slytherin, and no they don't."

"You've changed Harry," George said, shaking his head with a sad look on his face. "What happened to you?" He almost seemed... disgusted. "Come on Fred, let's go."

Harry felt the hurt bubble in him. They were disgusted with him? Like the Dursleys had been. The Dursleys were his family, and they hated his guts. And now so did his other family... the Weasleys.

"I'm not the one who changed," Harry said sadly, not really meaning to say it to them, but they heard him anyway and turned around.

"You don't think so?" Fred asked, incredulous.

Harry looked up, realizing they hadn't left yet. Maybe they did have plans to pummel him.

"You- you gang up on me to scare me," he said. "When I'm all alone. You never did that before."

"We're not doing anything wrong Harry."

"You left me all by myself. Again. I thought you cared once because you took me away from the Dursleys that one time in the car, but that was it. You push me aside like an inconvenience and forget about me, like I'm nothing. I thought you were my friends."

"We thought you were Ron's friend, until you broke his nose."

"I thought Ron was my friend until he pushed me down and started hitting me in the stomach. I thought I was safe from that here because I had friends to protect me. But I didn't have anyone there to protect me so I protected myself. He invited me for Christmas before that, but then left me here just because he was angry with me for asking Ginny out. Your family acts like they want me to be happy, but then it turns out you don't want me to be happy at all. At least you have an excuse, because Ron's your brother so you have to stick by him, but Hermione's not part of your family and she left me here too. None of you cared that I didn't get presents or have anyone to be with on Christmas. None of you cared that I sat alone in a hallway all Christmas morning. Even Sirius didn't send me a present and he's my Godfather. I shouldn't have expected one, that was my fault for getting my hopes up."

Fred and George looked at each other and then back at Harry, who had been talking as he stared at the floor. His voice was so low... so defeated. Nobody had sent him any gifts at all on Christmas?

"You- you didn't get anything?" George asked.

Harry wiped a sleeve across his eyes and George swallowed, uncomfortably aware that the fifteen year old was crying.

"It's not a big deal," Harry tried to say, but he was choked up. "Professor Snape found me and took me to spend the day with the other rejects. He gave me presents and candy like he did Draco. But he didn't want to. Not until he found out I hadn't gotten anything else from anybody. I think Draco told him."

The twins shared another look. "We spent Christmas at Grimmuald Place. We told mum and dad that you broke Ron's nose, and Sirius overheard. He- decided to punish you by not sending a gift. So did mum."

"But Ron hit me really hard," Harry said, looking up with hurt in his eyes. "He hit me a lot of times, and he still got presents, because he's worth something to somebody. I'm not the one who changed. I've always been the same: I'm nobody to everybody. I just got lucky for a little while because I thought people cared. I know the truth now though." Harry tried to push past them. He really just wanted to go to bed and close the curtains around himself so he could be alone.

"We didn't know Harry," Fred tried, but he stopped and turned back to them, feeling angry.

"Yes you did. Don't lie. I told you and Hermione I didn't start it, but you didn't believe me. If you cared at all, you would have. Even Sirius didn't care enough to get my side of the story before he decided to punish me."

Harry turned and stalked off, intending to head back to Gryffindor but instead turning to head towards the lower part of the castle. He didn't want the twins following him into Gryffindor to call him a liar some more. Draco and the others had let him sit with them in classes and at meals, maybe they would let him sleep on one of the couches in Slytherin too. It was worth a shot, wasn't it?

Harry knew where the entrance to the Slytherin common room was because he and Ron had snuck in over Christmas in their second year, but he didn't know the password. Instead he waited outside for someone to pass by. It was getting near to curfew for the younger years. He was only waiting a few minutes when a third year hurried up to the entrance to get in before the eight o'clock curfew.

"Could you see if Draco is inside?" Harry asked. The third year nodded but didn't say anything as he went in. Less than a minute later, Draco came out. He saw that Harry's eyes were red and that he had a dull and defeated look on his face.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," he said.

"Uh huh."

"I don't want to go back to Gryffindor tonight."

"Ooh, so you do have some courage after all Gryffindor. Get in here before Snape sees."

Harry followed him in, and was surprised when no one protested that he was in their common room. "They're not going to tell," Draco said as he lead Harry across the large low-ceilinged room and through a door. Down a short hallway off of the common room was a door at the end with a number 5 on it. Draco pushed it open and lead him inside.

"Teddy, conjure a sleeping bag," Draco said when they were inside. Teddy sat up and set his Quidditch magazine down.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," Draco said nonchalantly and Harry was grateful that he didn't make fun of him when he knew he'd been crying at some point.

Teddy conjured the fluffiest dark red sleeping bag Harry had ever seen and put it on the floor between his and Draco's beds. Draco took one of his many pillows off his bed and threw it to Harry. "Welcome to our world," he said. Harry sat down on the sleeping bag and was surprised by how soft it was. He didn't feel as out of place as he thought he would, even with Crabbe and Goyle and Blaise looking at him from their desks around the room. Apparently the Slytherins did a lot of studying in the evening as opposed to playing games and talking like Gryffindors did. After a few moments they went back to their schoolwork. Teddy went back to his magazine and Draco opened his nightstand drawer to get out a couple of magazines for Harry. Harry took them and got into the sleeping bag.

"Thanks," he said, still feeling hurt and angry.

"There's nothing to thank us for," Draco said, sounding miffed, and Harry wondered if Draco was irritated with him. There was something to be thankful for though, Harry thought to himself, staring unseeingly at the Quidditch magazine he pretended to read. He was thankful for letters from Santa, and warm clothing, and a fluffy sleeping bag. And though he never thought he would ever believe it, he was thankful for Slytherins too. ‘A family? You'd do well in Slytherin.' Stupid hat, he thought to himself. It should have just put him in Slytherin anyway. A part of him felt sad at the thought though, because he knew that he belonged in Gryffindor because he felt like a Gryffindor. He set the magazine down a few minutes later, ignoring the pushy broom salesman in the ad who kept pointing at a new Thunderstruck he was trying to convince Harry to buy, and closed his eyes. As he drifted off into a fitful dream, a thought pestered him, trying to be acknowledged as he fell away from the waking world: maybe the hat made a prophecy. Not that I ‘would' do well in Slytherin, but that I ‘will' do well there. A place with a family who would accept him. A Slytherin family, despite his being a definite Gryffindor.

Harry slept for twenty minutes before there was a gentle tap on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Draco. Draco only looked towards Harry's feet however, and Harry looked up to see Professor Snape. He had his arms crossed and looked displeased, but interestingly enough, not angry in the slightest.

"Come with me," he said. Harry looked around at the other boys in the dorm. None of them seemed to have left their places. As Harry got out of the sleeping bag and stood up, he was surprised that he was certain none of them had gone to get Snape to tattle on him. It must have been one of the younger years who didn't understand that he belonged there. Of course they wouldn't understand, because he himself didn't quite understand it.

Snape lead him out of the dormitory and across the Slytherin common room. Harry spotted a small group of second years who looked nervous and guilty. So it was younger students. Oh well, there was nothing he could do about it now. Out in the chilly dungeon corridor beyond the Slytherin entrance, Harry wished he were back in the warm red sleeping bag.

"Do I have detention?" Harry asked dully.

"No."

He lead Harry to his office, and pushed the door open. Professor McGonagall was inside, and she looked relieved to see him.

"Mr. Potter! Where were you? I've been worried sick!"

"Sleeping," Snape supplied as he went around behind his desk and sat down.

"Sleeping? Where?"

When Harry didn't answer Snape cleared his throat and said quietly and calmly, "Answer her Potter."

"In the boy's dormitory between Draco and Teddy's beds."

"In the- in Slytherin? Why were you in there?"

Harry refused to look up, and didn't answer, but Snape cleared his throat again, and Harry said, "Because that's the only place I'm wanted right now."

"Harry, I know you've become friends with some of the Slytherins recently, but school rules forbid sleeping in a house you don't belong to."

"I do belong there."

"Harry-"

He looked up, angry and hurt, and his head of house looked startled to see him that way. "Do you really think I belong in Gryffindor? Every year it's something. Every year they find some reason to turn against me and push me away, like I'm old trash or something rotten they'd rather not look at. One year I'm the heir of Slytherin, another I'm the cheat who somehow got his name into the cup, then I'm the boy who brought back the dead body of Cedric Diggory and who lied about Voldemort returning... it's always something. I'm not even a person to them Professor. I'm not," he insisted at her look of disbelief. "I'm not even Harry. This year I'm just the boy who broke Ron's nose. No one even cares to know that he started the fight and had me down on the ground hitting me. No one. If I was a person they would at least hear me out, but they don't want to. So they turn away from me again. They let me eat alone, and sit alone in the common room, and sit in classes alone, and spend all my time alone. You don't even know why I'm friends with the Slytherins do you? It's not because I tried to be their friend. It's because they decided that what other people were doing to me was wrong. It made them angry and they decided to be my friend even though I'd never been friendly with them. Apparently that's what it means to be Slytherin. I'm sorry Professor, but I don't belong in Gryffindor. I should have listened to the hat. It knew all I wanted was someone who would care."

She looked sad, and said very quietly, "I care Harry."

"What does the hat have to do with this?" Snape asked. He'd been so silent that Harry had almost forgotten he was there. Even though the man had been civil to him since Christmas, Harry was still trying to get used to this calm side of him. He was far too used to him sneering and throwing insults at him. Now that Draco and the others had told him and shown him what being Slytherin was though, he could understand why Snape had written back to him as Santa and given him clothes.

"It wanted to put me in Slytherin, but I begged to be put anywhere else because Draco was there and I didn't like how he'd treated Ron before the sorting. Fat lot of good sticking up for Ron did me."

In the silence that followed his confession, the two Professors could sense the hurt he was feeling even from his posture.

"Mr. Potter, return to the fifth year Slytherin dormitory. You will stay there tonight."

Harry didn't question if he'd heard right because he didn't want to push his luck. Even if he'd heard wrong and been told to go back to Gryffindor, he slipped quickly out of the Professor's office without a word and back down the chilly corridors to the Slytherin entrance.

Once again alone in the office where they had met twenty minutes before when Minerva had come to Severus to ask if he'd seen Harry, the two stared at the desk in silence.

"Slytherin?" Minerva finally asked.

"I would not have thought so either."

"Gryffindor is a family," Minerva said, sounding hurt. "It has always been a family. The hat knows that. When it placed me there fifty eight years ago it's exact words to me were, "Gryffindor will be your new family."

"Apparently the hat knew it was not the family meant for him."

"But he's been in Gryffindor for almost six years now. We can't just change him! Albus wouldn't approve."

"He would not," Severus agreed.

She looked up at him. "I must have gone wrong somewhere. If they've treated Harry as badly as he says they have, then it's my fault. I'm the one that's supposed to be setting an example for them."

With a heavy sigh Severus waved her away. "I have set a bad example and the students in my house took it upon themselves to ignore it and do what they wanted. You cannot blame yourself for the actions of teenagers."

"What am I supposed to do though? The fifth years in your house are turning out just fine and the ones in mine clearly have some issues that need to be worked out." She seemed genuinely lost for what to do, and Severus was surprised that she seemed to be asking him. He was one of the younger staff members at the school, and the more seasoned staff rarely if ever asked for his advice on anything that didn't have to do with Potions or healing.

"Do nothing."

"Really Severus."

"I'm serious," he said.

"But Harry is clearly hurting."

"He knows you care. You stepping in to chastise his friends and take care of his problems for him will not help. He has been stepped on his entire life. As a younger child he could not be expected to do anything about it, but now he's nearly a man. Take care of his problems for him and he learns nothing. Let him figure out how to fight his own battles and he might have a chance to stop being the victim."

"He's not playing the victim, he is the victim!" she said, raising her voice angrily.

"I did not say he was playing one. I am merely saying that at this point he continues to let himself be one. He has a choice. We all do. I believe he is on the edge of a decision that will shape him into who he will be as an adult." He gave her a challenging look, daring her to find fault with his logic.

"And you expect him to just stop being the victim?"

"How long has he forgone telling anyone about his circumstances at home, and in this school? Sixteen years. Tonight he finally told you. On Christmas he told me. I'd wager he's told some things to his friends or former friends recently as well. It seems as though he is already changing. Keeping it a secret, he allowed himself to continue being victimized. Telling people the truth, he has taken a step to stopping it."

"You sound certain."

"It's a certainty learned from experience." He gave her a hard look and she stood up straight and flattened down the front of her robes. Once upon a time she had ignored Severus as a student and looked the other way when four Gryffindor boys had nearly gotten him killed. He wouldn't tell her it was a lesson Voldemort had taught him though. Stand and be strong, don't let others push you down. He hoped Harry would figure that out. It sounded like him fighting back against his friend was a start, now he just needed to stand up for that decision.

* * *

Harry went back to Gryffindor the next day and didn't tell anyone where he'd spent the night. Of course, they didn't ask. No, they wouldn't, he thought, and he felt angry. He was tired of being shoved to the side, and having people always assume the worst of him. He was also angry with himself for letting this happen to him over and over again. Until he'd laid it all out on the table for McGonagall, he'd never really thought about all the times his friends or housemates had abandoned him.

Harry was in a bad mood all day even though he wished he weren't. He finally realized it was because every time he sat with the Slytherins in classes he felt normal, and every time a class ended he was dreading going back to Gryffindor tower or having to sit by himself in classes he had with just Gryffindors. Suddenly it felt to Harry as though the Slytherins were his safe haven at Hogwarts, and that going back to Gryffindor was like going back to the Dursleys at the end of a school year, and that made him angry too. Gryffindor was supposed to be his safe haven, not a place where he felt like he had to hide. Everything about this just felt wrong. Like his entire world had been tilted on it's head.

Twice in the halls that day Harry caught Fred and George looking at him and when he spotted them they quickly turned away. Were they going to try to corner him again? They almost looked sorry, but he didn't dare to believe they were sorry for the way they'd treated him.

At the end of the day all Harry wanted to do was go back to Slytherin and do his homework where people wouldn't give him funny looks or call him names, but somehow going back to Slytherin felt cowardly. Interesting how earlier in the week going to sit at Slytherin table felt like the courageous thing to do, like the Gryffindor thing, and now he felt only like he was running away. One thing Harry knew that he was not, was a coward. So after dinner at the Slytherin table, he went back to the Gryffindor common room and sat down with his homework at a table by himself. There was a group of first years on the floor a few feet away, and Harry swore he heard one of them mutter, "Slytherin," under his breath.

He stopped unpacking his homework and books and looked down at the group of eleven year olds. "Yeah?" he asked, knowing he sounded testy. He'd been trying not to explode all day. Maybe he should have just gone to Slytherin after all, or maybe even the library. They looked up at him, startled that he'd acknowledged them after ignoring them and their comments for the past few weeks. A few others around the room looked over too. They weren't used to hearing Harry speak recently.

"What?" asked the first year whom Harry's ire was currently directed at.

"If you have something to say to me, say it out loud so everyone can hear," Harry said.

The first year shook his head.

"No? Seems a bit cowardly doesn't it? To talk about someone behind their back and then refuse to own up to it?"

"I'm not a coward!" the boy shouted. "You're the Slytherin! You don't belong here!" The boy's small amount of anger had run out fairly quickly and he looked flustered.

"So it's bad to be a Slytherin?" Harry asked. He was aware that everyone in the common room was listening now, though he was trying not to look around and see who all was there. He thought he'd seen Ron and Hermione sitting in the opposite corner when he'd come in, but wasn't sure now.

"Yes. They lie and cheat in classes and steal and-" he stopped at the stern frown he was receiving from Harry.

"Keep going," Harry said. "If you're a Gryffindor than have the courage to say it all to my face, right here in front of everybody instead of continuing to say it under your breath as I pass by in the halls."

"You're a traitor," the boy said very quietly, and then he firmly clamped his mouth shut.

"What's a traitor then?" Harry asked, but the boy was done talking. Harry turned to look at the rest of the common room. "Well?" he asked, hands on his hips. "What's a traitor? If I'm going to be accused by my own house of being a traitor, I want to know what you think a traitor is."

People looked nervously at each other. The sixth and seventh years didn't look like they had anything to say, but were interested in hearing what Harry was going to say next. It was mostly the younger students who seemed wary of Harry, like he was going to explode. They were right. A fourth year said, "A traitor is someone who betrays what he stands for. Someone who goes to the other side."

"And what is it I'm supposed to stand for as a Gryffindor that I've betrayed?"

"Loyalty, courage, friendship-"

Harry stopped him by holding up his hand. "Haven't I been loyal? I've been in Gryffindor for six years. Every time you all decide to turn against me, here I am, still in Gryffindor. Still helping people with their homework, still running the DA, still representing our house in the tri-wizard tournament and playing on the Quidditch team. And courage? Is facing down Voldemort a cowardly thing to do? Or a dragon, or man eating snakes or Professors who want to rip my head off for no reason? What about friendship? Huh? Anyone? When have I been bad to any of you? When have I called you names when you pass by in the halls? When have I refused to sit with you at meals or during classes or in the common room, or refused to speak to you? When have I talked about you behind your back?" He glanced to the far corner of the common room and saw that Ron and Hermione were there. Hermione looked sad and Ron's face was red as he stared at his hands.

"But you've been spending all your time with Slytherins!" protested the first year who had suddenly found his voice again.

"Why is that? Are you all blind? You say I'm not courageous, loyal, or friendly, but you decide to look the other way when you are being a coward, disloyal or unfriendly to me."

"You're lying!" said the boy.

"Who has been friendly to me since Christmas, or even before that? Haven't you seen me sitting by myself all the time? You think that was by choice? I asked someone out because I liked her, and her brother got mad at me and started hitting me. When I fought back and he got hurt, each one of my friends decided they were mad at me and didn't want to be my friend anymore. Just because I was defending myself! No one even cared to hear my side of the story. So they left me alone for Christmas. They didn't talk to me or send me any presents, and after Christmas they were still ignoring me like I didn't even matter. They were too cowardly to hear my side of it and have to face the fact that they'd made a mistake. No courage, no loyalty, no friendship. Nothing Gryffindor at all about what happened. And I didn't complain about it, not even once. But guess who was a Gryffindor during that time? The Slytherins. That's right. I spent Christmas with Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape, who both gave me presents, the only ones I got this year. And after Christmas, Draco told the other Slytherins how everyone in Gryffindor was treating me, and they decided it wasn't right, so they said I could start sitting with them at classes and at meals. They were friendly. They were courageous to try to include a Gryffindor even when the rest of their house didn't like what they were doing. When I asked them why they did it, they said, ‘This is what it is to be Slytherin. You're a Gryffindor, you wouldn't understand.' They were right, I didn't understand, but I do now. So go ahead and call me a Slytherin. I've been a Gryffindor long enough. I'm done. You all can continue acting however you like. I don't even care anymore." Harry turned to the first year who had been calling him Slytherin all week. "Every time you call me a Slytherin you are paying me a complement. You are saying to me, ‘Courageous, loyal, friendly.' I'm ok with that."

Harry was so angry that he stood up and left his books and bag and homework there at the table. He resisted the urge to run up the stairs to the boy's dorms and instead walked, standing as straight as he could, fists clenched at his sides. What is wrong with people? Why can't they just understand that it's not ok to treat me however they want. He pushed open the door to the dorm and sat down at his desk. He was going over what he'd said in the common room again, trying to think of how he could have explained better when the door opened a few moments later. He could hear a lot of chatter coming from downstairs in the common room for a moment until the door closed again, once again blocking the noise. He looked up and found the other fifth year boys there.

"Come to tell me to get out?" Harry snarked. He almost wished they would. Then he wouldn't be a coward for going to hide in Slytherin. He could just go to the dungeons and tell Professor Snape that the others had told him to get out and that would be that. Wouldn't it?

Neville spoke first. "Just so you know Harry, I never thought any of those things about you that said down there. I'm sorry I haven't spent any time with you. Gran's been on my case to get my grades up so I've been studying a lot. I did notice you were spending time with Draco and his friends and wondered why, but I didn't know it was because you and Ron had row."

Harry's cheeks tinged red with embarrassment then. Maybe he should have just kept his big mouth shut. Now that Neville had said it, he thought maybe that a lot of people had just not noticed him sitting by himself.

"Sorry Neville," Harry said. "I'm a git. You didn't do anything to me."

"Don't apologize," Neville said. "Gran said it's a sign of weakness. Besides, you have to do what you have to do." He walked past Harry and went to sit on hid bed with his homework.

Harry looked up at Dean and Seamus and said, "And you've come to tell me I'm an idiot too?"

"No," Dean said. "You're right. We were being jerks and it wasn't the first time. When Ron stopped talking to you and started hanging out with us we thought it was kind of cool to have another friend to play games and do homework with. You two are close so we never see much of you. We kind of just figured things would work themselves out between you like always."

"What Dean is saying is we're sorry we were gits," Seamus said. "We can't say it won't happen again, but we'll try not to exclude you again or jump to conclusions." Seamus had been very angry at Harry last year because of the lies the papers had printed about him. Harry didn't want to admit that that still stung, to know that people believed whatever lies other people spread about him.

Dean and Seamus went back out to the common room, leaving just Ron and Neville in the dorms with him. Harry didn't expect Ron to apologize or to say anything at all to him, so he turned away and opened his desk drawer, looking for paper to start his homework, or a letter, or anything at all to make it look like he had important things to do. He started scribbling down a letter to Sirius that he didn't intend to send, and after a few moments, Ron cleared his throat. When Harry didn't look up or acknowledge him, Ron cleared his throat again, gave a nervous look to Neville, and then asked, "The Slytherins really tried to be your friend because of the way we were treating you?"

"Yes," Harry said, not looking up as he continued to write what amounted to little more than nonsense.

"Who would have thought, eh?" Ron said. His voice was high like he was trying to lighten the mood and make a joke, but Harry didn't respond and so Ron plowed on.

"I would have said yes if you would have asked me first."

"What?" Harry looked up, quill finally still in his hand.

"If you would have asked me about Ginny, I would have said yes."

"Ron, she's fifteen. We don't need your permission. You didn't ask anyone else for permission when you asked Hermione out. That would have offended her."

"Well-" Ron started, searching for words.

"You didn't have to start hitting me just because you were mad at me. You pushed me down and started pummeling me and I was stunned because I didn't think it was really happening."

"Fred and George fight," Ron said, as though it justified his actions.

"Who do I fight Ron? Voldemort, death eaters, my uncle and cousin. And I never see Fred and George totally disowning each other after a fight."

"Harry what do you want me to say? I made a mistake. I'm sorry."

Harry stared into his eyes, still feeling angry and alone even though his friend had just apologized. "I don't care that we fought Ron," he said. "I care that you let everybody think that I started it, or that I just hit you for no reason. You even went home and spent Christmas with my Godfather and told him that hit you, so he didn't send me a present because he wanted to punish me, like it was all my fault. And you broke a promise to me just like everyone else does. You said I could go home with you for Christmas, and then you left me here. I sat in the corridor by myself all morning until lunch time until Snape finally felt bad enough for me that he had to take me to the Christmas room."

"The what?" Neville asked from the other side of the room.

"The Christmas room," Harry said. "Each year one staff has to go around the castle and gather up all the kids that are feeling homesick or whatever on Christmas and take them too a room to play games with each other. The staff gives each kid a present."

"I've never heard of that," Neville said.

"You always have a home to go home to for Christmas," Harry said. "I've been almost every year. Except Ron said I could spend Christmas with him this year, so I thought I wasn't going to have to go to the Christmas room this time around."

Harry turned back to his paper and stared at it, unable to think of any words at all to write down, not even nonsense ones. Ron was quiet though he still didn't move from his spot at the edge of the desk by the door.

"So you're not going to forgive me?" Ron asked, voice very quiet.

"You had no intention of forgiving me," Harry said. "Why am I always supposed to be held to a higher standard than everybody else? You want me to forgive you, but this isn't the first time you've done this to me. You'll do it again and again. I'll be left by myself again and again because that's what always happens to me."

Ron gave a sad look at Harry and then quietly backed out of the room and closed the door. Harry set his quill down and stared at the desk.

"I don't know about what Slytherins do," Neville said, startling Harry, who had forgotten he was still in the room, "but Gryffindors forgive. We make too many mistakes to not forgive each other."

"I didn't say I wouldn't forgive him," Harry said, feeling irritable.

"No but you made him think it," Neville said.

Harry sighed and then put his head down on his arms on the desk. Let Ron feel like he did for a while. That's what he wanted, for Ron to think he'd never be forgiven. Neville was right though, it wasn't very nice. What was the point of Harry ranting at all of the Gryffindors downstairs if not to point out that they had been hypocrites? He didn't want to be one too. Wonderful, he thought to himself. Now I get to go back downstairs and face down everyone I just yelled at.

Standing and pushing the chair away from himself, Harry opened the door and went down the spiral staircase. A few people looked up at him as he appeared at the bottom, but for the most part people had settled back in to their studying or their board games. Harry scanned the room and found Ron sitting by himself at the table in front of Harry's homework working on something. He crossed the room and sat down across from him.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Your homework."

"What?"

"Mine's finished. I need something to do."

"But why would you want to do mine? That's cheating."

"I don't care. I'm going to prove to you that I'm sorry for the way I acted and that I'm not going to flake out on you again."

"And doing my homework proves that?"

"I have to do something."

Harry reached forward and pulled the parchment away from him. His eyes scanned down the history essay. It was passable. Ron had even been trying to write it with words Harry would have used so it sounded like Harry had done it. Then without warning Harry crumpled the parchment up and tossed it over the group of first years and into the fire.

"I'll prove it to you some other way then," Ron said, looking defeated.

Harry sighed, feeling tired. "You don't have anything to prove to me," he told him. "Because I'm not ever going to let you treat me like that again."

"Harry, I-" he looked lost for words.

"I forgive you Ron," Harry said. "I never stopped being your friend, you're the one who stopped being mine. I'm tired of people giving up on me. I'm not going to let it happen again. If you try to pull this again, I'm going to have something to say about it, even if I have to get up and shout at the whole common room again."

"I won't act like that again," Ron said. "You'll see. I'll earn back your trust even if it takes the rest of my life."

They stared at each other for a long moment and then Harry pulled a fresh piece of parchment out of his backpack. As he started re-writing his assignment, he asked, "So is Ginny mad at me or what?"

"No," said Ron. "She's mad at me. She's been mad at me since we fought. It's been awful. She won't speak to me. And Hermione's mad at you, me, and Ginny. She said she's tired of us fighting and always trying to drag her into it."

"She's smart then," Harry said. "Go apologize to her and Ginny."

"Er," Ron said, and Harry looked up at him. "Ginny thinks you're mad at her. You might want to talk to her."

"Maybe tomorrow at breakfast," Harry said. Ron nodded as though he thought this was a good plan for himself as well.

* * *

Severus Snape watched as Harry entered the Great Hall the next morning at breakfast, walked boldly over to Gryffindor table, took Ginny Weasley by the hand, and then lead her to Slytherin table and sat down next to Draco and Pansy. Ginny looked uncomfortable for a few moments, but was soon drawn into a conversation by a fifth year Slytherin girl named Penelope.

"What do you suppose that is about?" Minerva asked. She and Severus had both been keeping an eye on Harry since the night he'd spent in Slytherin.

Severus pointed quietly at Gryffindor where Ron appeared to be arguing with Hermione in hushed tones. Finally the red head stood up straight and then appeared to be steeling himself for a challenge. After a few moments he too crossed the Great Hall. He stood next to Harry for a moment, before Draco rolled his eyes and finally scooted over to make room for him.

"It would appear the situation has resolved itself," Severus said.

"But it's happened so quickly! How do you suppose it happened?"

"Knowing Potter, he probably made a fool of himself shouting at the whole house."

"What?"

"I heard students talking about it in the Entrance Hall this morning."

Severus and Minerva watched as Granger got up from the table before the end of breakfast and also walked across the hall to join the others at Slytherin table.

"Your Gryffindors are ruining my table Minerva," he commented with no real enthusiasm.

"Your Slytherins are having a positive effect on my Gryffindors."

He looked at her with narrowed eyes as she pursed her lips and then broke into a smile.

* * *

"Mr. Potter."

Harry looked up from the notebook he was trying to stuff back into his overfull bag in the back of the Potions room. Ron and Hermione had already filed out, arguing with each other again, and most of the rest of the class had already left.

"Yes sir?"

"Things seem to have worked out for you."

"Mostly sir."

"Mostly?"

Harry looked around to be sure the classroom had emptied out. "It doesn't matter sir."

"Did I not tell you at Christmas that I care? Therefore whatever you have to say does matter."

The green eyes that looked up to meet his black ones seemed startled. "Do you really care? People just like to say that. Professor Dumbledore says it all the time."

"You don't believe he means it?"

"If he meant it he would do something to show it."

"Such as?"

Harry gave him a wary look and Severus returned an impassive one. If he had told the whole of Gryffindor house that he was done being mistreated, then maybe he was ready to tell staff that he was done returning to a home where he was mistreated.

"Find me someplace else to stay over the summer."

"Have you asked him?"

"Every year."

"And he knows how you feel about returning home and why?"

"Not exactly..."

"Perhaps you should tell him."

"It won't matter," Harry said with finality. "He told me I have to go back there no matter what. When I turn 17 in the summer I'll be able to leave."

"And where will you go?"

"Ron's house I guess, I dunno."

"You have mended the burnt bridges between the two of you?"

"I guess."

"Potter, I would not rely on the uncertainty of ‘I guess' to ensure you have a place to go for the summer."

"What am I supposed to do then? It's not like I have a lot of options."

"You managed an entire night in Slytherin without incident. Do you think it is possible for you to manage an entire summer staying with a Slytherin?"

"I guess. Draco's dad is a death eater though..."

"I am not speaking of Draco."

Harry stared at him long enough to make the silence uncomfortable, so Severus cleared his throat and said, "I will speak to the Headmaster on your behalf. If he is not willing to let you stay at the castle over the summer, then you may stay with me, if you are amenable."

"With you?"

"That is what I said, is it not?"

Harry started laughing then and it startled Severus. When he gave Harry a displeased look, Harry tried to stop laughing and said, "Come on. You're only saying that because I said I was supposed to be in Slytherin."

"I am making you an offer because I do not care to see you return to a place where you are unwelcome. Whether or not you were meant to be placed in Slytherin is not my concern."

"You don't mean it. You'll get mad at me or something before summer and I'll end up back at the Dursleys."

Severus surprised Harry then by taking a piece of parchment from his desk and writing something hurriedly down with a quill.

"You are aware of the binding nature of wizard contracts, are you not?"

Harry walked over to him to see what he was writing. ‘I Severus Snape will allow Harry Potter to stay at my place of residence this summer if he so chooses regardless of circumstances.' He signed his name and slid the parchment towards Harry.

"You do not have to sign it. By picking up the paper, the magic will make the contract binding."

"You mean it, don't you?"

"I would not have said it if I did not."

Harry picked up the paper and felt his fingers tingle from the magic, and then looked up at Snape. He took the parchment and then walked towards the door where he could still hear Ron and Hermione arguing out in the corridor. Before he opened it, he turned back and gave Snape an approving look. "You really are Santa Clause aren't you?" And then he was gone.

Ridiculous boy, Severus thought to himself. Didn't he know there was no Santa Clause? No, just foolish Potion's Masters who were going too soft for their own good.