Severus staggered down the corridor. He paused and rested against the wall for a moment before continuing. The bite on his leg was painful but it wasn't something he couldn't handle, however he still needed to right himself after the shock. That the infernal beast was absolutely ferocious was no surprise – that was the entire idea behind using the Cerberus, but the fact that Severus had been unfocused enough to get hurt was worrying him.

Fluffy - Snape cringed at the name, had certainly proven a good guard dog and nothing had been disturbed on the third floor. Odd, seeing as this had been the ideal moment for someone to go after the stone. Quirrell's performance in the great hall was disturbing. Trolls were the man's area of expertise after all! He should have easily managed the troll on his own.

He made it to the stairs and down from the third floor. The leg was still bleeding but the pain was no longer as sharp. Snape found he was now able to walk almost normally. He wondered whether the other staff members had gotten rid of the troll yet. He was worried if it was really in the dungeons and had therefore insisted that his house stay in the great hall. Still, a troll could do a great deal of damage to his classroom and after the 'bat incident' two months ago he really wasn't keen on cleaning up the dungeons again!

“Severus!”

He looked up and saw Minerva rushing towards him with Quirrell behind her. Snape straightened his back and nodded in greeting. He glared at the stuttering idiot before returning his attentions to McGonagall.

“Did you find it?” he inquired.

“No, it's not in the dungeons. At least not anymore,” the elderly witch replied.

Together they continued onward but they didn't make it far before Severus stopped dead in his tracks. He had clearly heard something. It sounded almost like...

“S..Severus?” Quirrell inquired as the other two noticed him.

Minerva quickly realized that the potions master's legendary hearing had caught something and hushed Quirrell. There it was again and this time they could all clearly hear the scream – though it was distant. Snape reacted first as he suddenly flew past the other two and ran down the hallway. Minerva and Quirrell followed.

The scene that awaited them as they arrived at the entrance to the bathroom was unbelievable! The troll was lying unconscious on the bathroom floor and three first years were standing near the wall. Each had a different expression on their face – Miss Granger looked relieved, Mr Weasley looked terrified and Potter looked absolutely disgusted as he wiped something off on his robes.

“Oh, my goodness! What is... What is the meaning of this?” Minerva gasped as she stepped in front of Severus.

The children suddenly noticed that they were not alone and they all paled as they locked eyes with their Head of House. Severus instantly glared at Potter – knowing perfectly well that he was probably the one responsible.

“Why are you three not in your dorms!” cried McGonagall.

The boys looked as though they were about to say something but Granger suddenly stepped forward and lied through her teeth as she explained that she had gone after the troll and had been saved by the boys. Snape was shocked of course at the girl's behavior and daring but no where near as mortified as he was when, to his horror, Minerva accepted that explanation!

He wanted to say something but his colleague had already begun lecturing the children and instead he turned his gaze towards Potter, whom he found starring at his leg. Quickly concealing it with his robes he glared at the boy for good measure. Potter wasn't even listening to McGonagall.

“And so five points to each of you for your dumb luck! Now return to the tower!”

Severus simply starred at McGonagall as if the other professor had just turned into a giant cupcake. He glanced at Quirrell to see whether he was just as surprised but the man was starring at the troll and didn't seem to have paid any attention. What on earth was Minerva doing rewarding them for this stunt? And why would she simply accept Granger's account, no questions asked? Snape then reminded himself that this was the woman who had made Potter a seeker for breaking the rules and he wondered whether the old cat had caught some kind of 'indulgence decease' from Dumbledore. Minerva turned and left the bathroom – ordering Quirrell to get rid of the troll. Severus followed the children out when he overheard their whispered conversation:

“I really am sorry! I didn't...”

“It's okay! You just knocked out a troll for me! What kind of person would I be if I didn't forgive you?” smiled the Granger girl.

“Not all by myself. I couldn't have done it without Harry. Mate, it was bloody brilliant the way you jumped on it's back! Erh... Sorry about your wand – gross!”

The children grimaced at the thought of whatever Weasley had been referring to but Snape had heard enough! He could feel the blood run cold in his veins as the mental image of Potter physically assaulting the troll flashed in his mind.

“Potter!” he called, his voice low and ominous. “Join me for a moment!”

The three children stopped and looked back at their professor. Potter didn't move and the other two children looked torn between taking him and making a run for it and standing their ground to defend him from Snape. Severus gestured for the other two to continue their journey to the Gryffindor Tower and Potter shrugged at them before slowly walking back to Snape. The potions master narrowed his eyes when the other two didn't move and the glare quickly sent them on their way though they looked at though they'd just left Potter in an acromantula nest.

“Yes, sir?” said a small voice below him.

Snape looked down at the miniature James in front of him. The green eyes – Lily's eyes, were wide and the boy shifted nervously from one foot to another.

“Potter,” Snape began. “I'll have you know that not everyone is gullible enough to believe your lies. I suggest you behave yourself because I'll be watching you. Be off with you.”

And with this warning Snape turned and walked away – his robes billowing as he went. A small child was left behind trembling in the hallway.

---

“Harry, at least consider it!”

Those had been Hermione's final words before she hugged her goodbye and left to go home for Christmas. Harry was watching Ron eating chocolate frogs in the common room as she considered the words.

A few days after Halloween the newly formed trio had been chased to the third floor by Filch's cat and had there discovered a huge three headed dog. Harry had been quick to piece the facts together and told her friends of what she had observed in Gringotts and about Snape's leg. Their suspicions were confirmed at Harry's first Quidditch match where Hermione prevented Snape from cursing Harry off her broom by setting fire to his robes.

Hermione had initially been quite consistent with her suggestions that Harry tell Ron her secret and she had actually been considering it up to Halloween. However, Snape's words in the hallway haunted her – she wasn't sure if he was referring to that lie but it had left her more than a little apprehensive and scared of telling more people. She felt bad for it of course. She knew Ron considered them best friends and she knew he'd likely be upset if he found out Hermione had known but she hadn't told him.

Luckily the excitement of the mystery involving Snape and the dog had consumed Hermione and she had ceased insisting that Harry share the secret again. Harry didn't know, of course, but Hermione was hoping that telling Ron might ease the path to telling McGonagall. Since the matter had been dropped she was quite surprised when it resurfaced on the last day before the Christmas holiday.

Harry pushed it aside. She had other things to think about, like who send her that mysterious cloak and their plan to search the forbidden section of the library for information on Nicolas Flamel. Her other presents had been absolutely wonderful! Of course she would think that seeing as it was the first Christmas presents she could remember having gotten. She had gotten a knitted jumper from Ron's mother and a box of chocolate frogs from the boy himself. There had even been a card and a box of sugarmoths from the twins.
Hermione had given her a book on Quidditch moves and a smaller slightly more personal present as well. It was a thin bracelet braided with thin blue ribbons and the occasional golden pearl braided in. It was Hermione's and Harry had once told her that she admired it. It was something Hermione had once made herself in school. Harry couldn't really wear it publicly and they both agreed on that – Harry felt it was too feminine and was still afraid of discovery and Hermione didn't like the thought of the ideas people might get if a boy whom she was almost always seen with now had a token of hers. So Harry kept this treasure on her left hand under her sleeve where it couldn't be seen. To her it was a reminder that she had someone whom she could trust in a world of so many uncertainties.

“I'll go tomorrow night, Ron! No better that it's only one of us! In case there's trouble,” Harry smiled at her friend.

---

Harry tried her very best not to run as she sneaked down the corridor. Her hand was still covering her mouth. She had just witnessed an exchange between Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell that was strange to say the least but that had been the least of her worries. For a dreadful moment she had been certain that Snape had discovered her presence there as her breathing became too loud but luckily she managed to escape undetected.

They knew now that someone had been in the restricted section as Filch – whom she had almost had another run in with earlier, had alerted them. She needed to get back to the tower! She knew perfectly well that they would be searching for her now. Unfortunately she had been so preoccupied with getting away that she had wandered of course and know no longer knew where she were. By now she could manage to find her way in the castle by daylight but now in the darkness everything seemed foreign and scary.

She paused and tried to catch her breath as she leaned against the wall. There was moonlight shining through the windows. Her vision was blurred by the lighting and the shimmering cloak over her. She pulled the cloak off her head and let it rest around her shoulders while she caught her breath. Then a sudden noise reached her ears. Footsteps. They were coming closer and whomever it was, was walking fast. Panicking, Harry left the cloak draped around her shoulders and hurried through the nearest door – not caring where it lead so long as she was out of sight.

She turned around and leaned against the door and sure enough after a moment she heard the footsteps pass by the door and continue down the hallway. Harry closed her eyes and took a deep breath before reopening them and examining the room she had sought refuge in. She hadn't been in this room before. At some point it had clearly been a classroom or used to store desks because there were several desks stacked against the wall but they were covered with a thick layer of dust. The ceiling was high and moonlight shone through the two tall windows and illuminated a large object in the middle of the room.

Curious, Harry pulled off the cloak and stepped closer to the tall object. When she walked around to the other side of it, it became clear that it was a very large mirror. It looked quite old but unlike anything else in the room it was free of dust. At the top she read the word: Erised. The mirror surface was cloudy and slightly obscured by craquelure and Harry had to step close to it to see a shape in it. The lack of lighting proved a further problem but when Harry adjusted her eyes to the light she quite clearly saw two emerald eyes shining back at her. But as she turned to head back to the door something struck her as not quite right.

She turned back to face the mirror and now quite clearly saw three people in it – and none of them were her! She spun around to see if there indeed was someone behind her but the room remained empty. As she looked back into the mirror she almost fell over backwards as the realized who the two taller figures were. Smiling down at her were Lily and James Potter. They looked just like the picture Hermione had shown her. They were standing behind a child and James had placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl in front of her looked strange but still familiar. To Harry it was almost like seeing her sister. She raised her hand subconsciously and waved at them and was shocked when the girl mirrored her movements. Harry smiled – she smiled. Harry placed her hand upon the mirror and she did the same.

The girl was a little shorter than Harry but not by much. She was skinny and rather pale. Her hair was ravenblack just like Harry's by the looks of it but due to the lighting Harry couldn't be quite sure. Her hair was short – the same length as Harry's but it lay flat on her head, bangs covering her forehead. Harry brushed her own mop of hair and watched the other girl do the same. The girl's eyebrows and lips were thinner and her cheekbones higher. Her nose was narrow, straight and more pointy than Harry's with a very slight bump to it. The eyes however were exactly the same – large and green just like Lily's.

Harry wondered whether a sister of hers would indeed look like this. She smiled at the family in front of her but couldn't help feeling a little jealous of the mysterious sister who dressed just like her. This was what she'd always wanted: A family, her parents, someone to love who would love her just for being herself and not see her as some kind of freak.

“Tell me what you see, Harry,” a voice said behind her.

Harry turned around to find none other than the Headmaster there. Her stomach turned to ice as she realized she'd been caught out of bed – looking at things that did not belong to her. The old man stepped closer and smiled at her.

“I... Sir... I'm so sorry,” Harry began.

“Is it your parents?” inquired Dumbledore.

“Yes, sir. But...”

“But how are they there? Well, Harry, this mirror is quite a dangerous thing. Many have wasted away starring into it. It's not real, my boy, no one can bring back the dead. It shows that which we most desire.”

“Oh..” said Harry as she considered whether she'd ever longed for a sibling. “But Professor, what do you see there then?”

“Socks. I see myself with a nice pair of socks.”

When Harry gave Dumbledore a strange look he continued:

“You can never have too many socks. Still, I think it is best if you do not return here, Harry, the mirror is about to be moved. I suggest you return to your bed,” the wizard smiled.

Harry only nodded and thanked the professor before grabbing her things and leaving. She wasn't sure which she found stranger: The mirror or the fact that she'd just been sent back to bed with not so much as a mention of her breaking curfew?

---

“Ron?”

“Mmm?”

“Wake up!”

“Mmm...”

“I need to talk to you.”

“'M sleeping.”

“Not anymore you're not. Ron, I'm serious. Please.” Harry whispered even though she didn't know why – they were alone in the dorm but Harry sometimes felt like the walls had ears.

“What? What! Harry it's in the middle of the night!” Ron said as he finally sat up in bed.

Harry pulled the drapes closed and crawled up to sit on Ron's covers. It was the last night of the Christmas holidays and Harry had been thinking about doing this ever since that night with the mirror.

“Ron I need to tell you something. It's a secret. Do you promise not to tell anyone?”

Ron nodded. His eyes were wide and he pulled out an orb from his nightstand and shook it. A warm glow eminated from the orb and Ron placed the night light between them. Now with the drapings closed the bed felt almost like a cave. Harry tried to relax. She'd already come out and said it but she wanted to run away so badly.

“Does Hermione know?” Ron suddenly said.

Harry nodded and Ron's suspicions were confirmed. The two of them always disappeared after potions and they whispered often. Ron no longer felt jealous but he had hoped to be included at some point.

“She wanted me to tell you earlier. Promise you won't be mad?”

Ron agreed even though he knew perfectly well he could hardly make such a promise and be sure to keep it.

“I...” Harry began before the words stuck in her throat.

“You're a vampire in disguise?” Ron supplied with a grin.

“Something like that,” Harry mumbled and Ron's smile vanished.

“Look, Harry, we're best mates, right? That's not going to change!”

Ron wasn't quite sure though – it sounded like something really awful but Ron couldn't stand the idea of losing his best friend either. No, no matter what it was he'd not leave Harry. He couldn't.

“Can.. Can I show you instead? Hermione found a way, you see.”

“Would that make it easier?”

“I lied to you,” Harry began and continued quickly when shock appeared on Ron's face: “Not really like that but I didn't say. I'm... Ron... I'm a... a girl.”

Harry quickly looked down at the covers. She didn't want to see the look on Ron's face. Silence reigned for a moment after that.

“You're messing with me. You're a...?”

Harry looked up at Ron. The boy didn't look angry – he looked confused.

“I can show you. I can walk up the girls' stairs.”

Harry moved as if to get off the bed but Ron grabbed her hand and held her back.

“Yeah, I'd want to see that! But... Harry? I mean.. Really? I...”

“It's okay if you don't want to be friends anymore but... Please don't tell.”

Ron had been certain this was all some big joke on Harry's part but the tears he saw forming in his friend's eyes were real. Then he made a decision.

“Show me the stair thing,” he mumbled and Harry nodded in reply.

A few moments later he watched as Harry came down the stairs and sat on the sixth step. Harry was nervous. However what Ron said was not what she'd expected at all:

“You mean... We had a girl in our dorm all that time?”

Ron grimaced slightly before remembering that Harry was present. Then he smiled at the girl and moved closer.

“Don't worry, mate. I won't tell. Well, can the twins know? Oh, okay, okay. But really this has to be the greatest prank of all time! You basically pranked the whole world! Man, they'd be so jealous. Let's go back up – I have a few frogs left!”

Ron was still unsettled by the whole thing but he didn't want to bring Harry to tears again. He'd ask Hermione a few questions once she returned. Perhaps he could help.