The echoes of laughter from the recent Christmas celebrations lingered in the air as Harry Potter trudged through the dimly lit dungeons towards Professor Snape's office.

Christmas day had been perfect, unlike any Christmas Harry had experienced before. The day was full of cheerful atmospheres, crackling fireplaces, decorations, and gifts. Harry could hardly keep the smile off his face as he fell asleep that night. It had dulled slightly this morning as a parchment floated onto his toast: a summons to Snape’s office after breakfast.

The thought of a summons from Snape left him uneasy, especially after the incident with the bewitched broom during the Quidditch match.

A hesitant knock on Snape's door was met with the usual response: a curt "Enter." Harry stepped into the dimly lit office, his eyes meeting the penetrating gaze of his Head of House.

"Potter," Snape drawled, his voice carrying a weight of authority. "Sit."

Harry sat in front of Snape's cluttered desk, his eyes flickering around the room. He noticed the potions master looked a little less stressed than during term time. A flick of his wrist caused the door behind Harry to click closed. Harry gulped; the memories of Hermione’s warning not forgotten.

The atmosphere was tense, filled with the faint scent of potions and the low crackling of the fireplace.

“I trust you have enjoyed the festivities.” Snape began.

Harry nodded; his voice wary. “Yes sir, very much.”

Snape hummed. His expression seemed thoughtful as he gazed upon Harry, as he had been doing a lot lately. “You enjoyed the feast?”

“Yes sir.”

“And in the afternoon, I saw you out on the quidditch pitch with Mr Moore?” Snape asked, his gaze keen. Harry nodded as Snape continued, his heart drumming in his chest. “I must admit I was pleased that your last…incident didn’t deter you from continuing to participate in quidditch.”

Harry, taken aback, hesitated before responding. "Incident, sir? You mean my broom …during the Quidditch match?"

Snape's expression shifted, and he nodded. "Yes, precisely that. I was concerned it might have left a lasting impact on you. I am still trying to investigate what happened…”

A puzzled look crossed Harry's face. "You are? I-I thought...”

Snape raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp. "Yes?"

Harry’s heart drummed in his chest faster. “It doesn’t matter sir.”

"If you possess any pertinent information, do share.” Snape’s eyes narrowed.

Harry nodded, a hint of uncertainty in his voice as he finally spoke. "Some students were suggesting... Hermione had this theory …that the accident might have been intentional."

Snape's features tightened slightly, but he maintained his composure. "I am under the same impression. It must have been a powerful spell to resist my prevention methods of casting counter-charms.”

Harry tried to mask his shock. “Counter... charm…?”

Snape nodded, unusually patient. “I noticed your broom acting peculiar and was attempting to perform countercharms.”

Harry’s thoughts were racing. Could it be true? Snape wasn’t the one to curse his broom, and instead was trying to save him?

This explanation would explain Hermione’s insistence that Snape hadn’t kept his eyes off Harry during the incident. His thoughts rushed to keep up with this new revelation. The complexities of his attitudes towards his head of house took a new turn, a newfound appreciation began to bloom in his chest.

He wasn’t trying to harm him, he was trying to help him.

“At any rate, I’ve summoned you here for a purpose beyond mere pleasantries," Harry blinked out of his thoughts and watched as Snape reached into a drawer and withdrew a small, carefully wrapped package. “This is a gift from the headmaster.”

Harry's brows furrowed in confusion as Snape handed the package to Harry, who took it cautiously, studying the brown paper wrapping.

Snape stared at Harry impatiently. "Open it."

As Harry carefully unwrapped the package, the fabric of a glistening cloak revealed itself. His breath caught, and he looked up at Snape in astonishment and confusion.

"It belonged to your father," Snape said matter-of-factly. “It is an invisibility cloak. The headmaster thought it was time you had it. Its power must be used wisely, understand?”

Harry's mind raced with conflicting emotions. The cloak was a link to his family's past; he'd never had such a tangible connection to his parents.

"Professor," Harry hesitated, his voice suddenly full of emotion. "I... I didn't expect..."

Snape raised a hand to quell Harry's words, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "I must admit, I wasn’t entirely persuaded to give this back to you. Nonetheless, I trust you will perceive it as a gesture of sentiment, not an invitation to disregard the rules.”

Harry hugged the fabric to his chest; the weight of its fabric brought a sudden flood of emotions. His mind wandered to his father, imagining him using the cloak to navigate the very halls of Hogwarts that Harry has been wandering.

He looked up at his head of house again with a small smile, his voice thick with emotion. “Thank you, sir.”

Snape gestured dismissively with his hand. He seemed lost within his own thoughts, too.

With the cloak tucked carefully under his arm, after a quiet goodbye to his professor, Harry made his way back to his dorm.

One phrase Snape said to him rang in his ears. “I trust you will perceive it as a gesture of sentiment…”

He trusts Harry. He trusts him with something that could easily allow him to break school rules.

And all Harry had done was assume the worst in him: that he was behind the curse on his broom.

Maybe Harry should start to trust him back.

--

It was nearly a week later when Lucas brought up Harry’s gift from the Dursleys.

They were sitting playing cards, which Lucas’s mum had sent to him for Christmas. Of course, they weren't ordinary cards. The cards all had faces and would whisper to Harry game strategies and beg to be used next. Harry held back laughter whenever they played with them.

“You look stupid in that jumper in here, you know?” Lucas said, placing one of his cards down on the pile. He had a teasing grin on his face.

Harry grinned back, snuggling further into the red jumper Mrs Weasley gave him. He’d hardly taken the thing off since Christmas. It was the nicest piece of clothing he owned, and it felt special that not only had Ron written home about him enough for Mrs Weasley to remember him, but that she had put in the effort to make it. It did look rather out of place in the emerald common room, though.

“I don’t care.” Harry shrugged, placing his card down in response (It cheered, happy to be chosen). “I like it. And besides, it was a gift.”

Lucas rolled his eyes, placed his next card, and turned back to Harry. “And the gift from your family? You liked it?” He asked casually.

Harry froze, looking down at his cards but ignoring their chatter. He remembered the 50-pence piece given by the Dursleys for Christmas. He looked cautiously up at Lucas, who looked like he’d asked an ordinary question.

Was it possible Lucas knew the worth of the coin? He came from a pureblood family as far as Harry knew, but maybe he’d just assumed that. He decided to continue his previous storyline and hope Lucas didn't know about muggle money.

“Yeah, of course... why’d you ask?” Harry attempted to keep his voice neutral, concealing the flood of emotions swirling through his mind. Harry played his next card but no longer cared about the game.

Lucas shrugged, seemingly unaware of Harry’s panic. “I dunno, you seemed shocked on Christmas day.” He played his next card. “Is that a usual gift from them?”

"I was just taken aback. It's, um, sort of a family joke," Harry stumbled through his words, omitting the part about his very existence being the Dursleys' version of an inside joke.

Luckily, before Lucas could respond, some other Slytherins entered the common room and expressed interest in the game. Harry welcomed the shift in conversation, though he couldn't help but notice Lucas casting a few curious glances his way throughout the rest of the day.

--

"Harry!" Hermione's voice rang out, her face breaking into a bright smile as she spotted him in the crowded hallway. "It's so good to see you again!"

Harry returned her smile, feeling a wave of warmth wash over him, as he was reunited with his friend. She surprised him by slinging her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. "You too, Hermione. How was your holiday?"

“It was great, but I missed Hogwarts!” She replied, pulling away and revealing that Ron had run up to join them. Harry grinned as he approached.

“Hey look, Harry! We’re matching!” He teased as he revealed his matching knitted red jumper with an embroidered R instead of Harry’s H.

Harry's grin widened, his heart swelling warmly as he re-joined their familiar banter.

Ron launched into a lively account of his family's holiday festivities while Hermione and Harry listened attentively, interjecting with their own anecdotes. It felt nice to be reunited with them. He’d enjoyed the quietness of the castle over the holiday but hadn’t realised how much he had missed the hustle and bustle of all the students returned.

Unfortunately, the return of all students meant the return of his least favourite students: the Slytherin first-year boys, notably Draco Malfoy - who was staring Harry down from the other side of the Great Hall. Harry shuddered, avoiding his gaze, but felt it linger and made him uneasy.

The feast grew to an end, and Harry bid farewell to Ron, Hermione, and his other Gryffindor friends and headed back to Slytherin. He was excited to see his other dormmates again. As intimidated as he often felt around them, the dorm had felt empty with just him and Lucas.

“Hey Potty!” Harry’s heart sank as his least favourite voice rang out as he exited the Great Hall. Draco was there with the other Slytherins as if they had been waiting for him. Harry gulped, looking for an escape route and turned away from them. “Hey, come back, we just wanna talk!”

Harry looked to see Draco following him, and he quickened his pace.

“I’m serious, Potter. Get back here.” Draco taunted as he followed him. Harry didn’t believe it for a second and quickened his escape, not even knowing the corridors he was going down.

Speed gave him an advantage as he hurried ahead, scanning the corridor for a hiding spot. Spotting a door nearby, he dashed towards it and slipped inside, swiftly closing the door behind him. Leaning against it, he held his breath, straining to hear any sign of Draco and the others passing by.

A sigh of relief escaped him as he listened to their footsteps fade away down the corridor.

Surveying his surroundings, he reached for his wand and conjured a dull Lumos, revealing an abandoned classroom. As he explored the room, a glint captured his attention. Moving closer, he discovered a mirror partially concealed by a sheet. With a hint of hesitation, he raised his hand and pulled down the covering.

His breath caught as he took in what lay before him.