Thanks To A Snake

Chapter 2

Harry and Daph were lying in the Greengrass library with their transfiguration texts open working on their term project. Queen apparently decided Daphne had studied enough and pounced on the Daphne's quill. "Queenie!" Daphne shrieked. "That was not necessary." She looked at Harry laughing. "Harry shut it."

Harry ignored her and kept on laughing while Queen pranced on over to him and started purring. "How about a break Daph?" Harry rolled over on to his back and Daphne scooted closer to him picking up Queen and laying her on top of Harry and petting her. "Daph what's a good present to get a house elf?"

"You know I don't think anyone has ever considered that." Daphne spoke sitting up and looking at Harry with a weird look.

Harry explained upon seeing the look. "They were the first ones to show any interest in my well-being, especially Mips. She wouldn't even let me leave the table until I ate two helpings, apparently I was too skinny; I think she may have put something in the food too, I shouldn't be this normal looking." He laughed.

"Well you can't get them clothes. They'll take it badly." After Harry's oh so eloquent huh, she explained further. "Giving them clothes symbolizes freeing them, but their magic depends on them being tied to a family, without a family's magic they can only live a few years before dying."

"So clothes are out, what about a pendent with the Potter family crest?"

"You can try, but don't expect them to take it, our house elves hardly expect thank you's."

Intersection

The Potter elves took about an hour to convince to take the present from Harry. He gave them a pendent with the Potter crest hanging from a strap of Hungarian Horntail Dragon hide. Mips cried for an hour then made him a meal of all his favorites, including treacle tart.

When Harry came back to the Greengrasses from delivering his gifts, Xavier sought him out. Xavier knocked on the open door to Daphne's room where she, Harry, and Astoria were playing exploding snap.

Xavier smiled at the sight. "Harry this came for you over Christmas, but there was no name given on the tag. Evelyn and I went over to check for any harmful charms, there was only a few tracking charms. We dispelled all but one, which we both put a confundus charm on." He tossed the package to Harry who caught it and nodded. Harry looked at the tag. Your father left this in my possession before he died. Use it well. "It looks like the old coot's handwriting." Xavier spoke up. Harry nodded and opened the package.

Out poured a silky material that made Astoria and Daphne gasp. "That's an invisibility cloak!"

Harry looked up with an evil smirk. "So no tracking charms, feel like pulling some pranks Daph." He wiggled his eyebrows at a now equally smirking Daphne. Xavier walked out of the room laughing.

Intersection

Blaise, Tracey, Harry, and Daphne were sitting in a compartment discussing their breaks when the compartment door opened. "Mind if I join you?" Neville Longbottom stood in the doorway.

Harry looked at the other three who nodded. "Sure, we were just discussing our break."

"Thanks." Neville introduced himself to Blaise, and Tracey.

"So how was your break Neville?" Tracey spoke up. "It was good, quieter than usual. My uncle went to the Virgin Islands, so it was just my Gran and me."

"You don't like your uncle?" Harry asked.

"He dropped me out a window to see if I would have a bout of accidental magic, so no not really fond of him."