Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Prologue

Harry was following the movements of the silver stag with his eyes. Ever since he had witnessed his Patronus take a corporeal form, and Professor Lupin has explained to him that it was, in fact, his father's Animagus form, Harry spent as much time as he possibly could on practicing the protective charm. It almost felt as if James was right there with him. It also made him somewhat happy to know that it was yet another similarity between him and his father.

Of course, during the summer holidays, Harry had little to no opportunities to practice the Patronus charm. However, as soon as the welcoming feast was over, he wasted no time in casting the spell that Professor Lupin has taught him during the third year. Harry smiled weakly, recalling the first night in the castle after the summer holidays. As was the case at the beginning of every school year, a small party was thrown in the Gryffindor common room. It was their way to attempt to make the first-years feel more at home, while the older students used it as the opportunity to catch up with their friends that they haven't seen for the previous two months. It was then that Harry had cast the Patronus charm in front of most of his housemates.

The reactions varied depending on the person. His dormmates found it incredibly funny when the silver stag started pouncing across the Gryffindor common room. Most of the girls seemed to be afraid that the animal would trample them, even though they've seen Harry's Patronus run through the furniture and even some of the people. He barely recalled Hermione's scolding; his friend said something about how immature and irresponsible the usage of such an advanced spell was. At that moment, Harry couldn't care less about her opinion; there was nothing wrong in allowing a stag, made out of the mist, to run amongst the students. The older Gryffindors were in awe, seeing the Patronus for the first time in their lives, and a corporal one that is, while the younger ones were either impressed by Harry's skills or terrified. But that happened over two months earlier, and things have changed drastically since then.

His smile slowly faded away from his lips as his thoughts traveled to much more recent occurrences. Three days have passed since the Goblet of Fire has chosen him to be the fourth Champion in the Triwizard Tournament, and Harry couldn't recall the time when he felt more abandoned in his life ever since he started attending Hogwarts. His dormmates simultaneously stopped talking to him and tried to alienate him as much as possible. Ron seemed to be the one that urged others to ignore Harry, calling him a cheater. Ever since the Champion election, they only talked, or rather argued, once. Since then, the only thing he heard from him, or from other Gryffindors, were whispers behind his back and accusations. It seemed that only the Twins' attitude towards him did not change. Of course, they've been assaulting him with questions about how he was able to make his way into the Tournament but, after a few failed attempts of explaining that he had nothing to do with it, both Weasleys reluctantly accepted his version of events. Since then, they've been treating him in the exact same way as they have for the past three years. Harry was glad to find out that Neville seemed not to share the popular belief that he had cheated himself into the Tournament, or, at least, that's what he thought. It was obvious that his shy friend tried to be nice towards him, greeting him in the Great Hall or offering him a seat during classes. These were little things, but he was immensely grateful for them. Unfortunately, the youngest Weasley brother was quick to react, urging Neville 'not to waste his time on the cheater.' And so, with an apologetic smile, Harry's shy dormmate would excuse himself. The fourth Champion couldn't blame him, though. Those small signs of friendship were more than he would expect.

Harry had to admit that he was shocked by Ron's behavior, but even more by Hermione's. While his best mate did his best to make it known in the entire school that he believed Harry to be a cheater, the girl that he considered to be his sister simply refused to talk to him or even look in his direction. Harry tried to attract her attention a couple of times already, attempting to talk to her during the meals in the Great Hall or after classes. Each time, however, his efforts would turn out to be in vain. It seemed that the bushy-haired girl has made it her ultimate goal to ignore him during their fourth year at Hogwarts. And so, after a few failed attempts of getting her to talk with him, Harry decided not to waste any more time. After all, it wasn't new for him to be an outcast at Hogwarts.

The whole situation was oddly similar to the occurrences from the two years prior when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened again. However, during his second year at Hogwarts, Harry still had his two best friends at his side, so, even though most of the school believed him to be the one responsible for the attacks, he wasn't alone. But he was at that moment, three days after the Goblet of Fire spat out a small piece of parchment with his name written on it. The looks of disgust and accusations whispered behind his back were something he's somehow gotten used to. But the fact that his closest friends did not believe him was almost too difficult for Harry to bear. It surprised him how little it took for them to turn their backs on him after everything they've been through.

And so, for the first time in over a year, Harry found himself sitting on the stone floor in the Chamber of Secrets, accompanied only by his Patronus. The silver stag was walking slowly around the young wizard, making sure that there was no hidden threat lurking in the shadows of Slytherin's secret chamber. Harry's eyes were focused on the remnants of the Basilisk; the giant serpent's skeleton was all that could testify about its existence. He was sitting there, ignoring the cold stone beneath him, with his wand in his right hand and an old photo in his left one. His Invisibility Cloak was lying next to him with the Marauder's Map on top of it. It was active, though unopened, showing only the title page. Harry moved his gaze from the Basilisk's remnants to the photo he was holding in his hand. He smiled weakly once again.

The photo was a parting gift from Professor Lupin. Originally it was a photo of all of the four Marauders, taken during James's stag party, but Harry quickly cut out the part that contained Pettigrew. He was glad that the man responsible for his parents' death wasn't in the center of the photo. The young wizard couldn't help but smile as he kept watching the interaction between the three friends.

James and Sirius were embracing each other, laughing madly while the photo was being taken. Glasses, most probably filled with alcohol, were present in their hands. Remus was standing a few steps away from the duo, looking at them with a similar amused expression; he was also holding a glass in his hand. Harry's smile widened slightly as he kept staring at the old photo.

The third year at Hogwarts, so far, has undoubtedly been the best one. Even though Pettigrew has managed to escape, and Sirius was on the run, Harry was happy to have met two of his father's closest friends. Despite not getting to know them as well as he would have liked to, he instinctively knew that these two were the most important men in his life, simply because of how close they used to be to James.

Harry's smile slowly faded away from his lips as he continued staring at the photo. Prongs was dead, Padfoot was on the run, accused of the crimes he didn't commit, Moony had to hide from society because of something he had no control over, and Wormtail was a Death Eater. After thinking about it for a few minutes, Harry realized that what happened to him and his friends was not the worst thing that could have happened. But still, it was painful.

Harry sent letters both to Sirius and Remus almost immediately after being forced to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, but he was still waiting for the reply. He guessed that he shouldn't have been surprised by the lack of response from his godfather. After all, he was in hiding, and it most likely was going to take the owl some time to find him. But he was disappointed with Remus unwilling to write him a reply. He tried to contact his former DADA teacher during the summer holidays a couple of times, but all of his efforts turned out to be in vain, even though he was sure that Hedwig has managed to deliver his letters.

"So, that's what the Hogwarts Champion is doing to prepare himself for the Tournament?" A feminine voice echoed across the empty corridors of the Chamber of Secrets, causing Harry to stand up in a blink of an eye; he was pointing his wand in the general direction from which he thought the voice came from. His Patronus stopped walking in circles around him, turning its head towards the voice's sources as if it expected some kind of danger to emerge from the shadows.

"Who's there?" Harry asked hesitantly, hiding the photo in the pocket of his trousers. With a corner of his eye, the young wizard noticed that the silver stag disappeared a few seconds after he lost his focus on the memory that allowed him to cast the Patronus charm. He was moving his hand rapidly, left and right, expecting to be attacked in no time.

The person who disturbed his solitude didn't reply. Instead, a faint echo of footsteps reached Harry's ears. The sound was steadily growing louder and louder, seemingly coming from the entrance to the main chamber of the Basilisk's lair. Harry gulped nervously, mentally preparing himself to fight against whoever would decide to attack him. Also, the acoustics of the room he was currently in made it impossible for him to determine whether he was being approached only by one person or by a group of people.

After what seemed to be hours, although, in reality, it has only been a dozen or so seconds, a lonely figure emerged from the shadows. Just as the voice indicated, the intruder was a female. With each step she took, Harry was able to make out more and more details.

The first thing that immediately caught his attention was her blonde hair, falling freely on her back and shoulders. From the spot where Harry was standing, it was impossible to determine its actual length. It was only a few shades darker than Malfoy's hair. Her torso was perfectly straight, and her head raised high; confidence seemed to be radiating off of her in waves. The green accents on her Hogwarts robes quickly became visible as the distance between them was decreasing steadily.

As she got closer, Harry was able to make out the details of her heart-shaped face. Her lips were pressed tightly in a thin line. The left corner of her mouth was raised almost unnoticeably in a permanent smirk. She had a small, slightly upturned nose, and even in the darkness of the Chamber of Secrets, Harry managed to notice her ice-blue eyes; their color was a perfect representation of her penetrating gaze.

"Potter," the witch greeted him, standing a few meters away from him. Her voice was cold, emotionless. The fact that she was slightly shorter than him wasn't stopping her from looking at him intimidatingly. Harry lowered his wand hesitantly after noticing that the Slytherin girl didn't draw her own. Her arms were crossed on her chest as she continued to scrutinize him with a gaze that would put Professor Snape to shame.

"What are you doing here, Greengrass?" Harry replied, doing his best to use the same cold tone as the Slytherin girl just did. One of her perfectly shaped eyebrows made its way upward towards her hairline.

"Why so impolite, Potter?" Daphne asked. The left corner of her lips was still raised, causing Harry to wonder if it was some kind of blemish on her otherwise flawless face. "If that's how you talk to everyone who approaches you, then I understand why no one speaks to you anymore," she countered.

"Because the fact that everyone believes that I have put my name in the Goblet of Fire isn't enough to cause others to stop talking to me?" Harry countered. Daphne seemed to ponder on his words for a few seconds before nodding her head in agreement.

"Yeah, sorry, it seems I have forgotten that our school is mostly filled with idiots," she replied, earning herself a shocked look from Harry. "What?" Daphne asked, noticing his expression. After a few seconds of silence from the Gryffindor, her thin lips curved in an 'O' shape as the realization hit her. "Ah, you think that I actually believe that you have put your name in the Goblet, don't you?" she asked rhetorically. "Well, unlike the vast majority of Hogwarts' population apparently, I'm not braindead, Potter," Daphne said without giving him a chance to formulate a response. Harry's eyebrows disappeared behind his hair.

"How can I know that you're telling the truth?" Harry asked after a few seconds of silence.

"No offense, Potter, but we've been sharing many classes for the past three years," Daphne said, looking him straight in the eyes. "And while it cannot be denied that you are talented, it's also not a mystery that you are incredibly… lazy," she finished, though it didn't take a genius to realize that she wanted to say something else. "And I know for a fact that you haven't entered this Tournament because it exceeds your abilities to fool such a powerful object as the Goblet of Fire itself."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Harry asked again, eyeing the Slytherin girl suspiciously. "The entire Hogwarts believes that I have cheated my way into the Tournament."

"Is that supposed to convince me? Since you obviously don't believe me that I believe you, I might break it down for you. Let's start with the first, most obvious clue that you haven't done it," Daphne said, standing motionlessly as she continued speaking. "The Goblet of Fire is supposed to pick three Champions, no more, no less, and the fact that someone has tricked it to choose you as well is a great testimony to this wizard's power. Not only that person has managed to put your name in it, but they've also been able to trick the Goblet to act against its own rules. I must say it's remarkable. I have to admit that, in the beginning, I thought that Granger had helped you to enter the Tournament but, seeing how she attempts to distance herself from you now says otherwise," she explained, causing Harry to look at his feet. "As I've said earlier, while talented, you're also incredibly lazy, Potter. I would risk saying that you're even stupid sometimes," Daphne clarified, earning herself a 'huff' from the Gryffindor. "That makes me believe that you had nothing to do with your name being put in the Goblet."

"Thanks," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. He crossed his arms on his chest, unsure if he should be grateful that Daphne believed that he hadn't entered the Tournament willingly or if he should be angry with her for insulting him.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Potter," Daphne said as if she was sensing his thoughts. "I'm just explaining my line of thinking that led me to believe that you haven't done it. And while I'm sure that a vast majority of the students think that you are an attention-seeking git, and the prospect of gaining an 'eternal glory' would seem appealing to you, I know otherwise."

"Oh, really?" Harry asked in disbelief. "I thought that me being the 'attention-seeking git' was a topic number one in Slytherin," he added sarcastically.

"For Malfoy, perhaps," Daphne agreed, nodding her head slowly. "I swear that he speaks about you so often that I'm actually willing to believe that you are his love interest."

"Ewww," he replied eloquently.

"But, returning to our previous topic, some may believe that this is your ultimate goal while being at Hogwarts, but I know that for the past three years, you've simply been finding yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time," Daphne continued. "Speaking of which, what is this place exactly?" she asked, looking around to take in her surroundings.

"You don't know?" Harry asked in disbelief, once again raising his eyebrows high enough to hide them behind his hair. Daphne raised one of her eyebrows as well.

"While it is true that I praise myself for my extensive knowledge and above-average perception skills, it would be foolish of me to believe that I know everything," Daphne replied.

"This is the Chamber of Secrets," Harry revealed hesitantly. He watched as the girl's second eyebrow joined the other one high on her forehead.

"So the rumors are true that you have come down here over a year ago," she commented, not looking at him.

"I didn't open it," Harry countered immediately, causing Daphne to roll her eyes.

"I haven't said that you have opened it but that you have come down here," she replied.

"And how did you get in here, actually?" Harry asked. "And for what reason?" he added, recalling his question when he had noticed Daphne in the beginning. The girl's eyes returned to him, and he couldn't help but shiver slightly under the intensity of her icy gaze.

"Try to figure it out for yourself, Potter," she challenged him. "You might as well consider it a training of sorts before your first task," she added.

"You are a Parselmouth, and you have opened the entrance," Harry guessed after a few moments of wondering what his answer should be. Daphne raised her eyebrow once again after hearing his explanation.

"The fact that I'm capable of handling the snakes in my house doesn't mean I am a Parselmouth, Potter," she countered. "As far as I know, you are the only one in Hogwarts with this ability. Besides, I've just told you that I didn't know where we are, so how could I have found the entrance? Keep guessing."

"There is another way to enter the Chamber of Secrets, and you have found it somehow," Harry said, unsure why he even agreed to play this little game. Daphne hissed at that, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Once again, I didn't know what this room is, so how could I have found another entrance?" she countered. Harry shifted his weight from one leg to another, thinking about the possible explanation. "Do you give up?" Daphne asked after a few minutes of silence. Hesitantly, the young wizard nodded his head. "It just confirms what I've said earlier; you aren't the smartest wizard in this castle," she said teasingly. Harry gritted his teeth in annoyance. He opened his mouth to say something, but Daphne was quicker. "I've seen you entering the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," she explained. "I found it odd that you entered it, considering that it's a women's restroom, so I've followed you. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't have found you in there, and instead, I've seen the sink in a… rather odd configuration. So, naturally, I've followed you down here. To put it simply, you've forgotten to lock the entrance," she finished with her usual smirk. Harry blinked a few times, refusing to believe that this was the explanation. "And I must admit that it was quite… amusing to see you struggling to find the answer," Daphne added, once again locking her eyes with his.

"Thanks," Harry muttered hesitantly. "But it still doesn't explain why you have followed me down here."

"Well, despite your obvious flaw of being a Gryffindor, I cannot deny the fact that you are a rather… interesting specimen," Daphne commented. Harry wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a compliment. After a few seconds of wondering, he decided not to think about it. The Ice-Queen of Slytherin was a mystery to almost everyone at Hogwarts. "And seeing how the Gryffindor Golden Trio has fallen apart," she continued, failing to notice his displeased expression. "I've figured out that it would be an insightful experience to talk to you without your friends constantly at your side."

"I don't think they are my friends anymore," Harry muttered hesitantly, once again unsure why he was sharing it with the Slytherin girl. He couldn't explain why, but it somehow felt… right talking to her. "As you have said earlier, the entire Hogwarts believes that I have cheated my way into the Tournament, including Ron and Hermione."

"I know," Daphne said simply. She frowned slightly. "When I've entered, there was this silver stag next to you. What was it, Potter?" she asked, suddenly changing the topic. Harry blinked a few times at the sudden question.

"You don't know?" he countered with his own question; his tone was a mixture of teasing and amusement. Daphne narrowed her eyes at him.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have asked you, would I?"

"It was the Patronus charm," he revealed, once again shaking slightly under the intensity of her gaze.

"Interesting," Daphne commented. "Perhaps I might have misjudged you. Not many wizards or witches are capable of casting the Patronus charm."

"Thanks, I guess," Harry replied, scratching the back of his head.

"What is this?" Daphne asked suddenly, walking past Harry to the small pile of items that was lying on the floor where he used to sit. She bent down and picked the Marauder's Map, examining it curiously.

"That," Harry replied, quickly closing the distance between them. "Mischief managed," he said, pointing his wand at the piece of parchment. Before Daphne managed to open the map, his father's work disappeared, leaving only an empty paper. "Is private," he said, removing the Marauder's Map from her hands.

"Secretive, are we, Potter?" Daphne asked with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Fine, keep your secrets then," she said as she started walking towards the exit of the Chamber. "As I've thought, the conversation with you was very… interesting," she said without turning around. "I suggest you return to your dormitory soon, Potter. The curfew is just around the corner."

"Why was it so interesting for you to talk to me?" Harry asked, still unsure of what he should think about their conversation. "We haven't talked about anything specific."

"Perhaps," Daphne agreed, stopping in her tracks, though she didn't turn around. "But it helped me a little to solve the mystery that is Harry Potter," she said. "And I must say I would like to speak to you again. So if you decide to enter the Chamber of Secrets in the near future again, make sure not to lock the entrance behind you," Daphne added before resuming her walk. The only sound that was heard in the Chamber was the echo of her footsteps.

Harry kept staring at her retreating form for a few more minutes. His mind was unsure what had just happened, even though he was sure his senses weren't dulled. After a few minutes of standing there in silence, Harry shook his head and followed after her, making his way back to the Gryffindor dormitory after leaving the Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom. Even hours later, when he was in his own bed, trying to fall asleep, his thoughts kept drifting back to the infamous Ice Queen of Slytherin.

Well, this was the first chapter. I must say that I'm still a little unsure about this story, so your feedback would be greatly appreciated. I know that the idea is not entirely new, but recently I've found the Harry/Daphne fanfics quite entertaining. Let me know what you think about my work, but don't expect frequent updates. I have a lot of studying right now, and I have two unfinished stories on my main account (TheProdigy99), so it's just something I'll do in the meantime. Additionally, HP fandom is an area I've only recently started exploring. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments below. Also, I'm planning to make their relationship progress slowly, so don't expect some heavy romance early on. And one more thing, I'm from Poland, so English is not my primary language. Please, keep that in mind when you judge my grammar XD. But most of all, let me know what you think about my work. I'll appreciate all of the reviews. See you… someday.