Luck of Nines

18

       Today is not the day I usually update, but... shhh they'll never notice. Hope you enjoy! -T.A.L.A.

So here he was, curled up sullenly on the top of his school trunk, which was really just a beaten up duffle bag that had at one point been used in one of the nests he made, it was waterproof so all he had to do was drag the blankets and such that he wanted inside and curl up, dry and cozy. Now of course, he had actual things to put in it. Books, restrictive clothes, hats, parchment, ink, quills. He had all the necessary supplies required to attend this school which he was being forced to go to. He hated all of it, all those items, were just tying him down. From just behind him, between the bag and the wall, Chipped Fang meowed morosely.

He made a displeased noise in agreement. The train was loud, it shook and trembled, and there were people everywhere with no place truly out of reach in this growling train filled with loud teens.

Once again he found himself at the mercy of an idiot pack of humans. This time though, foolishly, they were planning to give him the very same knowledge that so often he had been entrapped by. It might not be ideal for him, and he certainly wouldn't just come to heel because they told him to, but it was a tempting offer. He did not let offers like these go to waste.

He could work with this.

His tail tapping lightly on the bag said otherwise, but he remained focused as he planned out the best way to go about this situation.

Shh-thump.

The sound of the door sliding open snapped him out of his thoughts, he hadn't expected anyone to get on the train later than him, having leapt on last minute just as it was taking off, so he hadn't bothered with placing a locking spell on the door. It took more effort than he was willing to spend when all he really wanted to do was curl up in some out of the way place and forget this mess.

"Finally," the kid who opened the door huffed, he was male, small and still young; a first year then. He was already accustomed to magic though, just as you could tell non-magic users from magic users, it was easy to tell who was new to the concept and who only could have speculated why they were different. "I thought we would never find an empty compartment ."

"I was just about ready to go stay in Edith's compartment rather than risk returning." The girl directly behind him huffed, pushing her way past and sitting down on one of the seat cushions, she threw her book bag, a new well made bag of high quality, down on the seat beside her without a care. One of the heirs to the heredity Wizengamot seats then, or at least in line for it. "Why is he so obsessed anyway; Harry Potter this, Harry Potter that, he's worse than some of those fools who grew up on rubbish like 'The Adventures of Potter the Brave' or some such." She rolled her eyes.

"You're family is struggling enough with their public image as is, Millicent," A second male entered the room, the first behind him, while the first was darker with short hair, although short he still seemed to be the tallest, the second seemed almost feminine, delicate to the point of appearing sickly, with long white hair and distant eyes. "If Draco wishes to cause himself trouble, far be it from us to stop him." His voice was soft, but dangerous.

"It's not like anyone else is here." Millicent grouched.

"I thought you said you had found an empty compartment?" A second and third girl entered the compartment, the one who had spoke had braided brown hair, her face nearing a scow. The other girl was elegant with dark brown hair pinned up with bejeweled clips.

"It is," the boy who had opened the door said, "Unless you're suggesting I kick these two interlopers out, I was the first one in." He gestured to Millicent and the other male.

"Then who's bag is that? I doubt any of you own such a beat up thing." Quiet fell as they all looked up at the bag, not seeing either cat as Chipper- 'Harry' had moved out of sight.

"What type of bag is that anyway?" The elegant looking girl spoke up then, "Do you think that it's more Eastern? I heard some of the students at Drumstrang carry their trunks over one shoulder with a strap."

"You guys found a compartment; great!" Once again the silence was broken, this time as a boy with longish light brown hair hurried over, another boy , this one quiet looking and with glasses tailed behind him, "Pansy was swooning over Draco again when I passed them, I'm not going back."

"Better them than some other compartments." Pulling up the rear was a third boy and another girl, although it was the boy who spoke. He was also wearing glasses with well kept blue-black hair, his voice smooth and deeper than what you'd expect for a first year.

"Atticus," the girl sighed, she had golden-red hair and a soft, musical voice, "please, don't start with that,"

"You are far too soft on them Calliope," the blueish haired boy, Atticus, sighed, "So what's this about the compartment not being empty?"

"Does it matter?" The boy who had led the newcomers replied, smiling sharply, "They left their stuff, doesn't make it their compartment, it's not like we're stealing anything from the bag." His smile and lingering eyes suggested he would at least like to look through the bag. "Just sit down Agnes, Daphne, there won't be many more empty places; unless of course you want to get a head start on dealing with Parkinson in close corners."

"Oh very well then," the elegant girl sighed, sitting, "They might not even be coming back, the bags will be taken care of from the train, Agnes." So she was Daphne.

The scowling girl, Agnes then, nodded and stiffly took a seat.

"Better than having to suffer through Davis' company," Atticus added with a pinched face, "I don't know why Malfoy puts up with her."

"Tracey's father is a major shareholder and partner in some of Lord Malfoy's companies, even if her mother is just barely not absolute filth, they grew up together, that she has three grandparents capable of magic is enough for it to be an acceptable association. At the present time, at least." Daphne sighed, glancing over her nails. Millicent made a face and Calliope gave a sad sigh, but nobody spoke up otherwise.

The train ride continued, as he watched from above and was filled in on all of the high society gossip as well as the names of his unknowing companions.

Theo Nott was the sick looking boy, with pale white hair. He did not speak much, although the others mostly deferred to him when he did, preferring to listen to the others and at one point, once everyone had settled down to their own thing, read.

Blaise Zabini was the first to open the compartment. He, while short for a human, was amongst the taller in the compartment. His head was shaved in a buzz cut and he seemed on the lesser scale of prejudice. When he did speak up to tell people off, comments about his mother's hobbies were made, although what was being hinted at wasn't clear.

Ansel Rowle was the shy boy with glasses who followed, the most energetic of the bunch, Phineas Beckwith. He didn't speak up much, but unlike with Theo, he was blown off when he tried.

Phineas Beckwith, along with Millicent Bulstrode, we're the most vocal against this Draco Malfoy. Phineas was quick, physically and vocally, and had lived outside of Britain before attending Hogwarts. Blaise had as well, interestingly enough, given that Blaise, Millicent, and Phineas were the least formal of the group. What Phineas did, Ansel followed, but not with this, being too painfully shy to do much at all.

Much like Ansel, Agnes was a follower, she sat beside Daphne Greengrass quietly, although not shyly, and said little at all. She was alert, her hand positioned near where her wand was, and at one point had nearly noticed or at least suspected that 'Harry' was there.

Daphne was strict and formal, she and Atticus Rookwood, taking the harshest stance against Mudbloods and blood traitors. Which made the closeness between Atticus and Calliope Carrow, who seemed to be the kindest and most sheltered of them, all the more unusual.

       When the train stopped they filed off, Harry slipping out behind them moments later, unnoticed in the throng of students as he quietly changed back to human form, picking up Chipped Fang once he had done so.