Luck of Nines

24

He could feel Nott's cautious eyes on him as he carefully fed a tiny chunk of egg to Chipped Fang.

"You do not speak much."

"I am not used to company."

"Why do you call him Chipped Fang, it seems unnecessarily long." He noted Nott had switched to mimic how he referred to Chipped Fang as a he rather than it.  He made a note that Nott was quick to adapt to what they thought others want.

"It is what he calls himself."

"You mean he responds to it?"

"Yes."

"I know some Kneazles do, but I didn't think ordinary cats were smart enough to."

"That's because cats rarely answer to anyone, they aren't owned. They are their own creature. Why should they come when you call?" It seemed Nott was in an unusually talkative mood trying to push for something. A promise of friendship? A favor?

"I never thought of it like that before, but Chipped Fang seems to listen to you fairly well."

           "Because it suits them, I watch over them, they learned to fear most humans early."

"It was only one human."

"But the others looked on, as if it was fine, normal, they were a part of it." He returned, a sad smile forming on his face, "Besides, Chipped Fang is  just a cat, why do you expect him to differentiate between the humans who will actively harm him and those who will only sneer and watch with disgust from the sidelines? It is far easier to simply avoid both."

"I did not mean to offend." Nott offered carefully.

"You didn't," Harry tilted his head to the side curiously, wondering where they got that impression, perhaps he was more unused to human interactions than he had thought and wasn't yet at the point where he could fully blend.

"Where did you go after you left?" Nott didn't need to specify what he meant.

"Wherever I wanted to go." Harry paused, "Although sometimes people tried to stop me."

"What happened then?"

"I left."

"What would you do if someone confronts you here?"

"What would any cornered animal do? I don't intend to let anybody control me with their whims." Harry locked his eyes with Nott's challenging him to see for himself.

Nott looked away first, "Words are easy, but I think you and I could get along."

"Words are not easy, they are just quick." He replied.

They both fell silent as they continued to eat. Nott's food had appeared on his plate the moment he had sat down. A specialized diet, that had been explained to him by the stern woman who had been in charge of making sure he had his supplies. Those with allergies had to pay attention to the color of the serving dish which was color coded for major allergens, but those with more specific dietary needs that could not be met with this simple color coding were given their individual plates with food already on it, depending on the type of dietary needs they were given small menus with additional food they could choose from. There was no small bit of parchment that arrived with the food.

For his part, Harry was just thankful that he did not suffer from any allergies despite having other non-human forms, rather instead he found he could handle many types of food that humans could not. It saved him the trouble of trying to explain his color blindness. For some reason, blues, reds, yellows, purples were all within his ability to see, sometimes, but he could not see the color green at all. He wasn't entirely sure if he ever could or if this was an issue he had always had it had been so long... He hadn't known what color is eyes were at all until Analyse had commented over how distinctive and beautiful a shade of green they were. It was only as she began making comparisons did he realize, green was not the same color as grey and even then he hadn't been entirely sure of it for a long while after. 

At times he saw it as the same as he saw blue or yellow, but usually, it was just shades of grey. He could not help the twitch of his lips at the irony, all the shop keepers had commented on them as he had gone about collecting his supplies. Even the stern woman who was responsible for guiding him had made a mention about his brillant yet unnerving green eyes, they were the same color as his mother's although the look in them was said to be different- they all made sad, meaningless noises about how he must have led a hard life. Filled with his tragic past. Filled with hopes and dreams. Filled with magic power. Filled with whatever they wanted to see in him. They seemed to see so much looking into his eyes.

But to him, his eyes were only a dull grey. Not blue, not yellow, barely even grey.

"Is there something funny?" Nott asked from across from him.

"No," he glanced up from his plate where he was shredding tiny bits of chicken, "it seems the other Slytherin first years are here though."

Nott looked about in confusion before enquiring politely, "I don't see them, are you certain?"

"They are just entering," he paused to help himself to some fresh fruit, a delicacy which he hadn't gotten much of on the streets, "Right now." The doors opened as if on command, although really it was all about timing and the remaining first years trailed in behind Flint like so many young ducklings following their parents. Nott's gaze once more fell upon him with a type of reserved caution, and 'Harry's smile neared a smirk, "Nice timing, don't you think?"

       "Sure..."

        There had been five tables when they entered, instead of the previous four, and it was announced once people had settled in, that the unsorted would be their own group until they were settled into one of the houses hopefully before the end of the week.

       "I suppose that means Ansel and Blaise won't be joining us yet." Phineas sighed.

"What's it matter anyway?" Daphne sniffed earning herself a few dirty looks.

"It's not like-"

        Carrow cut Davis off from whatever she was about to sneer at Phineas, "Atticus won't be joining us yet either then."

      "The two of you were aiming for Ravenclaw anyway, maybe he'll end up there." Parkinson returned and Carrow curled in on herself barely noticeably.

      "Either way, we still will all be going to the same school," Harry cut in before the vitriol being tossed back and forth could raise any more than it already had, "It's not as if you won't being seeing each other again."

      "That's true," Carrow allowed stiffly, not really appeased and silence fell at the table for a brief moment.

      "Why's that ugly cat have to be at the table anyway?" Malfoy broke it, "It's face is putting me off my food."

      "You're welcome to move." He easily returned, not sparing Malfoy a glance. The other had noticed the threat he caused and was making a move to assert authority. There could be no appeasement here. "There is no rule against it."

       Malfoy sneered, "My father is on the board of governors, you know."

       "Then I'm sure you already know all the rules."

      "Rules can be changed."

       "Yes, but what would you like to bet that it won't happen over night?" 

         He locked eyes with Malfoy in challenge and the other quickly backed away, glancing away only after he had physically moved back. "You won't get away with this."

       "Get away with what exactly?" Harry asked not hiding the slight amusement he felt at their petty tactics, like those of young animals fighting amongst their litter mates, "I haven't done anything yet."

        Malfoy fell silent.

         He wondered if they caught the threat in his words, most of the others seemed oblivious to it. He noted one of Malfoy's followers eyeing him up and down- they had.