Luck of Nines

32

"So the great Harry Potter is back." The smug tone of Malfoy's voice made it clear he had recovered from yesterday's shock quickly due to Harry's absence and was back with a vengeance.

Perfect. It was about time he regained his courage and sense of control so Harry could beat it back down. If he didn't, Malfoy would always be waiting for perceived weakness to strike and attempt to regain control.

Unlike then when he would have moved on to greater threats than the Malfoy heir, currently he was focused and ready for it, and also, he had a good enough read on the other that he was confident that he still had an idea of what to expect from his opponent.  Meaning he had the rare chance to successfully predict what was going to happen as retaliation and get ahead of it.

Hopefully he was right, and Malfoy's instinct would have first been to run to adults and snitch over his missing class time. It had been a pretty obvious move especially for Malfoy who had already threatened to run to his father multiple times in their handful of interactions and emphasized his relation as the head of house's godson. Running to tell said godfather about presumably the rules his enemy had broken was really the next step from there. Technically, no one had ever said that they must attend class, at least he didn't think they had.

"So," Snape began as he entered the Common Room, however he paused, seemingly frozen for a brief moment. There was fear and heartbreak cloaking him, but desperately trying to be reigned in. Unusual. "What makes you think, Potter," it was said more as reminder. They looked supremely uncomfortable. He had not expected this although he was beginning to suspect that the Slytherin Head of House was behaving differently around him for some reason, "That you are exempted from having to attend class?" 

     The minor confusion around the room confirmed what he had already suspected from the professor's posture, tone, and emotions; he was caught off guard and significantly lessened the verbal attack.  But just because of the sight of him? Or was it from missing class? If he remembered correctly Professor Snape's attitude and emotions had shifted drastically every time the professor had seen him, this was more than usual though. He was entirely thrown off. Was it the hair? But it was interesting, the man projected confidence but his emotions were scattered. He was a little like a wounded beast, C- Harry decided, unpredictable and quick to lash out.

     "I'm very sorry sir," He stared up at them, "but I left the dorms early to try and find the library and I got lost, I'm not used to things like talking portraits, moving staircases, and one of the ghosts startled me..." He had come across a loud and verbose ghost wrecking havoc while wandering the castle in the late morning instead of attending class and he placed a bit more emphasis on its ability to throw projectiles and scream than reflected reality while still portraying it as having been confused and therefore making a tactical retreat. Continuing he mentioned, "I've already spoken with Professor Flitwick about this since I don't know where to find the Defense against the Dark Arts Professor after class and he said Peeves could be a challenge and that he would speak with the Professor for me..."

"And you do Professor Flitwick?" There was something just slightly off with the tone, something harder. This man had killed before. And he had not regretted it.

Harry tamped down on the curiosity that rose up because of it. Most humans were filled with fear-grief at the mere thought, and those that weren't just kept justifying and regretting in a pain driven loop. Science. Self-defense. Necessity. All lies to cover the self-loathing that grew from desperately trying to hide that deep down they were just animals like any other. It was always for yourself that you killed another, humans and all the other animals weren't so different in that.

"I managed to find his classroom a bit early, sir," he replied, "He wanted to know why I was there."

"I see, as you say this is new to you, but see that it does not happen again, and stick with your peers if your sense of direction is so dreadful. I will not be so forgiving next time." The Professor swept off. Retreating.

"Wow, I did not expect you would escape without detention at least!" Phineas immediately was on him with questions, "That's crazy!"

Harry participated minimally in the conversation, like the others had begun to grow used to him doing, a few words here or there, and an intense gaze directed at whoever was addressing him. He nearly smiled as he noticed Malfoy no longer completely dominated the conversation. Nott still remained silent for the most part, the pale Slytherin sat by his side reading an old book, as did Boyd, but even Crabbe and Goyle had started speaking up occasionally. Goyle more so than Crabbe, but it was progress.

       Progress also meant that Malfoy would find a need to do something more now that running to complain to those in charge had failed so magnificently in public. Standing stiffly, an annoyed expression on his face, Malfoy stalked to their dorm rooms after what he deemed to be an appropriate amount of time had passed. This time Harry had no idea what was planned, but that didn't mean he wasn't ready for it.  In a way he missed the brutal physical fights over territory and food that he had grown up with, but this was not without its charm.

       He wondered if Malfoy would work up the nerve to physically confront him.  He doubted it, they had clearly been raised so removed from anything primal and violent. It was hard to miss, the light flinches of somebody bracing themselves, the quiet awareness of someone who had been attacked from the shadows before.  Plenty of the students in the Common Room had those tells. For a handful of the older students, the careful, natural stances which spoke of practice of a different, more face to face type of combat. But not Malfoy. Still he could not rule anything out, a cornered animal was unpredictable, and one so used to getting its way was even more so than any other.

      This was a part of the chase he loved so much. When the prey was finally noticing how entirely outclassed it was.

     Standing up abruptly a hush fell over the conversation, different from other times though, he could feel the gazes of older students on him too, "It's about time for dinner isn't it?" He asked, "We should head over so that we have plenty of time to eat before astronomy class. It wouldn't do to have to rush."

      It didn't take much convincing and with the first years following, he led the way out of the Slytherin Common Room. He nearly smirked when he noticed not even Parkinson mentioned they were leaving Malfoy behind. He could see it in her eyes, she didn't love Malfoy, she loved the thought of him, the thought of power. 

      She could tell, even though it wasn't strongly effecting the Malfoy family in the outside world, the Malfoy heir was not a strong leader when confronted, if he did not change and adapt, that prosperity in the outside world would not last long once he led the Malfoy's. The name 'Potter' on the other hand, he was learning it had wealth, age, and most importantly a golden reputation outside. Even with his sorting into Slytherin, somehow it remained mostly untouched.

      The populace was shocked and thrown off, but if they openly villainized a so-called hero solely for being sorted into Slytherin there would be outrage from the Slytherin. For now, judgment was being held off on.