Luck of Nines

60

      (An: Come victory or defeat, I'm going to hate myself come Monday, so I'm posting this now- honestly I'm being dramatic, I just have stuff I need to complete by Monday evening. But being dramatic is fun; why did anyone decide to boil language down from " ye olden days' " flowery poetry?   -T.A.L.A.)

The break passed by at a tolerable, but slow pace. His mornings were spent lounging in the dancing sunlight that filtered in through the ceiling which he supposed was charmed much like the Great Hall's except it showed a peaceful, crystal clear lake.

      When lunch rolled around, Snape met him at the common room door and marched like a trained soldier to the Great Hall for the daily check in, Harry easily keeping pace. Here they wouldn't stay long, making use of a hidden passage through the teacher's exit to leave, Snape would then spend time grading papers in an office like space located in the dungeons after roughly handing Harry an educational book to read; he wasn't required to take notes, but he was expected to be able to answer basic questions and prove his understanding of the material.

     He could never prove it of course, but he suspected Snape had made the books himself, they were written on parchment paper, in a familiar spindling handwriting which didn't resemble the more blocked or decorative types which most books seemed to favor.

      The binding was also different and there was never any writing on the title. Besides, no matter how complex the information it contained, the book was filled with detailed pictures and forwent sentences in favor of short notes and brief explanations.

      In this way he gained knowledge about the variations of plants- for this he was asked to identify physical versions both fresh and dried during the review-the uses in potions and proper preparation, but also more information on the new threat he'd been made aware of, Legilimens, and it's counter Occulmency, various defense spells such as shielding and blocking techniques- which he was also made to demonstrate- and more information about animagus.

      One week in, Snape had noticed his increasing curiosity and confusion about the sudden interest and had replied, "Once break is over, the... board, has elected to allow teaching and classes to resume as usual in the classrooms. The dunderheads practically signaling open season on Slytherin for normalcy, I will be expected to proceed with classes as usual and the older students will ultimately choose to preserve their own safety rather than risk everything for the younger students."  Snape stopped himself before he said anymore, but Harry knew; it would fall to him to protect them. It was strange though, while he no longer seemed to be a sudden move from fleeing whenever in Harry's presence, he still couldn't seem to look him in his eyes.

       Harry paused; was that the issue? His eyes?

      The Slytherin Weasley was rather convinced they were inhuman; 'freaky' he had deemed them, although he didn't seem to mean any insult when he said it, but Theo and even Weasley had ultimately agreed, in what Harry had found to be a bemusing side conversation during their game of chess, that if you looked too closely nothing about him seemed just right. At first glance, or even just in passing you wouldn't notice, but his eyes were the most obvious.

Malfoy acted like he should be insulted, but at this point it wasn't as if anyone in the dorm didn't know that he wasn't entirely human.

Either way when the cost was suitably clear of Gryffindors they took the route from Snape's office back to the common room where Snape would narrow his eyes and drawl out some warning to stay. Some days he made a break for it, the idea of fresh air and a hunt was tempting. Plus, as formidable as many of the older witches and wizards appeared to be, the students, he had discovered in his fight against the now missing Gryffindors, did not pose a threat to him.