I love food! I don't like breakfast too much... But lunch and dinner? Man, I love meals!" Ron was going on and on about how much he loved food and how it was one of the best things ever and how he could eat almost anything... It was annoying.
Besides Ron's constant rambling, nothing much was happening during breakfast. Harry could feel eyes boring into him all through breakfast, thanks to his vampire senses; he could tell when someone was staring at him. Harry slowly turned around and glared at the silver eyes that met his. Draco's eyes widened as he found himself caught staring. Harry smirked, and turned back around, flicking Draco off over his shoulder nonchalantly.
Malfoy had to chuckle... It just didn't seem like Harry to flick someone off... Then again, since his inheritance Harry had been more daring (more than he already was, anyway) and more intense. In everything. Whether it was performing a spell, talking to someone, flying on his broom... anything... there just seemed to be this way that he did everything, saying that there was more to him than you would ever figure out... and somehow that was okay. Almost.
Draco had gone back to staring at the Gryffindor boy when Blaise poked him on the shoulder.
"Why are you staring so much?" He whispered in Draco's ear. "You wouldn't happen to be staring at Hogwarts' own vampire half-breed, would you?"
Draco was surprised, "How do you know about that?"
Blaise just shrugged, "I figured it out on my own... He never told me, if that's what you're thinking. He still doesn't know that I know. See, I saw him by the womping willow one time, and a branch came down on him, and he saw it and dove out of the way. The branch got his leg and it was completely mutilated, until it started to mend itself. I figured there was only a few ways that could happen... If he were a vampire, because he does resemble one a bit... a veela, but I crossed that off, because he doesn't really look like a veela in the slightest... or he was very very skilled in healing... but I crossed that off because you have to train for a long while in healing, so he would have healed himself when he got scraped up before. Therefore he must by a vampire. Or a vampire hybrid. I decided on the hybrid... and you just confirmed my assumptions... But the question now is... How do you know?"
Draco had to admit. Blaise was smart.
Draco shrugged, "He was researching vampires one time when I saw him in the library, and then I over-heard him tell the Weasel and Mudblood about it one time," Draco lied. If there was one thing Draco was good at, it was lying.
Blaise looked at Draco skeptically, but accepted the explanation.
"So what are you doing with this piece of information you've gathered?" Blaise inquired
"What do you mean?"
"You're a Slytherin, and Potter is your long time rival! Knowing you, you aren't just going to let this piece of information slide by and do nothing with it! Come on! You're going to resort to blackmail or something!"
Draco smirked, "Of course I'm using this wonderful piece of knowledge to my advantage! I just prefer not to say how, exactly."
Blaise pretended to pout, "Please tell me! Pretty please? Please please please please please?"
In a disgusted voice, Draco said, "Blaise! Control yourself! You're a Slytherin! Slytherins don't beg! Now, if you wanted to grovel before me, I think that might be acceptable but..."
Blaise just glared at the blonde.
That's when the idea struck Draco, "What are you doing with the information you've acquired?"
"Hm? Me? Nothing, I guess, just being able to hold it over his head will be enough,"
Draco looked at Blaise distrust evident in his eyes, but he let it pass.
"Well Draco dearest, I really must be going, I have to go do research for the potions essay Snape gave us," Blaise said, standing up.
"Blaise! That assignment is due today!"
"I know, that's why I have to do research, ta ta!" Blaise said, ruffling Draco's hair and walking out of the great hall. Draco growled, un-mussing his hair and cursing Blaise under his breath.
Just as Blaise left, the owl post came. Draco looked up and gaped, along with everyone else in the Great Hall, as a phoenix swooped down towards the Gryffindor table, landing in front of a very stunned Harry Potter.
Draco promptly shut his mouth (Malfoy's don't gape) but continued to stare at the magnificent bird and Potter. Harry was laughing and talking to the bird, who was staring at him intently as if it understood everything it was being told.
Harry took the package from the bird's talons, fed it a piece of bacon, and laughed as it pecked at his fingers lovingly and then flew off.
Harry opened the package, and by now the whole Hall was silent and staring intently at Harry and the package he was holding in his hands.
Harry glanced up and instantly people averted their eyes and resumed normal conversation, until the Golden Boy moved his attention back to the parcel, then the hall fell silent again.
As soon as the package was opened, a snake slowly uncurled itself and slithered lethargically out of the box and stared at Harry until it began to hiss something
Harry listened, and then began to frown, his frown deepened as the snake continued to talk. At one point, Harry hissed something back, but whatever the snake answered with made him furrow his brow in confusion.
The entire hall was silent as the grave, and most of the people were leaning towards Harry and the snake, trying to make sense of what was happening.
When the snake stopped talking Harry nodded his head, picked the snake up, abruptly stood, and walked briskly out of the great hall. As soon as he was gone the entire room burst into loud conversation and speculation about what the snake could have been saying. Draco looked at the Weasel and the Mudblood, but they looked just as confused as everyone else. He looked up to the headmaster, who had that annoying twinkle in his eyes, and was smiling slightly.
Draco frowned in confusion, then got up and followed Harry.
