I'm not a kitten... Okay, I'm Kitten

Chapter 2

That night, Boy had no trouble sleeping, as Sir beat him viciously, all the while swearing that Boy had cheated somehow.

Boy got another letter. It was his updated book list. He was pleased that all of the books for the stupid people classes were removed. He wasn't stupid after all!

For the first time in his life, Boy almost smiled.

A couple of weeks later, Boy was dragged out of his attic again and was roughly stuffed into the same set of robes as he wore for the testing at the ministry.

Again, they floo'd. This time, they wound up in a seedy looking pub. It was dark, much to Boy's relief, as the bright green flames hurt his eyes.

Sir had his hand clamped tightly on Boy's shoulder and it hurt, but Boy knew better than to try to wriggle out of the painful grip.
He was dragged to a book shop, where he was told to wait by the door. Boy wondered why Sir and Ma'am didn't question his ability to read without ever having been instructed, though he was more pleased than curious. He couldn't let them find out about his many trips to their library over the years. Maybe they just forgot that he'd never been properly taught.

While Sir collected Boy's books, Boy was stationed in the corner by the front door. There were so many people coming and going! He was bumped into and apologized to so many times that he was almost dizzy at the level of activity! How was this so easy for them? Weren't any of them afraid of being trampled by all of the foot traffic? In the fifteen minutes sir was away from him, he'd been bumped into twenty-two times! Thirteen times he was apologized to. How do people live like this?

Finally, they left the book shop. Next was the apothecary. Sir did the shopping there too. This store, at least, was mostly empty. There were only three people inside, not counting Sir and himself. One was an old grizzled looking man with a fake eye and a long unkempt beard that stood behind the counter. The second was a witch a little older than Sir. She was cackling at a display of fermented animal parts. The last person in the shop was sniffing and inspecting various herbs. Apparently, most of them were not the quality he was looking for, judging by the look on his face.

Boy didn't pay him any mind until Sir decided to stop and talk to him. It was the way that Sir spoke that caught his attention. It was the same tone he used with Boy. He clearly didn't like the man, whoever he was.

"It must be nice," Sir sneered at the man. "Being able to laze about for months every year while the rest of us actually work. How was your little holiday, Snivellus?"

"Completely validated, now that I have been fortunate enough to find a Potter willingly educating himself." The man said, eyeing up Boy's books. "Is the big bad Auror finally going to learn to read above the level of the average thirteen year old? My, my, wonders never cease."

Boy was horrified at the way this man was speaking to Sir. He was worried what Sir might do to him. Just because the man wasn't very nice to look at, doesn't mean that he's a bad guy. Sir was very nice looking and he wasn't a good guy.

Pushing aside his fears, Boy watched the way they interacted with fascination. Boy was shocked to realize that he wanted the strange man with the nice voice to win their battle of wills. He just hoped the man didn't get hurt along the way.

While Sir was yelling and causing a scene, the silky voiced man remained calm and continued his shopping, maintaining a bored tone at a respectable volume, insulting Sir with an astonishing wit all the while.

Boy didn't understand. Sir only ever spoke to Boy with that much anger, not other people. Did that mean the man was somehow like Boy? Was he locked away from everyone too?

Sir said the man's name was Snivellus, but that didn't sound like a real name. Who was he to judge? His name was Boy.

By the time Sir finished berating the man at the apothecary, it was already getting close to four. He was shoved into a robe shop. This store was, like the apothecary, blessedly empty.