Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 139: Scrying vessel

Madam Flamel summoned Harry's pumpkin juice goblet that he'd forgotten by the couch and it settled almost silently on the left side of his plate. He slid his left hand on the table to confirm it's location, then felt with his right hand and found another goblet on the right side of his plate. He wondered what was in it. In his explorations, he found a linen napkin and placed it in his lap, as well as two spoons, two forks, and a butter knife. He tried to swallow his nervousness. When Aunt Petunia had him set the table posh like this, he'd never been allowed to eat with the family, so he didn't know when to use what fork or spoon.

Deep inside, he knew Madam Flamel wouldn't mind if he asked (she always encouraged questions in class after all), but he was so used to suppressing his questions that they didn't even rise to the surface of his consciousness.

A chair screeched on the wood floor across from Harry and he jumped slightly, glad he hadn't been holding his pumpkin juice when Sir Nicolas sat down at the table.

"Nicholas! Put down that book. You're not paying attention to what you're doing and you startled Harry."

"It's okay," Harry said feeling his cheeks heat up.

"Oh dear! My apologies. Perenelle... the Phoenix lore. It absolutely unprecedented for someone to absorb the ability. You saw the healing?"

"Yes, I told you. Now, Harry here is the salad. I've levitated the dish, it is to your left about 6 inches in the air. The salad spoon and fork are at 3 o'clock."

Harry's shoulders dropped a bit... salad was so hard to manage gracefully, but he reached for the bowl and found the serving utensils and used them to grab some salad and place it on his plate. The salad had a very faint aroma of citrus or vinegar along with the greens. Harry inhaled trying to get a better sense of it.

"That's not very much, Harry!" Sir Nicolas commented when he had placed the fork and spoon back in the dish and thanked Madam Flamel. "Take another scoop!"

Harry had to resist the urge to feel his plate to see how much he'd selected. He had no idea as the salad was nearly weightless. He tried to grab a little more and was fairly certain he only managed to put a few more leaves of lettuce on his plate.

Harry sat still listening to Sir Nicolas and Madam Flamel scoop salad onto their plates, waiting to hear them start eating. Aunt Petunia had drilled him too many times on table manners... he knew he had to wait until the hostess started eating to begin.

"Bon appetit!" Madam Flamel announced as the tines of her fork clinked against her plate. Harry let out a small sigh as he reached for his fork and knife and worked on skewering pieces of salad on his fork and used his knife to cut away any large bits hanging off the fork. His first bite was a surprising burst of flavor... something fruity but with a sharp tartness and then followed by a soothing creamy texture that settled the tang. He must have shown his surprise on his face because Madam Flamel chuckled.

"Oh, Harry, I should have told you about the salad. I used greens from my garden, with pickled beets, dried cranberries, and crumbles of soft cheese—I made a vinaigrette salad dressing," Madam Flamel explained.

"I've never had anything like it," Harry said. "It's very surprising... and delicious."

"I'm glad you like it. Now I can tell that Nicolas is dying to pepper you with... "

Sir Nicolas spoke before Madam Flamel had finished her sentence, "Harry, tell me exactly what happens with your tears... do they feel different than they did before? Any tingle of magic? Has anyone commented on their appearance? Phoenix tears, you know, glitter like little prisms."

"Oh, I don't know. No one mentioned their appearance... I mean they are small. I never saw the Fawkes' tears... do you mean like little rainbows? When I repair things now, people say they are rainbow-colored."