Recnac Transfaerso

28 - 'Detention'

On his way to the Transfiguration room for his "detention," Harry rounded a corner to find a group of third years standing in a semi-circle against a wall.

He was about to pass when a bit of their conversation caused him to stop.

"Give me back my things right now or you'll be so sorry," came a shaky voice.

"Oh the dirty little snake wants his things back, does he? Well sorry, but nasty little Slys don't get their things back without a little begging."

"What's this? A diary? What are you, a girl?"

"Give that back!"

"If you want it back you'll have to beg. So get down on your knees and bow..."

"What's going on here?" Harry asked as he approached. The circle of kids whipped around. Harry was horrified to see they were young Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Backed up against a wall was a slightly trembling boy: a Slytherin first year by the looks of it. The kids surrounding him were holding his book bag and several items from inside it.

"Are you Harry Potter?" one Gryffindor boy asked in awe. The young Slytherin looked as if he had just been sentenced to death. Harry knew what the boy was thinking: that he'd have no help from a prefect from his rival house.

"Yes. Now what is going on?" he asked sternly, in his best authoritative tone.

"Oh you know, just teaching a filthy Slytherin a lesson, knocking him off of his high pedestal," one explained, as if expecting praise. Instead, Harry was appalled.

"Oh, so you decide to gang up on him, outnumbering him by twelve to one? Corner him against a wall and steal his things, including his wand? Leaving him unarmed? What is that, fair?" he asked furiously.

"But he's a Slytherin," one protested feebly.

"So what? You now have the right to attack him? No, not only attack him, but try to force him to bow down to you? You remind me of Voldemort!" The kids all gasped. "That's right. This behaviour is disgusting. If you want to talk about houses, I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave. I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be smart. But you're all acting spineless and idiotic, and worst of all, prejudiced. You've all let down your houses and I can only hope that you can make up for your actions. Now put everything back in his book bag."

The third years all timidly obeyed.

"Good. I think you all owe him an apology, but I won't make you give one, since I happen to hate insincerity. Merlin, just have think about how you were all acting and try and get past these stupid house rivalries. Now I suggest you all leave before I get Professor Snape to give out punishments."

The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws scattered, as if running for their lives. The younger Slytherin looked down at the ground. Harry picked the boy's book bag off the ground and handed it to him. The boy took it tentatively, looking up at Harry in confused apprehension.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

The boy nodded, not meeting Harry's eye. Harry knew what the boy was feeling.

"Hey don't be embarrassed. It's them who should feel ashamed for acting like such prats. Can you believe this stupid house rivalry stuff? It's so ridiculous."

The boy smiled at him slightly. "Yeah, it really sucks. So you don't care that I'm in Slytherin?" he asked cautiously.

"Nah, you're all little squirty runts to me," he said with a smile to show he was kidding.

"Hey!" the boy said with a laugh. The boy paused, biting his lip. "Are you really the-Boy-Who-Lived?" he blurted out.

"Well, I'm Harry Potter, but all that Boy-Who-Lived stuff is just garbage. What's your name?"