Starts With a Spin

Chapter 13

Harry was used to people whispering about him behind his back. He'd had his fair share of hard stares and suspicious glances over the years, ranging from Hufflepuffs who thought he was the heir of Slytherin to even his best mate because he thought he'd been lied to. Whatever the reason, Harry was accustomed to people shunning him for brief amounts of time.

He wasn't used to people downright acting out against him, though.

"Hey, Potter!" an unfamiliar voice yelled as Harry was walking down to breakfast the following morning with some of his fellow Gryffindors. He turned to look over his shoulder and acknowledge whoever was calling out to him-

-and immediately ended up sprawled out on the floor as his foot got caught in a trip jinx.

Everything seemed to freeze for a shocked second as the same voice gave a chuckled, "Fucking fag," and then Harry's friends were flying into action.

Seamus was instantly at Harry's side, and he and Dean helped him sit up. Hermione and Ron whipped around, wands out and at the ready, and before Ron could even figure out who had cast the jinx, Hermione was throwing a bat-bogey hex that would have put Ginny to shame at one of the laughing students nearby.

"Hermione!" Ron gasped, head swiveling back and forth uncertainly between the small group of students and his friend. "But- Prefects!" he stuttered. Hermione ignored him, stalking forward with her wand pointed.

"Friends first, Prefect responsibilities second," she muttered, cornering three nervous looking Hufflepuffs.

"Wait, Hermione, it's fine!" Harry said as he shoved his glasses back onto his face. Seamus' hand was still resting on his shoulder, but it was suddenly shoved aside and Harry was hauled to his feet, and he found himself staring into stormy grey eyes.

"Are you ok?" Draco asked gruffly, hand grasping the material on Harry's shoulder tightly. Harry blinked, slightly surprised, and nodded. "Who was it?" Draco spat, turning to face the others. "I saw him fall, who hexed him?"

"It was just a trip jinx," Harry murmured, cheeks going red. "Nothing worse than what you've done in the past." Draco ignored him.

"It was these three, Draco," Hermione said, voice uncharacteristically hard. She still had her wand trained on the three boys. Draco's eyes slid coolly over them and he sneered.

"Detention," he snapped, hand tightening further on Harry's robe. "Friday with Filch. And I'll be checking myself to make sure you show up. Be there at seven."

"We can't give detentions, Malfoy," Ron spoke up, staring curiously at the boy. Draco gave him an exasperated look.

"I suggest you learn to read, Weasley. It's really a very handy skill. That, or get your girlfriend to read the rulebook out loud for you because Prefects can, indeed, give detentions." Ron gave Hermione a bewildered look.

"Can we really?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied tiredly. "We can take points, too."

"Oh." Ron blinked. "Well in that case, twenty points from Hufflepuff for attacking another student."

"I was not attacked," Harry huffed, finally shrugged Draco's hand off of him and brushing off his robes. "I'm fine."

"Shut up, Harry," Draco said offhandedly, peering closer at the Hufflepuffs who instinctively drew closer together. "Who got him with the bat-bogey hex?"

"That was me," Hermione said sheepishly, finally lowering her wand. "I saw his wand still raised and got a bit carried away." Draco looked at her appraisingly.