Detention

Detention

Author: Blodeuwedd

Beta: higginszoo

Author's note: I obviously don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, except for Sue Steel and maybe a few more non-important ones. This is set five years after the Epilogue to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, so beware of spoilers. Please, read and review. And a special thanks to my ultra-fast beta, higginszoo!

Chapter 1: The Rebellious Hufflepuff

His footsteps echoed in the large hallway as he ran to the dungeons. Having overslept, he had already missed breakfast and was now late for his Potions class. Being early in the morning, the hallways were pretty empty, all the students already at their classes or – those who could – still asleep. The only one who saw him was the Bloody Baron, the Slytherins' ghost, who paid him no attention at all. As he reached the Potions classroom, he swerved to enter through the already open doors, slipped and fell on his backside, his book and the rest of his material spreading around him. He could feel his classmates staring at him and heard them giggle and snicker at the sight. Blushing, he picked up his things, got up and went to sit in his usual place.

"So, Mr. Potter, I see you decided to join us," Old Professor Slughorn's tone was one of dismay and sarcasm altogether, as if he was ashamed of himself for scolding his student. Several of his classmates were laughing now. "Now, there, I'll have none of this. You shouldn't be laughing, Mr. Potter could have been seriously hurt. Are you hurt, Mr. Potter?"

Albus blushed even more at his professor's preoccupation. Seriously hurt by landing on my butt? I don't think so. Seriously embarrassed, perhaps. "No, sir. I'm fine."

"Well, then, lets proceed. If you will… Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Herm… Aren't you going to punish me, sir?"

"Punish you, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, sir. For my tardiness."

"Well, of course not. I can see you had no intention whatsoever of arriving late to my class. As the son of the great Harry Potter would do anything like that! No, obviously not. Now, as I was saying…"

Albus sighed inwardly. Great! Now everyone is going to hate me for not being punished for my lateness when they would get it for much less. I really wish professor Slughorn – well, all the professors, actually – would stop treating me like I'm something special just because of Dad! He could feel several of his classmates looking at him angrily already. Collecting himself, he decided to take some action.

"Professor Slughorn?"

"…could go wrong if… Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"I am really sorry to interrupt you sir, but I think I should be punished. I mean, anyone who arrives late should be punished, and since it was me… well... you see."

Slughorn hesitated, as if he thought this could harm him somehow. Like if "the mighty" Harry Potter himself would come out of the shadows and shoot him a forbidden curse. "Well, if you wish so, Mr. Potter, then… Five points less to Hufflepuff."

Albus smiled, pleased with himself. Usually he would let it pass, but today he had stepped up to his professor. Of course it was on a small matter, but still, he was feeling bold today. From the corner of his eyes he could see that his classmates were also pleased, even the Hufflepuff ones, who had just lost five points to their house.

The class went by uneventful and Albus half expected his classmates to come thank him or congratulate him for his sense of justice in insisting to be punished. Instead, they all left without saying even a word to him – in fact, most of them just acted like he wasn't there.

The black haired boy walked slowly to his next class. Around him, other students chatted about Quidditch, complained about exams and made plans for the weekend. But Albus had no one to talk to. People passed him and nodded and waved, but nobody really stopped to talk to him. He'd nod back and smile, but his green eyes were a shade darker. It was not that he had no friends, it was just he had no special friends. Everyone seemed to like him well enough, but no one really talked to him, except for his siblings and cousins, but they had friends of their own. The truth was Albus was an average boy: average good-looking, average intelligent, average friendly, who had average grades and played average Quidditch. He did not have his brother James' good nature or ability with a broom, nor his sister Lily's good looks and popularity. He didn't even have his cousin Rose's intelligence and memory or his cousin Hugo's charm and funny remarks. He was never in the spotlight, except when his resemblance to his father was the subject. The fact that he looked very much like the Savior-of-The-World Harry Potter instead of pleasing him, annoyed him the most. Teachers would go easy on him and treat him differently because of that; they wouldn't do it to James, though, for his brother knew very well how to be himself and himself only. Being a Hufflepuff didn't help much, on the contrary. It only meant that he wasn't know for his courage, like a Gryffindor would be, or by his wit, like a Ravenclaw, not even by his ambition, like a Slytherin. Hufflepuffs were famous for their loyalty, sincerity and patience, which were all very good, except that it contributed even more for his "good-boy" fame. And, honestly, a house full of loyal, sincere and patient people could get really boring sometimes. To top it all, he had been made Prefect the previous year, which meant that on those rare occasions when Hufflepuffs would be up for mischief, they'd make sure he was not around.

Albus looked through a window to the bright blue sky. There were no clouds and the morning seemed too perfect for words. I wish I didn't have classes today. It's a wonderful day to fly. Instead, he had double Charms and was already running late – again. He sped up to avoid further embarrassment, but then it suddenly dawned him: arriving on time was a "good-boy" thing. If he wanted to change his image, he had to start acting like a "bad-boy". And what would a "bad-boy" do? Arrive late! He looked at the baby blue sky again and smirked. Better yet, not arrive at all.

The turned on his heels and ran back to the statue of a hunchback woman. James had told him it was a secret passageway that would lead right to the heart of Hogsmeade – he had discovered that when he had "borrowed" his father's Map, one that showed all Hogwarts and everyone's whereabouts, before his father took it back. Albus looked both sides to ensure no one was around, touched the statue with his wand and said "Dissendio". The hunchback opened and revealed a small passage, large enough for him to pass – not that was very big, for that matter. He gaped in awe and smirked again. He had already sat his left foot inside it when he heard footsteps behind him. He stopped dead in the tracks, terrified of getting caught. Perhaps if he stayed very still, this person – whoever it was – wouldn't see a sixteen year old boy trying to enter a statue?

"Going somewhere Potter?"

Crap. "I… I was just… Just checking this statue, professor Jenkins." Albus turned around to face his DADA teacher. "I was told some third years had put dung bombs inside it, you see." That's good enough.

"I see… And did you find any?"

"Any what?"

"Dung bombs?"

Double crap. "No, sir… I mean, madam. No, madam."

Professor Diane Jenkins smiled and her eyes twinkled with mischief. "So, Mr. Potter, tell me: do you know where that passageway leads to?"

"No, madam, I don't," Albus managed not to turn too red when he said that.

"So how do you know it's a passageway?"

Triple crap. "I…well, er… You see, I…"

"Detention, Potter."

Albus goggled at the professor, "But, but I…"

"No buts, Potter. You were obviously trying to escape to Hogsmeade when you should be in class. Detention, tomorrow, 2 p.m., my office. Don't be late."

Albus sighed. Great, that's just what I needed! He had never got a detention before and was quite sure his brother was going to do a lot of teasing on that one. He was always mocking him for never getting detentions, and being Prefect, and having good grades and being the good-boy… Wait! That IS just what I needed! As he turned to head to Charms class, he smiled to himself. He was probably the first boy ever to be pleased with a detention.