The remainder of week three was an improvement on week two. Remy managed to avoid too many incidents with Professor Sheridan, and the other students had finally tired of asking him questions about his family and getting no real answers. Only Laurence seemed intent on discovering more about Remy's background, which led to a couple of minor scuffles, although Laurence had apparently realised that Remy was not going to be easy to push around and had taken to trying to set his goons on him instead. Morgan was a little more wary around Remy, as though he'd suddenly realised that underestimating the smaller boy had been a mistake, and Remy had no problems escaping unscathed and without attracting too much attention from any passing Professors. By the end of the week, Remy was feeling optimistic that this school may indeed be different from any others he'd ever been to.
However, week four did not get off to a good start. Sheridan seemed to be in an even worse mood than normal, and on Tuesday managed to give Remy a total of seven detentions in one day, breaking the all time record for Hogwarts. This was a fact that Charlie Weasley seemed to find fascinating, though Remy was less than impressed. He wasn't entirely sure how he could get a detention for running in a corridor when he'd been standing perfectly still as three Slytherin second year boys ran past him.
Tired of the constant conflict with Laurence, Morgan and Arial, and the increasing intimidation from Sheridan, Remy withdrew into his shell, distancing himself from his fellow students, and instead spent all his spare time in the library working on his latest Dark Arts assignment. He was determined to prove to Sheridan that he wasn't stupid and that he could do Dark Arts. Maybe then the man would leave him alone. By Thursday afternoon, Remy was satisfied that he'd finished his assignment to the best of his abilities, so he decided to hand it in. Remembering the fiasco over the assignment Sheridan claimed he hadn't handed in, when Remy knew damn well he had, he persuaded Danny to tag along with him this time, to act as an independent witness.
The two boys peeked into the Dark Arts room. It appeared to be deserted. Remy walked in and put his assignment on the designated table. He was just turning to leave when the office door opened and Sheridan emerged.
"Ah. Logan. Did you want to see me?"
"Um, no, Professor Sheridan. Just handing in my assignment."
Sheridan glanced at the table, and then at Remy. "So I see. It's early." He picked the report up and rifled through the pages without looking at them. "Too early. That means you have not spent sufficient time on it, which in turn means it will be sub-standard and not worth my valuable time to read."
He slowly and deliberately ripped Remy's assignment in two. Remy watched, stunned. Behind him, he head Danny yell out.
"You can't do that!"
Sheridan blanched slightly as he realised he had an audience, but he composed himself quickly. "I can and I have, Daniels. Logan, detention … for having the audacity to submit sub-standard work. You will do the assignment again, this time to a satisfactory level. Deadline lunchtime tomorrow, remember. No exceptions. After that, it will be late, and that in turn means a detention. That, I believe, would be your third late homework, which is an automatic detention in itself. I would suggest you get started on it immediately in order to avoid that."
Remy glared at a gloating Professor Sheridan, then turned and left the room with Danny close behind him.
"Hey. Slow up, Remy. Remy!"
But Remy strode on towards the Quad, oblivious of Danny's protests.
Laurence was in the Quad with Morgan and two more of his followers, sheltering in a corner from the strong gusts of wind that were driving clumps of leaves around the area in tornado like swirls. He looked up and spotted Remy. "Oh, look. It's the dumb one. So dumb, he can't even answer a simple question about pixies. You know, pretty soon, people are going to realise that you're just too dumb to be here. It's useless idiots like you that bring the reputation of the school down.
His friends started laughing. Remy seemed to barely acknowledge their existence. Danny stepped between Laurence and Remy in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
"Leave it Fish Face. Get to whatever class you're supposed to be in."
Laurence just sneered. "Free period. I can be wherever I want to be."
Danny glared at him. "Well, start wanting to be someplace else."
Laurence laughed. "I like it here. Besides, I was here first. Take your pet and leave, Daniels."
Danny turned away from Laurence and grabbed Remy's arm. "Come on. Let's go."
Remy shrugged him off and just started at the roofs of the school buildings, unseeingly.
Laurence laughed again. "Oh dear, it appears your pet doesn't want to play. Aw diddums."
"Shut up, Fish Face."
"Make me, Daniels."
Danny and Laurence squared up to each other, with Laurence pulling himself up to his full height and puffing out his chest. The two boys were about the same size, and Danny didn't seem at all impressed by Laurence's posturing. He just stared boldly at the Slytherin boy. Laurence fidgeted, feeling uncomfortable with the stare and unsure what to do next. He pushed Danny. Danny stood his ground and just smiled. Laurence pushed him again. Danny took one small step backwards. Laurence smiled triumphantly and pushed Danny again. Danny raised his hands to push Laurence back, but was surprised as Remy literally shot past and launched himself at Laurence with a growl. Remy swung a left hook, catching Laurence square on the jaw. Laurence went down with a howl, clutching his face.
"He hit me!"
Danny grabbed Remy's arm and pulled him back. "Come on, let's go."
Laurence stumbled back to his feet, still clutching his face. "He hit me!"
"Well spotted. Now get out of here." Danny tugged Remy's arm. Remy glared at Laurence, but allowed Danny to pull him away.
"You're going to pay for that, Logan."
Danny was surprised once again as Laurence launched himself at Remy, rugby tackling him to the floor. Remy twisted in Laurence's grip and fell backwards to the floor, banging his head. He grimaced and tried to push Laurence from him. The two of them rolled around on the ground, trading punches for a few moments, with Danny yelling at them to stop, and the Slytherin boys cheering Laurence on.
Remy felt a little dizzy, but concentrated on trying to get Laurence off him, landing a few hard jabs to his rib cage. Suddenly, Remy felt a strong hand grab his shoulder and yank him upwards. At the same time, Laurence was pulled away. Remy struggled briefly to escape the grasp and launch another attack on Laurence, but the hand holding him merely tightened and shook him slightly.
"Calm down, boy."
Remy vaguely recognised the hissed voice as belonging to Professor Snape. He looked over at Laurence, and realised Professor Sheridan had Laurence in hand, although far from shaking him, Sheridan was peering at his face with concern and dabbing at his split lip. Sheridan looked over at Remy with an expression of triumphant malevolence. Remy groaned inwardly and stopped struggling. Snape kept hold of his shoulder, positioning himself firmly between Remy and Sheridan, and peering at him with a look fairly close to concern.
"Are you alright, boy?"
Remy nodded mutely and took a calming breath. He'd really blown it this time. He was probably going to get kicked out for this. Al was not going to be impressed.
"Fighting again, Logan. And an unprovoked attack at that." Sheridan was doing little to hide the glee in his voice. "I knew you'd reveal your true colors eventually. We'll see what the Headmaster has to say about this."
Remy grimaced as a bolt of pain shot through the back of his head. He lifted his hand to rub it, and was puzzled to find it was damp and sticky. He stared at his hand. Red. Weird, it shouldn't be red. Snape saw his confused expression and looked at his hand. He twisted Remy around deftly, and Remy heard a sharp intake of breath.
"Your head is bleeding, boy."
"That's probably why it hurts." Remy felt disconnected somehow, almost as though he was floating above his own body and staring down at the scene. Snape's hand tightened on his shoulder and he felt himself being pushed forwards towards the school. He managed to make his legs cooperate, although they felt somewhat wobbly.
"Professor Snape. Where are you going? I haven't finished with him." Sheridan sounded confused.
Snape never even slowed. "The boy is injured. He requires treatment. Daniels, get to class." He steered Remy into the school, as Danny literally ran off in the opposite direction. Professor Sheridan was left standing in the courtyard, surrounded by four indignant Slytherin boys, his jaw working noiselessly, making him look somewhat like a goldfish out of water.
Snape steered Remy swiftly up to the hospital wing. Remy just concentrated on putting on foot in front of the other without wobbling over. Snape only had to steady him once.
"Poppy!"
The fair haired nurse bustled through to the reception area and smiled at Snape, then frowned at the sight of Remy.
"He banged his head," explained Snape. "It's bleeding, and he seems a little dizzy."
She hurried over and quickly checked Remy's eyes, which were slow to respond, and then the back of his head. She shook her head and frowned at Snape.
He shrugged. "He fell backwards and banged his head."
"Fell, or was pushed."
"Tackled," mumbled Remy, quietly.
"Tackled?" Poppy turned him back to face her. "You were tackled? Was he playing Quidditch?" She looked questioningly at Snape, who shook his head.
"A minor skirmish. I'd expect Fishman to join us before too long. He may be advised to seek treatment for his jaw." Even to Remy's cotton wool filled ears, Snape was being very careful in his choice of words.
Poppy gave him a baleful stare, but he refused to be drawn further, so she turned her attention back to Remy, gripping his arm firmly. "Come with me." She led him through to the main area. "Sit down here. That's right. Are you feeling dizzy?"
"A little," mumbled Remy.
"Nauseous?"
"A bit."
"Sleepy?"
"Yeah. Sleepy. My head hurts too."
"Yes, well, it would. You've managed to split it open pretty comprehensively. You're concussed. You'll probably have a headache tomorrow. Again." She went to work, expertly cleaning Remy's head wound, eliciting the odd quiet yelp and ouch from him. Snape watched, remembering times when she'd cleaned up one of his injuries, after a 'skirmish'. He knew Remy was going to end up getting lectured about being more careful in future, but now was not the time for that. Right now, Snape doubted Remy was truly aware of where he was.
The door swung open and Laurence wandered in, clutching his face and making pitiful noises. He was accompanied by Morgan, with Professor Sheridan right behind them.
"Ah, there you are Snape. Glad to see you didn't let the young hoodlum out of your sight. Fishman here needs urgent treatment, Nurse. Morgan, could you go get the Headmaster? I'm sure he'll be interested to hear what's been happening."
Morgan made a move as though to head off, but a look from Snape froze him in place. Poppy merely glanced up at the newcomers, before turning her full attention back to Remy. She felt him tense as he finally realised Sheridan was in the room. He made a small move to distance himself from the Dark Arts Professor, but Poppy gripped his shoulder tightly.
"Hold still, Remy." She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. He sat still, but still tensed and ready for flight. She looked meaningfully at Snape, who shot her a look before rolling his eyes and relenting. He reached forwards and gripped Remy's shoulder, forcing the boy to focus on his Potion's Professor. When she was sure Remy was staying put, she turned to Laurence, Morgan and Sheridan.
She strode over to Laurence, grasped his face gently in her hands and turned it from side to side, examining his jaw. He whimpered pathetically.
"Ow. That hurts. Ow. Ow."
"Be quiet, Mr. Fishman. Nothing broken. You'll be fine." She waved her wand and cast a charm, before dipping her finger in a jar on the table and rubbing something on his lip.
"Ow. Ow. OW. That's stings. Arrgghhh."
"Oh please, Mr. Fishman. There is no need for the dramatics. It's a split lip, and it will heal just fine. If your jaw is still sore in the morning, come back and see me. Now could you all please leave, I have a patient to attend to. Unless either of you are injured?"
She looked at Morgan, who shook his head quickly. She smiled and briskly ushered the trio outside, with Laurence still whimpering and Sheridan spluttering protests.
"But, my dear lady. Really. The boy is hurt. I must protest."
"Well, please protest elsewhere. And the boy is perfectly fine. Unless his jaw falls off, in which case, bring him back." Laurence's eyes widened at her words. Snape had to fight hard not to smile. She shut the door firmly and flicked her wand to lock it. "Ok, Remy. Let's have another look at your head."
Remy sat quietly as she checked his head again, gradually relaxing.
"Good. It seems the bleeding has stopped. Still feeling dizzy?"
"A bit, yeah."
"Nauseous?"
"Not so much. Just really tired."
She checked his eyes again. "Ok, well I think the best thing for you would be to get some sleep. Come on. Let's get you into bed. Severus, give me a hand please."
Snape looked a little taken aback, but after a dramatic roll of his eyes, he obediently helped Poppy get Remy into bed. She placed a cold compress on his head and tucked him in loosely. Remy automatically rolled onto his side and curled up slightly. She smiled and readjusted the covers over him. He yawned and closed his eyes. The world spun slower with his eyes closed.
Snape looked questioningly at Poppy. She smiled indulgently at him. "He'll be fine. I'll keep checking on him. He's going to have a sore head in the morning though."
Snape nodded. "I think perhaps Sheridan was right. I should go see the Headmaster."
"Good idea," agreed Poppy. "And should anyone ask, this one is not up for visitors. Maybe tomorrow."
-o-o-o-
Professor Sheridan had a head start on Snape and was already seated in the Headmaster's office with a cup of tea by his side.
"Ah, Severus. Come in. How's Logan?" Dumbledore handed Snape a cup of tea and indicated a chair. Snape sat down and took a sip.
"He's sleeping. Tomorrow he may be allowed visitors, but not before then."
Dumbledore nodded. "He's in good hands anyway."
"Headmaster, I must protest." Sheridan looked almost outraged. "Fishman was violently assaulted, completely unprovoked I may add, and you seem far more concerned for the welfare of his attacker."
Dumbledore waved his hands expressively. "No, I assure you, Professor Sheridan, I am concerned with the welfare of all my students. As I understand it, Mr. Fishman's injuries are minor compared to Mr. Logan's, namely he has suffered a split lip and a slightly bruised jaw. You told me yourself that Madam Pomfrey declared Fishman to be fine. Logan, however, appears to have sustained a rather nasty head injury. Ah, Minerva, there you are. Please, take a seat."
Professor McGonagall bustled in and took her seat, fussing with the folds on her cloak. She glanced sideways at Snape. "How is Logan?"
"He's sleeping. Poppy is keeping a close eye on him."
"Good, good." She smiled approvingly and declined the offer of tea from Dumbledore.
"Headmaster, please, can we return to the issue at hand."
"Yes, yes of course. Carry on, Professor Sheridan."
Sheridan smiled and stood up. "As I was saying, Fishman has been the victim of a completely unprovoked attack by Logan. This was no mere fight between two boys, it was an act of violence and pure malice, which the school surely can not condone. And this is not the first such instance of the boy's aggressive tendencies. I've had cause on more than one occasion to give the boy a detention for fighting, and those are just the fights I was lucky enough to find out about. His school work is way below standard, his attitude to the uniform is a disgrace, and his lack of respect and persistence in arguing is nothing short of pure rebellion. However, this time I fear he has gone too far. I really must insist that action is taken to remove the boy from this school immediately." He smiled his most insincere smile and settled back on his seat, satisfied that he had argued his case well.
"Hmm, well I always believe in hearing both sides of the story," mused Dumbledore. "The uniform issue is not a problem of his making, and I have heard no complaints from any other Professor's regarding the quality of his work. As for the issue of fighting, I would like to hear from Mr. Fishman and Mr. Logan, but with Logan currently too ill, that will have to wait until tomorrow. Were there any witnesses to this 'unprovoked' attack?"
"Yes, indeed Headmaster. Myself and Professor Snape witnessed it, and three other Slytherin third form boys were also present."
"Well, actually, we didn't witness any attack, Professor Sheridan," interjected Snape. "The fight was already underway when we arrived on the scene. Morgan, Siggers and Averay were already there, as was Daniels."
"Ah, yes, Mr. Daniels. I assume all three Slytherin boys will back Mr. Fishman's version of events."
Sheridan looked a little flustered. He glanced sideways at Snape, before managing to compose himself. "Yes, of course, Headmaster."
"Hmm, I thought so. And what about Daniels? Has anyone asked him about this incident?" Dumbledore turned expectantly to McGonagall.
She took a deep breath. "Well, actually, he came to me, with a somewhat different version of events."
"Well, of course he did," interrupted Sheridan. "It's simply a futile attempt to protect his friend. His loyalty is laudable, if misplaced."
Dumbledore smiled benignly at Sheridan. "Please continue, Minerva."
"According to Daniels, Fishman was taunting Logan. Name calling, insults, the usual kind of thing. Daniels tried to calm the situation, but Fishman refused to let it go. Daniels says Logan did indeed throw the first punch."
"Ah ha! I told you he attacked Fishman," gloated Sheridan.
"However, he only did so to protect Daniels from an attack by Fishman." Minerva favored Sheridan with one of her infamous icy stares, and he actually fidgeted in his seat. Snape had to take a sip of his tea to hide his smile. "Then as Daniels and Logan were leaving, Fishman attacked Logan, which is when he sustained his injury. It would seem that he fell backwards under the assault and banged his head on a rock. There is a blood stained rock in the courtyard. It seems his injury was accidental, if regrettable, although it could possibly have been avoided had Fishman walked away when he had the chance."
"Hmmm, well, that does sound like Logan may have attacked Fishman, but I'd hardly call it unprovoked." Dumbledore smiled at Sheridan.
Sheridan smiled wanely back. "Well, he did throw the first punch."
"Yes, yes it would appear that he did. But only after provocation from Fishman."
"He still needs to be disciplined. Detentions do not seem to have any affect on the boy. Heaven knows, I've tried that route myself with little avail. Perhaps a suspension at the least would be in order?" Sheridan looked hopefully at Dumbledore. "Surely we can not condone this type of behaviour."
"No, no I agree. Something must be done to prevent a recurrence of these events. However, I believe that we should wait until Logan is well enough to offer an explanation for his actions. Hopefully that will be early tomorrow morning, as I have business to attend to and I would like this matter to be concluded before I leave."
