Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its wonderful cast of characters and settings are the property of J. K. Rowlings, Scholastic Books and Warner Bros. Films, I just get the fun of taking them and putting them in different settings. It's all only for fun and the praise of my readers because I get nothing but the reviews my readers grace me with. (Puppy dog eyes) the money goes to other people. Also a quarter of the credit for this story goes to darkshadowedrose she helped me feed the cute little plot bunny until it became a monster that wouldn't let go until it was down on paper.

Harry Prongs Tatum Chapter 12

"Harry the Professor wants you in his office." Daniel Preston said.

"Alright." Harry suspected that this might happen. Well he'd learned enough to know that he could theoretically leave the school and find tutors and that would allow him to live at home. When he had mentally declared war on his professor this afternoon he knew the risks. However he still hadn't had a chance to gather the ammunition he needed to win this little war, therefore this battle was unlikely to go his way. Well, he'd take his lumps.

A couple minutes later he was entering Flitwick's office.

"There you are you trouble making brat." Snape snarled.

Flitwick frowned at his colleague. "Mr. Tatum, Severus tells me he assigned a detention to you today to be served tonight."

"No sir."

"You little troublemaker, it's bad enough that you come in here with those clothes and disrespecting centuries of wizarding culture you think you're above the rules and that you don't have to serve a detention when it's assigned." Snape snarled. "Lying to your Head of House you should be expelled!"

"No sir, there was a detention assigned to Potter, but as far as I am aware there is no Potter in the class sir."

Professor Flitwick groaned inwardly, he'd been afraid of this. One thing he had noticed about Harry was his exceptionally strong will. Unlike many of his muggleborn peers Harry wasn't enamored with the magical. He liked it to be sure, but he always seemed to look around him with jaded eyes as if asking himself what price would be asked of him. "Mr. Tatum this school works from the assumption that the students will respect the rules and when a detention is assigned the students are expected to serve them, because we the teachers are the adults and you students are the children. To not go to an assigned detention is disrespecting the authority of the teachers. You knew that when Professor Snape said Potter he meant you did you not?"

Harry eyes flashed and his jaw tightened, but he nodded.

"Tomorrow night you will serve the detention with Professor Snape that you should have served this evening. And you will serve two additional detentions with me this weekend for displaying such a blatant disrespect for the school rules."

"Yes sir." Harry all but snarled. "Is there anything else sir?"

"No, dismissed." After Harry left the office, Filius Flitwick turned to his colleague. "Severus, this is the only time I will do this for you. Mr. Tatum is within his rights to expect to be called by his proper legal name. I realize you had issues with the boy's father and it doesn't help that he is the spitting image of his father except for his eyes. But if I find out that you have been taking out old animosity towards his father out on the boy, I will have an accounting with you. You do understand that don't you?"

Severus looked at the diminutive man in front of him, and sensed the resolve in the small man. "I understand Filius."

xxxxxxxxx

Harry stoically served his detention with Snape resenting every second he spent scrubbing cauldrons, and resolving that though as he'd expected he'd lost the battle, he would win the war. The information in the common room about points alone would be enough to ensure that.

Saturday came and mid way through breakfast Harry found himself turning red and gold. The older of his housemates laughed and asked what he'd done to come to the notice of Fred and George. Harry gave Penelope a confused look.

"Fred and George Weasley, the Weasley twins, they're notorious pranksters. They're in Gryffindor third year. Redheads."

Harry looked at the Gryffindor table and spotted the smirking twins in question. "They told me their names were Gred and Forge!" he said indignantly.

"Just another prank I would imagine." She fought back a grin at his disgruntled look.

Harry got up. "I've got to go, detention with Professor Flitwick."

As the weekend came to a close he finished the questionnaire his housemates had given him and read through it one more time.

Do you remember the attack of He-who-must-not-be-named?

No.

Do you know how you defeated He-who-must-not-be-named?

No. Frankly I find it far more believable, that my biological parents did something to protect me than his defeat being because of something I did.

What happened after you defeated You-know-who?

I don't really know beyond I got left on the doorstep of my maternal aunt, and I got up and walked away. I was found by my adoptive family and I grew up with them.

It is rumored that you lived in the muggle world, is that true?

Yes my adoptive family are muggles, and I grew up in the muggle world.

Did you really tour the world learning obscure magics?

No. I've been to nineteen countries worldwide on buying trips with my parents for our family's business. But I didn't learn any magic on those trips because my family is muggle. Those books that said I did lied.

Did you get lost in the woods and make friends with a unicorn herd at four?

Did you really train and ride a dragon at six?

Did you make friends with a griffin when you were seven?

Did you really kill a werewolf when you were eight?

No. I have never done any of those things, nor have I even seen any of those creatures to my knowledge. Any one who says I did lied.

I notice when your not in class you always wear muggle clothes, why is that?

I find muggle clothing infinitely more comfortable and easy to move in.

Why do you never write with a quill?

I find them messy, hard to use, and highly impractical. As there is no rule against pens I choose to use a fountain pen, what I don't understand is why so many people use quills.

What is your favorite color?

I don't have one. I like blues, greens, and purples the most though.

What is your favorite sport?

I don't have one. I do sport because I subscribe to the a sound body is necessary for a sound mind school of thought. I'd rather curl up with a good book anytime.

What's your favorite food?

I love cheesecake. In general though I find when it comes to food, I'll eat what ever is put in front of me and appreciate that it's there.

What games and music do you like?

I'm eclectic when it comes to music, and games... I like classic strategy games chess, go, Risk, bridge, but I also like simpler games like Monopoly, Clue, Yahtzee, and Scrabble.

Do you like quidditch? If so who's your favorite team?

I don't know. I've never seen a game.

What is your favorite book?

I don't have one. I generally prefer history to every other genre, although there are books I can recommend in most genres.

What is your favorite subject ? Your best subject?

History and History.

You said you were adopted, who adopted you?I thought you were being raised by your Aunt.

Jennifer and Jacob Tatum adopted me, they also adopted my sister Annalise. My biological aunt didn't raise me because the person who was responsible for getting me to her left me on her doorstep and I got up and walked away.

Where do you and your family live?

We live in London and I won't be more specific for security reasons.

What pets have you had or do you have?

I have an snowy owl named Hedwig at the moment. My family also has an African grey parrot named Buster, a Irish wolfhound lab cross, named Lila. I used to have a Garter snake, Ribbon, that died last February. When I was first adopted we had a wolfhound lab cross called Digger and a cat called Sorsha; both of them have died. Sorsha when I was seven. Digger when I was nine.

How do you feel about blood purity?

Blood purity is the imagining of people who want to find some excuse to feel superior to others. It has nothing to do with reality. The so called purebloods, that focus on only marrying other purebloods will eventually breed in too many undesirable characteristics; just as the Egyptians and European Royalty did, resulting in genetics abnormalities and illnesses, retardation, and mental instability. This has been proven in history, and in animal breeding; it applies in the magical world too.

Do you prefer girls or guys?

Eww, pervert are you? I'm only eleven, I haven't thought about that stuff yet. Gross!

At this point Harry changed tactics because most of the questions that were still listed either he didn't know the answer to or he didn't think it was anyone else's business.

How do you feel about He-who-must-not-be-named?

How do you feel about your true parents? Their deaths?

How do you feel about the person who betrayed the Potters?

Why do you think He-who-must-not-be-named targeted your family when you were a baby?

I heard the Potter's were rich. How much money do you have?

Do you prefer blondes, brunettes, or redheads?

I've heard about your large telescope; are you advertising or compensating?

Do you prefer boxers or briefs?

As far as the rest of these questions, either I don't know because I haven't thought about it, I don't know because I just don't know, or where do you get off asking something that? It's none of your business!

Sunday afternoon Penelope Clearwater watched as Harry read through the questions on his parchment then his answers one last time. She knew that the young boy wasn't having an easy time of it here at Hogwarts he got along well with one of his roommates but not the other. Anthony Goldstein found Harry's casual disregard of tradition annoying and his power intimidating, and he had requested a roommate change fortunately Terry Boots' roommates had also requested to change and they would switch tonight. She suspected it was more about blood than about Terry having been annoying.

Harry had both won and lost more points than any other first year. Many of the older Ravens called him arrogant, and to a point she would agree. He would only bend a little, his principles, likes, and dislikes were his, a personal code to live by. At the same time, he never expected anyone else to live by the same code, and he was more tolerant of differences in others than many she could name. He was respectful, yet he questioned everything, and while he abided for the most part within the rules he never failed to question the status quo. He was polite and kind, but he gave the impression of an immovable object. So she supposed he was arrogant, but at least he wasn't a snot about it.

Penelope heard rumors than he had found a room that the muggleborn of all the houses were very excited about, and she wondered why. She supposed she could ask Harry about it but first she wanted to ask him if the inaugural issue of the Hogwarts Herald could print the questions and answers as their first interview. "Harry?"

"Penelope. Did you need something?"

"Yes, we, the prefects, got approval for the school paper and I was hoping we could print your questions and answers as our first interview."

"Sure, I just finished. Here you go."

Penelope smiled as she read the answers. Harry came across very clearly in his answers. She wondered if his answer on the blood purity question was correct, and when she reached the final question he gave a real answer to she fought back a chuckle because for all Harry's development in most areas that answer made it very clear he was still just a young boy. He wasn't one of those boys that thought girls had cooties but he still didn't think about them yet. "Thanks Harry, this is great."

"So are they going to open the paper to all students or will it just be the prefects?"

"The first edition is just going to be the prefects but after that we'll be opening it up to the student body."

"So what all is going to be in it?"

"The first edition is going to have a section on each of us prefects and the the head boy and girl, sections on each of the teachers, some general study tips, the question interview with you, and last notices about the gobstones club."

"Penelope, how come there are so few clubs here at school?"

"Well... I suppose it's because clubs are supposed to have a faculty sponsor. With so few faculty it's difficult because most teachers aren't willing to give up their personal time. Gobstones is lucky because Professor Kettleburn likes gobstones."

"Yeah, I mean yes. How come there are so few teachers?"

"Well what do you mean?"

"Well in any given year there's between thirty five and sixty students and there's seven years so lets say there's two hundred and forty students the teachers see and have to grade for each week. In the muggle world teachers in secondary schools usually have more like five or six classes of twenty five to thirty students. Not to mention the whole adult to student ratio when not in class I mean eleven teachers if you count Binns , five support staff for that many students it's ridiculous. Which makes me wonder are the teachers here, at Hogwarts especially those in the core subjects overworked? Look at McGonagall for example she's transfiguration teacher, and that's a class that the houses don't combine for. So that's like twenty eight classes, plus she's head of house for Gryffindor, plus she's Deputy."

"Actually for her classes third year and up do combine so it's not that many but I see your point."

"Also there are many things that I think we should be learning but aren't, and..."

"Whoa slow down Harry. Problems can only be addressed one at a time."

"Baloney."

"What?"

"If you only address one problem at a time things don't change, because you get mired in the moment. If you identify multiple problems at once, you can synthesize solutions that solve more than one problem at once."

Penelope blinked. Harry was such an original thinker. She needed to get away and think about what he was trying to say. She checked her watch. "Oops, I've go to go; we're due to have a meeting about the paper." She picked up the paper Harry had written the questions and answers on, "Thanks Harry."

"Bye, Penelope."

Monday morning, in the Ravenclaw common room there was a reminder that Professor Flitwick's Monday evening office hours were canceled due to a staff meeting and the Friday office hours were being canceled that week due to student conferences Friday and Saturday. Down in the Great Hall the school was greeted by the Hogwarts Herald, and most of the school liked it.

During breakfast Sally Anne Perks came up to Harry and kissed him on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

"That was for the salle, I can practice my dancing now."

"Fine whatever." Harry grimaced while Terry, Kevin, and Justin snickered at him. A little later Gilbert Hargrove a fifth year prefect from Hufflepuff came over.

"Harry, I've been thinking we need to coordinate a schedule for the year groups in terms of using the different areas of the gym. And set up some usage rules like no fighting, I might suggest a magical contract signed by everyone who uses it, keep it pretty simple. I suggest dividing usage by year groups to help prevent injury. And maybe a schedule of referees for some of the games."

"That sounds like a good idea Gilbert. Maybe you should write it up and we can have a group meeting Thursday before dinner and put it to a vote."

"Okay."

Something at the head table caught Harry's eye and he looked towards the teachers. For some unknown reason Albus Dumbledore caught his eye. Harry wasn't sure if it was the hideously bright robes or something else. He felt his heirs ring on his finger warm briefly and wondered why as he left the Great Hall he had an urge to explore the forbidden third floor corridor. Dismissing it as a crazy notion he went up to the library to continue building his case for Snape's dismissal.

At the staff meeting that evening, Albus waited patiently through the general school business and the standard complaints the teacher's made about their workload and fed them his standard assurances that he understood their feelings but that the board of governors wouldn't allow for the hiring of additional staff. He dismissed the teachers for the classes that were only taught after third year before continuing. "How are the first years adjusting?"

McGonagall said, "Most of my students are adjusting and conforming well to expectations. Miss Granger is still having a few problems..."

"A few problems!" Snape outright laughed. "That's like saying the Great Wall in China is big. Her own housemates despise her for being a know-it-all who only knows how to quote others, not an original thought in her head."

McGonagall shot him an irritated look.

"Severus, how are your snakes?" Albus said trying to prevent an argument.

"Draco Malfoy as expected is somewhat the leader of the first years, although two of the girls and one of the boys are not falling in line with the rest."

"Very good. Pomona?"

"My badgers are a delightful bunch. They study hard and work together well. Although Justin Finch-Fetchley has complained about the lack of a place for him to meet and play with his cousin, Mr. Tatum."

"Ah yes, Mr. Tatum." Albus frowned. "how is Mr. Tatum adjusting?"

Albus was surprised. Suddenly all the teachers seemed to have something to say even Binns who seldom said anything at these meetings. "Whoa, slow down, one at a time if you please. Cuthbert you seldom contribute how about you go first."

"That boy is a plague Albus. He insists there is more to history than what has been written and he asks questions incessantly! About how were the facts in the book verified and why did the goblins attack in 400 B.C. and what influence did the Egyptian wizards have on the development of Magic here in Britain and...and.. He never stops!"

Albus found himself hard pressed not to snicker. Most teachers delighted in a student asking questions but Cuthbert was so used to students that slept in his class he didn't know how to deal with one that didn't. "Aurora?"

"Amazingly quick and helpful to the other students."

"Quirnus?"

"P..p..polite doesn't h..h..hold with Wizarding tra..d..ditions m..m..much and quick, v..v..v..very quick."

"Pomona?"

"Polite, strong, respectful of those that respect him, clever. He was able to put young Mr. Malfoy in his place without making a problem out of it. Stubborn, very reluctant to follow certain wizarding traditions."

"Minerva?"

"Frightfully intelligent, a bit like his father in terms of talent. Hard working, a work ethic akin to Lily's, stubborn, willing to give respect if respected in turn. Clings to the traditions of his upbringing, he doesn't hold a strong value of wizarding traditions, however he doesn't make a huge issue if rules are involved. I don't believe he feels connected to the wizarding world therefore he doesn't value it."

"Severus?"

"Disrespectful, stupid, disobedient, troublemaking brat. That thinks his fame means he can choose which rules to follow. Maybe all of you are willing to cater to his arrogant ways but I won't!"

Filius felt he had to speak up. "The two of you have clashed over the issue of his name and he is his parents child, he will stand up in the face of what he feels is an injustice. I'm sure if you give him another chance you'll see what the rest of us see: an intelligent, thoughtful, hard working if stubborn student with marvelous potential. One who has yet to see why he should place wizarding traditions ahead of those of his upbringing."

"And the rest of your students, Filius?"

"Well not the best bunch my house has ever had, but respectable none the less."

Tuesday's Potions class was a study in self control for both Snape and Harry. Snape limited himself to five points removed and Harry kept his temper while Snape baited him with a steady stream of insults. Snape even managed to resist the urge to drop Harry's potion vial.

Two o'clock Saturday afternoon Harry was ushered into his head of house's office. "So Mr. Tatum do you know why you're here?"

"So that you as my head of house know how I'm adjusting to the school and to assist me with any problems." Harry gave a heavy emphasis to the word problems.

"Yes in the month you've been here you've lost fifty nine points and been assigned one detention in your potions class, five detentions from your history class and two from me. That's an average of two detentions a week." Filius was troubled because Harry's body language screamed control, emotional distance, and unhappiness. "I would like to understand."

"Are you really willing to listen? Or will you just pull that discipline is necessary crap and reinforce that this is, if not the worst, the second worst decision I've made in my life."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm paying a small fortune for an absolutely pathetic education at this institution. Your classes, Professor McGonagall's and Professor Sprout's aren't bad. Heck even Professor Sinestra's don't completely suck. But the rest...

"Let's see a ghost who teaches straight from a second rate textbook and can't answer a reasonable question. A stuttering ...fool that is afraid of his own subject, and a vitriolic professor that can't seem to realize I'm not a reincarnation of a man that has been dead ten years and isn't above letting students get hurt if he gets to vent his spleen. No literature, no art, no mathematics, at least not until third year... no practical life courses, no foreign languages except what is integrated into the course work of the established classes that's the just the scholastic side of things. Not to mention an overworked staff that can't look beyond the ends of their noses to see what is really going on. Socially, no sports teams except quidditch which involves only about a tenth of the school population, no inter house common room for interaction between houses, no plans for inter house cooperation or interaction barring quidditch, no clubs except one for people that like having stones spit in their faces, no student council, prejudice allowed, hell even encouraged, and a biased point system that encourages abuse. Need I go on?"

Filius blinked in shock.

Harry took his silence for disagreement and said, "That's what I thought. Later Professor." and spun about and left.

Harry went to the weight room and did six sets of the maximum weight his dad said was safe for him to lift. He then attacked the heavy bag in a series of viscous kicks and punches. Two hours later he stumbled back to his dorm exhausted and crashed. Sleeping through dinner and never noticing it.

Professor Flitwick had been searching for Harry since he finished the consultation with Lisa Turpin. He was even more dismayed when Harry missed dinner. After curfew he looked in the common room and saw Miles Ogden.

"Miles have you seen Harry Tatum?"

"He's asleep up in his room Professor."

"That's a relief. I was afraid.."

"Professor?"

"He's very unhappy Miles. I'd appreciate you keeping an eye on him. How are you coming on that disillusionment charm?"

"I just got it yesterday." He said beaming with pride.

"Then I want you to do me a favor, you don't have a class when the first years have potions. I would like you to disillusion yourself and observe those classes for a month."

"Is there a problem?"

"I think there might be. Professor Snape is far from gentle at the best of times but I'm beginning to suspect he's crossed the line into abuse. I need an uninvolved observer."

"Understood Professor."

As Filius went to bed that night he thought about every thing Harry had said and wondered.

TBC

A/n: To those of you who wanted Flitwick to give Snape what for, sorry to disappoint. But my reasoning is this. 1)Ravenclaw is a house of go with the rules and Harry didn't follow the rules. 2) While Flitwick hates bullying, he is an adult and an authority figure to side with a student and a child against a teacher when all he has is the word of a child isn't something he'd be willing to do as it might undermine his own authority. But rest assured he will eventually see Harry's point of view if only because Harry won't give him a choice. Sorry for the long wait The heat completely saps my energy and creativity and it's been very hot not to mention I have been busy with RL stuff. I will be updating Sirius and Speaker before I next update Prongs.