Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.
Disclaimer 2: This chapter will contain the spanking of a child. I do not condone the use of implements when punishing children. This is make believe.
Discussions and Punishment
"Why don't you get ready for bed, then we'll talk?" Arthur directed his son into his bedroom.
"But it's only 7 and aren't I going back to school?" asked Ron.
"No Ronald. Get ready for bed." His Dad repeated.
Ron put on a spare pair of pajamas he'd left at the Burrow and took care of his ablutions. His Dad was waiting for him in his room when he returned a slipper tucked by his side. Ron flushed then paled a little. "Have a seat Ron." Ron sat on his bed and fiddled with his blanket.
"I'm disappointed Ronald." Ron flushed and looked more intently at his feet. "What did I tell you last summer?"
"To let you know if I'm worried about something and to get help."
"You're very good at chess, Ron." Ron's eyes lifted and he looked at his Dad. He always liked it when his parents acknowledged something he was good at. Sometimes he felt so lost in the crowd at the Burrow. "What does it take to win a game of chess?"
Ron smiled a little. "You have to look ahead at what could happen if you make certain moves. You have to plan to make sure your pieces make it. Sometimes it helps to get advice from the pieces."
"The same thing is true in the real world." Arthur looked carefully at his son. "Who could you have gotten help from?"
"My siblings, my housemates, teachers. But they wouldn't have helped."
"Really? Did you ask any of them?" Ron shrugged. "Next time you consider doing something like this I expect you to talk to your siblings and your head of house and anyone else older than you that may be able to help."
"Yes sir."
"What lives in the forest Ronald?"
"Other than spiders," Ron shuddered, "unicorns, centaur, werewolves." Ron's voice went up an octave on the last word.
"The werewolves I believe to be a myth, but there are blood sucking bearbug, clabberts, cockatrice, red caps, flush eating slugs, graphorns, lithifolds as well as many, many others." Ron shivered. He didn't even recognize the names of half the things his Dad had mentioned, but the ones that were familiar he knew to be very dangerous. "The next time you consider putting yourself in danger I expect you to investigate potential dangers first and plan for how to deal with them."
"Yes sir," stated Ron.
"We need to deal with your punishment Ronald. I want you to remember tonight. We care about you very much and we would be devastated if we lost you. You'll be getting 13 with the slipper, one for each year of age. Bare your bum and lay on the bed."
"Sir?" Ron felt panicked, he'd never been smacked on the bare with the slipper before.
"You heard me Ronald Bilius Weasley. You risked your life and made no effort to make the situation safer for yourself. Now do as you are told, no arguments, " Arthur stated firmly, but not unkindly.
Ron lay with his arms wrapped around his pillow waiting for his punishment to begin. His Dad put a hand in the middle if his back, holding him in place, the slipper resting on his bare bum.
"These are to remind you to look for potential dangers and plan how to deal with them." Arthur brought the slipper down sharply four times. Ron clenched his pillow with each smack.
"These are to remind you to get help from as many people as possible." SMACK! Ron cried out. SMACK! CRACK!
"Owww!" Instinct took over and one of Ron's hands flew back to protect his bottom. Arthur took hold of Ron's wrist and pinned it to his son's back. Shmack!
"These are to remind you that you are important to us and we expect you to do the best job you possibly can to keep yourself safe."
Ron sobbed as his Dad laid down the next four smacks to his already burning bum. Arthur paused for a moment, waiting for his son to calm. When he was sure his son was listening he spoke, "This is not an experience either of us want to repeat Ronald, but it is one that will be repeated if you make the same poor choices again." With that Arthur landed one more tremendous CRACKKKKK! to the upturned bum.
Arthur vanished the slipper then sat down on the bed next to his son and proceeded to rub his son's back. The crying continued for a few minutes. "Shhh. All's forgiven." Arthur spoke quietly as he continued to rub the child's back. He sat there with his son until the cries switched to hiccuping and eventually to quiet snores. Arthur waved his wand and re-clothed his son. Then he draped a blanket over him and kissed his head before shutting off the lights and leaving the room.
Visit the HP Lexicon Bestiary to find descriptions of the creatures mentioned in this chapter.
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