Harry Potter Junior Level: Year Two

Ch. 33

Mixed Feelings

Deciding to ignore his Uncle's direction to go to his dorm room, Harry goes to find his Dad instead. Feeling very hurt by his Uncle's ignoring his plea for understanding, Harry walks up the stairs to his Dad's classroom. He can't remember if his Dad has a late Astronomy class today and is hoping he doesn't. Finding the classroom empty, he continues walking through to his Dad's office. Knocking once, he opens the door to find Sirius sitting at his desk.

"Hello Pup! What brings you here on such a nice afternoon. I thought you'd be off with the boys enjoying yourself."

"Hi, Dad. I came to visit to tell you about my day. Professor Snape is being very unfair, Dad. Could you talk to him?"

"Well son, until you give me more information, I don't know what you are upset about. Did you have a bad day with your Potions brewing?"

"No, my group all received a score of Excellent today. I was really happy about that because it's hard to make Excellent in Professor Snape's class. The problem came afterwards when Professor Snape read the homework. Do you remember reading my essay on the sleeping draught?"

"Yes, I thought it was very good. Your mentioning Sleeping Beauty was humorous, too. What was the problem with your essay? Did you forget to turn it in?"

"No, that isn't what happened. Last night, Ron asked me to let him see my homework so he could compare the steps for the Awakening Potion. He wanted to check to see if he listed them all. I let him look at it and went to shower. This afternoon, Professor Snape checked our homework he said Ron and I palerize each other and that we cheated. Ron is my pal so I guess we were palerizing but I didn't cheat. He took twenty points, Dad! We also have to go to detention tomorrow afternoon. He said he was going to talk to you instead of taking us to the Headmaster. Honest Dad, I didn't do anything wrong."

"Well Harry, I think we need to go find Professor Snape and let's talk this out. I'm not saying you won't still have to accept his punishment, but we need to discuss this together so I can get an understanding of the problem. Come, let's go to his office."

"You don't believe me either, do you?" Harry asks, beginning to lose his battle with the tears. "I'm telling the truth and no one will believe me!"

"Are you going to paddle me again for cheating? I didn't cheat, Dad. I promise I didn't. I don't know how the essays came to be alike. I don't!"

"Oh, Pup. I do believe you. I swear on Merlin's holy grave, I believe you. Shhh, now hush. Stop crying, Harry. You aren't in trouble with me. Everything will be cleared up if we just go talk to Severus. Here, use this handkerchief and wipe up. You are a soggy mess, Pup." Sirius answers giving his boy a strong hug.

Just as the two were leaving Sirius' office, a house elf comes in to deliver an envelope from Severus.

"Professor Black, Sir. Professor Snape says you read papers and send message back. I wait?"

"No thank you, Ginger. I'll be discussing this in person. Good day to you." Sirius answers after looking at the contents of the envelope.

"Harry, let's sit here for a moment. Severus sent copies of the two essays. Let me take time to read Ron's and then we'll go talk to Severus. Just wait a moment, alright?"

"Yes sir. I need to go to the loo. May I go while you read?"

"Of course, come back here when you are finished." Sirius tells him as he begins to read Ron's essay.

"Well Harry, I'm ready to go meet with Severus. While I talk, I want you to stay quiet and just wait. I will let you talk after I finish. Agreed?" Sirius announces as Harry walks back into the room.

"Yes sir. Will I still be punished though? I haven't done anything wrong!"

"We'll discuss that after I talk to Severus. Now remember, you are not to speak unless I give you permission."

Finding Severus still in his office off the Potions classroom, Sirius says "Severus, I received the envelope and we are here to discuss this. I know for a fact that Harry had his essay written Wednesday night as I read it. I don't see how you can accuse him of cheating when he had his essay finished before Ron."

"The two are identical. You saw that. That tells me that the boys were copying each other, maybe even plagiarizing from another reference book."

"Severus they are ten years old not sixteen. I hardly think they would copy from a reference book. Harry, here doesn't even know the word plagiarize. Harry, I want you to tell Professor Snape exactly what you told me about Ron and your homework last night."

"Last night, Ron asked to see my assignment. He wanted to check to see if he had listed all the steps for the potion you had us write about. I left him with the paper and went off to shower. When I came back my paper was in my homework folder. I didn't know he copied my essay until you showed me the essays after class today. I didn't cheat Uncle Sev! I swear it! Dad paddled my bum for copying Draco's homework last year and I certainly don't want to have that happen ever again! I wasn't the one cheating, please believe me."

"Why did you let him see your assignment, Harry?" Severus asks.

"We're friends. Friends look out for each other. The steps to making the potion are in the book but I didn't think about it. I just let him look. We work on that kind of homework together anyway. We don't share essays but we share information sometimes. All of us in the dorm do this. Is that cheating?" Harry asks worriedly.

"No, son. Helping each other and sharing information is not cheating. You are all writing your own essays on what you have learned. That's not the same as copying someone's work word for word, is it?" Sirius asks.

"No sir. Ron did that. He copied every word I wrote. Even my funny part about Sleeping Beauty. He doesn't even know who Sleeping Beauty really is either."

"Alright, Harry. I see I jumped to conclusions here. I apologize for accusing you of breaking the rules. You are not to blame here and there will be no punishment for you. Sirius? I can turn Ron over to the Headmaster if you prefer not to deal with this."

"I will take care of it. He's in my house so it makes me responsible for his discipline. I'm going to contact Arthur and ask him what he prefers to do about this. I assume you wish him to serve detention still?"

"Yes, I assigned it for tomorrow after lunch. With no classes then, he can use the time to prepare potions ingredients." Severus replies as Harry makes a disgusted face at that news. Preparing potion ingredients means cutting up or disemboweling something disgusting in detention. He knows this from experience.

"Very well, I'll be discussing this with Arthur and he will be in detention as assigned. Good afternoon, Severus. Let's go, Harry. I want you to come with me. I might need you to talk to Ron's Dad about what went on last night."

As Harry and Sirius walk back to their quarters, Harry asks "Dad? What if Mr. Weasley doesn't believe me. What if he thinks I was the one copying off of Ron's essay? Besides, I really don't want to be an informer, Dad."

"Harry, Ron did something very wrong. Not only did he deliberately copy someone's work and try to make it seem as if he wrote it, he also let you take the blame without speaking up and admitting what he did. He could have told Severus the truth today, that he was at fault by copying your paper. He didn't. He could have come to me and told the truth but he did not do that either. Instead, he left you to take the blame. That's not the way a child needs to be allowed to behave. I wouldn't allow you to act this way and I'm not going to allow him to either. Do you understand what I'm saying, son?"

"I think so. Are you going to paddle him, the way you did me last year, Dad?"

"Harry James! You know better! Punishments are private and aren't discussed with other students. What punishment he receives will be up to his Father. Since you feel so strongly about not getting involved, I won't ask you to go with me. I'll do the talking and show him the essays. You go take your bath and get ready for bed while I talk to Arthur. You're going to stay with me tonight. Not as punishment, just because I miss having you with me. Now that you've moved back to the dorm, I feel I don't see you enough. We'll do something fun together before bedtime."

After he hears the water running in the bathroom, Sirius goes into his bedroom to floo the Burrow. Throwing floo powder into the fireplace, he calls our "Arthur Weasley, the Burrow."

At the Weasley's home, Mr. Weasley is just about to leave his study when he hears Sirius's call. "Yes, Sirius? What can I help you with? Is it one of the children?"

"I'm afraid so, Arthur. Ron has managed to break a major rule of Hogwarts. He's been caught cheating. May I step through for just a few moments to show you the papers?"

"By all means. Stay for tea if you can."

"Harry is waiting for me. I won't stay." Sirius replies. Then showing Arthur the two essays and explaining what went on, he finishes by saying "I'm going to let you decide on punishment. Do you want me as his Head of House to handle it or do you wish him to come home?"

"I will handle the punishment. I'd appreciate it if you send Ron through after you return home. He will be back in time for classes in the morning but will sleep here tonight, if that is acceptable." Arthur says, his face looking worn and tired as well as angry.

"I will send him home from my floo. He will be here in just a few minutes. Will he need to bring anything?"

"No, he has extra robes for tomorrow already here."

"I appreciate your support on this matter, Arthur and thank you for not questioning whether or not Ron was at fault."

"You are welcome, Sirius. I know my youngest son quite well. He's a good kid but has a lazy streak in him. After tonight, that lazy streak will be nonexistent for some time. Have you had any trouble with the twins lately?"

"I haven't heard of anything but those two are quite good at covering their tracks. I'll let you know if anything major comes up. Good night."

Back at Hogwarts, Sirius finds Harry waiting in his Dad's bedroom for him to return.

"Did Mr. Weasley believe I wasn't involved, Dad? I'm innocent. I didn't even know he did it."

"Everything is fine, son. No need to be worried. Mr. Weasley requests Ron to come home so he can discuss this with him. I'll be sending for Ron in just a moment. You need to go wait in your room until I send for you."

"Oh Dad, Ron's in big trouble isn't he? Being called home is not good!"

"Go to your bedroom, Pup. I'll call you in just a few minutes for Tea. You can be thinking about what you would like to eat tonight and we'll order it to be sent."

After Harry leaves, Sirius walks over to the Junior Level common room. Walking in, he finds Ron playing a game of gobstones with Draco among the other children.

"Ron, come with me please." Sirius directs firmly causing the boy's eyes to widen in apprehension.

"The rest of you students enjoy your evening, make sure you have homework finished for my class though." Sirius calls out which solicits much laughter from the kids. They all know he only has labs for Astronomy on Friday evenings, not classes.

"Professor Black? Am I in trouble with you?" Ron asks anxiously as they walk back towards Sirius's quarters.

"Professor Black, Ron? We're not in class or around other students so why the use of the title?"

"I thought I'd be real respectful right now, sir. In the chance you wanted to warm my bum for me tonight."

"Well, you can relax. I'm not going to be handing out a spanking tonight. So you know why I came to get you, then?"

"Yes Sir. Professor Snape has told you of my copying of Harry's essay. I guessed you were going to punish me. Now, you say you aren't. Am I just going to have points taken and detention?" Ron asks hopefully.

Escorting the boy into his quarters, Sirius answers, "I had a conversation with your Father, Ron. He requests your presence home for the evening. He told me you would return to school tomorrow in time for class and Professor Snape's detention. You will use my private floo. Come along."

"Sent home? Merlin! Please Uncle Sirius, I beg you to spank me. You can even use that slipper you used when Harry and I set the shed on fire with fireworks last year! Anything but go home to my Dad."

"No, son. For one thing, you are not being sent home, you are being allowed to go home at the request of your parents. Your Father wishes to speak to you and I agreed. That's not the same as the school making you go home because of misbehavior. We must do as your Father wishes, come along. Once you get it over with you'll feel better."

"My bum won't feel better! He's going to murder it! Tell Harry I'm sorry. Okay? I was stupid and I know it. It wasn't Harry's fault so please don't punish him. I did it and he didn't even know until Potions today."

"Thank you for telling me, Ron. Now into the floo with you." Sirius replies shooing the child into the floo and throwing the powder down. "The Burrow!" Sirius calls out, watching as the boy disappears in a puff of blue smoke.

"Harry? Come on out, Pup. Ron's gone home." Sirius calls to his son.

"Is he really angry with me? Does he not want to be friends anymore?" Harry asks softly as he comes to stand by his Dad.

"What makes you think he wouldn't be friends with you, Pup? I don't understand."

"I got him in big trouble. He got sent home to his Dad and is going to get a walloping because of it. He might be really mad about that."

"Harry James! I'm surprised at you. Don't you think Ron's friendship is strong enough to survive him being punished? Hasn't he ever been punished before since you two met?"

"Well, yes, but usually we both get it not just him. This time it's just him, Dad."

"Harry, it's just him, as you put it because he's the one who broke the rules. He cheated off of you and you had nothing to do with it. You were telling me the truth weren't you when you said he copied the essay without your knowledge? That wasn't to get yourself out of trouble was it?"

"That was the truth, I swear it, Dad!" Harry answers wide eyed at the stern tone of the last two questions.

"Then I don't see how any of this is your fault. Now, let's talk about something fun, Tea! What are we having as I'm caving in over here with hunger."

Giggling now, Harry says "Let's order our favorites. I want Shepard's Pie. What do you want?"

"I'll order Toad in a Hole. Let's share some of each. I'll give you half of mine, you give me half of yours. What'dya say, kiddo? Deal?"

"Sounds good, Dad. Deal! Only I'm not sharing my pudding! You would eat it all and not leave me any. You are a sweets freak! I'm having blackberry crumble with caramel on top and ice cream. You'll have to get your own pudding tonight, Dad." Harry says dancing out of reach as his Dad tries to give him a playful swat for the "sweets freak" comment.

After the two finished dessert, Harry asks "Dad, will you teach me some magic tonight? Something wicked that I can do?"

"What makes you think an old guy like me would know some wicked, as you call it, magic?"

"DAD!"

"Yes?"

"Don't tease. I'm being serious."

"If you are trying to be me, your voice sure is high."

"Dad! Stop. Will you please teach me something tonight?"

"Yes, Pup. I know something you might enjoy learning. Do you have your wand with you?"

"You told me to always carry it. It's in my arm holder. What do I do?"

"I would suggest taking it out of your wand holder, first." Sirius teases.

At Harry's disgusted look, he says "Watch my arm, copy the movement."

"Good, now the incantation is AVIS. Try to do the spell, now."

"It doesn't make me hang upside down or something, does it?"

"Now Pup, would I do that to you?" Sirius asks innocently.

"You have before!"

"This won't cause you harm or discomfort. Wizard's honor!"

"Alright. AVIS!" Harry exclaims swishing his wand up and back to his side. To his surprise, a small flock of purple birds flies out.

"OH! Did I do it wrong?" He asks ducking as a bird flies near his head.

"No, Pup, you did it perfectly. Avis is a spell to create a diversion or to surprise someone. I surprised you, so it works. To end it, just use the word finite."

"Thanks, Dad. That is wicked! I can use it on my friends."

"Only away from classes, son. Also only with adult supervision. Those are the rules for you to perform spells not being taught in class, remember?"

"Yes, Dad."