Harry potter and the Time of Retirement
Everything related to Harry Potter belongs to JKR
Chapter 39 – Year 2
"Get out of here, Mr. Potter. And you better complete your homeworks next time" said professor McGonagall, pointing towards the door. Harry, silently, pocketed his wand and stepped out of the room, shaking his head. With no one in sight, he started walking towards his common room.
After the disappointment of Halloween even those vague efforts he was putting into classes and studying had evaporated. He had assumed that either professor Sprout or Dumbledore would have called him for his "outing" to Hogsmeade, loading him with some boring detention, but nothing of the sort happened either. It seemed almost like the school itself was matching his mood.
'That would have been the right moment to leave' thought Harry once again, shrugging, and feeling anew the disappointment from that afternoon. He passed in front of the painting covering the entrance to the kitchen, and decided to stop there for a moment. He could use some snacks and drinks, just to fill up some more time.
In any case, doing homeworks and paying attention in class was very low in his scale of priorities as things were. It is not that he was searching for troubles, for he was even more uptight and politely cold than before, but his mind was away.
'I swear they too seem to think their assignments are important. It's school work' he thought, condescendingly. Stopping in front of a house elf, he ordered some cookies and a glass of pumpkin's juice. Once ready, he was about to take it out too, but…
"Actually, can you just deliver a full tray of them to Hufflepuff's common room? Twenty minutes from now" said Harry. After a positive response from the house elf, he left.
'Room service, too. No matter what, Hogwart's hospitality remains the best' thought Harry with a bitter smile, while stepping inside his common room. Inside it, there were students from all years including his own – and in fact, immediately, various waves and smiles from the boys of his year sitting around one of the tables welcomed him inside. Some of those smiles spokes more of amusement than friendliness, thought Harry, nevertheless his class mates moved away some of the books and parchments on one side of the table to give him space.
"There he is" said Zacharias, smirking.
"Welcome back, Harry. She grilled you, eh?" asked Ernie.
"Harry" said Wayne, while Justin merely smiled and nodded at him.
"Hi all. Homeworks?" said Harry, sitting down.
"Yes, charms, for tomorrow. Want to join?" asked Ernie, only to smile at Harry's shrug.
"Searching for more troubles?" asked Wayne. "Even professor Sprout was getting angry at you last time."
Harry didn't answer, and after a moment of silence the others went back to their assignment. The back and forth focused on wand movements, pronunciation and the textbook. After a moment of hesitation, Harry sat down with them.
"It is still a bit too small" said Justin, who was reviewing his Engorgio that, together with its twin charm Reducio, were the spells under study at the moment.
"You must be messing up the wand movement" said Zach, uncaring.
"It was fine" added Harry "or fine enough. Maybe you are not visualizing the object correctly."
"Maybe" said Justin, trying again. "I have time, it's friday after all".
Meanwhile, students were coming and going. Eventually, the girls from their year joined them at a nearby table. Most of them.
"Hi boys" said Megan, dumping her books on their table, some spilling over their parchments.
"Hi girls?" said Zacharias, moving them away from his space while giving her a glare.
"So, were you studying too?" asked Ernie, smiling.
"Sure. In the library though, here is a bit too loud" answered Susan, that had just dragged the two tables close to each other. The other girls followed her, and the group sat down all together.
"Harry, how did it go with McGonagall?" asked Sally-Anne, in a whisper. Or, what was supposed to be a whisper because Ernie, next to them, snorted immediately.
"Oh" she said, worried. Even Harry smiled a little at that.
"It was fine" said Harry. "She just insisted I did the transfiguration in front of her. Four times" he concluded with a sigh.
"You know we are the house of hardworking people, right?" asked Megan.
"Are we?" added Justin. "That whole house traits never convinced me, I swear."
Ernie stared at him evenly, then said "Is this the start of another speech on how wizards are weird, Justin?"
"Yeah, I thought we were over them" added Susan, diplomatically looking down on her book.
Justin looked around himself – especially at Zacharias taunting smirk – and, blushing a little, continued "No, I swear. But, honestly, I can name more people totally at odd with their house than not."
"Like who?" asked Zach.
"Malfoy's sidekicks" said Harry. Sally, next to him, giggled.
"True. Hermione is more of a Ravenclaw, also" said Susan.
"I could totally be a Gryffindor" said Megan, smirking.
Everyone paused, thinking – then Hannah spoke up "Patil from ravenclaw! Always together with her sister. She is so obviously a 'puff like us."
"Obviously" was Wayne's comment. Hard to say if he meant it.
"You see? Now, not to brag, but" started Justin, only to glare at Zach and his half-whispered "Please".
"But" he continued, frowning "there is plenty of mismatches. Come on, houses are nice but they are more about what color we like most".
"So, it's a fashion choice?" asked Susan, skeptical.
"Black and yellow are not the best combination" whined Hannah.
"For a blonde girl, it works" said Sally, enthusiastic. "Black clothes underline light hair, and if you use yellow sho…" when the rest of the group started looking at her puzzled she blushed, stopped and focused her eyes down.
"Clothes design, right? Chin up" whispered Harry, kindly, making her smile.
"It might not always work in the details" added Zach "but you never find a dumb Ravenclaw, or a cowardly Gryffindor."
Justin started coughing, loudly – and the word "Longbottom" could be heard between the coffs. Ernie lightly elbowed him, but said nothing.
"He is not a coward" said Harry, firmly. At this, even the girls seemed skeptical while the boys either smirked or, more politely, shrugged.
"Come on Harry, you have to admit that" started Justin, only to jump back when a tray loaded with cookies and a tea set with several pitchers appeared on the table. "What the… food?"
The kids looked around themselves, then on the table. "Did we win something?" asked Susan.
"Sorry, that's me. As in, I left an order with the house elves before coming here" said Harry, picking up a cookie.
"Good idea" said Ernie, picking one up himself.
"Is it really polite to just… order food from the house elves?" asked Hannah.
"Is it polite to say I don't care in the slightest?" said Zach, shrugging.
"They give, we take" said happily Megan, pouring herself some pumpkin juice. At that point, everyone followed suit.
"I see you are quite comfortable, Potter. How nice of you" said a voice behind them. Turning around, Harry saw an older student glaring at him with open hostility. A shiny prefect badge shimmered on his chest.
"Do you need something?" asked Harry.
"Aren't you supposed to be in detention this evening, Potter?" asked the boy, folding his arms.
"Oh, that. No, I solved the matter with McGonagall, don't worry" said Harry, turning back to the table.
"It's professor McGonagall, and did you have problems with her too?" asked the prefect, incredulously.
"How much troubles are you in, Potter?" asked Zacharias, smirking. And picking up another cookie.
"In a scale from zero to one prefect, I would say one" said Wayne, evenly – but mirth could be seen in his expression. Meanwhile, the girls started giggling.
"Stand up, Potter. You are coming with me" said the prefect, getting closer.
"Is there a reason, at least?" asked Harry, tiredly.
"Yes, there is. You have a detention with professor Snape" added the older boy, picking up Harry's arm and pulling it. Harry immediately pulled back breaking the connection, glaring back at him.
"I had a detention with Snape. Yesterday" countered Harry – before freezing and then sighing. Meanwhile, the prefect got even angrier.
"Yeah, but you didn't show up!" he said, grabbing Harry's arm once again and pulling him away – this time, meeting no resistance. Meanwhile, a lot of his classmates – and some other Hufflepuff all around them - started sniggering in Harry's face.
"Leaving professor Snape in the cold" said an older girl from a table nearby, shaking her head. "I wish I did the same, I swear" said another older boy, smiling at Harry.
"See you later, Potter. Hopefully" said Justin to Harry's back.
"Try not to lose us more points" added Susan, sadly.
"Points, indeed" said the prefect to Harry, while still dragging him along Hogwart's hallways. "Isn't it enough what you brats did last year?"
"You must be really fun at parties, kid" said Harry. This must have struck something inside the prefect, because he blushed and started ranting.
"Just because I expect rules to be followed, doesn't mean that" he started, only to stop abruptly. "No. I don't have to justify myself to a baby. Also, go to hell."
"We are already there" said Harry, as they stopped in front of Potions' classroom. The prefect knocked on the door and, without waiting for an answer, opened it and pushed Harry inside. From his desk, Snape looked up at them, the usual annoyed expression on his face.
"I brought you Potter, professor" said the older boy, glaring down at him.
"Yes, thank you. Leave us" said Snape, standing up. He waited for the prefect to be out of the room, before speaking.
"Seems like you are enjoying yourself lately, Potter. Always arrogant, always uncaring for rules. Always a shame for your house" said Snape, icily. "Maybe polishing the school cauldrons will teach you some vastly needed humility."
"By all means, teach me how to be a valuable member of society, professor" said Harry, sarcastically.
"You will stay silent!" hissed Snape, angrily. "I don't care if you think the school revolves around you and your childish mood tantrums, Potter, but I assure you it doesn't." Pointing to a random desk, with its cauldron on top of it, he concluded "Now start working. You have two hours." And with that, he sat down at his desk and started reading some parchments.
Harry, shrugging, approached the cauldron. Giving a disdainful look at the brush placed next to it, he grabbed his wand. A murmured incantation and some movements later, and the cauldron was once again shining. Moving his eyes to the next desk, he continued.
Meanwhile, Snape kept reading his parchments at his own table, not deigning Harry of a single look. Only when Harry approached him, he raised his head.
"Can't you even follow simple instructions, Potter?" he said ironically, before noticing the rest of his classroom. The sight did not make him happy, and his eyes narrowed until they were two slits. "What have you done now, insolent brat?"
"Cleaned up the cauldrons. Like you ordered" said Harry, calmly, but looking the professor straight in his eyes. Snape let a couple second pass, then spoke again with a calm voice.
"So, no. You can't even follow simple instructions. You were obviously meant" and while saying this, he pointed his wand at the class "to shine them by hand. Start again." Meanwhile, after murmuring something, Snape re-pocketed his wand while the cauldrons inside the classroom had become dark and slimy again.
Harry, quite puzzled, just watched the cauldrons. "There is a spell to dirty things up? Who would ever create something like that?" he asked, surprised.
"Potter" hissed Snape, now clearly angry "I'll say it again. No one cares about you and your opinions. You are a meaningless, arrogant, ignorant boy of no real value. Other professors might be lenient on you because of your fame" and in saying this, Snape's mouth contorted into a grimace "but I will not do so. In fact" and here, the grimace turned towards an unpleasant smile "what you need is discipline and I am willing to provide it."
Snape didn't lower his head back to his parchment, starting at Harry – who seemed frozen, almost like in deep thought. Eventually, he stared coldly at the professor.
"It is not about discipline. You just enjoy lording your petty powers over children."
"20 points from Hufflepuff. Wanna make it thirty?" said Snape, unfazed.
"Would forty make you happy, professor? Would anything..." countered Harry, only to be immediately interrupted.
"Forty points, then, Potter! I can rise them more. Start working!" ordered Snape.
Harry simply shook his head, and walked to the door. He tried to open it, but it was now locked.
"Really, how arrogant can you be?" said Snape, showing his wand now back in his hand. "Maybe after this scene, the headmaster will finally expel you. You have no place here."
Harry simply grabbed his own wand, waving it towards the door. Opening it, he left the classroom without a word. It was maybe 5 seconds before Snape emerged from the door.
"Come back here or you are expelled, Potter" he said, his voice venomous.
Harry turned his head, his mouth almost opening – until he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. No longer watching the professor, he restarted walking. Nothing followed him.
'Well, that was a mess' thought Harry, stepping inside Hufflepuff's common room. 'I doubt I will get expelled just for this, though Snape is stupid enough to try.'
"Harry, back again? That was fast" asked Ernie, surprised, from the table where the 2nd year students were still gathered.
"Snape was really understanding and let me go early" said Harry without stopping, heading for his common bedroom. Behind him, he could hear Hannah say "I guess even Snape can be nice" only to start a wave of laughter and teasing comments addressed towards her. Even Harry smiled a little at her innocence, but the smile was almost invisible on his lips.
Stopping in front of his chest, Harry opened it. Inside, a small pouch and his precious Cloak of Invisibility.
'Well, I am almost out of money. Not good. But with my wand and my cloak, there is little I can't do' thought Harry. He almost grabbed them, but stopped mid-way.
'Too early' he thought. 'No matter what, I should have plenty of time for gathering my stuff.'
Harry closed his chest, and lied down on his bed. Eyes closed, he tried to relax. 'I am quite done with classes and teachers anyway. It's not even that funny, anymore. And if there is nothing only I can do here…'
After maybe half an hour, Harry went back to the common room. His year mates were still at the table, but there were no more books and parchments on sight: homeworks were apparently complete. Sitting down, Harry could see Ernie and Wayne playing cards, while Susan and Hannah had a set of magical chess on their side with Megan and Sally watching them.
"Is that exploding snap?" asked Harry to Justin, that was watching the game of cards.
"Hhmm? No, no, those are human's. Snap is fun if you are playing it, otherwise you just want to bash the head of the players" answered Justin.
"How brutal" commented Ernie with a smile, without looking at him.
"Human?" asked Harry, puzzled. At this, Zacharias sniggered.
"Oh, right, you missed his last bout of stupidity. Please, Justin, go ahead."
"You are always an ass" countered Justin, without getting angry. "Harry, have you ever read comics from America?"
"…..no, not really. Why?" asked Harry.
"Well, my parents came back from a business trip there, last month, you know? New York, Boston, Washington…" said Justin, with a haughty tone.
"Yeah, yeah, they are rich. You were here with us, Justin" said Megan, one of the last cookies available in hand, shortly turning her head towards him.
"Fine" said Justin, giving her a glare. "Point is, they brought back some presents for me and part of it was this set of comics. There was a group of guys there, and they all had powers. Almost magical powers, I would say."
"So, it was a comic about us wizards?" asked Harry, interested.
"If only" commented Zacharias.
"No, that's the point! They were not normal humans, they were mutants! They got their powers because of some mutation" continued Justin, enthusiast.
"Mutants. Like those with 6 fingers?" asked Harry, now amused. Wayne, on his side, snorted while Zacharias just shook his head. "Stop encouraging him, Potter."
"No. Well, yes, that too but I mean a mutation that gave them their powers. You know, powers like magic?" said Justin, now triumphant.
"Now I am the one who wants to bash some head. Either yours or mine" said Ernie.
"It still makes sense" said Justin, slightly offended.
"Actually, it does" said Harry, surprised.
Wayne raised his head, an incredulous look in his eyes. "You can't be serious, Potter?"
"It must be contagious" said Zach, moving a little away.
"I am not going to make a big deal out of it" said Harry, smiling "but it really makes sense. I remember reading about mutations back in muggle school."
"Oh, well, if some muggle teacher said it then it must be true" commented Zacharias, eyes rolling so high they were looking at the ceiling.
"Ignoramus maximus" commented Justin, evenly.
"I must say, the level of our insults is quite higher than first year's" said Ernie, smiling.
"Could you boys stop being stupid for one evening?" asked Megan. All the boys glared at her.
"The public should watch in silence, girl" commented Justin.
"At least this clown is amusing us with his muggle stuff" added Zacharias.
"As they say" was Wayne's comment.
"A woman should be seen and not heard" said Ernie, grinning.
"I am pretty sure that saying applies to children, Ernie" said Susan, outraged. The girls around her cringed instantly, while Ernie's smile just grew in size.
"What's the difference?" he countered instantly, with the boys now loudly hollering in group.
"You fell for it" said Harry, friendly.
The following bickering was not friendly at all, and by the end of it Susan had left the group, offended, and went to sulk in her common bedroom. Hannah followed her, so Megan and Sally took their places at the chess set – pointedly ignoring everyone else.
"Poor Susan" said Harry, smiling.
"Serves her right" countered Zach, smugly.
"Whatever. It's almost dinner time, should we go?" said Ernie.
"If we do, we should load up for tomorrow's game, remember?" said Justin.
"We can just do that on breakfast" commented Wayne.
"Loading up on what, food?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, sure, snacks for the game. We are against Ravenclaw this time. It's gonna be a hard one" said Justin.
"Good luck to us" said Ernie.
"Yes, indeed" commented Harry. It wasn't long before the group stood up and moved to the great hall. It was with a bit of amusement that Harry noticed the glare Susan and Hannah sent toward the boys when, a bit later, they showed up. The hostile stare from Snape, clearly directed at him specifically, was definitely less entertaining but there was nothing to do about that.
Deciding just to enjoy one more excellent Hogwart's meal, Harry piled up food on his plate and started eating.