Work on the Punishment oneshot.

1 files changed, 158 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/oneshots/punishment.mdwn b/oneshots/punishment.mdwn
index 2e16267..bd4d9a5 100644
--- a/oneshots/punishment.mdwn
+++ b/oneshots/punishment.mdwn
@@ -9,6 +9,152 @@ like an idiot, Harry had chased after him.
 And of *course* he'd gotten caught. Now Professor McGonagall was dragging him
 off to who-knows-where and by this time tomorrow he'd be back at the Dursley's.
 
+All of a sudden, the thought occurred to Harry: This isn't fair! He'd been
+defending a classmate from a bully, and Professor McGonagall hadn't even let him
+or his housemates defend his actions! Harry made up his mind then and there;
+whatever punishment he was assigned, he would fight.
+
+If they kicked him out, then maybe that would be okay. At least living with the
+Dursleys didn't involve everyone staring at his forehead all the time and
+whispering behind his back. And they only hated him for his magic; maybe if he
+was kicked out of magic school they'd be more accepting of him.
+
+Harry was thoroughly mired in his resentment, or he would have been more
+surprised when Professor McGonagall stopped at the charms classroom instead of
+the Headmaster's office. He was startled out of his brooding when the Professor
+spoke his name.
+
+"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood -- I've found you a Seeker."
+
+The older student looked at Harry with what he assumed was a manic glee. So his
+punishment was to be at the hands of this bully.
+
+"Are you serious, Professor?"
+
+"Absolutely. I've never seen anything like him. Was that your first time on a
+broomstick, Potter?"
+
+Harry scowled, and replied with a terse "Yes." Of course it was his first time
+on a broomstick; he was raised by muggles! Harry tuned out the conversation
+again for a moment, preferring to focus on his anger rather than hear the
+Professor describe (he assumed mockingly) his first attempt at flying.
+
+Again his thoughts were interrupted, this time by Wood. After a brief
+interrogation -- no, he *obviously* had never heard of Quiddich before -- and it
+appeared a decision was made. Harry was to be a Seeker for Wood on some sport
+team, and he was to train hard, or McGonagall would consider additional
+punishment.
+
+An indefinite sentence, at least the whole year, from what he could gather. For
+trying to help one of his housemates, the people he was supposed to think of as
+family. Handed down by the head of that same house, with no opportunity for him
+to even defend his actions.
+
+As Professor McGonagall walked away, she said something about how he should make
+his father proud. Harry didn't listen; he preferred to believe that his father
+would've wanted him to defend a classmate and would not have wanted him
+punished. It never even occurred to him that the Professor felt the same way.
+
+<hr/>
+
+"You're *joking.*"
+
+Harry was sitting morosely, picking at his dinner. He'd just told Ron that he
+was being punished for the rest of year, although he hadn't told him exactly
+what he'd be doing.
+
+"Just drop it, Ron. I don't want to think about it right now."
+
+"But, working you for a whole *year?*"
+
+"I start next week."
+
+"All you did was stop that git Malfoy!"
+
+"Please, Ron, I don't want to talk about it."
+
+Of course, it was hardly a minute later that the aforementioned git decided to
+walk up to the Gryffindor table and contribute his thoughts.
+
+"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the
+Muggles?"
+
+"I'm not expelled, Malfoy. McGonagall is starting my punishment next week."
+
+"Ha! That'll teach you to go up against a Slytherin, Potter!"
+
+Ron, his face red with anger, jumped up from his seat and yelled, "Well at least
+Gryffindors aren't too cowardly to fight our own battles!"
+
+"I'd take you on anytime on my own. Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel,
+midnight, in the trophy room. Who's your second, Weasley?"
+
+"Harry is!"
+
+"Wait, what? What's a wizard's duel? Ron, what are you getting me into?"
+
+Malfoy turned back to Harry and responded with a sneer, "Oh right, you were
+raised by *muggles.* It's wands only; no contact. Second fights when he's
+unconscious."
+
+"Ron, I can't do that. If I break any more rules, I'll get expelled for real."
+
+Ron just stared blankly at Harry for a few seconds, before exclaiming, "Seamus,
+then! Who's your second?"
+
+Malfoy glanced briefly at Crabbe and Goyle, then decided, "Crabbe," and walked
+back to his table. After Malfoy and his cronies had left, Ron just stared at
+Harry across the table.
+
+"I'm sorry Ron, but I really can't afford to get in any more trouble, especially
+not tonight."
+
+"Hmph. Some best mate you are." With that remark, Ron directed his gaze down to
+his food, and refused to look up again for the rest of the meal.
+
+As Harry sullenly walked back to the tower after dinner, he found Hermione
+Granger beside him. Without any warning, she grabbed his hand, and whispered, "I
+couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying. You did the right
+thing, you know, refusing to help with that duel. And I'm sorry you're getting
+punished for helping Neville."
+
+Harry looked up at the look of concern and worry in Hermione's face, and found
+himself thinking, he may have just lost his first best mate, but at least
+there's still someone who cares about his feelings. He cracked a tiny smile, and
+said, "Thanks."
+
+"You're welcome," Hermione returned the smile briefly, before blushing and
+looking away. Together, they walked back to the tower in silence.
+
+<hr/>
+
+Ron had spent the evening ignoring Harry, and loudly talking with Seamus about
+the duel that night. Everyone in the common room could hear Ron's conversation,
+and Harry was now sure that any chance Ron had of making it to the trophy room
+without getting caught was long gone.
+
+Neville was still in the hospital wing being treated for fall from his broom
+(another reason, Harry thought, to keep his head down and obey the Professors'
+instructions). Not really on friendly terms with anyone else at the moment,
+Harry sat and studied with Hermione.
+
+It was something of a novel experience. For his whole life, Harry had been
+discouraged from excelling in school; it would not do to be better than Dudley
+at anything, after all. For all that Harry was angry at Hogwarts, he had still
+been excited about learning magic, and Hermione was happy to show him how to
+properly apply himself to his studies.
+
+Hermione was bossy, opinionated, and neurotic. She insisted on making a schedule
+for Harry to study by, she reviewed all of his work and found much of it
+lacking, and she was aghast at his messy writing and sloppy organization. When
+she discovered his notes were not merely incomplete but *nonexistant* she very
+nearly seemed to have a heart attack. For Harry, the evening felt like a rushed
+review of his entire schooling to date.
+
+Strangely, perhaps, he found himself enjoying it.
+
+<hr/>
+
 
 
 > There's this idea I have: Harry has no idea about anything in the Wizarding
@@ -18,6 +164,18 @@ off to who-knows-where and by this time tomorrow he'd be back at the Dursley's.
 > punishment. Instead of being exciting, he dreads it, and tries to hide it, and
 > just generally resents the whole thing. He's intentionally terrible, it ruins
 > his friendship with Ron, and reshapes his whole Hogwarts experience...
+>
+> In large part, the setup for this needs Harry to be so self-absorbed in his
+> anger that he doesn't really follow the content of the conversation between
+> McGonagall and Wood. So he never realizes that she's *complimenting* him, and
+> instead constructs a narrative in his mind of mockery and punishment. Once the
+> resentment sets in, I think the progression is obvious; Harry starts to
+> isolate himself because he's being punished, which prevents him from rising to
+> Malfoy's taunts, which isolates him from Ron and endears him to Hermione.
 
 > Right now it seems like this is a oneshot, but I suppose it might turn into a
 > genuine novella if it's turning out interesting.
+
+> There's some dialog lifted directly from *Sorcerer's Stone*, as I'm trying to
+> mirror scenes that appear in canon. Hopefully there's enough original content
+> that it doesn't read as plagiarism.