Harry took a deep breath, straightened his back, and walked into Snape's office. He had detention. Again.
Snape lived to make Harry's life miserable. He belittled him, taunted him, took points, and assigned detentions as often as he could possibly get away with it. Detention was never fun, but Snape's detentions were the worst at Hogwarts. Everyone hated Snape's detentions, but Harry gathered that the detentions Snape gave Harry were different from the detentions he gave everyone else. Ever since Harry's first year, Snape tickled Harry in his detentions.
Back when it first started, Snape convinced Harry that tickling was a somewhat normal punishment in the Wizarding World and that if Harry didn't cooperate, he would be expelled. Now that Harry was in his third year, he wasn't certain that all of that was true, but he didn't want to risk losing his friends and magic just in case Snape could get him expelled.
In Harry's very first detention with Snape, Snape had nearly destroyed him. Most detentions weren't quite that bad, although a few were. Still, the tickling was always horrible.
Snape looked up as Harry entered. Harry waited for the professor to tell him what clothes to take off or how he would be restrained. Instead, Snape pointed at a student desk moved into his office with a piece of parchment, a quill, and an inkwell on it.
“You will be writing lines. I want you to write, 'I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape' 50 times.”
Harry gaped at Snape. Seriously? Lines? Who was this, and what had he done to Professor Snape? Snape raised his eyebrow, and Harry quickly sat at the desk. If Snape had decided not to tickle Harry tonight, Harry shouldn't press his luck.
The professor had thoughtfully provided Harry a written copy of the line he wanted so Harry had visual reference. Harry eyed the sentence suspiciously. He didn't know what Snape was up to. Harry dipped the quill into the ink and began to write.
I
Harry jerked. Something had ticklishly scratched his foot. Harry glared warily at Snape, but Snape wasn't doing anything. He was just sitting and reading. Harry put the quill to parchment again.
w
Harry dropped the quill. This time he had distinctly felt curves drawn onto his feet. Almost like someone writing a “w” with a quill. Deliberately, Harry picked up the quill, braced himself, and wrote, “ill.”
Sure enough, he felt ticklish strokes on his feet that matched what he wrote with the quill. Oh God. He was going to have to tickle himself. This was going to be a long detention.
Snape smirked as he watched Harry figure out what was going on. Harry would never have heard of a blood quill, so he couldn't guess that there were wizards out there who modified the enchantment of blood quills. Snape had saved for over a year to afford this tickle quill.
Harry swallowed. There were very ticklish consequences for disobedience. He'd learned that the hard way. He steeled his nerves again.
pay attention in Poti
He had to stop. You weren't supposed to be able to tickle yourself. You'd think controlling it and knowing what was coming would help, but it didn't. It tickled so badly.
ons class and respect
Snape made this line so long deliberately. He knew it.
Professor Snape.
Harry was almost grinding his feet into the floor by the end. It did nothing to dull the sensation. And he had to do that 49 more times. This was going to be hell.
I will
Harry nearly dropped the quill again. It wasn't tickling the same place as last time. In fact, he felt it on his other foot this time. Harry bit back a groan.
pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
The writing was a bit wobbly because Harry kept wiggling his foot. If he was truly writing on his feet, it would hurt by how hard Harry pressed down with the quill, but the pressure on his feet was always just the perfect amount for maximum tickling.
This time, Harry wrote as quickly as he could,
IwillpayattentioninPotionsclassandrespectProfessorSnape.
He giggled out loud as the fast scribbling flew across both his soles, starting on his left foot and ending on his right. It almost tickled worse this way, but it would be over more quickly.
IwillpayattentioninPotionsclassandrespectProfessorSnape.IwillpayattentioninPotionsclassandrespectProfessorSnape.IwillpayattentioninPotionsclassandrespectProfessorSnape.IwillpayattentioninPotionsclassandrespectProfessorSnape.
Harry giggled, his feet dancing under the desk. The tickling flew from one foot to the other, sometimes starting on one and ending on the other, sometimes on his arches, sometimes on the balls of his feet. God, it tickled a lot.
Snape ripped the parchment out of his hand. Harry froze and blinked, startled. Snape read over his work.
“Sloppy. Start again, and write it neatly this time.”
Harry nearly screamed. He had to start again from the beginning? Teeth gritted, Harry wrote again.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
This time it tickled on the arch of his right foot. Each slow stroke felt like a deliberate attempt to draw out the torment as much as possible, but it was just necessary in order to write neatly while being tickled. By the end, Harry's leg had drawn itself up so high in an attempt to escape the tickling that his knee touched the desk.
I will p
Harry stopped again. The quill now wrote small, ticklish letters on the pads of his toes on his left foot.
ay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Harry's toes curled as much as they could into his shoe, but he tried not to laugh again. He figured out fairly early on that for some reason, Snape wanted him to laugh. He became frustrated when Harry didn't laugh or if he just screamed or cried too much. Now Harry did his best not to laugh as much as possible. He didn't want to give Snape the satisfaction.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
His feet weren't the most ticklish parts of his body. Snape didn't usually focus on Harry's feet. He didn't think they were “ticklish enough” just because he could stand for them to be touched for longer than half a second, unlike his upper body. Still, Harry's feet were VERY ticklish.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Harry had to pause between every word now. He clutched the quill with white knuckles to keep it from shaking.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
The sentence wrote in a circle on his heel. Harry rubbed his feet together helplessly.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
If Harry paused for too long, Snape would prod him with, “Go on” or “Keep going.” Harry knew the consequences for stopping would be much worse.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
He managed to write a few sentences smoothly, but he couldn't keep it up. He kept squirming from the tickling.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Harry gave in. He started giggling and couldn't stop, even though he was going so slowly and stopping after every letter. Snape sighed, his eyes filling with something soft and satisfied.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Up his right arch.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
On the ball of his left foot.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
On the tips of his right toes.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Right in the middle of both his feet, each word switching feet.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Each stroke was a test of will. He felt each letter acutely. He was forced to write more and more slowly in order to keep his writing neat.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Harry's feet flailed frantically, like they were separate from his brain and couldn't understand what was happening to them. He continued to giggle steadily.
I
will
pay
attention
in
Potions
class
and
respect
Professor
Snape.
Harry stopped and cradled his head in his hands. He couldn't do this. His feet were still tingling, his toes still curling. Every word seemed to make him more ticklish.
“Mr. Potter.”
Harry looked up into Snape's eyes.
“Continue.”
Harry took a shuddering breath.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I
He couldn't do it. No matter how much Harry screamed at himself in his head, he was incapable of writing another stroke. He had reached his limit.
When it became clear that Harry couldn't write anymore, Snape stormed over and snatched the quill out of Harry's hand. “Insolent brat. Incapable of performing the simplest of tasks.”
Snape settled at his desk and held the quill to parchment. Harry's brows furrowed in confusion. Was Snape about to tickle himself?
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Harry squawked and jumped in his seat. He still felt the tickling on his feet even though Snape was the one writing!
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Harry flailed, but at some point, Snape had put a sticking charm on his bum, trapping Harry at his desk. Harry stretched across the desk as far as he could, desperately reaching for the quill, but he was much too far away.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Snape wrote at the perfect speed. It was neither too slow nor too fast. Harry was ready to climb up the wall. Tears poured out of his eyes as he cackled.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Harry pounded his fists into the desk. He pulled at his hair. He stomped his feet in a frantic drum roll. Nothing did any good. There was no relief from the unbearable feeling.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
“PLEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEASE STOHOHOHOHOP! PROFEHEHEHEHESOHOHOR!”
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
“NOT THE TOHOHOHOHOES AGAIHAIHAIHAIN! HEEEEEEEEHEEHEEHEE!”
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Harry buried his face in his arms. His legs pedaled sluggishly. Snape tickled him mercilessly, unrelentingly.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
“PLEEEHEEHEEHEEASE NOHOHOHOHO MOHOHOHOHORE! I CAHAHAHAHAN'T TAHAHAHAKE ANYMOHOHOHORE! PLEEEHEEHEEHEEEASE!”
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Harry had no idea which number Snape was on. He didn't know if Snape planned to write 50 sentences or just write for hours on end. He didn't even know if Snape was still writing the original line.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Please please please please please make it stop please
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Harry keened as the quill scratched under his toes.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
He was losing his mind. He was literally going to go insane, and even that wouldn't stop the tickling.
I will pay attention in Potions class and respect Professor Snape.
Finally, finally Snape set down the quill. It took a few minutes for Harry to realize the tickling had stopped. His laughter died down into giggles, and his breathing began to even out.
Snape stood up, scowling. “Stand up. Arms out.”
Harry closed his eyes. He tried to stand up and found he could now. He raised both his arms straight out at his sides in a T-pose. Snape often did this after detentions that focused on his “less ticklish” spots or when he didn't laugh enough. It would be worse of he resisted, but he still couldn't describe how much much he didn't want to do this.
Snape reached under his arms and wiggled his fingers.
Harry's arms immediately snapped down, but it was too late. Even through his school jumper the tickling was mind-boggling. He wanted to fight, but the tickling left him a weak pile of putty.
“AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Harry's knees buckled, but Snape continued tickling for what seemed like a small eternity.
“Return for detention tomorrow evening.”
It took Harry a moment to process what Snape said. “What --”
“You only wrote 24 lines. Tomorrow I will tell you whether you should write the remaining 26 lines, start over from the beginning again, or whether I will assign additional lines. You are dismissed.”
Harry shivered uncontrollably as he stumbled out of the classroom. How many evenings would he be subjected to the tickle quill before Snape was satisfied?