Detention
Harry took notes in History of Magic. He was not the only Ravenclaw who did so, but he was one out of a few, especially now that the school was a few months into the year. His notes were scrawled on parchment, and his quills would often run out of ink without him noticing. The notes looked something like this:
Goblin War of 1240 AD - when Muggle Crusades happened
House Elves were originally goblins but human wizards bred them into domestication, genetically altering their DNA until House Elf became its own species
The Goblins won most of Gaul and the Germanic area in the aftermath of 1240
Binns referred to Terry as Mr Bellweather. Anthony was “Miss Goldstein” maybe he had some f relatives in class when Binns was alive?
Battles were fought with swords - goblins still use swords now. Wizards rode hippogryffs on to the battlefield, which was mostly on goblin home territory
house elves were the most consequential outcome of the war - according to Gender in Wixen Society it was the domestication of House elves and the ensuing freeing up of home labor that enabled upper class witches to become educated and more easily viewed as equal to wizards than in the Muggle world - was the war good then? Ask Hermione maybe??? Or Ron
ghosts can use chalk - how does that work?
Time moved far too quickly for Harry’s liking, and soon Padma Patil was waking up the other Ravenclaw boys so the House could go down to supper. Harry immediately upon hearing the movement shoved his parchment into his knapsack, knowing if he carried his notes he ran the risk of them being stolen or lost.
Harry had forgotten about the class disaster that was Defense until, midway through the meal, Greg the Slytherin came over to apologize.
”Hey Harry, I’m really sorry about earlier today - I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m just trash at Defense even when Quirrel is teaching. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble, and I tried explaining to Professor Snape after you left that it was really my curse but he wouldn’t listen. I’m sorry I got you into detention, you’ll probably have to clean slugs out of cauldrons.”
”Er- it’s okay?” Harry was not expecting this. He had forgotten about the detention. He glanced around Greg, and, back at the Slytherin table, Malfoy had a cold pack magically held to his head.
”Greg’s telling the truth, he did vouch for you with Snape,” Michael Corner piped up.
”I believe you,” Harry said, not truly believing him. Although, he would believe Snape would refuse to listen to anyone if the alternative was an excuse to hate Harry.
”Okay, I think your detention might be soon. It’s a long walk to the dungeons.” Greg then ran out of the Great Hall, leaving Harry to look up at the staff table. Sure enough, Professor Snape was missing.
Harry made his way down to the dungeons, his previous okay mood disappearing with every step. “Potter” Snape liked to sneer at him. Just like his primary school teachers. Troublemakers don’t get to be called Mr. Mister. Potter, Potty wee Potter, the neighborhood boys sometimes teased. Harry sighed, steeled himself, and knocked.
The door opened, although Professor Snape was not on the other side having opened it. Harry forgot, sometimes, that magic made inconveniences like opening doors as simple as a wave of a wand.
”You’re late.”
”I’m sorry, sir.”
”You should be. What were you thinking, deliberately harming another student in my class?! Does P-PPP-Professor Quirrell allow you to get away with hexing your classmates?” Harry thought the question was rhetorical until Snape stood and stepped closer, reminding Harry of his uncle, who would shake him at a time like this. Or throw him into a wall. Stone walls would hurt a lot more than the walls of his cupboard did.
”No sir! I’m sorry sir!”
”You will be, once I’m finished with you! Hand over your wand.”
Harry’s hands were shaking, his entire body was tense in case his premonitions of violence were correct. He couldn’t move fast enough. “Now, boy!” Snaps barked, and Harry threw his wand at the angry Professor.
”How disrespectfully you treat your possessions, Potter. Didn’t your aunt ever teach you any manners?”
His aunt teaching him manners looked like showing him compliments and rewarding him with rewards he never wanted. Looked like punishing him for eating too quickly after four days without food, because they were at church and the neighbors were watching. Looked like nails digging into young skin after the boy was too sarcastic. Manners, Now boy! Boy, the difference between boys and women, “you’ll need to earn my love” hissed into a confused nine year old ear before he saw his aunt naked for the first time, first but far from the last far from the last the last time hurt him and he spent the entire time being referred to as some other boy named Severus who had stolen her sister away and- hadn’t Flitwick called Professor Snape Severus? No, Harry, no you’re thinking too much too fast this is Hogwarts your aunt would never punish him by referring to any of the freaks at Hogwarts Hogwarts is safe Harry wants so badly to be safe but he feels like he’s being watched even when he knows he’s alone he always being watched
”Potter!” Professor Snape says after staring at the boyHarry (his name is Harry, not boy) for far too long a time, not that Harry noticed, lost in flashbacks as he was. “You’ll be cleaning out cauldrons.” Another wave of the wand and three cauldrons thunk onto the table in front of Harry, startling him with the loud sound.
Cleaning, cleaning Harry knows, and his hands are moving of their own accord as his mind remains in an ugly floral patterned bed with an ugly manners-obsessed woman in the house of Number 4 Privet Drive. Ugly, boy, you’re lucky I would ever deign to touch an ugly freak like you. You’re lucky to be alive, when if your mum knew what was best she would’ve drowned you at birth. Or starved you like Vernon wanted to do when you were left on our doorstep. You’re nothing more than an ugly burden of a child, and you are earning your keep by pleasing me. You know nobody will ever believe your filthy little lies, boy, as hands touched and then clawed at his private’s as his body responded of its own accord - cleaning he’s cleaning for his aunt detention
”Potter, you’re free to leave. I don’t want to have you here again, so stay out of trouble.” And Harry runs out the door, but before he does, he swears he hears the Potion Master mutter ‘freak’ under his breath.
The climb to Ravenclaw Tower never felt so much of a struggle as Harry desperately tried to keep both his memories and his body under control. Neither one was his.