"That stupid brat!" Snape cursed as he was dragged by two aurors into his Azkaban cell, the court trial was over relatively quickly. Dumbledore had wisely chose not to be present, meanwhile Snape was given the harshest punishment, short of death, possible. "I will not let that arrogant brat ruin me!" He screamed
"Eh, shut your pie hole" One of the aurors punched Snape in the stomach, causing him to gasp out in pain "always wanted to do that" he grinned
"Don't know if you remember us Snape" The other one said as he also punched Snape "but we nearly failed our newt potions because of you, I can't remember a day going by without you calling us 'dunderheads'. Well, say what you want but we weren't the ones stupid enough to go to jail for attacking the 'boy-who-lived' in front of a class of witnesses." The two aurors tossed him into his cell and closed the doors "Have fun Snape"
"Yeah" The other auror smirked "the dementors will be by in half an hour, have fun" The two aurors smiled and walked off
'Well, this can't get any worse' Snape thought to himself as he sat up
"Oh Snivelus" Came a singsong voice from the cell to Snape's right "it's so nice to see you again my greasy, ugly friend"
"No!" Snape shouted "No! No! NO!"
"Ha ha ha!" The voice laughed "We're going to have so much fun, aren't we Snape?" The voice laughed hysterically
"Curse you Black! Curse you and Potter and his bloody son! CURSE YOU ALL!" Snape screamed, looking the very picture of insane.
That night, Sirius Black, the supposed murderer of thirteen muggles and betrayer of the Potters, laughed himself to sleep.
"Mr Potter" A voice called to Harry as he had just finished eating his breakfast, he and Delphi turned to see a stern Professor McGonagall standing in front of them "come with me" She ordered
"May I ask why?" Harry replied as Shadow flew in from above and landed on his shoulder
"I have heard complaints about you bullying another student, you will come with me so we can get to the bottom of this" McGonagall answered impatiently
"Hmm, a Gryffindor?" Harry asked as he stood up
"Yes" McGonagall nodded
"Fine, I want Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout there then" Harry replied
"Whatever for?" McGonagall looked confused
"Well I can't help but feel that you've already made up your mind as it involves one of your little lions, I am one of Professor Flitwick's Ravens..."
"Eagle" Delphi whispered to herself, not quietly enough
"Raven!" Harry snapped at her before calmly turning to Professor McGonagall "This way we would each have our head of house with us, and I want Professor Sprout as she is a neutral party, not being a Ravenclaw or a Gryffindor"
"That is completely unnecessary" McGonagall objected
"Are you saying you don't trust your fellow Professors to be unbiased?" Harry asked
"Are you saying you don't trust me to be unbiased?" McGonagall countered
"No, I don't" Harry responded "I don't know you outside of class, I have no reason to trust you" Harry answered honestly
"Fine" McGonagall huffed and sent him a withering glare "go and wait in my classroom while I gather the other two professors" She added before stalking off
"What a pleasant woman" Harry said to Shadow before walking off
A few minutes later Harry had entered McGonagall's class, Hermione Granger was standing by the desk, she looked really smug until she realised that McGonagall wasn't there.
"Where's the Professor?" She asked
"Getting drunk and partying with the Slytherin's" Harry answered
"Really?"
"I...I can't...how would anyone believe that I was remotely serious when I said that?" Harry looked at Hermione like she was a puzzle with more than a few pieces missing, meanwhile Hermione had just realised he was being sarcastic and blushed a little in embarrassment. Harry shook his head and walked forward before stopping by the desk, he turned and leaned his back on it.
"Why don't you..." Hermione began only to be cut off by Harry
"Shush" He said "we're already in this mess because you had unfortunately been born with a mouth, let's not make it worse"
"Do you have to be so rude?!"
"No but I have very few joys in my life" Harry replied just as the three Professors walked in
"Now that we are all here" McGonagall said "let's discuss your behaviour Mr Potter"
"That sounds suspiciously like someone who has already made their mind up" Harry pointed out
"He's right Minerva" Professor Flitwick agreed
"I suggest we listen to both sides before making any decisions" Sprout interrupted just in case the two started arguing "Miss Granger, perhaps you should go first"
"Well" Hermione started "I had seen Harry walking yesterday then I told him that he wasn't allowed to bring a raven as a pet, he then said it was his familiar. When I asked him what that means, he started acting rude and then his raven grabbed me by my hair and pulled me until I fell on the floor. He then fired a spell that hit the floor next to me and walked off"
"Okay, now Mr Potter?" Professor Sprout prompted
"I was walking, minding my own business, as usual" Harry began "the next thing I know, somebody's calling my name. Then she" he gestured to Hermione "began telling me off for having a raven. Ignoring the fact that she was acting like someone with authority over me, I told her it was a familiar and when she asked what that it I told her to go and ask a prefect because I'm not a teacher. I then left, because I had better things to do than stay and talk to her"
"What exactly?" Professor Flitwick asked
"I wanted to get my homework done then go outside with Shadow" Harry answered "anyway I walk past her, she runs in front of me and demands that I don't walk away from her. I then tell her repeatedly to move out of the way but she refuses to listen and even goes so far as to remind me that I'm supposed to act like a hero because of some books she read. Shadow sensed my irritation and desire for her to get out of the way and pulled her out the way. I did fire that spell but it was a warning spell and nothing more, I couldn't have missed at the distance between us. Well...I could but that would've been incredibly unlikely. But if anything, she should be punished for harassment"
"I did not harass you!" Hermione blurted out, shocked at the accusation
"You weren't leaving me alone, you wouldn't let me pass and you kept trying to talk to me despite my clear discomfort and desire to not talk to you. What else would you call it? Bullying?" Harry asked before turning back to the Professors "Anyway, what's the verdict?"
"Well, personally I think both should be punished" Sprout said after a short while "Miss Granger shouldn't have been bothering Mr Potter, but Mr Potter shouldn't have reacted the way he did. Perhaps a detention for both"
"That's all brilliant apart from one small thing" Harry said
"And what would that be?" Professor McGonagall asked
"I will not attend any detentions" Harry replied
"Yes you will!" The Professor replied
"No, I won't, detentions are for wrong doers that want to stay in school. Me, I don't care either way"
"Mr Potter, you will do your detentions!" McGonagall demanded
"Or what?" Harry snorted "Suspension? Expulsion?" They couldn't help but notice the last word was said with a bit of hope
"Mr Potter, do you want to be expelled?" Professor Flitwick asked
"Quite frankly sir, I never wanted to come here in the first place. The only reason I'm here is because I am forced to be here" Harry answered "so here's how this is going to work, I don't care for your point system. Take ten or a hundred, it doesn't bother me because I don't give two shits about a cup that I won't get to keep and will have to be returned before the end of next summer. I will not do any detentions either, I will not actively cause problems nor will I seek out trouble but I will not do detentions.
The only thing I plan to do is attend class and get as much knowledge as I can possibly get from the library until the end of my fifth year, by that point I will be gone. I will do homework because that can help me with learning but that's it. If that bothers you then suspend me or go and convince whiskers to expel me, goodbye" Harry said as he walked away, leaving a trio of stunned Professors and one Hermione Granger
"What happened?" Delphi asked once Harry had returned
"It went brilliantly" Harry smiled
"Really?" She said in a voice that made it clear she didn't believe him
"Well, no one was hurt...this time" Harry added
"Hmm" Delphi thought about that for a few seconds "that's better than I expected
The next day, Harry was called into the headmaster's office, he wasn't surprised but that didn't mean he was not incredibly irritated, especially when the note arrived when he was eating breakfast. After saying what he thought was an incredibly stupid password, he walked up the stairs to the headmaster's office.
"Alright, what do you want you old fart?" Harry asked in a bored tone as he came in and immediately sat down opposite the headmaster "hmm" he looked around and noticed that it was just him and Dumbledore "alone huh? I must say I'm flattered sir"
"Mr Potter" Dumbledore sighed "I have heard about the conversation you had yesterday, I was informed by one of the professors..."
"Was it McGonagall?" Harry interrupted "I bet it was McGonagall"
"And I was told about what you said" Dumbledore continued, ignoring the question "I am rather disappointed that you still believe the best thing for you to do is to leave Hogwarts as soon as possible"
"Tough" Harry shrugged "I never wanted to come here, you knew that. What? Did you expect me to see a few spells and suddenly change my mind?"
"Mr Potter, it does concern me that you don't seem to be enjoying yourself here, is there anything we can change to help you with that?" Dumbledore asked
"How about the removal and execution of all idiots in the school?" Harry asked innocently
"Somehow, I don't see that happening" Dumbledore said dryly
"Can you pass a rule that says it's a punishment for people to talk to me unless they absolutely have to?" Harry asked
"Again, no"
"In that case, my answer to your question is no" Harry replied "like I've already said, I never wanted to come here and I would've been more than fine with some private tutors."
"Very well" Dumbledore sighed "though I hope that you will change your mind before the end of your fifth year. However, with that being said, you do have a detention and..."
"I'm not going" Harry cut him off
"Mr Potter, please understand, you must go. It is the same for every student, if you do something wrong then you must be punished"
"Oh, is that a rule that applies for everyone?" Harry asked "Is that a rule for life?"
"Yes, yes it is" Dumbledore nodded
"In that case, why did you save Snape the first time around?" Harry asked "According to your words, he should have been punished and sent to Azkaban. Why wasn't he? Because you wanted a spy just in case?"
"Mr Potter, Professor Snape is..."
"Not a professor anymore" Harry pointed out
"Severus Snape has been sent to Azkaban, he has nothing to do with this argument"
"Yes he does" Harry argued "you saved him because he was useful, he avoided punishment because of you. Sure he had a job he hated but he could have made it work with a bit of effort, it would've been a lot better than a prison cell. Now he's back because of his own actions, because he thought you'd save him again. Me, I'm not like Snape. I know there are consequences for my actions, after the incident with Hermione Granger I knew you'd try and punish me. I knew I'd be punished eventually, though I expected it to be a lot earlier.
Either way, I refuse the detentions and I don't give a rat's arse about the point system. So, if you want to suspend me then great, if you want to expel me then brilliant. I don't care what you do, just don't waste my time."
"Mr Potter, please try and work with us" Dumbledore pleaded
"I could do that...or I could do what I want...hmm, that's a difficult choice" Harry said as he pretended to think about it "not, goodbye headmaster, I've got things to do. Chief of which is ignoring you and that's easier when I'm not in the same room" Harry stood up and walked out
"Harry" Dumbledore called out but Harry had already began ignoring him
"Harry" A voice called as he entered the Ravenclaw common room and found most of his house sitting and they had apparently been waiting for him. Delphi shot him an apologetic look.
"What's up?" Harry asked
"Do...do you really not want to be in Hogwarts?" One person asked
"Hmm, word really get's around here" Harry commented to himself
"Why?" One Ravenclaw asked "Why wouldn't you want to be here?"
"I would of thought it was obvious" Harry frowned
"Not really" Cho said
"Fine, I will tell you" Harry calmly replied "I don't want to be here for multiple reasons. Partly because of the pureblood discriminatory bastards who either hate me for being a half-blood or stopping Voldemort or both" Harry said, ignoring the gasps when he said the name "I am also not terribly fond of people judging me and expecting me to be someone I'm not. I don't know which idiot made me out to be a kind and happy Gryffindor but after a rather shitty life I think I have the right to act how I want.
Did you know there were books written about me? Detailing my life and all the adventures I had gone on? Did you know they were bullshit and I only discovered them when I was ten and hired a lawyer to sure those responsible for using my name to get profit without giving any to me? It is incredibly irritating to have people tell me I'm not acting like the parents that I never knew or not acting like Harry Potter is supposed to act. Hermione Ginger had told me something similar the other day."
"Granger" Delphi corrected
"What?" Harry asked
"Her name is Hermione Granger" Delphi explained
"She could be called 'left toe nail' as far as I'm concerned" Harry said dismissively before turning back to the other Ravens "the Slytherin's already hate me, as for the badgers, apart from a few in first year the rest of the Hufflepuff's either look at me with pity or like I'm a dark wizard. A few of the Gryffindor's are also upset I'm not one of them. If that's not enough I have to constantly deal with idiots like Ronald Weasley who wants to befriend me for my fame. On top of that everyone keeps looking at my face, they keep trying to be sneaky about it but I see them. I see them pretend not to look and I've seen the idiots who just straight up look at me without pretending. Let's not pretend there's nobody in this house who hasn't done that" Harry said and a few of the Ravenclaws looked down or away as they realised he was right "besides, let's not beat around the bush here, you all judge me.
Not just the rest of the houses, but you all judge me. You see I know what you all think when you look at me. Some of you may think weak, others may think I should be pitied, some of you think I look horrible, others are trying to work out why I don't act how you expect and look at me like I'm an animal you're supposed to be experimenting on. I have no doubt that some of you think I'm just a loner who Delphi pities and I have no doubt that a lot of you think I'm a freak. So tell me, if I had brought each and every one of you to a place where you couldn't find more than one person who wouldn't judge you for things out of your control, wouldn't you want to leave?
As soon as Snape saw me he judged me for my fame and my parents, and he's a teacher. Guess what Dumbledore did, begged me to spare him and defended him. Here, I have nothing other than judgement and pity and I want none of it. I just want to be me, I don't like pretending to be civil so the lot of you don't suddenly call me a dark lord in training the very second I do something that you don't approve of or like. I want peace and quiet and the only way I get that is to be left alone, hard to achieve in a castle full of hundreds of students and twice as many eyes." Harry clenched his jaw and walked up into his room.
Meanwhile, Delphi looked around and observed the Ravenclaws. A few looked shock, some looked guilty, others looked sad and one or two looked angry but she didn't really think that the anger was directed at Harry. In truth, she was surprised that Harry had talked so much, he usually always kept quiet and said as little as possible. Though, she had noticed his irritation and forced control, perhaps that was just his way of releasing tension.
On the day of the Halloween feast, Harry sat in his common room, relaxing by the fire with a book. Apparently the feast was mandatory but Harry really didn't care. He looked around and was glad that everyone else did as it meant he got some time alone. His interactions with the rest of Ravenclaw were awkward, it seemed that they were still thinking on his words and didn't really know how to react to him. Shadow was out, searching for food.
Harry looked around once more, making sure that nobody was around. He put his book down and slowly knelt down by the fire, he watched as it flickered and swayed in front of him. The bright colours drew him in, the lack of stillness kept him entranced. He slowly reached out his hand, and pushed it towards the burning flames. His hand got closer and closer, he could feel the heat on his hand, he could feel his finger nails heating up. The tips of his finger was mere centimeters away when suddenly he heard a noise, he jumped back into his seat and quickly picked up his book.
Then apparently the whole of the Ravenclaw house came in, all of them were chatting animatedly, something about a troll but Harry didn't pay much attention. Until he heard something of interest.
"Apparently that Gryffindor girl Fay and Delphi were there" One voice, belonging to Padma Patil spoke
"What?" Harry's voice cut through the air, and all conversation stopped "What about Delphi and Fay?" Harry said as he stood up and narrowed his eyes, the shadows concealing his burnt half, making him look quite sinister.
"Um...uh...well, apparently they had fought the troll" Padma replied nervously
"W...what?" Harry's voice took an icy coldness as he growled and began walking past people "Mind raping teachers and now trolls, what the fuck is next? Giant snakes?"
"Where are you going?" Terry Boot asked
"To go find them" Harry replied without looking back
"But you can't, they told us to stay and..."
"Never cared for rules" Harry cut him off and walked out the common room "Delphi if you don't have a good reason for fighting a troll I swear I will hex you" He growled