Bully

Harry sat at the back of charms class, watching it as Professor Flitwick finished taking roll-calls and started on the theory of wand lighting charm.

"The Wand-Lighting Charm is simple but requires concentration," Flitwick explained, standing above a stack of books. "Wave your wand in a swirl and say Lumos."

He demonstrated it and a soft white light lit up on tip of his wand, "What are you waiting for, try it, and remember to pronounce the spell correctly, its Lumus, 'LOO-mos'"

All students got to it, with little to no success. Harry watched on without lifting his wand. He watched as a boy with untamed raven hair and glasses much like his own, and another one with messy long hair deliberately pronounce the charm incorrectly and getting a shower of sparks instead of light. Smiling at the panicking duo, he shifted his eyes to a redhead witch clad in Gryffindor dress sitting in the front row, diligently trying to cast.

It was not long before her efforts were rewarded, as her wand started to glow in soft white light.

"Very good Miss Evans, very good. Five points to Griffindor for fir..."

Flitwick was cut off as a flood of light filled the class, making him fall off his pedestal. Everyone closed their eyes as the light equivalent to dozens of camera flashes being fired together assaulted everyone's eyes.

Harry tried to blink out spots out of his eyes, to get a good look around as light also lasted about as long as a camera flash.

"Who did that." Flitwick picked himself up from the floor, looking around his eyes landed on dazed looking redhead clad in Ravenclaw uniform, her hand holding a smoking twig-like wand.

Harry turned his head to look at the scene while trying to rub the spots out of his eyes. Flitwick made his way to the witch and shouted, "Miss Ember Ravencla..."

Pain wrecked Harry's body, and immediately, the entire scene dissolves into black ink and a force propels Harry out.

Gasping, Harry comes out of the Pensieve and lands back into his bed. He bites his lips, trying to not groan in pain and wake up his roommates. Laying down, sweaty and exhausted, he let the last remnants of pain pass.

Hedwig landed beside him, nipping his ear, "Thanx Hedwig."

Hedwig hooted in response, which vaguely heard like "Be more careful, stupid!" to him. Shaking his head at foolish thoughts, he sat up as last of the pain passed.

With a wave of his hand, his mother's trunk appeared in front of him. Harry opened it and pushed the floating large bowl-like pensive inside the empty space expanded compartment. He knew the trunk was not as empty as it seems, till now he had no idea it had pensive with hundreds of memories of his mother in it. And going by Ember's word, she left hundreds, if not thousands of items he might find useful, even though he could not access them yet.

Pensieve just appeared to him, when he could not sleep, not after what he learned about Dumbledore. He tried writing to Ember but what he wrote was not being sent. She had warned this might happen, the Ruincurse activates anytime Ember is close to her, physically or metaphorically, it did not matter, his experience in Pensieve made it clear enough. So all she could do without hurting him was contact him in a way that magic could not find, hence the letter. But in Hogwarts wards, that thin link she formed came under great strain. She explained it earlier but he was too anxious after the feast. It would take weeks at best for the message to reach her.

Laying back down, he sent the trunk back to its pocket dimension and tried to get a shut-eye. It would do him no good to be awake with worry.

Just then he became acutely aware of snores filling the room. Harry groaned in frustration, pushing his face into the pillow. This was going to be a long night.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

The next day came and Harry decided to be down for breakfast before the rest of his roommates. Finding his way through the maze-like hallways and moving staircase was a pain, but thanks to few helpful paintings, he reached great Hall not too late.

In the corridor leading to the great hall, he spotted few students distributing some kind of pamphlets. A tall boy in Hufflepuff robes stood at the side, almost protectively. A girl in Ravenclaw robes and perfect badge stood in the center, addressing a few first and second years. He recognized Hermione among them.

The boy's eyes flickered in his direction and he muttered something under his breath. Harry noticed the boy's muscles were tensed and he was gripping his wand tightly. Harry used a moment to cast observe. After just a day of practice, it still took him some time but he was able to cast it perfectly.

[Erren Smith][The Protector]

"Oh, a new first-year." Ravenclaw prefect turned towards him, her eyes focusing on his forehead for a split second, "Are you here to join Mages club?"

Harry shrugged, he had no idea what she was talking about. She handed him a pamphlet, prompting him to read.

Just then Erren came beside her, saying something in her ear. Harry was able to make out a few words like Snape and Portrait.

She nodded and clapped her hands to bring everyone's attention to her. "All right everyone, we have taken enough of your time. If anyone is interested in joining, the meeting location is in the pamphlets given. Even if you do not want to join, and are having any problem or just feeling homesick, don't hesitate to ask for help. We will do what we can."

Abruptly, every member of the mages club gathered there dispersed with practice ease. Harry put the pamphlet in his robes, making his way towards Gryffindor's table. Hermione came behind him, sitting beside him without so much a good morning, too engrossed in reading.

Harry just shook his head, helping himself to breakfast. The was still very early and very few students were present in the Great hall. At the main table, only Professor McGonagall and Flitwick were present.

Just then an agitated Snape entered the great hall. He looked around the hall, he caught sight of Harry and stalked towards him.

"But here nowhere is written where the club will meet or how to meet them." Hermione's rant was cut off when the pamphlet was abruptly taken from her hand.

"Hey, you can not..." She turned only to came face to face with a very angry Snape.

"Five points from Gryffindor for your behavior."

"But sir, I was..."

"And Ten more points from Griffindor for being insufferable." Without even looking back, he stalked away.

During the entire exchange, Harry kept an eye on the rest of the staff. Everyone saw what happened but no one made a move to do anything. McGonagall gave them disapproving stare but that was about it.

Hermione looked on the verge of crying. Harry

"Don't worry about him, he is an arse," Harry said, not particularly minding to lower his voice. Few students who heard him stilled. Snape abruptly turned around, anger oozing off him.

"Potter, who do you think you are. Do you think being a celebrity will help you here? Then think again. No one here will cater to your every whim." Snape stood in front of Harry, his tall frame towering over him.

"Of course Professor, and I expect nothing less." Harry replied in in calm voice,"But the thing is,"

"I...hate...bullies."

Snape recoiled back as if stung. It must be really painful to be reminded that he became the very thing he hated the most. It did not take long before Snape's anger got better of him and he just could not help himself. Looking Harry right in the eyes, he sent the strongest Legilimency attack he could send wandlessly.

[Skill level up -Mind Palace of Burning Skies Lv2]

Harry just felt just minor prickle against his mind before Snape withdraws, his face immediately went blank, a telltale sign of using Occulnumacy at full force.

"That will be Fifty points from Griffindor for taking back to a teacher, Potter." Snape's voice was blank, but even Hermione noticed he was struggling at keeping it even. Saying his piece, he turned around, walking out of the hall as fast as he could without actually running.

Harry just shook his head, his opinion of Hogwarts staff falling even lower. He was just assaulted in the middle of the great hall, verbally and mentally; a first-year muggle-born who had not even spent even one day, who definitely missed her home and would be finding magical world new and difficult to adjust to, was verbally assaulted in front of her peers, for no reason at all and no one bothered to do anything.

"You should not have said that," Hermione said, still looking a bit teary.

"What, he is still an arse," Harry said nonchalantly. Hermione looked torn between reprimanding him and laughing.

"But you lost so many points!" Hermione half screamed, her frustration showing through. Harry's high intelligence stat let him notice she did not say he lost Gryffindor points.

"Meh, if teachers can deduct Fifty points for just talking back, points should not matter to us to begin with."

"But other Griffindor will not think like that!" and Harry looked at Hermione, half astonished. He did not think she could deduce that so fast, Prodigy indeed. If it had been Hermione who just lost points, she would have been in the line of fire. But now it would be Harry would have to take the major burnt and from the look on her face, she also understood it.

"Yes, they will not."