The next week of detentions with Umbridge were rather boring for the teacher more than him. She couldn’t seem to be able to work while he was there scrawling lines in her office. Harry didn’t mind as much as she probably thought he did. He viewed it much like his classes and wandered through his mindscape as he wrote. Body Harry would sink into Harry’s mindscape and leisurely read some books Harry had scanned through long ago, sometimes Body Harry would help Mind Harry improve the mindscape in some minor way. Sometimes Body Harry just relaxed.

Body Harry only had to pay enough attention to make sure that the body was repeatedly writing lines over and over. And that it was writing on the parchment still. That had been embarrassing when Harry’s hand had drifted below the parchment and he started writing on the table. Umbridge had yelled at him for a few minutes before Harry cast a quick spell to clean it up for her.

She was still mad about the blood quill. Salazar had been intrigued by the enchantment as well and Harry had donated the item to the Chamber’s collection. Apparently he could give Salazar high value items or knowledge and it would let him decrease the timer before he could retrieve something else of value from the stores. That was one of the reasons there were still so many things of value in there after many Heirs having access to it for their entire lifetimes right after Salazar’s death. Based on Salazar’s interest he doubted its true value was measured in Galleons. Umbridge had let Harry steal quite the treasure from her. Harry rubbed the hand that had been injured.

That was she got for trying to torture him. His friends had been both appalled and amused both when he told them the story. They all tried to stay very well behaved in class so Umbridge would have no excuse to punish them with detention and use whatever methods she had planned next for them. They had sent letters to Alice and Frank about it, but apparently there was nothing to be done. Umbridge was appointed by the Minister and with no one else volunteering for the position she couldn't be fired unless she actually did something illegal. And punishments for students at Hogwarts used to be rather harsh, so while archaic Umbridge's punishment wasn't actually explicitly banned anywhere. A shame really that it seemed that she would be there to stay unless something changed.

— — —

In the common room, Hermione was smiling as she had a fast paced conversation with Ginny Weasley. The two had grown close over the years, even though Ginny and Harry had never seemed to click when they spoke. She was even harder to understand than most other people. But Harry did still like her even if their mutual confusion when they spoke to each other meant they didn’t end up talking to each other all that much.

Harry didn’t want to bother them, so he walked outside and thought about some good spots to study. He wanted to go somewhere new. He always was in the library, that was old news. He considered the mental map he had created of the castle in his first year. Somewhere tucked away where he could study in peace with a good view of the outside…

Harry had just the place, it was close to the Ravenclaw tower so hopefully it wouldn’t be occupied. Those Ravenclaws hated him almost as much as the Slytherins for scoring so well on his tests and earning Gryffindor so many house points in class.

Harry was making his way to the nook when he heard a high pitched scream in one of the side corridors. He drew his wand and jogged forward while keeping his head on the swivel. He rounded the corner and three older girls in Ravenclaw robes were standing over a crying Luna Lovegood who was lying splayed out on the ground. Luna's school supplies were scattered at the three girls feet, and they stood with Harry to their backs.

“...Freak! Always bothering us with nargles or wrackspurts or other nonsense,” the center girl mocked the crying Luna, “Why can’t you ever just shut up and know your place? Stop crying and grow up already! You’re a stupid and weak girl… I mean Neville Longbottom, you think someone who’s friends with Harry Potter actually likes you? As if!”

Harry felt his heart beat accelerate rapidly as the words of the bullies struck him. Blood rushed in his ears. He started breathing heavier and he gripped his wand tightly as he approached the three girls. The bullies, the same bullies that he had grown up with. All of those insults were for him too. All because Luna wouldn’t fit into their mold.

The sobbing Luna looked up from the ground past the older girl’s legs and blinked through watery eyes, “H-Harry Potter?” she said weakly.

“Yes, Harry Potter,” the bully said, “The boy who lived? Surely even you know…”

“Intus Foris,” Harry said letting his anger leak into his voice as he pointed his wand at the bully. She could only let out a small gasp before she fell to the floor and her skin started warping and mutating. It was lucky Harry had so much more magical power than them to overwhelm the natural defenses of their bodies to this spell.

“Intus Foris,”

“Intus Foris,”

Harry cast at the other two bullies as they turned to stare at him in shock. With a few silent specialized force spells, Harry gathered Luna’s spilled things back into her bag. He stepped past their three twitching bodies to look at the watery eyed Luna that was glancing between Harry and her former tormentors.

“Are you okay, Luna?” Harry asked as gently as he could. He wasn’t great at this kind of thing, but hopefully he could help her feel safer. He looked closer and saw that Luna’s face was warped with all sorts of targeted curses the bullies must have hit her with. He leaned down and pulled back her sleeve and saw that her arms and likely torso were covered in bruises. It seems the bullies had resorted to kicks and punches in addition to the spells.

There was distinctive swelling and rashes of layered jinxes that had all been put on her all at once. Harry was glad he had used the dark magic on the bullies. They deserved it for doing this to someone. He took a shaky breath. He had to remembered Salazar’s lessons. Calm in a moment, he couldn’t let the negative emotions control him.

“B-What happened to them?” Luna blubbered as she sat up, looking dazed. She looked pale and had boils covering her body, obviously the bullies had cursed her several other ways that might not be visible too.

“I turned them inside out,” Harry stated simply, “They should return to themselves in an hour or two.”

Seeing that Luna was having trouble focusing, Harry cast a levitation charm and lifted her a few feet off the ground.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Heeeyyyy,” Luna said weakly as Harry picked up her back and floated her behind him. He stepped over to the twitching blob of flesh in Ravenclaw robes at his feet.

He glanced down at the effects of the curse, it was the first time he had seen its effects on a real person. It had transfigured the exterior of their skin to sensitive red flesh. Little lumps and growths mimicking various internal organs dangled from the pink flesh and every little movement they made would be extremely sensitive due to all of their exposed nerve endings. He was sure their robes felt like sandpaper on their bodies right now. Their eyes had been reversed so they were literally staring into their own skulls and their finger and toe nails had fallen off and clattered to the ground.

Harry kept walking with Luna floating behind him. Realizing she wouldn’t want to be seen like this, Harry cast the magical cloud spell to cover her. All that could be seen now was a vaguely feminine figure with long hair floating in the center of the glowing mist.

Many stopped to stare at him and several people tried to stop him for information.

“Hospital wing,” Harry said shortly to each of them before stepping past. Seeming to sense his mood, they quickly got out of his way.

He dropped Luna off at Madame Pomfrey who began to treat Luna after Harry explained the situation.

Harry left for a new destination after making sure that Luna was getting proper treatment. He went to the charms classroom, there should be sixth years being taught there right now by Flitwick.

Harry opened the door to the classroom silently and slipped in.

“...And so the proper intent and wand motion both are both critical for this spell, remember! So start practice.” Flitwick said. Harry slipped to the side and spotting him, Flitwick frowned and came forward to walk up to Harry. The sixth years also eyed him, but started practicing their spells at Flitwick’s command.

“What brings you to my classroom, Mr. Potter?” Flitwick said, “I don’t believe you are a sixth year just yet.”

“It has to do with your duties as head of house of Ravenclaw,” Harry said, “I came across a Ravenclaw I know being assaulted by some of the other girls in her house. I’ve brought her to Madame Pomfrey, but I wanted to tell you about the bullies before the spell I cast on them wears off.”

“What spell did you cast on them, Mr. Potter?” Flitwick asked suspiciously.

“A, ah, transfiguration,” Harry said, aware of all the other ears listening in, “It should wear off in an hour or so. I didn’t want them to escape and then claim innocence later.”

“Indeed,” Flitwick said seriously before turning to the classroom, “I have some business to deal with everyone! Practice diligently on your spells while I am gone. Read ahead in the textbook if you run out of things to do. And please leave the room intact. I’m sure you can do as much as sixth years.”

“Yes, Professor,” the classroom chanted.

Harry and Flitwick left the room together and Harry gave the professor the full situation and that it was Luna who had been attacked as they walked towards where Harry had left the bullies.

Flitwick looked down in slight disgust at the three lumps of flesh on the floor and back to Harry.

“Transfiguration? Where did you learn that spell?” he asked, “A library,” Harry answered. He trusted Professor Flitwick to do the right thing, but that didn’t mean he was going to tell him that it was technically dark magic.

“I know the counter spell,” Harry continued, “Should I cast it?”

“Yes, please do,” Flitwick said. Harry did so and the girls twisted and warped again until they were human again. The only difference from before was that their finger and presumably toenails had fallen out and hadn’t grown back. After a few seconds of gasping for breath, the three leapt to their feet.

“Professor! Help us, Harry Potter just attacked us out of nowhere!” the ringleader said.

“You are all going to the hospital wing,” Flitwick said with a commanding tone, “We shall determine the truth there. And see if Luna Lovegood agrees with you.”

The bullies faces fell at that, but they were smart enough to not say anything else as they all followed behind Flitwick who led the way.

— — —

“I…” Luna said looking nervous as Filius stared at her. He sighed slightly as he saw her bruises and swelling. Madame Pomfrey was focused on curing the more serious curses and jinxes first before moving to heal the easier things to fix.

He could see the truth of the situation, but he needed her testimony in order to punish the bullies. Right now it was he said/ she said between Harry Potter and the three girls in Filius' house.

“Ms. Lovegood, you can tell me and I swear you will not be in trouble. Did those three girls attack you?”

Luna swallowed and closed her mouth and shook her head to the negative, looking fearful. Filius sighed again. It seems the bullies had trained her well.

“Can you tell me what happened to bring you to this state?” he ventured, but Luna only shook her head silently again.

“Luna Lovegood,” he said in his stern voice, “They will be punished severely if they were the ones that did this to you. You don’t have to fear them threatening you again if you tell me something.”

She only shook her head again. Flitwick could only sigh a third time. Short of forcing her to confess, there was nothing he could do. But he would have to keep a closer watch on things. He hadn’t even been aware that any of this had been going on. Shaming the great Ravenclaw house with these actions... He would descend on them when he had the tiniest scrap of evidence of wrongdoing by the bullies next time.

He left the separated little section and walked to where Harry Potter and the three girls in his house waited. It had only taken a few sips of a single potion supplied by Madame Pomfrey for each of the girls to regrow their lost finger and toenails.

Harry Potter stood there, surprisingly not his normal blank faced self. He was grimacing slightly and Flitwick thought he saw a hint of anger flickering across his face as he stared at the three girls. He probably saw parallels to the bullies he had faced growing up. And how the Dursleys had treated him… Filius felt like a failure that he was forced to allow the three to go free. But there was no evidence, and as much as he was head of house he only had a limited ability to intervene here.

With the intense Ministry scrutiny on the school recently after their hosting of the Triwizarding tournament and Headmistress McGonagall’s involvement in the tasks within, even an out of place detention might be scrutinized closely. Especially with Umbridge around, she was always obviously listening in on their conversations in the staff room. She was clearly a spy from the ministry meant to find any sign of wrongdoing big enough to get McGonagall dismissed. And Filius had no faith that Umbridge of all people would be compassionate in dealing with this situation. Or that whatever ministry stooge Fudge installed as the next headmaster would have the interests of the students at heart.

“There will be no punishments,” Filius said in resignation, “Mr. Potter was helping a friend to the hospital wing. But Ms. Lovegood has refused to identify you three as her attackers. With there being no evidence on who is telling truth, I can not properly distribute detentions. But let it be known,”

Filius stared intently at the three girls who shrunk under his gaze despite him being far shorter than them,

“If I find a shred of evidence of anyone's involvement in anything similar again, then there will be… consequences. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Professor,” the girls said meekly.

Harry Potter looked angry and turned away and left without saying another word. Filius hoped the boy could forgive him.

— — —

Harry Potter’s arms were getting cold as his anger washed over him. He forcefully suppressed his soul and forced the transformation back. At least Flitwick had looked like he felt bad when he abandoned Luna to the wolves. Harry had to talk to Luna soon. He couldn’t let those bullies continue unpunished for what they had done. He had never been so upset when he was being treated like that. Why was it hurting so much now when he saw someone else going through something similar?