Distortion

Flamethrower

'WORK FASTER PEOPLE, YOU DON'T HAVE ALL NIGHT!!!!' Snape's voice boomed.

All three students increased their pace. Beads of sweat dripped down Harry's face as he pushed his aching hands to scrub faster. He felt Snape swipe past them, his dark cloak sweeping the floor. Then he heard Snape's shoes clanking against the cold floor and heard the same fade. He stopped scrubbing and the scrubbing around him came to a hault as well. Dean and Padma had stopped scrubbing as well. If it was someone else other than them, they would've been poking and prodding him or just scowling at him. But they didn't, for Dean and Padma were among the people who had let the 'Harry-put-his-name-in-the-Goblet' situation go.

There was silence in the room, broken by the scrubbing. All three of them were uncomfortable due to the eerie silence, he could tell. If the circumstances were normal, he might've started something. Ever since he had been declared as the fourth champion, people had started to come up with their opinions and judge him. Ever since, he always had a difficulty to start conversations, for every time he tried, or at least thought of trying, he knew it would be about him 'Cheating his way in for eternal glory'.

' So, what are you people in for?' Dean asked breaking the akward silence.

'Cutting Malfoy's nose with no remorse. And according to Snape, 'Hurting one of your fellow students' What about you lot?'

'Not 'assisting my fellow student' Now assisting in the sense, doing Longbottom's homework for him. and because of that stupid treaty his dad gave him, I got into detention.' Dean replied grimly.

'For skipping transfiguration class. ' Padma said.' Actually, I should've been with McGonagall, but since she was busy, she put me in with Snape.'

They heard the echo of Snape's clanking shoes more louder and clearer, and stopped conversing at once. He entered, muttering about insolent sixth years.

' You lot, have you done scrubbing?' Snape asked There was a huge pile of shining and nicely scrubbed cauldrons. For a split second, there was a glint of satisfaction in those grey eyes, which immediately turned to Dean and said, 'Mr. Thomas, you may leave. Mrs .Patil and Potter, you are to stay here and do the work assigned to you.'

He turned away from Padma and Harry and walked out of the dungeons with Dean at the back. Padma and Harry were alone.

' Malfoy attacked you first, didn't he? she asked 'And whose the one serving detention here?'

' Life ain't fair and its time we realise that.' Harry said in exasperation. Then he asked her,' You had a good reason to skip class, didn't you? A reason not good enough for McGonagall?' She looked at him with a dead worried face and said;

'Bonnie.'

' What?' he exclaimed in disbelief. Was it about her being upset? Not talking to him after portions? He turned towards her with a quizzical look, ' You better start talking.' He said sternly.

' After portions, she ran and went into the girls lavatory and locked herself in one of the stalls. She was so upset she wouldn't even make a sound or respond to let me know she was alive in there. After convincing her to come out and talk after the longest twenty minutes of her life, she finally came and told me what was wrong. Ron said things to her, about you people's friendship in portions. It was outright cold and cruel and made you look like a villan, trying to use Bonnie for your own good. His words seared into her brain like acid, literally, she remembered everything he said, and so do I. she waved her wand and extracted a sort of memory;

She took a breath and was about to continue again, but Harry stopped her. 'Enough.' he said in a cold voice.

' She still wants to be your friend.' Padma said encouragingly.