RUN - James Potter

Chapter 17

Antonella's shoulders remained straight, her face impassive and her thoughts clearer than an Australian summer sky. Her posture rigid and eyes lazily listening to Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore lecture the two, saying 'The height of embarrassment for the Ravenclaw house, and the leader representation'.

She was numb. Whereas Elizabeth's eyes were prickling, her lips twitching and her fingers constantly moving with her jumping knee. Antonella was oddly unmoved.

"Usually in these circumstances we revoke titles earnt-"

Gasping, Elizabeth's voice returned to her. Begging the professors not to take her title, that the frog choir was her ticket into the music industry; her future destroyed.

Professor McGonagall kept repeating, her eyes not leaving Antonella's frozen form, "Disrespect for the rules requires consequence."

A small laugh came from Antonella, gaining the attention of both professor and headmaster, and an upset Elizabeth.

A twinkle in the headmasters eyes, "What's so funny Miss Fortescue?", he asked.

Could she even begin? The memory of Elizabeth begging to keep her frog choir title? The absolute pleasure she got hurting Elizabeth? The disappointment Ravenclaw will become... changing its prefect three times in under a year? That she could still taste the blood on her lips, and it had an addicting flavour to it?

Shaking her head, refusing to speak. Elizabeth went back to weeping, begging, her hands clasping around Professor McGonagall.

"Either revoke your frog choir title or ticket into my Transfiguration apprenticeship."

Antonella's eyes snapped open, knowing the professor will be dealing her punishment shortly. Elizabeth's weeps grew even louder, saying 'But ma'am! Transfiguration is my back up plan! Do you want me to fail?".

Her eyes stayed fixed onto Professor Dumbledore who ate another candy, "Sir," Antonella asked, Elizabeth kept weeping loudly, "No disrespect towards Professor McGonagall... but why aren't you or Professor Flickwick distributing the punishments?"

She didn't need to look at Elizabeth to know her fists were rubbing her red eyes, her nose was sniffling, as Antonella continued.

"I'm more than happy to forfeit my prefect position, it wasn't even mine in the first place... but do you really want to replace the same role for the third time?"

Antonella's eyes than fell onto Professor McGonagall, "And should a small-"

"It was not small!", Elizabeth shrieked.

Her head snapped to look at Elizabeth, "You broke my nose, I beg to say i choose how to describe your stupidity-"

A loud cough from the Professor signalled for Antonella to continue, "A small fight shouldn't dictate if students can continue there academic success. I mean no disrespect when I ask, but Professor? Even though it's an opportunity you're providing, why would you use the removal of an education opportunity as a punishment. There are many better punishments out there."

The room grew silent. Given the exception of Elizabeth's sniffling. Antonella's eyes landed on Headmaster Dumbledore, eyes raging in the ways her mothers used to when she was in trouble.

Soundless, the headmaster glanced over to Professor McGonagall with a small, who was also surprisingly smiling at Antonella. But, she kept her rigid stance.

No one will ever get to pressure her, to anger her, to upset her and to humiliate her again.

Headmaster Dumbledore's lips twitched upwards as he asked, "what would you suggest?"