Aevumiter

12: Kindness

Harry spent breakfast hurriedly working on his homework. He knew that he wouldn't have many chances to work on it this week, and he had to turn it in. There were moments where he wanted to say 'screw it' and not do any of it. 

But he had to be fifth year Harry. He had to pretend to care about his OWLs. He had to pretend, pretend, pretend...

The only somewhat nice thing about Wednesday was being in transfiguration. He still couldn't cast anything, but at least it was McGonagall. She kept an eye on his work, and eventually took his wand from his hand, and set it flat on his desk.

"Clear your mind before you continue." She said. 

Harry sighed. The others probably thought it was in disappointment, when in reality it was relief. She'd given him a cover to not flail about for the entire lesson. 

Harry took out his other work and did his best to wrap up the essays and the bowtruckle diagram, and write out a few plausible dream ideas for the dream journal he'd be assigned later today.

After transfiguration it was lunch, followed by herbology, and then divination. 

Detention again was the same as it had been the night prior, though this time he only said 'Evening' and 'Night' upon arriving and leaving. When he left, his hand was red and inflamed, but it would still heal by morning. He fought back nausea on the walk to the common rooms.

When he got back to his room, he went straight to bed fully clothed atop the covers, and fell asleep immediately.

~~~

"Did she keep you late again?" Zabini asked when Harry woke in the morning.

"Yeah." Harry said.

"Lines?"

"Yeah."

"Bloody hell, your hand must be sore with how much you've had to write." Zabini said.

He had no idea how true he was.

Harry spent History of Magic working on his moonstone essay for Snape, finishing it just in time. In potions, he tried to look over at Ron and Hermione, without being obvious. Ron looked tired, and Harry remembered that he'd been sneaking out to practice for Keeper tryouts. Harry also came to realize that Angelina's glares were because he wasn't on the gryffindor team.

In DADA, Harry kept his face down, 'reading' his textbook. In reality he was in the stage where you are conscious, but feel like you're sleeping. Eyes closed, slow breathing, little movement... Every so often he turned a page. Usually about thirty seconds after Malfoy did.

Harry's third detention passed like the other two, except it stopped healing over. Two hours in, it oozed droplets of blood. It was going to scar sooner this time than it had last. It hurt him more this time.

Filled with spite, Harry set his hand off the side of the table. He kept writing, each line becoming more painful. His hand was properly bleeding now, and the drip of blood on the floor made Umbridge look up.

"Ah," She said softly, and Harry was satisfied. For a moment, there'd been surprise in her eyes. "Good. That ought to serve as a reminder to you, oughtn't it? You may leave for the night."

"Should I still come back tomorrow?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yes," She smiled wide, "Yes, I think we can etch the message a little deeper with another night's work."

Harry grabbed his bag, and left. He hid his hand in his sleeve, certain that he wouldn't get a scourgify right. He knew it wouldn't be hard for Umbridge to do the same to his blood on her office floor, but it was the idea that she had to clean it.