The Detention

The Detention

by Wild KS Pheonix

"Detention, Potter!"

Harry's jaw dropped and was about to argue but was stopped by Hermione, who stepped on his foot, as Snape turned to head back to the front of the room. Harry glared daggers at his back as he went. It wasn't my fault that Malfoy messed up his potion. Just because I'm sitting next to him, ARGH! Harry thought.

"Potter, come here." Snape called after class was over. Harry signaled Ron and Hermione to go on without him. "You shall meet me in the Entrance Hall at seven Thursday night for your detention. Understood?"

Harry bit back a retort; he had scheduled Quidditch practice for then, "Yes, sir."

Snape smirked at him, "You may go."

~ ~ ~

Soon it was Thursday, Ron had immediately taken his side and was quite upset about the whole thing. Hermione surprised him by saying it was completely unfair that Harry received the detention, especially when she had seen Malfoy purposely damage his potion. After dinner Harry waited for Snape, who arrive promptly at seven.

"Potter, you are to paint the corridor from here to the potions laboratory without magic. When you are finished you shall report to me and the paint job will be checked. Is that understood?"

"What am I to use, sir?"

"This," Snape said with a smirk and handed Harry a bucket of paint and a large paintbrush. "That should be enough to get you to the dungeons." He spun on his heel and headed to the dungeons. Harry sighed and got to work.

It was not that bad of a detention; he had to do more difficult chores at the Dursleys'. The detention was just a pain in the butt. He had better and more enjoyable things to do with his time. Not long after he had begun, he heard someone coming from the Entrance hall. He groaned to himself when he realized it was Draco Malfoy. Great, just what I need right now, he'll probably screw this up and I'll be here all night. Unless... Harry smirked to himself.

"Well, what have we got here. If it isn't the Potty." Harry just ignored him and continued with his work. No one ignores a Malfoy, Draco thought getting angry. "Serving your detention, Potter?" Harry ignored him again, then went towards the paint can on the floor and jumped as if startled when he turned towards Malfoy.

"Oh, Malfoy. Sorry, I was busy enjoying myself and didn't notice you there. Can I help you?"

"Enjoying yourself!?! Doing manual labor? HA! I knew you were pathetic, Potter."

"It's not labor if you enjoy doing it. I'm expressing myself artistically." Harry calmly answered.

"And who gave you permission to do it in the dungeons?"

"Snape. He over heard me chatting with Hermione about how shoddy the walls were looking. We thought they were in need of a good paint job. Then as an alibi he gave me the detention. I guess I should thank you for giving him the excuse. I was suppose to drop my potion at the end of class but thanks to you I was able to turn it in for grading." Harry turned back to the wall to paint again while Draco stood there gaping at him. "It's too bad none of you Slytherins have the talent to paint by hand. It works so much better than by magic. Lasts longer. At least, according to Snape. Who knew."

"What!?!" Draco said shocked that Snape would say that.

"You know he doesn't like all the 'silly wand waving.' I was amazed he let me paint though, I mean, it's you Slytherins who get to look at this corridor the most. I thought Snape would create some type of house project to see how nice you all would make it."

"..."

"Now, every time you look at it you'll be reminded of me. A Gryffindor's artwork in Slytherin territory." He gave Draco a cheeky grin.

Harry turned back to his work as Draco thought for a minute then said, "I've never had an opportunity to paint before."

"Too bad Snape gave this opportunity to me then."

"I'll just go ask him if I can take over."

"You could but you know how he gets when he's working on certain potions. There's also the chance he's talking to the other teachers or something that he cannot be interrupted on. He's expecting me to take at least an hour on this. Besides, it will create more work for him because he will have to come up with something else for me to do."

"Yeah, true."

"He'd probably just look at you like your stupid or something and ask you why you didn't conjure your own brush to paint with. Unless you can't." Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Draco glared a while as Harry continued hard at work. Draco then pulled his wand and created another brush and dipped it into the paint, not wanting to be out done by a pathetic Gryffindor. After moving a few steps away from Harry he put the brush to the wall and began painting. It was all Harry could do to stop from smirking. He couldn't believe it worked.

Amazingly they finished in an hour. It looked incredible. Draco was covered with splatters of paint (having little experience with it) so Harry suggested that he go get cleaned up. "Don't we need to tell Snape that we've finished?"

"I can handle it, you know we Gryffindors are stupidly honorable and I have to give credit where credit is due."

Draco looked at him suspiciously then smirked, "Oh yeah." He mumbled to himself, something about Potter and his stupid nobility, as walked off toward the Slytherin common room.

Harry smirked openly. He couldn't believe it. He had just tricked a Slytherin into doing his work without having to give him anything. He hurried to Snape's office.

"Professor, the painting is finished." Snape looked up glancing at his clock as he did. He was shocked to see only an hour had passed.

"Let me see the results of your labor." He led Harry out to the corridor. Harry held back a smirk when the potions master paused in shock of how nice the walls came out. Harry thought he saw Snape's mouth open in surprise. The Potions Master quickly composed himself and glared at the boy, "Give me you wand." Harry reluctantly did as he was told, he didn't really want to allow Snape to have that advantage over him. Snape did a Prior Incantato on it only revealing a spell he had been practicing for Charms, one that could not be related to the painting.

Snape look at Harry then asked, "Potter did you paint this through manual labor?"

"Yes, sir." No Lie.

"Did Granger or Weasley or any Gryffindors aide you?"

"No, sir." Again, there was no lie. Snape knew he had nothing on the boy but could not believe he did it so well so fast. "My Uncle has had me paint before, so I knew what I was doing, sir."

"Very well, you are dismissed." He glared at the boy's retreating back trying to figure out how he had managed it.

~ ~ ~

Entering the Entrance Hall, Harry was surprised to see the Headmaster standing there. "Ah, Harry. Excellent work on corridor to the dungeons."

"Uh, thank you, sir."

"I believe that 20 points are in order as well."

"Sir? I did it because I was in detention."

"Yes, I know, dear boy. However, out slithering a Slytherin is easily worth those points." Albus smiled at Harry with the usual twinkle in his eye then went on his way. Harry grinned then quickly hurried down to the pitch to catch the end of practice. He could not wait to tell Ron and Hermione later.