Chapter Text
Prefects Potter and Patil:
“They said if I told anyone in the House, they’d hurt me worse,” the First Year Ravenclaw, young Mister Jeremy Williams, admitted shakily, “and the prefects seem so scary, Harry!”
Harry grinned, “Point to Ravenclaw for thinking outside the box there. C’mon,” he stood up, taking the boy’s hand, “we’re going to my Head of House so you can truthfully say you didn’t say a word to a Ravenclaw.”
Shortening his strides to account for the First Year, Harry led the boy through a small maze of passageways and to McGonagall’s office where he knocked on the door rhythmically.
“Come in, Mister Potter,” came the Scottish accented voice of the Transfiguration Mistress and so Harry let himself and Jeremy in.
“Mister Williams is in a bit of a bind, Professor,” Harry got down to business after shooing Jeremy into a chair and taking a seat himself, “apparently Ravenclaw has another bully infestation and they’re targeting him. Told him that if he told any Ravenclaw they’d hurt him worse than they already have.”
McGonagall smiled, “So he told a Gryffindor. Very clever, Mister Williams, very clever indeed. Ten points. And ten points to you, Mister Potter, for coming to me instead of Professor Flitwick.”
“May I have a friend summon the Ravenclaw Prefect Patil?” Harry asked politely, “it’s only because Jeremy here says his prefects seem scary. I don’t mind any First Year coming to me but—”
“It would be better for Mister Williams to know he has his own Prefect to lean on,” McGonagall nodded, “and you are good friends with Prefect Patil?”
“I try to be friends with anyone but especially the other Prefects,” Harry said seriously, “I know Padme from Hermione’s study group of witches I don’t want to anger.”
McGonagall hid a laugh but nodded again, “Very well, Mister Potter.”
“Dobby!” Harry called out and the house-elf appeared, “can you please find Padme Patil and bring her here, tell her it’s urgent.”
“Yes, Harry Potter Sir!” and the house-elf disappeared, quickly bringing back the Ravenclaw Prefect.
“Harry,” Padme greeted, taking a seat, “Professor McGonagall, Jeremy—is something the matter?”
“You know my name?” Jeremy whispered.
“I know the names of all First Year ‘Claws,” Padme said simply, “what’s going on?”
“Jeremy thinks you and all Prefects in Ravenclaw are scary,” Harry said just as simply, “so I want to personally introduce you. Jeremy, this is Padme Patil and she is here to help you just like I am.”
Padme smiled down at the First Year, “I really don’t bite, Jeremy. I’m here to help you, just like Harry. Now, do you want to tell me—”
“He can’t,” Harry said quickly before explaining what was going on.
“I see, well, I’m going to head back to where I was and I hope you tell Harry and Professor McGonagall who bullies you, okay? Dobby, if you wouldn’t mind?”
Dobby grinned and disappeared with the young woman.
Haltingly, Jeremy named his bullies and their crimes; McGonagall wrote down the names and would later pass them on to Flitwick who would come down hard on his House and the bullies in particular. He was not about to let another Lovegood situation happen.
While that was going on, on advice from the Gryffindor Prefects, the Ravenclaw Prefects planned parties and game nights where the First Years were encouraged to mingle with the upper years and especially the Prefects themselves.
Slytherin, which had many of the same problems with their Prefects and First Years, soon followed suit.
And Jeremy wasn’t bullied anymore.