And since their Head of House had been heard openly defending Potter not once but twice, they felt justified in defending his right to privacy now. Without realizing it, the Slytherin students had declared Harry Potter an honorary Slytherin and were treating him as such. When he was ready for friends again, he'd let them know. Until then, the vultures could just back off and leave him alone. That the day might never come when Potter was ready for new friends, wasn't something they spoke about though they all knew it was a possibility. He wouldn't be the first Slytherin to choose no friends over fair-weather ones who'd only betray you when it suited them to do so. Potter's life had been hard and cruel to the extreme. He'd tried for four years here to make friends and a good impression only to get hurt and vilified for his efforts each and every time. And rumors had it that his life before coming here was no easier or better. So it was no wonder he was no longer trying. No longer seemed to want friends. Or care what people thought of him. Why should he?
Minerva took Severus seriously when he had chastised her over holding meetings with her lions who had or were failing to live up to the beliefs of her house. For the first time in years, she consciously set aside her duties as Deputy Headmistress to take a good hard look at her tower. She didn't like what she saw. Her students ran in small packs in the halls of the school. They reacted defensively to each and every harsh word or action they perceived as directed against them. And the Weasely twins were openly running around the Castle pulling pranks on students who had maligned their tower mates in the halls. Which strongly suggested all the Gryffindor students went to them over conflicts in the school.
And when her students lost points or received a detention, none of them did more than shrug their shoulders and dismiss the issue. Oh, they'd do the detention they were given but it was clear to her they didn't truly feel punished. Rather they acted as if the intervening adults' words and actions had been expected. So did the children they'd been in a conflict with. No wonder the twins were now targeting the Professors, she thought. They were getting pay back for her students.
Somewhat ashamed, she realized not one student ever came to her. Even when she made it clear she was waiting for them to do so. Sadly, she thought it might be because of how she'd reacted when Mr. Potter was being targeted in the halls. More than once she'd witnessed a Professor come upon a conflict between a group of her children and other students. She'd listened as the adult favored the children from the tower not Gryffindor when her children hadn't either begun the conflict or broken any rule. It seemed to Minerva, it wasn't only Severus that had a problem being fair to Gryffindor students. She wasn't sure just yet what to do about the situation but she knew she'd have to find something. Because this couldn't continue.
One situation she did know how to handle was the Trio of Misfortune, as they were being openly called now by the student body. She took to holding weekly meetings with them, which was the only time she had free when they weren't in a class or otherwise occupied. Usually with a well-earned detention. Because they were earning them. They were the only Gryffindors actually earning each and every detention and point loss they were being given right now. None of the teachers were handing them out unfairly or for petty reasons as far as she could tell. Not even Snape. She was trying to get them to understand their new status in the school and that their branding was their own fault. That they were on the Professor short list right now because of what those marks of their told the Professors the Triad had done in the past. If they hadn't been so arrogant as to actually believe they could do exactly as they pleased without consequence, it never would've happened and they probably wouldn't be getting into so much trouble now. If they wanted the detentions to end, they needed to begin obeying all the school rules and handing in their assigned homework on time and at the correct length.
But she was also coming to see the Triad hadn't ever been as innocent as they had claimed to be when they'd been telling her the trouble they got into was Harry's doing. Their misbehavior that they were getting into trouble over now, was too ingrained for them. She knew the detentions they were being given now were for things they were actually doing though they always claimed otherwise. Ronald had even tried to tell her the detention he'd received for not having his Potions homework was actually Harry's fault as Harry had stolen it from him right before class. And then turned it in as his own work. And Snape had said nothing! Oh, he hadn't said Harry's name but who he meant had been clear enough. She hadn't needed to even ask Severus about that as his face had swollen up so much, it was impossible to miss. But that lie was typical of the children. Not to mention it had been told to her before.
No, the detentions were well earned. For the way they were behaving. The way they'd always behaved. The things they were doing. The things they had always done. Things he had nothing to do with. Had more than likely never had anything to do with. And that stung her pride almost as much as discovering they had knowingly and openly lied to her. Made a fool out of her to her peers. To the school.
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