Harry was walking slowly, wincing and grimacing at every step.  His bottom hurt and he knew it would take days or even weeks to heal.  It must look awful now.  He tentatively laid a hand on his bottom bracing himself for the pain but surprisingly he discovered that he could not only touch his bottom but he could also rub it.  He proceeded to do exactly that! Ah how soothing!  

Harry walked slowly.  Snape ordered him to go directly from the dungeons to Gryffindor Tower.  He didn’t want to go back to his dormitory.  To be honest, all he wanted was to go up the astronomy tower again and lie on his stomach on the window seat watching the grounds again.  But he couldn’t do that, could he? If Snape caught him again … Harry shuddered.  The Professor was very clear, “Potter, if I catch you out of your common room again after hours, you will be over my knee for a very long session before you could even blink.  And believe me, next time, I won’t be that lenient with you.” 

Lenient, LENIENT! That was lenient?  

Harry couldn’t believe his ears.  His bottom felt …. felt …. Um! Actually, his bottom felt much better now.  The worst of the sting had disappeared and it didn’t hurt as much now. Strange!  And anyway, how could Snape do that? It shouldn’t be allowed.  No other Professor would have done that, would they?  If the Professors were allowed to spank students, he would have heard about it before.  Ron would have said something.   

“Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter! Mister Potter! …” 

“Huh!”  Harry was so much consumed in his thoughts that he passed by the Portrait hole and was continuing down the corridor until the nice fat lady in the portrait called him.  Harry walked back and quietly thanked the lady for reminding him as he said the password and entered his common room slowly walking up to his dormitory.  Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean were all fast asleep.  Harry was grateful.  It would have been very embarrassing if someone asked where he was and why he was walking funny! 

Harry crept to the bathroom and immediately pulled down his trousers and briefs.  For the first time since joining Hogwarts a few months ago, Harry found a use for the large mirror behind the bathroom door.  He always thought that having such a big mirror in the dormitory was very girlish, but now he found a use for it.  He turned his back to the mirror and looked behind.  Surely his bottom would be looking awful now.  It sure hurt like hell when he was over the potions master’s lap.  Harry groaned … his bottom only was a pinkish shade.  He couldn’t believe it.  All this pain and his bottom was now just pink? And even the sting was fading.  That was just so unfair.

And then Harry did the most surprising thing ever. He smiled! 

What if Snape had spanked him? What if he had yelled and snapped?  He still wiped his tears for him and … and held him.  No one has ever done that before. He had laid his head on the man’s chest and cried, and Snape patted him on his back like a baby.  It was certainly worth the spanking, right? 

Harry put on his pajamas and crept under his blankets closing his eyes and getting comfortable.  He sighed.  If only he had a teddy bear!!!