CHAPTER NINETEEN: DO NOT DISCRIMINATE RETARDS
The sun for today’s morning assembly was really high and huge. Even the Headmaster Dumbledore’s voice was high and loud. He kept talking and talking and didn’t even stop when I was all wet and sweaty.
I only heard him say, “We cannot………retards. Just because they are retards, doesn’t mean………Retards are human beings too………”
Harry Scarface was beside me, whispering, “Headmaster Dumbledore is talking about you.”
I knew that. I heard him say ‘retard’. The retard is me.
Finally, Headmaster Dumbledore said, “Oh, and another thing. We must not call them retards. That’s discrimination. Just call them by their names.”
Once we got back to class, I wiped the sweat off my face with my sleeves. I was very afraid. I didn’t know why Headmaster Dumbledore talked about me. I met him yesterday in the toilet and I greeted him loudly, “Good morning, sir.” And he replied, “Good morning, son. But you don’t have to greet me in the toilet.”
Prof. McGonagall came into the class later and asked the whole class, “Have you all heard what Headmaster Dumbledore said during assembly today?”
She then walked up to Draco and said, “There had been a number of parents complaining to the Headmaster about their children being bullied. You have to know that Headmaster Dumbledore is a very busy man and has to attend endless meetings. If every student’s parent of this school decided to make a complaint, our dear Headmaster is definitely going to tire himself to death.”
Bloody hell! If Headmaster Dumbledore were to die, this school is gonna ‘close shop’ for sure!
Prof. McGonagall continued, “So everyone must learn to love each other and stop giving the school so much trouble because of a little disagreement between themselves. We have just the mentally disabled student in our class’s midst, and he’s called Ronald Weasley. I know you all call him a retard. Think about it. Don’t you agree that he might be hurt if you called him that?”
She came to me and pulled me up while she talked to the whole class, “Look at him. Ronald looks just like everyone else. He has two eyes and a nose just like all of you, why should he be any different? He’s only a little slow in learning and doesn’t really know how to read and write, but that’s not his fault.”
Prof. McGonagall kept talking about me. It made me kinda embarrassed. I stood there and closed my mouth tightly.
“Alright. I won’t repeat whatever Headmaster Dumbledore had just said. I suppose you all understand this concept. From now on, you are not allowed to discriminate Ronald or call him a retard. If I hear anyone of you do that, I shall take points away from you.”
After done talking, she told me to sit down.
I understand Prof. McGonagall better. What she meant was that I am a retard but I shouldn’t be called so.
During recess, Draco ran to me and grabbed my exercise book, shouting, “Look, everyone! Our dear ol’ Ronald Weasley is so hardworking! He’s got his book filled with words!”
Everyone started laughing. I grabbed the book away from him and put it in my drawer.
“Come now, old fellow. You treat it like some kind of national treasure or something,” he said before turning to everyone, “I suppose if we keep this retard in this class any longer, we’re gonna be as stupid as he is!”
Harry Scarface shouted from his seat, “You’re already stupid, Malfoy. Don’t go around blaming others.”
Again, everyone laughed. Draco glared angrily at Harry Scarface, but Harry Scarface said the louder, “Didn’t the professor said whoever discriminates will have their points taken away from them?”
After recess, Prof. McGonagall asked Draco angrily at class, “I heard that you just called Ronald a retard. Haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve said?”
Draco had his head low and his face scrunched up in a weird way.
“Don’t give me that face, young man,” Prof. McGonagall scolded, then sighed and said, “We shouldn’t be looking down at these people. They might sometimes understand whatever we’re saying, and they might feel hurt whenever we make fun of him. We can’t pretend that they don’t know anything.”
Prof. McGonagall finally stopped talking after she took a look at me.
She opened her textbook and said, “Turn to Chapter Eight, please.”
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