"Oh, so now the plan is 'punch him, so instead of changing his mind he continues believing these things, and then when this means that people only hear about his views when there's no one around to contest them, somehow find out who heard, and go around telling them otherwise?'"

(Another first year Ravenclaw boy ducks past Timothy to retrieve some belongings.)

"Your idea is literally ignore him!"

"I have been watching this play out for six years and if you ignore him then someone with more patience will debate it with him and then he will change his mind because he happens to be wrong and to care about being right. But you could also, you know, say 'that's cruel and nonsense', or get a little button that says it for you so you don't have to bother, I don't mind if you engage with him, I mind that you're assaulting him."

"Who's got more patience and wants to waste it on him?"

"He doesn't actually strike me as a waste of it, particularly. The wanting to be right is really valuable, some people are wrong and don't even especially care."

"Question stands."

"Phelps made some good points already. It might be easier for him to get to know his other classmates if he weren't being locked out of his dormitory."

"I don't want him in here."

"I'm not the one who attacks people!"

"You don't get to decide who deserves to sleep in a bed."

"He doesn't get to decide who deserves to exist."

"If he were locking halfbloods and Muggleborns out of the dormitory I assure you that would have earned a much stronger response a long time ago. Potter's been giving you slack."

"Fine. I won't lock him out."

"Thank you. That just leaves the punching."

"Is there even anything he could say that would get you to believe he has it coming."

"Sure. If he's going around outing people's parentage to the sort of people who'd hurt them over it, you are entitled to stop him. And you're always entitled to duel him, the relevant difference being that then he can fight back."

"Fine."

"Thank you."

Corner mostly looks resentful but he says "y'welcome."

He leaves.

No letters from Tyche.

And no visible bruises?

No. Ares doesn't look happy but nor does he look injured.

Well, that's progress. He finds Minor.

"Can you make friends with Ares Trembley?"

"That sounds boring."

"I have a reason."