The Irony of Bazini's Abuse
While Bazini in no way is responsible for the awful abuse paid to him, he does demonstrate a different relationship with Torless. He silently deals with the abuse of the other two boys, but he goes out of his way to impress Torless. Their sexual interactions could be described as mutually consensual even. He starts out hating the attention from the bullies, but he winds up begging Torless for affirmation.
The Irony of the School Investigation
When the school authorities are introduced to the problem of Basini and his tormentors, they find only him guilty. There's no evidence of foul play on the parts of Reiting, Beineberg, and Torless. The truly evil, premeditated transgressors walk away free of punishments or rebuke because they have committed crimes in such dark, secret ways.
The Irony of Torless' Dismissal
Despite being found innocent (however wrongfully) of wrongdoing by the school, Torless is dismissed. The headmaster writes to his parents to explain that Torless is simply too smart to be properly educated at his school. He advises them to hire a private tutor for the boy in order to cater to his gifted mind. In the end, then, Torless is dismissed too but for reasons which have absolutely nothing to do with ethics or the Basini incidents.
The Irony of Intellect
Torless is extremely intelligent, a trait which puts him in a difficult situation at boarding school. He makes friends with the popular bullies simply because he's board. He can't find enough mental stimulation in his studies, so he starts seeking opportunities to challenge himself, in this case in illegal, immoral ways. While most people wish they were smarter, they often fail to consider the utter boredom that would accompany such a characteristic. Boredom is Torless' real enemy, not Basini.
The Irony of Torless' Friendship with Beineberg and Reiting
Beineberg and Reiting pal around with Torless because they think he's their servant. They treat him badly and make him do most of their grunt work in exchange for their friendships. Torless, however, knows the truth about their relationships. He hangs out with them specifically to take advantage of their popularity in order to amuse himself. He neither likes them nor is impressed by them, but his intelligence has convinced him that the most expedient way to make himself happier is to develop a better social life by exploiting a relationship with these two boys. It's by no means a real friendship between any of them.
