Democracy: Rule of the Majority?

In middle school I learned that democracy was "the rule of the majority." Somehow, even then, that concept intuitively did not sit well with me. It struck me that "rule of the majority" meant that 5 kids on the playground could vote 4-1 to beat up the 5th kid and steal his lunch money everyday. In 7th grade, I was far more likely to be the 5th kid than 1 of the 4. Even then I was certain that a functioning democracy needed a counter-majoritarian institution to protect the basic rights of the unpopular and disrespected. Maybe that is why I ended up drawn to the law!