She Traitor

The boys were sitting at the kitchen table, where they finally sat down to eat after a long and hard day. The elfs who took care of the kitchen were just cleaning up the dishes, and the little, cheerful elf Vally, with bright eyes and a warm smile, looked at the boys who were enjoying her caresses.

"The masters really enjoyed their meal, didn't they? Young Vally is always happy to help when she can!" gushed the elf, her ears moving as if she was excited about it all. Undoubtedly she was, as she was the type of elf who adored working at Hogwarts.

"Vally, this was absolutely amazing, thank you!" James said, cutting the last piece of apple pie with a smile. Vally even bought it specially for him.

"Yeah, that was really great, thank you," Sirius added, enjoying the last piece of chocolate cake, one of the leftovers from dinner.

"Thank you very much Vally," Remus said as he stood up from the table and nodded at her. "And if you have a moment, could you get us another one of those apple juices?"

"Of course, Masters! Vally will arrange everything!" the elf replied enthusiastically and with a bright smile she disappeared between the shelves to fulfill their wish.

As the elf disappeared, Jamesse turned to the others and followed up on the previous conversation "We should focus this on someone who really deserves it," he began. "How about Rabastan Lestrange? He still looks like the guild is all of Hogwarts. Besides, he took me down on purpose in Quidditch the other day."

"Rabastan?" Remus thought, tapping his chin with a finger. "It has such an expression that it would be great to experiment with it. How about we magically turn his hair pink? The color certainly suits him."

"Hard," countered Sirius, who had just finished his juice. "Lestrange is from a dark family. If we were to use a spell on him, who knows what he might return to us. I don't want to risk us getting into trouble with dark magic."

"So what about Greengrass?" suggested Peter. "She has pretty eccentric views, doesn't she? We could show her that what she says about us is not that important. If I'm not mistaken, she said in magic class that we're just a bunch of idiots who don't know what's going on. We could show her a little that we have our tricks too.''

Sirius grinned. "I remember her giving Professor Slughorn those scared looks because she couldn't find the ingredients for her potion. She was quite nervous."

"And what to do with her?" Sirius asked, pondering another idea. "Maybe we'll send her a magic joke, maybe with her closets. He is quite particular about her clothes."

"No, that would be too obvious," Remus replied. "What about Benji Fenwick? After that incident with Sarah, he's pretty embarrassed right now. And what's more, he doesn't know what we can do. Maybe it would take a toll on him."

"Fenwick?" Peter thought. "That's not a bad idea. He probably wouldn't know what to do with it. And maybe it would be quite funny for him. I have a few spells that might work on him."

"Great," James said with a smile. "We'll give him hair like a wild sheep's comb, for example. The last time I saw him he was trying to do his hair during herbalism class and it wasn't working."

"And we'll add some color to it," Sirius added. "Fenwick wouldn't know what was going on and the rest of the school would have fun."

"And how do we get him? He's the captain of the Quidditch team, always surrounded by people," Remus said as he thought.

"We'll be careful," James replied as he took a deep breath. "But that's still a question. We have to be careful. What exactly we will do with him remains to be seen."

There was a slight crack and an elf appeared in front of the boys. "My masters. I brought some juice on the way." She said and her eyes lit up as the boys took their glasses.

"Thank you, Vally. We'll definitely be visiting again." The boys left the kitchen and walked down the hall, still debating how they would pull off their prank. Just then they heard a faint rustling that made them stop. They turned and noticed someone watching them. An unknown figure was quietly watching them from the corner of the corridor, apparently interested in their conversation.

Before the boys could realize what was happening, there was a soft murmur of magic in the air.

"What the...?" James yelled as his hair immediately began to change color. Purple, blue, green, pink-the colors alternated every now and then, as if programmed to change randomly.

"What's going on?!" Sirius exclaimed as his hair went from bright red to neon green, then bright blue again.

"What is it?" Peter whispered as he realized that his hair was now losing its original color and turning all sorts of shades.

"This isn't a normal spell," Remus said as he tried to use a spell to cancel the effect. "This is far more powerful and definitely cannot be undone."

"Someone did this to us!" James shouted as he tried desperately to straighten his hair. "Who was that?"

"That's... another level of magic," Remus added. "This magic is not accidental. Someone did that on purpose."

As the boys looked around in confusion, a voice called out from behind them. "So what are you doing here gentlemen?" came the stern, familiar voice of Professor McGonagall as she appeared at the end of the corridor. With raised eyebrows, she looked at the four boys who were standing in a flood of colored hair of different lengths and shapes. "What are you discussing here, and how did you come to this circus?"

"Eh... an experiment?" James said, trying to keep his cool and look innocent.

"Experiment?" McGonagall replied with an expression that meant this was nothing suitable for amusement. "Looks like you just earned school punishment. Tomorrow you will report to Madam Pomfrey and come to me after school tomorrow as we will discuss this further. And I'm definitely deducting points for each of you, for disrespecting your own dorm!"

It was then that the boys realized that their robes weren't exactly the right color. They were blue - in Ravenclaw style.

•••

The great hall was filled with the noise of the morning. Sunlight filtered through the colored windows and reflected on the polished surfaces of the tables. Sarah was sitting at the Gryffindor table, her fingers lazily turning a spoon in a bowl of porridge she almost didn't notice anymore. Her thoughts wandered between the duties of the day, the expected hours, and the occasional glance she cast at the Slytherin table.

However, Sarah's morning routine was disrupted by her friend Pandora, who always had a fresh energy and natural charm, sat down next to her with an ease and enthusiasm rare among Ravenclaw students. She had the usual dreamy expression on her face and a distant look in her eyes as if she was on another planet.

"Sarah, you need to hear what I found out," Pandora began eagerly, leaning closer to make sure no one else could hear her. Her eyes shone as if she had just revealed Hogwarts' greatest secret. Sarah didn't even realize when Pandora had become her closest friend.

Until her fourth year, she always sat with the older Gryffindor boys, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, along with Frank and Kingsley. Sometimes with Edgar Bones from her year. Still, since the beginning of fifth year, she had always been with Pandora for breakfast.

"Morning Pandora," Sarah said with a slight hint of irony but allowed herself a small smile. "What made you get up so early with such energy?"

Pandora just waved her hand, ignoring her remark and began to speak. "Barty. He did it again. I heard it directly from him - he did something incredible to the Marauders! He told me about it last night when he came back to the tower. I caught him."

Sarah perked up, but tried to remain calm. "And what exactly did he do?" she asked casually, though she knew Pandora wouldn't have pulled it off unless it was something special. It's not like she's all that interested in Barty. He was quite annoying, even though everyone said he was smart.

"A combination of an old charm and a bit of his own magic," Pandora whispered, her eyes just glowing. "Not only did he change their robes to Ravenclaw blue, but their hair now changes colors like rainbow lights! And on top of that, their skin took on a soft purple hue. He said it would take at least the whole day. Do you think they will be able to cancel it?"

Sarah thought about it and sighed involuntarily. "James will definitely try. He would never let Barty have the last word. I have a feeling that Remus has a good chance of breaking it. He's pretty smart for it, but it would take a combination of Remus' ingenuity and Sirius' knowledge. No matter what anyone says, the boy is very skilled in magic."

Pandora smiled, but then her expression froze when she noticed Sarah staring intently at the Slytherin table. "Don't tell me you're looking at them." she remarked in a low voice, tilting her head.

Sarah was oblivious to her remarks. Her gaze was riveted to the Slytherin table where Barty sat like a king in his element, despite being a raven with a Slytherin, surrounded by a group of students. He winked mischievously when he noticed Sarah staring at him, his expression clearly saying he was thoroughly enjoying his job. Sarah rolled her eyes ever so slightly, but someone else caught her eye.

Regulus Black. He sat across from Barty and quietly joined the conversation. His attitude was always perfect, he seemed cool, calm, yet dangerous. He had quite a distinct aura compared to his other friends. But now his eyes met Sarah's. There was no smile, no amusement, no wink like Barty's. His gaze was deep, searching, almost neutral. And yet there was something about him that made Sarah hold her breath.

Sarah felt the blood rise to her cheeks. She wanted to look away, but at the same time she couldn't. Regulus didn't bat an eyebrow as if waiting for her reaction. His calmness irritated and unnerved her at the same time. Why is he following her like that? What does he think?

"Sarah!" Pandora cut her off, waving a hand in front of her face. "Hello, can you sense me at all?"

Sarah finally broke her gaze and blinked. "Yes, I perceive. Sorry. What did you say?'

Pandora looked at her for a long moment and then smiled. "Regulus. I wonder why he was staring at you like that.'

"He wasn't staring at me," Sarah retorted, perhaps too quickly, trying to divert her attention to something else.

Sarah knew that Pandora had a mind of her own and it wasn't like the blonde Ravenclaw ever really listened to her. She always had her own version of the story, and to Sarah's astonishment, she was usually right.

At that moment, however, movement at the door of the Great Hall caught her eye. The Marauders just walked in. Their robes were now properly Gryffindor, but their hair kept changing in unpredictable color patterns. James went first, his head held proudly as if his orange-blue hair was the most natural thing in the world. Sirius tousled his bright pink hair behind him and scowled at anyone who dared to laugh. Remus and Peter stayed behind, trying to be inconspicuous, which wasn't easy with their purple skin.

Sarah watched them, the corners of her mouth twitching as she realized how hard she was trying to act normal. Pandora was laughing beside her.

"Well, Sarah, I think it's going to be a lot of fun today," Pandora said as she began her toast. Sarah nodded, but her mind was still distracted-once on the sight of Regulus Black, the second on what her brother was planning in retaliation.

•••

During her lunch break, Sarah found herself in the Gryffindor common room, which this time was louder than usual. Most of the students were talking about the morning in the Great Hall and the recent color "transformation" of the Marauders. The atmosphere was filled with anticipation and laughter as everyone tried to guess what would happen next.

Sarah was sitting on a comfortable couch near the fireplace next to Edgar Bones who was currently preparing his notes for his Defense Against the Dark Arts class, looking calm in contrast to the chaos going on in the middle of the room. Marauders, standing on tables, and despite their ever-changing colored hair and soft purple skin, looked like generals leading an army into battle.

James, his head proudly held high, raised his hand to silence the crowd. "Listen to me, Gryffindors!" he boomed, his voice drowning out the hum of the room. "Anyone of you who know anything about this heinous attack should speak up now or prepare for... a retribution unlike any Hogwarts has ever seen!" His orange-blue hair bobbed comically with each gesture, reminding Sarah of waving a flag.

Sirius, standing next to him, nodded solemnly. "Yes! And the payback will be..." he took a deep breath as if searching for the right words, "monumental! No one will make fun of us. Whoever betrayed us will regret it!"

Remus, sitting on the edge of the table, rolled his eyes tiredly. "Perhaps it would be better to stop talking and start doing? It would be enough to take the time to find out who did it and we can get what kind of spells they used from that person.''

"Remus!" James said with borderline indignation. "Your logic is not welcome here. This is personal!'

Sarah raised her eyebrows and the corners of her mouth twitched. The scene before her was like something out of a grotesque. Beside her, Edgar cleared his throat and said softly, "Does he really think this is important?"

Sarah laughed. "James thinks his hair is the crowning glory of his personality. I feel like he sees it as an attack on his pride. Maybe I should get out the parchment and write down the best quotes. It could be marketed as the Hogwarts Drama Queen's Handbook. However, it tends to be more of Sirius's expertise"

Edgar smiled, but Sarah's remark did not escape the Poberts' attention. James turned on his heel and looked at her in disbelief. "I hear you, little sister," he said theatrically. "Maybe you could help us instead of joking around."

"I'm helping you by giving you reality, James," Sarah replied with fake seriousness, crossing her arms over her chest. "Admit it. This was well thought out. I think the one who beat you in your own style." She would never in her life admit that she knew who did it. Besides, she now realized that she had complimented Barty Crouch. She tries not to be horrified at herself.

"Beat us? Never!" James shouted, waving his hand so dramatically that he nearly knocked Sirius' leg off. Sirius faltered but grinned nonetheless. Sarah had been ignoring Marauders since the beginning of the year, it was great that they were talking to each other now.

"Leave her alone, James," Sirius said, giving Sarah a pleased wink. "I think they're having more fun than we are."

"Sure," Remus added, leaning back against the table. "Someone has to watch over your egos so they don't pop like bubbles, I can't do it myself. Thanks, Potter."

"You're welcome," Sarah replied with a smile, tossing her hair. Remus was the only one who didn't really bother her and she had nothing against him.

However, James was not going to give up. "Well, since you've got so many ideas, maybe you could be part of the team! We have a war, Sarah, and you should be on our side."

"War?" Sarah repeated, raising an eyebrow. "James, declaring war on hair may be your style, but I have something called brain. I know that's an abstract concept to you."

The common room erupted in laughter. Sirius propped himself up on his knees and laughed loudly while Peter let out something between a giggle and a hiccup. James blushed and pointed a finger at Sarah, though there was an amused glint in his eyes.

"Insults from my own sister," he muttered. "This is the bottom."

Frank Longbottom, who had just walked into the room with a bag over his shoulder, smiled. "Enough drama guys. Class starts in five minutes. If you don't get there in time, Professor McGonagall will kick you out like children."

"And we don't want that," Remus added calmly, jumping off the table.

Sarah stood up, still amused by the absurd scene. She threw her backpack over her shoulder and looked at Edgar. "So shall we go? I'd rather face Dark Arts with Slytherin than another Marauders monologue.'

"I agree," Edgar nodded with a smile. "Perhaps McGonagall would appreciate it if someone wrote down James' quotes."

"I don't know if I could make it to all of them," Sarah replied with a hint of sarcasm, but with amusement. She turned back to her brother. "James, don't forget-common sense. Maybe you should write it on your hand."

James mumbled something as Sarah and Edgar left the room, Sirius's burst of laughter behind them.