She Traitor

Sunday morning. The Hogwarts grounds were shrouded in fine mist that promised a cool but pleasant day. Sarah felt strange walking towards the main gate of the castle, where Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon and Mary MacDonald were waiting for her. The invitation to this trip surprised her - she never felt like part of their company.

Lily was always nice, but there was never anything more than politeness between them. She didn't understand why they would suddenly invite her now, why Lily would want to integrate her into her circle when she had never fit in before. Sarah couldn't suppress the feeling that she didn't really have anything to do there.

When she arrived at the group, Lily looked at her and smiled. "Hello, Sarah. Glad to have you joined us." Sarah replied with her typical smirk, "Hello," and tried to make her voice sound as good as possible, even though she felt it was pointless, as if she were walking by mistake. Maybe she should have gone with Frank

Marlene, who was standing nearby with her hands in her pockets, immediately took the lead. "Fine, do we have a plan? Or are we just going to hang out?" Her tone was energetic and casual, but Sarah still couldn't help but wonder how much she would rather be with anyone other than girls. well, maybe she'd like to avoid James and Sirius.

Mary joined the discussion, but more silently than actively. Her scarf was obviously more important to her than the rest of the conversation, so Sarah found herself feeling a little aside. She was used to being in the presence of anyone else, maybe she made a mistake by accepting the invitation. "Honey Dukes," Mary suggested, disinterested, without raising her eyes from her scarf.

"Oh, sure. Who wouldn't want to spend an afternoon full of sugar?" Marlene grimaced. "I think we'll start with three broomstick. Butter beer is at least for adults."

"Sure," Sarah replied as she began to rejoin their step. But her thoughts still ran. I want to go to the room. As they went on, Sarah noticed that Mary was throwing gaze towards her here and there, but she never intended to start a conversation. That was typical. Mary was always like that - more of a closed one, with only a few selected friends. Sarah got it, but still it hung in the air, unsaid that she was somehow extra. Maybe it was because she was Pureblood that she didn't fit into their circle as easily as Lily or Marlene.

"Sarah," Lily said, interrupting her thoughts. "Do you often go to Hogsmeade?"

"Not at all," Sarah replied immediately before she could catch up Realize that it might have sounded too cold. "Usually I give the list to Frank to bring it to me when I need something." She tried to add it with a slight smile, but she didn't even know if it sounded right.

Lily looked at her with a kind look. "It's a fun place." She said. "You should go more often." Sarah sighed, still not sure what to think about it all. Maybe she should communicate more. Maybe she should just listen more. But she still couldn't force herself to enjoy this trip

Suddenly, Marlene interrupted their short exchange as she turned to Sarah and changed the subject. "Hey Potter, do you know Led Zeppelin?" Sarah looked at her confusedly.

"A little. Mom heard about them from the neighbor."

"A little bit?" Marlene repeated with an incredulous look. "My God, I have to introduce you to real music. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple... They are masters."

"Sure," Sarah nodded, even though her inner feelings were mixed. It wasn't that she despised muggles, but she didn't care about what Marls said.

•••

As they entered the three brooms, the smell of butter lager and the noise of the conversation immediately filled their senses. The inn was full of students who enjoyed a pleasant weekend afternoon. Some laughed, others drank and debated in peace. There were voices everywhere, but even among the noise the sweet smell of the prepared drink stood out.

Lily ordered a butter lager for everyone and they all settled down to the table in the corner. "This place is always full," Lily remarked as she noticed the noise around. "But at least it's warm here."

"Yeah, but at least it's better than sitting in that castle," Marlene replied, pulling her chair comfortably. With her usual independent gaze and wide smile that made her so charismatic, she immediately felt like a fish in water in this environment.

Sarah sat on the edge of the table, grateful for being a bit on the sidelines. She sipped her butter beer in silence, trying to focus on the words Marlene had said about some new recording she had recently heard, but her mind was still distracted.

The conversation about the music was interesting, but Sarah felt that she was getting lost in the details that were foreign to her.

Then Dorcas Meadowes, known for her relaxed energy and witty charm, which was never overlooked, headed to their table. As she approached, her gaze rested on Marlene, who once again earned some attention. "Marlene," Dorcas addressed her with a slight smile, which could have already indicated that there would be something more. "You really like it today." Marlene grinned and her self-confidence only increased.

"Thanks. What about you here?" Dorcas sat down next to them and immediately smiled comfortably as her eyes pressed against Marlen's clothes.

"I just wanted to see if you could invite me to another music lesson." Her voice was soft and curious, but a gentle flirting was visible in her eyes, which Sarah couldn't help but notice. Dorcas played with her hair for a while, gently wrapping her finger around it and looking at Marlen's hair, which seemed perfect to her. "That hair," continued Dorcas, "your blonde is really great. You know you're good." Marlene grinned even more, as if she was used to this kind of attention from Dorcas.

"Oh yeah, I'm trying." Her tone was funny and half casual, but she could still feel it flattering her. Especially when Dorcas looked at her with such interest. Lily raised an eyebrow, which was typical for her - her expression could mean a lot of things, but Sarah could sense it. Quiet interest and maybe a little surprise. However, when she looked at Mary, she saw that she had just sighed softly and looked at the table. Her attention was somewhere else, maybe she didn't even want to pay attention to what was happening here.

Sarah tried to look inconspicuous and she tried to give these girls at least the illusion of privacy. Dorcas flirts with Marlen, who is clearly enjoying it, and Sarah is just a silent observer.

But Dorcas continued, her eyes still fixed on Marlene. "You should give some guys a chance, Marlen. They seem to admire you quite a bit." Her words were like a small hint of a game that was supposed to go on, but Sarah didn't even know what to think about it all.

"And what if I don't go after the boys."

And it's here, Sarah thought

Sarah looked up when she heard a familiar voice coming from a distance. "Sarah!" Pandora called out, her voice always a little dreamy, like Pandora was in another world, yet so authentic and sincere. She was joined by Barty Crouch Jr. and Evan Rosier, both known for their not-so-friendly demeanor, but Pandora was someone who could always brighten up any room.

Pandora headed straight for Sarah, a soft but sincere smile on her face as she appeared at her desk. "Hello, Pandora," Sarah replied with a sense of relief. It was always nice to see someone familiar in a somewhat chaotic environment in this case.

"What are you doing here?" Pandora asked in her unmistakable curious tone as she stopped at their table and scanned everyone present curiously.

"A trip," Sarah replied curtly, with a slight smile as her mind still didn't know what to think of the whole trip. Everything was different here in Three Broomsticks. There were a lot of different people mixing here, but Pandora... Pandora was like a breath of fresh air.

Meanwhile, Evan and Barty sat down at the next table and started looking at the menu as if they didn't care. Sarah noticed how Barty occasionally spoke about something with an exaggerated expression, which she never liked. Barty always had an undertone of provocation about him that Sarah found hard to bear. Maybe she would rather hit him. And right now, as Pandora sighed and started talking about them, Sarah knew that some new conflict must be brewing.

"Those two are hard to control," Pandora sighed with grateful eyes that never showed any anger even when talking about the likes of Barty or Evan. "Evan is always on edge and Barty revels in provocations."

And as if to confirm her words, Barty Crouch Jr. blurted out something towards Marlene, who was sitting a little further away, about muggle music being ridiculous. There was always a hint of arrogance in his voice, and now that he said it out loud, he noticed several people in the inn look up. Barty enjoyed it, of course, he always enjoyed disturbing or angering someone. Sarah knew this first hand.

Sarah, though it made her a little nervous, remembered how Pandora usually remained calm, unaffected by all these provocations. "That's Barty," Pandora said with a slight smile and any hint of cynicism. "He always has to say something to get attention. But somehow he's not all bad, is he?"

Sarah looked at Pandora a little confused. "Not bad?" she repeated quietly, still shy about expressing her opinions. "I'm not sure." Sarah said but remembered what happened in the library. ,,maybe"

Pandora laughed, the sound soft, like the release of some tense atmosphere. "I think sometimes Barty just does it because he enjoys it. But that's his way of attracting attention. Don't take it too personally, Sarah. Most of the people around us don't even want to deal with him anyway."

Marlene and the rest of the group get into an increasing argument. The atmosphere between them was tense and Sarah felt a strange feeling rising in her chest. She watched as Marlene, who was usually forceful and unyielding, began to lose her temper. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Crouch!" she snapped suddenly. "Muggle music has more depth than anything the likes of you have ever heard!"

Sarah rubbed her forehead, of course they were still dealing with the music.

Barty's smile remained cold and cynical. "Perhaps because only those with no real taste listen to it," he said almost scornfully.

Sarah felt a wave of uneasiness rise through her body. Barty's words irritated her, but she knew that Marlene had already lost her temper. She looked over at Pandora who was sitting next to her, a twinkle of compassion in her eyes as she watched things begin to escalate. Pandora probably doesn't want to interfere, it's not her style, Sarah thought.

Marlene was already on the verge of another outburst, her face turning red with rage as she started to argue back again. "You have no right to judge something you have no idea about!"

Barty was obviously enjoying himself. He continued to tease as much as he could until Sarah decided she had had enough. She felt a wave of anger and frustration rise inside her, her body reacting to Barty and his insults echoing throughout the room. It was a moment when she no longer wanted to just sit and watch idly.

"That's enough, Crouch!" Sarah suddenly spoke up, her voice sharp and surprisingly strong, shocking everyone at the table. As Barty and the others fell silent, her voice was clear and decisive, "We're not in the mood for your bullshit."

With that outburst, she violently grabbed Marlene and Lily by the arm and dragged them away from the table. Mary, who had been quieter the whole time, followed them, and Sarah, though still confused by what she had just done, followed. She could feel her heart racing and she wasn't quite sure exactly what it all meant.

Pandora, who remained at the table, smiled in her calm, friendly way and waved goodbye to Sarah before disappearing around the corner. "It's going to be okay, Sarah," she said, her words having some sort of calming effect.

Sarah broke the tension with this surprising intervention.

Dorcas watched the girls leave with a slight smile, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes. "She completely wiped you out, Barty," she commented with a soft laugh as she was left alone with Barty's calm gaze. There was something slightly mischievous about her voice, which was typical of her personality - she enjoyed putting someone in an awkward situation, although she was also intelligent enough to know when it was best to back off.

Barty just smiled though, his eyes still cold and focused. "I noticed," he replied calmly and a little provocatively. "It makes me like her even more." His tone wasn't indignant, more like a sort of mystery, as if he was enjoying that the situation had turned out exactly the way he wanted it to. Different scenarios may have been running through his mind, but his expression remained unchanged, as if nothing had taken him by surprise.

Evan snorted, his expression mixed between amusement and confusion. "It's Potter," he said with aplomb, trying to hide a certain amount of curiosity. "Since when do you like someone like her?" His question was more curious than insulting, though there was a trace of incomprehension in his voice - Sarah, still a rather mysterious and unknown figure to him, was someone he couldn't place at all. "What do you even see in her?" he added as he stared at Barty as if expecting some reasonable answer.

Pandora, who had remained quietly observing the situation until then, looked at Evan with a slight but very calm smile, as if she was aware that what she was going to say now would completely change the dynamic of the conversation. "Barty's not the only one," she spoke softly, her voice sounding like the sound of something very old and familiar. "Regulus has been following her since third year. Her words were like a silent floating spell that slowly seeped into the minds of those present. Evan froze, his features clearing in confusion. He had never heard of it, nor had he noticed that someone like Regulus Black could be so interested in someone as "Gryffindor" as Sarah Potter.

Evan frowned, but his expression quickly returned to his usual apathy. "Regulus?" he repeated, but asked no more questions. It was too surprising for him to process immediately.

"That's some news," he blurted out needlessly, as if to excuse his obvious lack of information.