Be warned, this is the story of how the rainbow died, not how it lived.
While it is true that they fought and tried their best to survive, they still failed. All of them.
Regulus had started his journey on Hogwarts with his friends and his brother. Sirius had been eager to reunite with his brother, never having forgiven himself for just leaving him in the Grimmauld Place.
Things had gone well in the beginning. Regulus and Sirius reunited. Hell, even Regulus’ friends had managed to figure out a way to get along with the Marauders.
It wasn’t long before Regulus and James started to like each other. And then they started dating.
If someone asked Pandora how many times she walked in on them cuddling or kissing, she would tell you she lost count.
If someone asked Barty how many times he came close to punching James for being annoying while in the Slytherin dorms, he would tell you he lost count.
Ask Evan how many times he had to take deep breaths so as to not snap in the presence of the Marauders, he would tell you he lost count as well.
And if you were to ask Dorcas how many times she had to listen to James talk about Regulus, even in the Gryffindor dorms, she would tell you she lost count a long time ago.
Sadly, you will never be able to ask them this because the Rainbow died a long time ago.
Despite their differences, the two completely different friend groups had figured out a way to stay civil with one another.
Until the tides shifted and Regulus was left heartbroken.
It all happened after one Summer break. He had returned to Hogwarts a changed person. He was colder and his eyes were empty, even when he looked at James who he simply adored.
One day, Regulus sat his friends down and pulled the sleeve on his left arm up.
Evan gasped, Dorcas remained silent with her wide eyes, Barty cursed and threw something against a wall, and Pandora cried.
“It was forced on me, I swear. I had no choice.” Regulus whispered, swallowing the tears that threatened to fall. Pandora stood up from her chair and dropped to her knees before Regulus.
She didn’t hesitate or fear taking his left hand in her own.
“I know. I believe you. We all do, right guys?” She asked and turned to look at her friends who seemed to be raging for Regulus.
“Of course we do.” Evan whispered, softening his voice to match his twin sister’s. They may have been in completely different houses but Evan still had enough empathy to be able to feel Regulus’ pain just by looking at him.
“Do they know? Your brother? Your boyfriend?” Dorcas asked and Regulus looked up, meeting her dark brown eyes. He nodded his head and took a shaky breath, remembering how that conversation meant.
“I ran to Sirius the second it happened.” Regulus spoke and Barty took note of the fact that he called his brother by his name.
“He didn’t believe you, right?” He asked and Regulus gulped.
He simply nodded his head, remembering the disgust and disbelief in Sirius’ eyes, the disapproval and disappointment in James’, the confusion and fear in Remus’ and anxious look in Peter’s eyes. Neither of them had believed him.
“First words out of Sirius’ mouth were ‘I knew you were gonna become like them’.” Regulus admitted and Barty growled, pushing his hand through his half black and half green hair.
“I asked them to hear me out. They didn’t. James was the one to ask me to leave.” Regulus had said and all hell broke loose from then on.
Marauders and the Slytherins fell apart. Barty had to be held back in order not to resort to violence just by seeing Sirius or James. Evan lost count of how many times he pulled him back when he was just about to swing.
They didn’t believe any of them and Regulus was done running after them. The mark may have been forced on him but he would find a way to use it for good anyways.
That is why and how he became Dumbledore’s personal spy. Dumbledore swore to look for a way to free him of the mark as long as he found a way to kill Voldemort.
And then the unthinkable happened. The Slytherin friends fell apart, the Rainbow died.
They stuck together like glued while alive but the second one of them died, the rest started to fall apart as well.
Despite all of their sacrifices, the Marauders learned the truth only after the first of them fell down and died.
1.
It was Regulus Arcturus Black who fell first.
He died on a mission in a cave near sea, while he looked for a way to destroy the last of the Horcruxes. Regulus Black died all alone. He drowned all alone, thinking his brother and lover hated him.
Still, his last thought was that of his friends and what would happen to them once they found out of his death.
A week passed before anyone learned of his death. The entire school had wondered why the Slytherin friends seemed to be acting out even more.
Barty was more violent. Evan who was usually known as the calm one of the bunch was no longer trying to pull Barty out of trouble.
Dorcas, who used to sit at the Gryffindor table, was sitting with Bart and Evan, almost as if they were all mourning something. Or someone.
And Pandora Evans still sat with the rest of the Hufflepuffs but she was no longer her cheerful self. The sparkle was gone from her eyes and only emptiness remained there.
Then the news came out. A pamphlet with a picture of Regulus Black on it. Sirius frowned and then his eyes widened when he read the headline.
‘Regulus Arcturus Black, the Heir of the most Ancient and Noble House of Black, dead at seventeen’ was the headline. Sirius felt his heart stop beating. Remus actually had to remind him to continue breathing.
When he looked at James, he only saw that he was frozen in shock, not blinking or saying anything. Whispers started to become louder and Sirius looked at the Slytherin table, seeing how Barty was clenching his fists so tightly, even Sirius wondered if he could break his own bones that way.
It was true. Regulus, Reggie, his younger brother who he had abandoned was gone. He died. Sirius felt tears roll down his cheeks and he watched Barty jump up.
He walked out of the room with Evan, Pandora and Dorcas even following after him. Slytherins could be deceiving, lying and manipulating bastards but they were loyal to their friends.
Sirius and James jumped up and followed them outside. Barty was just about to turn a corner when Sirius spoke.
“Is it true?” He asked, holding the pamphlet up for them to see. Evan took a deep breath and was the first to turn around, anger more evident in his eyes than ever before.
“Isn’t it ironic that we knew before you? You, his own brother, learned of his death through a pamphlet. We, his friends, have been mourning him for an entire week.” Evan spoke calmly.
James let out a sob and let himself be pulled into Peter’s hug. Even Pandora was watching them with anger in her eyes.
“You should have heard him out. You should have believed him. He was telling the truth.” Pandora whispered and then pulled Dorcas with her. Evan pulled Barty who was still clenching his fists.
Sirius remained frozen in shock. Then he felt his knees give up and he fell down to the floor with Remus quickly by his side.
He could hear James crying in the distance while he felt like his own soul was breaking.
In the distance, Barty felt like his own soul would leave his body and he would die. A part of him died with Regulus, he knew that. Everyone knew that.
He no longer even wished to mess around with Evan who remained by his side despite it all.
Pandora, Dorcas and Evan remained by his side in silence, neither of the bunch even ready to speak.
Nothing would ever again be the same. That much was obvious to them all.
Regulus died and he took a part of them all with him when he did.
2.
The second one who fell only two weeks after Regulus Black was Evan Rosier, twin brother of Pandora Rosier, and best friend of Regulus Black.
His grief was different. Evan didn’t cry or scream.
When Evan grieved, he got angry and vengeful. He knew the second Dumbledore told them of Regulus’ death that he would go down, trying to avenge his friend.
Usually, he and Barty were inseparable. You could really never see one of them in the hallway without seeing another close by.
The day it all went wrong though? They were nowhere near each other.
Evan loved his friends too much to put them in danger so he took upon the entire revenge all on his own.
Not even his twin sister knew of his plans.
Regulus may have been the only one out of their friend group with the mark, but he still told the rest of them where the Death Eaters liked to get together.
And Evan knew this was where he would find Regulus’ parents. He may not be strong enough to kill the Dark Lord, but he would do his best to make Regulus’ parents suffer.
He didn’t knock and he found it surprising that the doors were unlocked. He closed the doors and looked up to see Walburga already coming down the stairs, a wand in her hand.
She had heard him. She knew he was coming. Evan gulped when he remembered all the stories Regulus told them about his terrible parents.
“What are you doing here, stupid child?” She spat out, so much hate and anger in her face that Evan nearly looked away.
“Are you proud?” He asked, a wand in his hand as well. He needed to know.
Evan wasn’t stupid. He knew he was going to die that day, still he needed to at least try and avenge his best friend. He focused on his bond with his twin and whispered three words ‘I am sorry’, hoping that Pandora would only hear it when it was all over.
“Proud of what?” Walburga growled. Evan looked up to see Orion, Narcissa and Bellatrix coming down the stairs as well. All of them looked hateful. All but Narcissa who had the same look in her eyes that Regulus used to have.
She was forced to be there too.
“Of failing your children? You disowned one for not being in the House of Slytherin.” He started and watched Walbura raise her chin up in pride. Evan felt so much disgust watching them all.
“And you killed the other one.” Evan spoke and Walburga furrowed her brows.
“I did not kill Regulus. He died for betraying the Dark Lord.” She said and Evan let out a sad chuckle, his eyes full of tears.
“You killed Regulus the day you forced that mark on him. What kind of a mother are you? What kind of parents are you both?” He asked and watched both Orion and Walburga clench their jaws. Narcissa was the only one who had tears going down her cheeks.
“Did you not notice how unhappy and terrified he was after he got the mark? Or did you simply not care?” Evan asked again, needing answers. He needed to know. But he made one mistake.
He moved his hand with the wand and Walburga saw that as a threat. She moved her hand so quickly that Evan did not even see the spell coming his way. He did not even understand the words she spoke.
And just like that, Evan’s clothes caught on fire. He screamed in shock and tried to put out the fire but he only made it worse and in the next few seconds, it was his flesh that started to burn.
Evan screamed and screamed in agonizing pain. He swore that he could hear Narcissa screaming in fear too.
He hoped that Pandora could not feel his pain through their bond. And he hoped that Barty would one day forgive him.
Pandora did feel his pain. She was sitting in the garden with Barty and Dorcas, waiting for Evan when she felt her chest tighten in pain. She gasped and sat up from where she had been laying.
She gasped in pain and her eyes stinged with unshed tears as she focused hard on her bond with her brother.
“No, No, No, NO, EVAN NO!” She cried before she started to scream in pain too. Barty was not in front of her, panic written all over his already pale face. He spoke to her, he was saying something.
Pandora could see his mouth moving but she did not understand a single word coming out of her mouth, focused only on the pain and loss in her chest.
The Marauders who had been sitting on the other end of the garden, looked up in fear and worry.
Minutes passed and the pain lessened. Pandora looked into Barty’s eyes and started to cry again.
Barty pulled her into a hug while Dorcas continued to caress her back.
“What’s wrong? Pandora, tell me what happened? Where is Evan?” Barty spoke quickly and in repetition, worrying about his missing lover now even more. Pandora continued to sob, holding onto Barty for dear life. Another couple of minutes passed before she sniffled and opened her mouth.
“Evan is gone.”
“What do you mean Evan is gone, Pan?” Dorcas asked softly and Pandora let out another sob, fearing that if she let go of Barty, he would do something stupid.
“I felt him leave through our bond. He said he was sorry. And then I felt him die.” She said through sobs and Sirius’ eyes widened in disbelief. Barty froze and gently pulled away from Pandora.
His eyes were red with unshed tears and he looked like he was shaking. He was shaking his head and took a deep breath.
“No-No- You’re lying. You didn’t feel it right. Evan isn’t gone. He can’t be gone. I just saw him an hour ago. Evan wouldn’t leave us.” Barty repeated mostly to himself. Pandora let out another sob and looked into his sad eyes.
“My brother- my stupid loyal brother wanted to avenge Reggie.” Pandora started and Sirius felt a few tears of his own fall down. He felt a hand land on his shoulder and he looked to his right to see a crying James as well.
“He went to the Death Eater’s lair. He spoke to Reggie’s mother and then she- she-” She started but then continued sobbing. Dorcas pulled her into a hug, her dark eyes not leaving Barty, worrying for her friend’s sanity now.
Barty loved Evan a lot. He adored him. They never separated before. And now it turns out that the one time they were not together was also the one time when they should have been.
Evan died because Barty wasn’t there with him, the wizard told himself.
“She what? Tell me, Pandora. Tell me.” Barty spoke and Pandora looked into his eyes again, her face red and drenched in tears now.
Sirius almost got up to go and comfort the girl as well but then he remembered that he was not a welcome face anymore.
Not after he abandoned Regulus. And definitely not after his own mother killed Pandora’s brother and Barty’s lover.
“She burned him alive. My brother is gone, Barty. And there’s not even a corpse to bury.” Pandora sobbed and Barty crouched down in front of her again.
He pulled her and Dorcas into a hug and started to cry as well. In his final moments, Evan Rosier suffered a lot but his pain and life ended relatively quickly.
Others would have to live a bit longer with the pain.
3.
The third one who falls down is Barty Crouch Jr, best friend of the deceased Regulus Black and lover of deceased Evan Rosier.
The change in him is visible the same exact day. Barty doesn’t cry. No, the pain in his chest and soul is too big for tears.
Barty doesn’t get violent either. He simply becomes silent. A shell of his former self. The entire school, including Dumbledore, starts to worry but Barty doesn’t speak to anyone.
He doesn’t even talk to Pandora or Dorcas no matter how hard the two girls try. Barty is simply too lost in his head and his own grief. From then on, every time someone comes across him in the garden, he is smoking or drinking.
And no matter how many times he gets scolded or told off, nothing ever works. Barty simply finds another way to hurt himself.
Weeks later, he lays in the grass, staring at the sky, while he thinks of Regulus who was the only one of his friends to support him in all of his shenanigans.
Regulus was the one causing trouble with him, not telling him off. He remembers the endless teasings he had to endure from him before he confessed to Evan.
He remembers how strong and supportive Regulus was of their relationship when they finally confessed.
He finds Regulus’ constellation in the sky later on and feels tears come down again. It has been weeks since he died, would the pain ever stop, he wonders.
Then he remembers Evan Rosier, his lover. Evan was the love of his life. He was as chaotic as any other Slytherin was but a bit softer and kinder than Barty was.
He was the one who calmed Barty down when he was about to snap someone’s neck.
He was the one stopping all of Barty’s unhealthy habits like drinking and smoking.
They were inseparable until they were separated. Barty remembers his white hair and big smile. He remembers the sound of his laughter and then he quickly stands up.
He goes to his room. The room where he now sleeps alone. Both beds beside him were now empty. Barty looks at the two beds and a small sob leaves his mouth.
He moves towards Evan’s bed and lays down, inhaling his scent from the pillow. The scent that was now barely there. Then he starts crying again, wondering how he was meant to go on without them.
He lays there for a couple of minutes before his vision clears and he sits up again. He walks to his drawer and takes out a tiny glass bottle with a syringe.
Barty sniffles when he sits down on Evan’s bed again. He puts the liquid from the bottle into the syringe and then he stretches his legs on the bed. He rolls his sleeve up and sniffles before he inserts the needle into his arm without thinking again.
He takes out a syringe and watches it fall down onto the floor beside the bed. Then he looks to his right, at the bed where Regulus would be sleeping had he lived another day.
He feels his eyes slowly close and his heartbeat slow down. Barty swears that in his final moments, he could see Evan and Regulus sitting together on Regulus’ bed, smiling sadly and waiting for him.
If they could not be together in life, they would be together in death.
The following morning he doesn’t show up to class and Pandora immediately starts to worry. She storms the Slytherin Dorms with Dorcas Meadowes by her side and is met with another tragedy.
Barty is sitting in his bed, completely relaxed with a small glass bottle beside him and a syringe on the floor. Pandora and Dorcas feel their eyes tear up and Dorcas steps forward.
She sits down next to Barty and shakes him only for Barty not to respond. She lets out a small sob and puts her fingers on his neck, looking for a pulse.
Dorcas lets out a small cry and turns to look at an expecting Pandora. She shakes her head and utters only one word ‘Dead’ before Pandora starts sobbing.
Dorcas rushes to her and pulls her into a hug, both girls sobbing their hearts out. Seconds later, Severus Snape is the one who enters the room to see Barty on the bed and the two girls sobbing together.
He gulps and turns to look at a Slytherin by his side.
“Call Professor Dumbledore.” He says and the Slytherins immediately run out. Severus stands there for a while, not sure what to tell to someone who lost two of her close friends and one brother in a span of a few weeks.
“My sincerest condolences, Pandora. May you not experience any more grief.” He says and leaves the room.
Pandora stands up a couple of seconds later and walks to Barty, her eyes teary and her heart broken. Once her vision clears, she can see a locket next to Barty.
It was broken in three pieces. Barty died to destroy the locket so that the war could be won. Barty died to be with his friends again. Pandora picks it up and shows it to Dorcas who gasps in surprise, a plan already forming in her head.
Now, only two more of the Rainbow remained.
4.
Fourth one to go down is Dorcas Meadowes, the one Gryffindor the Slytherins could stand.
The news of her death came only days later. Pandora was sitting alone in the garden, looking at a picture of their friend group when the pamphlet fell into her hands.
‘Dorcas Meadowes of House Gryffindor, dead after killing the one who shall not be named’
Pandora takes a deep breath, knowing that the battle was over. The war was over.
She mourns Dorcas silently, no longer having any tears left in her. Her grief is big but she simply cannot cry anymore.
Sirius and James stumble into the garden quickly and panting. They look around until their eyes fall on a sad Pandora, looking at a picture of Dorcas.
So, the news reached her before they could, it seemed. Pandora sniffles and looks at the sky, while she wonders if it had all been worth it.
She doesn’t cry or wail this time around. Instead, she swears to find a way to fix this mess. Then a shadow falls over the picture in her hands. She looks up to see James and Sirius in front of her.
“Pandora, we- we’re so sorry.” Sirius speaks and Pandora takes a shaky breath. She looks at the picture in her hands and stands up, dusting her skirt off.
“Don’t be. You can’t bring them back. Not Reggie, Barty, Dorcas or my brother.” She says and looks at Hogwarts, so much resentment in her heart while she ignores anyone near her. Sirius is sniffling when she speaks again.
“They sacrificed so much. Their lives, dreams and hopes. They sacrificed themselves for this school. But it was not worth it.” Pandora whispers, resentment gathering in her heart.
“Don’t say that. It wasn’t for nothing. They saved the entire wizarding world.” James whispers and she turns to glare at him. Pandora never glared before.
“And what did that get them? What will the wizarding world do for them? Acknowledge them as war heroes? They don’t need that. They needed not to be judged before it all went wrong. No one believed them when they said they wanted to help because they were Slytherins.” Pandora spoke and let out a small chuckle, tears gathering in her eyes again but not falling down.
She shakes her head and looks at the school that only ever brought them pain.
“And now it turns out you could not have won that war without their sacrifices. Without Regulus to use the Dark Mark to his advantage as a spy. Or without Barty literally killing himself to destroy the last Horcrux. It was not worth it. I lost everything I had.” She whispers and walks away, wondering how to complete her idea and bring it to life.
How was she to continue living now without her friends?
5.
The last one to die is Pandora Rosier, the sister of Evan Rosier and best friend of Barty Crouch Jr, Regulus Arcturus Black and Dorcas Meadowes.
She didn’t plan on dying, actually. It all happened so quickly and unexpectedly.
Years go by after the war ends and no one ever sees or hears anything about Pandora Rosier again.
She experiments with spells and spends years perfecting her craft, doing her best to make a spell of her own that would be strong enough to bring all her friends back.
Then one day, she thinks she finally perfected the spell and that there are no loopholes. She sits down on the floor with her wand and begins to say the words.
Minutes pass and nothing happens. She says the words again and a big white light explodes right before her.
She smiles, thinking that it worked and that they would come back. Then her eyes widen when she feels her own heart slow down and stop.
She falls back on the floor, her eyes wide open and her heart still. In the distance, in the light, she can see her friends and her brother smiling and waiting for her.
And Pandora does not hesitate, she does not run from the light but instead towards it, finally at peace with the ones she loved and missed for years.
A couple of days later, Sirius is sitting with James when they open the newspaper to another shock.
‘Pandora Rosier, sister of the late Evan Rosier and best friend of the late war heroes Regulus Arcturus Black, Dorcas Meadowes and Barty Crouch Jr, dead after a spell backfired and killed her’ is the longest headline either of the two ever read.
James takes a shaky breath and looks out the window. Sirius gulps and closes the newspapers.
“They’re all gone now. The entire friend group reunited at last.” James whispers sadly, wishing that it had been him who died instead of Pandora. Maybe then he could see Regulus and apologize. Maybe then he could ask for forgiveness. But now it was too late.
They were all gone.
And neither Sirius nor James knew if they would ever be forgiven.