章 127: Chapter 127: Sugar and Too Much Spice (1)
Trigger Warning: This chapter might be triggering for people due to extreme bullying and humiliation
Breakfast at Hogwarts was always a chaotic affair. Students darted in and out of the Great Hall, amidst the clatter of utensils, lively chatter, and laughter. As the mail arrived, owls of different colours swooped in, dropping packages and letters, their hoots blending with the bustling sounds of the morning.
Sirius Black sat at the Gryffindor table, his attention fixed on the Daily Prophet, a deep frown creasing his brow. The eggs and sausages on his plate had long grown cold, his foot tapping anxiously on the stone floor.
"Are you nervous about your Transfiguration essay?" – Remus asked casually, spooning more porridge into his bowl.
"What?" – the other wizard raised his eyes from the paper.
"It seems like something's weighing on your mind." – Remus remarked – "You're the only one not excited about the Halloween Ball."
"Oh? You want us to discuss outfits and hairstyles?" – Sirius smirked – "I think you'd rock a sparkling blue ensemble!"
"This reaction only proves I'm right, and you're avoiding the topic of what really bothers you." – the other Gryffindor remarked, unimpressed.
The grey-eyed boy sighed with exasperation, tossing the newspaper to his friend. "It's not about the stupid Ball. There are plenty of other things to worry about in this world!"
"Muggle-born witches involved in morally questionable activities? What's that supposed to mean?" – asked Remus, reading the headline.
"It means that some people at the Daily Prophet share that crazy bastard's beliefs, openly or not" – Sirius scoffed angrily – "If you read the article, you'd think that these witches, who complained after being assaulted by a group of wizards in black cloaks, actually invited them to their homes and seduced them 'due to the questionable moral values from growing up in Muggle society.' And then, they wanted to 'trap' those good, pure-blood wizards by fabricating lies to force them into marrying them!"
"This makes absolutely no sense." – the other boy stated, shaking his head.
"Of course it doesn't!" – Sirius hissed, slamming his fist on the table – "They're just trying to insinuate that these women were to blame and exploiting people's lack of understanding of the Muggle world to create division between us and them!"
"I understand that, but I'm not sure what we can do about it." – sighed Remus.
"We shall fight against these lies! We can't allow them to spread within the school!" – Sirius declared, standing up and grabbing his school bag – "I won't let our Muggle-born classmates be subjected to violence and humiliation, even if it means getting into serious trouble!"
"Where are you going?" – Moony asked, struggling to calm his friend. Dealing with intense emotions had always been challenging for him, especially with Sirius, James, and Catherine, as they often boiled over at least once a week.
"I need to find Flame." – the other Gryffindor replied curtly – "She's not wandering alone around the castle anymore! I'm serious this time and I don't care if she likes it or not!"
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" – Remus inquired, catching up with Sirius on his way out of the Great Hall – "You know how touchy she gets about her freedom. If you tell her she can't go alone around the castle, it's the most certain way to ensure she's doing it, just to prove you're wrong and piss you off! Besides, she's probably with James right now. They went out for a jog earlier this morning."
Sirius stopped hesitantly in front of the entrance. He knew Moony was probably right and he couldn't be too forceful with Catherine because she would immediately push back. The young wizard hated that feeling of utter helplessness in the face of imminent danger for his Muggle-born classmates, coupled with the unmistakable sense of disgust and self-loathing due to his own blood-status. His eyes quickly scanned the Gryffindor table, occupied by the happy and unsuspecting students engrossed in everyday concerns like homework, social life, and the latest gossip about the Nebula Nexus's lead singer. The boy's heart clenched with anxiety as he mentally listed all the Muggle-born witches and wizards who could become targets of the raging hatred in the Wizarding society – from Nora, currently happily sharing a toast with Peter, to Mary, looking distressed while whispering something into Gwyneth Jones' ear.
'I'll be damned if I allow anyone to harm them just to prove their supremacy! Not in our House, not in our school, not under my bloody watch!' – Sirius thought with determination, heading towards the Grounds to find Catherine and James, with Remus following, concern etched on his face.
***
"The fuck!" – James exclaimed, clearly irked as he stopped next to Catherine, who greeted him with a smug smile – "How did you get so fast? Must be because you're practically weightless now! Not fair!"
"Don't make excuses for being sloppy." – she retorted, giggling as the boy playfully tickled her sides – "Blimey, learn how to lose with dignity!"
"Why bother? I'm a born winner!" – James chuckled as they strolled leisurely around the Black Lake, pausing occasionally to stretch.
"What are you talking about? I've seen you lose plenty of times!" – the girl teased with a mischievous smile.
"Those are blatant fabrications!" – the wizard dramatically exhaled, winking at Catherine – "You know, my secret is to never give up!"
"Yeah, about that…" – the young witch trailed off, suddenly stopping and focusing on the ground, pondering how to broach a sensitive topic – "I wanted to talk to you about your behaviour towards Lily."
"Behaviour?" – James frowned, confusion flickering in his hazel eyes behind his round glasses – "I'm not sure I understand. I mean, if anyone needs to be lectured on behaviour, it's Evans! She's impossible! Just this week she called me a toerag twice!"
Struggling to maintain a serious expression, Catherine sighed deeply and gently took James by the arm. "Look, the thing is that… I know how much you like Lily, and honestly, I get it! She's gorgeous and funny, and kind – pretty much one of the most popular girls at school, and for a good reason! However, when you're around her, you turn into… for the lack of better term, a total dickhead."
"Excuse me?" – the boy snapped, his face reddening – "Are you serious right now? Isn't it enough that I need to put up with the stuck-up Evans and that aristocratic arse McMahon trailing her like a lost puppy, and now you're criticising me for trying to be friendly and looking out for my classmates?"
"Oh, please, cut the bullshit!" – Catherine retorted, unmoved by his outburst – "Even you know that the way you treat Lily isn't right. You're just too stubborn to admit it and too scared to show that you truly care because she might still reject you!"
"And who appointed you as the chief love chancellor?" – the young wizard responded angrily – "I don't see the boys at school lining up to go on a date with you! Why don't you keep your advice to yourself!"
Catherine stopped abruptly, turned around and dashed off at the opposite direction. 'Fuck!' – James thought, immediately realising his mistake, and quickly followed her. It didn't take him long to spot his friend, sitting at her favourite spot, under the tallest willow tree on the lake shore. She was hugging her knees, her face buried between her hands.
"Flame…" – James called gently, approaching her cautiously – "I'm really sorry for what I said. I was very pissed and lashed out at you. You know I don't mean any of that. Please, don't cry!"
"I'm not crying!" – the girl snapped back, her angry face emerging with flashing green eyes – "But I'll be damned if I ever try to help you again!"
"Please don't!" – the black-haired boy pleaded, sitting down beside his classmate and attempting to hug her despite her initial growl of protest – "If you stop giving me advice, I'm doomed! Between Remus, who speaks only if explicitly asked, Peter, who's better off not speaking at all, and Sirius, whose ideas would most likely get me into trouble, I have nobody, but you to rely on!"
"Stop trying to butter me up!" – Catherine retorted, though the corner of her mouth trembled, betraying a hint of a smile.
"Come on, Flame!" – the young wizard grinned – "How about this? You can knock me off my broom tomorrow during Quidditch practice? Will that make us even?"
"I'd rather not. I want us to win the Quidditch Cup this year, and despite your huge head, you're a brilliant Seeker." – the girl replied with a sarcastic smirk, standing up and dusting off her leggings before heading again towards the castle.
"Ouch!" – James chuckled, quickly catching up with her – "Seriously though, I'm really sorry about earlier!"
"Forget about it." – Catherine shrugged – "But I stand by what I said. You need to tone down your obsession with Lily! She's not your property, and you can't behave in this manner! If you ever want a chance with her, you need to be yourself. Lose the arrogant facade and constant bragging. Just be normal, like you are with me, for instance!"
"It's easy with you." – sighed James, ruffling his already messy black hair – "I just always get so nervous around her, and I feel like whatever I do isn't enough, and she'll never even smile at me."
"Even if that's the case, you can't force her." – the young witch noted – "She's her own person, and she might even decide to date someone else – it's still her choice, and you have no say about it!"
"What?!" – James almost yelled, stopping suddenly – "Is she dating someone? It's that blond prat, isn't it?"
"Not that I know of." – Catherine replied calmly – "But I do assume she'll have a date for the Halloween Ball and, well, one thing can lead to another. You need to take this like a grown-up person. She won't be impressed if you cause a scene like a moody toddler."
James looked at his friend with a desperate expression, as if this was the first time he considered that possibility. He kicked a pebble ahead of him and took a deep breath. "It's not over until it's over! I won't give up!"
"I'm not saying give up." – the black-haired girl insisted – "I'm just advising you to be smarter about it, and most importantly, stop harassing Lily!"
"Harassing her!" – James exclaimed, looking offended – "I would never do such a thing!"
"James, just the other day, you told her that her smile brightened your morning, and two minutes later, you asked her out!" – Catherine pointed out, raising an eyebrow – "Then, when she turned you down, you told her she was missing out on the hottest make-out session of her life!"
"So what's wrong with that?" – the boy argued stubbornly – "I first offered her some sugar and then added a bit of spice!"
"I don't know where you got that brilliant recipe from, but I'm telling you right now, that your 'spice' was a bit much." – the young witch responded, supressing a smile – "As a matter of fact, it was like Hagrid's spiced fruitcake disaster last Saturday. I almost choked! You really need to stop taking relationship advice from Sirius. Honestly, I can't believe Peter's the love expert of our group! Get a grip of yourself!"
The last part made James burst into laughter, throwing his arm around Catherine's shoulders as they took the last steps towards the castle.
"You have a point there, Flame!" – he grinned – "Speaking of the devil! What brought the two of you here? You're late if you want to join us for jogging!"
"We finished breakfast earlier and wanted to make sure everything was alright with both of you." – Sirius said, his expression grave.
"Did something happen?" – the young witch asked with concern, her gaze shifting between the serious faces of her two friends.
"More attacks against Muggle-born women." – Sirius said with disgust – "They're trying to portray these poor witches as being promiscuous, manipulative, immoral vixens who practically raped the poor Death Eaters or whatever those bastards call themselves!"
"Bloody Hell!" – James swore in disbelief – "Is there anyone who would even believe such a bunch of obvious lies and manipulations?!"
"You'd be surprised." – Catherine said in a low voice, her eyes blazing with fury – "Look at all the filthy rumours they spread about me here. They're total bullshit, and despite people knowing me, some still buy into it! All because I'm a Mudblood."
"Don't fucking say this!" – Sirius snapped angrily – "It's hardly your fault a bunch of losers feel so threatened by you that this was the only way they could attack you and hurt your image! In my opinion, you should own this and shut them up!"
"Own being labelled as the Gryffindor slut?!" – asked the witch sarcastically as they entered the building.
"It's certainly not what they expect!" – shrugged the grey-eyed boy – "It's war, Flame! You need to be the one in control in order to avoid any nasty surprises!"
"I think you might be overreacting a bit." – Remus intervened impatiently – "We're just students, after all! These people who have nothing better to do than gossip about us are just pathetic. We shall ignore them. It's the best punishment! It renders them powerless!"
"It's a bit hard to ignore, though, Moony!" – Catherine remarked, her attention drawn to a big, noisy crowd gathered around the message board in the Entrance Hall – "What's all this about?"
The four friends managed to squeeze to the front of the gathering, where they saw everyone pointing at several magical photographs pinned to the message board.
"Holy hippogriff shit!" – James exclaimed, followed by Remus' horrified gasp. It took Catherine a few seconds to distinguish what she was seeing in the moving black and white images.
"Putain de merde!"[1] – Catherine shrieked as she recognised Mary MacDonald in multiple explicitly sexual positions with a guy whose face was not visible, but the young witch could swear was Ronan Nightshade. Some of the students around were giggling, while others whispered vigorously, but the overall tone was hardly sympathetic towards the Gryffindor fourth-year.
"What should we do?" – asked Sirius, who stared at the pictures with a mixture of disbelief and disgust.
"We need to find McGonagall." – the black-haired girl suggested once she regained her ability to speak coherent sentences in English – "But we can't just leave those here! Poor Mary! Take them down before she sees!"
"Too late…" – James groaned, prompting the girl to turn around and see Mary standing almost next to her. There was not a single drop of blood left in her face. Her big docile brown eyes were wide with such horror, that Catherine could feel it radiating physically from her classmate. Her pale lips were trembling as was the rest of her body.
"I didn't know we can use this board for advertising!" - Rodolphus Lestrange chuckled, with the rest of the Slytherins around him laughing and whistling – "Although, I must say, I'm not much into second-hand goods."
"Shut the fuck up!" – James yelled, drawing his wand as Sirius rushed to take down the photographs.
"They've used a Permanent Sticking Charm or something!" – the grey-eyed boy growled after several unsuccessful attempts to remove them.
"Mary!" – Catherine screamed as she saw the other girl collapse unconscious onto the floor.
"What's happening here?" – the authoritative voice of Professor Minerva McGonagall forced the students to make room for her and Carter Thorne. The Head of Gryffindor's gaze fixated on the message board, as she emitted a sound akin to an owl's screech mixed with a cat's hiss when its tail is trodden upon. She quickly noticed the unconscious Mary and hastened to her side. Meanwhile, Thorne attempted to remove the pictures, encountering the same resistance as Sirius had earlier. Suddenly, darkness shrouded the board, rendering it invisible while everything else remained unchanged. Catherine glanced at her Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and noticed his eyes gleaming silver.
'Can Air Mages manipulate light?' – the girl wondered, making a mental note to ask Dumbledore during their next lesson.
"Everyone, proceed to your classes!" – Professor McGonagall ordered, lifting Mary's motionless body with the help of a spell – "There's nothing to be seen here, and I insist you refrain from gossiping about this disturbing and malicious incident!"
"Yeah, right!" – Sirius scoffed as they made their way slowly toward the Grand Staircase – "The entire school will know about it before lunch."
"Poor Mary!" – sighed Remus with genuine concern – "How could such images appear in the first place? Who could be so cruel?!"
"Who do you think?" – Catherine snarled – "This piece of shit Ronan!"
"Ronan? Ronan Nightshade, the sixth-year from Ravenclaw?" – James asked, clearly confused.
"The very same! I'm sure he's the guy in the pictures! He and Mary were dating, but he abruptly broke up with her yesterday. That's why she's been distraught since then!" – the black-haired witch explained, her voice laced with disdain.
"In that case, we're going to handle this." – Sirius declared with a dark smile.
"How?"- Remus and Catherine asked simultaneously, visibly alarmed.
"Mary's reputation may be beyond repair, but that doesn't mean such a low blow should go unanswered. This time, I'm not waiting for the teachers to do nothing. We need to protect our school and our classmates!" – the young wizard proclaimed heatedly, glancing at James, who nodded in agreement.
"Please don't! It's not going to solve anything!" – Catherine begged, realising her plea was entirely futile.
[1] Equivalent to fucking hell or holy shit.
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