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Chapter Text

"Gryffindor," yelled the sorting hat once it had made the difficult decision on where to place (Y/N) Wolffe, a seemingly ordinary pureblood witch. The midnight-haired girl quickly jumped up and ran to her immediate right, a bright smile on her lips as she followed in the footsteps of Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Lily Evans. A small but nervous giggle escaped her as she found a spot, shaking hands with others in the same house, before watching quietly with them as the rest of the first years were sorted into their houses. Lily's mood soured slightly when her friend Severus Snape was sorted into Slytherin, ensuring they were separated and rivals in house competition. Something neither wanted but had no choice but to accept.

(Y/N) was sure her elder siblings thought the same; all three wanted her to be in their house. Her brothers Joaquin and Qimir were in Ravenclaw; both had promised their parents they'd keep an eye on her. (Y/N) being in Ravenclaw would make that a lot easier. Her sister Helena wanted her to be in Hufflepuff with her and the only sibling to encourage her to be herself, even if Helena had also said she was lonely being the only sibling in the Golden House.

"Hi, I'm Marlene," said a small blonde girl. She sat next to (Y/N) after being sorted. Across from them were Remus Lupin and Sirius Black; Lily was next to Sirius, while James was on Marlene's right. A quieter, plump boy, Peter, was next to James, almost shaking with nervousness as if he was about to run from the hall and break down from fright.

Nonetheless, the group initiated a conversation; James confidently apologized to Lily for an incident on the train, hoping it would be water under the bridge now that they were in the same house. Soon enough, Peter joined in, asking random questions and changing the subject several times while enjoying the feast before them, at least until Dumbledore announced that it was time for them to head to the common room.

Only then did the selected Prefects for each house take charge. Each stood at the end of the table closest to the golden door and called loudly for the first years to join them. Once they were sure all were there, the tour through the castle to reach each designated common room began. Whereas the Slytherin students and Hufflepuffs were led toward the dungeons, the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors were led to the grand staircase. Students of both houses were immediately informed that the stairs liked to move, and many admired the pictures moving and greeting them as they passed. Soon enough, the Ravenclaws were led one way while the Gryffindors went the opposite.

As Blaine, the leading prefect, led the first years through the endless corridors, he'd look back now and again, if only to ensure everyone was still present and nobody had gotten lost or wandered off. He kept a close eye on the four boys at the back of the double line, who seemed happy teasing the small group of girls. A slight grin appeared across the prefect's lips upon noticing at least one of the girls was far more than she initially seemed, and he immediately suspected she would be a handful.

"This is Gryffindor Common Room," began Blaine after the group had filed through the doorway, which was guarded and hidden behind the painting of the fat lady. "Girls' dormitories are upstairs to the right, boys' the same on the left. You'll find your belongings have already been brought up," informed Blaine, allowing the first years to marvel at the common room and explore the immediate area before sending them up to the dormitories to find their rooms and discover who their roommates would be for the next seven years.

The tower was cozy. Portraits of past figures hung on the walls, figures who had achieved greatness at some point in history and were undoubtedly former Gryffindor students themselves. The large open fire crackled with life, warming the area in front of it, the large sofa, and the comfortable armchairs on either side. Several tables were scattered around it, and tapestries with the house colors donned the walls.

Upon entering the dormitories, the group of pre-teens all had the same hope: they'd be paired with people they had already begun to form friendships with, people they would get along with. (Y/N) grinned widely upon finding out her wish had been answered. Marlene had come running down the stone spiral steps with excitement, telling her and Lily they were sharing a dorm, the other two being the estranged muggle-born twins that appeared to avoid each other at every given chance. Allegra and Isolde Smith.

"Ugh, I can't believe we have classes right after breakfast tomorrow," muttered Allegra, just as (Y/N), Lily, and Marlene entered the rounded room. Instantly, it was clear Allegra had been talking to herself rather than her twin on the opposite side of the room. "They should give us time to explore, get used to the castle," she added as she continued to unpack, yet to notice her three other dormmates finding their bunks. Instead, she ignored them with intent, choosing to decorate her little area with pictures from home, photos of the friends she had to leave behind; she placed a teddy bear on her bed, her favorite one, a white fuzzy thing with a pink silky ribbon, the bear itself was tatty with age but still cute.

Before long, she voiced her complaints about the standard sheets and blankets every student was given weren't up to her standard, nor were the curtains surrounding her bunk to her liking; the single bunk wasn't enough space, and a list of other things that couldn't be changed, including the windows not having curtains to block out the light and the door not having a proper lock.

(Y/N) on the other hand, she merely shook her head and continued to unpack the smaller truck her parents had done for her, filled with little things that would help the dorm feel more like home and make the settling-in process a little easier. A small smile came to her lips upon finding the small care package her sister Helena had hidden at the bottom, and Joaquin had undoubtedly slipped in the random potion ingredients. The care package from Helena was filled with her favorite sweets, from muggle gummy snakes to the more magical creations such as acid pops, chocolate frogs, and sugar quills. There was a box of Bertie Bott's every-flavor beans, too.

"Bertie Botts?" kindly offered (Y/N), opening the box and holding it out for her roommates to take a handful. "Fair warning, they mean every flavor," she added, cluing the three muggle-born girls in, if only to save them the nasty shock when they inevitably got a questionable one and save them the horrible thoughts someone was playing a mean-spirited prank on them. Marlene was the first to take a handful, and she had a soft smile on her lips as she did so; she always had a soft spot for the daring, sweet jelly beans.

Allegra, too, took a handful, a smug smile painted on her lips as she resisted the urge to take the entire box for herself and consider it a welcome gift. But thankful she thought better of it; after all, her silly twin sister and the other three girls she didn't care to learn the names of were set to be her roommates for the entire school year and the following six after it. She had to be civil with them at the very least; maybe if they were lucky, she would build a friendship with them, or they would be helpful to her.

"What are your names anyway?" spat Allegra, as if the thought of getting to know the three strange girls poisoned her. She soon pushed her light, sandy-colored hair over her shoulder, her face screwing up after getting a particularly sour-flavored bean through watery hazel eyes; she could have sworn her sister Isolde had streams flowing from her ears. "And blood status. A boy on the train was telling me about the different magical blood types," rudely. Still, curiosity demanded the pre-teen girl as she rummaged through her truck to find her favorite pajamas, if only so she could get comfortable in the new environment surrounding her.

"I'm Lily," answered the nervous redhead girl; she was small for her age, but her green eyes were beautiful, the color of forest leaves as they bloomed. She hugged a teddy bear to her chest, unsure how to answer the second bit, even more so when she wasn't aware there was a difference between them. All of them were magical; what did blood have to do with it? "Erm, Muggleborn, I think," she added, clearly displaying discomfort with the conversation, even if her best friend Severus had mentioned the three blood types before when explaining what made her special compared to her elder sister Petunia.

Marlene soon disappeared, followed by (Y/N) and Lily; there was little doubt they were heading to the dorm bathroom to change, giving the Smith Twins some privacy to do the same. The moment the trio returned, Allegra insisted they return to their previous conversation. She seemed annoyed by the idea of being in a dorm of muggle-born girls like herself yet thrilled at the thought at least one or both of the others were purebloods. (Y/N) was the first to introduce herself, revealing she was indeed a pure-blood. However, she kept her abilities as a metamorphmagi a secret for the time being until she was sure she could trust the girls around her a little more or was left with little option but to reveal it. However, she revealed she was the youngest of four siblings in the years above, the closest being Helena and Joaquin, in their third year.

Marlene introduced herself shortly thereafter, revealing she was a half-blood and the oldest of five, with four younger brothers attending the school in the coming years. Upon speaking of siblings, Lily mentioned her elder sister, Petunia, showing the girls a picture of the sisters together. She also explained that although she was older, Petunia didn't attend Hogwarts despite expressing her desire.

Isolde revealed she and Allegra had siblings, both younger and older. They were the first of their family to find out they were witches and attend the school. She told the story of the day Professor McGonagall had visited the seemingly ordinary family to personally deliver the acceptance letters and explain what it would mean for the sisters. Almost instantly, everything that had once been so normal was anything but. Since finding out they were witches, so much had changed; Isolde had lost many of her friends because of the sudden change, more because she couldn't tell them why she was going to a boarding school instead of a regular one with them. Whereas Allegra had reveled in being unique and better than all her siblings, she had a never-ending rivalry with them. Finally, she had a reason to look down on her other siblings, although she was given a nasty slap of reality during the train ride to the school, especially because she learned that she wasn't as remarkable as she wanted to be. Others were like her, and some were more powerful.

The switching conversations and bonding between the girls continued until each dropped into a peaceful slumber. Allegra was the first to fall for the lure of sleep; it had been an eventful day. Lily followed soon after, wishing each a good night before snuggling beneath the warm covers and snuggling her teddy bear a little closer. Isolde was the next to fall asleep, the call to do so too powerful for her to ignore, although she tried her best to stay awake a little longer. Finally, after a few more minutes of talking and bonding, Marlene and (Y/N) settled down for the night also, suspecting the following day would filled with mystery, adventure, and the inevitable learning, as well as trying to find their way around the massive castle and learning their place with the wizarding world that awaited them at the end of the seven years. One other challenge would await, too: discovering who they were and finding their group of supportive friends. 

Chapter Text

The first year at Hogwarts had gone by without anything significant happening. Lily continued to spend time with her best friend, Severus Snape, a bright but introverted Slytherin student. At the same time, Marlene and (Y/N) often spoke to each other and swapped notes during classes they attended, slowly building an inseparable friendship. Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter had quickly built a strong friendship, eventually branding themselves The Marauders and priding themselves on their mischievous antics. Throughout the first year, they successfully proved themselves to be a collection of nuisances. The four of them had found themselves raveled in a prank war with another student, although they couldn't tell you who it was, mainly because the person had successfully remained elusive.

At the same time, James had grown fond of tormenting Snape, although nobody knew why. He had, however, recruited Sirius and Peter to his course. Remus often became the voice of reason, although it hadn't changed anything. Isolde had bonded with Lily, Marlene, and (Y/N) quickly, finding common ground with them so much so that she was often seen in the Great Hall with the three girls during breakfast, lunch, and dinner and had taken the time to explore the massive castle with them. Allegra had joined them but soon branded them boring and stayed in the common room; she only joined the girls if they were in the Great Hall. Unfortunately, Allegra had yet to find her own set of friends due to her judgemental and entitled attitude and the need to control everything and everyone around her.

At the end of the first year, Hufflepuff had won the House Cup, and Ravenclaw had been crowned Quidditch Champions. The train ride home was filled with talks about summer plans and promises of friends writing to each other. Those with older siblings were reunited for the ride home, whereas those who didn't were soon reunited with their families when the journey to Kings Cross Station ended.

The second year was when things started to heat up. After a comment or two from James about being mischievous, he'd found out who the mystery opponent was in the prank war. (Y/N) had hidden herself rather well at first, a sneaky jinx or curse here and there, normally when going from class to class. Occasionally, she'd switch his books or transfigure something. She hid well enough that he'd never suspected her until she made it obvious. (Y/N) had successfully caught James with the Bat Bogey Hex but had tripped over several things during her escape attempt. From then on, there was no quiet time or peace when the two were around.

"I swear, one day I'm gonna catch her," commented James, as the second-year Gryffindor and Slytherin students left Charms class that afternoon; the last class of the day was the ever-boring History of Magic with the droning Professor Bins. The ghostly man could bore anyone to death, himself included. Most students barely paid attention; some messed around while others inevitably fell asleep.

Remus chuckled loudly to James' oath, and he'd long since worked out what (Y/N)'s secret was. She was different from everyone else. Plus, he knew the odds were very much against James. He'd only catch (Y/N) if and when she wanted him to. The same went for anyone else who attempted to catch the mischievous girl quickly becoming the Bane of Hogwarts. She was quiet, almost innocent, appearing to those who didn't know her, but those who saw her true personality shine knew she was anything but. Gifted with curiosity, she often used to experiment with potions and spells, intelligent beyond her years, clumsy, and mischievous like no other.

"I've got detention with her later on," announced Sirius, recalling the separate incidences in potions that had landed him and (Y/N) in detention. "Slughorn wasn't thrilled when she stumbled over something and knocked everything off the shelves, even less pleased when she managed to turn her cauldron into dancing green goo," he laughed. Poor Slughorn had been mortified when (Y/N) had tripped and caused such a mess, but he had understood it was due to her clumsy nature and that it hadn't meant any harm. On the other hand, the cauldron was harder to explain; Slughorn was unsure whether she'd neglected to listen or had gotten bored and experimented with the different ingredients available.

Sirius had landed a month's detention after ignoring all instructions and mixing the ingredients at the wrong time. This resulted in an acidic sludge-like liquid that melted through everything, destroying the cauldron and bubbling through the thick wooden table, blackening the stone floor below.

"What is it with you and (Y/N)?" questioned James, noticing how Sirius had taken a liking to the mischievous witch; many times since returning for their second year, had he purposely gotten detention when she had. Like the quidditch team, Sirius hadn't shown any interest until he learned (Y/N) had signed up for the tryouts, aiming to earn the position of Chaser. Remus had noticed, too, but said Sirius had met his match and was likely just curious about her Metamorphic abilities; after all, it was rare to come upon someone with those specific abilities. It was so rare that hardly anything was known about them.

"Sirius and (Y/N) sitting in a tree," started Peter, a wide grin stretched across his lips; it quickly faded the moment he looked to his left, where Remus, James, and Sirius had diverted their attention. Walking quietly along with the four boys was (Y/N). A wicked grin of her own painted on her lips as her sapphire eyes shone with the familiar mischievous gleam. With a cheeky wink, she ran to catch up with Marlene, Lily, and Isolde just ahead of the boys. As she did, her regular midnight locks began to turn dark purple. The change quickly sparked most Marauders to question which charm or spell she had used to get her hair to do such a thing. Once again, Remus chuckled, recalling the year prior when he learned (Y/N)'s secret she'd told him after accidentally discovering his. Both had agreed to keep the other's secret.

"Hey, James," called Allegra Smith from behind the group of boys. A bright smile was plastered across her lips as she called for one of the boys she found herself with an innocent crush on. There was no end to the times she had told her roommates how brave she thought James was; she'd also written about him in her little journal. Unsurprisingly, the four boys turned; Allegra was alone; most avoided her, especially the girls with whom she had a competitive streak, often one side.

"To the earlier topic," spoke Sirius, his wicked grin coming to his lips as his fluffy, dark-curly hair blew in the breeze. "Miss-Flirts-A-Lot has a better chance at achieving her yearly goal than you do at catching (Y/N), James," laughed the eldest Black brother. Remus soon laughed loudly again, seeing the truth to the statement, even when Allegra's goals appeared to be causing endless drama and proclaiming she was the most powerful witch of the second year.

The group, including Allegra, were soon walking up the steps to Professor Bin's classroom, immediately being met with playful whispers, and every student present lined up at the back of the room. Only when everyone had arrived did Professor Bins announce a seating plan, whereupon he began to float to each desk and called the names of both students that would sit there? Despite the protest and loud groans of the students, he continued until everyone had their assigned place and work partner. Some were far happier than others.

Peter had been placed in the front row, directly in front of Binn's desk; Allegra was his partner, much to the dismay of both. Whereas Peter kept his complaints to himself, Allegra huffed and puffed. She wanted to be paired with one of her crushes or be in the back row. Neither of which she got. On the row behind, Lily had been paired with Severus; their simple request for the previous lesson had been considered. In the third row, James was paired with Isolde, the furthest from the window, so James couldn't cause any trouble and was as far from Sirius as possible. Close to them were the pair of Samantha Castro and Jessica Rosier and Georgie Wise and Raya Snyde were close by.

Only two pairs were on the back row. Remus and Marlene are in the middle, and Sirius and (Y/N) are near the window. The latter pair were at least grateful for their view while being bored to tears. As expected, the lesson was long and tedious. Professor Bins droned on and on in his usual monotone voice, so much so that he'd not noticed when the pranks began, and students moved around in what appeared to be a game of musical seats. James' attempt to jinx (Y/N) caught a dozing Sirius instead, although the one he sent Snape's way had found its mark. Severus had answered back with a hex of his own just as quickly; to Lily's dismay, the redhead wasted little time reprimanding both.

Allegra had also attempted to get in on the action, finding herself incredibly jealous of her twin sister, Isolde, in the row behind her, laughing and joking with James while swapping notes folded into origami birds with Lily, Marlene, and (Y/N). Of course, Allegra had attempted to Jinx her twin but had failed miserably when nothing happened. Instead, she embarrassed herself and showed how little attention she had paid in charm class. Although her attempt had gained the attention of Samantha, Georgie, Ulrica, and Jessica, almost as if they had seen something in her.

"How'd you get your hair to change color like that?" asked Sirius upon noticing (Y/N)'s hair changing color again, going from dark purple to a lighter lilac shade. He'd watched it slowly change, noticing she never uttered a single word or touched her wand resting in front of her. Her hair had just changed color as if it had a mind of its own. (Y/N) had been doodling before her hair had changed color, scribbling down what looked like potion ingredients and book titles. Just minding her own business. "A potion or a spell?" he asked, suspecting her hair's changing color resulted from an experiment with advanced magic. After all, she was no stranger to trying advanced magic; even seventh-years would struggle with it; sometimes, she failed. Other times, she surprised everyone when she succeeded.

"Magic," simply replied (Y/N). A yawn escaped her shortly thereafter, although the smallest grin appeared afterward. The mischievous gleam appeared once more when she glanced over to Sirius. A bout of giggles escaped her upon seeing his deadpan expression.

"Are you serious?" he worded in response, although he'd admit he'd opened up himself to the quick-witted answer.

"Nope, you're Sirius," laughed (Y/N) in response, bearing witness as the familiar grin appeared across his lips.

"Okay, I'll admit that was a good one," Sirius casually responded, finding something oddly funny about the response. Quickly, he questioned why no one had thought of such a response before. Not even his quick-minded little brother, Regulus, had thought of it. "What do you suppose old Slughorn will have us doing in detention tonight?" he asked, curious if her line of thought was the same as his.

"Cleaning up our messes probably," replied (Y/N), hearing James loudly proclaim he was in love with Professor Bins, Allegra in front of his and Isolde's desk fuming about something with cheeks the color of beetroot, once again it appeared as she was embarrassed by something. Isolde, on the other hand, laughed loudly; there was little doubt she'd been the one to dare James to yell such a thing if only to see if he would do it. "Or replacing the ingredients we used/scattered everywhere," laughed (Y/N), suspecting it would be boring, although she smiled brightly nonetheless.

"Meh, could be worse," voiced Sirius once Bins had turned his attention back to the chalkboard, at least after he'd scared Allegra into returning to her seat. "We could be sent to do tasks with our dear old caretaker, Pringle," he added, recalling seeing the caretaker continue his crusade against Peeves recently. The mischief-loving poltergeist always caused chaos somewhere in the castle and havoc for students and professors alike. It wasn't unusual for Peeves to purposely send students in the wrong direction or juggle something above a selected group. Occasionally, he'd wind up other ghosts, too; his latest target had been Moaning Murtle in the girl's bathroom.

"Or maybe we'll get the fun of trying to prune the Whomping Willow or polishing the old trophies again," laughed (Y/N), knowing the punishments from Pringle could be far more brutal than just cleaning and helping with maintenance. Pringle had been known to whip out corporal punishments before, anything from a simple night in the dungeons to whipping out the old-fashioned cane. The select few had been sent to retrieve something from within the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid.

"I'll take my chances with the cane rather than trying to prune that bloody tree," spoke Sirius, remembering when the Marauders had wandered too close to it not too long ago. James had been whipped back with a thunderous branch to the ribs, and Peter hadn't faired any better with the long twisting vines. Lucky for Sirius, Remus had pulled him out of harm's way before he, too, was thrown around by the defensive tree.

"Come now, where's your sense of adventure," replied (Y/N), recalling her first encounter with the enchanted tree. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, although she'd admit she'd come out the losing end. A few nights in the hospital wing, there was a nasty-tasting potion as Madam Pomfrey fixed the broken bones. 

Chapter Text

Detention that night had initially been more eventful than both (Y/N) and Sirius expected. For one reason or another, James had been given detention mere hours before by one of the head boys, as had Allegra's courtesy of McGonagall. The four had spent detention together in the transfiguration classroom, and McGonagal personally oversaw their progress after she had assigned them individual tasks. James and Allegra's was simple enough; both had been sitting at desks near the front of the room, writing lines repeatedly and ensuring they would learn from their mistakes. Sirius, too, was sat at one of the desks; his only task was to properly brew the potion he had intentionally turned into an acidic sludge earlier in the day.

(Y/N), On the other hand, was tasked with repairing the school books stashed away in the closet at the back of the room. After which, she would polish the goblets. For both tasks, she had found a comfortable spot on the floor in front of the large cabinet. McGonagall anticipated that (Y/N) would finish both tasks, but she had another, more meaningful one in mind before the determination ended.

Of course, Allegra had complained about her punishment's unfairness, having to sit silently and write the exact words repeatedly. She and James had been forbidden to speak unless it was to ask for a small break or to use the bathroom. James didn't complain much; his only comments were directed at Sirius and (Y/N) before he started writing. He instructed one to follow the recipe for the potion correctly this time and wished the other good luck regarding her clumsiness. To McGonagall, it appeared James was happy to do what was asked of him, especially knowing two friends were close by.

"Gosh, this is so pointless," muttered Allegra when she put her quill down and shook her cramped hand. She'd only written a few lines, already bored of the task and wishing she could get up and leave if only to do something more fun. A sigh escaped her. She knew the desire to leave was impossible, given McGonagall was the Head of Gryffindor House. On the other hand, Professor McGonagall sent Allegra an unamused glare until the second year picked up her quill again and began to write, sighing loudly as if to protest against such a tedious task without uttering a single word.

"You can always spend detention in Mr. Pringle's care, Miss Smith," spoke Professor McGonagall after several minutes of the pointless signing. Her words were sharp and suggested she was in no mood for the attitude Allegra typically displayed when things were going as she wanted. Allegra soon froze, quickly thinking over her options as McGonagall glanced at the other three spotted around her classroom. Noting how each followed her instruction without question or protest. James sat quietly on the opposite side of the room to Allegra, continuing to write the lines given to him. Besides the earlier comments, his only sound was the quill dipping into the ink pot and the occasional cough and sneeze.

Likewise, Sirius was quietly brewing his potion now, occasionally looking at the potion book to ensure he was putting the right ingredients in at the right time. Meanwhile, (Y/N) was sat quietly on the floor at the back of the room, two piles of books in front of her and the goblets lined up to her side. One stack of books had already been repaired, whereas she was slowly working through the other. Neither Sirius nor (Y/N) spoke a word, although the latter did hum a song. Sirius had become distracted by her several times; however, it was not enough to prevent him from completing the task. McGonagall noted (Y/N) wasn't aware she was using her metamorphic abilities.

"Mr Potter, you may take a break from your lines," stated McGonagall after walking around the room. She'd completed her task of marking the first year's written work. Afterward, she'd walked around the room to check up on the four in her company. Finding James had written two whole parchment pieces of lines and was midway down his third. On the other hand, Allegra wasn't even a quarter of the way down her first. Instead, she'd wasted time doodling and protested the detention by laying her head on the desk.

James nodded before standing to stretch his protesting limps; shortly thereafter, he made the quiet request to go to the bathroom. A request that was granted with a silent nod. McGonagall walked to the back of the room soon after, finding (Y/N) was now polishing the goblets, still humming songs. Sirius wasn't too far from her, carefully brewing his potion while subtle bobbing his head to the music (Y/N) hummed. Now and again, he'd turn his attention to the potion recipe if only to ensure he got it right this time.

"Miss Wolffe," called McGonagall, noticing neither she nor Sirius had seen when she'd left her desk at the front of the class, both being too preoccupied with their tasks; she unintentionally gave them a fright when she'd spoken. "After you've finished polishing the goblets, please see me at my desk," requested the Head of Gryffindor House, receiving a silent nod from the young metamorphic witch. With that the transfiguration professor waltzed off to the front of the room once more, but not before complimenting Sirius on his potion. Once at her desk, she picked up an old, thick, heavy book, stepped over to Allegra's desk, and slammed it down next to the childish girl, startling Allegra and the remaining two at the back of the classroom.

"Tell me, Miss Smith," began McGonagall, her voice even despite her rigid and unyielding glare. "How is it Miss Wolffe and Mr. Black and Potter can complete their tasks without complaint while you can not?" she asked, ensuring her voice matched the coldness of her eyes and annoyance. Allegra had tried to say something in response several times, opening and closing her mouth as if she were a fish out of water. During this time, James returned and silently went back to writing his lines, unknowingly proving McGonagall's point and killing any attempt Allegra had to use him in an argument.

"It's not my fault it's so damn boring," confidently spoke the muggle-born witch after regaining her ability to communicate. The moment the words left her lips, she felt as if she was on top of the world, although that feeling vanished just as quickly when her hazel eyes landed on the Deputy Head and Transfiguration Professor. "I have to write boring lines, while Sirius gets to brew a flipping potion and (Y/N) does meaningless tasks. It's not fair; I shouldn't even be here in the first place. I didn't do anything wrong," complained Allegra, comparing her punishment to both minding their own business at the back of the classroom. It was as if she had somehow tricked herself into believing she was above the school rules and, therefore, resolved to take no responsibility for her actions.

"I didn't see anything appropriate about your behavior either, Miss Smith," commented McGonagall, briefly turning her attention to the remaining three students. "I have yet to understand how you believe bullying Miss McKinnon and trying to force others to do as you want is anything but wrong," she continued, once again her voice stern as she reminded Allegra why she had ended up in detention in the first place. However, upon further thought, McGonagall questioned if writing lines was suitable; perhaps the young witch deserved a harsher punishment, especially when the transfiguration professor was so sure Marlene was neither the first nor the only victim of Allegra's bullying.

"How is what I supposedly did any worse than what these three idiots have done?" Allegra said with little respect or care. She was angry and bored and wanted nothing more than to leave. She knew she couldn't, so she was happy to voice her displeasure and make it everyone else's problem.

"Mr. Potter is here because of his actions regarding Mr. Snape and Miss Evans," began McGonagall, once again taking note that James never argued with the punishment, nor had he protested in any way. "Likewise, Mr. Black is here to catch up with the rest of the potions class by correctly brewing the one he intentionally messed up; as for Miss Wolffe, she is here because of something out of her control; nevertheless, she has accepted not all will understand her abilities or effects it has," added the transfiguration professor, at least giving a reason why (Y/N) had been given meaningless tasks instead of writing lines.

When Professor McGonagall returned to her desk, Allegra pulled a face at her, wrongly believing she wouldn't be punished further for her childish behavior. McGonagall sent another cold glare in Allegra's direction, only turning her attention to (Y/N) when Allegra picked up her quill and began to write her lines again. Upon turning her attention to (Y/N), McGonagall gave her a small stack of envelopes before giving her instructions and sending her off to complete the final task. This time, with the knowledge, (Y/N) wouldn't return to the classroom but to Gryffindor Tower once her task was done.

"James, Sirius," called Allegra, just minutes after (Y/N) had left the classroom; once again, the entitled girl disregarded the spoken rules and actively ignored the professor overseeing detention. Instead, she chose to do her own thing to end her eternal boredom faster and escape from the haunting, quiet room. "Want to hang out sometime? Maybe walk around the grounds or talk?" she asked, her hazel eyes switching between both boys, although she failed to see the identical expressions of horror pass over their features.

"I'd rather kiss a Niffler," voiced Sirius from the back of the room, quickly refocusing on his potion; he was so close to finishing it. A yawn soon escaped him. The boring class with Professor Bins still plagued him, as if it had somehow drained him of all the extra energy he usually had. The sudden quietness did nothing to help; now (Y/N) wasn't there humming songs, and time seemed to slow down to a painful drag or stop altogether.

James failed to hold his amusement over Sirius' comment, especially with how quickly he'd spoken and with nothing but a matter-of-factly tone. No humor had rung through his voice or sarcasm. McGonagall had only shot a soft warning glare in Sirius' direction, ensuring he knew his comment wasn't appropiate even if it was justified. She'd noticed many students actively avoided the muggle-born witch, although they were at least subtle about it, as long as Allegra took the hint and left them alone.

"Mr. Black, when you're finished, you may find Miss Wolffe and return to Gryffindor Tower," announced Professor McGonagall, suspecting Sirius was close to completing the potion and the task required of him, thrust the only thing that awaited him was to find (Y/N) and help her finish the delivery task. There was little doubt in McGonagall's mind that Peeves would find (Y/N) eventually; the poltergeist had seemingly been attracted by the chaos so often associated with her.

When Sirius quietly left the classroom, Allegra soon began to complain again, quickly stating it was unfair both (Y/N) and Sirius could go before her, even more so when she was still stuck doing something she had expressed no interest in. Her complaints soon included her offense to James and Sirius ignoring her and Sirius's harsh comments in response to her kind-hearted question. It soon became evident Allegra didn't care if her constant complaining, entitlement, and bullying behavior didn't endear her to others. Even more apparent, however, was Allegra's lack of care when it came to paying attention in classes and the adverse effect it would have on her plans post-graduation and possible career choices unless she planned to reintegrate into the oblivious muggle world, as many had chosen to do before. 

Chapter Text

"What are you doing?" questioned Remus from his spot at one of the tables. He'd been studying for the upcoming end-of-term exams, hoping that James, Sirius, and Peter would eventually be inspired enough to join him. However, the sound of something bubbling and the odd puff coming from the area near the roaring fire had gained his attention. (Y/N) appeared almost innocent, sat on the floor, surrounded by bits and bobs, a piece of parchment, quill, and ink to one side with her bubbling cauldron before her.

Lily, Marlene, and Isolde were close by, on the sofa opposite the fire, catching up after another long day. From what Remus had heard, it appeared as if they were quizzing each other, helping each other study for the same end-of-term exams. Now and again, one of them would look over to (Y/N), quietly minding her own business, but they didn't interfere outside of asking if she was okay.

"Experimenting," replied (Y/N), as she gently added a powdery substance to the boiling liquid before leaning back just enough to avoid the poof that emanated from the cauldron. Remus shook his head before returning to his studies, keeping an eye on his curious-minded friend as the girls surrounding her did. He soon determined the potion was another way to cause chaos later or another attempt at creating something new, similar to the previous month's fire powder.

Isode soon let out a chuckle upon noticing (Y/N) was noting the ingredients she added to the experimental potion and tallying every time someone asked her what she was doing. Once again, the muggle-born wondered why the Sorting Hat had placed (Y/N) in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw. (Y/N) had the intelligence to fit right into the house, even more so when her older brothers had also been sorted into the house in the years prior. She was always trying to master some spell or charm, even if it was far more advanced than what she was learning. She liked a challenge and always kept trying until she eventually succeeded.

An ear-piercing shriek rattling throughout the tower soon shattered the comfortable quiet that had fallen over the common room. Allegra soon stormed down the spiral steps from the girls' dormitories. In her hands was the sparkling dress she intended to wear to her upcoming date with James, which she'd sneakily tricked him into. The sequin dress had shrunk until it resembled a top; long claw-like tears had also shredded the chest and sleeves.

Isolde attempted to focus on studying after realizing what her entitled twin had been shrieking about. Everyone else looked at Allegra with confusion and startlement. Sirius and James shared identical looks of bewilderment upon returning from the library. Both joined Remus at his chosen spot, their hair alight with colorful but harmless flames. On the other hand, poor Peter had stopped in terror and frozen in fear at the shrieking, almost confused like everyone else. He hadn't found the will to ignore the commotion like others had.

"You're fire powder works," called Sirius, placing the dusty books Remus had sent him to find on the table. (Y/N) offered a small chuckle upon seeing Sirius and James. She quickly noticed they had attempted to put the flames out. The flames should have been a deep purple, similar to the color her hair went when she was up to something mischievous. Instead, the flames that harmlessly adorned Sirius' hair were a silvery blue, similar to his eyes. James' had turned a flamingo pink, the color of the potion he'd been trying to brew in class that afternoon.

Wordlessly (Y/N) waved her wand and extinguished the harmless flames; her grin grew as she wondered how many others had found the playful powder. She knew, eventually, the flames would burn themselves out; she'd designed them so they'd only last an hour or two. At some point, it registered with those in the common room; Allegra had stopped screaming and shouting about her sequin date dress being ruined. Instead, she stood silently between the two groups, looking between them as if bewildered at how they could ignore her when she had something important to say and a culprit to find.

"Did you succeed in casting the Patonus Charm?" asked James, recalling returning from detention the week prior, only to find (Y/N) sitting on the back of the sofa attempting to castle the difficulty; she'd got a few silvery whisps but nothing more. "I'd wage anything your patronus will be as crazy as you when you finally conjure it," he announced, noticing Allegra had become intrigued at the mention of advanced magic, as was typical. After all, She thought she was the most powerful witch of the second year. (Y/N) however, she simply shook her head at the question asked. She hadn't succeeded yet but wasn't about to give up either. Eventually, she'd work out where she was going wrong.

"You mean if (Y/N) can cast it," began Allegra, her comment rude and dripped with arrogance. "That's advanced magic; most adults can't cast it," she added with the same tone, this time with a smug smile painted across her lips as her judgemental eyes landed on the metamorphic witch in question. (Y/N) didn't notice, though. Instead, she continued with the potion she'd been quietly brewing for almost an hour, once again neglecting to study in favor of settling her curiosity.

"When," corrected Remus calmly; Allegra grinned upon hearing his voice, believing she'd finally gained his attention. Still, when she turned her attention to him, a huff escaped her; Remus hadn't even taken his eyes from the book he'd been reading, not even spared her a glance. "(Y/N)'s smart; she'll figure it out eventually. After the fire powder last month and the sinkhole last week, there's little doubt she'll succeed sooner or later," he added, with pride quietly ringing through his voice. The witch in question was his friend, who had kept his secret since working it out the year prior. On top of that, she always spared the time to help him during full moons, regardless of the potential cost of doing so.

"I'm the most powerful witch of our year," declared Allegra again, ignoring James' comment with a simple If you say so. Everyone knew Allegra severely lacked skills with charms and potions; she struggled with even the simplest of spells, mainly due to her unwillingness to listen if the subject wasn't about her and what she wanted. "If I can't cast the spell, then no one else will be able to either," she continued, looking to the group of girls near the roaring fire as if trying to determine which was the culprit responsible for shrinking and ruining her sequin dress. She intended to curse the one responsible once she had decided which hex to use.

"You can't even cast the reparo spell to fix your precious dress," voiced Isolde, reaching her wits' end with her twin sister's attitude. Almost instantly, an awkward and uncomfortable silence fell over the common room. No one dared utter a word as the Smith twins began to stare at each other as if silently declaring one another their enemy.

Despite most avoiding the twins when they got into sibling rivalries and arguments, no one could deny how different they were or how much they'd both changed. Whereas Allegra had been branded the entitled brat of the pair, Isolde was the helpful one anyone could talk to. Surprising to most, though, was the lack of a bond between the sisters; there was no inseparable mentality between them, and their personalities were as different as they were as fraternal twins. They were like day and night, the sun and moon.

Allegra soon pulled out her wand, pointing it at her twin before loudly attempting to hex her with the Bat-boggy hex, which she'd seen plenty of students across all years cast for fun and with so much ease. Much to Allegra's horror, nothing happened; the only sound was James and Peter's stifled laughter, (Y/N)'s bubbling potion, and the sound of pages of a book being turned. Isolde, however, only looked at Allegra with confusion; pity shimmered in her golden eyes, too, that her twin could fall so far and struggled to cast even simple spells a first-year could do.

Having settled over the common room, the tension was soon shattered by a loud, deafening bang, followed by the surprised yelp from (Y/N) as she was hurled backward. Lily and Marlene quickly left the comfort of the sofa, running to the window close by where (Y/N) had landed after colliding with the stone wall. Besides an expression of confusion, shinged hair, and a blackened face, (Y/N) appeared all right.

Sirius and Remus soon joined the trio of girls, working together to pull (Y/N) back to her feet, all noticing when she winced in pain and held the back of her head again. The group shared concerned glances before Lily instructed both boys to help (Y/N) to the hospital wing, if only to ensure she had no long-term injuries or last effects from the explosive potion. She, Marlene, and Isolde would do their best to clear up the mess the blast had left in its wake and explain to the prefects and Professor McGonagall what happened when they inevitably came to investigate the source of the explosion.

"Come on, let's get you to Madam Ponfrey," worded Remus, leading (Y/N) from the common room with help from Sirius. All three left just as Allegra began throwing her customary tantrum. Now, she wasn't the center of attention. The trio managed to dodge a few books and other objects the muggle-born threw their way as they left; it wouldn't be long before she started to scream, shout, and attempt to curse and hex people who dared ignore her again. "So, who got to the dress?" he asked when the trio turned onto the moving staircase, and he was confident Allegra hadn't followed them in an attempt to escape McGonagall's ire and reprimand.

"Isolde," admitted (Y/N), her voice bearly above a whisper and akin to a pained moan. Still, she remembered when Isolde had admitted to tampering with the dress shortly after Allegra had bragged about the date she had tricked James into, the same way she had tricked a Hufflepuff boy sometime before. "She said she did it to avenge Marlene and help James get out of the date," she added, ignoring as her hair began to change, turning a dark emerald green, the shade associated with pain.

"That beat James' ideas," voiced Sirius, hoping by getting (Y/N) to talk, they'd distract her from the obvious pain; after all, he and Remus were about the only reason she could even stand, let alone walk. "He had excuses like Quidditch Practice on his list and was thinking of giving her Frogs Spawn Soap in hopes of getting out the dreadful idea of a date," he added, being thankful his comments during detention had put him on Allegra's I hate you list, mainly because she'd left him alone for the most part, aside from a comment here and there.

The three soon turned off on the first floor; the constant sound of the clock pendulum swing filled the corridor as they headed toward the hospital wing and Madam Ponfrey's office. The trio suspected McGonagall would have arrived at the tower by now to investigate the course of the bang and ensure everyone was okay. No doubt she would have stopped Allegra's useless tantrum again.

"With luck, my next experiment will be less explosive," chuckled (Y/N), at least displaying her curiosity hadn't been dampened despite the painful side effects even if she was faced with explaining what happened, recovering from any injuries and thinking of a suitable name for the potion, she was sure her mother would be proud of. Remus could only roll his eyes at (Y/N)'s comment while Sirius chuckled, suspecting there was little anyone could say or do to dissuade her or her curiosity and mischief.

"Is there anything you can't do?" casually asked Remus, the words seemingly falling from his lips before he could stop them. The moment they did, Sirius shot the usual but infamous expression he sent everyone who asked stupid questions, the same on James and Peter had been on the receiving end too many times to count. (Y/N) however, seemed amused by the question, likely having realized he'd not meant any offense by it.

"Stay out of trouble," replied (Y/N) with honesty. If she wasn't curiously experimenting with spells and potions, she was causing chaos and mischief around the school. Living up to the title caretaker Pringle had bestowed her with, the Bane of Hogwarts. After all, she was always in detention for one reason or another. Her brilliant mind could win Gryffindor points, but her mischief often led to the typical detention and losing house points.

Another light bout of laughter soon escaped (Y/N), tainted with pain again. This time, however, it was a question many had asked her siblings since she started attending the school the previous year. How, in the name of magic, were her siblings, Qimir, Joaquin, and sweet Helena, related to her? After all, they were so different; Helena was kind and gentle, fitting for a Hufflepuff student, although Joaquin was mischievous. He'd yet to reach (Y/N) levels, whereas Qimir, her eldest brother, barely had a sense of humor; the two were opposites.

"Professors still wonder how Helena and I could be sisters," commented (Y/N) with slight laughter. Helena was a fourth-year Hufflepuff, a member of the quidditch team, a future prefect, and a friend to everyone. She loved spells, charms, and potions, like their mother, but she wasn't known to frequent detention or cause mischievous trouble, although she had knowingly allowed several students to walk into the line of fire when it came to the prank war.

"I'm still trying to figure out how you can ace classes, study, and experiment with things while still finding time to cause mischief and chaos and attend quidditch practice," voiced Sirius, recalling (Y/N) had successfully made it on to Gryffidor's team that year, alongside himself and James, all three were chasers.

The trio soon entered the hospital wing, and Madam Pomfrey quickly instructed Remus and Sirius to aid (Y/N) onto one of the beds, at least before she kindly dismissed them and sent them back to the common room. The matron wasted little time in questioning (Y/N) about what happened, if only so she had a better idea of what she was dealing with and what had caused the injuries the curious teenager had sustained. 

Chapter Text

The leaving feast had begun; all students would be gathered in the Great Hall, enjoying one last feast with friends and, in some cases, family. Every student would head to Hogsmeade station the following morning, ready to begin the long journey back to Kings Cross and home. There were plenty of things to talk about now the end-of-term exams had passed and the stress of studying had vanished.

Allegra entered the Great Hall later than everyone else. She had spent plenty of time in the girls' bathroom getting ready for the leaving feast, repeating her actions and thoughts from previous years as she convinced herself that the leaving feast was one of the most important events of the school year. When she finally arrived, she saw students mixing together, no particular house at their assigned long table; instead, most minded their own business while conversing with friends and others around them.

A wave of awkwardness and realization hit the entitled muggle-born witch almost instantly. She had entered alone and was now faced with the harrowing decision of where to sit. The ugly truth that quickly hit her wasn't something she welcomed nor desired to acknowledge. Standing alone at the golden doors, Allegra finally became aware that she had no friends despite attending school for two years. She had no group to call her own, nor was there a best friend who called out to her.

Instead, she was made aware that most older and younger students avoided her as if she were some drama-causing plague. The girls in her year had shunned her after her vicious bullying and humiliation of Marlene McKinnon came to light. Not even the ordinarily aggressive Slytherin students found humor in her cruel actions; instead, they, too, had turned on her. Only a few girls spoke to her now and again: three other Gryffindor girls and a Slytherin.

The boys were no better; often, they acted as if she wasn't there and ignored her to the best of their abilities unless they had to talk to her; even then, the interactions were short. Some would rudely reject her requests, while others would laugh at her for one reason or another. Almost all of them denied her the attention she sought after. The only boys who did pay attention to her were those she had branded as weird and tried her best to avoid being seen with in public areas. If only so, she wasn't branded as a weirdo as they had been.

Only when Allegra's hazel eyes of judgment landed on her twin sister, Isolde, did she truly begin to question when their dynamic had changed and switched roles. Before Hogwarts, Allegra had been the most popular girl at school; she was the queen bee everyone wanted to be friends with, and there was no end to people thawing over and fighting for her attention. She had so many friends she could remember the names of all of them, and always had a never-ending list of things to do on weekends and holidays.

Isolde had been the opposite back then, a loner, the weirdo who had few friends and hid in the shadows for fear of being bullied or the butt of every joke. She was quiet but thoughtful, often found in the abandoned school halls with her creepy little friends or reading some random book in the library. Isolde never had a long list of things to do on weekends or holidays, maybe the odd outing, but nothing more. Back then, Isolde had no real place in the school hierarchy, whereas Allegra was the queen who ruled at the top of the mountain.

Now, however, everything was different. Allegra was the loner, the sister with no friends, and had yet to find her place within the student body. She had yet to discover what she was truly good at outside of causing drama and find friends with whom she had plenty of things in common and to talk about. On the other hand, Isolde quickly found her place; Marlene, Lily, and (Y/N) promptly became her friends. However, her social group wasn't limited to the girls; she often spoke and studied with the Marauders when they weren't causing havoc. The friend group wasn't perfect, but at least Isolde had something.

There hadn't been a day without Isolde laughing about something, whether Lily and James were throwing jabs at each other or Sirius purposely fiddling with (Y/N)'s ever-changing hair. There wasn't a single day to pass when Isolde wasn't studying, talking with her friends, or helping another student. Even worse for Allegra, she was sure her younger twin would soon beat her to another milestone their parents dreaded the most: dating, especially if Allegra had read the signs so obvious for all to see when it comes to a particular fourth-year student.

Only now did Allegra genuinely wish she had achieved what Isolde had. She wished she had friends in the same house with whom to talk and bond. Friends she could go on explorations with and be herself around without fear of rejection or cruel judgment, to have friends with the same beliefs and ideals as her.

With a heavy sigh, Allegra began to move from the spot she'd been glued to for what felt like forever; immediately, she felt like everyone was watching her, waiting to see where she'd go. There was an awkward atmosphere as she walked over to where Isolde sat toward the middle of the usual Gryffindor long table. Deep down, Allegra suspected she wouldn't be easily welcomed anywhere but at least hoped Isolde and her little group of friends would take pity on her for now and spare her the humiliation of a public rejection.

Only when Allegra shuffled closer did she hear the group talking about their summer plans and potential trips to Hogsmeade during the following school year? A wave of shame and sadness crashed onto the muggle-born again, as she thought that should have been her. Soon after, jealousy began to bubble as she thought about how happy Isolde was while she suffered alone and how Isolde had gotten everything Allegra had personally wanted.

Allegra listened as Remus commented on finding (Y/N) in Zonko's when they were finally allowed to visit Hogsmeade. (Y/N) didn't argue, instead agreed with her mischievous grin firmly in place, at least before she smacked Sirius' hand from her hair. The two wasted little time engaging in a thumb war, much to the amusement of those surrounding them. Peter had mentioned his plans of quiet holidays filled with homecooked meals and comforts of home, at least when he wasn't sending letters to friends and taking the usual trips to Diagon Alley to gather school supplies.

"Can I join you?" meekly asked Allegra, standing just behind Remus, who'd happily been chowing down on his favorite custard pudding; he looked a little worse for wear, but Allegra didn't care; her hazel eyes were locked on her twin sister as if she was asking Isolde permission to join the group. For a moment, the joy was replaced with awkwardness, and the conversations had died, but it soon returned to normal when Lily silently nodded to Allegra's request. Peter scooted over to allow the dramatic girl to sit between himself and James, at least so she felt included. "Thank you," she added in the same tone, her heart hammering in her chest as a wave of anxiety gripped her; she wanted to feel happy they had let her join them but couldn't bring herself to smile. They were her last resort, and she knew she didn't belong with them; they knew it too, but they still showed kindness and allowed her to stay.

"We should do Truth or Dare on the train," commented James, at least trying to act like nothing was out of the ordinary. "We can't end up in detention this time," he added as if to remove what would hold them back from agreeing to the game again.

"That's a terrible idea," Marlene responded, recalling the last game in the common room several months prior. All of them ended up in a week-long detention. Pringle had caught some of them out of bed after hours, whereas others had been caught fulfilling their dare the following day, namely Sirius, who had stood on the tables during Herbology and sang the most out-of-tune version of the Hogwarts song.

"I don't know, it's better than Sirius' idea of trying to brew Polyjuice potion," spoke Peter, remembering that disaster. However, he couldn't remember why Sirius had been brewing it in the first place or how he'd managed to go undetected by professors. Disaster had only been adverted when (Y/N) had pointed out that the potion didn't look right. It did look awful and smelt disgusting.

"Just don't dare me to cast the Patronus charm again," laughed (Y/N), remembering the heart attack she'd had upon succeeding; the others in the common room with her hadn't faired any better, although James had won the wager on the animal it would be. "I don't think any of us have recovered from that delightful fright yet," she added, her laughter growing as she recalled tumbling off the back of the sofa she'd been perched on; she was a trembling mess when the silvery Hungarian Horntail disappeared, and it had taken her a few days to accept the dragon had been her patronus rather than the real thing.

"Fantastic way of coursing pandemonium on the train, though," replied Sirius, as he began to flick (Y/N)'s ever-changing hair again. This time, however, (Y/N) just rolled her eyes and proceeded to munch on the strawberry cheesecake she was so fond of. "Be the train ride from hell they won't forget," he laughed, noticing that Allegra seemed intrigued by the idea of terrorizing people using the Patronus charm, almost as if she'd use that as motivation to learn the difficult spell.

"Yeah, Peeves can still cause the most chaos in a short time," Lilly recalled some things the mischief-loving poltergeist had been up to over the past week. Everything from pestering other ghosts to juggling things above selected students, something harmless, things other times more concerning. He'd locked a few students and professors in the suits of armor, too, and interrupted classes by popping out of things. He did other things, too, such as sending students into the line of the prank war fire or following a specific student around, making farting noises and blowing raspberries whenever they spoke.

"Can I share your cabin tomorrow? I don't want to be alone on the train," asked Allegra, finally finding the courage to speak and at least try to sound sincere, even though it was apparent she had failed. For a moment, everyone fell silent, as if they were thinking over her request carefully before answering.

"Sure, Lilly Flower is planning on spending the ride home with Snivellus; you can take her spot," started James, ignoring the glare Lily threw at him for the name he'd bestowed Severus with. "Failing that, I'm sure Sirius wouldn't complain if (Y/N) sat on his lap," he commented, jumping when (Y/N) kicked his shins. However, he successfully hid the surprise by draping an arm over Allegra's shoulder and grinning innocently at the pair across from him.

"You're pushing it a bit, mate," warned Sirius, although it was clear he hadn't taken any offense to James' comment. Instead, laughter flooded the group when Peter fell from the bench while attempting to reach the large bowl of Jelly. A squeak escaped him as he lost his footing and tumbled off the bench. The laughter only grew after they were sure Peter was unharmed despite his tumble. For a second, Allegra tricked herself into believing she belonged with the group, that they were her people, but soon she remembered these were Isolde's friends, thrust they could never truly be hers; they were too different and carefree for her to consider them anything but valuable tools, at least until she found where she belonged, then they'd be enemies once more. 

Chapter Text

The beginning of the third year had started like any other. The train ride to Hogwarts had been filled with friends catching up and talking about their adventures over the holidays, speaking of things that didn't appear in letters exchange. First-year students hopelessly tried to navigate the tight halls of the train cars to find an empty compartment to sit in and mind their own business, at least while trying to best their growing nerves and allow their wondering minds to run free.

Marlene had all but pulled her little brother, Mason, with her. Doing as she promised their parents and keeping an eye on him. The eleven-year-old was quiet, sitting near the window. He'd only speak up when pulled into ongoing conversations or asked questions to know him better. Mason perked up a little bit when Sirius entered the already cramped compartment; another boy followed him, the same age as Mason. The other boy had the same dark curly hair and silvery blue eyes as Sirius; both had the same mystique. There was little question that they were brothers.

Almost instantly, Allegra, who had once again joined the group, pulled Sirius into a conversation about summer activities. The judgmental teenager silently hoped things would be different for the upcoming year; perhaps she would finally find friends and achieve her goal of being the most powerful witch of the year, just as she was still avoiding apologizing to Marlene for her actions the previous year.

Regulus, on the other hand, had quickly found common ground with (Y/N) of all people, something that seemed to coax the younger Black brother out of his shell. Eventually, Mason was brought out of his nervous shell by the ceaseless efforts of Isolde.

"You're drooling," whispered Remus from his spot next to Sirius. The latter had been watching (Y/N) for some time as she interacted with his younger brother, to the point that he'd zoned out of the debate between Peter and James—something about which magical creature could be used to cause more mischief.

"He's staring, let alone drooling," Marlene giggled. She playfully teased him, much as Sirius had her, when he realized she had a crush on Remus the previous year.

"Not staring, gazing," replied Sirius, his words loud enough to gain the attention of the others in the compartment with them. So much so James and Peter had stopped their debate, and Allegra had lowered the muggle fashion magazine she'd been reading.

"You were staring," called Isolde, poking fun at one of the boys, even more so when she was certain Sirius and likely James would take the opportunity to do with any of the girls and each other if the time ever arose. It wasn't long before Isolde glanced toward her twin, sat across from Sirius. For once, Allegra was quiet, although there was little doubt she was judging each of them as she always did. For a moment, Isolde questioned if she could handle the school term being stuck with Allegra, especially after the horrendous holidays, the holidays that Allegra had purposely gone out of her way to ruin for everyone around her: extended family, parents, and other siblings, included.

"Take a picture, Sirius, it'll last longer," voiced (Y/N), a chuckle escaping her shortly thereafter, although she tried to keep a straight face, even when Sirius paled upon being caught staring again.

"It's less dangerous, too," commented James, seeing the way (Y/N) cocked an eyebrow as if she was considering changing his opinion of the subject. "It won't blow anything up or think of ridiculous ideas of mischief," he added, instantly regretting his words upon noticing (Y/N) had the monster book of monster resting in her lap; whereas others growled, hers seemed to purr much like Isolde's did.

"We'll see," simply replied (Y/N), a mischievous undertone to her soft voice. Her words tickled; Regulus huddled beside her and brought an ire of terror to both Peter and James. It was as if both had suddenly become suspicious of any photograph of (Y/N) they'd come across from then on. Conversely, Mason looked almost terrified by the idea of a simple photo causing so much mayhem.

"If you do happen to turn a photo into an explosive device, please do give a kind heads up so we can retrieve Lily and make it to safety," chuckled Marlene while motioning between herself and Isolde. "Might I suggest trying such a trick on a few miscellaneous items first, if only to save the bother of replacing things," she advised, suspecting (Y/N) would eventually try the exploding photo if only so she had another use for the potion she'd brewed the previous school year.

"That's not helping," squeaked Peter, recalling all the pranks and boogy traps he and everyone else had found through the previous year. On the odd occasion, they were themed to match the time of year, such as the pumpkin head charm being modified to resemble a bauble for Christmas. Plus, he'd still yet to live down the horror of finding the sinkhole she'd created near potions class.

"So the stories are true," quietly spoke Regulus, his voice nonchalant as he appeared lost in thought. Although it was apparent he'd not intended to tell his thoughts aloud, it didn't stop Sirius' cheeks from heating up in embarrassment as it became common knowledge he talked about the group of girls while at home, or at least he spoke about (Y/N) at the very least. "Sirius talks about the mischief, pranks, and experiments all the time," added the young wizard, a grin painting across his lips, as his elder brother quickly tried to hide behind the muggle fashion magazine Allegra had abandoned.

"Sirius and (Y/N) sitting in a tree," started James, if only to add to the embarrassment of his best friend. He refused to stop even when Remus kicked his shins, and Sirius glared at him. Surprisingly, though, (Y/N) didn't do anything aside from chuckling and shaking her head.

At first, Allegra seemed put off by the conversation, as if she hated the idea of mischief and fun if she wasn't the one shining in the glimmering spotlight. However, she began to perk up again when the teasing started, as if it was entertainment more to her liking or she was seeing something she had previously missed. Despite that, though, jealousy shimmered in her eyes to hear another name where she wanted her own to be.

K.I.S.S.I.N.G, first comes loves ..." sang Allegra when Sirius and Remus managed to muffle James and prevent him from singing the teasing song. A wicked smile appeared across her lips as she finally got the attention she had sought after for so long.

"(Y/N), what potion did you put in James and Allegra's drink?" asked Marlene with a sweet chuckle. James stopped his struggle almost instantly, and most notably, Allegra's off-tune singing halted into silence. Both of them had wide eyes as the silence stretched on.

"Essence of Insanity," replied (Y/N), as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Makes the drinker suspicious of everything until they think they've lost their marbles," she explained, winking to Regulus as if to clue him in on the joke. At the same time, Marlene whispered to her brother, removing the confusion and ensuring he knew it was all mischievous fun.

"That's a terrible joke," squeaked Peter, not catching on to the joke as fast as Sirius, Remus, and Isolde had. He subtle eyed his bottle of water from the treat trolly with suspicion, as if expecting it to begin to glow and change color suddenly. Remus chuckled when James jumped up and pressed his face to the widow, the thick clouds and rain preventing him from seeing much. He soon left the compartment to repeat his actions with the widow outside the compartment.

Allegra, on the other hand, remained silent. However, she did stand from her seat and move to the widow, if only so she could toss the contents of her bottle out as if it was some poison that had to be disposed of quickly. Following that, she stormed from the compartment, if only to find somewhere else. After all, anywhere was better than being in the compartment with her twin sister.

"What was it really?" asked Remus, looking between Isolde, Marlene, and (Y/N), suspecting one or all three were in on the joke and likely Lily was as well, even if it was from afar.

"Pumpkin Juice," simply commented (Y/N) in response with a sly grin and amusement ringing through her otherwise sweet voice.

"Clever," commented Sirius. "If he's calmed down enough by the time we're sent to the tower, we'll tell him the truth." He laughed, watching James run past the compartment several times. James was yelling something about the windows, and several students threw weird and confused looks in his direction as he passed by.

"Better get changed; we'll be arriving soon," commented Marlene, sweeping both first-year boys from the cramped compartment. On her way to the small toilet in the train car, she grabbed hold of James and sent him back to their compartment—at least after bringing him back to reality and resisting the urge to slap him silly. However, she found it humorous that he was yelling accusations about the windows, preventing him from seeing out.

"Is it normally like that with your friends?" asked Mason, curiosity ringing through his quiet voice; he could recall his sister mentioning a prank war over the previous years, although he couldn't recall who was involved. Regulus, too, had heard of the ongoing prank war, but he'd put that down to Sirius going super fan mode when it came to his increasingly obvious crush on (Y/N).

"From what I heard, that's a calmer one," replied Regulus, recalling some of the pranks Sirius had mentioned. "Sirius mentioned something about a powder in books and an explosive potion over the holidays," he added. A small, almost missable smile formed on his lips now as he waited with Marlene, fiddling with the zipper of his jacket.

"The fire powder was harmless, hidden in certain library books. James, Sirius, and several others had multi-colored flames in their hair for a few hours," explained Marlene, recalling James appeared to be a magnet when it came to the fire powder; either that or he enjoyed his hair being alight. "The potion was an experiment (Y/N) was doing to occupy herself and settle her curiosity. The bang made a mess."

"I look forward to the year ahead," responded Regulus, his grin growing as he entered the bathroom to change, "Between the pranks and what Sirius said, I doubt there will be any lengthy stints of boredom," he added, finding himself with a bit of a conundrum. He'd always wanted to be sorted into Slytherin as was tradition for the Black Family and most pure-bloods. Still, he found himself with the unspoken desire to follow in his brother's footsteps and be a Gryffindor if only to experience firsthand the chaos and pandemonium he'd heard so much about. 

Chapter Text

"If I didn't know any better," voiced James as he and the extended group of friends entered Gryffindor Common Room, at least after the portrait of the Fat Lady had decided to let them pass. Her latest attempts at singing hadn't ended any better than others of the past. Still, the portraits in the immediate vicinity cringed, and students were left rubbing their ears. This time, however, Allegra and three other girls had rudely voiced their harsh opinions, resulting in the little fun dying a painful death. "I would say old Dumbledore's speech was aimed at us."

Immediately after the words left his lips, James pointed to himself, the rest of the Marauders, and (Y/N). Even after the customary welcoming feast, the headmaster's speech was still fresh in mind, even more so when the wise wizard had spoken of the mischief and the constant pranks the year prior. Evening hinting toward the idea of it calming a little now, there were more subjects for the third-year students to choose from and more things they could involve themselves in, such as trips to Hogsmeade, Quidditch, and other less disruptive clubs.

"It was aimed at you, doofus," commented Marlene as she walked past; her smile had dulled a little since the sorting ceremony. Although she was proud of her little brother, Mason, they would be parted from each other, much like Sirius would be from Regulus, as both younger boys had been placed in Slytherin. However, at least a silver lining could be found, as Regulus and Mason at least had each other and could face the first-year challenges together. "No one else in years above or below have caused as much bedlam as you five did last year," she added with a slight chuckle, suspecting things would likely be the same again, especially with a new caretaker replacing Pringle who'd retired at the end of the last school year.

"Just think we'll all be causing havoc in Care of Magical Creatures and DADA," spoke Isolde, briefly remembering the book she'd made the mistake of opening. To say it had ended in disaster was an understatement, even more so when a passing wizard at the Leaky Cauldron had helped her regain control of the rampaging book. Despite that, Isolde still looked forward to Care of Magical Creatures; she'd always loved animals, but that hadn't changed even after discovering she was a witch; instead, that love had grown to include all the creatures the Wizarding World had to offer. Plus, Isolde hoped to one day become a Magizoologist; she wanted to study dragons in particular; something about the beasts had always intrigued her.

"I'll try not to melt the potion cauldron this year," spoke Sirius as Isolde fought her way out of her thoughts. By now, the rest of the extended group had come to sit around the fireplace. Lily was pulling faces at the first years if only to lighten their mood just a little bit; Allegra had joined the group, too, mumbling about having to sit on the floor instead of someone giving up their spot on the sofa or comfy chairs. "Well, I'll try and behave if (Y/N) doesn't brew another banger like last year."

"Whatever did I do to gain your attention in such a way?" playfully questioned (Y/N), acting innocent despite the familiar mischievous gleam returning to her sapphire eyes. Once again, Sirius' cheeks began to burn up, much to the girl's amusement, except for Allegra, who continued to pout. Lily and Marlene, however, commented about how cute it was, whereas Isolde laughed out loudly, as did the other Marauders. "Only joking with you, Black. It would be an honor to torment you in detention again, and the same goes for James and Remus when he joins."

"Oi, I plan to stay out of detention this year. My old parents threatened to send a howler if I didn't start behaving," replied James, recalling the worded threat from his father, although his mother tried to lighten the blow with a few of his favorite treats. Neither were thrilled with the constant pranks and jokes but were at least happy he'd found friends.

"I'll believe that when it happens," voiced Remus with a light chuckle. Shortly after the words left his lips, his eyes lit up a little, even more so when he remembered the letters received over the holiday. How Peter, James, and Sirius had devised a plan to help him on full moons and relieve some of the pressure (Y/N) had put on herself since the first year. Although it could take months, even years, to succeed, the three boys planned to become Animajus. After careful research, Remus knew it would be no easy feat, but at the same time, he couldn't help but be thankful to them for remaining at his side after discovering his secret.

"You boys are jumping into your studies earlier, aren't you? The school term hasn't even started yet," voiced Allegra as she finally found a comfortable spot in front of the fire. She leaned against the armchair Isolde sat in, intending to eventually take over it when her sister inevitably moved to do something. For once, she looked around and observed, noticing James had several potion books in his possession; at least one was needed for the year ahead, but the others seemed a bit odd to her, especially when at least two were advanced potion-making.

Almost instantly, Sirius and Remus exchanged an uneasy glance, concerned about what would happen if the vindictive and often gossiping girl discovered Remus' secret. James and Peter, on the other hand, merely looked at the pile of potion books. James had as if trying to think of something quickly that would either explain the need for them or distract Allegra from the topic altogether.

"Did they come in handy over the summer?" asked (Y/N), quickly thinking of something to cover for the boys and give them a much-needed out. Remus thanked her silently, suspecting no one would think twice if (Y/N) had advanced potion books; she was brilliant for her age and had mastered complex magic before. "If you guys need help, just give me a shout," she added, taking the potion books when James slid them across the floor if only to give the illusion he was returning something to her.

"How come no one questions it when you try advanced magic?" interrogated Allegra, finding herself jealous of (Y/N) again; this time, however, it was because of the difference in treatment. If Allegra was to have books on advanced magic, she suspected someone would question her about it. But when (Y/N) did it, it was as if no one noticed. "How is it you know what they're up to?"

"Because I'm observant," worded (Y/N) in response, a grin painting on her lips as he hair began to change again from its natural color to a dark shade of blue-tinted with silver. Lily was the first to notice (Y/N) was in control of the sudden change this time; no doubt her private classes with Professor Dumbledor had paid off. "Plus, the only way said boys could have made their plan more obvious is if they shouted it from the astronomy tower," she added, purposely refusing to answer Allegra's initial question, even if it would lead to another pointless tantrum.

"As for the other question," spoke James, looking around the group, once again noticing Allegra was the odd one out. She neither tried to know any of them outside her little crushes nor did anything to make up for her past actions against Marlene. The split between the girls was clear enough that the blind could see it. "(Y/N)'s smart; I'd bet she could brew Polyjuice Potion, and no one would question it."

"What do you guys want to do as a career anyway?" asked Isolde, intentionally changing the subject to future possibilities, even more so when she recalled McGonagall had advised all of them to think about potential career paths, if only so they had a clearer idea of what subjects they wanted to focus on in the coming years and what they needed to achieve it.

"I'm toying with the idea of being a healer at St Mungo's," spoke Lily, recalling doing her research over the summer when she wasn't on family trips or trying to talk to Petunia. Although many things interested her, working in a hospital stuck out; even more, she'd once said she wanted to be a doctor as a younger child. "Perhaps working with children."

"It's a Ministry job for me, maybe in the Department of Mysteries or the Minister's office," admitted Marlene. However, she'd admit she'd also thought about opening a little shop in Diagon Alley and enjoying the endless flow of future Hogwarts students that would pass through, perhaps old friends visiting too.

"Truly, I never really thought about it," admitted James; he was from a wealthy family after all; he didn't have to work much like others from pristine families didn't have to. However, now he was hearing the hopes of his friends; he felt the need to be something more than a rich idiot with an endless flow of money. "Perhaps working at Gryngotts if they'll have me," he added, unsure if he'd be happy with an ordinary desk job or if he'd have more fun as a curse break traveling the world.

"I want to be a curse breaker," laughed Remus, admitting to his wild dream with a wide grin, his blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Would be fun to travel the world; who knows, maybe one day I could write a book about my adventures," he added, at least before looking around the group and imagining them in the roles they'd mentioned. Some were easier than others; there was little doubt in his mind Lily would succeed, although he struggled to imagine Marlene doing the boring jobs and meaningless tasks for the Minister of Magic.

"Aura," simply worded (Y/N), as if her answer was the most obvious thing in the wizarding world. She was a metamorphmagi after all; disguising herself would be little hassle, plus the career would settle her curiosity and most likely keep her mischievous tendencies in check. The only barrier would be her clumsiness; getting a handle on it would be her biggest challenge.

"Same," voiced Sirius from his spot in front of Remus. Although he suspected others would think he was following (Y/N), the truth was the opposite. After discovering what they did during their first year, he'd become determined to be an Aura one day. Plus, he was determined to be the opposite of what his family had declared he would be, even if that meant causing a more significant rift and estrangement between them. "I don't think I could stand to become a Death Eater like my twisted cousin."

"I don't know what I want to do," honestly whispered Peter; there was still plenty of time for him to decide; although he knew he wasn't brave enough to follow in Sirius or Remus' footsteps, he could at least give thought to the Gryngotts or ministry jobs. "Perhaps I can turn my love of baking into something, maybe a little cake shop on Diagon Alley," he added. However, even he'd admit with the brewing war, his little bakery idea would have to wait, if only to save the hassle of it being destroyed. "What about you, Isolde?"

"As daft as it sounds, I want to be a magizoologist; I want to work with dragons," replied Isolde, sharing her dream career with excitement and confidence; her happiness seemed to rub off on those around her, who grinned widely at the mention. Sirius even commented that she should talk to Hagrid, the groundskeeper, who, like Isolde, loved magical creatures regardless of temperament or size.

The only person who didn't seem happy about any of the career choices was Allegra; it was clear she had hoped at least one of the muggle-born girls would mention a more regular job, perhaps share they would retain a muggle job, something that would remind them of the world they had once effortlessly been a part of before discovering they were witches. Although, as Allegra thought, there was one job in the wizarding world she deemed worthy of being considered, being a Quidditch player would bring her the fame and attention she had always desired.

"I want to be a singer and actor, maybe even a model," snapped Allegra, a smug smile across her lips. All she wanted was fame and riches; the more straightforward the path, the better. Being a witch would come in handy in that department, a little spell here and there or a potion when needed. "But if we're talking about the wizarding world, then I want to be a Quidditch player," she added, although she firmly believed the wizarding world was too small for her likes. She wanted fame and fortune, to be world know rather than trapped in a small community she still felt a stranger too.

"What does Severus want to do?" curiously asked Marlene; she knew the Slytherin boy was a whiz at Potions and Charms; he'd created a few of his own and used them on James a few times. It wouldn't surprise Marlene if Severus chose to do something with the subjects that interested him.

"Potions Master or DADA professor," replied Lily with a surprise smile. Severus rarely came up in conversation, mostly because he was only friends with Lily, and (Y/N) was on his Beware list after the Valentine's Dance the year before. At the same time, she didn't mind sharing that he, too, had thought long and hard about his career choices, wanting to do something that put his skills and passions to good use.

"Sure he doesn't aspire to be a Death Eater, like other Slytherins?" James rudely commented. His words only served to wind Lily up and force her to throw her specialized death glare at him, not that he noticed.

"Sure you don't plan on being a bigger prat than last year?" retorted Lily with quick haste, her words had a sharp sting to them, while making it clear she only tolerated James, Sirius, and Peter because they were friends of friends. She'd whack sense into all three of them if she had it her way.

"Oh, look at the time," called Remus, looking to his wrist where no watch rested. Shortly thereafter, he pulled himself off the sofa he shared with Lily and Marlene before pulling James to his feet and toward the stairs leading to the boys' dormitories. There was little doubt Peter would follow even if Sirius stayed around to flirt and likely tease (Y/N) a little longer.

Isolde, too, left the common room, choosing to settle in the dorm for the night or at least get a head start before Allegra inevitably destroyed the peace with a tantrum and accusations of someone taking her things. Last year's first night was disrupted by Allegra accusing Lily of taking her bunk and demanding that she leave the bed on the furthest side of the room. The fourth year, Fennec Hazard ended the dispute swiftly and reprimanded Allegra for her ridiculous behavior, although Allegra had held a grudge against everyone for most of the year. 

Chapter Text

Gryffindor Tower was unusually quiet for the weekend. Allegra sat quietly near the roaring fire, ignoring the howling wind beyond the window and the many students passing through the Common Room. Instead, she focused on her self-given mission: discovering what the Marauders were up to. So dedicated to her task, she'd opted to skip the latest Hogsmeade trip. If only to save the awkwardness of another reminder of her lonely school life at Hogwarts and lack of friends.

Surrounding the determined third-year muggle-born were plenty of books from the library, ranging from spellbooks that looked similar to those she'd seen James reading to potion books of all stages that looked somewhat similar to those Remus and Sirius had in their possession at different points since returning to for another school year. In addition to the many books were parchment pieces, a quill, ink, and Isolde's diary.

Secretly, Allegra had hoped her sister knew something about the Marauder's mysterious plan and had written about it. After all, Isolde was not only friends with the group of boys in question but also wrote in her daily diary, always with a detailed account of what had occurred during the day. Although the older Smith twin would never admit it, she also hoped to discover her sister's secrets, if only so she could weaponize them in the future and use them to get what she wanted, even if that came with the devastating consequence of tearing Isolde and her little friend group apart.

"What are you doing?" came the squeaky voice; Allegra instantly recognized Peter Pettigrew coming from the portrait hole. Instantly, Allegra grabbed Isolde's glitter-decorated diary and stashed it away before Peter could see what it was and question why she had it in the first place. Much to Allegra's annoyance, the voices of James, Sirius, and Remus could be heard, which only sparked concern for Allegra, as it would mean the girls would be back soon, too.

Quickly, the judgmental muggle-born swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She'd been so sure she would have plenty of time to clean up her mess in the dormitories and hide the evidence of her rummaging she'd left the mess too late. Even with the cold and snow, she was sure the girls would spend several hours at the Three Broomsticks and nosing around the shops.

"Careful there (Y/N)," spoke Sirius as (Y/N) toppled down the step from the portrait door. Although his cheeks soon began to heat up again, he'd caught her, a somewhat familiar thing to happen since returning for the third year, as was his mind going blank when (Y/N) was around. As was the norm, (Y/N) thanked him, flashing him her famous innocent grin, before grabbing his hand and pulling him over to their shared friends, once again oblivious to the effects she had on him.

When the pair joined the combined group, the conversation shifted to the upcoming Quidditch match, Slytherin vs the reigning Quidditch cup holders, Ravenclaw. Isolde had offered to take the things Marlene and (Y/N) had brought in Hogsmeade up to their dorm. Neither of the girls noticed when Allegra's concern grew on hearing that one of them was going to the dorm. Since Allegra had neglected to tidy up after her misdeeds, the shared dorm looked like a tornado had rampaged through it.

The neat bunks of Isolde, (Y/N), Lily, and Marlene had been ruckled up, the blankets tossed to the side, the mattress flipped and lopsided, and all the pillows were pilled near the heater. She'd gone through their trunks, too, so clothes and other personal belongings were scattered across the room. Wrappers from the sweet box (Y/N) had were everywhere, and certain items each girl had that Allegra declared she wanted were hidden in Allegra's desk. Even the plushy toys hadn't escaped Allegra, especially the one that belonged to Isolde, which had been torn apart with malice.

"So Legs, wotcha been doing while we've all been nosing around Hogsmeade?" asked James, noticing the half-empty bottle of butterbeer at Allegra's side. Immediately, the judgemental girl tried to act like nothing was out of the ordinary, instead hiding behind the Magic for Beginners Spell Book. At least trying to act like she'd spent the time productively by catching up on the things she had neglected since attending the school.

"Don't call me that," harshly retorted Allegra, anger painted across her features as she glared at James to get rid of him faster and ward him away from repeating the stupid nickname. "I'm trying to bring my witchy skills up to the expected standard, perhaps surpass the stupid expectations professors set for me," she lied, hoping he wouldn't ask the obvious questions floating through his thick head.

For a moment, Allegra allowed her mind to wander to Isolde again. How much her resentment for her twin sister had grown since they had begun attending the school, since finding out they were witches. Whereas Allegra struggled to cast spells and brew potions, Isolde thrived. She could pick up new spells with little trouble, castling them effortlessly by the time term ended. She loved potions, often managing to brew them without something spectacularly blowing up, and most annoying to Allegra, Isolde had already found her group of friends, people she gelled with and had become like family.

"(Y/N), Marlene!" called Isolde from the walkway above the Common Room, "Have either of you seen my diary?" asked the muggle-born witch, concern growing in her eyes and beginning to paint itself on her features. For a second, her eyes darted to Allegra, suspecting her sister had not only taken things that didn't belong to her again but trashed the shared dormitories while they were at Hogsmeade. Another way she was being a constant nightmare to those she had silently branded her enemies. "You might want to come check if anything is missing; our dorm looks like a whirlwind of destruction hit it. Except for Allegra's bunk, that's as messy as it normally is."

Marlene and (Y/N) quickly glanced at each other before darting up the stone spiral staircase, concern flooding both. The pair would have questioned who would have rummaged through their things, taken items, and destroyed others, but both knew the answer deep down. Isolde, however, never left her spot on the walkway above. Instead, she watched her twin closely as if telling her she knew what she'd done while the others were visiting Hogsmeade.

"Expecto Patronum," excitedly chanted Allegra, swishing her wand around. Her voice was louder than needed, her eyes of judgment cast down to the book resting in her lap. Of four boys to turn their attention to her, only Peter looked at her accusingly; although Allegra was sure the other three Marauders suspected her of something, they were just better at hiding it.

"Isn't that advanced magic?" questioned Peter. Looking at Remus, James, and Sirius, he knew all three were just as determined to master the powerful charm as (Y/N) was the year prior. Remus nodded in response, although confusion had since written across his features, mostly likely caused by determining why Allegra would attempt the spell in question when she could barely cast simple spells. "So, it wouldn't be in the Magic for Beginners Spell Book?" Peter inquired, noticing when Allegra had fallen into silence and now acted like she was reading through another book. Once again, Remus shook his head with a wordless response.

"Sirius, have you asked your girlfriend if she would help us?" questioned James, nearly as loudly as Allegra had pretended to cast the Patronus charm moments before—all to cover as Peter whispered something to Remus. The taller, more intelligent wizard soon looked at Allegra with suspicion glimmering through his blue orbs. "Sorry, my mistake. Have you asked your future girlfriend if she would help us?" James corrected, his voice loud enough to attract the attention of those coming and going and make Sirius freeze in horror as he tried to think of a quick way to disappear.

"Sirius has a girlfriend?" questioned Isolde from the walkway above, curiosity getting the better of her as she tried to think who the lucky girl was or who was unlucky, depending on the point of view. Just like many, she could rule out the Slytherin girls; Sirius had often made his hatred for the house known, even when his family was traditionally sorted into the house. Soon enough, Marlene and (Y/N) appeared on either side of her, just in time to hear Sirius and James's mixed answers to Isolde. James had confidently shouted yes while his eyes landed on (Y/N); Sirius denied such an accusation; he was a third year, after all, and still had no interest in dating ... yet.

"(Y/N), would you mind brewing the potion, please?" asked Rems as he walked back to the table from the fire, tightly holding on to Isolde's glitter-decorated diary. He subtly nodded toward Allegra, which was all Isolde needed to understand and likely (Y/N) and Marlene to understand what had happened in the shared dorm. "These three have tried over the months with no success. Sirius has been the closest. Peter sent all three of them to the hospital wing for a week, and James' attempt caused the ground-shaking bang that rocked the school a few weeks back," explained Remus when the three girls came back down to the Common Room, where he slid the diary back to its owner. (Y/N) stifled a chuckle, where, as Marlene glanced between the three with unspoke amusement.

"Bet Filch wasn't amused with that mess," voiced Marlene, as a bout of laughter escaped Isolde; at the same time, (Y/N) agreed to help the group of boys brew the unidentified potion they had been trying and failing to brew with some interesting results correctly. "Got to admit, though, I'm curious about Sirius' attempt?"

"That ear-ringing bang was you? What in the name of magic were you trying to do?" shouted Allegra, to ensure her questions were heard by everyone else and make herself impossible to ignore. Subtly, she reached under the armchair where she'd hidden Isolde's diary, trying her hardest to act as if nothing was wrong when she couldn't find it. Her attention turned to the pile of books, hoping she'd put it in, only to find the ordinarily dull books she had gathered from the library.

"Brew a potion," sarcastically replied James, a slight grin across his lips as he spoke the obvious.

"You can't be serious?" Allegra responded her irritation on clear display.

"You're right, he's Sirius?" laughed James, as he pointed over to Sirius sitting opposite him, clearly not paying any attention to the interactions. Although he laughed upon hearing the comment, he no doubt remembered what (Y/N) had said to him the previous year in History of Magic.

"What potion were you trying to make?" asked the muggle-born, as if she was interrogating a criminal rather than talking to a housemate. Anger and annoyance soon painted on her features, as if she wanted to be anywhere but there or to try and brew the potion herself if only to prove she could do it and prove everyone with such low expectations of her wrong.

"Trying to recreate (Y/N)'s banger from last year?"Marlene guessed with a soft chuckle, although she knew he'd make it more potent. They could ask (Y/N) for the recipes if they wanted to try it themselves.

"That disaster was last month. It's why my poor broom was on fire," James chuckled.

"That explains why you were smoking on the Quidditch Pitch," voiced (Y/N). Peter close by choked on his pumpkin juice, the same pumpkin juice he had suspiciously eyed before drinking if only to ensure it hadn't been spiked with anything.

"No, really, what potion was it?" asked Allegra again, quickly losing her patience at repeating the question; after all, they should be falling at her feet to give her anything she wanted. "I want to try and make it myself if only to show those stupid haters and droning professors they were wrong to underestimate me," she added, displaying just how tired she was of fellow students patronizing her and the professors congratulating her as if she had done something extraordinary when she managed to master something a first year could do.

"It's in one of the advanced potion-making books," squeaked Peter, as if to get rid of Allegra quicker. After all, he'd been on the receiving end of her temper tantrums before and had no desire to be so again. "I can't remember the potion's name; it began with an M, I think," he added, terrified of her reaction if she didn't get an answer or like the one she did get.

"So, who's Sirius' girlfriend?" asked Marlene, changing the subject when it became clear that the trio of James, Sirius, and Peter weren't comfortable sharing what they were up to. Remus, too, had displayed his unwillingness to speak about what the boys were up to and what they needed (Y/N)'s help with.

Once again, Sirius' cheeks began to turn a light shade of pink as he considered his personal life; although he wasn't surprised, James and his big gob often drew attention where one didn't want it. Quickly, Sirius picked up the latest edition of the Daily Prophet, if only to hide behind it and watch the pictures move.

"Future girlfriend," corrected James, reaching to snatch the Daily Prophet away, if only so Sirius could see (Y/N) was none the wiser. If anything, she was blind to the obvious, perhaps more in the dark than someone walking through the forbidden forest at night.

"More like a crush," teased Remus.

"Coming from the other idiot in denial," threw Sirius, chuckling as Remus repeated his earlier actions, snatching the Daily Prophet from James just to hide behind it.

"Aw! Who are the lucky ones?" asked Isolde sweetly, "Anyone we know?"

"Isn't anyone gonna ask if I have a crush on anyone?" asked James, at least believing no one had noticed his almost constant pining for Lily.

"Besides your reflection?" voiced Sirius with quick succession, effortlessly dodging the playful punch James threw at him, although he'd got caught with the kick to the shins.

"Lily," worded (Y/N), Marlene and Isolde simultaneously, each chuckling shortly thereafter if only to see the horror that passed off James' features even more so as he questioned how blatant he'd been.

"Told you," replied Peter with a bright smile at being proven right. Lily entered the Common Room shortly after as if by magic, waving to the group, reluctantly including James and Sirius. Nonetheless, she had a smile on her lips, and her eyes sparkled brightly; she'd enjoyed the extra time she'd spent with Severus. Her smile dimmed upon hearing of the mess waiting for her in the dorm and the task of determining if anything was missing.

"So, who's going to Valentine's dance this year?" asked Allegra, curious if she asked one of the three she secretly harbored a crush on if they would agree to go with her or reject her as the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin boys had last year. Although she was at least thankful the former two had been polite with their rejection.

As expected, Allegra overlooked Christmas festivities. Instead, she remained determined to ignore the celebrations altogether, even more so when she knew she and Isolde would stay at the castle that year. Their parents had decided to go on that vacation they'd spent years talking about. Even worse, Allegra's favorite aunt had declined to allow her to stay for the holidays, citing that she couldn't handle the constant tantrums and entitlement as an excuse.

"I doubt if anyone would trust us Marauders or (Y/N) after last year's fiasco," spoke Peter after a long, awkward silence. The Common Room had a strange feeling that only seemed more prominent now that the Head Boy and Girl weren't there, nor were the Prefects to help keep order.

"You mean after the prank war took over?" asked Lily, choosing to join the combined group rather than face the task of tidying up after Allegra again; she dreaded finding out what had been taken this time and the process to get the missing items back. The last time, McGonagall had to intervene, as Allegra had intentionally ignored both the prefects and Head boy and girl, going as far as to claim the items were hers even when it was clear they weren't.

A small bout of laughter escaped the group upon recalling the pandemonium at the Valentine's dance. (Y/N) had been quicker than the Marauders and Severus. James, as expected, had started the chaos by jinxing Severus, only for (Y/N) to catch with a modified Pumpkin Head Charm. She'd caught Peter with a reversed bubble head charm, whereas Remus and Sirius had been caught with the tickling charm. Despite Severus' best attempts to escape the rampage, he'd been caught with the laughing charm. Although it had all been in good fun, like many, Severus had become weary of (Y/N), especially after discovering her Metamorphic abilities and her association with the Marauders.

"Am I still on his beware list?" asked (Y/N) with genuine curiosity. She was aware that the potions and spell wizard was weary of her; most that had been caught in the prank crossfire were, but even so, she had noticed Severus never wasted a chance to avoid her. Lily soon nodded to the question, confirming (Y/N) was still on the list. However, he didn't hold anything against her; if anything, she remained on the list because of the constant mischief he so often walked into.

"I envy him," admitted Allegra, "He is smart and talented and doesn't have to share his entire school experience with you, and your constant weirdness," she added with bitterness. Once again, she recalled the last time she'd been paired with Severus; he was quiet and ignored her for the most part unless she needed help with something or he was correcting her on the potion she was trying to make. "Yeah, I'm still here; you can't get rid of me that easily. "Now, if you excuse me, I have more important things to do."

"Like trying to find my diary again?" voiced Isolde, feeling as the awkwardness quickly returned, and the room fell silent. If she was describing it; she'd say it was like all the life and fun had been sucked out of the room, like a Dementor was nearby. "Or finding out what the Marauders are up to this time?" she added, turning her attention to her twin, frozen to her spot, a bony hand tangled in her hair from where she would have thrown it over her shoulder.

The twins were soon exchanging glares. It was no secret their sisterly relationship had broken down more since the new school year had begun. Allegra had begun to torment people more openly, none more so than Isolde. Their bond as twins was nonexistent now. Instead, their relationship resembled that of rivals, a nemesis with little to nothing in common but attending the same school.

"Did I say this is the most awkward thing I've had to experience," commented James, looking back and forth between the Smith twins. "And I lost me trousers in the middle of a crowded corridor," he added, shaking his head to rid himself of the horror and embarrassment. The cheeky laughter from those around him brought a smile and helped to erase the tension. Alllegra on the other hand, soon stomped off to the shared dorm, wishing she could lock the door and prevent her four roommates from entering, only quietly worded insults left her lips as she climbed the spiral stairs, insults that were downed out by the laughter of those she hated so much. 

Chapter Text

Christmas was drawing nearer, and the students of Hogwarts seemed to be in a constant buzz of excitement. Many discussed their holiday plans, discussing whether they would go home or stay within the castle's walls. The castle had been beautifully decorated with Christmas trees appearing overnight; even the Great Hall hadn't escaped the Christmas buzz. The professors had decorated the trees in the large hall, and even the floating candles had holly wreaths around their bases. Meanwhile, snow fell from the clouded sky that often hid the towering arched ceiling.

Of course, each Common Room had been given a Christmas makeover, too; each had a tree hidden near the fireplace, decorated in house colors with Hogwarts emblem baubles here and there. Other festive decorations had appeared around the castle, too, everything from tinsel and bubbles to sparkling magic orbs; even the pictures surrounding the moving stairs had begun to sing festive songs. Occasionally, mistletoes would appear randomly, usually in doorways and arches, but on a few occasions, they would appear in random areas where students gathered.

"Are any of you staying here for Christmas?" asked Isolde, a soft smile gracing her lips as she recalled when her parents had informed her and Allegra of the plans before they returned to Hogwarts. Everything was in place for their parent's romantic getaway. Even their siblings would be staying with their grandparents for the holidays. Isolde had accepted it without fuss, wishing her parents well and promising her siblings she'd write and send something back for them. On the other hand, Allegra had thrown her expected tantrum, demanding their parents to cancel their plans or change them to accommodate her going. Demands that had only gotten worse since their aunt had refused to take Allegra for the holidays due to her past behavior.

"I will be, same with my siblings," stated (Y/N), recalling receiving a letter from her parents; they would be traveling for Christmas, visiting distant family members worldwide. Her uncle in Egypt and Paternal Grandpa in America were two on the visit list. The plans had been in place for some time, even more so when they rarely saw family members who lived overseas.

"I'll be going home. Hopefully, I'll get to spend some much-needed time with my sister Petunia," stated Lily, her bright smile dimming briefly as she remembered how their once strong bond as sisters had faded in recent years. To the point that they barely spoke without Petunia calling her a freak. It saddens Lily to think Petunia would rather ignore her, but she understands her sister had a life of her own now and friends that were normal rather than magical. "I'm hoping we can mend our relationship; things haven't been the same since I got my acceptance letter," commented the redhead, awkwardly moving to brush her fingers through her long hair. She looked around the quiet dorm room. Her trunk was packed, and the presents she'd received sat on top of it. Like every time she went home, she had many stories to share.

"Family Christmas for me," chuckled Marlene, recalling the mayhem that happened every year. Her brothers and cousins were always excitable on Christmas morning, eager to tear into their gifts; her grandparents never failed to tell stories of the past, even if they added little details. Her parents, aunts, and uncles would cast a few spells to help the day go a little easier and entertain the younger ones for a little while. However, despite all the screaming, terrible singing, and often embarrassing stories, it was another perfect family Christmas, even if the grown-ups did end up tipsy or flat-out drunk by night's end. "Three generations in one house."

"At least I get rid of most of you and the boys," grumbled Allegra; the tension between the Smith twins hadn't eased much over the past month or so; if anything, it had gotten worse to the point it was difficult for most to be around them, a top of that the shared dorm had often become a warzone and unbearable for the others sharing it. The two sisters barely spoke now and only stayed in the same place if they were given no other choice, such as classes and visits to the Great Hall.

They tried to avoid each other while traveling between classes and the Great Hall. However, Allegra stayed close enough to the group she tagged with, if only so, she could still make rude comments and interrupt conversations to share her ill-mannered opinions. She often acted like the de facto leader of the girls and the Marauders, fighting to control what everyone did and shouting when things didn't go her way or when the inevitable mischief occurred. Even when she said the mischief and pranks were worthless, they didn't stop.

"Sirius is staying in the castle this year," Marlene recalled when he mentioned it during Care of Magical Creatures. Marlene glanced over to (Y/N), sitting on her bunk with her favorite penguin plushy resting in her lap, and she saw an open box of Berty Bots on the trunk at the end of her bed. "He had a falling out with his parents, so he opted to stay behind," she added, mindlessly braiding her blonde locks, almost laughing as (Y/N) once again missed why Sirius had chosen to stay at the castle rather than taking James up on his offer of going to the Potter's for the holidays.

"He's a tosser," started Lily with an unmoveable bright smile, "But he's somehow adorable at the same time," she commented, noticing how (Y/N) still seemed clueless about what almost everyone could see. However, she did at least look around this time, almost as if she was debating whether or not to defend Sirius against the tosser comment. "Remus, too, he's cute in a nervous way," laughed Lily, her laughter growing louder as Marlene's cheeks reddened. Marlene soon looked over to (Y/N) with envy; although clueless to the obvious, she still laughed the teasing off as if it did not affect her.

"How in Merlin's Beard haven't you noticed?" asked Isolde, directing her question to (Y/N) while silently debating if (Y/N) had noticed and was just good at acting. (Y/N) only looked back with confusion sparkling in her sapphire eyes, at least displaying that she hadn't forgotten what they were discussing. "Come on, James practically yelled it from the astronomy tower weeks ago."

"The toss pot has a crush on you," laughed Lily, blurting out the undeniable truth and saving everyone the awkward sidestepping. On the other hand, Isolde looked thankful that someone had said what she was consciously trying to avoid, especially given that she was still trying to figure out a way to tell her friends about her recent adventures with love. "He's an idiot, but you two would make a cute, mischievous couple."

"If Sirius and (Y/N) are the Cute, Mischievous Couple, does that make Marlene and Remus the parents of the group?" asked Isolde, turning the attention to Marlene in time to see her hide her burning cheeks behind the fluffy blanket resting across her bed. "At least you two recognize there's something there, and again, you'd make an adorably cute couple," she added to soothe the growing embarrassment a little. On the other hand, Allegra merely scoffed and rolled her eyes, but at least now she knew who all three crushes had ignored her in favor of.

"And yet neither of you attended the pathetic winter dance together," harshly commented Allegra, pointing out Remus had never asked Marlene to attend with him despite both recognizing their growing connection. Likewise, despite how obvious his crush on her was, Sirius hadn't summed up the courage to ask (Y/N) to be his date.

"It may have escaped your notice both Remus and me within the hospital wing that week," replied (Y/N); her reasoning there was obvious enough; if it wasn't her clumsiness getting her in trouble, then her curiosity was the reason, although for once this time was different, her private lessons with Dumbledore had ended in disaster, even more so when she struggled with controlling her abilities. The constant war between Isolde and Allegra wasn't helping.

"Speaking of going on dates, though," started Marlene, her smile growing as her attention turned to Isolde. The other girl looked like a deer caught in headlights as it dawned on her where the turn in conversation was going. "How was your date?" asked Marlene, at least confirming that she had seen Isolde with the fifth-year student at the Three Broomsticks during the last visit to Hogsmeade.

"At least tell me, my smartie pants brother, Joaquin, was a gentleman," commented (Y/N), her mischievous grin turning gentle as she displayed she was already aware of the date. As much as Isolde and the others found the hypothetical relationship with Sirius adorable, she found it cute. On the other hand, Isolde looked over to (Y/N) with horror written across her features, as if she was terrified that one of her best friends knew about the months-old relationship. "He told me weeks ago, said he didn't want things to be awkward or the friendship to be weird," (Y/N) admitted, recalling when Joaquin had pulled her aside to ask her permission to date Isolde. (Y/N) had asked why he was asking her and not Isolde, although she playfully threatened to jinx him if he hurt one of her best friends.

Once again, Allegra scoffed, grumbling to herself. She should have been the first twin to find love and go on dates; she was the oldest. Yet again, Isolde had beaten her to it, with an older boy no less, someone she hadn't met or likely seen before. After all, Allegra was sure she would remember someone willing to date her twin, even more so when he was related to the Bane of Hogwarts herself (Y/N).

"See, this is why I say you Wolffe Siblings are something to admire," worded Lily, playfully throwing her pillow at Isolde. The brunette returned the favor in quick succession, leading to a pillow fight and laughter that broke out between the two. Marlene and (Y/N) watched on from their bunks, glancing at each other with broad smiles before hearing someone calling their names from the Common Room. No doubt it was one of the boys.

"Ah, that will be the boys with the presents," spoke Marlene, jumping from her bunk to answer the calls. A soft smile graced her lips upon seeing James waiting below; Peter stood awkwardly at his side, either looking around for the next prank or the two missing Marauders. In both boys' arms was a small pile of presents intended for each of the girls they considered girl counterparts, each wrapped to the best of the teenage boy's abilities.

"You and Lily Flower, will you join us on the train home tomorrow?" asked James, raising his voice slightly so Marlene could hear him over the constant, loud chattering among the students filling the Common Room. All were preparing to leave for the holidays the next day.

"I will be. I'm not sure about Lil," replied Marlene, recalling the conversation of where Lily would be sitting had yet to come up. They all knew she would be in one of two places, with them in a little compartment or Severus in the Slytherin carriage. Either way, it depended on whether Severus was heading home for Christmas. "You get Mason and Regulus, though."

Secretly, Marlene was looking forward to going home for Christmas; she would see her family for the holidays and escape the growing tension and constant warzone the dorm had become. Everyone knew eventually, the explosive fight between the twin sisters was coming; most just hoped they weren't around or nearby when it happened. At the same time, Marlene felt guilt; although she and Lily could escape the warzone, (Y/N) couldn't. Although she had little doubt both (Y/N) and Sirius would find reasons to leave the immediate area if it came to that. Perhaps the Marauders' secret task would be the distraction needed. 

Chapter Text

Once again, Gryffindor Tower was filled with tension; anyone who entered the tower upon returning from the short Christmas break could feel the thick and heavy atmosphere almost instantly. The Christmas holiday had done little in the way of helping the Smith Twins co-exist; if anything, it felt like their relationship had somehow broken down even more. (Y/N) had been thrilled when Lily and Marlene had returned with stories of their Christmas and New Year celebrations. Sirius had been the same with Remus, Peter, and James when they, too, stumbled through the portrait hole with bright smiles and ready for the new term, a renewed sense of determination to see their risky plan through, no matter how long it would take.

"Let her sleep," called Sirius upon noticing Peter creeping closer to (Y/N), napping peacefully on the sofa closest to the fire. The book she'd previously been reading resting on her chest, just as her cauldron and potion ingredients had long since been abandoned in front of the sofa. Upon returning from the Christmas break, everyone who'd seen (Y/N) noticed her exhaustion. Instead of enjoying the peaceful break, she'd spent it being the unwilling mediator between the warring muggle-born sisters. "The last two weeks have taken their toll," he added, moving from the armchair he'd previously occupied to sit with Remus in front of the sofa (Y/N) had fallen asleep on. Peter quickly took his spot on the free armchair, where James had long since flung himself over the other.

"That rough?" asked James, recalling the letters Sirius had sent over the short holiday, remembering how his best friend had worded his concern for the Metamorphic Witch finally resting. All the drama between the Smith twins had come at the cost of (Y/N)'s sanity; not only had she lost her smile and curiosity, but she also lost control of her abilities. McGonagall had advised her to leave the immediate area, while James had given Sirius the idea to take (Y/N) to the empty dorm to gain some much-needed time to recuperate.

"To be honest, it wasn't that bad when they were apart or around the professors," replied Sirius, recalling (Y/N)'s siblings helping as best they could. Joaquin had taken Isolde out several times, hoping to separate the sisters. In contrast, Helena had retrieved (Y/N) just as many times, even inviting Sirius to thank him for caring for her little sister. Qimir, on the other hand, had done all in his power to turn Allegra's attention to him, something she had ignored for the most part due to him being a seventh-year student. She'd avoided him more after her failed attempt at dueling him. "It's when they're together when things get explosive. It's gotten to the point they can't be alone together. Allegra's jealousy finally made Isolde snap; even old Slughorn couldn't break that fight up."

"Ah, so that's what Lil and Mar are doing," commented Remus, refusing to even imagine what the girl's dorm looked like. After all, Allegra wasn't above taking and destroying things that weren't hers, and Isolde wouldn't hesitate to give her a taste of her own foul medicine. "I'm glad we get the simple task of making sure this one sleeps," he added, gently removing the book (Y/N) had been reading before it slipped out of her slowly loosening grip. Gently, he placed it with her cauldron and potion ingredients. Upon noticing what she'd previously been reading, a soft smile appeared across his lips.

"Animagus," voiced Sirius upon noticing the chapter. "She's been doing a lot of research to help us out," he added, picking up some potion ingredients to inspect them. Now he thought about it. (Y/N) had spent most of the time away from the Common Room researching the process of becoming an Animagus, if only so she could help them further and ensure everything went as it should. A smirk soon appeared upon Sirius' features upon noticing the parchment filled with scribbled notes hidden under (Y/N)'s cauldron.

"Here comes trouble," warned Peter, his voice the normal trembling squeak. His words were shortly followed by Allegra shouting as loudly as possible from the walkway above the Common Room, shouting at anyone who got in her way regardless of the year they were in. Mere seconds later, Allegra stomped down the spiral stairs, pushing everyone out of her way, anger written across her reddened features, her lips pursed into a thin tight line, her eyes of judgment blazed with fury as she stomped through the Common Room.

"I'M GOING TO TELL MCGONAGALL. AT LEAST THAT WAY I'LL HAVE THE DORM TO MYSELF!" screamed Allegra, her words being thrown to Isolde, who stood with Lily and Marlene on the walkway before she stomped off toward the Portrait hole, ignoring those around her, covering their ears and being offended by those who turned away to ignore her never-ending drama and chaos. Allegra stopped upon seeing the Marauders; they, too, had ignored her, whereas (Y/N) appeared confused, even infuriated at being woken by the screaming again.

"Please do," groffily voiced (Y/N), rubbing her eyes and trying to blink away the tiredness. She shook her head in confusion again when Marlene appeared, as if not understanding where she'd come from. "I'm sure McGonagall will be interested to hear the excuses you come up with to explain your never-ending drama over the holidays," she added, finally sitting up and shifting to move from the plushy sofa; she thanked Remus when he returned the book she'd previously been reading, at least before collecting her cauldron and potion ingredients.

"I haven't done anything," smugly replied Allegra, confidence ringing through her crocky voice, although she was quieter than before. She was undoubtedly rethinking going to McGonagall now, if only because the Head of Gryffindor House had scolded her and Isolde several times over the holidays. "It's all Isolde's fault. Plus, what would you know, you practically avoided both of us over the holidays," she rudely remarked, crossing her arms over her puffed-out chest and stamping her foot as if to signal the conversation was over and she'd won.

"What happens when a Metamorphmagi loses control of their abilities?" questioned James, concerned and curious. There was little information about Metamorphmagus' abilities due to how rare they were. The little information there mainly consisted of theories and speculations. All that was truly known was that the abilities had a tendency to appear at random; they weren't genetic or linked to one particular bloodline. Those with the abilities were known to have a curious, mischievous, and often clumsy nature.

"No one knows, mate," replied Remus, hinting that he'd done his research at some point. "If our dear, sweet, mischievous (Y/N) is anything to go by, then it won't be good. Especially with her talent and knowledge of spells and potions," he added, throwing a friendly but playful grin (Y/N)'s way if only to offer her comfort and subtle tell her he'd help her as she'd done for him on countless occasions. (Y/N) however, all but glared at Allegra as it finally dawned on her, who had disturbed her sleep again.

"That silencing spell is looking good roundabout now," spoke Isolde from the walkway above the Common Room, a cold expression of hatred painted across her features as she all but glared daggers at her twin sister. Although she hadn't told anyone what had caused the breakdown over the Christmas break, she was at least glad it had happened when (Y/N) hadn't been in the dorm. "Sorry we woke you up again (Y/N)," she added, her voice a little gentler and filled with sincerity and worry. She knew (Y/N) had suffered the most over the holidays, and it was taking its toll even if (Y/N) didn't say anything about it. Deep down, Isolde hoped the drama didn't affect their friendship.

"Where are you going, Wolffe?" asked James upon noticing (Y/N) heading towards the portrait hole. At first, he thought she would clobber Allegra but soon realized otherwise when she walked past the dramatic teenager without saying a word or even acknowledging she was there.

"My bolt hole," replied (Y/N), "You're free to join me, Potter, same with the rest of you," she added before climbing out the door with her potion equipment. Anywhere was better than being stuck with the warring Smith twins for another night. Marlene soon ran to follow, curious to know more about the hiding place, even more so when (Y/N) had mentioned finding a mysterious room while exploring the castle with her sister Helena during the holidays. Plus, Marlene wanted to catch up with her best friend and care for her if needed.

"Wolffe has a secret hiding place and didn't tell us?" spoke James, surprise lacing his voice as he acted hurt, placing a hand over his chest, although a playful grin soon took over, as he all but ignored the disgusted look painted on Allegra's features. "Sirius ... do tell us what we missed?" he added, gluing his attention on the pure-blood wizard across from him. Sirius merely grinned innocently before standing and grabbing hold of the vials (Y/N) had left behind.

"She found it during Christmas break, said the room just appeared out of nowhere," replied Sirius, remembering when (Y/N) had all but dragged him to the seventh floor to show him the room that had appeared after pacing the hall several times. "She found it by accident while exploring the castle with Helena," he added, recalling the quiet nights both had spent there and how the room's contents changed several times. Sometimes, it was a quieter replica of the Common Room, while others, it was a quiet space to practice spells and potions without the constant interruptions.

"Sirius," called Isolde from the walkway, sorrow written across her features as she truly realized how much the tension and constant arguing affected those around her and Allegra, affecting the innocents who deserved better. "Tell (Y/N), I'm sorry, please. I didn't realize how much of a nightmare Christmas break had become because of us," she added with sadness before walking to the stairs with Lily. Lily noticed when Allegra had all but beamed with pride about causing another to suffer as if it was all part of the larger plot she was working on. No doubt, the plot to ensure Isolde suffered one way or another.

"Don't worry, Issy. I'll let her know," spoke Sirius with a gentle nod of support, as if silently letting her know he didn't blame her for fighting back, just as he suspected (Y/N) didn't either. "You keep working on that silencing spell, yeah," he encouraged, suspecting even the prefects would help if needed, especially Fennec and Finnick Hazard. Shortly after Sirius left the Common Room, followed by James and Peter, Remus was just ahead, having run to catch up with the girls. "So what's a transfiguration potion?" asked Sirius with curiosity upon taking a close look at the notes (Y/N) had scribbled down on the parchment piece.

"Turns the drinker into a predetermined animal or object, not sure which yet," replied (Y/N) as the group turned onto the grand staircase. As expected, the stairs were moving around, making getting to a chosen location more difficult than it had to be. "See you guys there," she added before climbing to stand on the stone banister, allowing herself to fall from the other side with a grin on his lips.

"I hate it when she does that," commented Marlene as she ran to the banister with worry painted on her features. She'd looked over only to see a raven perched on the banister on the floor below and across from them. It gawked in response to her comment as if laughing at each of them for their hurried reactions.

"At least she is not a dragon this time," replied Remus, recalling the pandemonium that had been caused. Professor Dumbledore had personally given (Y/N) two months detention for such a prank, although Peeves had enjoyed the display and the ensuing mayhem. Professor Dumbledore had advised (Y/N) to stick to the patronus regarding the havoc involving dragons.

"So, are we cluing Mar into our little plan?" asked James, as he threw an arm around Marlene's shoulders and walked with her up the changing staircase, being sure to dodge the steps with the boogy traps and security measures to catch intruders.

"Which plan?" questioned Sirius, seeing Marlene throw a curious glance in his direction. "The map or the other one that breaks most school rules and is potentially life-threatening?" he elaborated, moving some of his fluffy hair from his eyes after tripping up one of the steps. He quickly righted himself before continuing as if nothing had happened; a playful grin appeared when the others chuckled. Even the raven (Y/N) had turned into appeared to be laughing.

"(Y/N)'s clumsiness rubbing off on you?" commented Peter.

"Nah, I just wanted to give the step a hug; it doesn't get the appreciation it deserves," replied Sirius before running off in an attempt to catch the raven (Y/N) had transformed into, almost as if it was a game the two had started at some point during the holidays.

"I'm both curious and terrified about your plans," voiced Marlene, resigning herself to the fact her best friend was likely already aware of both plans and was involved in at least one. She had little doubt the potion the boys had asked (Y/N) to make was somehow connected to the plan to break all the school rules and potentially put each in life-threatening danger.

"The map on is harmless, merely to settle our curiosity of how big the school and Hogsmeade are," replied Remus, as if attempting to settle Marlene's nerves and concerns. His smile growing upon remembering Severus Snape, of all people, had given them the idea, even if unintentionally. "The other one is what we needed (Y/N)'s help with. We found out before the holidays that the potion is a git to brew. So we thought it would be better to have someone with expertise in brewing dangerous potions around and someone we trust in case anything went disastrously wrong," he elaborated. Plus, there was another reason why they'd asked (Y/N) to help instead of an older student with more experience. "(Y/N)'s metamorphic abilities are the closest to what we're trying to achieve."

"You're trying to become Animagi," commented Marlene, displaying her knowledge of the subject and likely previous research. A small grin appeared across her lips mere seconds later when James and Peter shared a concerned look and questioned if they were that obvious or if Marlene was more observant than they realized. "The only ability one can learn remotely similar to a Metamorphmagi is Animagus, the ability to turn one's self into a specific animal, normally whatever animal you are at heart," she explained. However, she never stated how she knew what an Animagus was or had researched it for another reason during their second year.

"Guess we weren't as sneaky as we thought," replied Remus, acting as if he too was a part of the plan to become Animagi if only to hide his werewolf secret a little longer and keep the reason he disappeared every month hidden from Marlene if only to protect them both. Although James, Peter, Sirius, and (Y/N) had been accepting and willing to help, he was certain others wouldn't be as kind or friendly. After all, he was a werewolf, something many considered a dangerous and often inhumane creature; he was something nearly all of the wizarding world would look down upon.

"Hey, I only know about it because I stumbled upon it while looking for information about Metamorphmagus' abilities," quickly replied Marlene, defending herself and settling the boys' nerves that she wouldn't share their secret. However, she would admit she'd found the information on Animagus intriguing even if she'd discovered it by accident. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about trying it, if only so she could understand (Y/N) unique abilities and share something with her. "I thought about trying it, but I'm still not sure about the risks involved," she admitted, looking up in time to see (Y/N) return to normal, although with a confused expression painted upon her features, Sirius at her side with intrigue painted on his.

"Woah, who turned you to the dark side?" called Sirius, his infamous cheeky grin appearing as (Y/N) chuckled from his side as if she had quickly put two and two together to come up with a possible answer.

"(Y/N) did," replied Marlene with a genuine smile, "You're my best friend; I wanted to look out for you, help you when you needed me. When I came across the Animagus thing, I thought it could be something we could bond over. At least that way, I stood a better chance at understanding your gifts, and you wouldn't feel so alone," she explained, her words directed toward (Y/N) as she displayed her reasonings were selfish; instead, she aimed to understand her best friend better.

"Guess I got another reason to do it," declared Sirius from the Seventh Floor walkway, waiting for the rest of the little group to catch up. "Can't have my dragon feeling lonely," he added, chuckling upon seeing (Y/N) throw him another confused look, again displaying she was just as clueless as normal.

"Your dragon?" questioned (Y/N), putting Sirius on the spot, although it was clear she wasn't bothered by his choice of words or his proclaim she was his dragon. It wasn't long before she laughed at his reaction of tripping over words as he attempted to explain or correct his previous statement.

"Since when was Black so damn open about his crush?" whispered James as the group turned onto the seventh floor. Marlene grinned widely as if realizing Sirius was likely testing how much he could get away with before (Y/N) truly noticed like it was a game between them.

"Looks like we missed more than just the war between Allegra and Isolde," replied Remus truthfully. However, he'd admit he was glad something good had happened during the holidays, even if Sirius would deny it and (Y/N) was blissfully clueless about it.

"Oi, Sirius, James wants to know when you became open with your crush on Wolffe?" yelled Peter before James could muffle him with a hand over his mouth or a whispered shout of Shhh! Once again, Marlene chuckled, as if understanding the family-like sense the group had created as if she finally understood the Marauders weren't just friends but a small family ready to support each other.

(Y/N) and Sirius glanced at each other as (Y/N) paced the corridor length several times as if she had lost something as she waited for the rest of them to catch up. Sirius chuckled to himself, whereas (Y/N) eyed James and Peter with suspicion as if determining if they were guilty of an unspoken crime.

"What crush?" asked (Y/N), loud enough that those approaching could hear her. Another playful giggle escaped her shortly after as James and Peter looked between themselves as if to figure out a way to explain. Remus simply questioned if she was really as clueless as she had made out. On the other hand, Marlene smiled widely, finally working out (Y/N) was playing a game with all of them, including Sirius, to keep them guessing. 

Chapter Text

"Are you serious about this?" asked (Y/N), turning into the grand moving stairwell with Marlene. The pair walked toward the Great Hall for breakfast, suspecting things would be just as crazy as usual. "It could be dangerous," she added, concern flooding her otherwise even voice. Nonetheless, a small smile appeared across her lips, even more so to see Marlene understood where her concern was coming from.

"I'm sure," replied Marlene, brushing some of her blonde locks over her shoulder and briefly straightening out her black robes. "Like the boys, I trust you with the potion," she stated, as her grin lit up as she thought about the conversation she'd had with each of the boys and (Y/N), how it all just made her more determined to become to an Animagus, although for her own reasons.

Each knew it would be dangerous and against the school rules and likely the Ministry, especially if they didn't register their abilities; even so, it was still something she wanted to do. The danger didn't mean anything now, especially compared to Marlene's progress in understanding her best friend and ensuring (Y/N) wasn't alone when she struggled to control her unique abilities.

"I wonder if Lily handled the latest drama between Isolde and Allegra," spoke Remus from behind the girls, Sirius appearing next to him mere moments later, having jogged to catch up. Upon hearing the names of the Smith Twins, he only rolled his eyes, no doubt recalling the nightmare Christmas break had been, the constant fighting and never-ending yelling as the pair traded insults. Allegra always resorted to yelling I hate you when she had nothing else to say and wanted to end the fight on her terms.

"Speaking of Lily Flower," voiced James as he joined the group, "Reckon she'd go to Valentine's dance with me?" he added, knowing attending the dance with Lily strongly depended on whether the professors allowed the Marauders and (Y/N) to go at all. Especially considering the disaster of the last one, even if (Y/N) had prevented the dance from being ruined, she had caused panic.

"I'd rather kiss the Giant Squid," replied Lily as she strolled past with Severus and Isolde. The dark-haired Slytherin boy seemingly ignored his four tormentors, although he did at least acknowledge (Y/N) with a simple wave. James' intended insult died on his lips as Remus jabbed his shoulder if only to prevent unneeded trouble. Despite Sirius' attempt, he, too, hadn't got any further, as his words of insult had been met with a whack across the back of the head by (Y/N) using the parchment roll she had. Peter hadn't succeeded either. Instead, he thought twice the moment Marlene's heated glare landed on him, stamping out any confidence he might have gained to commit another act of insult against Severus on his own.

"How do you do that so easily?" questioned Isolde, almost amazed by how quickly two of her roommates had prevented more bullying, displaying in silence that they disagreed. A small chuckle escaped her lips as James rubbed his shoulder and glared at Remus; the latter seemed content to ignore it. Sirius, however, had exclaimed a loud Ow! before reaching for the spot (Y/N)'s rolled parchment collided with his head. Upon looking at (Y/N), he'd stuck his tongue out at her, at least before a grin pulled the corner of his lips.

"Hey, Snivellus," called Allegra, acting as if she was the coolest witch in the castle rather than the menace many had proclaimed her to be. A wickedly sweet smile appeared across her lips as if she was unaware the nickname was a means of torment rather than a friendly nickname exchanged between friends. After all, she'd heard James, Sirius, and occasionally Peter refer to him as such and happily but mindlessly followed their lead; they were popular, after all.

"That's not my name," harshly replied Severus, not bothering to spare the brunette muggle-born a glance. Instead, his cold glare landed on the four boys he'd had a running war with since the first train ride to the school. If only to determine if they were behind Allegra's unwanted attention turning to him or if she'd done so herself for one reason or another.

"How about teaching me some of those spells you've been working on?" commented Allegra, although her tone made it sound more like a demand than a polite question. Once again, she ignored his previous comment. Her smile turned victorious when his dark eyes landed upon her as if she was thrilled he wasn't paying attention to Lily or Isolde anymore. However, she failed to realize the mixture of anger and surprise lit in his eyes, even more so when he questioned how she knew what he'd been working on. "Maybe you could give me some advice," she pestered, again blind to the obvious.

"Pay attention in class," Severus responded bluntly before walking off and uttering a quiet goodbye to Lily and Isolde. He seemed clueless to the chuckles left in his wake and James's almost compliment. Nice one, Snivellus.

"Rude," shouted Allegra, an offended expression painted upon her features as she stomped off into the Great Hall. Many thought she would chase after Severus, but they were soon proven wrong when she stopped inside the golden doors. There was little doubt she'd get her favorite breakfast before it was all gone.

"Allegra," called a girl; Ulrica was her name; she was another Gryffindor student. Some would have described her as bright, funny, and smart once. But now, the third year was described as a menace, terror, and a bully. Even more so after the incident on the train while returning from Christmas Break, rumor had spread about her mean streak and display of cruelty toward first years, behavior that had been shared by her two best friends, Georgie and Samantha.

"Come join us," added Samantha, waving Allegra over with a gracious, even friendly smile. Without a second thought, Allegra wandered over to the small group, a smile of her own as she dared not get her hopes up; they could eventually be her friends. Upon noticing two other girls there, third-year Slytherins known for their bitter attitude. Raya Snyde and Jessica Rosier. They were among many with a knack for Dark Arts and an admiration for the Dark Lord and his goals.

"That doesn't strike up confidence for the better," quietly spoke Lilly upon entering the Great Hall and finding a spot big enough for the small group. She noticed Allegra wandering off toward the furthest end of the Gryffindor table. However, the concern was forgotten when Lily turned to Isolde, Marlene, (Y/N), and the Marauders. A smile of her own reappeared upon noticing Sirius still nursing his head where (Y/N) had clobbered him. "Do tell Snap, what's going on between you and Sirius?" laughed Lily, calling (Y/N) by the nickname Joaquin had lovingly bestowed her with.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Lil," innocently replied (Y/N), playing dumb to the subject once again, even if she did know what they meant. After all, she'd noticed how people whispered whenever she walked by in recent weeks. At first, she thought nothing of it; she was different, and whispers were expected, so she ignored them. That was until she noted the whispers increased when she was around the Marauders, specifically Sirius.

It soon dawned on her why: the two were often engaged in playful banter, professors paired them together at every given a chance and neither complained. Plus, many had likely noticed Sirius would purposely get himself in detention just minutes after she'd been given one. Their friendship had blossomed more since the third year had begun, and now it seemed like others expected it to become something more as they did when it came to the friends growing between Marlene and Remus.

"Sirius, you tosspot," called Lily, her accusing eyes finding the fluff-haired boy quickly. The playful insult to fall from her had a serious undertone as if she was about to scold him for misbehaving. The loudness of Lily's words, however, was what caught everyone's attention. "What have you done to corrupt my precious Snap?" she asked. Isolde chuckled from her side while Marlene tried her hardest to stifle her laughter, even more so when Sirius looked so confused and caught off guard as if he was a deer caught in headlights.

"Told you it would stick," commented Joaquin as he walked by, arm in arm with Helena. The twins smothered (Y/N) with a sibling hug filled with affection, Helena adding a sweet kiss to his little sister's cheek. "We love ya, little Snap," he said as the pair left, at least before they parted a short distance away; Helena joined her friends at the Hufflepuff table, and Joaquin joined their brother Qimir at the Ravenclaw one.

"I think I might try that on Mason," replied Marlene with a gentle smile. "It's adorable how fearless you three are."

"So, when does that start happening to our dear, sweet Isolde?" asked (Y/N), chuckling when Isolde paled at the thought of such a public display of affection, especially in a romantic way. "I'm just joking with you, Issy. Although I can't remember Joaquin being this googled-eyed about anyone before," she commented, admitting her brother had never been struck by love like this before; sure, he'd had crushes, but this was different. Even Qimir seemed to have noticed, and Helena often took the opportunity to pester her twin.

The attention soon returned to Lily, who playful scolded Remus and Sirius for corrupting her precious Snap and irreplaceable Mar. James quickly mentioned Joaquin corrupting Issy, leading Lily to comment that she'd eventually get to the fifth-year boy. She even said she had a (Y/N) and wasn't afraid to weaponize her.

"And you lot call me the mom of the group," sweetly commented Marlene, chuckling as Lily continued briefly before stopping. Meanwhile, Peter tried his hardest to make himself as small as possible while chowing down on a bowl of cereal, almost as if he was terrified Lily would turn her attention on him any second, and he'd be forced to defend himself against her playful scolding.

"I heard that, Mar," called Lily with a wink, "Think of me as your protective, slightly older sister, who's ready to kick some butt," she added, as her attention diverted back to the two teenage boys in question. They both shared a glance while ignoring James' amused laugh in the background. Lily, however, soon brought the laughter to an end when she threw a small ball of screwed-up parchment at his head.

"I kind of feel sorry for Joaquin when she gets put through this," voiced (Y/N), knowing her brother was brave and bright, but even so, it was doubtful he could come up with something quick enough to defend against Lily in Momma Bear protectiveness even if he would call her adorable and compliment her on her chosen tactics afterward. "Should I advise him to prepare?"

"I promise I haven't corrupted our precious Snap, Crackle, and Pop," softly spoke Sirius, holding up his hands to surrender to the petite redhead. "If anything, I encourage the chaos already there," he added, quickly ducking when Lily threw another ball of parchment at him and attempted to swot him over the table.

"Snap, Crackle, and Pop?" questioned (Y/N), confusion rifle in her voice, as she tried to comprehend the nickname and the odd choice of words. "That hardly sounds like me, Siriusly Strong. Snap, Cackle, and Bang are far more fitting," she replied with a light bout of laughter, ribbing herself in the process. Her response was enough for James to spit his morning pumpkin juice out, and Peter burst into laughter.

"If anything, Lil," spoke Remus, his voice calm despite the urge to laugh loudly at (Y/N)'s comment, despite dreading the upcoming full moon. "Black Snap brings the playfulness out of each other. (Y/N) encourages Sirius to be better while he jokingly teases her to keep her out of trouble and vers her attention back to where it needs to be, especially in class. We all know how easily (Y/N) can get distracted," he added, speaking truths he knew those who looked close enough would know. The map and the potion had proved to be good distractions, enough that (Y/N) wasn't constantly turning the castle into a never-ending nightmare of pranks.

"As for M and M," began Isolde, officially bestowing the other pair with their little nickname as Remus had done seconds prior with Sirius and (Y/N). "We all know it would be Mar corrupting our innocent Remmy," she added with a chuckle, even more so when Remus sent a confused glance her way, most likely not understanding why he was the innocent one, and Marlene's deadpan glare, as she tried her hardest to keep a straight face.

"Remus. Innocent? Are you sure we're talking about the same person?" called James.

"Compared to the rest of you Marauders, he's innocent," collaborated Lily before reaching for toast and strawberry jam. Soon enough, the conversation turned to the classes on the agenda for that day: Defense Against The Dark Arts, Potions, Transfigurations, Charms, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures. It was a busy day ahead of them, even more so for those on the Quidditch team, who'd be swept off to practice after dinner that evening, no doubt to prepare for the last match of the season, Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff.

At the end of the Gryffindor table, near the steps leading to the professor's table, Allegra sat with the group of Samantha, Ulrica, Georgie, Jessica, and Raya, smiling as she engaged in random topics of conversation. For the first time since attending the school, she felt like she belonged somewhere, almost overwhelmed by it. It was as if her prayers and hope for belonging had been answered. Finally, Allegra was building friendships with people with the same beliefs, idealism, attitude, and way of thinking as her. They, too, wanted to be famous when they were older; they wanted to be known worldwide, just like her. As a bonus, neither of the Gryffindor girls, Samantha, Georgie, or Ulrica, were fond of Isolde or the group of girls she called friends and family.

The girls quickly clued Allegra in on their plan; they would terrorize the spineless Marauder, Peter Pettigrew. They planned to start with small things, a little spell here and there, similar to how the playful prank war between the Marauders and (Y/N) had begun before it flourished into the friendship it is today. But as time passed, they planned to get bolder and bolder; their aim was to get him suspicious of everything and everyone and terrify him to the point that he wouldn't leave the tower, not even for classes or outings with friends.

"That won't work," confidently spoke Allegra upon being clued into the entire plan. "Peter is never alone; atop of that, it's nearly impossible to get him on his own. After all, he surrounds himself with more powerful and popular students for a reason, so he doesn't become a victim of others," she added, displaying just how observant she had been even if she had personally been making other's school life a living nightmare with her constant drama and fights with Isolde. "You have to exploit his lack of confidence. Make it seem like we can protect him better than the rest of the Marauders. Once you've gained his trust, you can use him to torment the other, maybe even discover what they're up to."

"It's the long game, but the odds are it would work better," said Samantha, sharing her favorable opinion. "If done correctly, we should see the fruits of labor as information that can be used to blackmail the others," she added viciously. A gleam of malice sparkled through her eyes at the thought of the wicked games, even if they would take a little more planning to commit to fully.

"Tell me more about this Dark Lord," voiced Allegra, not caring if she came across as an idiot to her new friends. She was a muggle-born; like many with no magic, she was clueless and likely blind to what was happening across the magical world. She was so blind that she hadn't even realized a growing threat or that the magical community was on the verge of war outside Hogwarts.

"Lord Voldemort," spoke Raya, her voice no louder than a whisper, as if to keep the conversation secret from those passing by and avoid the unwanted attention from concerned professors. "He's not fond of Mudbloods, but I'll bet he'd make an exception for one as like-minded as you," she added, using the term mudblood so casually that one could easily miss that it was an insult. "He's looking to recruit Death Eaters and new followers into his ranks. Together, they aim to bring much-needed change to the Wizarding Community and bring Salazar Slytherin's vision true. First Britain, then the world."

"The Ministry caused the war," spoke Jessica, spite ringing through her whispered voice. "Of course, they don't agree with his vision. Dad says once the traitors are dealt with, the Ministry will fall, and the Wizarding World will be reformed for a better future," she fearlessly added, not bothering to hide her intention to join the ranks of the Death Eaters once she left Hogwarts—a goal she shared with her brother Evan. "Most Pure-Blood families are supports, except for a few blood traitors," she spat.

Immediately, she thought of Aleister Moody and the Wolffe and Weasley families. A few members of the Black family also disagreed with pure-blood traditions and values. None more so than Andromeda Tonks. Although Jessica never voiced it, she suspected Sirius Black would eventually follow in his cousin's footsteps, especially if his behavior was anything to go by and his pride at being placed in Gryffindor over Slytherin.

"Voldemort will win," rambled Georgie, ignoring that she was a half-blood and her mother was a muggle who believed in magic. Ignoring that her father had broken those traditions, she held to such a high priority. "Dad is a firm believer in Voldemort's vision," she added confidently, seeming to forget her father's actions of marrying a muggle rather than another pure-blood was exactly what Voldemort opposed. Although Georgie would admit she enjoyed being the only one out of three to have magic, her two sisters were magicless squibs, a stain on the wizarding family they come from. Their father had forbidden them from knowing anything about the magical world, instead insisting they were muggles and didn't need to know about it.

"So how does one go about becoming a Death Eater?" asked Allegra, clearly displaying she wanted nothing more than to be part of a movement that aimed to reform the magical world. Even if it were her kind, the war was against, and regular muggles unaware of the magical world existing alongside their own would be targeted as innocents would be hurt. Of course, Allegra didn't care about that; all she cared about was being a part of something that shared her twisted belief, something that would eventually change the world, something that would help her gain infamy. 

Chapter Text

"They're up to something again," whispered Allegra, watching as (Y/N) entered the Common Room with a small pile of books from the library hooked under her arm. Marlene followed behind with a bright smile as she waved to Isolde, and the Marauders gathered in the small, cozy area near the spiral stairs. Peter appeared to be the center of their attention, trembling in terror as he looked around the Common Room, suspicious of everything.

He jumped at nearly every shadow and the slightest noise that seemed out of place. James, Sirius, and Remus tried their best to discover what had caused his reaction and why he was so terrified. Meanwhile, Isolde offered soft comfort, hoping it would calm Peter down enough for them to get answers.

"Hey Wolffe," Ulrica yelled, a wicked grin painted upon her lips, malice shimmering in her cold eyes, as she left the comfort of the armchair near the roaring fire. Samantha, Georgie, and Allegra watched quietly as if they were about to watch the latest episode of their favorite soap opera. (Y/N), on the other hand, didn't pay attention; she made a habit of ignoring the brave few who were daring enough to call her by her last name; the only exceptions being made were for professors and her circle of friends. "Yeah, you, I'm talking to you, dingbat," arrogantly added Ulrica, as if she was under the impression when she spoke that everyone in the immediate area should listen to what she had to say.

"Tell us, Marlene," began Allegra in a condescending tone, turning her attention to someone she had spent most of the previous year bullying for amusement. However, it soon became clear to Allegra that Marlene wasn't the timid girl she'd previously been, nor was she going to allow herself to be bullied by Allegra again. Marlene was confident and happier now; she already knew her place and those she could turn to if she needed something. "What are you and this freak up to?"

"You claim to be smart, Smith; figure it out," replied Marlene with a sharp edge. Her comment struck so quickly that it had taken Allegra and her small group of girls back a little. It surprised them even that someone could respond not only quickly but with the same attitude they so often weaponized against others.

"Is there a problem here?" asked Finnick Hazard, one of the Gryffindor Prefects, usually the one that kept an eye on (Y/N) and the Marauders. His twin sister Fennec was another Prefect and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Like Fennec, Finnick was known to give doses of tough love but did so because he cared. There was little doubt Finnick would one day be Headboy, especially when he'd single-handedly kept the Marauders and (Y/N) was terrorizing the castle.

"There is," said Samantha; her wickedness remained intact as she sauntered to the growing group. Her intentions were anything but innocent. Finnick knew that, but he gave her his full attention nonetheless. "I have reason to believe Marlene McKinnon, (Y/N) Wolffe, and the Marauders are up to something again. Their secrecy suggests it will probably cost Gryffindor precious house points and likely against the school rules," she worded, attempting to get the group in trouble and further scare Peter into turning away from his friends. Stupidly, Samantha had believed her accusations would hold some ground even when she had no evidence to prove them.

"They've thrust far refused to tell anyone what they're doing when asked," added Georgie, joining Samantha in front of Finnick. By now, Fennec had appeared, eyeing the ground of girls with suspicion, no doubt suspecting they were up to something again. After all, she was no idiot; she could spot when someone was lying to her a mile away and knew instantly when someone was up to something that could hurt others. "I suspect the books (Y/N) got from the library will give hints about what she's involved in," she added, hoping to get (Y/N) in trouble or scare her.

However, that hope soon came crashing down. (Y/N) handed over the collection of books to Fennec without hesitation. She had nothing to hide; none of the books were out of the ordinary for her, so she had nothing to fear, even if the group of girls Allegra was now a part of wanted her to be fearful. Fennec read over the titles of the book, noticing each was of advanced magic, but she didn't bother questioning it. (Y/N) was smart for her age and creative, especially with her little spell and potion experiments.

"Advanced DADA and Charms?" asked Fennec, pushing her braided hair over her shoulder, a slight grin appearing mere seconds later; quickly, she suspected Dumbledore or one of the professors had recommended the books to her. "These are difficult for most grown-ups to achieve," she commented as she handed the collection of books back to (Y/N). If it had been anyone else, Fennec would have questioned the chosen books, and what they were up to, but with (Y/N), there was little need to.

"Just be glad it's not more mischief," uttered Finnick, standing next to Samantha and Georgie. "Poor Slughorn still hasn't reversed the spell on his storage cupboard, and McGonagall has yet to recover from the heart attack," he added softly. Recalling when McGongal had all but dragged (Y/N) and Sirius back to the Common Room, James quietly followed behind after being scolded for a separate incident. All three had spent the following month in detention.

"In (Y/N)'s defense, the Slughorn one was a dare from James," called Remus from his spot near the spiral stairs. A gentle grin appeared across his lips mere seconds later, pride too, now they were aware Slughorn hadn't reserved the spell (Y/N) had used.

"Remember Quidditch Practice tomorrow after dinner," announced Fennec, "Got to work on the new game plan," she added, sending the pair of (Y/N) and Marlene to join the others; she took notice Lily wasn't there. However, she could guess the petite redhead was with her best friend again. "Now, what are you four up to?" questioned Fennec, turning her attention to the four near the fire now she had determined there was nothing out of the ordinary with (Y/N)'s choice of books.

"What makes you think we're up to anything?" asked Allegra with an attitude; she'd had a burst of confidence before her gaze landed on Fennec's unamused expression, an expression tainted with suspicion.

"A gut feeling," Finnick responded as if he could read his sister's mind. "Or maybe it's the younger students being terrified whenever one or more of you are around," he added, noticing Peter had joined the growing list of jittery students. They all acted relatively normal until one or more of the girls appeared. However, none of them said what about the group of four caused such a reaction; instead, they silently denied anything was wrong before barricading themselves in their dorms.

"We haven't done anything," muttered Samantha, not wording the other half of the comment, the half that she thought. That you can prove; instead, she continued to mutter insults under her breath as if she thought Finnick wouldn't hear her, even when he was standing so close. She was soon proven wrong when he glared at her, almost as if looking into her dark soul. He knew what they were doing but didn't have any concrete proof to prove it ... yet.

"Haven't you?" voiced Isolde, standing from her seat next to Peter and allowing Marlene to take her spot. Upon reaching the Hazard twins, Isolde handed over the journal she'd been keeping since the odd behavior the four girls shared had become noticeable. Allegra's expression dropped to resemble fear the moment she realized she'd underestimated Isolde again and overestimated the overall skills of her own little group.

Quickly, Allegra diverted her attention to Remus and Sirius; both had collected Charms books from (Y/N) and sat with her at one of the smaller tables behind the cozy area the others occupied. No doubt they were attempting to study for the upcoming Charms test Flitwick had recently informed all third years of. If only to test how much they'd learned over the year, as was the norm.

Fennec gently took the journey, reading through some pages; her usual calm demeanor slipped briefly, allowing others around her to see her anger. She soon sent a hateful glance in the direction of the suspicious girls, all four of which had lost their confidence now, instead they tried their hardest to disappear, and act like they were anything but the monsters they were quickly becoming.

"We haven't done anything," repeated Ulrica, a smug grin barely appearing as she attempted to cause more trouble, even when it was clear she was in hot water. "Peter can tell you he's been hanging around us for several weeks," she added, turning her attention to the boy in question, just in time to see the expected fear flash across his features as he hugged the cushion in his lap a little tighter. On the other hand, James, Remus, and Sirius appeared confused. Peter had refused to leave the tower for over a week unless going to classes and the Great Hall; he'd even refused to go to Hogsmeade.

"I ... I ... don't know any ... anything," timidly replied Peter, his voice trembling as much as his body was, even more so upon noticing nearly everyone's attention was focused on him. Except for Isolde, Marlene, and (Y/N), who seemed content to continue their previous task and ignore the ongoing drama as best they could.

"I'm sorry, Peter," started Samantha with a sincerity facade rife in her sickly sweet voice. However, her unusual, wicked glint remained in her eyes. "I can't keep our relationship secret any longer," she added, with an act of sadness and a manipulative undertone. "I know I promised to keep it a secret until you were ready to tell your friends, but I can't stand by and do nothing while mine are accused of something they haven't done," added the half-blood witch, acting as innocently as she could and trying her hardest to sound convincing. Briefly, a smug grin crept upon her lips, if only because she knew some of those watching on believed her.

"I think I'm going to throw up," commented a seventh-year student from one of the tables near a window, a horrified expression painted on his features. The girl he sat with him didn't look any better. If anything, it appeared as if she wanted to use the obliviate charm on herself, if only to rid her memory of the unwanted mental images and horrors.

"Didn't see that one coming," spoke Fennec, returning her attention to the journal Isolde had given her, if only so she could get a clearer picture of what was happening. Although she found it hard to concentrate after the bomb Samantha had dropped on the Common Room.

"Never mind that," called James loudly, his face contorted to resemble horror. "Peter, why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend? We should celebrate you reaching such a milestone before Moony and Sirius, too," he added to make light of the situation and show Peter that none of his immediate friend group believed the lies Samantha had effortlessly spilled.

"What! I'm not dating her," refuted Peter, just as loudly as James as he attempted to defend himself against the lies spoken. "She's a female Voldemort," he added before scrambling to hide in the shadows. Samantha looked over with an act of hurt and as if she had been offended by his choice of words. Although she'd never admit it to anyone outside her friends, she was pleased with the comment comparing her to Voldemort, almost as if she'd taken it as a compliment rather than the intended insult.

"Moony, I could use the backup here," voiced James, looking to Remus, who came equipped with a bewildered expression. One that appeared to have sparked Sirius' humor. The pure-blood wizard was on the verge of laughter now, despite his best attempts to regain his composure in the face of the surreal situation.

"Yeah, I don't think he's gonna be much help, mate," worded Sirius, noticing (Y/N) wasn't much better. Her hair had gone a lavender color now, a mixture of bewilderment and horror painted on her features; she was quiet too, almost as if someone had cast petrificus totalus on her.

"Rrr," growled Lily as she finally entered the Common Room, anger written across her features, the ends of her fiery hair singed and burnt, her legs still wobbly and unstable from the hex she'd been on the receiving end of. Her thick tights now bore holes where none had been before. "Permission to curse the awful brats, Jessica Rosier and Raya Synde?" she asked, seemingly oblivious to the tension lingering in the tower room.

"Lil," called (Y/N), concern flooding her voice as she finally shook away the bewilderment and horror. What happened?" she questioned, moving to help Lily to the table, where she, Remus, and Sirius shared. Lily's growling also snapped Remus from his trance, although Sirius still fought to recompose himself.

"Ruddy idiots thought it would be a good idea to jinx me when Severus ignored them," replied Lily, anger prevalent above all other emotions. If dueling on school grounds wasn't against the rules, she would have hit them with a few spells in retaliation. Although she'd been thankful for Severus using a few of his creations on them, dangling both above the great lake. "They said they were doing it for Samantha because the little witch has a crush on him."

"Someone has a crush on Snape?" shuddered James. "This just keeps getting weirder."

"Forget that," voiced Sirius. "Peter's just found his girlfriend is two-timing him," he added, picking up where James left off earlier and trying to lighten the mood. At his words, Lily shot him a confused glance, finally realizing she'd missed something.

Finnick's chuckles soon broke up the tension to have fallen over the Common Room; his attention turned to the four girls at the center of the controversy, noticing quickly how Samantha now tried to hide from all the attention she was receiving despite reveling in it mere moments ago. Ulrica and Georgie, on the other hand, looked unsure of themselves now, as if Lily's words had robbed them of their confidence.

"I think I'm gonna make a memory-erasing potion," declared (Y/N), rubbing her temples before allowing her head to drop onto the table with a thud. Sirius chuckled again, at least while he determined if she was joking.

"I get the sense I've missed something," Lily said in a confused voice. However, a smile appeared across her lips as she noticed the expressions on the faces of those present. From amusement to outright terror, at least one seemed traumatized or perhaps petrified by a basilisk.

"Honestly, Tiger Lily, you're probably better off not knowing," replied Finnick, strolling over to the table Fennec occupied, taking a seat across from her before picking up a book in the hopes of studying for the upcoming OWL exams. He needed to do something to prevent his mind from conjuring up unwanted mental images.

"See, now I'm even more curious," commented the fiery redhead, a small smile coming to her lips. Her line of thought was soon interrupted by Peter cracking up over something James and Marlene had said. It was clear one or both were making light of what had happened if only to distract the terrified boy for a little while.

"I'll tell you later," spoke Isolde with a smile of softness. A smile that grew upon remembering being told by McGonagal Allegra would be in a different dorm when the new school year began. Their dorm would be far more peaceful and quieter besides the usual explosions and bangs from (Y/N)'s experiments. 

Chapter Text

Things had begun to quiet down in Gryffindor Tower as the end of the school year approached, and the summer holidays hid just around the coming corner. However, the same couldn't be said for outside of it. Allegra and her newfound friends quickly established a reputation among students and professors, but it wasn't good. Their idea of jokes often resulted in tears or things only the small group of girls had found humor in. Although they frequently ceased to find it funny the moment the same logic was turned on and weaponized against them, usually courtesy of the Marauders, occasionally Severus Snape had done so in defense of Lily and Isolde.

"You guys promise to write over the holidays?" asked Isolde, a gentle tone to her voice as she looked around her group of friends, from the boys who so often caused mischief and mayhem to the girls she shared a dorm with and would proudly call her found family. Sure, not all of them got along, but it was far better than the world war Isolde often found herself in with Allegra. Lily and James usually had disagreements, bantering back and forth in some form; James frequently pined after Lily, although she seemed content to ignore him in favor of her friendship with Severus.

Likewise, the other Marauders had also started to come into their own. Peter had discovered the terrifying world of romance and attraction. All four of them attempted to further their self-given assignments, having more success in one than the other. However, with the inclusion of (Y/N) and Marlene, they'd gain more confidence and eventually succeed where they'd previously failed.

"Who else am I going to pester?" asked (Y/N) with her usual mischievous grin. Plus, you know Joaquin is gonna send letters, too," she added with a ring of laughter falling from her lips. Isolde's cheeks heated up rapidly until they had a pink/reddish tint as she was reminded that her friends knew of her dating life—or at least the girls did.

"You can pester me," commented Sirius as he came to sit next to (Y/N). On the other hand, Remus had squished himself between (Y/N) and Marlene with a victorious grin upon succeeding. Marlene smiled sweetly as she reached for a bowl of her favorite jelly flavors.

"Save us all the nightmares and just date already," commented James, pushing his rounded glasses back up the bridge of his nose before pulling a folded piece of parchment out of his robes. "Wait, where's Lily? I thought she came down with you girls," he added once again, ruffling his hair as if to give the illusion he'd stepped off his broom moments before entering the Great Hall.

"Careful, James, your image is slipping," replied Peter, if only to poke a little fun at one of his best friends. Once again, he wore his favorite striped sweater, the one in Gryffindor colors, which James joked he took to every occasion in place of a date.

"What image is that exactly?" asked Marlene, a playful grin appearing across her lips before a bout of laughter escaped her. Even more so with the deadpan glare James threw in her direction, although a friendly smile cracked through when he could no longer uphold the serious persona. Of course, they would take the opportunity to poke a little fun, even more so when he'd take every chance to return the favor, particularly in the quiet moments throughout the school year.

"The poet?" questioned (Y/N).

"I was thinking the lady's man ... you know, the one with the terrible attempts at flirting," commented Isolde, a bright smile spreading across her lips, even more so with how fast James had turned his attention to her.

"Be serious, guys," began Remus, "Peter obliviously meant the bookworm image James has been working on."

"And here I thought it was the star Quidditch Player and Mischief Master one," voiced Sirius.

"You're hurting my feelings," declared James, "Peter clearly meant my tough guy image. I can't help but care for you lot, even when you are experimenting and regularly blowing things up."

"Come now, it's been months since anything exploded," replied (Y/N) with a slight chuckle. "I've been preoccupied helping your four with all your witchy needs and setting a few pranks and boogy traps off," she added with an unmoved grin on her lips and a sparkle in her sapphire eyes.

"Or in detention," replied Peter quickly, receiving another chuckle from (Y/N) as she nodded in agreement. Peter slowly regained his confidence after the fiasco with the Wicked Quartet.

"OW!" exclaimed Isolde as something collided with the side of her head. Looking at the tabletop, she was met with a tightly bound and screwed-up piece of parchment. Upon picking it up, she noticed it felt heavier than it should have been, having little doubt there was something in it, perhaps a stone or small rock.

When Peter scanned the Great Hall, a tiny trembling squeak left his lips. His focus locked on the group of girls who had been set on terrorizing the castle in a not-so-fun way. Although he'd yet to word it aloud, he'd still yet to get over Samantha's claim of them dating, nor had he been able to shake the rumors the rest of the girls had been spreading. Even worse, Peter had yet to determine what they wanted from him other than terrorizing him for their cruel entertainment.

He couldn't offer them anything; he wasn't popular like Sirius and James, bright like Remus, or unique like (Y/N). He was just another pureblood wizard, terrified of being alone and the brewing war. All he wanted was to spend his days at Hogwarts in relative peace, learn to be a wizard, and figure out what he wanted to do when he left education.

"You okay, Peter?" asked Joaquin upon joining the group, taking Lily's regular place as she was across the hall with Severus at the Slytherin table. There was little doubt the two would be making plans for the holidays, as they did every year before returning home for the summer. Joaquin had done the same with his friends in Ravenclaw, and there was little doubt Helena had done the same with her friends in Hufflepuff.

"I still don't get it," commented James, looking between two Wolffe siblings. He could see some similarities and shared features; everyone could, yet they were still so different. Joaquin was a well-rounded fifth-year student, popular and intelligent; he was the keeper for Ravenclaw's quidditch team and a school prefect now, too. Whereas (Y/N) was one of the most mischievous students to pass through the school, clumsy but brilliant for her age, a thorn in the sides of professors and students alike, but a brilliant chaser for Gryffindor's quidditch team, however (Y/N), had gained the nickname Bane of Hogwarts for a reason.

Then there was Helena, the one James still couldn't wrap his head around. Joaquin's twin, she was gentle, kind, and a loyal friend. Always willing to give advice. Like her siblings, she was smart and talented at potions and caring for magical creatures. Of course, she was a prefect and on the quidditch team, the seeker for Hufflepuff House. Helena was a friend to everyone, but that never stopped her from engaging in a friendly sibling rivalry with Joaquin and (Y/N).

"Get what?" questioned Remus, allowing curiosity to get the better of him. Although he soon understood the comments when he followed James' line of sight, as it flicked between Joaquin, (Y/N), and the passing Helena Wolffe.

"(Y/N)'s a metamorphmagi; she's naturally more clumsy, curious, and mischievous," answered Joaquin, remembering how proud his parents had been of each of them, his mother especially, considering none of them had turned out like her side of the family. "Our parents neutered it as they encouraged us to be who we are. Although, mom always said the mischief comes from dad's side of the family," he laughed, recalling the back-and-forth comments and banter between his parents growing up.

"What do your parents do?" asked Sirius, not believing he hadn't asked before, even more so when he was sure Marlene, Isolde, and Lily would have already asked at some point. He knew it was unusual for affluent pureblood families to do anything in the way of a career; sure, they'd volunteer sometimes, but nothing more. His own family was proof of that; his vile mother so often rattled around the house shouting about one thing or another while his father attempted to write some book he'd been working on for years if only to stay out of his mother's way.

"Mom's a potions master; she has a shop in Diagon Alley," replied (Y/N); her mother's potions were simple household ones, most of which were of her own making; occasionally, she'd sell the recipes for the potions. Her business was booming and kept her happy. "Dad is a Magizoologist; he travels the world in search of them," she added, a bright smile coming to her lips as she remembered the bangs and puffs of smoke coming from the basement when her mother was working on a new potion. Every time her mom would shout up, she was okay when something inevitably exploded. Likewise, her father always came home with stories of his adventures to tell.

"That explains a lot, commented Peter. "You know, we should all meet up sometime during the holidays," he added, changing the subject back to the holiday plans. His eyes lit up as others agreed. Joaquin glanced at Isolde, whereas Remus, Sirius, and James voiced their agreement in various ways. Marlene was quick to agree, as did Isolde, if only so she didn't have to spend the summer stuck with Allegra more than she had to be. After some thought, (Y/N) eventually agreed, although she commented that it would have to be around the plans her parents likely already had in place.

"Good idea," replied Isolde, a soft grin coming to her lips as she gently nudged Joaquin, confirming she'd be happy to spend more time with him. "You lot can swear me in on your secret plans," she laughed. "Lily, too, if we can ever get her back."

"Secret plans?" asked Joaquin, quickly finding his little sister again, just in time to see her ruffle Sirius' fluffy hair. However, her rebellion didn't prevent him from playing with her ever-changing locks. Instead, the pure-blood wizard flicked it several times before ruffling hers with a playful grin of his own.

"I think they mean the mischievous ones?" replied Remus, knowing several plans were in place to cause more havoc and chaos during the following school year if only to keep up the reputation they'd built up over the years. There was little doubt old Filch would be grumbling about it, and the Quartet would be targetted some way or another, along with the odd Slytherin and anyone else that wandered into the firing zone, whether they were students or professors.

"Sure, it wasn't the laughing potion and biting quill one?" voiced Marlene, seeing utter confusion pass over James and Peter's features. Their identical expressions at least pulled chuckles from Sirius and (Y/N) when they finally paid attention.

"Am I invited to your pathetic little pity party?" asked Allegra upon waltzing over; her hazel eyes of judgment soon landed up Joaquin, curiosity alight in them as she tried to work out if she'd seen him somewhere before. As she determined whether she liked him or not. Soon enough, she reached to retrieve the balled-up parchment she'd tossed at Isolde earlier. She'd hoped to transfigure it into something Isolde was terrified of, but it hadn't worked out that way. Instead, she'd missed every attempt to hit the balled-up parchment.

"Who's the Pumpkin Head?" asked Isolde, turning her attention to Allegra's friends, only to see them dealing with the bitter consequences of their terrible actions. One had been hit with the pumpkin head charm, while two others dangled upside down as if an invisible like was holding them in the air. Another two struggled to move with jelly legs. The last one wasn't fairing any better, as her front teeth were growing larger by the second.

"Process of elimination, I'd say dear pumpkin head was Ulrica," replied James, laughing shortly after. Even more so when the students who were hand-picked to be prefects and the head boy and girl had seemingly looked the other way except for a few who appeared to give helpful advice to the students brave enough to retaliate against the group named the spawn of satan.

"Snape and a few of his Dark Arts buddies being prats again," growled Allegra, missing Joaquin's quiet snigger; he knew the aforementioned group of Slytherin boys weren't entirely responsible, at least not for all of it. Before Allegra could question what was so fun or make any more rude remarks, she was hit with two shimmering sparks, one white and the other a bright blue. The white spell locked her legs together, causing her to tumble over, whereas the other was by far the worst, in Allegra's opinion, a singing charm.

"Joaquin?" called (Y/N), as she attempted to contain her laughter, even if she failed miserably.

"I'll admit to the pumpkin head one," replied Joaquin, holding his hands up shortly thereafter, if only to rub his ears. Allegra's singing was terrible, even with the charm meant to improve it. "But the rest I'm surprisingly innocent of," he added, pointing over to the Slytherin table where Severus was with Lily; near them were Masion and Regulus giggling among their shared group of friends as they pointed to the wicked group of girls.

"I guess you two rubbed off on Mason and Regulus," Marlene commented softly. She found her little brother's actions sweet, although she believed she should protect him. Nonetheless, he seemed determined to get a little justice for her and those in the group of third-year girls who had gone out of their way to bully.

"I'm so proud right now," said Sirius, although he was unlikely to say so in front of his parents. He would, however, tell it to Regulus before the train home reached London. 

Chapter Text

Returning to Hogwarts for the fourth year was different from the previous three. Perhaps it was because they were halfway through education or the new expectations placed upon each student; maybe it was the dark shadow of the growing threat of the Dark Lord and the silent war becoming louder hanging over the entire wizarding world. Voldemort was growing in power; no one could deny it; every day, muggles and wizards alike seemed to vanish mysteriously. On top of that, Voldemort's influence was spreading due to his growing numbers.

"Alright, Pumpkin Head," called James, throwing his words to Allegra and her group of chosen friends, those who had gotten a taste of their own medicine during the final week of their third year. Students of all ages stood up to them. The older students hadn't done much to prevent the retaliation of curses, hexes, and jinxes the group of girls had been on the receiving end of. Head boys and girls of each house had looked the other way with a chuckle while Prefects had instructed younger students on their methods. By the time any professors arrived to investigate, it was as if nothing happened at all.

"Shut up, Potter," yelled Allegra in response. Her voice was harsh and colder than before and tucked under her arm were a few Dark Arts books she had purchased from Diagon Alley. Like many students, Allegra had changed over the holidays; she sent letters back and forth to her group of friends but never met up with any of them. Instead, she focused on studying new potions, spells, charms, the Dark Arts, and dangerous magical creatures. Her old friends were forgotten after she rudely banished them from her new life.

"What's with all the changes lately?" asked Peter, noticing others around him changing. Sweet Marlene had lost her mind filters over the summer holidays. Where she'd once been polite with those who tormented her, she was now anything but. Isolde had gained confidence now; she was no longer afraid to show her affection for others, both friends and more romantic partners. Instead, she proudly displayed it, but that had come at a cost, one she'd thrust far refused to acknowledge.

Lily was the only girl Peter knew who remained the same; although she was a little more sensible than before, she still called James a prat and other names when he did something to rile her up. Likewise, she still called Sirius a toss pot, too. Like before, she still spent quality time with Severus, even when he had begun to change and take an interest in Dark Arts.

"We're older now, mate; we're expected to start acting like it," began Sirius, recalling the latest visit McGonnagal took to the tower. She'd initially said it was to ensure the first years had settled properly, but she'd also spoken to the fourth years and clarified what was expected of them now. They were now young adults and were considered role models to the young years. "Plus, some are vying for Prefect next year."

"Pfft, who wants that responsibility?" questioned James, acting offended by the idea of being a Prefect. All the responsibility and no fun, not to mention running around the school after the younger students. Nothing about it appealed to him, not even the power that came with it. However, he'd happily take the opportunity to wind one up again, as he'd done yearly. "Sounds like a nightmare to me. Can you imagine chasing Wolffe all over the place?"

"Don't we already do that?" chuckled Remus, "She's not called the Bane of Hogwarts for nothing."

"Never did find out how she got old Peeves to listen to her," commented James, recalling witnessing the chaos the poltergeist caused at (Y/N)'s request. Everything from popping out of blackboards to following the Wicked Quartet around and making farting noises, those helping them from Slytherin house ended up being locked in suits of armor or had an array of things dropped on them.

"Speaking of Wolffe, she's been different since the holidays," stated Peter, recalling (Y/N) hadn't been as mischievous as usual, nor had she been sociable. She hardly spoke a word during the train ride to the castle and had the same quietness during breakfast, dinner, and classes. The only time she seemed relatively normal was in the Common Room, but that was only when Isolde was notably absent. The silent sadness would return the moment Isolde joined them. On some occasions (Y/N) had left when Isolde joined.

"What happened?" asked James, remembering Sirius mentioned he had plans with (Y/N) over the holidays; he planned to tell her how he felt. Sirius had been excited about it for days, so much so he'd been grinning from ear to ear with that goofy smile. However, Sirius and (Y/N) appeared almost lost after the Wolffe family dinner. From what they could understand, Isolde had also been present at the dinner, just as it seemed the event was where everything had started to go wrong.

"The dinner happened," voiced Sirius quietly, debating whether he should open up about what happened and shed light on the other troubled relationships. Remus soon uttered the latest password to the portrait of the fat lady, interrupting her calmly and humming the Hogwarts tune. "Isolde, Aurelius Harper, and another girl, I think Qimir's partner was also there. Joaquin said something: after Mr. and Mrs. Wolffe approved his relationship with Isolde, it killed the atmosphere; from what I can gather, it also put a wedge in his relationship with Helena and (Y/N)."

"So (Y/N) didn't think you were joking?" asked Peter in an attempt to lighten the mood a little; as the group of boys headed over to the small area near the stairs, he quickly noticed how quiet it was. "Guess I owe Moony 5 Galleons," he added, hearing James trying to stifle his laughter by whipping a hand over his mouth. On the other hand, Remus looked bewildered, shaking his head before attempting to ignore the comments.

"Come on, Sirius, we all know it's not gonna stop you two from playing kiss chase," voiced James, quickly dodging when Sirius threw a playful punch in his direction. "Seriously though, she's the ying to your yang. We all know you two bring out the best in each other. It's like Remus and Marlene if they ever get past the awkward stage."

"Think of it this way," began Peter, suspecting his words would lighten the mood and offend at least one of his friends. "At least you're not pining after someone to an embarrassing degree like James is with Lily," he added. This time, Remus tried and failed to stifle his laughter. James, however, let out a squeak as if trying to show his offense without uttering a single word on the subject. Sirius could only grin, offering a nod of thanks to Peter, even more so when the small boy had wordlessly encouraged them to chase after the girls to grab their attention.

"It's too quiet in here," spoke Fennec as she returned to the Common Room, looking around she was met with the Marauders laughing about something in one corner, Lily, Marlene, and (Y/N) on the opposite side of the room appearing to be studying, once again Isolde was absent. Allegra, Samantha, Georgie, and Ultica gathered around the fire with a stack of books between them, whispering among themselves while occasionally pointing to other students coming and going.

"It's because there's no mischief, explosions, or unexpected jumpscares," casually replied Finnick from the walkway between the dorms. As he spoke, his eyes flicked between the Marauders and their counterparts; for a moment, his eyes lingered on (Y/N) and Sirius in particular as if to hint the two were unusually quiet. "Not even Peeves is causing mayhem this time."

"Good, that stupid poltergeist is a terror. The ministry should have banished him years ago," voiced Allegra, shivering at the thought of the antics the poltergeist got up to at the end of the last school year. He seemed to ignore everyone: staff, students, and other ghosts to terrorize her and her little group of friends. Only the Bloody Baron had gotten him to stop, but that hadn't lasted long.

"He's only a terror to those who don't have a sense of humor," muttered Isolde as she entered the Common Room. Lily let out a small chuckle as Isolde came to sit with the girls at the back table, thankful (Y/N) didn't leave this time, although she didn't acknowledge she was there either.

"We have a good sense of humor," began Ulrica, trying to defend herself and her friends against the words she'd perceived as an insult. "It's not our fault you losers don't understand it," she added angrily. Once again, she wished she'd been placed in Slytherin and questioned why the stupid sorting hat had been placed in Gryffindor.

"That's because terrorizing people isn't funny," voiced James. "As you lot found out last year when you got a taste of that sweet medicine," he added, suspecting the previous year would repeat itself, at least regarding the Wicked Quartet's behavior. He had little doubt that they would believe they were above the school rules and could get away with anything if they played the victim well enough. By the end of the year, everyone else would be fed up with them and once again play their own wicked game back at them, only this time with more creative spells. "Oi, Wolffe, how did you create that pool on the seventh floor?"

"That was you?" interrogated Georgie, anger written across her scrawny features, even more so when she unintentionally ran straight into said pool. She'd spent most of the day dripping wet; not even spells and charms seemed to dry her off. "I've been wet most of the day because of you."

Georgie's words were only met with laughter, which grew when she asked what was so funny, and Samantha asked how being wet was something to be laughed at. Even Ulrica and Allegra seemed confused about what had tickled the group of boys and several rival girls.

"The answer, Jammers," spoke (Y/N) between her laughter. "The same way I cause all my mischief ... Magic," she added with her signature grin appearing across her lips. For a moment, it was as if it all was normal again.

"You walked right into that one, mate," Sirius commented lightly, "Like Georgie with that pool."

"Ah, so you are still causing the typical pandemonium on a smaller scale," Finnick said from the walkway above, as a light chuckle soon rumbled from him as he shook his head.

"Was there any doubt?" asked Marlene, although she'd never admit she too had doubted if things would be expected after the disaster summer holiday had turned out to be in terms of spending time together. So bad was it that a rift had begun to appear; it was big enough that others had noticed it.

"Some," answered Fennec, moving to one of the empty tables. She soon threw her feet on the tabletop before opening the latest charm book. She figured she could take advantage of the quietness to study her own and work on the strategy for Quidditch that year, at least once she had her team organized. However, she was no fool and knew eventually, all hell would break loose, whether that be the wicked quartet up their tricks again or the mayhem of mischief from the usual suspects. 

Chapter Text

"Are you going to mope around all year?" asked James as he walked into the dorm he shared with his friends, only to find Sirius lying across his bed, attempting to read a Defense Against The Dark Arts book awkwardly. The window closest to his bed was open, allowing the cold, crisp air to fill the otherwise stale room. "Or are you doing to do something about it?" he enquired, hoping for the latter. In the months since returning to Hogwarts, it had been all but torment for those who resided in Gryffindor Tower. Mischief seemed at an all-time low, although the first and second years tried their hardest to make up for the havoc missing. That, however, didn't erase the tension building every day that passed.

"Depends, are you doing to apologize to Lil?" responded Sirius, recalling the recent almost vicious fight between the two. The argument only added to the tension already present and came with its consequences. The group of girls many had proclaimed the Marauders' more sensible counterparts had become distant. The small group of girls faced their troubles, too, appearing as if the friendship they'd once prided themselves on was falling apart. Even worse, many pinpointed the trouble starting during the summer holidays.

Since Lily and James's argument, the distance between the two groups seemed to grow every day. It was as if the girls had disappeared completely. They'd get to the Great Hall just as the girls were leaving or minutes after they'd left. Classes seemed void of fun now, too—quieter, even awkward. Although Marlene did her best to retain some normalcy, it yielded no hopeful results.

"Perhaps Helena can help you with your troubles?" commented Remus as he entered the room. Peter followed behind seconds later. "For the record, the girls are doing okay mostly, although it's still bloody awkward between (Y/N) and Isolde. Other than that, Lily's still pissed off but acts like nothing happened," he added, refusing to word what most of them already knew when it came to (Y/N) struggling with her abilities more since the holidays. Her private lessons with Dumbledore weren't helping as much as they previously had, just as it was clear the popular theory of puberty being the course wasn't the answer many wanted it to be.

"What about Peter's girlfriend?" joked James, a chuckle escaped him as Peter squeaked upon being reminded of the girl trouble he faced with the Quartet; their games from the previous school year had continued upon returning from the holidays to the point many in the school truly believed Peter was dating at least one of them. "Sorry girlfriends, you're up to what four now?" he corrected himself, noticing as the horror passed over Peter's features. Still, he'd yet to find answers as to what the four girls wanted from him and what he'd done to gain their awful attention. "Since when did you care about studying?"

"Since I was practically told by Wolffe's brother, I wasn't good enough for her," voiced Sirius with frustration. Recalling why he'd actively tried to avoid the drama of school romance in the first place and purposely done his best to ignore all the attention he got from interested parties. Still, his heart had betrayed him; it had chosen (Y/N), set on her, someone he had previously deemed out of his league; she was one of a few he could confidently call a friend. Now he found himself with a difficult choice: remain friends or continue chasing after her, knowing there was a chance things could end badly. The distance wasn't doing anything to help the pining; where they'd once been so close, he felt like he was losing her. Detentions didn't seem to last as long, classes they'd be paired together ended far too quickly, and conversations seemed filled with awkwardness rather than the typical laughter. "I miss her."

"We all miss her, Marlene, Lily, and Isolde," replied Peter. Oblivious to what Sirius meant, a bout of laughter escaped his lips when the book Sirius had been reading fell from his grip, hitting him in the face. Sirius did nothing to remove it; instead, he dropped his arms on the mattress. However, despite Peter's blindness, he was telling the truth; he missed each of them. They were a few he wasn't afraid to be himself around, the four girls he could confidently call friends and have fun with, they accepted him for who he was rather than who they wanted him to be.

"Have you thought about telling her how you feel?" questioned Moony, throwing his question at both brothers plagued with love troubles. Although he knew James would never admit it out loud, he cared about Lily regardless of her friendship with Snape. After all, Lily was the only one he had eyes for; like Sirius, he ignored all others. All the bullying against the Slytherin boy on James' part was out of jealousy; Severus got to spend time with Lily and be the person she went to when she needed someone. "Both of you."

"She'll think I'm pulling a prank on her or something cruel like that," admitted James with a raised voice, sadness ringing through it too. Even more so upon realizing his years of tormenting Severus had come at a cost and one he wasn't fond of paying now. He hoped there was a way of making it up to her, proving he wasn't the asshat he'd thrust far proven himself to be. He could do as Sirius was and try to improve himself, to prove he could be better than the pompous prat he'd been so far. "Did you see how she reacted the last time I tried being friends?"

"What do you suggest I do? Write (Y/N) a letter?" inquisitively asked Sirius, "She's been distracted since that dinner. Her brother said something. She's avoided almost everyone in favor of punishing him and trying to regain control of her abilities," he added, reminding his best friends of the troubles he faced. However, he did question if Isolde was also on the receiving end of the cleverly disguised punishment as well, after all she'd mindlessly agreed with whatever Joaquin had said.

"Not a letter," replied Remus, a wicked grin akin to (Y/N) mischievous one soon painted upon his lips. "A howler, something she can't ignore easily," he added, ignoring James, throwing the Are you crazy look in his direction. Even though he would admit, it was a good idea, especially considering Sirius had a talent for making them. "The winter dance is coming up. Do us all a favor and ask them to go."

"We both know (Y/N) likes watching howlers explode," spoke Sirius from beneath the book, muffling his voice. Doubt rang through his voice, although that would be an opportunity to bewitch the howler to shout when it exploded. "I'll have far more luck standing on the desks during class and making an idiot of myself," he added after a moment of silence. He liked to think he knew (Y/N) better than almost everyone in the school besides her siblings.

"Then do it," replied Remus, all too happy to encourage his friends. After all, they did all they could to help him, and he was determined to return the favor. Although even he knew there was little James could do to earn Lily's forgiveness outside a heartfelt apology and serious attempts to change for the better.  "At the risk of sounding like a hopeless romantic, you and (Y/N) are better together and stronger. If you two don't work, what hope do the rest of us have?"

"You are a hopeless romantic," replied Sirius, sitting up and leaning on his elbows, again allowing the book to slip.  "Especially when Marlene is concerned," he added before reaching for the goblet of pumpkin juice resting on his bedside cabinet. His face soon scrunched up and soured. "Bloody hell, the mandrake leaf tastes revolting," continued Sirius, resisting the urge to pull the soggy leaf from his mouth. He knew it was one of the steps to becoming an animagi, even if he did think (Y/N) was joking when she told them they'd have to keep a leaf in their mouth for a month, from full moon to full moon.

"You guys hear that?" asked Peter, prompting James, Remus, and Sirius to fall silent. He was sure someone was calling their names in what could be mistaken for a playful tone, but despite his efforts to identify who was calling them, he couldn't say who it was. Maybe it was one of the four girls they trusted, although he doubted it with the growing distance.

"One of your admires again?" questioned James as he dragged himself toward the door to investigate. The moment he stepped from the boy's dorm, he all but crashed into (Y/N), sending her to tumble toward the spiral stairs and drop the latest collection of books from the library. She appeared exhausted; her typically black hair was a silvery blonde, and all evidence of her previous mischievous ways had vanished, even her contagious grin. "(Y/N)!" exclaimed James, startled, but he soon moved to help her gather the books and pull her back to her feet.

(Y/N) nodded in acknowledgment, too tired to interact with anyone; all she wanted was to sleep and find the comfort and safety of her dorm room. The last week had been a disaster one way or another, and almost everything had gone wrong, even more so with the latest attempt to brew the required potion for those trying to become Animagi. The explosion had been a nasty one, causing her several injuries and almost constant pain.

Before she could step toward the girl's dorms after offering a small wave, something else stopped her; this time, a hand gently gripped her arm and pulled her back toward the spiral stairs. Once again, she crashed into James; a collection of colorful sparks flew past the spot she'd previously stood, followed by yelled comments from the Common Room below.

"Thank you," voiced (Y/N), looking up to her savior. She'd originally believed James had pulled her back, so she was genuinely surprised to see Sirius. He looked at her with concern shining in his icy eyes; she had little doubt he'd spotted her limping and the exhaustion that never seemed to disappear. Just as he'd likely noticed, she'd become more clumsy lately and determined to punish her brother for the controlling behavior he'd recently displayed toward her and Helena.

"I'll take those," commented Marlene as she walked past, a light but sweet chuckle escaping her as she all but ran across the walkway, narrowly missing the colorful sparks flying past from the Wicked Quartet below. Sirius glanced toward Remus and James before gently gripping hold of (Y/N) arm again. He led her back down the stairs to the Common Room, deciding to take advantage of the opportunity Marlene was practically throwing at him.

"Let me go, Siri," spoke (Y/N) as she was practically pulled from the Common Room by Srirus.

"Not until we reach our destination."

"Being a hostage wasn't on my list of things to do before Christmas."

"That's a shame," Sirius responded. "Temporarily kidnapping you has been on mine for ages."

"Lucky me." (Y/N) signed; although tired and wishing for nothing more than to sleep, she was determined to make it difficult for Sirius, even if she would be on the losing end of said battle. Ironically, he was just as if not more determined the two would be back on the same page again.  It soon dawned on her where they were going; the moving stairs were making it easier to get to the seventh floor, to the room that came and went as it pleased. The mysterious room had become a hiding spot for those who were part of the Animagus plan.

Upon entering the mysterious room, the pair noticed it appeared like a smaller version of the Gryffindor Common Room, complete with a warming fire burning away and a few bunks to the back, parted from the rest of the room by thick red and gold curtains. The last time (Y/N) had personally entered the room, it looked like a never-ending storage room, as if the school was giving her all she needed to get revenge on her brother, Joaquin. She'd found a little army of the Monster Book of Monsters, perfect for what she had in mind. However, it took her a little time to build trust with the snappy books.

"What are we doing here?" asked (Y/N), trying to hold back her curiosity. It had been a while since it had been just the two of them. Christmas the previous year had been the last time they'd both bolted there to escape the warring Smith Twins. Now, it seemed like she was constantly avoiding both: one she didn't particularly like, and the other she'd thought was her friend had hurt her and didn't seem to care.

"Dance with me?" countered Sirius, changing the subject as he wafted his wand toward the record player with the oversized trumpet attached; soft music began to play, echoing around the room. "I know you're not intentionally dodging me, but for Merlin's sake, let me help you with whatever you are doing," he added as (Y/N) hesitatingly stepped close. Sirius gently placed a hand on her waist and held her hand in the other. Together, they began to sway with the music's rhythm.

"You want to help me torment Joaquin?" asked (Y/N), after some thought. "Considering I'm currently testing how long it would take a daft Ravenclaw to notice, you'd have to be subtle about it," she added, at least hinting at what she'd been up to. Although she didn't let it slip, Helena also helped in a more obvious way.  Whereas Helena was out in the open, (Y/N) worked from the shadows, doing the little things that would eventually add up.

"What did he say anyway?" asked Sirius, asking the question that had been bugging him since the dinner he'd attended with the Wolffe family.  He knew it had to have been bad as the dinner had been cut short, and Helena and (Y/N) had practically been on a war path since. "What did Isolde do?"

"He said he had a right to control me and Helena as our elder brother. That I was too young and naive to know what I wanted," replied (Y/N), recalling how her parents reacted to Joaquin following the family dinner. Her mother had been irate, considering the controlling trait had been somewhat of a tradition in her own family as she grew up; the oldest three always got to control what the younger four siblings did; her brother and one of her sisters had been kind, however, eldest sister had been the opposite, cruel and heartless. "Isolde agreed with him, even when she, too, is too young and naive to know what she wanted by that same stupid logic."

"Wanna go to the Winter Dance with me?" asked Sirius, changing the subject completely, instead focusing on the hopeless romantic end of things. After all, he wasn't about to give up without a fight, no matter what some prat thought. He was willing to take a leap of faith if (Y/N) was. "As Moony said, we're stronger together?"

"More mischievous, too," replied (Y/N), her hair turning from silvery blonde to a dark purple, which was associated with her mischief-making side, something that had become a rarity since the new school year began. 'Is that why you asked me to dance?"

"Yup, even when I know you can barely walk in a straight line."

"Took your time asking, didn't you?"

"Took your time noticing, didn't you?" replied Sirius

"Oh, you dear sweetling," spoke (Y/N) with a bright smile forming on her lips, "I noticed back in the second year when you purposely got detention after I'd been given one," she laughed, even more so at Sirius' expression changed to a quizzical one. "I just wanted to see how long I could keep the oblivious game up before someone questioned my sanity," (Y/N) explained, recalling Remus had worked it by the end of the second year and Marlene in their third. However, both had thankfully kept it to themselves, if only to see how long the game would continue. 

Chapter Text

"So, are you two official now?" asked Lily, her eyes switching between Marlene and (Y/N). The recent dance had proven to be the grounds for many things, including new budding relationships coming to light and previously known ones beginning to fall apart. All three of her roommates were proof of that. Marlene and Remus were starting to become a known couple, both finding happiness in each other without the odd trials and disasters other couples had to wrangle their way through. (Y/N) and Sirius, on the other hand, was more in limbo; the relationship was growing, flourishing into something else, yet both denied there was anything but friendship between them.

On the other hand, poor Isolde faced trials of her own. Her relationship with Joaquin had hit quite a rough patch, stemming from the Wolffe family dinner during the summer. For whatever reason, his parents were punishing Joaquin; his mother especially seemed harsher and more creative. Although Joaquin was the one being punished, Isolde couldn't help but feel she, too, was suffering. The recent letter from Qimir Wolffe did little to remedy that feeling.

"We're not dating," replied (Y/N) to Lily's earlier question, although she grinned widely nonetheless. The dance was also where Helena and Aurelius made their relationship public, as did many others. She was happy for her sister, especially now that she was gaining the confidence to reach out, get what she wanted, and speak up when hurt.

"Yet," laughed Lily teasingly, suspecting more trials would come before the pair finally gave up their game and gave into each other. "Thank god Marlene and Remus are far simpler when it comes to their dating life," she added, another chuckle escaping her lips when Marlene's cheeks reddened, and she rushed to hide behind the nearest pillow.

"We're not officially dating," commented Marlene, recalling the conversation when both had decided they weren't ready for such a commitment yet. Although they'd at least admitted their feelings for one another, just like Sirius and (Y/N), they'd chosen to remain friends, if only to see where things went without all the expectations others would inevitably place upon them. "What about you, are you and Severus ..."

"Oh, no, we're just friends," spoke Lily honestly, although another bout of laughter escaped her when (Y/N) raised an eyebrow with a sigh, uh-huh, escaping her. "He's my best guy friend; it's not like how things are between you and Sirius," added the fiery redhead in an attempt to explain; although she didn't want to admit she knew Severus had developed a crush on her, she didn't want to ruin the friendship. "Plus, I'm not ready for the turmoil of dating yet. Perhaps next year," she added with honesty. She'd seen the hassle other students went through, both those in the same year group and those older. Some were happy, but most struggled with the constant rollercoaster of ups and downs. "What about you, Isolde?"

"Not exactly anything to write home about," voiced Isolde, sadness ringing. Even more so when she realized it wasn't just her relationship with Joaquin suffering but her friendship with (Y/N). Both started to go downhill at the fateful family dinner over the summer. However, she understood that Joaquin's parents had instructed him to keep his distance as part of his punishment. She, however, didn't understand what had happened for her friendship with (Y/N) to go downhill so quickly; despite wracking her memory, she still couldn't find the answer. Although she had plenty of theories ranging from just drifting apart to jealousy, they all had been debunked.

"That bad," commented Lily; momentarily, she glanced over to (Y/N), the only other present who knew what had happened and why Joaquin was being punished. "What happened between you two?" she asked, motioning between the girls. She quickly noticed Isolde's expression turned colder as if she was dealing with an internal struggle, whereas (Y/N) seemed to ignore the question completely. However, she did fall silent; her laughter stopped as she picked up a thick, old, dusty book from her bedside cabinet.

"I don't know," sighed Isolde in defeat, admitting the truth but keeping her theories to herself again. "We were fine until the dinner," she added, looking to (Y/N), who seemed quite happy to ignore the topic. However, Isolde, like Lily and Marlene, did notice the frustration begin to paint on (Y/N)'s otherwise neutral features.

"I'm not sure I'm the right person to answer that question," started (Y/N), flicking through the pages of the heavy book. "I'm too young and stupid to know anything after all," she added with a bit of spite. (Y/N) didn't see the realization painted on Isolde's features or how Marlene and Lily looked between the two girls. She didn't see how Marlene and Lily glanced at each other as if both had finally gotten the answers to questions and understood what had happened. The only question they had now was if the rift could be fixed.

"That's not how it was meant," replied Isolde, with a sudden bout of anger. Even more so now, she was aware a misunderstanding had caused the rift and silent treatment. Joaquin's punishment and wedge with his sisters had been over the same silly thing. "He was just sharing his opinion, and you know what, he's right. Helena can do far better than Aurelius, and you can find someone better than Sirius."

"I don't want anyone else," yelled (Y/N), her hair turning the same fiery red as Lily's, her eyes blazed the same orange. "And what right do you or Joaquin have to make decisions for anyone else but yourselves?" she asked with the same rage-filled tone; no regret shone in her eyes this time, only anger and frustration. For so long, she'd avoided the confrontation to spare her friends and those she cared for, to try and find a way to move past what happened. But now she realized it was pointless; stupidity wasn't the problem, the blindness of one and Isolde was.

Without another word (Y/N) left the dorm, storming from the Common Room with the same raging silence. Her hair was still fiery red, a warning at least for others to stay out of her way. A warning she was angry and unwilling to be reasonable with anyone. Isolde left the dorm shortly thereafter, initially intending to go after (Y/N) and attempt to put things right, although she soon thought better of it. Her time could be better served trying to get her relationship with Joaquin back on track.

"Isolde," called Allegra upon seeing her sister leave the girls' dorm mere moments after (Y/N) had stormed from it. A sweet smile painted Allegra's lips; for the first time, she was without her wicked witches of friends. Instead, it was just her reading near the fire. "Come join me," she added, not bothering to care what others thought or whether they questioned what she was up to. All Allegra hoped was one of the boys or Lily and Marlene seen them together.

"What do you want?" asked Isolde, as if Allegra was a stranger rather than her twin and resident school bully. "I'm not interested in whatever pathetic game you're trying to play," she added, stepping toward the portrait hole, only to nearly crash into Sirius, Remus, and James, all three no doubt returning from recent detention with the professor of Divination.

"Just to talk," replied Allegra, her voice usually soft and absent of the normal squeakiness. Her expression turned neutral now as if she was trying to fool everyone into thinking she was the perfect sister as if she was putting on a well-rehearsed act. "Perhaps I can help you with your relationship troubles and drama with (Y/N)," she added, noticing quickly when Sirius' expression changed to one of judgment, James too appeared as if she'd lost some respect for the muggle-born girl he'd previous thought of as a friend.

"I'll go looking for Snap," spoke Moony, turning on his heels and leaving as quickly as the words left his lips. Quickly, he suspected she'd been in one of a few places, the second-floor girl's bathroom, in the mystery room on the seventh floor, or sitting near the Whomping Willow, where she normally went when wanting to be alone with her thoughts.

"Go check on the girls," instructed James, nodding to Sirius as they headed toward the spiraling staircase. James displayed enough common sense to realize he wouldn't be a welcome sight to Lily, even if he wished he was. Instead, he'd personally check in with Peter, ensuring the plumper boy was in one piece after escaping detention at the cost of dealing with the four girls he'd become associated with. "Gonna be an eventful year," commented James, patting Sirius on the back before pretending to enter the dorm; instead, he sat on the floor of the walkway, attempting to spy on the sisters below, if only to settle his growing nerves and get an idea of what happened.

"Guess we'll put Christmas plans off for another year," voiced Sirius as he knocked on the door to the girl's dormitory, kindly asking the first year to open it if they could retrieve the two he was there to check on. James merely hummed from his spot on the floor, recalling Sirius sharing his little idea of how he'd framed it as bonding. After all (Y/N) would once again be staying in the castle for Christmas, although no one knew why she'd chosen to stay behind. Marlene had mentioned she'd be staying behind that year, her brother too, and Sirius took every chance available to escape his home life.

"We can still do it, just with a small group that intended," replied James, wondering if Lily would choose to stay behind or return home for Christmas; after all, she still tried to work things out with her sister Petunia, even when the two were practically strangers now. For a moment, James thought about the little trinkets he'd gotten for the girls, intended to be Christmas presents. The yearly tradition they'd created was still in place, even if the small group of friends were falling apart. "Do you think you three can move on?"

"Would you be able to move forward with a friendship if someone said you can do better than the person you chose?" asked Lily, displaying her understanding that things wouldn't go back to the normal that had existed between them. They were growing up, perhaps too fast, and now their friendship was paying the price. "Misunderstanding or not, Isolde did push it too far," she added with sadness, curious if Isolde had opinions about others too, believing she should control who other friends should be with.

"No," quietly responded James, for a moment looking to Lily and finding a sense of commonality between them. "I'd perceive that as a betrayal rather than helpful advice," he admitted, quickly changing positions from sitting to kneeling to look over the balcony and get a clearer picture of what the twins were doing below. Marlene followed his line of stare while Lily spoke with Sirius. Instantly, the blonde teen found herself torn; she was pleased Isolde was talking to her sister again, appearing to mend their broken sisterhood, but that also scared her, considering Allegra was a bully and a merciless one at that. 

Chapter Text

"Did you ever think maybe we're stronger together?" asked Allegra, her voice gentle as she walked with Isolde toward the Great Hall for breakfast. It has been days since (Y/N) had stormed from Gryffindor Tower. Since then, she avoided Isolde unless going to bed; even then, the well wishing for the night was void of its usual comfort. Isolde had only dug herself deep into the isolation when she stated her opinion to Marlene that Remus wasn't good enough for her, using his secret of lycanthropy against him. For Isolde, Lily was the only friend she had left. For whatever reason, James eyed her with suspicion, Remus barely spoke to her, and Sirius was all but a shadow gliding through common areas.

"I have," replied Isolde with a heavy sigh. The feeling of loneliness was plaguing her again. Despite wishing Lily would change her routine slightly to accommodate her, the redhead never did. Just like always, she prioritised her time with Severus. At least when she wasn't studying or enthralled in another battle with James. "Then I remember how different we are and question how that would work. Especially when you consider we've never seen eye to eye on anything."

"We've both learned something about ourselves since finding out we were witches," began Allegra, brushing her mousy hair to the side, for once her hazel eyes shimmered with something other than harsh judgment. "Our journey of self-discovery has led us back to each other. Perhaps it's time to work on our relationship, not just as sisters but as twins too."

For a moment, Isolde thought about Allegra's unusually wise words. Maybe she was right. Despite that, Isolde was still unsure. She was still lost when it came to her friends, mourning for what was and unsure if she was ready to move on. Then there was her relationship trouble with Joaquin; every day, it was like they were pulled further and further apart, like they were in a dark tunnel that had no foreseeable end. At the same time, Isolde questioned what would happen with Allegra's friends; most of them had made it clear Isolde wasn't someone they'd willingly accept, let alone be friends with. They hated her and weren't afraid to show it.

"What about your friends?" Isolde asked, with a slight tremor in her voice. Although she knew Allegra had changed, she doubted whether her twin had changed enough to value a friendship as the treasured gift it was. For a moment, Allegra pondered what she would do about her friends. Although she was thankful they took her in and taught her things, she knew deep down that she wasn't one of them. They were all pure-bloods, often sharing their supremist thoughts and opinions. They desire to join the Death Eater ranks and help the Dark Lord rid the wizarding world of mudbloods, people like her.

"They're not my friends," sighed Allegra, admitting the truth she'd long since come to terms with. "We haven't spoken in weeks, not since Peter cursed them after charms class," she added, although she'd admit even she could see how tormenting Peter would end. Either he'd be brave enough to stand up for himself, or he'd find the courage to tell his friends and maybe a professor about the torment. Either way, it would have ended eventually. "How can we be true friends when they desire to rid the wizarding world of people like us?"

"Together it is," replied Isolde with a burst of confidence. She wondered if she'd really said those words for a second, but that was soon swept away when she saw Allegra truly smile for the first time in forever. "We don't need anyone else anyway," added Isolde, wondering if Allegra would be moved back into the dorm at some point or if their sisterly bond was just a ripple in calm waters.

The sisters soon entered the Great Hall, confidently passing through the golden doors. A smile painted on their lips as they found a space mid-way down the Gryffindor table. Isolde ignored Lily calling her name from the group she often ate breakfast with, much like Allegra did the same with the girls she'd been associated with.

"So tell me about Joaquin?" chuckled Allegra as she spread cherry jam across a few slices of toast. Her chuckle only deepened when a blush heated Isolde's cheeks. "I'm sure you two will find a way through the troubles you're going through now," she added sweetly. Brushing aside her jealousy in the hopes of encouraging and supporting her sister. In the same way, she was sure Isolde would do the same for her if she ever got the chance at a school romance.

"He's brilliant," replied Isolde affectionately, pulling out the picture she carried of herself and Joaquin, taken during the summer. Both were smiling widely and pulling faces, oblivious to the cruel trials waiting for them. "His parents, namely his mother, are punishing him for sharing his opinions and mentioning family traditions from his maternal side," she added, refusing to admit she didn't know what all the fuss was about. "He's been having problems with Healena, his twin, since then."

"He's cute," giggled Allegra, looking at the moving photo of her sister and boyfriend. "Does he have any good-looking friends?" she asked jokingly. Her words pulled a string of laughter from Isolde, lightening the mood slightly. "Seriously though, you two will find a way through, friends and probably siblings be damned."

"What about you?" asked Isolde, a smile appearing across her lips. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming. Even more so, considering she was talking boys and romance with Allegra, the last person she thought that would happen with. "Are you dating anyone? Maybe you have a crush or two?"

"Dating ... No," simply voiced Allegra in response, confessing she'd not been as lucky as Isolde had been, although that didn't bother her all that much, even less so when she wasn't ready for romance yet. Instead, she believed she had to find herself and love who she was before she could risk loving another outside of her family. "A few crushes though, three to be exact, all Gryffindor's. But they barely notice I exist; I'm just a blur in their whirlwind of adventure. Plus, I'm certain at least two of them like someone else," she said, unknowingly looking further down the table, toward the group Isolde had once proudly claimed were her friends.

"Remus, Sirius, and James," sighed Isolde. The three boys often received a lot of attention; they were among the most popular students in school. However, they seemed blind to the signals girls often threw at them. Well, at least Sirius and Remus did. James was a heartbreaker. He went on a few friendly dates here and there but never went further than that. Instead, he made a hobby out of gazing longly at Lily, hoping she'd at least see him for something more than the arrogant prat he was.

"It's silly, isn't it?" longly sighed Allegra, shaking her head to rid herself of the hopeless thoughts of romance and daydreams. Still, she couldn't help but wonder, mainly wordless, what if questioned that were certain to remain answerless. Isolde glanced between her sister and the three boys. She knew Allegra could see the truth regarding Sirius and Remus; anyone could see they were blind to all things love-related unless it revolved around sweet Marlene and the ever-mischievous (Y/N).

"Not silly at all," gently commented Isolde, a hint of curiosity singing through her voice. She wondered if James would give Allegra a chance, especially if Lily continued to reject and ignore him in favor of her friendship with Severus Snape. "The heart wants what it wants," she added, with a renewed determination. She wanted to be there for her sister, build a strong bond between them, and support and encourage her as a good sister would. "Whatever you decide you want to do, I'll support you. I'd say James was the best bet, though."

"I'll give that some thought over Christmas," replied Allegra, turning her attention to her sister. "But I don't think I'm ready for the romance chapter yet," she added quickly. Truth rang through her voice and shone in her eyes. However, she didn't voice her fear of such a commitment and the possibility of having her heart broken for some stupid reason. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I don't know," honestly spoke Isolde, her soft tone remaining in her voice. "But I think it's worth finding out," she added after some thought. She reaffirmed her words mere seconds later with a little nod, glancing at her old group of friends briefly before deciding to cut ties with them altogether. After all, she doubted she could change Marlene or (Y/N)'s mind or fix the broken friendship. Just as she suspected, the four boys of the Marauders would choose to remain loyal to the others. Even more so when the boys already cast her with suspicion even more so now she was spending more time with Allegra.

"To new beginnings," chanted Allegra, holding up a goblet of pumpkin juice. Her smile grew when Isolde picked up her own goblet and repeated the same words. The two clinked the golden goblets shortly after and laughed, with a renewed sense of sisterhood and hope for what could be both with their sisterly bond and the rest of their time at Hogwarts. 

Chapter Text

"Who would have thought Gryffindor Tower could be this quiet," commented Peter, relaxing peacefully in one of the plushy chairs one could easily sink into. The fire crackled to his left, warming the room and the spirits of those in the Common Room. Christmas was approaching, and most students had left for the holidays in a whirlwind of chaos and last-minute to-do things. For a moment, Peter looked around at the group lounging close by. Marlena and Remus seemed content, reading a book together on the large sofa. James sank into the other armchair while trading remarks with Lily, wrapping last-minute presents behind a stack of books at one of the tables and writing down a little list of things for Christmas day. Sirius was mindfully watching (Y/N) as she twirled and danced to the beat of a Christmas song on the radio, a gentle smile painted upon her lips as twinkling sparks from harmless spells lept from her wand.

"Who'd have thought Christmas plans would happen this year instead of next?" replied Lily. Nonetheless, she smiled, her eyes lighting up as a little silver reindeer flew past her and snowflakes and stars of the same magical silver surrounded her. (Y/N)'s little magic tricks, the same ones her parents did every year during the week of Christmas. "For what it's worth, though, it's nice being here, peaceful."

"Did someone spike the eggnog and butterbeer?" questioned Sirius, standing before strolling over to the makeshift drinks table, if only to eye the bottles with unspoken suspicion, at least before he glanced over to (Y/N), still twirling without a care in the world. If anything, it appeared she'd not heard his comment, nor did she notice he was again watching her. Instead, like always, she took it in her stride.

"At least we know it's not the Essence of Insanity," voiced Remus, recalling the havoc on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of their third year. Remembering how (Y/N) had so casually convinced James she'd spiked his drink with something and caught Peter by proxy. Remus's comment earned a few chuckles, even from Lily. "Pehaps Giggle Water this time," he added, suspecting he'd given someone an idea upon lifting his eyes from the book he'd been reading with Marlene.

"Or just regular eggnog and butterbeer," replied Marlene. Everyone knew (Y/N) was mischievous and sneaky when she wanted to be. Still, even so, she was also calmer during the festive season, as if realizing her antics wouldn't be taken kindly during the holidays, at least not as well as they would most other times of the year. "A sprinkle of giggle water for good measure," she added after a moment's thought. Even the grumpiest witch and wizard could not help but spew laughter upon drinking the water.

For a moment, the happiest was overshadowed, the festive music fell flat, and the laughter stopped. The thoughts of Isolde lingered in the air, the once-strong friendship that fell apart so quickly. It turned so bitter that one could easily forget that their friendship had once existed. Memories of past happiness soon haunted the area, memories of friendship that had once bordered on family.

"Forget the past," called Peter, upon noticing the change in mood and atmosphere. "It's our first Christmas together," he added, looking around the room, taking notice of the somber mood. "I know it hurts losing Isolde, but now we see her for who she is."

"Appreciate it, Peter, but I don't think that erases the pain," James said for the first time. His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. His legs were slung over the arm of the chair as he observed those in the Common Room, not just his friends but also the others who came and went; although sparse, they were still there. "We lost an acquaintance; the girls lost a close friend, a roommate they thought they could rely on through everything," he added.

Pointing out how the relationship was different. The boys could walk away; after all, Isolde was little more than a friend of a friend to them by the time she showed her true colors. She'd drifted away until the boys were glorified strangers. Things would be more complicated for Lily, Marlene, and (Y/N). Severing the ties was more difficult due to the reminders of the past and the tricky situation of the dorm. Years of friendship would be hard to leave behind despite the comments and growing resentment.

"What happened to Joaquin?" asked Lily, recalling seeing Helena in the Great Hall the day everyone went home for Christmas break. She'd been playing Wizards' Chest with her best friend, Morgana. Both had been so relaxed and unbothered by what was happening, instead laughing and joking as the chest pieces shattered the further they got into the game. "Helena?"

"Mom and Dad pretty much sent a summons to Joaquin to return home for Christmas," replied (Y/N), a soft smile appearing across her lips, even more so upon remembering the gentle letter she'd received from her parents. Helena had an identical one; their parents gave them the choice of whether they wanted to return home. "They want to see if he's learned anything over the previous term," she added, suspecting the holidays would determine whether his punishment would continue until summer.

"You're parents confuse me," admitted Remus, although he wondered if there was some sense in their madness. "Makes me wonder what they did with Qimir," he added just in time to hear (Y/N)'s chuckle. Her eldest brother had always been a mystery, even to those who attended school with him. He was intelligent, loyal, and a friend to everyone, but he remained a silent mystery. "Does Qimir have a partner?"

"Outside his work?" quizzed (Y/N) with a smile and another light chuckle. "He said his job is too dangerous to settle down with someone," she added, remembering her brother had gone off to Romania to work with dragons, the job he'd always talked about one day doing. Still, he sent letters every week and would appear at family gatherings now and again. "He said he couldn't put someone through that, the constant worry, stress and fear, questioning whether he'd come home from the sanctuary."

"Dance with me?" asked James, after pulling himself free from the comfort of the armchair, walking over to Lily who seemed stunned by the gentle request. For a moment, she glanced over to (Y/N) and Marlene as if silently questioning if hearing about Qimir was a part of some plan. James didn't seem phased by the curious glances nor like the idiot he'd been for so long. Instead, he acted more maturely and respectfully, as if letting go of his childish ways and accepting a more adult way of life, thinking, and actions.

"Are you two gonna ask your girls to dance, or am I going to have to do it?" confidently asked Peter from the armchair he'd long since sunk into. A wide grin of mischief appeared across his lips as his eyes lit up. Remus quickly asked Marlene to dance with him after putting the book they'd been peacefully reading out of reach.

On the other hand, Sirius looked like a deer in headlights; his words quickly got stuck in his throat, words he would have used to protest (Y/N) being his girl. (Y/N) too seem to pale, as if the idea of being claimed by another was akin to being petrified by a baskalisk. No words escaped either of them; instead, (Y/N)'s cheeks heated slightly more than usual before she ducked away to hide on the spiral stairs. On the other hand, Sirius fiddled with his wand, attempting to recreate the silver stars, slowflakes, and Christmas-themed figures (Y/N) he had previously done.

"Will you two just date already?" commented Remus, yelping moments later when Marlene "accidentally" stood on his toes while they attempted to dance. "Peter attempting to fly a broom is less awkward than these two," added Mooney in his own defense, attempting to deflect before one of the others brought up his own limbo when it came to Marlene.

"Well, aren't you lot cute," came the sickly sweet voice of Allegra, her hazel eyes flicking between the two pairs. At her side was Isolde; both girls dressed identically in thick winter coats and snow boots. Almost instantly, whatever happiness and peace previously existed between the group evaporated. The laughter and fun died also, in place of Sirius's smile, and her embarrassed blush was now a glare that could make even the bravest shiver. Y/N didn't dare leave her haven of the spiral stairs anymore because she didn't want to ruin everyone's holidays.

"Where's (Y/N)?" asked Isolde, anger and frustration flooding her voice and painting across her chilly features. "I have a couple of questions to ask her," she worded while attempting to forget the latest interaction with Helena Wolffe. The older girl had ignored every question related to Joaquin, so much so that Isolde had trouble deciding if Helena was doing it out of spite and a twisted way of punishing her or if she generally didn't want to be around the Smith twins.

"She went to the owlery," worded Peter, blurting out the first thing he'd thought of. His words distracted the twins enough that they didn't notice when Sirius stormed off toward the spiral stairs, quietly entering the boy's dorm. "Said something about sending letters to her family and a few trinkets," he continued as if it was the most obvious thing. Almost immediately, Isolde sighed; it was becoming increasingly obvious that (Y/N) was avoiding her. Still, Isolde thought it was better than being ignored as Helena was opting to do.

"This is getting ridiculous," grumbled Allegra, wanting nothing more than the lingering threads of the old friendships to be tied off. Although she'd also admit she had trouble cutting off her old friendships, Samantha, Ulrica, and Georgie always tried to pull her back into their games, asking questions about the Marauders and her renewed relationship with Isolde. "I'm done playing games. We'll wait here until we talk to (Y/N)."

"We?" questioned Lily, finding the choice of words both curious and alarming. "What do you want with (Y/N), Allegra?" asked the redhead, standing just behind James as if he was protecting her. Immediately, Allegra's burst of confidence faded as if caught off guard by the sudden interest in what she was up to. "You and (Y/N) don't have any loose ends to tie up, and she sure as hell isn't interested in whatever drama you're up to."

"James, Remus," called Isolde, as if to change the subject entirely. Her voice was quiet compared to Allegra's previously confident one. "Would either of you consider giving Allegra a chance? If only to see if we can save the friendship?" she enquired, looking between the two boys with a worried expression while hoping there could be a Christmas miracle. One where both she and Allegra found a little bit of happiness, although she doubted either would be that lucky.

"I'd rather date a troll," worded James, hearing Peter's nervous laugh from the corner. No one could deny the awkward tension that had settled in the air. All they could do was hope it was forgotten and the happiness that had existed before would return. The laughter could return as strong as it was before. "Or dance with a fire crab," he commented, recalling when he and a few others had to jump out of the way to dodge the stream of fire from the seemingly harmless creatures.

"Is it that hard to give me a chance?" demanded Allegra, anger written across her features, even more so when romance always seemed to elude her and Isolde's happiness seemed to slip further away. "Is it so wrong for Isolde to want answers?"

"Is it so wrong for us to have opposing opinions to you?" asked Sirius. "To have our own thoughts, feelings, and desires?" he added, looking down at the twins from the walkway above. His features were surprisingly neutral despite the constant threat of intrusion and tantrums from Allegra and now likely Isolde. Despite the seemingly family-like aura between the group, it was eradicated when the twin girls appeared.

"We just want to know about Joaquin," said Isolde. "To fix the failing friendship," she continued hastily before someone could interrupt. Hopelessness shone in her eyes now. As it slowly sank in what that ordinary family dinner had cost her, although it had brought her closer to Allegra again, she questioned why she had to lose friendships and potentially her boyfriend to gain that closeness.

"He's gone home for Christmas," called (Y/N) from beside Sirius, her tone flat and her mood deflated. "If mom and dad think he's learned his lesson, his punishment will be lifted. If not, expect more relationship trouble until the summer," she warned before turning away and making it clear Isolde's previous comments weren't appreciated or forgiven. 

Chapter Text

"I take it from Isolde's mood; the punishment is continuing?" Lily said, walking with Marlene and (Y/N). Once again, the halls were busy with students of all ages attempting to get to their morning classes. As usual, the boys were running late, no doubt from James playing silly sods or Sirius forgetting something in the dorm again.

"Honestly, I think that has more to do with Helena refusing to talk to her despite trying every tactic she can think of, including being nice and using Allegra's tantrums," replied (Y/N), recalling Helena walking away whenever Isolde brought up Joaquin, a sure sign the sixth year had no interest in talking about her twin brother, the family that betrayed her. Allegra's tantrums were even less welcome, often met with a silent glare before a harmless spell was thrown Allegra's way. Usually, a silencing spell or, occasionally, one of the curses would give Allegra something to complain about.

"I'll be honest. I'm curious about the punishment your parents have dolled out," said Marlene, finding it both creative and cruel, even more so when it affected Joaquin and his partner. "How did they come up with it?" she asked, although she could probably guess and wouldn't put it past her parents to do something similar, especially if they aimed to match the crime one of them committed to receive such punishment.

"They are showing him the control he thought he had over me, and Helena is nothing but a delusion of grandeur," replied (Y/N), recalling when Qimir had sat down with both girls to explain everything. It wasn't just a punishment for Joaquin but a chance to learn and correct his wrong thinking. "He thought he could control who we loved, our friends, everything. He thought he should have the final say in what we do with our lives. So our parents are using that same logic on him, essentially giving him a taste of his own medicine."

"Isolde being caught was a happy accident," spoke Helena as she walked past with Morgana, ruffling (Y/N)'s ever-changing hair as she went, a bout of laughter there also before pulling her little sister into a sisterly hug. "They only found out over Christmas she agreed with Joaquin, so now they're not so sympathetic toward her," she added before skipping off with books in the arm and waving goodbye to the girls.

Behind the trio of girls, a low, grumbled growl could be heard. Upon looking over her shoulder, (Y/N) spotted Isolde and Allegra. One seemed so angry they could probably burn the castle to the ground, while the other looked confused. More for why Helena had revealed the truth so publically, especially since she'd avoided answering questions about the topic over the holiday.

"Wolffe," called Sirius with a grin of mischief, one that could make anyone wonder what he was up to. For a moment, the heated anger of Isolde and Allegra was forgotten when (Y/N) turned her attention to Sirius attempting to navigate the crowded hall with Remus, James, and Peter around him. Poor Remus looked uncomfortable until Marlene reached for his hand to distract him. "Meet you in our normal place?"

"What do you do this time, Black?" asked Marlene, instantly understanding that the normal place was detention. She knew (Y/N) had been given a week's worth of detention following ignoring several instructions and warnings throughout runes class, mainly refusing to work with Allegra and Isolde when instructed to. (Y/N) hadn't argued with detention, seeing it was better than dealing with the Smith twins

"Accidently blew a hole in the charms classroom wall. You know the catch-up classes," replied Sirius, as if blowing a hole through the wall wasn't a big deal. Although he neglected to mention he almost blew poor Professor Flitwick away too and caused a big enough mess, Filch would be complaining for months. Alas, at least Peeves enjoyed the chaos.

"I'm not sure if I should be worried by sweet Snap, who has secret rendezvous dates in detention, or thrilled about it," laughed Lily, pulling Peter back to his feet when he fell over something.

"Why not both?" voiced Remus, laughing at the irony; although he was certain at this point Sirius and (Y/N) were dating but purposely saying they weren't just enough, the exciting peace lasted just a little bit longer. All for the simple reason they weren't ready for everyone else to know, even when it was becoming increasingly obvious.

"Perhaps you and Marlene should try it," James commented, quickly running through the crowded hall with Marlene on his heels. As he went, James sang the old teasing song, the same one he'd sung when it became obvious Sirius liked (Y/N) more than he was letting on. "Marlene and Remus are sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G ..." he practically yelled with rings of laughter and comments to Marlene when she was close enough to reach him. The chase didn't stop when they reached the grand staircase, instead continuing up to the seventh floor and down the divination corridor.

"It's terrifying Marlene can move that fast," squeaked Peter, forgetting Allegra and Isolde were close by for a moment. Neither of the girls looked amused; instead, they looked at the group's antics as if they were misbehaving children they had to control. Isolde's features lit up just a bit when she saw Joaquin on the stairs, heading down to the dungeons for potions class. He looked just as miserable as her, zoned out of conversations his friends were trying to pull him into, to Isolde he looked almost defeated, dare she say hopeless, as if his parents had stomped out all sense of happiness and self he once had.

"Joaquin!" called Isolde, choosing to run down the stairs toward Joaquin rather than go up the stairs for Divination class. She didn't see the point of Divination anyway, she sucked at it, the homework was complicated and nothing she did in the class was ever right. She could have sworn she heard the professor whisper she had no talent for the subject at least once.

Joaquin must have heard her calling out to him as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Great Hall. His eyes shone upon seeing her running toward him, calling his name like a siren singing an alluring song. When she was close enough, he pulled her into a strong, safe, and passionate hug, all his unspoken feelings wrapped in it. It was as if the two were lovers finally reunited after being parted by war.

"I'm not giving up," spoke Isolde when she finally found her voice again. "I don't care what your parents think, I don't care what anyone thinks, I love you. That's all that matters," she worded, tears in her eyes to see his eyes light up with hope again, as his fears and thoughts had been erased and replaced with something else, replaced with determination. He wasn't about to give up now, not when he knew Isolde was willing to fight. "Your parents can't stop us; we're meant to be together."

"They're just mad," replied Joaquin, not explaining why his punishment continued. This time, it had nothing to do with his sisters and everything else about the wizarding war that had been going on for years. At first, Joaquin had been under the impression his parents had informed his sisters of what was happening, or at the very least, Qimir had. Instead, he'd learned over the days since school started again that both Helena and (Y/N) were under the impression his punishment continued for the same reason as before.

"They know, don't they?" vaguely asked Isolde, looking up when she heard someone coming closer; a brief sigh of relief escaped her lips to see Allegra there, far enough she couldn't hear their conversation but close enough to warn them if someone else was coming. "That you plan to join the Death Eaters when you leave school," she added after a moment of hesitation, especially when she doubted her kind muggle-borns would be welcome. Still, she supported him; he just wanted to fight for what he believed in, just like others around the school did. He just wanted to stand out from his siblings, being a separate entity rather than grouped in with his siblings.

"And marry you when you graduate," replied Joaquin, recalling the childish yet somehow hopeful conversation he'd had with Isolde before it all began to go downhill. Even now, despite the punishment both of them suffered through, he still felt as if Isolde was his soulmate; he loved her, he did, and he didn't understand why others would be against love in such a pure form. "We'll get that little house in the country you spoke about, settle down with two dogs, at least one cat, and maybe a dragon or two," he smiled when Isolde laughed, "We'll both fight for what we believe in, for love, for each other."

"What about your siblings?" asked Isolde; she doubted whether they would care if she and Joaquin eventually married. However, they would care if they ended up on opposite sides of a battlefield. "I know Allegra would be at my side, fighting with me rather than against me. Can you say the same?" she added with concern. She knew (Y/N) would be against Voldemort; she'd said as much. She wanted to be an Aura, plus she didn't share the same pureblood values as most did and didn't care for blood purity either. Instead, her views were simple, half-blood, muggle-born, pureblood; they were all magic.

From what she could gather, Helena was the same as (Y/N); blood purity meant little to her, even as a pureblood; she just wanted happiness and to live her life how she saw fit. As for the war, Isolde couldn't say where Helena would land, although she'd hoped the other Wolffe Sister would remain neutral and thrust keep as far from the war as she could. Qimir, the mysterious brother, was another person who didn't speak about the war. Often, he ignored the topic when it came up as if he already knew the war would somehow tear apart his family, more than the fighting already had, at least. Qimir kept his opinions to himself. However, there were subtle signs if push came to shove, he'd choose to fight with the Order rather than the Deatheaters.

"As much as I'd love to, I can't control what they do," replied Joaquin, at least showing he'd learned his lesson in that department. Their lives weren't for him to control; he could exert his make-believe power over any of them even if he wanted to, just as they were powerless to stop him from becoming a loyal follower of Voldemort, to prevent him from fighting in a war that could cost him and everyone else everything. "Love is weird."

"But it's ours," commented Isolde, noticing Allegra looking around with envy shining in her eyes. Despite repairing their sisterhood and building a stronger bond, Isolde still had something Allegra wanted: love, world-changing love. Still, Allegra pushed away her envy and jealousy and smiled wide for her sister, that comforting grin that immediately told someone everything would be okay even if nothing was.

"Go, keep up with classes; all this mess will be over soon," spoke Joaquin, beckoning Allegra over, offering a kind, friendly hug filled with neutral understanding when she was close enough. For Allegra, it was as if someone accepted her for the first time, welcoming her without strings attached. It wasn't just as hug, it was a sign of hope, hope that she wouldn't be pushed aside and forgotten. It was a sign she, too, would be included and thought about, cared for when she needed it most and encouraged to do what even she would think was impossible.

"No regrets," spoke Isolde, recalling when Sirius had once said that to (Y/N); every time they were together now, they spoke those words as if they were saying I love you. Although Isolde hated to admit it, she did envy (Y/N) and Sirius, how the pair could be so carefree but also together in a way few others could hope for. Despite their young age, they understood each other on a level beyond most understanding. So much so, sometimes they didn't need to exchange words, a simple look or a few gestures were another to speak a thousand words.

"Need to get myself a guy like that," laughed Allegra, a joking tone to her voice. She knew that kind of love was quite the way down the line for her. First, she needed to work on herself, finding who she was in the magical community; she knew now she wasn't special, just another muggle-born witch. But that didn't mean she wasn't lost, struggling to find herself. "Got to find and accept myself first, though," she added with a more serious tone.

For a moment, Allegra looked over to Isolde as they climbed the stairs to the seventh floor. It was quiet there now, almost abandoned, apart from a few students running late. Allegra questioned at what point the sisters had switched places. When Isolde had become the mean twin willing to turn on her friends and loved ones, how Isolde could be okay siding with someone who'd never accept her for who she was? Allegra questioned when she became the reasonable twin, the one who thought logically and understood the consequences that her actions had caused.

"Would you hurt them?" asked Allegra, with a heavy sigh of silent fear escaping her lips. Her words almost trembling from her lips as she hoped for the best possible response but also prepared for the worst. "Would Joaquin hurt his siblings?" she asked as her thoughts turned to the war beyond the castle walls. She didn't want to dwell on the intruding thoughts of terror, the ones centered around the war and Joaquin, Isolde, and their loved ones.

Her mind conjured some horrific scenes as they climbed the stairs in silence. Scenes of pain, betrayal, heartbreak, and death. Scenes of regret that could never be soothed and guilt that couldn't be forgotten. Hatred that could tear apart families and break even the strongest of people. Sins being committed that had terrible results, sins that couldn't be forgiven or undone no matter how much one begged.

"If they stand against us," replied Isolde, clarifying her stance and beliefs. There was no regret in her eyes as she all but admitted she'd attack to kill if a time called for it. No regret as Isolde all but confirmed she'd betray those who once befriended her in a heartbeat if it meant getting what she wanted. "War is war; we all choose sides, friends turned to enemies, and families will be torn apart. This will be no different. I'll always choose myself if it comes between them or me."

Allegra didn't say anything else after that; how could she? She knew if Isolde could turn on friends she once described as family, then she'd turn on her with little thought, too. It was terrifying to see how much her sister had changed; the sweet girl she'd been was gone now, consumed by a love Allegra was beginning to think was toxic. She was consumed by hatred of people who had yet to do anything to her but rejected the person she'd morphed into.

The second they reached the seventh floor, Allegra sighed. Accepting her sister would mean choosing love over everything, including her. She needed to warn those Isolde had been friends with, including Joaquin's family and his sisters, who were more in the dark than they realized. Once again, though, Allegra questioned when she'd become the good twin when she and Isolde had switched places and if they were secretly always painted with the wrong brush, and no one noticed until now.

"No regrets," whispered Allegra upon realizing a heartbreaking truth about Isolde and Joaquin. It wasn't just Helena and (Y/N) they wanted to control, but her too. They just weren't as obvious about it. A tear slipped down Allegra's cheek as she finally accepted the truth she'd been hiding from. She hadn't just lost herself since finding out she was a witch, but she no longer recognized her twin anymore; the Isolde with her now wasn't the smart, quiet girl she'd been before, but someone twisted by love and willing to throw everything away for a single chance to get what she wanted, without thinking about the future that chance could bring both if she succeeded or failed. 

Chapter Text

"I don't want any trouble," said Allegra, her voice worried as she approached Helena Wolffe and her best friend Morgana. Her words were scrambled and trembling, echoing the tears that brimmed her once-judgmental eyes. "I'm not here on my sister's behalf; I'm here to warn you," she added with haste, honesty evident in her voice.

"Warn me about what?" asked Helena, stopping in the quiet courtyard. Outside the clocktower, with the fountain at its center, the only sound was the pendulum of the clock swinging back and forth. Morgana stopped a meter away, looking between the two girls like Helena; she had curiosity glimmering in her eyes. For a second, it appeared as if Allegra was having second thoughts; she opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to find the right words and regain the confidence that had since abandoned her.

"Joaquin," Allegra started, immediately feeling her confidence grow and her fear quickly fade. "He's planning to join the Death Eaters when he graduates, Isolde too if the Dark Lord takes her," she continued, scared at the thought of losing her twin, but she couldn't stay quiet when innocent people were in unknown danger from the people they were supposed to trust most.

For a moment, Helena stood there, her features devoid of expression, staring into space as she gathered her thoughts. It took her a little time to process everything and finally put the pieces of her imaginary puzzle together. Helena soon nodded, quiet and filled with silent respect and thanks to the younger girl.

"Have you told anyone else?" asked Helena upon settling that Allegra was telling her the truth rather than trying to cause more pointless drama. Allegra shook her head, confirming Helena was the first and only person she had gained the confidence to tell. "Stay here with us," she added shortly thereafter, realizing Allegra had no friends to turn to as most others would have. "I'll talk to my sister and her friends; let them know," she finished, making a sidenote to ask them to give Allegra a chance, even more so when it was apparent the girl was trying her best to be different and become a better person.

"Thank you," Morgana called as she walked over to rejoin the pair, a gentle smile on her lips to ease the tension and send a welcoming feeling to Allegra. "You did a brave thing; it's not easy to do what you just did," she encouraged. "So tell me, what subjects do you like?" asked Morgana, trying to know the teenager for who she was becoming rather than the mean girl persona she'd built up over the years. For a moment, Allegra was unsure; she'd spent so much time trying to get others to like her, to be someone she wasn't, that she'd forgotten to find who she truly was. To see what she enjoyed outside of magic.

"I enjoy astronomy, charms, painting, and photography," meekly replied Allegra, suddenly unsure of herself. She'd admit her love for art and photography had carried over from her life as a normal muggle girl. Despite not doing much with them since finding out she was a witch, she knew both existed there, too. She'd seen the painting moving in the grand staircase and the photos others had in the dorms. Lily had one of Severus Snape; the boy, as usual, was glaring, but the more one looked at it, the more his features seemed to lighten until the tiniest of smiles appeared.

"What do you want to do when you leave?" asked Helena, speaking to Allegra as she would (Y/N), gentle and softly spoken, encouraging where it needed to be. She knew Qimir had always wanted to be a dragon tamer; he'd always had a love for the beasts, a love that only grew the older he got. Likewise, Joaquin had always prided himself on his ability to cast powerful charms and potion brewing; he claimed he wanted to be a quidditch player when he left school and a professor after that. (Y/N), however, she had always loved mischief and experimenting, so much that even at a young age, she was mixing potion ingredients to see what happened. That had only grown to include spells and charms to the point she could master even the most difficult spells and even create her own.

"Honestly, I don't know," admitted Allegra with a slight tremble, although she could tell Helena hadn't asked out of malice but general curiosity. The helpful twinkle she'd seen Helena have over the year glimmered in her eyes again as the elder girl gave off a sense of protectiveness and care. "I don't know what career options there in the wizarding world," she admitted, although if she thought about it, she was beginning to like the feeling of helping others, or maybe she could do something with her love of art and photography.

"There are two art classes taught here," began Helena. "My parents always said if you have a passion for something, follow it, as it will lead you to what truly makes you happy. " She added, noticing a black wolf appear from the tower and heading toward the bridge. A small bout of laughter escaped her when James Potter came running from the tower just minutes later, calling for the wolf to give him something back.

"Honestly, your sister never ceases to amaze me," Morgana spoke upon hearing the wolf was (Y/N). "At least Potter can say the wolf ran off with his homework," she laughed, hearing Helena call (Y/N) name and James just seconds later. James instantly paid attention and stopped mid-chase while the black wolf disappeared behind a pillar from the otherwise appeared (Y/N), shaking her head with a wide grin of mischief, a grin that only grew upon her holding the parchment roll out to James.

"Mom and Dad gave us so much excellent advice," said (Y/N) once she was sure she could speak properly rather than howl at someone. "Never let anyone tell you who you are is my personal favorite," she added, admitting that was the one she took to heart, even more so when her abilities often parted her from those around her.

Helena soon took hold of (Y/N)'s arm, opting to tell her the concerning truth Allegra had so kindly brought to her attention. With whispered words, she did just that, sharing her thoughts. Allegra was telling the truth; she could see the honesty and sincerity in Allegra's eyes and the way she acted. Along with it, Helena made one singular request: that her sister give Allegra a proper chance to let go of past judgment and help Allegra find who she truly was.

At first, it was obvious that (Y/N) was hesitant. Allegra had gone out of her way to bully Marlene, torment poor Peter, and many others. Helena knew it'd be difficult, not only for (Y/N) but also for the rest of the friend group; however, she also had faith that they'd try their best, even if it did eventually end in disaster. (Y/N) nodded after taking some time to think. After all, she knew what it was like to be judged by others, to feel as if you didn't belong anywhere. To feel as if you had no one to turn to.

By the time the sisters reappeared, James had disappeared, no doubt returning to the Great Hall for the study session they'd supposed to be in; at least now, he'd gotten his homework back from (Y/N)'s jaws. Morgana was sitting with Allegra by then, helping her answer the potion class homework questions Slughorn had expected to be completed and turned in during the study session.

"Thank you," gently spoke (Y/N), seeing the general surprise paint over Allegra's features. After all, she and (Y/N) had never been on the best of terms; if anything, they'd been on the opposite sides of a metaphoric battlefield until now; they'd not have anything in common. Allegra had always been uptight, entitled, and a bully to all those she saw as beneath her or as a rival for what she wanted. (Y/N) was the opposite, carefree, playful, mischievous, a rebel, and so often a rule breaker. "For telling Helena about Joaquin and Isolde. It took a lot of courage and bravery."

"I'm not sure what good it will do," replied Allegra, the daunting feeling of dread gripping her, "I turned against the only person I could rely on here. Even if she's changed for the worst, she's still my sister," she added beginning to accept the same couldn't be said for Isolde. Isolde had been even with Joaquin and hadn't thought twice before turning on her friends. Accepting that relying on Isolde came with high expectations and relinquishing control, which Allegra wasn't sure she could accept, even more now.

"You can rely on me," sighed (Y/N), holding out an olive branch, even if the two were opposites in nearly every way. "We're different, but that doesn't have to be bad, Allegra. We've both changed, so if you need someone, a place to go, you can count on me," she added, willing to be the mediator between Allegra and her group of friends. "It will be difficult, but we can make it work."

Allegra looked stunned for a moment. She glanced between Morgana, Helena, and (Y/N) several times as if trying to decide if the turn of events was a sick joke or a real display of sincerity and kindness. Many thoughts passed through Allegra's mind; the most prevalent is what Isolde would think. If Allegra accepted the offer, it would be the final step in the twins switching places. However, that would come with its difficult trials; she was sure Marlene wouldn't accept her openly, especially after the bullying she experienced during their second year. Just as Allegra was sure the others weren't fond of her, why would they be? She'd been a bitch to the majority, a constant pain to others.

"Thank you," meekly replied Allegra, the smallest of shy grin appearing across her lips. A smile that vanished as quickly as it came when Joaquin and Isolde wandered into view. The pair had opted to skip the day's classes to spend the day together, no doubt dodging professors roaming the halls and Peeves. Isolde's laughter was loud, filled with happiness that she would deny to others. Joaquin, at her side, didn't appear to have a care in the world, at least not until his eyes found his sisters.

(Y/N) didn't bother saying anything to either of them, merely wished Morgana and Helena good luck with their studying and coming classes before gesturing for Allegra to join her in the walk to the Great Hall. There was little doubt the professor overseeing the study session would be wondering where they were, at least if James hadn't already given them an excuse.

Isolde watched the odd pair go, a scoff escaping her lips just seconds after they entered the castle once more. Joaquin, on the other hand, stared at Helena as if attempting to read her mind. Although he didn't need legilimency to know his twin knew something he wished she didn't, he still felt a sense of unease. That only sparked his curiosity about what Helena had learned and if she'd told their younger sister of it.

"What was Allegra doing here?" Isolde asked with an accusatory tone in her voice; she glared at Helena and Morgana simultaneously as if silently branding them her enemies. "Why was she with (Y/N)?" she continued as if she was an Aura integrating a suspected Dark Wizard. Although it was clear neither of the girls was going to answer her. Morgana reopened her advanced charms book and continued to read through it while Helena returned Joaquin's glare with a cold one of her own.

"Your sister has a life outside of you," commented Helena after a long, awkward silence, "As (Y/N) and I have one separate of Joaquin's desire for control and each other," she added mere seconds later. However, despite her coldness, she refused to speak of what Allegra had alerted her to. However, she summarized what her parents already knew, likely having concluded Joaquin intended to be a Death Eater over the Christmas break. "You're failing your classes, brother; our parents would be so disappointed in you. I'm starting to think you like being parted from silly little Isolde."

"I'll catch up; I always do," replied Joaquin, breathing a sigh of relief, although he still couldn't shake the feeling something was off. Seeing Allegra with (Y/N) somehow sparked as much concern in him as it did with Isolde. Perhaps it was because Allegra had overheard recent conversations and could use their secrets to blackmail and assert her make-believe power over them.

"I'm not silly or little," retorted Isolde, as if the condescending words Helena had used to refer to her had finally sunk in. "I'm ..."

"A child who thinks she knows everything when she knows nothing," voiced Helena, cutting Isolde off before she had the chance to continue with whatever tirade she thought was befitting of the situation. "Think twice before committing, little girl. Real life doesn't have a do-over switch, and some things can't be undone," she continued as she began to gather her things after Morgana had whispered they should study in the quiet library. "Ask Joaquin; he'll tell you he'd be proud our brother disowned him. He's too stupid to realize a day will come when he needs Qimir."

With that, Morgana and Helena worked off, ignoring the words of insult Joaquin threw after them. However, the peacefulness Isolde and Joaquin thought they had achieved was soon shattered upon Professor Flitwick entering the courtyard, only to catch them and send them on their way. Joaquin to the runes class he was surely late for by now, and Isolde to the solitude facing her in the Great Hall, especially now when it was dawning on her she had no friends to pretend with or a sister to control. For the first time, she'd be on her own. Something that would surely become a common occurrence once Joaquin left the school and joined the Death Eaters after the next school year.

Chapter Text

"Have you lost your mind?" asked James, his eyes trained on (Y/N), his voice barely above a whisper as they sat in the Great Hall. Although he silently wondered if it had something to do with the small gathering in the courtyard with Helena. James soon looked around the small group. Remus and Marlene didn't appear to be paying any attention, instead studying from a Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook. Sirius silently observed as if trying to determine if (Y/N) was attempting to rib them. In contrast, Lily had acceptance painted on her features, as if she'd long since accepted that the Smith twins would eventually switch places or realized she'd misjudged the twins and mistaken which one was the truly loyal one.

"You can sit with me, I'll help you catch up with charms and DADA," spoke Lily, moving over to make room for Allegra. Allegra nodded silently, and the tiniest grin of gratitude appeared across her lips. Slowly, she moved to sit, pulling her own charms book from her bag as well as parchment and her favorite quill. "(Y/N)'s your girl if you need help in potions, Remus for runes and astromony, Marlene's the best at transfigurations," she added, knowing when it came to James and likely Sirius, it would have to be on their terms, same with Peter.

"I don't like it either," Sirius said after seeming to be stunned since (Y/N) walked through the golden doors with Allegra, nobody had said anything, likely wondering where Isolde was and why the twins had swapped places. "But I also think it's worth giving it a shot, who knows, maybe we misjudged Allegra just as much as she did us."

"WHAT!" yelled James, standing to his feet in almost rage, although he quickly shrank as his confidence disappeared the moment Professor McGonagall's attention turned to him. She hit him with the stern glare that could get any misbehaving student to fall into silence. Peter, however, remained silent, trying his hardest to make himself small, as if to disappear and forget the bubbling memories of the previous year, when Allegra had been a part of the Wicked Quartet that had spent time and plenty of effort tormenting him.

As if on cue, Isolde pushed her way through the golden doors of the hall, anger written across her features as she all but stormed into the hall. A fake apology escaped her lips not long after, filled with sarcasm and attitude as if putting on a display. She briefly glanced around the hall, as if finding a place to sit, noticing quickly when whispers began and how some pointed at her. No doubt whispering about her latest display, when she'd made a group of first years from mixed houses cry.

"Allegra, come sit with me," demanded Isolde as she stormed down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, with almost everyone watching her. The professors, in case they had to scold her again, and her fellow students, to see what drama would occur this time. Isolde huffed loudly when Allegra made no attempt to follow her demand, nor even acknowledge she was there, instead continuing to whisper back and forth with Lily as she attempted to catch up on what she had been behind on. "Allegra!"

"Miss Smith, sit down and be quiet," called Professor Slughorn from the back of the hall, speaking in McGonagal's stead, who appeared to be helping a Slytherin student understand something to do with transfigurations.

"I'm not moving," Allegra spoke gently, upon feeling Isolde's glare burning a hole through her head. "I want to be better than I was, be someone younger students can come to when they need someone, be a friend others deserve, find who I am and my place in the wizarding world. I can't do that when someone is breathing down my neck and berating me whenever I step out of their control," she added, turning her attention to Isolde now, only to see the familiar hatred and anger that had been growing over the school year. That had been growing ever since Joaquin's punishment began. "We're twins, Isolde, but we're not good for each other; we want different things, believe in different things. You want control, I want freedom. We've both chosen our paths, now it's time to accept them and move on."

"I said, come. Sit. With. Me!" Angerily, Isolde demanded, displaying her ignorance when it came to listening to others again. Displaying her desire for control outweighed everything else and showed her true colors to those she once called friends. To James in particular, who looked between the Smith Twins as if finally seeing them for who they were. As if finally seeing the truth that almost everyone had missed until now.

"She said she's not going," Marlene called out, having reached her limit regarding her former friend's attitude. "Please, for the love of Merlin, leave her be, before you make a bigger fool of yourself." For a moment, Isolde looked taken aback, it had been some time since Marlene had spoken to her. The last time was during the Christmas encounter, shortly after everything had fallen apart.

"You'll regret not falling in line," muttered Isolde, her voice taking on a threatening tone, her eyes flicking between each of them with hatred; the only one she appeared lenient with was Peter. However, there was a better chance she'd forgotten he was there, as she'd done many times in the past.

"We've heard that before," replied James without missing a step. "Still waiting for the consequences promised, though," he chuckled, lightening the sour mood. His words, however, only served to annoy Isolde further, who simply narrowed her eyes at him, huffed loudly, and pulled her wand from her robes, attempting to curse him. However she got no further that point the wand at the intended target, as Professor McGonagall was at her side in seconds, as if teleporting, scarily calm and informing Isolde of her newly gained detention before leading her down the aisle toward the end of the Gryffindor table where the professors could keep a better eye on her.

"I'm sorry," whispered Allegra with uncertainty, sincerity once again glimmering in her eyes. "For everything I did to all of you, bullying Marlene, tormenting Peter, all the stupid drama, for not seeing any of you for who you are. For being cruel, hateful, selfish, and hurtful," she added, naming specific things she'd done to hurt those who'd defended her, even when she believed she was undeserving of their kindness. "Thank you for standing up for me, you may not believe it, but I do appreciate it."

"Did you mean what you said?" asked Remus, voicing his question regarding Allegra's earlier statement about change. "You want to change and find who you are?" he elaborated, still showing hesitation. However, he wouldn't stand in the way of Allegra's improvement, nor would he hinder her from finding happiness and satisfaction within herself. Allegra only nodded in confirmation.

"What about the other quartet members?" questioned Peter, his voice quivering as he remembered the other three that resided in Gryffindor Tower, Samantha, Georgie, and Ulrica. However, he'd admit it had been a while since he'd personally seen Allegra in their company. Since returning for the new year, Allegra had spent the majority of her time alone or with Isolde until recently.

"I haven't spoken to them since the summer," admitted Allegra with a sigh. Her soul-searching over the holidays had opened her eyes to a lot of things, much like the Christmas Holidays had. "They were using me to get to Peter. They aspire to help the Dark Lord rid the wizarding world of Muggleborns, people like me. At some point, it hit me, they weren't my friends and I wasn't theirs, they just wanted someone as a plaything, someone to do their dirty work and take the blame when things went wrong."

"What did you tell our dear, sweet Helena?" asked James, referring to (Y/N)'s older sister as if she were a part of the extended friend group, even when they only really interacted now and again. Normally, a passing hello in one of the halls or staircases.

"Careful, James, your crush is becoming obvious," Lily commented with a hint of laughter, even more so when James' cheeks turned a light pink blush and his words became lost.

"Allegra alerted Helena to the truth both of us were missing regarding Joaquin," answered (Y/N). "She stood against both him and Isolde. By doing so, I owe her a debt. It's not easy to do what she did," she added with genuine kindness and truth behind her words. "Of all the things I thought my brother was capable of, becoming a death eater wasn't one of them, yet that's what he's determined to do when he leaves school."

"Isolde, too, if the Dark Lord will accept her," admitted Allegra, finally accepting that she'd never be able to stop her sister from making the biggest mistake of her life, nor save her from the consequences that would eventually find her. Finally, she accepted that they were too different to support each other's dreams and find happiness while living together. Isolde would never accept Allegra's wish to be herself, whomever that might be. Allegra couldn't support Isolde in her journey to becoming a dark witch who would betray everyone and everything she once held dear, not only for someone who'd never see her as an equal, but for a relationship that could break apart just as quickly as it came to be.

"Merlin, we are terrible judges of character," voiced Sirius after what seemed like an eternity's worth of silence. "It's gonna take work, but I think this could go somewhere, turn into a friendship if we're lucky."

"I don't have a crush on Helena," commented James upon regaining the ability to speak

"Could have fooled me," replied Lily just as fast.

"You'll have detention with Isolde if you don't concentrate on studying," said Remus

"Oh, the horror, maybe he'll see Joaquin there too," added Peter

"Nah, more likely to be stuck with the love birds in denial," said Marlene, motioning between Sirius and (Y/N), to her left, neither of whom appeared to be paying attention. Although it was clear (Y/N) had heard as her cauldron suddenly let out a puff of smoke and a bang when she added too much of an ingredient. "What's going on with the transformation, anyway?"

"They're struggling with the mandrake leaf," replied Remus, recalling Peter having the most trouble, mainly because everything tasted revolting with the soggy leaf. The rest of the tasks (Y/N) set them, and they'd done without problem.

"I feel for you. I hated that bit too."

"You were more upset you couldn't enjoy the lemon cheesecake as much," replied (Y/N) with a ring out laughter, recalling when Marlene was able to remove the leaf, she'd pratically ran to the Great Hall that day, if only to get her hands on the lemon cheesecake she loved so much.

"And the butterbeer," added Sirius. "I think I miss the strawberry tart more than anything, and pumpkin juice."

"I still think you lot are idiots for attempting something so dangerous," Lily said, recalling when she'd finally discovered what the boys were up to and what they needed (Y/N) for. Marlene had admitted shortly after that she, too, had followed the steps to become an Animagi, and somehow she'd managed to succeed on the first attempt. Now she could transform herself into a white fluffy cat whenever she pleased. "They are trying to become Animagi so that they can understand (Y/N)'s Metamorphic abilities better."

"I've read about that," admitted Allegra, revealing her time spent reading hadn't been random teenage novels, but books she's borrowed from the library—things recommended to her by professors, prefects, and other peers. "It's dangerous and breaks about fifty school rules," she added, suspecting the boys' attempts to brew such a complex potion had resulted in some interesting results and trips to the hospital wing.

"Honestly, I don't think old Dumbledore minds as long as (Y/N) isn't turning the castle into the tower of mischief terror," spoke James, revealing who was brewing the potion. The only one capable of doing it. "Got to admit though, some of those explosions were pretty epic."

"I'm sure Salazar Slytherin's hidden monster would disagree," laughed (Y/N), "I doubt it took kindly to the aftershock rumble through its Chamber of Secrets."

"I don't think the professors did either," replied Sirius, recalling the detention that followed and the line of questioning. "Or our fellow students, considering a few of them were shouting earthquake."

"Are you going to try it, Lily?" asked Allegra, as if she were toying with the idea of attempting to become an Animagi, not for the power of doing so, but to settle her curiosity and do something she wouldn't ordinarily do. To finally set herself apart from her sister, to solidify her position of turning over a new leaf and starting a new beginning.

"I'm waiting to see if there are any disastrous results from these lunatics," Lily replied, pointing to the four boys, who each threw her an offended look. "So far, Marlene's the only result we have, but if the boys turn out relatively successful, I may consider it. What about you?"

"I thought about it, but I've got to do more research and weigh up the pros and cons," admitted Allegra, finally showing she wasn't as foolish as she'd previously portrayed herself to be; instead, she proved she had common sense and wasn't afraid to use it. "I think I'm in the same boat as you. However, I'll also be researching Metamorphmagus' abilities. I haven't seen another around here with them outside of (Y/N)."

"That's because she's the only one in the school with them," replied Peter, revealing the truth that was obvious to anyone who looked close enough. "The ability is rare, the rarest in the wizarding world. Those with, like (Y/N), are truly one of a kind."