Chapter Fourteen: Another Power Revealed

"Really?" Whispered a few students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a few skeptical about 'Snake Talking Giudice''s power to use magic without a wand.

"And she stunned a lot of people including the person who disarmed her and they say he got the worse because she used the Cruciatus Curse." A rather chubby, dim witted Ravenclaw were exchanged from student to student and even ghost to ghost, and Gretchen never had peace as a lot of Slytherins, obviously falling for those lies, flocked her and asked if she can torture a few 'mudbloods'.

Gretchen slumped into a chair next to Lily and started poking her food with a fork, moodily. "I guess I must be evil, I mean which person who is good can talk to snakes and use magic without a wand?"

"You can't blame yourself, Gretchen! After all, you did say you panicked because they were going to hex you or something and so you just defended yourself." Lily said and she ignored the hissing, and calls ("Hey, Gretchen 'I Can Talk to Snakes' Giudice, looks like you have your first minion!".

"Oh, stuff your face some more, Gregory Goyle!" a chubby, tall boy turned on Lily.

"What was that, Mudblood?" he asked and much to his pleasure Lily's emerald eyes started tearing up. And he started to jeer. "Muddy, Muddy, Mudblood! No wonder the snake was trying to kill you; I don't blame it! Except I don't think it would've eaten you because you're a Mudblood and Mudblood's are part Muggle, and that means your part filth!" Lily rushed out of the Great Hall, sobbing. And to Gretchen's anger Goyle started laughing.

"Go back to your food, pig! Oh wait, that's not nice because it's offensive to pigs!" Gretchen shouted. And the chatter around the Great Hall ended as Gregory rounded on Gretchen like an angry hippogriff.

"What was that, Giudice?"

"I called you a pig! Talk about pork, you are really porky! Why aren't you on one of those platters?" Gretchen pointed to the golden plates of food.

"You better shut your mouth, Gretchen." One of Gretchen's friends, Alice, whispered warningly.

"Why should I be afraid of this pig? I mean look at him, he is so lazy that he can't even lift a fork to his mouth, wait never mind, that's the only thing he's capable of-"

"You'll regret what you said, Blood-Traitor! Hanging around Mudbloods, and maybe even Werewolves! No wonder, Voldemort's after you." That had caught Gretchen so she couldn't hex the bully as she had planned to, how did he know Voldemort was after her? She didn't have enough time to think about this because Goyle muttered a spell and Gretchen was screaming as she never had before. Pain ripping through her nerves.

"Sectumsempra!" Though the pain in her nerves was gone, it had been replaced by another pain. A dizziness sort of pain as if she was going to die. She saw a flash of light and heard a scream that sounded like Goyle's

"Back! Stay away from her!"

"Sirius?" Gretchen whispered weakly then she cried out, feeling her side. She gasped as she felt something sticky and warm; she withdrew her hands only to see them covered in thick red blood. Her whole side was ripped open as blood trickled onto the beautiful marble floor.

"Someone help her! She's bleeding to death! Call the nurse!" Sirius screamed and he turned to Gretchen, gazing into her eyes and then he saw the life in those beautiful blue orbs start to fade. "Stay Gretchen…" he whispered in her ear. "Stay…"

Gretchen woke up to find herself staring into the handsome face of Sirius Black; his brown eyes sparkled with excitement as he heard her whisper. "Sirius Black, thanks for saving my life."

"It was nothing just a little wand power." He said as he gazed into Gretchen's eyes and for the first time it became clear why he had saved her, he loved her…

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Sirius was snapped back to reality as he saw Gretchen trying to get up, but he pushed her back down.

"Nothing, Gretchen. I just was…um…thinking. And please stay in bed, or Madam Pomfrey will kick me out of here."

"Okay…Sirius?"

"Yes?"

"I wanted to tell you…"

"Yes?" Sirius said, trying not to act too excited. This is the moment, she's going to tell me!

"I – I…erm…thanks for saving my life."

"Oh yeah, I thought you said that before…" Sirius said disappointed. Well I am not worthy of her love I guess. But, I have been acting pretty stupid. "I got to go to class, bye!" And Sirius raced off.

"Bye..." Why didn't I just tell him? Oh yeah, he said I was a freak…And how on earth can someone who hates anything to do with the Dark Arts love me, Snake Talking Gretchen Giudice? Gretchen was hurt by the thoughts that tumbled into her brain and she decided to just forget about him. Or maybe I can find a subtle way to tell him how I feel…

It was midnight, the first hour of the thirteenth of February, the day before Valentine's Day. Everyone was in bed and asleep until: "SIRIUS NOBLE BLACK! WHAT DID YOU DO NOW!" It was Gretchen and her friends were trying to calm her down so she wouldn't wake up the entire castle.

"Come on Gretchen; it was one of Sirius Black's dumb jokes, you know how he and the Marauders are." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Hey! Not all of them are bad you know, Lily. I think Remus Lupin is so nice and he's also very cute." Gretchen's other friend, Nymphodora (preferred going by her surname Tonks.), said as she gazed into the sky dreamily. Gretchen stomped her foot and sighed.

"Am I losing you here? I am not talking about the other members of the stupid Marauders club! I am talking about SIRIUS BLACK!" The last two words were screamed out causing the other girls to jump a little.

"We know that, but it's really no big deal, Gretchen. I get pranked all the time." Lily said exasperated.

"But do you get your hair all messed up like this!" Gretchen sobbed as she indicated her hair that was pink with red highlights and flyaway hair. "Oh, when I get my hands on that no good prat, he won't make another joke for the rest of his life! THIS IS WAR!" And Gretchen headed for the door despite her friends pleas.

"There's just no helping her." Alice whispered to Lily and Tonks.

"I heard that!" Gretchen screamed as she stormed down the stairs muttering under her breath. She gasped when she saw Professor McGonagall frowning at her.

"I expected better of you, Ms. Giudice. Five points from Gryffindor and what happened to your hair?"

"Professor, I think we should get Gretchen to bed now don't you think?" Lily asked nervously as she tried to keep Gretchen from tattling on Sirius, which would result in more lost points.

"Not until I tell Professor McGonagall that Sirius hexed my hair or something!" Gretchen said as her other friends tried to rush her into the room as well.

"Stop! I want you to leave Ms. Giudice here so I can talk to both Mr. Black and Ms. Giudice alone!" Professor McGonagall commanded. Lily, Tonks, and Alice left towards the girl's dormitory uttering to Gretchen. "Should've listened to us and just left."

"What." A groggy Sirius moaned as his friends, Remus, and James, shook him awake. "I'm up!" he groaned as he started to stretch.

"There's no time for stretching!" Another friend of Sirius', Peter, exclaimed. "Professor McGonagall wants to talk to you."

"Do you think she found out?" Sirius asked and gazed at his friends' confused faces and said cheerily. "Or maybe she knows about my prank on Ms. Giudice."

"Up top, Sirius! You broke the world record of Detention Times by 100 more!" cheered James and Sirius slapped him a high five, and Peter wooted feebly (he usually sided with Sirius and James instead of Remus). Remus rolled his eyes.

"What's so good about that?" he asked perplexed because he knew the punishment would be further more than that.

"Gee, Remus!" Sirius looked appalled. "You act like it's a bad thing."

"That's because it is!" Remus slapped his forehead. "Just go get your detention or lose us points." He cringed.

"Good luck, Padfoot!" James smiled.

"Awww, we haven't even finished with our forms yet, Prongsies!

"How do you know if we haven't?" James said as his smiled grew bigger.

"Just go!" Peter and Remus urged Sirius as he was about to say something.

"And it's Prongs!" Sirius heard James shout as he (Sirius) pounded down the stairs.

"Yes?" he panted as he saw Professor McGonagall, and an angry Gretchen. He tried to hold back laughter, but Gretchen must have seen his face twist into a smiled because she shot out:

"Think this is funny, huh? Well its NOT! Just wait until; the Professor is done with you Sirius Noble Black!" Gretchen smirked as Sirius cringed at the middle name because he had been given it because he was of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black, and one of the darkest families who have almost always been in Slytherin. Sirius had broken the record, much to his great joy, and his mother had blasted his picture off of his family tree. He didn't give a hoot.

"Well, Ms. Giudice is right Mr. Black; you get a onth's worth of detention." Professor McGonagall said sharply and when she saw his little jig (he had not intended on letting any of them see it), she added. "And your detention will be sorting potion ingredients with Professor Slughorn, and you will not be allowed to visit Hogsmede until the coming of Halloween.

"Oh okay…"

"And as for you, Ms. Giudice," Professor McGonagall smiled at Gretchen. "You can return the pranking favor back to Mr. Black and also Mr. Potter because I know he is spying on us as we speak. Glisseo!" The stairs turned into a slide and James slid down as he cried:

"WHAT!" That's not fair!

"And it's not fair to have you eavesdropping!" Professor McGonagall said. "Good day, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, and Ms. Giudice." She flashed Gretchen a rare smile and walked off.

"So Potter's got detention!" Lily asked as she bounced up and down with excitement.

"No." Gretchen said as she busied herself with a little case, and tapped it saying. "Accio Basin!" And a very beautiful basin, with a silver snake on its golden faucet flew to her. "Professor McGonagall told me to prank James along with Sirius." Gretchen said as she got tiny bottles out of the case and started pouring ingredients into the basin.

"Oh, cool" Lily said with excitement. "Can I help you?'

"Sure." Can I have that little book that's near my bed please?" Grtechen said as she pointed to Pranking Your Friends and Enemies. By Marcus Flint

"Okay." And Lily grabbed the book, handing it to Gretchen.

"I can enlarge their teeth so they can go to Madam Pomfrey's and they can feel the pain as she shrinks their teeth to normal size, or I can just make a nice perfume sent float around them. What do you think, Lily? Lily? LILY!"

Lily was busy reading a book and laughing. "I think you should do this one." She showed Gretchen a little drawing of a boy with purple skin, and yellow hair. "It's called, Hair Changing Nougats! Give that one to Sirius, that pig will eat almost anything!"

"And I give James the Skin Color Potion?" Gretchen asked. "He's not as piggish as Black so how can I get him to drink it?"

"Slip it in his Pumpkin Juice." Lily said as she lazily flipped through the pages. "Also try this, Decoy Wands. So they can't hex you or anything, but when they cast a spell it backfires on them. Just slip the potion onto their wands if possible and voila you have a week, or month lasting decoy wand."

"I want to try for the month!" Gretchen peered at the ingredients. Do you have some basilisk fangs? I ran out of them."

"Yeah," Lily said eagerly. "I'll go get some." And she raced over to her own Potion Making Kit and took out a few fangs and handed them to Gretchen.

"Thanks!"

"It's strange because on the little container with the fangs it says they came from Hogwarts."

"That is strange." Gretchen replied as Lily looked into the basin.

"Can you work on the Skin Color Potion?"

"Sure thing, Gretchen!" and Lily took out a little golden cauldron and dumped ingredients. A strange hissing sound came from Gretchen's cauldron as it bubbled up.

"It's done!" she cheered and Lily was with her. "Just wait until I slip this into their wands, those prats will regret their mistakes." Gretchen laughed evilly.

"The Color Changing Potion is ready!" Lily smiled as the potion turned into a sickly, thick, color that looked just like vomit. "Wouldn't want to have that in my food." Both girls said as they turned away from it. They got vials out and started filling them up with both potions as Lily opened a packet of Hair Color Nuggets. They picked pink with a shade of gold and laughed.

"I wonder what Gretchen's going to prank us with." James said nervously for the fifteenth time that night.

"Sure wish we can take a peek at them, but the stairs to the Girl's Dormitory is blasted charmed so we can't get up." Sirius complained as he paced around the room.

"Shouldv'e not pranked Grtechen." Remus said as he flipped through his Charms Class book.

"Remuuuuuuus, aren't you worried?" Sirius said as he grabbed the book from Remus ("Hey, give it back!") "We're going to be pranked by Grtechen…"

"You two, gits are, but not me. Accio Book! And Peter either!"

"Hey!" Sirius cried out as the book soared into Remus' hands."

"Shut it, you gits! I hear something!" James said. And sure enough Grtechen and Lily walked into the room.

"I decided not to prank you, boys. Here's some nuggets Sirius." Gretchen said as Lily handed him the packet of Skin Color Changing Nuggets.

"Yum! Thanks." And Sirius ate them all in one second, despite James' warnings. "I feel strange." He commented and then he burped and Gretchen/Lily exchanged glances.

"Here's some Pumpkin Juice, James." Lily said as Gretchen handed him some juice.

"No thanks…" James said and he took out his wand, but Gretchen roared "Expelliarmus!" and the wand soared out of his hand.

"Accio Sirius Black's and James Potter's wands!" Lily said and to the boys horror the wands drifted into the girls' hands. And together smiling evilly they poured a vial of purple, misty potion into the wands. A load Rocketing sound echoed in their ears and the wands had a purple glow.

"Here you go boys." Both girls laughed as they handed them their wands, and then Gretchen poured the pumpkin juice onto James' hair and instantly his hair turned pink with golden highlights.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" James screamed at the top of his lungs. "My beautiful hair! You'll pay for this. Aguamenti! Argh!"James cried as water showered down from the end of his wand, drenching all his clothes.

Sirius hiccupped and then belched and his skin changed yellow with purple splotches. "No!" Agh!" Sirius shrieked as blue bell flames erupted onto his cloak because he had tried to get flames onto Gretchen's or Lily's cloaks. Gretchen smiled and calmly grabbed the blue bell flames into her hands and placed them carefully into a jar.

"You're fire proof!" Remus said and both the girls and boys jumped with a start, they had forgotten all about Remus. "I guess you are one of them, but why did the Sorting Hat place you in Gryffindor?" Gretchen was dumbfounded.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked. Remus shrugged and said.

"Never mind. If the Headmaster never told you, than I shouldn't." And he went back to his books. Both James and Sirius finally understood what Remus was talking about and slowly backed away, begging.

"Don't hurt us, Gretchen! What we did yesterday was a tiny joke."

"Gretchen won't hurt you unless you count our pranks as hurting you." Lily said quietly

"Why are you acting so strange?" Gretchen asked. This is way more than our pranks. Gretchen thought. They act like I am going to kill or torture them, but why?