Chapter 4
"They're too quiet," Leah whispered to Sirius after Potions.
"What do you mean?" Lily asked.
"You're right," Sirius answered. "But it's typical Slytherin behavior. Something like the calm before the storm."
Leah shrugged. "So when are we going to…"
"In a few days," he interrupted.
"What?" Lily asked. "Oh, you two are going to get us into trouble."
"Us?" Sirius asked, looking affronted. "No, we wouldn't do that."
"Honestly, Lily, do you think that we would actually get caught? Amateurs get caught."
Lily sighed and walked away from them.
"I don't think she likes us at the moment," Sirius said.
"Well, I don't see how anyone could like you," Leah said, grinning.
"I feel loved," he answered as they walked into the Transfiguration classroom. She grinned and walked to the back of the class and was about to take her seat when James motioned for her to sit next to him. She sighed and shot a look at Sirius who nodded and sat next to Lily.
"What do you want, dear, darling brother?"
James scowled. "What were you and Black talking about in Potions?"
"Just a plan for the Slyths."
"You don't even ask me?"
She shrugged. "You're not involved in this one, Jimmy Jim."
He pretended to pout and she tried not to laugh.
"Look, James, I know you're worried, but please, don't start this right now. Back off for a while and I promise that if anything starts getting bad, I'll tell you, okay."
James looked at her with something akin to exasperation. "Fine, Leah. So what is this plan?"
Leah grinned. "I'll just say that it'll start a prank war."
After classes that day, Sirius and Leah secluded themselves in a corner of the common room to talk about the finer details of the prank that they would play the Slytherin students. After making sure that everything was ready, they began to work on the homework they had been given. Sirius had noticed Leah's brother watching them. He wasn't sure what to think about James Potter. He seemed arrogant and aloof, completely unlike Leah.
And Sirius knew that James Potter hated him. It wasn't hard to tell if the looks on his face were any indication. Sirius smiled. Only one day at Hogwarts and he already had made enemies out of the Slytherin house and within his own house. That was a great accomplishment, at least to him, Leah told him that he was being childish.
He only grinned in response.
"What are you two going to do?" Lily asked.
"What makes you think we're going to do anything?" Leah asked, smiling.
Lily glared at her and Sirius laughed.
The days passed and before James knew it, the first week of school had gone in a flurry of classes, homework, and making friends. He had stayed up late many nights getting to know the other boys in his year except for Black who seemed to have much more fun with those of other years. Most of the other Gryffindors had accepted him as their own, but James knew of a few who believed that he would betray them to the Slytherins at any time. James didn't tell anyone that he thought the same thing. The only people who cared about his opinion already knew it.
When Saturday dawned, James, Remus, and the other two boys walked down the Great Hall. There weren't very many people there and only a few other Gryffindors. James looked up and down the Gryffindor table for Leah but didn't see her anywhere.
Suddenly several small, but loud explosions erupted from the Slytherin table. James looked, wanting to see what his sister and her new friend had done to the first years. Green and red smoke filled the air around the table, obscuring it from view. He laughed with the rest of the Gryffindors when the smoke cleared up and came back again. That process repeated about four times before Professor McGonagall waved her wand in a swift movement and the smoke cleared for good, but the after effects remained.
Everything that the smoke had touched had turned bright orange but more importantly, all of the Slytherin students had turned orange. The Great Hall was filled with even more laughter and the Slyths, now becoming aware of their appearance shot murderous glares at every one but that did nothing to dispel the laughing. Sirius, Leah, Lily, and a few of the other first year girls came in at that moment.
James watched as McGonagall looked at his sister and her friends with a calculating gaze. With a glance at the rest of the Gryffindors she squared in on them.
"Potter, Black, my office, now."
Shrugging with nonchalance, the two followed her out of the Great Hall. When they were gone, everyone in that hall started laughing again except for the Slytherins who were trying in vain to get rid of the orange color.
"Good morning," Lily said.
"Morning, Lily," Remus replied. He seemed to be the only one to have recovered from laughing so much to be able to hold a conversation. "Did they do it?"
"I think so." She shrugged. "I know that they were planning something for the Slytherins, but I never asked what or when."
"Well," James answered with a sigh. "Leah got in the first one. She'll never let me live this down."
"Of all the years I've taught here, I've never seen such an outrageous…" Minerva McGonagall paused. She wasn't sure how she wanted to word her anger at these two students. She had known that one Potter was going to be bad, but two was something out of a nightmare and working with a Black no less. Well, at least this prank didn't get anyone hurt. She knew that by the end of their time at Hogwarts someone probably would get hurt and it woud most likely be a Slytherin.
"I'm very disappointed in both of you and you should both be ashamed of yourselves for this act. Now, as for your punishment; Twenty points from Gryffindor and two detentions each."
"Okay," Sirius said with a grin.
"Yes, professor," Leah said.
Minerva looked at the two. Only one week into the school year and they were good friends. She hoped that the friendship would last, that any of the friendships made this year would last the darkness that was steadily rising in the world. She sent them away to breakfast but she stayed in her office thinking.
"When you said you were starting a prank war, you weren't kidding," James said, catching up to Leah and Sirius as they began towards the common room.
"That wasn't exactly our intention," Sirius said, "but if it happens, all the more fun."
"If it happens," Leah said with a smile. "Well, no one said it couldn't."
Sirius laughed. James hesitated for a moment before joining. Leah smiled a secret smile behind her hand before walking through the portrait hole. James was far from accepting Sirius as a friend, but at least they could talk together without James making biting comments.
Sirius sat beside her at the table hidden in the shadows under the stairs. Lily was sitting at another table not talking to them.
"Your brother seems to be improving," Sirius whispered.
"Really? Improving at what?"
"Being a person."
"I thought you didn't care."
"I don't, but you do."
"Shut up, Sirius."
"Okay."
"Leah."
"What, Sirius?"
"Lily's mad at us."
"I know. Shut up, Sirius."
"Yes, Leah."
Later that day, Leah and Lily were sitting under a large shade tree near the lake. Leah had finally convinced her friend that what they had done was harmless and that their punishment was a small price to pay for getting to the Slytherins first.
Lily hadn't liked it, but started talking again, at least to Leah. She said that she would be mad at Sirius for a while since he started the actual prank.
"Why do you want a war with the other houses?" Lily asked.
"Not all the houses," Leah clarified. "Just Slytherin. Look, I'll give you a quick history of the wars. First, there was Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin fighting about who should be in each house. Because of that a war started between Purebloods and everyone else. Slytherin supporters have despised anyone who isn't Pureblood."
"I don't understand."
"Your parents are Muggles and because of that, those same Slytherins and Slytherin supporters believe that you are less than they are. It has been like that for centuries and it will not change. The Blacks, Sirius' family have been in Slytherin for generations along with the Malfoys, Snapes, Rosiers, and Lestranges. They are dangerous people and the fact that Sirius was put in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin has created a war between him and his Slytherin family. We made a move against them first and we're ready for their retaliation because it will only get worse, Lily."
"And you choose to help him."
"James and I would have started pranking the Slytherins anyway. Now he's being a prat and I'm working with Sirius to achieve the same goal. As long as the Slyths are trying to one-up us, they won't be causing much trouble for the other houses or the Muggle-borns."
"You sound a lot older than you are."
Leah shrugged. "Some people say that, but really Lily, watch yourself around Slytherins. Just because they know Sirius and I pulled the prank, it's not above their standards to attack people close their enemies."
Sirius sighed heavily when he entered the first year boy's dorm and saw his mother's prized black owl. He had known that she would be beyond angry because he was in Gryffindor and he wasn't sure how she would articulate her hatred of him.
That was one thing that was strange to outsiders. He had hated his family for years when other kids his age were very proud of their families. He took the letter from the owl who snapped at him. He imitated a cat's hiss and it flew away.
He took the letter and sat on the bed, pulling the curtains around him.
My ever loving ungrateful brat of a son
So, you have managed to disgrace this family yet again. This act will not be forgiven, Sirius Orion Black. Your actions will be severely punished when you return home for the holidays.
Your father is ready to believe that you chose Gryffindor to plot against them. That, I would understand if you accepted the family name with pride instead of scorn.
I shall see you soon, Sirius Orion Black
Unfortunately yours,
Lucretia Black
Sirius dropped the letter. He pulled out his wand and muttered Incendio. The letter was longer than most of his mother's other letters. She was beyond angry and he knew what would happen when he returned the manor for holiday. He would be lucky if he only got a beating and a few Cruciatis curses thrown at him.
Sirius parted the curtains and sat on the edge of the bed. No matter what his parents said, he was proud to be a Gryffindor. He felt more at home when plotting with Leah than he had ever had spending time with Snape or Malfoy.
"What are you plotting now, Black?" James Potter asked with a sneer as he walked into the room with the other boys at his heels.
Sirius smiled. "And why would I be plotting anything, Potter? Your sister isn't here to get me out of trouble if I get caught."
"Stay away from Leah."
"And here I thought we were such good friends," Sirius said with a mocking sigh. "Ah well, it really doesn't matter." Sirius stood up and crossed the room. "I'll be off now, to find Leah."
James punched him.
Leah and Lily walked back to Gryffindor tower unaware of the situation in the boy's dormitory. When they approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Lucius stepped out of the shadows. Leah bit her lip to keep from laughing at his still orange skin.
"Yes, Lucius?" she asked, completely innocent.
"You're going to pay for this, Potter."
"For what?"
"This," he screamed, motioning towards his orange skin.
Lily laughed and Leah grinned, tilting her head.
"Shut it, Mudblood."
"Do you want Round Two, Malfoy? If you ever insult one of my friends again, you will get it. Orange skin is nothing compared to what I can do with or without Black's help."
"Try it, Potter." He stepped forward, towering over the two first years. Leah looked at him with defiance in her eyes, unwilling to look away.
"Malfoy!"
Lucius stepped away as Serena approached the group. Her face was blank, as it always was when she was angry.
"Well, Serena, I should have known that you would stick with your cousin, after all."
"You know, Malfoy," Serena said in a quiet voice, "even the first years understand what it means to anger me. We've known each other for most of our lives so listen now; Threaten my cousin or her friend again and I'll be your enemy."
Malfoy glared at the three of them and stormed away. Serena smirked at his retreating form.
"You angered far too many people this time around, Cousin," she told Leah. "Malfoy and Lestrange in particular."
"What fun."
"So it may seem," Serena answered. She turned and looked at the two younger girls. "I'm Serena Lewis, Slytherin, and you are?" she asked Lily.
"Lily Evans," the girl answered.
"Muggle-born," Serena commented. "You certainly have an interesting selection of friends, Leah."
"How so?"
"It is my understanding that Lucretia Black is more than a little upset that her oldest son has gone against his blood. There will be a war there."
"I figured that," Leah answered with a sigh. "How bad is it?"
Serena shrugged. "I'm not sure. I only know what I hear around the Slyths. I do know, however, that Lucretia has asked certain favors of my housemates. All I know of this is who; Lestrange, Malfoy, and Bella Black."
Leah nodded. "I'll tell Sirius. Thank you, Serena."
The Slytherin tilted her head in acknowledgment and disappeared down the corridor. Leah watched her, too many thoughts running through her mind. She tried to sort them out, though her effort was futile, as Lily said the password and they entered the common room of Gryffindor tower.