Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the stuff J.K. Rowling created.

Chapter Eighteen

The Platters are Introduced

It was Monday, and Lily and Tonks still hadn't removed the spell. Last night I had promised Lily and Tonks I'd tell them the reactions of the teachers and students. I think they were enjoying the effects of their little spell.

"It's not Halloween yet, boys," a Slytherin boy said as they passed us in the hallways. His fellow Housemates laughed and walked by.

"What's Halloween?" I asked. All the boys groaned.

"We'll explain later," Remus said, "because that conversation will take awhile."

"Remind me again why we didn't force you to reverse the spell," James said, looking in disgust at his appearance and the backs of the Slytherins.

"Maybe because I don't know what spell they used and you can't force me to do anything I don't want to. Besides, I'm enjoying myself way too much."

"I knew that," Sirius said.

"Remus? Can't you do anything?" James asked.

"Yes, I could, but I gave my word to Tonks that I would not help you two," he replied with a smile.

"Look at us!" James said. "No matter how hard we try to mess up our hair and make-up, it stays the same! No matter what clothes or shoes we change in to, it always changes back to these!"

"Don't lose it Prongs," I said. "Keep it together until the day's over with. Figure out the lesson they wanted you to learn and let them know you learned it and you learned it well."

"Can you tell us what we're supposed to have learned?" Sirius asked.

"Nope. Mainly because even I don't know what it is, really."

We walked into the potions classroom and the muttering began.

Professor Damant looked up and sat there with a startled look on his face. He recovered after a moment. He rose to his feet and walked slowly our way. In a low, drawn out voice he said,

"What exactly happened to you two?" His eyes gleamed, like he couldn't wait for their answer.

Remus and I stopped smiling and James and Sirius exchanged glances and said nothing. We all knew this could turn out ugly.

"I asked you a question," Professor Damant said. Apparently he thought it was scary to draw out your words and talk really slow. I thought not. To me, he seemed like a mental retard.

"What would that be?" Sirius asked.

"You heard me correctly, Mr. Black."

James laughed. "Mr. Black? Excuse me professor, but my sister and I are new students. Are you not familiar with that concept?"

"You don't understand, which is strange because you're oh-so clever! But this is Jamie and Selene…uh…Platter," I said.

James gave me a sideways glare and Sirius whispered, "Did you call us food?"

"Mate, she called you a plate," Remus corrected.

"Oh that makes it all the better!" he muttered crossly, glaring at me. "Do I look like a plate to you?"

"As a matter of fact, you look like a—"

"Enough! What happened?" Professor Damant yelled.

"I did it," I said steadily, not wanting Lily and Tonks to get in trouble. The other Gryffindors said nothing, not wanting to go against me.

His lips curled up into what was supposed to be a smile but looked more like a sagging piece of thread.

"You were told to never again use magic on another student, were you not?"

"Sir! She didn't—"

"Was I speaking to you Mr. Lupin?"

"No. But you've got it all wr—"

"Shut. Up. Lupin!" the professor growled. "Were you not told to never use magic on another student again?" he repeated to me.

"Hey! I'm not deaf! I heard you the first fourteen-thousand times!" I snapped.

"Were. You. Not—"

"It might have been mentioned once or twice. Not in those exact words, but…sure. You could say that."

"You now have a month of detention added on top of your one week. Your detention will be figured out later. And if I ever hear of you performing magic on another student ever again in this school, I'll see to it that you get expelled." He then lowered his voice so only my group could hear. "And we all know where you'll go then."

"That's highly unreasonable!" James stated, banging his fist loudly on the desk. "Every student in this school uses magic on their friends! They'd be completely dull if they didn't! You think this is a big deal? Open your eyes and look around! There's plenty things that are worse! If you'd only listen—"

"Mr. Potter—"

"It's actually Miss Platter," I corrected, putting on my I-don't-care-what-happens-next attitude. This teacher couldn't do anything to me, even if he was the Deputy Headmaster. Like he scared me. Puh-lease.

"GET OUT!" Professor Damant yelled at me, flinging his arm at the door, as if that would make me move.

Figuring I couldn't get into any more trouble than I already was in, I chose to be argumentative.

"You know, I'd really rather not. I rather enjoy potions," I shot back, staying put in my seat. Before he could give me more detention (like that would bother me) Sirius cut in.

"What if some of us want her to stay here?"

The professor turned his beady little eyes on him, then at the other two Marauders. "All of you, get out of my class! Now!" James, Remus, Sirius, and I gathered our things and left the classroom without another word.

As soon as we were in the hallway, Sirius grabbed my shoulders and shook them saying, "We helped you so now you. Help. Us. Now!"

"I think I've figured it out," James said quietly.

Sirius turned his attention to James. "Come on then! Tell me."

James grinned wickedly and glanced slyly in my direction. "I can't Padfoot. Rules are rules. But I can give you a hint."

"I guess a hint's better than nothing," he said.

"It might have to do with Nike."

"What?" Sirius and I exclaimed.

"Oh shut-up," I told Sirius. "I was talking to him first."

"No, actually. I was," he argued.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Knock it off you two!" James said. "You're acting like an old married couple." He and Remus snickered, sharing an inside joke probably.

I looked at Sirius, and then back at them. "Sorry, but when and if I get married, I am not marrying a girl."

"You say that now…but that could change…"

"I highly doubt that," I said, walking off, leaving them.

James ran after me. "So…were you told you could change us back if we answered correctly?"

"I could, but I don't think I'll change you."

"Please? I'll be your best friend."

"What was I before?" I asked pretending to be hurt.

"Crap. You're right. Please Nike? I won't tease you about Sirius anymore."

"Don't lie James. You know you will because that's one of the highlights of your day."

"You know me too well. I hate that," he whined.

"No you don't."

"Would you quit that?"

"Gods, you sound way too much like Sirius!"

"What did you expect?"

"You to be less annoying."

"That hurts Nik. It really hurts. Right. Here." He put his hand over his heart, beating against it.

"Tell me before I rip your head off," I snapped.

He stopped and whispered in my ear, "If you say you love one girl, then don't go off flirting with others, especially the girls she can't stand." I frowned and he said, "What? That's not it? So I just admitted all of that for nothing?"

I laughed at his stricken expression. "No, you're right. Right Remus?" Remus smirked and nodded. I turned my attention back to James. "You just added some stuff on, that's all, but…good to know!"

He rolled his eyes at me. "Change me."

"Huh?" I asked, twirling my wand in my hand.

"Please?"

"That's better." He stepped back and waited. "You know, I wasn't kidding though when I said they didn't tell me the countercurse."

His face fell. "I'm stuck then?"

"No, no, I think I can reverse it without one…but maybe not. You'll have to trust me."

"That I'm not sure I can do—"

"Do you want changed or not?"

"I'm kidding. You know I trust you with my life." Without answering (this was making me kinda uncomfortable because it was kinda personal…) I pointed my wand at him and pictured him as his normal boyish self.

Automatically Jamie was James again, dressed in his school robes, grinning like a fool.

"It's good to be a guy again!" he exclaimed when Sirius was within earshot after he was done checking to make sure he was a guy after all.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Sirius whined. "Why is Jamie James again?"

"Because he's got something you haven't," I replied.

"And what would that be, beside the obvious?" he replied, smirking. I could only begin to guess what he was thinking about.

"A brain."

"Jerk," he snapped.

"Th—"

"If you steal my line, I'm going to hurt you. The only bright side of currently being a girl."

"You stole my line before."

"That's different."

"Thank you," I said anyways. "Whatcha gonna do about it? Punch me?" I placed myself in front of him and spread my arms and feet wide, bracing myself. "Even if you were a guy, I'd like to see you do it. So go ahead Selene, my fellow goddess."

His jaw clenched, but he did nothing.

"Scaredy cat!" I taunted.

"I hate cats!" he spat in disgust.

"Peter!" James and Remus chuckled at our arguing.

The next normal thing I saw and heard was Sirius pointing his wand at me and muttering something. Everything grew five times its normal size and every sound seemed to be like a bomb going off right next to me. James and Remus seemed so far away and seemed much, much bigger when they crouched down next to me.

"You'll hate cats too," Sirius said merrily.

"Was that really necessary?" Remus asked.

"Very."

"Let me guess," I said. "I'm a mouse."

"A rat," James corrected, an amazed look on his face. "And you're speaking English."

"Same difference," I said

"How?" Remus asked. "Is it the same way you can talk to us when we're…different?"

"Must be," I said, grinning. I looked at Sirius and pictured him as a fat brown cat. Immediately Selene turned into a feline and I said, "And now you will learn to fear rats and meeces!" I lunged at the cat and knocked him over on his back. He tried to move, but couldn't get away. I was just about to claw him when all of a sudden, my paws were hands and I was laying on top of a guy Sirius, who looked startled. We just looked at each other, and then I heard Remus say,

"Ah, hell. He's not supposed to be normal."

I chuckled and got off of him and held my hand out, helping him up. "I was just getting to the good part! You two couldn't have picked a better timing?" I asked James and Remus, who both had their wands out.

James grinned crookedly and Remus got this mischievous glint in his eyes.

"That's what it looked like," James said. Remus flicked his wand and Sirius became Selene again.

"Ugh, you guys are horrible!" I said, smiling wryly.

"Nooooooooo! I'm a girl again!" Sirius groaned. He glared at Remus and then stormed away.

"Sirius Black!" came a woman's strict voice. Sirius and the rest of us turned around very slowly to see Professor McGonagall tapping her foot angrily, staring us all down.

"Good morn—"

She held up her hand, silencing James. "Don't ever use Transfiguration as a form of punishment in this school."

"She—"

"I did not do that! And I don't think that's even Transfiguration!" I cut Sirius off.

"I wasn't going to say you did this," he said, gesturing at himself. The professor's lips twitched when she actually looked at Sirius.

"Nonetheless, I saw only you, Mr. Black, and you know how I feel about that. And it is not fair if you may use magic on another student yet she may not."

Sirius took a deep breath, calming himself down. "Okay. I'm sorry. It won't happen again in front of you."

"I should think not. And to make sure you have detention. Come to my classroom right after classes are done. Both of you," she added, staring at me. The smirk fell off my face and replaced itself on Sirius.

"But Professor!" I exclaimed. "I already have a month and a week's worth of it!"

"I know, and we'll get that sorted." And then she walked off.

"I hate you," I growled at Sirius.

"Right back at you," he replied.

"My my," Remus said.

"Do we have a love/hate relationship here?" James finished.

They were answered with identical glares.

A/N: Short, I know, and I'm sorry for that! I truly am! I originally had this chapter and the one after it combined as one, but because I added some stuff, it was just a tad bit too long and didn't flow very well together. Or so I thought.

I don't really have much to say, I'm feeling a bit odd today, a bit lonely I think. So, I'm sorry I'm not very talkative. (Some of you might be rejoicing in that, so enjoy it while you can!)

Next chapter: How do you think the guys will take to Nike and Gary's steady friendship? Let me know!

Please review!

Nike