The attack on Catherine and Lily was supposed to be a secret, but as it goes with most school secrets, everyone got wind of it. They were a bit fuzzy on the details, but one thing was clear as day – Slytherins dared to sneakily attack two Gryffindor girls without any provocation. In Gryffindor's book that was a declaration of war.
Things kicked off subtle-like. Some fourth-years got hold of the Slytherins' Charms essays, left on top of Professor Flitwick's desk. After a bit of tweaking, the Gryffindors returned the parchments with some major changes which led to the whole class receiving Ds and being assigned the longest additional homework the Charms teacher had ever given to anyone.
The payback manifested in the form of spontaneous mass duel in the Courtyard, the results of which were a few horns, some boils and cut wounds, as well as Marvolo Wood from Gryffindor ending up with a squirrel head. Professor McGonagall was furious, especially because it took her quite a while to undo the messy transfiguration.
Two days later, Peter Pettigrew was discovered crammed inside an old chest on the fourth floor. A Silencing Charm had been cast on him, and it was nothing short of a miracle that Peeves, the poltergeist, opted to trap Filch's cat, Mrs Norris, in the very same chest. Consequently, Peter was also stumbled upon by the caretaker.
On the same evening Catherine relished a cup of tea in the Gryffindor Common Room. Nested in an old velvet armchair in front of the fireplace, she was quite surprised when a magnificent orange cat leaped into her lap.
"Hello, beautiful!" – she exclaimed, gently caressing the feline's luxurious fur – "Who do you belong to?"
"Calpurnia Yaxley if I'm not mistaken." – chuckled Sirius as he settled on the floor next to the armchair.
"You kidnapped her cat?" – Catherine asked, half-horrified, half-amused.
"How could you think that?" – Sirius responded dramatically – "I merely offered it some treats, and it came on its own free will. Can't help it if Slytherins don't take good care of their pets."
The cat's 'kidnapping' was eventually resolved by Professor McGonagall who marched into the Common Room, and took the protesting animal away, with a brief pause to scold Sirius and give him a detention.
"I still insist we were saving the kitty!" – objected the boy to Catherine while they were practicing the Freezing Charm in Charms class.
"Immobulus!" – the girl pointed her wand toward one of the large fluttering butterflies the students were using for practice. The insect froze midair in a picturesque pose, its bright yellow wings shining like gold - "We need to find a way to stop this madness with Slytherins. We can't be constantly vigilant. This is a school, after all."
"They were the ones who started this. We're not letting them off the hook after what they did to you." – said Sirius decisively.
"But it was Volumnia and Tullia who beat me up, not the whole House." – Catherine pointed out – "It's not like they're going to apologise. What are we trying to accomplish?"
"Justice!" – insisted the boy.
"That's wishful thinking rather than a realistic goal." – scoffed the young witch sarcastically.
Sirius attempted to argue, but the class was over, and they left for lunch without finishing their conversation. Walking towards the Great Hall, the tense atmosphere between Gryffindors and Slytherins was evident. Students moved in large groups to avoid sneak attacks from the other house, creating issued with the traffic in the corridors. Prefects did their best to manage the masses more efficiently, but to no avail.
"Watch it!" – snapped Sirius when someone bumped into him, going in the other direction – "Honestly, it's like nobody pays attention to where they're going."
Finally, they arrived at the Great Hall and were soon joined by Peter, who had stayed behind to receive additional homework from Flitwick.
"Where's James?" – asked Catherine, looking around.
"I don't know. Didn't he come with you?" – asked Peter, taking some baked potatoes from the plate in front of him.
"No. He was behind us, but we lost him on the way here." – answered Catherine, starting to look a little worried.
"Don't be such a panic, Flame." – said Sirius, also serving himself potatoes – "He's probably stuck in traffic somewhere."
But James didn't appear during lunch, and he also didn't attend Transfiguration in the afternoon. At this point, Catherine informed Professor McGonagall about their missing classmate. The Head of Gryffindor acted swiftly, summoning the Hogwarts ghosts and Filch, giving them instructions, and then she turned her attention back to Catherine.
"When is this going to stop, Miss Plantier? I'm really losing my patience." – the teacher said, her expression deadly serious.
"I haven't done anything, Professor." – said Catherine, feeling a bit tempted to tell her about what she experienced in the girls' bathroom but eventually deciding to keep her mouth shut and go to History of Magic.
Later at dinner, a rumour spread that James Potter was found unconscious near the DADA classroom on the third floor and had been treated in the Hospital Wing. Catherine, Sirius, and Peter quickly finished their meal, rushing to the Gryffindor Tower to drop off their schoolbags before attempting to visit their friend. However, James was already there, calmly finishing his Potion assignment for the next day.
"Mate, what happened?" – shouted Sirius when he saw the other boy.
"Nothing really." – shrugged James – "Someone stunned me from behind. Well, me and Astrid Sinclair, apparently."
"Who could have done that?" – gasped Peter, his round eyes filled with astonishment.
"I don't know, Peter." – snapped James – "I told you, it was from behind."
"Cowards!" – growled Sirius and smashed the table with his fist.
"Apparently, we should constantly look behind our backs wherever we go." – sighed Catherine – "At least Remus is not at risk…being sick."
"Well, it's not like what he's experiencing now is a walk in the park." – frowned James.
In a few days, Remus returned, tired and pale, greeted by a grim and tense atmosphere in the Gryffindor Common Room. The payback for James and Astrid materialised in Narcissa Black, spending a whole day with Madame Pomfrey until the Matron managed to turn the girl's purple skin back to its original colour.
The conflict had escalated beyond spells, evident as students from both houses resorting to physical brawls and confrontations. Remus Lupin was ambushed by three sixth-years while having a walk in the school grounds and later found, tied to a nearby tree, cold and with a split lip.
Lily Evans was shoved by Bellatrix Black into a mud puddle on her way to Herbology. Catherine, who walked not far behind, drew her wand and used a Stinging Hex on the fourth-year Slytherin. However, Bellatrix moved too quickly, and the hex landed on Valeria Malfoy. Her scream attracted other Slytherins, and Catherine had to duck on the ground to avoid spells aimed at her. What she couldn't avoid, though, was Draven Nott, who was at least two heads taller than her and probably weighted three times as much. He grabbed her and tossed her around like a ragdoll. Sirius jumped on top of him just in time to save his classmate from any serious injuries.
The severe punishments and house points deductions didn't seem to have any significant impact on either Gryffindors or Slytherins, who behaved as if possessed by demons. The situation was so out of control that even Lily resorted to violence, using a Bat-Bogey Hex against Evan Rosier, who had taken Mary's schoolbag and was refusing to give it back.
"I'm seriously impressed with you, Evans." – grinned James, bending over to have a closer look at the disgusting sight that was Rosier.
"I don't need your approval, Potter!" – snapped Lily – "I think this whole war with Slytherins is incredibly stupid, but I'm not going to let them bully me or my friends."
"Where have you even learnt this hex?" – asked Catherine, surprised.
"It was written on the wall of the girls' bathroom." – said Lily, blushing, and added quietly just for Catherine to hear – "I had more than enough time to look around, being locked in that cabin."
The conversation was interrupted by Professor Slughorn, who arrived to let them into the Potion classroom. Like Professor McGonagall, he had a lot of work in the recent weeks, and his usually smiling face was tired and sour. His mood didn't improve when he saw Rosier, although the fact that it was Lily who hexed him probably softened the verdict. She was scolded a little, and five points were deducted from Gryffindor.
That would have settled things for a while if it wasn't for Snape, pretending he tripped and spilling a generous amount of what seemed to be powdered dried valerian leaves on top of Sirius. Since that ingredient was not dangerous, it all ended up with an exchange of pleasantries between the two boys. Five minutes later, however, Sirius' whole body started to itch. The more he scratched himself, the worse it became. In just another five minutes, he was completely losing his composure and scratching his arms so vigorously he broke the skin, and long bloody marks appeared everywhere he touched himself.
The sight was truly horrific, and Catherine and James both grabbed one of Sirius' hands to prevent him from further hurting himself. Professor Slughorn took him inside his office in an attempt to figure out what caused the terrible itch, while Slytherins were elbowing each other, sneering.
"What did you do to him, Snivellus?" – shouted James angrily.
"Me?" – asked Snape, not even trying to hide his satisfaction – "I can't help it if Gryffindors don't take showers regularly and get all itchy."
"Seriously?"- laughed Catherine sarcastically – "And when was the last time you showered?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" – scoffed the Slytherin boy.
"It means that a person who showers twice a year has no right to criticise others. I wonder how Lily manages to keep her eyes from watering staying next to you." – answered Catherine, her face full of disgust as she looked at Snape.
The Slytherin suddenly drew out his wand, trembling with anger, and pointed it at the black-haired girl. James also had his wand ready, but Catherine just raised her eyebrows mockingly and motioned towards the Gryffindor boy to put his wand away.
"Are you going to hex me, Snape?"
"I may if you don't keep that wicked mouth of yours shut." – the boy answered sinisterly.
"But, my dearest Snivelly, you are the one who started this in the first place."- said Catherine with a huge smile that never reached her eyes. The young witch laughed cunningly and, in a flash, took out her wand.
"Densaugeo!" – the girl shouted.
"Furnunculus!" – Snape yelled simultaneously.
Both hexes hit their targets. Catherine screamed and covered her face with her hands, while Snape sank to his knees, frantically hiding his mouth.
"Flame!" – cried both James and Remus, trying to take a look at their friend's face and assess the damage. Nobody checked on Snape. He finally managed to stand up, but by this time, he couldn't hide his rapidly growing front teeth anymore. At this moment, Professor Slughorn appeared again, accompanied by Lily, whose face was as red as her hair.
"Catherine! Severus! Merlin, what happened?" – the confused teacher tried to take a better look at the young witch's face revealing a terrible picture. The only thing that was still recognisable were the girl's bright green eyes. Everything else was covered with purulent pimples. Gryffindors squawked in surprise, and Slytherins burst into laughter. Catherine's eyes filled with tears, and she ran away from the dungeon before the stunned Potion Master could react.
"What a mess!" – Slughorn exclaimed in desperation – "Severus, go to the Hospital Wing immediately… or actually, no… I've already sent Mr Black there. I can probably fix this on my own. Come to my office. You have some explanation to do, young man."
Snape followed the Head of his house, trying to look down so his classmates wouldn't notice how big and ugly his yellowish teeth had already grown.
"Severus!" – whispered Lily, looking at him with a mixture of pity and irritation.
"Don't get involved!" – hissed the boy and disappeared inside Slughorn's office.
Catherine and Sirius missed the next class and appeared directly at lunch. While Catherine's skin was back to normal, she still felt self-conscious about it and mainly stared down at her plate. Sirius' injuries were treated but not completely healed; therefore, both his arms had a generous number of bandages.
"I can't even eat normally. My arms are so swollen and stiff… Damn this greasy nasty bastard." – complained Sirius, throwing away his fork in frustration.
"Madame Pomfrey said the terrible inflammation and itching were probably caused by Serpent's Stingroot." – said Catherine, then took Sirius' fork and started feeding him Shepherd's pie – "The dittany should help, but indeed, Snape is a real pain in the ass. This was planned in advance. You don't just randomly come up with the idea, collecting potion ingredients for your assignment." Sirius nodded vigorously, chewing.
"Well, he got what he deserved. Shall we stop already?" – asked Remus hopefully.
"Not bloody likely!" – James tuned in – "If they want to resort to dirty tricks, we can do that too. Do you know that from the Kitchens you can go to the storage units of the school? It's where they keep the food but also things like soap, shampoo, and so on."
"That's the spirit!" – laughed Sirius, involuntary spraying Remus with pieces of Shepherd's pie – "Sorry, mate!"
"You're such a kid." – sighed Catherine, leaving aside the fork and turning to James – "Do you have anything in mind?"
"Come on, Catherine, be reasonable!" – pleaded Remus, wiping his face clean.
"I'm not going to let them think they can bully us!" – insisted the girl.
"True that!" – agreed James – "Plus we're not going to do anything really dangerous. We're not like them. Take it as part of the seasonal spirit. After all, Halloween is just around the corner."
"I think I have a splendid idea." – said Catherine with a mischievous grin – "I just need a few days to prepare enough… supplements."
The week leading to Halloween, Hogwarts transformed into a spectacle of silver cobwebs, living bats and flickering Jack-o'-Lanterns. Hagrid, beaming with pride, showcased his largest pumpkin, expertly carved and positioned prominently in the Great Hall beside the High Table.
The gamekeeper was so excited for the celebration that he completely messed up the simple chocolate chip cookies Catherine was teaching him to make, and they turned out hard as a rock. The young witch generously dismissed this as a rookie mistake and promised to continue their lessons until he learned how to prepare the cookies flawlessly.
Meanwhile, Catherine successfully brewed a substantial quantity of Flakeus Infestus potion. Seizing an opportunity, Sirius and James sneaked into the storage rooms and added the potion to the green bottles of shampoo. As a rule, every House received a distinct set of toiletries in their signature colour. This was the reason why Gryffindor's red shampoo bottles smelled like wild berries, unlike the Slytherin's green counterparts, the scent of which was a blend of oud wood and citrus.
"It's not going to change the scent of the shampoo, right?" – asked Sirius when they returned to the Gryffindor Tower.
"No, the potion has no smell or colour." – answered Catherine, finishing an éclair James brought for her from the Kitchens on their way back.
"Great! By the way, I got you a little souvenir." – said Sirius and left a yellow and a blue bottle on the table in front of the girl.
"Oh, cool!" – exclaimed Catherine, opening the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff shampoos – "Eucalyptus for Ravenclaw and honey for Hufflepuff. A little bit predictable, but still, it's nice to try something different from time to time. Thanks, Sirius."
"Don't mention it." – smiled Sirius in return – "I can't wait for tomorrow morning. I hope they all have a bath tonight."
"Well, I wouldn't count on that." – laughed James – "For one, our Snivellus would probably remain unaffected."
James' prediction turned out to be inaccurate, and in the next morning at least one-fourth of Slytherins, including Snape, had their hair covered with hats, scarves or sometimes both. The rumour quickly spread that Slytherins had an awful case of dandruff, so severe that it covered their whole heads, falling like snow on everything around them. This inspired the appropriate degree of disgust among the other students, leading to many jokes and mockery directed at the Slytherin table.
"What amazes me the most is the fact that Snape used the shampoo." – laughed James – "Or maybe he's pretending to blend in."
"I'd rather believe the second one." – giggled Catherine, casting a quick glance at the Slytherin table where Snape had his long hair all hidden under his hat. Besides the fact his face was not visible, his whole demeanour was sulky and grim.
The Gryffindor's joy, however, was short-lived. The very next day, someone managed to get infested with self-replicating fleas which quickly conquered the whole Common Room. Catherine was forced to admit that the fleas were way worse than the dandruff. Her only small consolation was that Greg, who had avoided any kind of harm until that moment, was severely bitten by the small menace like everyone else.
The two incidents necessitated thorough disinfection and inspection of the storage rooms, putting Carter Thorne in a notoriously bad mood. He expressed it by being particularly mean towards Catherine during the DADA classes, and she had the slight suspicion he somehow knew she was the one to initiate the dandruff plan. Furthermore, it appeared he was following her around the castle because the young witch started encountering him in very unlikely places. While the boys were joking that he couldn't get enough of hexing her during classes, Catherine was rather worried the Professor was trying to dig deeper into everything around her, and she had quite a lot to hide.
On the 31st of October, the Enchanted Ceiling in the Great Hall was filled with dark rainy clouds to the point that the students were hardly able to see their breakfast. The day was rather uneventful, and everyone was looking forward to the evening and the upcoming feast.
"I can't wait to get some pumpkin pastries and cauldron cakes, and moonlit mousse, and wraithberry pie…oh, and caramel apples…" – Sirius was mumbling happily while the second-years were walking towards the Great Hall.
"Merlin, how much are you planning to eat?" – asked Catherine teasingly.
"As much as I can!" – laughed the boy – "Plus, I'm growing up; I need food."
"Sure…caramel apples are vital for growing up." – chuckled Remus.
The group entered the Great Hall and stood in awe, admiring the atmosphere. Hundreds of candles hung in mid-air, casting a warm, flickering glow. Swarms of bats were nested in the shadowy corners, their silhouettes blending with the impressive cobwebs that adorned every nook and cranny. Hagrid's colossal pumpkin was elevated on a make-shift podium, its spooky carved face being visible from everywhere in the hall. A few big cauldrons were placed close to the tables, emitting colourful steam, swirling and dancing in the air. The mesmerising aroma that wafted from them was weaving through the room.
"I heard Slughorn explaining that he prepared different flavours of Ephemeral Elixir in the cauldrons." – whispered Petter excitedly.
"Now, that's what I call a celebration!" – shouted Sirius and took his seat next to Catherine at the table. The feast had just begun, and hungry students were revelling in the treats when an unidentified noise seized their attention. While everyone scanned the hall for the source of the disturbance, Catherine noticed that the enormous pumpkin subtly trembling. The young witch was just about to share this with the boys when the pumpkin practically exploded, unleashing a flood of thousands of fat rats into the Great Hall.
"Immobulus!" – shouted Catherine above the screams, freezing a few of the pests attempting to invade the Gryffindor table, being the one closest to the pumpkin. However, this proved to be a futile task. Due to the sheer number of rats, they were not able to keep them at bay.
"Silence!" – Dumbledore's magically amplified voice echoed through the hall. With a swift flick of his wand, the Headmaster made all the rats vanish. Unfortunately, the food and the feast were ruined. Desperation and angry whispers filled the air, particularly from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.
Professor McGonagall was livid. Catherine noticed Professor Thorne attempting to calm her down, speaking to her with a deadly serious expression.
"It wasn't us, Professor Dumbledore!" – shouted James above the crowd.
Catherine internally groaned as the Headmaster turned his attention to their group.
"I believe you, Mister Potter." – he said calmly, though his blue eyes held a sorrow that made Catherine's heart flinch, despite her innocence in this particular case.
"I want to tell you a story." – the old wizard spoke up, casting a gaze upon the students – "One thousand of years ago, witches and wizards were scattered across the country. Everyone fended for themselves, learning magic independently, and guarded their secrets, sometimes at the cost of their own life. Power meant survival, and notions of friendship, love, loyalty, or kindness were seen as weaknesses. In those times, four great witches and wizards appeared – Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin. Equally gifted in their own ways, they tried to steer clear of each other's paths."
"One night, while exploring ancient magic hidden in the Mistwraith Marsh, Godric Gryffindor encountered a massive clump of Dementors. He fought bravely but was overpowered. Just as he thought his end was near, a silver snake appeared and drove the remaining Dementors away. Salazar Slytherin, also exploring the Marsh, emerged from the mist and extended his hand, helping Gryffindor to stand. From this day forward, the unlikely friendship between the two wizards, so different from each other, became the cornerstone of building an alliance among the four founders of Hogwarts, ultimately changing Wizarding society for the better."
The silence in the Great Hall was so deep that one could hear a pindrop. Suddenly, Professor Slughorn started clapping and turned towards the Slytherin table with a hopeful expression on his face.
"This was truly inspiring, Headmaster! Such an unfortunate situation, but we shall all put this behind us and forgive each other! Hogwarts is what keeps us all together, after all!"
"Wonderful indeed! But what about the threats, Professor?" – sounded the smooth voice of Lucius Malfoy.
"What threats, Horace?" – asked Professor McGonagall, finally returned to her usual composed self.
"Oh!" – exclaimed Slughorn, appearing anxious again – "Apparently, yesterday someone wrote with red paint on the wall next to the Slytherin Common Room: Snakes shall die in red flames!"
Catherine felt many pairs of eyes fixing on her.
"Was it you?" – whispered Sirius in her ear.
"What do you think? Why would I write such nonsense?" – hissed Catherine, feeling her anger raising.
"I think we should really put all this behind us!" – said Slughorn, his eyes darting hopefully from Gryffindors to Slytherins and back – "Say, why don't we have an official ceasefire? Let's have a symbolic gesture of a sort… Catherine, Severus, why don't you shake hands and show what's the true spirit of Hogwarts?"
Catherine felt her face growing red and hot as she slowly stood up and moved to the centre of the hall, aware that everyone was watching her. Snape did the same, though she had no illusions regarding any change in his feelings toward her. The girl noticed he was clenching his teeth behind his thin lips, and his black eyes were flashing dangerously. They shook hands slowly and then returned to their respective tables.
After a short consultation between the teaching staff, the students were sent to their common rooms to finish the feast with some desserts.
"Do you think this story was true?" – asked James while they were waiting to exit the Great Hall.
"I bet it was made up." – said Sirius disdainfully.
"It was not made up." – a calm voice came from behind, where Greg McMahon was standing with a serious face.
Catherine had the impression he wanted to talk to her, which was the last thing she needed at the moment. Glancing around, she caught sight of Hagrid by the leftover bits of his huge pumpkin, looking a bit downcast.
"I'll be right back!" – the girl said and swiftly walked towards the Keeper of the Keys.
"Hey, Hagrid!" – she greeted him gently.
"Oh! 'Ello, Catherine!" – the giant said gloomily – "Ah, that was a right fine pumpkin, it was. Shame it had to go that way. Rats, I can't stand 'em."
"I'm really sorry it ended up like this." – the young witch squeezed his big hand gently – "I'll tell you what, we'll pick one of your smaller pumpkins and I'm going to make you a pumpkin pie this Saturday. How about it?"
"Sounds nice. Love me some pumpkin pie, I do. But no rats in it, eh?" – responded the gamekeeper, smiling behind his bushy beard.