"Shhh! James, be quiet, they're gonna hear us!"
"You're such a chicken, Peter, nobody is gonna be awake at this hour!"
"Still…" Peter's voice trailed off, as he faced the Whomping Willow, glowing sinisterly in the light of the full moon. He could hear howls in the hollow, and knew that Remus must have transformed already.
"C'mon." The invisibility cloak fell to the ground with a thump, and a black shaggy dog stood next to Peter and James, who appeared suddenly too. "Hurry up, I'm waiting."
Peter focused intently, and with a small squirming in his belly, he shrunk into a rat. Darting forward, he slithered quietly between the sweeping branches of the Whomping WIllow. As he snaked around, he suddenly had a burst of genius that hardly occurred to a dim witted boy like himself. Hiding in the roots, he called out distressfully, "Help! James, Sirius, the tree got me!"
"Hang on!" Sirius roared, and plunged into the the tangled branches. He ducked and wove around, snapping his wide jaws at the leaves. "Where-"
He got caught in the stomach by a branch, and was thrown on the ground, completely winded. Peter appeared, sniggering.
"That wasn't funny, Pettigrew." Sirius snarled, as James walked stiff-legged towards them.
"We're wasting time," James muttered. "Hurry up, Peter, Remus is down there already."
"Okay, okay." Peter sniffed, then dove back in and prodded the root. Instantly, the branches became still.
"Great, now we can-" Sirius broke off, as leaves crunched somewhere in the field.
"Someone's following us." James murmured, as Sirius appeared in his shaggy haired human form. "Lumos."
Light spilt from James' wand, but as it hit the bushes at the edge of the forest a shadow appeared.
"Expelliarmus!"
James grabbed at his wand as it flew towards the shadow, but even his Seeker skills weren't enough for this. The figure caught it in the air and turned his wand on Sirius. In the tip of the figure's wand, James could make out the greasy long hair and crooked nose of his enemy ever since the first day on the train to Hogwarts.
"Snivellus." James said quietly.
"Potter and his henchman Black." Severus Snape sneered, his wand still pointing at Sirius. "May I ask what you two are doing out this late? McGonagall would be curious. Very curious."
As Snape turned away, Sirius took advantage and slipped his wand out from his pocket. "Expelliarmus!"
Snape was thrown backwards, and this time, James caught both his own wand and Snape's. "No more hocus pocus from you, Snivelly." James warned mockingly.
Sirius got up, brushing dirt and leaves off his robes. He looked at the hollow in the Whomping Willow, then got an idea.
"Hey Snivelly," he called, grabbing Snape by the collar. "I have a surprise for you. Ever wondered why the Whomping Willow was there?"
"Sirius-" James stared at him. "What are you playing at?"
Sirius gave James a crooked smile and continued tugging Snape towards the hollow.
"Let-me-go," Snape sputtered, struggling as his face turned purple.
"This'll teach you not to poke that greasy nose where it doesn't belong. There's a little something down there you might find curious." Sirius sent Snape sprawling into the small hole at the bottom of the roots.
"Sirius!" James leapt forward as if to dive into the hole after Snape, but Sirius blocked him.
"What are you doing?" There was a strange glint in Sirius' eyes as he grinned at James. "I'm getting rid of Snivellus permanently. Think about it; We'll never have to see his face ever again!"
"That's not what this is about," James' voice was a furious whisper. "We'll be expelled, Sirius. They'll find Snivellus' body eventually, and what about Remus? They'll figure out he was in the Shrieking Shack, and they'll charge him with murder. They'll kill him, Sirius."
Sirius froze, and James knew he had convinced him. Sirius turned his head toward James, and James could see panic clouding those usually reckless eyes. "What do we do?"
"Leave it to me." James jumped into the hole in the roots, and as he slipped down the tunnel he saw Sirius watching him with anxious eyes.
He slid to a halt and began charging down the pitch black tunnel. He heard creaking, and he ran faster. Please don't let him see Remus, he begged silently as he ran on.
He suddenly spotted Snape's crouching figure awkwardly limping towards the door, and James sped up. In slow motion, he saw Snape's hand reaching for the handle, and James braced himself to turn into a stag once more if he couldn't make it in time.
Right as Snape opened the door a crack, James grabbed a fistful of the back of Snape's robes and jerked backwards. Snape was thrown on the ground, but the door crashed open and Remus, as a full fledged werewolf, snarled as his wolfish head stuck out through the door. Peter squeaked and ran for the exit, still as a rat. James pushed with all his might against the door, trying to bolt it shut while ignoring Snape's moans behind him.
"Shut up, you cowardly git!" James muttered through gritted teeth. "C'mon, just a little bit more…"
The bolt clasped shut, and Remus was once again locked inside the shack, howling and snarling. James let go of the door and almost collapsed as he leaned against the rocky wall of the tunnel, panting. Not until he heard the squeaking of Peter did he realize that Snape was gone. Panicking once more, he sprinted back up the tunnel, all wariness instantly vanishing.
As he climbed hastily out the entrance among the roots again, he saw a tall figure wearing a pointed hat sweeping towards them, and with a jolt recognized the figure to be Dumbledore. Snape followed his gaze, and noticed Dumbledore too.
"Professor!" Snape cried, running towards him. "Potter and Black! They tried to kill me! There's a werewolf down there!"
James wanted so much to punch Snape right then and there, but he withheld the urge as he watched Dumbledore's expression anxiously.
"A werewolf?" Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes were watching James with a mixture of curiosity, anger and understanding. James got an unsettling feeling that Dumbledore knew more than he let on.
"Sir, we didn't-" Sirius began, but Snape jumped in before he could finish.
"They knew it was down there, sir, Professor Dumbledore! They threw me down on purpose!" Snape shouted, almost enthusiastically.
"And may I ask how you got out? I find it rather difficult to escape after I glance a werewolf for myself, and that's for an experienced wizard like me." Dumbledore said politely, his eyes twinkling in the harsh light of the moon.
"I saved him, sir." James jumped in before Snape could answer, and as he shot Snape a contemptuous look, he saw Snape's face contort in anger. "I went in after him."
"Very gallant of you, Potter." Dumbledore acknowledged, and Snape made a quiet choking noise as if trying to swallow something disgusting.
"They tried to kill me!" Snape screamed, his face an ugly shade of dark magenta.
"I understand, and rest assured they will be punished." Dumbledore said quietly. and James felt a chill of foreboding. Dumbledore's eyes had lost their friendly twinkle. "Now off to bed with you, Mr. Severus. I'm sure Slughorn wants you to be at your maximum potential for tomorrow's Potions class."
Snape cast another angry look at James and Sirius standing side by side before stalking off stiff legged towards the castle. Dumbledore then turned to James and Sirius, and opened his mouth as if about to lecture them.
"I'm sorry, sir, Professor, it won't happen again," James blurted out, before Dumbledore could say anything.
"Same here, it was an accident, we'll be more careful from now on, Professor Dumbledore, sir." Sirius added quickly, bobbing his head up and down.
"I expect more from you two, brilliant minds like yourself," Dumbledore began, addressing them quietly and slowly, but with an understanding gaze, and once again James wondered what Dumbledore really knew. Dumbledore cast another glance towards the Whomping Willow before adding, "Take good care of Remus, you two."
James started in surprise, and Sirius stared at Dumbledore. "You know…?"
Dumbledore smiled. "You'll be surprised what a bored man like me would do in my free time. Now off to bed for you too, chaps. Tomorrow will be another long day of lessons."
"Alright, sir." Sirius mumbled, then began walking towards the castle. James watched him go for a while.
"Goodnight, Professor." He said, and then started back towards the castle after Sirius.