For the first time in a long time, Severus Snape felt real excitement. In fact, he hadn't felt this good since right before leaving for Hogwarts when he was eleven years old. The prospect of getting away from his father and finally learning real magic, not just the stuff he came up with when he was angry or upset (which was most of the time), was the only thing that had kept him from turning into a complete nutter. Best of all, it felt as if he and Lily were eloping, in a way, with both of them heading off for school together and leaving their families behind.

Of course, it didn't take long for school to become almost as miserable as home.

All thanks to James Potter.

Severus felt a surge of fresh hatred as he thought of Potter. Everyone's favourite. Dumbledore's, his parents' . . . and he wants Lily, too, the spoiled brat! Well, he won't get her. She'll never look at him again once he's expelled, he thought with satisfaction. Alone in the underground tunnel, he felt like he'd been walking for ages. Where did this lead, exactly? Where could Lupin be going all the time? It must be something major, if all of them had kept it a secret so long.

Well, he'd soon find out. Things were going beautifully. He couldn't believe his luck when Black had unknowingly fed him the information he needed the month before. He'd been counting the days until the full moon. Tonight, Severus had waited until the Slytherin common room was empty, then used a Disillusionment Charm to camouflage himself while he slipped outside.

Once away from the castle, he had ventured just far enough inside the Forbidden Forest to find a long stick, to be used for probing the knot as Black had instructed. He carried it like a staff, feeling a bit like Gandalf in those Muggle books Lily shared with him before they came here. The Whomping Willow was at the far end of the school grounds, and the staff was a lifesaver, especially as part of the way was uphill. Severus did not play Quidditch; in fact, he spent most of his time poring over books or brewing potions in the dungeons. He was rather unaccustomed to the exercise.

The tree had barely had time to register an intruder before Severus caught the knot with the edge of his staff. He found the hidden entrance at the base of the roots and, tucking the stick under his arm, slid down into the dark passageway. He leaned the tool against the dirt wall; it might be needed to get back out once he emerged with his evidence.

Severus undid the Disillusionment Charm and snapped, "Lumos!" His wand lit up, revealing the tunnel ahead. The boy grinned maniacally before starting down the passageway.

Now, having followed the path for some time, Severus was getting excited. It can't be much farther now, he thought. Finally, I'll know. The headmaster won't be able to protect Potter this time. As he walked, he was thinking with glee of watching his enemy get expelled.

The first time he'd seen Potter was on Platform 9¾ that first year, being embraced by his mother. Mrs. Potter was a very attractive woman, dressed to perfection, and she obviously adored her son. The elder Mr. Potter looked more like his boy's kindly old grandfather than his father, and he smiled and tearfully hugged the eleven-year-old while wishing him luck at school. The prat himself was the picture of good health and proper care, with crisp new robes and an expensive satchel and trunk.

Standing next to his sallow, sour-faced mother and grim, disapproving father, all three of the Snapes in their charity shop clothes, Severus's heart had been eaten away by jealousy. His mother loved him after a fashion, but years of budget stretching and beatings from his father had taken most of her spirit. She simply didn't have much love left to share with her son. She'd only given him a perfunctory hug before he stepped on the train.

School was supposed to be a blessed escape. Away from his father's menace and free to study to his heart's content, Severus should have been in his element. But the moment he and Potter had met, there was instant loathing between them. He didn't know who had fired the first shot, so to speak, but the initial dislike had quickly degenerated into a game of one-upmanship, with each boy trying to outdo the other's last hex. Since Potter had three friends behind him and Severus had none, the skinny Slytherin always lost.

Hogwarts, the home he had longed for since he was a child, was no longer safe. And it was James Potter that had made it so. It wasn't enough that he was rich, spoiled, good-looking, and a Quidditch star. It wasn't enough that he went after Severus every chance he got. He was trying to take Lily, too. Severus had often imagined how pleasant school could become if only he could get rid of that prat and his friends. And now it appeared that he might finally have that chance.

The passageway turned to stone steps and began to curve upward. Severus's eyes glittered hungrily. He was so close . . .

James ran every step of the way across the grounds to the Willow, and he was out of breath when he finally got there. He realised, too late, that without Wormtail, he'd need to find some other way to probe the knot. What had Snape used? James looked around, keeping a safe distance from the waving branches, but saw nothing.

Finally, in desperation, he squinted and pointed his wand at the knot. He shot a Stinging Hex and breathed a sigh of relief when his aim proved true. The Willow stilled, and he rushed for the entrance at the base of the roots. Dropping into a crouch, he slid down into the darkness.

James stood just inside the passageway, fighting to keep his breathing steady. He listened, but no sound issued from the dark before him. "Snape!" he shouted. Nothing. "Bugger. Lumos!" he muttered, and the tip of his wand lit up, casting his cloaked shadow on the tunnel walls. The tunnel was empty. Well, there was a tree branch leaning up against the wall just ahead; that must be what Snape had used to get in. James took off the Cloak and carefully folded it up, leaving it at the entrance.

Taking a deep breath, James began running, or at least moving as fast as he could through the uneven, narrow passage. Several times he stumbled on protruding roots, and once he ran hard into the edge of the wall as the tunnel took a sudden sharp turn.

I never realised how long it takes to get there, he thought in frustration. Of course, he was usually accompanied by his friends, which made the time pass quicker. And he wasn't usually rushing in a panic to save his archenemy from danger.

Finally, James felt stone steps under his feet, which meant he was getting close. The passage sloped upward, and the tiring teenager felt a stitch forming in his side as he worked the incline. Just a little further . . .

Yes, there up ahead! He could see someone's shadow mounting the stairs ahead of him. "Snape!" he gasped out, still winded.

The skinny boy whirled around, pointing his wand. "Get back, Potter, or I'll hex you into next week," he snarled.

"No, wait! Don't go any further! I — "

"Trying to save your own hide?" Snape's upper lip curled in a sneer. "I've waited a long time for this, Potter. Whatever you and Lupin have been up to, I'm about to find out. I'll see you and your little friends expelled this night."

"Please listen to me!" James cried desperately, grabbing Snape's arm. "Listen, Severus. There's . . ." Snape stopped moving, probably too surprised at hearing James use his first name to fight.

James tried to think. It was possible to still avoid telling Snape about Remus's lycanthropy. He knew what the git would do with the information. Damn Sirius, he thought furiously. What is the matter with him? It's his fault we're into this.

Snape was glaring at him; he had to come up with an excuse, fast. "Something lives in there," he began. "I don't know what it is, but I've heard it shrieking and howling. Everyone has; that's why they call it the Shrieking Shack. If you go in there, it could tear you to pieces."

"You're lying! You and Black both, trying to make me out a coward!" Snape cried furiously. He wrenched his arm out of James's grasp and ran ahead.

"Wait!" James called, taking off after him. It wouldn't be long before the passageway ended, coming out in a wall of the Shack. There was a crate blocking the hole, but if Snape got through there first, it would be too late. He had to catch him! The lanky boy was taller than James, though, and his longer legs were giving him a lead.

Finally, in desperation, James decided to stop him with magic. "Stupefy!" he cried, firing off the spell. He breathed a sigh of relief when Snape stumbled just before the end of the tunnel. He rushed to catch up; he'd drag Snape away by his greasy hair if he had to. He stopped, panting, next to the Stunned boy.

But James got the shock of his life. Snape had knocked the crate aside when he fell. Now he was staring in horror through the opening, where Remus was halfway through his transformation, human moans mixing with animal howls as his flesh gave way to fur and his hands to razor-sharp claws. He turned to the boys, probably having smelt them, and the moon reflected off his eyes, which were no longer human but those of a wild beast.

James felt his heart plummet to his shoes. Snape had seen.

He was too late.

Sirius, meanwhile, hadn't lingered in the Gryffindor dorm. Not ten seconds after James had left, he'd grabbed his jumper and made to follow him.

"No, stay here," he instructed Peter, who was reluctantly getting off his bed. "James has the Cloak; it'll be hard enough to get out there without getting caught."

Actually, Peter could have gone as Wormtail, but neither boy thought of that just then. Or if Peter did think of it, he kept his mouth shut. He preferred to stay behind. Relieved, he settled back on the bed and picked up his essay.

He wasn't about to clean up the Every Flavour Beans, either.

Shakily, James shoved the crate back into place. Snape was lying on the ground, his sides heaving. Sighing, he bent down and helped the raven-haired boy to his feet. Considering James had just Stunned him and knocked him down, he was surprised to see that Snape was smiling.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked, his mind whirling. How could he convince the Slytherin not to tell what he'd seen?

"You and your friends were trying to get me killed," Snape said matter-of-factly. "The headmaster will not be pleased." He then turned and headed back down the stone steps, not saying another word. Together, they trekked back through the passageway. James was almost glad for the darkness so he wouldn't have to look at Snape's smirking face. About halfway back to the Willow, though, he bumped into something in the dark, something that wasn't a rock or dirt wall. Something soft.

"Who's there?" he said loudly. "Lumos!" The wand tip lit up to reveal Sirius's panicked face. "Oh, it's you," he said, both relieved and repulsed. James shoved past his friend and continued walking. He heard Sirius falling into step behind him, but his mind was occupied with Snape. He wished more than anything that he knew how to Obliviate the stupid git, but it took incredible skill to modify someone's memory and preserve as much as possible. As much as he loathed Snivelly, he wouldn't want him damaged.

As the boys hiked back to the castle, none of the three said much. Snape was taking long strides ahead of the other two, his head held high. Sirius was biting his lip, sneaking glances at James out of the corner of his eye. James was ignoring both of them; of all unaccountable things, he was whistling.

"Stop making so much noise; you'll bring Filch on us," pleaded Sirius.

James stopped and gave him a furious glare. "We have to get caught, you stupid prat," he hissed. "Dumbledore's the only one who can make Snape keep his mouth shut."

Sirius hadn't thought of that. He was used to avoiding the teachers, not seeking them out. But he saw James's point; they had to get to Dumbledore before Snape slithered away to the dungeons and started spouting off. James resumed his tune.

Snape was the first to arrive at the door to the castle. Sirius and James heard him yelp as the caretaker, Mr. Filch, reached out of the shadows and grabbed the collar of his robe. They hurried to catch up.

"Caught you again, you slithering serpent," Filch cackled. "I'll see you out for this, mark my words. It's the headmaster's office for you."

"Good!" cried Snape. "Take me to him!"

Filch was so surprised that he let go of the boy's robes. "You'll be singing a different tune if I have anything to say about it," he muttered irritably. Just then, he caught sight of James and Sirius, and his eyes widened. "You two! Well, this is my lucky night!" The man was almost dancing with glee. "Come on, let's go." As the three boys followed him, Filch was now the one whistling.

As they walked through the castle toward Dumbledore's office, Sirius tried to catch his best mate's eye. James was pointedly ignoring him. He tried to get his friend to talk. "Jamie, I didn't —"

"Sod off." James's voice was flinty.

"Please — "

"Just leave me alone. You make me sick," James spat.

Sirius was the one who felt sick at that point. James wasn't even going to listen. His friend's words cut him to the quick. And they weren't out of danger yet; what if Dumbledore couldn't convince Snape to keep what he'd seen a secret? Sirius couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so helpless. Normally, he was relaxed and confident. Perhaps even cocky. He probably wasn't the nicest person to be around most of the time, he thought miserably. But never before had it gotten him and his friends into such a wretched situation.

"Treacle." They had reached the gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office, and Filch spoke the password in a voice vibrating with excitement. The gargoyle moved, and the caretaker shoved all three of them roughly into the stairwell.

"Watch it," Snape snarled, turning on him. Filch only grabbed his ear and dragged him up the stairs, ignoring the boy's loud protests.

"Does he ever stop whinging?" James muttered, falling into step behind them. Sirius followed, dreading the impending interview.

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk when Filch burst through the door, leading Snape. James and Sirius came in next, and Sirius's hand trembled as he closed the door behind him.

"Let go of me, old man!" Snape cried, grabbing Filch's arm and breaking his grip. "I didn't do anything, it was them!" He rubbed his ear, which was all red from the caretaker's fingers.

Filch was angry. "I caught these whelps out-of-bounds, Professor," he exclaimed. "And this one gave me cheek," he added, pointing at Snape, who opened his mouth to protest.

"That's a load of — "

"Enough." The headmaster rose slowly from his desk. "Thank you, Mr. Filch," he said to the incensed man. "I'll deal with the boys."

Snape smirked.

Filch looked mutinous, but he left as the headmaster asked, shutting the door behind him with perhaps more force than strictly necessary.

Dumbledore sighed and looked at the three students in front of him. He was amazed it had taken this long for them to have a major confrontation. The headmaster had long been aware of the animosity that existed between all five boys, though he was shrewd enough to know that Peter was just following his friends' leads, and that Remus wasn't actively involved in the frequent spats. He first looked at Severus, who had his arms crossed and a cocky grin on his face. The boy wasn't a favourite of his, it was true. He was always ready to cry that his share was less than others, and the constant . . . well, snivelling, there was no other way to put it . . . got on most faculty members' nerves.

His gaze shifted to James, the most popular boy in school, hailing from an old, wealthy Wizarding family. Despite being Pureblood, the young man was hardly stuck-up or haughty about his standing. In fact, in most respects, he was a very engaging young lad who would make a fine man someday. Still, he did tend to be a bit arrogant and conceited, especially about his looks and his Quidditch skills.

Finally, the old man's eyes fell on Sirius Black. Another Pureblood, Sirius's family didn't have the best reputation. All Slytherins, except for Sirius himself, the Blacks were known for being heavily involved in the Dark Arts. He'd taught the boy's parents, and it always amazed him to see how different their son was from them. Still, like James, Sirius was rather self-centered and cocky. If ever a combination of people spelled disaster, it was these three.

He turned back to Severus, deciding to let him speak first. The boy was obviously agitated. "Why don't you tell me what's been happening here, Mr. Snape?"

This was the moment Severus had been waiting for. "These two," he said dramatically, pointing to James and Sirius, "and their friend Lupin tried to murder me!"

"Now, Mr. Snape," Dumbledore began.

"It's true!" the boy cried, anguished. "Black told me how to get past the Whomping Willow, because he knew Lupin was there, and he's a werewolf, professor! He attacked me! I almost died!" Dumbledore was silent. Slowly, realisation dawned on Snape's face. "You knew?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Indeed, Mr. Snape. Who do you think made the arrangements for Madam Pomfrey to escort Mr. Lupin to the Shack every month?" the headmaster answered patiently.

"How could you let a werewolf come to school here?" Snape yelled.

"There was no reason not to let Mr. Lupin attend Hogwarts as long as certain precautions were taken. Certainly I never thought a student would try to hunt him down," Dumbledore replied in a tired voice. It was rather nettlesome being shouted at, but after all, it was late and Severus had suffered a shock.

"Those two sent me!"

"Oh, for — " James began. It was the first time he'd spoken.

Dumbledore held up a hand to silence him, then gave Severus a piercing look. "And what were your motives for going?"

Snape flushed. "Well, I wanted . . . that is, I suspected . . ." he trailed off.

"Did you perhaps wish to find out something about Mr. Lupin and his friends that could cause trouble for them?" the headmaster asked quietly. Snape didn't answer. Sirius chewed his thumbnail.

"He's been after Lupin since first year," James said in disgust. "He's nothing but a git, harassing us all the — "

"Shut up, Potter!" Snape snarled. "You may be everyone's favourite here, but even you can't get away with attempted murder!"

"That's enough." Dumbledore spoke quietly, but his tone left nothing to argument. He turned to James. "Would you care to explain, Mr. Potter?"

James opened his mouth to speak, but didn't get a chance.

"Wait," Sirius interrupted. "Don't . . . please, sir, let me go first. Snape's right. I told him about the Willow. James had nothing to do with it. He just found out maybe half an hour ago, and Peter and Remus never even knew." He stopped, sweat prickling his forehead and under his arms as the headmaster turned to him.

"You see!" cried Severus, triumphant.

"That will do, Mr. Snape," replied Dumbledore. He rubbed his temples. "If that is true, then you and Mr. Potter are free to go. But, Severus," he said, switching to the boy's given name to catch his full attention, "You are not to tell a soul what transpired tonight. The most you may reveal is that you three boys were caught out-of-bounds. Under no circumstances are you to let it be known that Mr. Lupin is a werewolf. Do you understand me?"

"The students have a right to know," Snape pushed. "He and his friends are dangerous. Look what they had in store for me!"

"Mr. Lupin is innocent in this, Severus," said Dumbledore gravely. "It is not his fault that he is a werewolf, and it seems neither he nor Mr. Potter had any inkling of what Mr. Black had planned for tonight. I must insist that you keep this information to yourself; I'm afraid the consequences for you if you reveal Mr. Lupin's secret would be severe."

"What about his consequences?" Snape cried in fury, pointing an accusing finger at Sirius. His eyes were sparkling with tears. "He almost killed me, Professor! But I'm the one getting threatened!"

"That, young man, is between Mr. Black and myself," Dumbledore said evenly. "You must give me your word, Severus." He stared, unblinking, at the irate teenager.

Snape's eyes were sparkling with rage, but he couldn't very well refuse. "I promise, then," he ground out.

"Thank you, Severus," the headmaster said simply. "Now I will ask you and Mr. Potter to leave us and return to your dormitories."

Snape looked like he was going to have a tantrum; his fists were clenched at his sides, and he was breathing hard. When James nudged him, though, he jumped back in revulsion, and that seemed to wake him up. He stormed for the door and wrenched it open. James followed sedately, catching the door before it hit the wall and pulling it shut behind him. He never once looked at Sirius.

Sirius felt his stomach flip, and his mouth tasted like chalk. It wasn't that he expected to be let off; far from it. But the idea of suddenly being closeted with the headmaster left him feeling too vulnerable all at once. And there would still be his friends to convince afterward. He hoped they'd listen. He had an odd sense of déjà vu as the door closed behind James for the second time that night, leaving Sirius alone and feeling very scared, indeed.