This is a short extract from 'Chapter Nine - The Vision' in Night Of The Blue Moon. As I hope you can now see from this the story does have a very elaborate plot. I have blanked out two important, plot element words, to try and keep some part of the story secret at least for now. Please review and give me any feedback...

James quickly hurried through the darkening corridor. The echoing footsteps surrounded him in all adjacent corridors and all he could think of was his foolishness for not bringing the Marauder's Map with him to Hogwarts.

He turned into a corridor on the second floor. This part of the castle had been largely rebuilt after the Battle of Hogwarts all those years ago, and now James was quickly hurrying through trying to escape the approaching footsteps that followed him. Swiftly, he turned a corner and found a pillar he could stand behind and think.

These weren't normal footsteps. Although they were feet on the ground, they sounded bare and almost as if the person was lightly springing from foot to foot. James began to panic, breathing heavily, and the strange whisper he had first heard when he arrived at the school sounded round him again;

'Spiritus; revertaris usque ad animam'. The whisper was like a hundred tiny voices sounding at once, yet still so quiet. It took James a moment to register what he had heard, and then he knew at once it was the same incantation he had heard in the library. He instantly knew it meant danger and realised he had to get back to his dormitory. These weren't teachers encircling him - they were something more deadly.

Pulling his wand from his back pocket, James muttered a quiet 'Lumos' to light his way and hurried off down the corridor again. He reached the entrance hall and was just about to climb the stairs and return to Gryffindor tower when a dark shadow passed over the corridor above him and settled at the top of the stairs. It was a ghost.

James could not make out the details on her, but he could at least tell she was female. She had long hair half-covering her gaunt face. Her glow was pale and a deathly colour like he had never seen before - much different from the normal ghosts of Hogwarts, almost as if her spirit had gone through so much that it was now deformed beyond repair. She did not move any further, just gently floated not far from him, blocking his way back to safety.

James changed his course, running along the entrance hall corridor, his bare feet slapping heavily against the stone floor. The tall windows caused the full moon's light to cast disfigured shadows across the ground, and James' running figure blocking out the light woke many of the portraits lining the walls, who in turn took to shouting and moaning at him. However, James, too worried about the deformed ghost who had been blocking his way, kept running and ignored their calls.

Turning, James was surprised to see the Great Hall doors ajar. Peering through he saw a lone figure sat at one of the benches, drinking steadily from a goblet. They weren't a ghost, that James was sure of, but they were too tall to be a pupil. Making up his mind, James pulled open the door and entered.

It was Professor Trelawney, sat alone in the darkness. James raised his wand and carefully uttered the bluebell flames charm Professor Flitwick had just taught them. He directed the vibrant flames at the candles in the room, and a steady, pale blue glow illuminated the dark hall.

Professor Trelawney looked up at James now, finally noticing his presence.

'Oh, hello dear boy,' she said in her whispery voice. James had never spoken to her personally but had heard her speak occasionally to others.

'Professor. I'm sorry, I -' James stuttered. She raised a hand to silence him.

'It's quite alright, my dear boy, you're not the only one who enjoys a walk when they can't sleep. I'm just having a small glass of sherry and star-gazing,' she hiccupped. James looked up at the enchanted ceiling, displaying all the constellations of the night sky. 'Oh and be wary' she continued, 'for at the next full you will be in grave danger!'

James had heard of Professor Trelawney's crazed and incorrect predictions before and hence took no notice. She stood, knocking over her goblet and causing her sherry to spill over the floor. Stumbling slightly, she approached him and patted him on the shoulder, and then James noticed it.

The moment Professor Trelawney's hand had touched him, her eyes went incredibly cloudy. Her hand started to shake and in a deep voice, not at all like her own, she began to mutter.

'Death!' she gasped. 'Deceit, chaos and death! It has been foretold!'

James began to panic - Trelawney was having some sort of violent fit, her head shaking wildly and her eyes rolling, and yet there was nobody there to help him.

'When the night comes all hope will be lost! The spirits will return! Death is coming!'

James looked round wildly for anything to help him.

'Fear her! She is coming! Deceit, chaos and death!'

Trelawney went limp, her body stopped shaking as she uttered two last words;

'- -'.

Suddenly she let out a hoarse scream, and her wand in her hand sent out a streak of sparks which rebounded off the walls and created a roaring wind, blowing out the blue light of the candles. When the chaos and noise had subsided, James and Trelawney were left in silent darkness. James reached out a hand for her but she was no longer in front of him, and he thought he could just about see her lying on the ground a few feet away from him.

He began to approach her when running footsteps outside the hall caused him to turn and see who had arrived. It was Professor McGonagall, dressed in her tartan dressing-gown, who had obviously come running at the sound of Trelawney's scream.

'Professor!' James shouted. 'It's Professor Trelawney. She was in a trance. I think she was reciting a prophecy - having a vision!'

McGonagall raised her wand and non-verbally returned all light to the hall. James turned to see that Professor Trelawney was lying on the floor a few feet away, and was frothing at the mouth.

...

That's not the entire chapter, just the most exciting part to 'entice' you and 'excite' you about the book :)

Just to address a few issues now:

First from the previous preview I did, a few people have either reviewed or messaged me saying Rose and Albus are only one year younger than James. Neither the book or the film explicitly states what year James is in, and it never is really even implied apart from by the age of the actors in the 8th Film. In my book, to fit with dates as you will realise when the whole book is released, James will be in his third year at Hogwarts when Rose and Albus start and hence be two years older.

Another thing is any similarities to anyone else's work/stories. I'm sorry if this is similar to any of your work but trust me it is unintentional - I've never actually read anyone else's stories to prevent myself stealing ideas, apart from that of Lippert which I've read the very start of after I planned and started writing my series.

Also please remember there is a poll on my profile for your opinions on what you want to return in the series. You can vote for up to three and the one with the most votes will return in either book two or book three (or maybe both)!