DISCLAIMER: If only I owned it!

Thanks to silverbirch, Macabre-Melody, FFan Man, MouldyBreadForVoldy, awaylaughingonafastcamel and Someone aka Me for reviewing.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's been two weeks, and this is a shorter chapter… I'm terribly sorry. I have only this excuse: I work in finance and I have had a very rough week – barely a year after joining the ranks of the employed I am in serious danger of being told to leave them.

For that reason an update next week is uncertain; please bear with me.

And now on with the story…


CHAPTER 11: WHAT YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND

James and Sirius exchanged a glance, but neither said anything as Snape stormed out – or attempted to. He found the door locked, stalked back to Dumbledore's desk with an expression far more malevolent than the most ferocious werewolf could have produced, and glared around at everyone.

"I am sorry, Severus," the Headmaster said. "I cannot allow you to leave until this has been sorted out."

"But –"

"Mr. Black, continue."

Sirius looked up.

"I told Snape how to get past the Willow," he admitted.

"Why?"

"He... I – I didn't want anyone to get hurt!" Sirius looked at Dumbledore hoping to see sympathy but found nothing. "He's been trying to find out what we get up to and get us in trouble – he's done it for years but this time…"

"Yes, Mr. Black? What was different this time?"

"I don't know," Sirius said slowly. "I met Sniv – Snape – on my way back to Gryffindor Tower and we got into an argument and I just thought it would be funny to tell him how to get past the Willow."

"You thought it would be funny."

Sirius flushed furiously.

"I didn't think he would be in any danger – I thought the worst that would happen would be that he'd see Remus in wolf form and get scared and run."

"And what were the three of you doing outdoors?"

"I – we – I took James and Peter there because I thought it would be fun to watch him – Snape – but I didn't tell them, Professor Dumbledore. Neither of them knew anything about it."

Snape rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

Professor Dumbledore sighed.

"I must confess myself disappointed, Sirius. High spirits I can understand, but this was a foolish and dangerous prank."

"Yes, Professor."

"Severus, I will say no more to you. I believe I know exactly why you chose to follow Mr. Black's suggestion and go to the Willow tonight. I will warn you, however, that you are at a crucial moment in your life. Make your choices carefully, if you do not want to regret them at a later date."

Snape nodded, his face unreadable.

"I must also ask you not to speak of tonight's events outside this room. I have chosen to trust Remus, but the parents of many of your fellow-students would be understandably… worried… if they learnt that their children lived in close proximity with a werewolf."

Snape nodded again.

"I have your word?"

"Yes, Professor," the Slytherin said grudgingly.

"Very well, then, Severus. If you wish, you may now leave. You will not be punished for tonight's misadventure, but I encourage you to give some serious thought to what you plan to do once you leave Hogwarts. I will speak to you again after you have had leisure to consider your future."

Without a word, Snape went to the door and wrenched it open. He left, letting it slam behind him, and Dumbledore turned back to Sirius.

"Go on. You took your friends to the Willow tonight to see Mr. Snape chased back to Hogwarts by a ravening werewolf."

Sirius opened his mouth to protest, and then decided against it and continued his explanation.

"I – Snape got out ahead of us; we saw him and James guessed what I'd done. And then he ran after Snape to stop him, and we ran after James because we couldn't let him go into the tunnel alone. And then you came, Professor."

"Yes," the Headmaster said quietly. "So I did." He looked down at his hands for a moment. "Mr. Pettigrew?"

"Y-yes, Professor?" Peter squeaked.

"You may leave."

His relief palpable, Peter nearly ran from the room.

"As you know," Dumbledore said, not raising his head, "I am very fond of you both. You are an exceptionally intelligent and talented pair of wizards, and in your time here you have proven yourselves brave as well. But sometimes I fear for you, and for the path you may take."

"What!" James said, sounding horrified. "Professor, we would never do anything like the things the Slytherins do – all that Dark Magic and stuff! We just play pranks on people!"

"Indeed. What would you do, James, if someone put a hex on you when you were on your way to the Great Hall?"

James stared.

"Hex them back, I suppose, Professor. But –"

"Precisely. Sirius, I do not doubt, would do the same. What would your friend Mr. Pettigrew do?"

"Peter… He would… Nothing, I suppose. Just wait for somebody to cast the counter-curse."

"Have you ever considered how he would feel?"

"Feel?" James sounded like he thought Dumbledore was speaking Mermish. "Why would anybody feel anything? Somebody hexes you, you hex them, you get on with whatever you were doing."

"And if you cannot hex them?"

"Why would you not be able to hex –"

"James, there are many things you cannot understand. You come from a wealthy and respected wizarding family. You yourself are clever, quick and skilled. You are the hero of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And you, Sirius, handsome and accomplished, are also from an old and wealthy wizarding family. I know that neither of you supports Lord Voldemort or his abominable ideas, but in your ignorance you are often as cruel as those of your classmates who do perform dark magic."

Professor Dumbledore got to his feet and walked around the table.

"Imagine, if you can, what it would be like if you were not talented. Imagine trying to cast the Disarming Spell twenty times and succeeding once. Imagine not being able to remember a single counter-curse, or to cast it if somehow you did. Imagine standing in the shadows, alone and friendless despite your best efforts. And then imagine somebody, popular and admired, with more talent than you could ever have, walking past and hexing you for no reason other than that it looked like it might be interesting."

James and Sirius could think of nothing to say.


What did you think? Please review!