CHAPTER 24

"I don't know, James," muttered Peter nervously.

"Are you kidding? It's perfect," Sirius said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"Snape'll never know what hit him," said James. "Always sticking his greasy nose where it doesn't belong. This'll show him never to do i that /I again."

"And with him out of the way, Anne will finally spend some time with me," added Sirius.

Since the night at the Astronomy Tower, Sirius hadn't seen Anne at all outside of classes or in the Great Hall. He asked her to go to the gardens with him one night, but she couldn't because Snape was helping her with Transfiguration. He offered to help her with Transfiguration the next night, but she couldn't because that was the night she and Snape always played Wizard chess. He was tired of hearing about Snape. Snape, Anne's cousin, Sirius's biggest competition for Anne's heart. Whatever she said, there was something she and Snape had that he couldn't touch, and he was certainly jealous about it. It would be better for all of them to get Snape out of the way.

"And Lily will spend some time with i me /I ," James agreed.

"I still don't know," Peter said.

"Peter, if you're not with us, you're against us," said Sirius.

"And we'll have to i Obliviate /I you so you don't reveal the plan to anyone else," added James.

Quietly, James wondered if Peter was right. What if Snape was killed? It was an incredibly dangerous plan. But Snape was no idiot. He would know better than to get too close or too brave. He was a Slytherin, after all, and they weren't exactly known for their courage. It would be a good way to shake him up, get him out of their way. That was all they really wanted after all.

"Look at this," said James, pulling out their enchanted map of Hogwarts.

"We've seen it," Sirius said in a bored tone.

"No! I've changed it!" James exclaimed. "I figured, why only watch for Filch when we can watch for everyone!"

"It's blank," Sirius said sarcastically.

"Watch this," James said with a smirk, and he touched his wand to the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Suddenly, words sprawled out on the parchment. Peter read aloud.

"Mister Moony, Mister Wormtail, Mister Padfoot, and Mister Prongs proudly present," he read, and the title appeared. "The Marauder's Map!"

"Mister Padfoot, eh?" asked Sirius with a grin.

"Wormtail!" Peter cried unhappily. "That's awful."

"Too late to change it now," shrugged James.

James unfolded the map, and Sirius and Peter were in awe at the hundreds of little dots floating around the corridors. It listed everyone! Lily was in her dormitory, Anne was in the library with Snape, Filch was in his office, and Dumbledore was pacing his study.

"This is incredible, Mister Prongs," whispered Sirius.

Anne was chatting with Sirius Black, fluttering her eyelashes coquettishly. Her back was against the wall and he had one hand resting next to her head, leaning over her confidently. Severus wanted to punch him in the face. However, an owl dropping a letter at his plate distracted him. No one ever sent him owls. Who on earth could it be? He unfurled it carefully and scanned the words.

i Snape,

I can't believe I'm actually writing you a letter. It almost disgusts me, but I have to do it. I'm worried about Anne. There's something that's been bothering me. It's never bothered me before, but now that I have someone at Hogwarts I care about, I feel like I've got to investigate.

There's something funny about Remus Lupin. Have you noticed it? I know where he goes once a month, and why he leaves. I'm afraid for Anne. It's dangerous, what he is, and I don't want anything to ever happen to her.

You're the last person I'd ever ask for help on anything, but I feel like, when it comes to Anne, we've both got something invested. If you care about her, too, meet me at the portrait of the Fat Lady tonight at eight.

Sirius Black /I

Severus gazed up at Sirius. He was still standing close to Anne, now touching her cheek gently. She gave him a quick peck and started heading toward the Slytherin table. Sirius shot a meaningful look at Severus before returning to his table. Severus quickly furled up the parchment and stuffed it in his bag.

During Potions class that day, Severus kept a sharp eye on Lupin. He looked haggard and worn. Anne had often mentioned Lupin seeming ill, and it had struck him as odd, but he'd never really given it much thought. Black's letter plagued him. What was Lupin's secret? And how could it hurt Anne? He had never wanted to switch back to having Anne as a partner, but for some reason, today, he did.

A nagging feeling told him not to do as Black asked, but his curiosity and fear for Anne got the better of him. He snuck out of the common room and headed to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Black was waiting for him.

"Come on!" hissed Sirius.

Severus followed him. It would be a night to never forget.

"What's that you're holding?" hissed Snape.

"Just a map," Sirius replied.

They wandered down the darkening corridors. Severus was amazed that they never ran into anyone and got caught, but Sirius was dragging them down corridors Snape didn't even knew existed and doubted many others did either. Finally, they arrived at a passage.

"Where does this lead?" asked Severus suspiciously. "And what's so dangerous to Anne?"

"It leads outside the castle," Sirius whispered. "And we're about to find out."

James was sitting on the burgundy couch of the Gryffindor common room fidgeting nervously. Mister Padfoot would be escorting Snape out of the castle right about now. He hoped the plan worked. Lily walked down the staircase into the common room, and almost turned around to return to her dormitory when she saw James sitting there.

"Wait," James said.

To his surprise, Lily turned and walked to the couch. He racked his mind desperately for what he should do, what he should say. He let slip the first thing that came to his mind.

"Lily, I'm really sorry," mumbled James quietly.

Lily considered him for a long while. He had never apologized for anything, so it threw her off balance. She sank down onto the couch, sitting as far away from him as she could, but even so, James saw that his apology worked.

"I shouldn't have said such an awful thing," he continued. "I don't think you're letting Snape into your knickers."

Lily snorted a laugh.

"Some apology," she laughed.

James turned red and dragged his hand through his messy black hair, smiling awkwardly at her.

"Of course I'm not letting Severus into my knickers," added Lily, shaking her head. "I don't even i like /I him in that way."

"You don't?" asked James suddenly.

"No," replied Lily. "I think he's a wonderful person, inside, just misunderstood. And I hate to see you and Black and Pettigrew picking on him."

"You do?" gulped James.

"Of course!" she cried. "You three are terrible to him, and he's done nothing to you. I swear, Potter, I might actually go out with you if you'd just let me and Severus be."

"You would?" he asked meekly.

"I i might /I ," said Lily. "But seeing as you'll never just let me be i friends /I with Severus - I mean, you're so obsessed with getting him out of the way, you won't realize that you don't even need to!"

James sat stock still, his mouth open, completely bewildered. In a flash, he jumped up from the couch and bolted from the common room, leaving Lily sitting alone in surprise.

"How much further?" whispered Snape.

The moonlight was bright, lighting their silhouettes in the darkness. They were almost to the Whomping Willow, where Peter was waiting, in his rat form, to step on the root that would allow them into the tunnel.

"Not far," Sirius replied.

"Are we heading to the Whomping Willow?" Snape asked. "Don't tell me i that's /I what's dangerous to Anne."

"It isn't," said Sirius.

Severus was beginning to regret his decision to follow Sirius. Something didn't seem right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Sirius had said hardly a word about Anne, and if this truly was about protecting her, Severus figured he might want to talk about her, too. Still, his curiosity was beginning to pique. Severus watched in amazement as the violently shaking willow tree suddenly froze.

"Why did it-"

"I know the trick," said Sirius quickly.

The two of them made their way to the tunnel. Sirius motioned for Severus to crawl in first. He started creeping through the passageway, ducking his head under the low ceiling. He could hear a growl, a roar almost, ahead of him.

"Black, what is that?" asked Severus, his voice beginning to hint at fear.

There was no answer. Severus turned around and saw that Black was no longer behind him. His heart began beating quickly. Two more steps forward, and he saw it . . .

"Stop!" called a voice. "Stop! Don't go any further!!"

Severus couldn't have moved if he wanted to. Just a few yards from him was a fully grown i werewolf /I . And it was looking straight at him.