Chapter 19: What's the Name of the Game?

Lily patrolled up and down the train car of the Hogwarts Express, the shiny and gleaming HEAD GIRL badged pinned to her robes. She had been ever so shocked and honored to have received the appointment by owl post later in the summer; it was humbling that she would be responsible for the organization of all of Gryffindor House. It was hard to believe that she was already a seventh year, when it seemed like only yesterday she had been boarding as a nervous 11-year-old with Severus….

As soon as the image of him appeared in her mind, she cast it aside. Just like the summer before, she hadn't had contact with her close neighbor and former best friend. If he had truly wanted to repair what they had had, he would have done so. Demonstrated that he was through with his so-called mates who were going to be Death Eaters the moment graduation was over. She had given Severus plenty of chances, and the night of the Slug Club Christmas party, he had thrown it back in her face. He hadn't been strong enough to choose her in her ultimatum to him, over the siren song of power and revenge by a silver-tongued fascist.

A compartment door to her left opened suddenly, right in front of her, and she nearly walked into James Potter.

"Oh! So sorry… Hi, Lily!"

That was the first thing that struck her: that James called her Lily instead of Evans. The second thing that struck her was that he had grown quite tall since she had last seen him in the spring, and even then, after her lambasting of him after the Quidditch match, her interactions had been minimal. She had avoided him just as much as she had avoided Severus.

Lily didn't know what it was, but there was some kind of a…. different aura about the class clown of her year and House. That was when she noticed the third thing that was new about him: the gleaming HEAD BOY badge pinned to his robes.

She raised a curious eyebrow, pursing her lips. "Head Boy, huh? Con…. Congratulations. Looks like we'll be working together." She wasn't sure how she felt about the appointment yet – in all honesty, she had assumed that Remus would be the Head Boy opposite her. Despite his leaves of absence, he had committed to Prefect duties when he was able to. That was another thing – James had never been a prefect! The Head appointments usually went to a seventh year that had Prefect experience.

James glanced down at the badge, his grin turning sheepish. "Yeah, well… I was surprised myself, when I got the OWL. I would have thought for sure Remus would get it."

Lily bit her lip to hide a smile. "Would you be terribly offended if I told you I was expecting Remus to get it, too?"

James chortled out a laugh. "Not at all! I even thought to apologize to the bloke, but he said it's just as well. Between his…. you know… sojourns, and spending all his free time with Mary, he's glad he'll have only studying on top of that."

Lily nodded, the pair of them standing in the hall in awkward silence. James finally broke it by saying something she had never thought he would say.

"I'm sorry. You were right."

Lily's bewitching, green eyes blinked rapidly. "Right about what?"

"That day on the Quidditch pitch last term, all those things you yelled at me… you were right."

Pursing her lips again, Lily dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Well… thank you, James, I…. I appreciate that." Suddenly feeling like she had to offer an olive branch herself, she volleyed back with, "I'm sorry I yelled."

"Don't be; I deserved it…"

Lily's lips upturned into a smirk. "You did at that."

Another awkward pause.

"Say, would you like to sit with us?" James' eyes were hopeful. "I'll tell Sirius to keep the jokes to a minimum, and I'm sure Remus and Mary will just be snogging the whole time. We could use the extra company, you know."

Lily looked her fellow Gryffindor over for a moment, sizing him up, almost amused. She wasn't sure if this new James was going to be making a permanent stay, but….

"I'd be delighted. Lead the way."

Grinning, James stood aside to direct her into the train compartment.

It was a couple of hours into the train ride that Lily and James briefly left their friends to round up the Prefects.

"So…" James floated as the Prefects were starting to assemble. "Good summer?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, okay? Let's just… instruct the Prefects or whatever we're supposed to do."

"Okay." Rising to his feet, he cleared his throat as he turned to face the others. "Let me start by congratulating all of you. It's an honor to be made Prefect, though it also carries a great deal of responsibility. Have you read over the guidelines? Good. Make sure you memorize them, and be sure that…"

Lily leaned back in her seat, relieved that he had the situation under control. Needless to say, she'd done nothing to prepare, promising herself that she'd look over her own guidelines as soon as she had the chance.

"I think that's it," James said after a few minutes. "Anything you'd like to say, Evans?"

"No, I think you've got it covered."

He nodded. "In that case…"

"Wait, there is one thing." She paused, looking at each of the students in turn. "You're to hold everyone to the same standard. No playing favorites, not even when it comes to your own house. If we… if I catch you doing this, there will be consequences."

"Agreed," James said. "Now then, I think it's time for your first patrol."

He waited for the others to leave before he turned to Lily, his lips twitching into a smirk.

"Nice little speech there. I suppose that was for my benefit?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

She shrugged. "On whether you needed to hear it."

"Are you suggesting that I'd abuse my power? You wound me, Evans."

"Oh please. You've spent the past six years breaking the rules. Why should this be any different?"

She expected him to laugh, even to look a little smug. Instead, his expression grew serious, his voice subdued.

"Is that really what you think of me? That I'd use my position to mistreat people, or… look, I know I've done stupid things. Gotten carried away with myself, took things too far. But I've gotten better, Lily. I really have been trying…"

"I know you have," she interrupted. "Listen, I didn't mean…"

"Yes, you did. You've always been hard on me, and you know what? I deserved it."

"Well, yeah."

He chuckled. "Not only did I deserve it, but I appreciate what you did. Really, I do."

"Why?"

"Because you challenged me to be something better. Granted, I'm still not perfect, but I've come a long way because of you."

"You shouldn't change for my sake," she said. "You should do it for yourself."

"Oh, I am." He shrugged, smoothing back a lock of messy black hair. "It's time to grow up, don't you think? School is almost over – we've got to start thinking like adults."

"I agree."

They lapsed into silence, no sound to be heard other than the low rumble of the train as it sped down the tracks. James turned his head to stare out the window, his handsome profile illuminated by the setting sun. She'd never seen him so serious and thoughtful, surprised by how curious she was to know what he was thinking.

"James?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you planning to do? I mean, after school lets out."

"I'll be fighting," he said. "I guess we all will. He's not going to win, Lily, not if I have anything to say about it."

"You're such a Gryffindor."

"Likewise… which is why I don't even need to ask about your plans. You'll be right there on the front lines, fighting like hell for what you believe in."

Lily smiled, realizing that she quite liked this side of James. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be paired up with him all year, just the two of them patrolling the halls or managing the Prefects. Who knew? Perhaps they'd even become genuinely good friends.

"Evans?"

"Call me Lily," she said. "I like it better."

"Right. Is there anything else I can do for you, Lily?"

There was something suggestive about the way he said it, something that made her shiver though she didn't know why. She did her best to ignore it, hesitating before she lifted her eyes to his. She didn't even know why she was thinking about him at the moment – perhaps it was from a lingering place of caring, in spite of everything. As it was…

"There is one thing you can do."

"Tell me."

"I want you to leave Severus alone this year."

James's entire demeanor changed, his body tensing as he narrowed his eyes. "Oh, no," he said. "Don't tell me you're talking to him again. Do you have any idea…"

"I'm not," she interrupted. "And yes, I'm well aware of what he's been up to. I'd still like you to leave him alone."

"Why?"

"Because," she said quietly. "He was my friend. We might not be friends anymore, but I still care about him. I don't want him getting hurt."

"If the situations were reversed…"

"He'd try to protect me, too. I know he would." She paused. "In fact, I'm pretty sure he already has."

James frowned. "What do you mean?"

"None of the Slytherins have ever given me any trouble. Have you noticed that? I've never had to worry about getting hexed or nasty comments in the halls, or…"

"You think Snape is behind that?" James snorted. "The Slytherins leave you alone because they're afraid of me and Sirius. They know what will happen if they mess with one of ours."

"They weren't afraid to mess with Mary McDonald fifth year," she pointed out. "Or Howie Higginbotham, for that matter. I heard he was in the Hospital Wing for weeks."

"Isolated incidents. That doesn't mean…"

Lily sighed, holding up a hand to stop him. "I don't want to argue about it, okay? I just want you to leave him alone."

"What if he tries something with us?"

"I don't think that'll happen."

"But what if it does? Would you blame me for defending myself?"

"Of course not. You know that's not what I'm talking about."

Seeming to sense her exasperation, James chose a different approach, his voice more gentle when he spoke again.

"I'll leave him alone," he said. "If it's really what you want, I'll leave him alone. But I'd like you to promise me the same thing."

She frowned. "You want me to…"

"Stay away from him."

It should've been easy to agree. After all, she wasn't friends with Severus anymore, which had been entirely her choice. But for some reason, she hesitated, reluctant to put more bricks in the wall that already stood between them.

"Severus would never hurt me."

"I know you think that," James said. "Who knows? Maybe you're right. But can you say the same for his friends? You know what they are, Lily, what they'd do to you if they thought they could get away with it."

"I know, but he wouldn't let…"

"Maybe not, but he won't be able to control them forever."

"I guess you're right," she said. "It's just hard, you know? We used to be such good friends."

"I know." He reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "But people change, Lily. You can't blame yourself for that."

She nodded, reaching up to wipe a tear from her eye. Only then did she realize that the train was slowing down, gliding to a stop as James rose to his feet.

"Right," he said. "Better get up to the school so we can start abusing our power."

Unable to help herself, she laughed, shaking her head as they joined the other students.

To Lily's surprise, James was true to his word. He never harassed Severus, never so much as glanced in his direction. Not only that, but it seemed that Sirius had decided to leave him alone, too. The Marauders were much more subdued this year, clearly intent on putting their bullying ways behind them.

She didn't know how it happened, but she soon found herself included in their circle. Whether she was in the Great Hall or the common room, walking to class or spending a little time outdoors, she always seemed to have at least one of them at her side. She'd even joined Sirius at Quidditch practice a couple times, both of them cheering for James as he'd chased the Snitch around the field.

"I'm sorry about your parents," James said to her one night as the two of them patrolled the halls.

"How did you know?"

"Remus told me. You're not upset, are you?"

"No, not at all."

"If there's anything we can do, just say the word."

"Thank you."

He nodded. "We're family, you know. We take care of our own."

'I know." She smiled, touched by his efforts to include her. "I'm fine, really."

"Going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

"Of course."

"Me too." He hesitated, not quite meeting her eyes. "Listen, I was wondering… would you like to go with me?"

"A date?"

"Well, I just thought…"

He trailed off, whipping his head around to glance behind him.

"What was that?" she whispered.

"In there," he said under his breath, pointing at the door to the Arithmency classroom. Nodding, she twisted the knob by slow degrees as both of them drew their wands.

"Severus?"

His head jerked up, his dark eyes widening as they connected with hers. He was perched on an empty desk, his quill hovering over a piece of parchment as he balanced an open book on one knee.

"Snape," James said flatly. "What are you doing in here?"

"I think he's doing homework," she said.

"Homework? Why would he be skulking around in the middle of the night if…"

"The middle of the night?" She rolled her eyes. "It's 10 PM."

Severus remained quiet, giving James a wary look before he returned his attention to Lily. It was to her that he finally spoke, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I was just finishing up some research."

"Why didn't you go to the library?" James said.

Severus ignored him, waiting for Lily to repeat the question before he responded. "The books I needed were in here," he told her. "At any rate, I'm finished now."

With that, he shoved the quill and parchment in his bag, slinging it over one shoulder as he hopped down from the counter. He was halfway across the room before he hesitated, his hand hovering near his wand.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Snape," James said, tucking his own wand back in his sleeve. "But if you don't get back to your common room, we'll have no choice but to report you."

Severus's mouth dropped open, his eyes widening as he stared at his former nemesis. But then just as suddenly, he collected his wits, his face a mask of indifference as he swept out of the room.

"Wow," Lily said as soon as he was gone.

"What?"

"You were so… not nice, exactly, but…"

"Civilized?" James suggested.

She nodded. "I was afraid you might hex him or something."

"I told you I'd leave him alone, didn't I?

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I suppose you did."

The rest of their patrol was uneventful, the two of them chatting about nothing in particular as they ascended the stairs to Gryffindor tower. It was only when they'd reached the common room that James turned to face her, flashing her a little smile.

"Have you thought about it? Hogsmeade, I mean."

She hesitated, remembering how much she'd once despised him. He'd been unbelievably arrogant, not to mention one of the nastiest bullies she'd ever met. Granted, he'd changed a great deal since then, but was that really sincere? Or was it just an act he was putting on for her benefit?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt guilty for it. Really, what reason did she have to doubt him? He'd done everything in his power to redeem himself, treating everyone around him with more consideration. He'd even given Severus a break, letting him go with nothing more than a warning.

Beyond that… well, she had to admit that he was rather attractive. Would it really be so bad to give him a chance? It was only one date, after all – it wasn't like he'd asked her to marry him.

"Lily?"

"Sure," she said. "I'd love to."

"So," James said, "where would you like to go first?"

"Honeydukes?"

He nodded, taking her hand as he moved to cross the street. It was an innocent gesture, yet she couldn't help but blush, knowing that at least half the school must already be gossiping about them. She felt their scrutiny as she and James browsed the aisles, though he seemed oblivious to the attention they were receiving.

"Right," he said as he helped himself to an impossibly large bag of toffee. "And what will you be having?"

"Oh, I'm not buying anything. Just wanted to have a look around."

He shook his head, grabbing a handful of Fizzing Whizzbees and popping one in his mouth. "You've got to get something. It's not a proper trip to Honeydukes if you don't."

"Fine, I guess I'll have a Sugar Quill."

"Come on, we can do better than that. What's your favorite?"

"Chocolate Cauldrons, but I really can't afford…"

Grabbing several boxes, he headed for the register. Before she could stop him, he'd purchased them all, his expression smug as he handed her the package.

"I'll pay you back next week."

He scoffed. "Don't be absurd."

To her chagrin, he didn't stop there. He bought her several useless items at Zonko's, then refused to leave Tomes and Scrolls until she'd picked out a book for herself. By the time they made it to the Three Broomsticks, she knew it was pointless to protest. She let him buy her several rounds of butterbeer, followed by a shot of firewhiskey.

"All right," she said. "I think that's enough."

"Can't keep up?" He tipped back another shot, flashing her a mischievous grin.

"No, I just don't feel the need to show off as much as you do."

His eyes widened, his mouth falling open in mock outrage as laughter erupted from the next table. Glancing over at Remus, Lily grinned, flipping her hair over one shoulder as she returned her attention to her date.

"You think I'm a show off, eh?"

She shrugged. "Well, you do seem to be going out of your way to impress me."

"Is it working?"

He pitched his voice lower, the words like a caress as they reached her ears. Unable to help herself, she shivered, her breath catching in her throat as her eyes met his.

"Could be," she said softly. "Though I'd like…"

"What would you like?"

"I'd like to go somewhere a little more private." As soon as she said it, she blushed, which wasn't helped by a low whistle from the next table. "No, I didn't mean it like that!" she said hastily. "I just want to talk."

"Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

"Shut up, Sirius," James said as he rose to his feet. Turning to Lily, he flashed her a charming smile. "Shall we?"

They didn't go far. With half a dozen teachers patrolling the village, that was hardly an option. Still, James managed to find them a spot that was reasonably private, perching on a fallen log beneath a towering tree. She settled herself beside him, feeling awkward as she twisted her hands in her lap.

"So," he said. "What would you like to talk about?"

"I don't know, but… well, this is a date."

"Sure is," he agreed.

"And the point of a date is to get to know each other, right?"

"Well, that and sloppy make out sessions."

"James!"

"Don't worry, I won't be trying to ram my tongue down your throat. Not yet, anyway."

She shook her head. "You really are the most…"

"The most charming bloke you've ever met?"

"I was going to say… well, nevermind. Tell me about your parents."

"My parents? Bloody hell, Evans, that's one way to kill the mood."

Despite his sarcasm, James's expression softened. He told her all about his life outside of Hogwarts, his voice full of affection as he described his mother and father. He followed that up with several questions about her own family, his eyes bright with curiosity as she explained what her parents had done for a living.

"What's a psychiatrist?"

"It's a healer of sorts. They help people with mental afflictions. Depression, schizophrenia, you know."

"Skits…" He frowned.

"Schizophrenia. It's a medical term, though I guess in the magical world, you'd just say that the person was cracked. Muggle psychiatrists are pretty good at figuring out what's wrong with their patients – they use medicine and other treatments to make them better."

"That's what your mum did?"

Lily nodded. "It was a perfect job for her. Stressful, maybe, but she loved it."

"She sounds great. Your dad, too. I wish I could've met them."

She didn't know when it had happened, but James was holding her hand again. It felt even better than it had before, his thumb absently stroking the backs of her fingers like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I wish you could have, too. I think they would've liked you."

"What about your sister?"

She snorted. "Why don't we save Petunia for another time?"

"That bad, eh?"

"You have no idea."

"Probably not." He hesitated, staring off into the distance. "I don't take it for granted, you know."

"What?"

"Having such a good life. I know I've been lucky."

"So have I."

"Yeah, but I've never had to deal with the things you have. Growing up with Muggles, not to mention a sister who… well, I don't know what her problem is, but it doesn't sound good. And then losing your parents…"

"What's wrong with growing up with Muggles?"

"There's nothing wrong with it. I only meant that it has to be harder, not growing up around magic. I'll bet you didn't know the first thing about it until you came to Hogwarts."

She nodded, deciding not to mention all the early lessons she'd received from Severus. "I guess it is harder in some ways, though honestly, I wouldn't know the difference."

"Guess not."

With that, they fell silent, though there was nothing awkward about it. On the contrary, Lily couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so comfortable, closing her eyes as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Lily?"

"Yeah?"

Peering up at his face, she was caught off guard by the look in his eyes. They were darker, more intent, his hand coming up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

"No, but…"

She never got to finish, the words catching in her throat as he brought his lips to hers.

"Where you going, Snape?"

"Fresh air."

Severus didn't offer any other explanation, pushing away a half empty glass before he got to his feet. He left the others without a backward glance, shielding his eyes as he stepped out into the late October sun.

Absurd, really. He'd waited years for this day, eagerly anticipating the hushed conversation that had just taken place in the Hog's Head. So why did he feel so restless, suddenly desperate to escape?

Touching his arm, he tried to imagine how it would feel to have the brand burned into his skin. Painful, no doubt, though he wasn't afraid of that. It was a small price to pay for the privilege of belonging, even if it meant…

Even if it meant losing Lily?

Idiot. You've already lost her.

But was that really true? He'd asked himself that question countless times over the past couple months, haunted by the way she'd looked at him on the day of her parents' funeral. Insane, perhaps, but he could've sworn that she'd been glad to see him. If her wretched sister hadn't interrupted…

The truth was, he didn't know what might've happened. He hadn't seen her for the rest of the summer, hadn't even been near her since they'd returned to Hogwarts.

Then again, that wasn't true either. He'd only been a few feet away from her in the Arithmency classroom, his heart leaping into his throat when he'd spotted her at the door. Of course, that same heart had plummeted when he'd seen who stood behind her.

Scowling, Severus ducked behind the closest building, relieved to discover that he was relatively alone.

Honestly, it was bad enough that Potter had been named Head Boy. Spending hours in Lily's company, patrolling the halls with her each night? Severus would've killed for that privilege, though clearly, it wasn't enough to satisfy precious Potter. He never seemed to leave her alone these days, which also meant she was forced to keep company with his little gang of sycophants.

But that wasn't all. No, the worst part was that she was obviously being deceived.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Snape."

Indeed, Potter's little performance must've been for her benefit. Why else had he bothered to restrain himself? He certainly hadn't minded hurting Severus that afternoon, hitting him with a nasty hex that had landed him in the Hospital Wing.

Of course, that was why he'd been forced to do his research after curfew. It was rather difficult to keep up with one's schoolwork when suffering the sting of at least a hundred paper cuts.

What would Lily say if she knew the truth? Would she…

Severus lifted his head, distracted by a rustling noise nearby. A rat scampered across his line of vision, pausing to look at him before it disappeared beneath a pile of trash.

If he'd been in a different mood, he might have exterminated the creature. As it was, he merely wrinkled his nose, deciding to find a more appealing location.

That, he quickly realized, was a mistake.

He spotted them beneath a tree about a dozen yards away, their heads bent close as they gazed into each other's eyes. He tried to look away, but it was no use. All he could do was stare, his stomach twisting in knots as Lily wrapped her arms around Potter's neck.

Leave. Bloody hell, just turn around and go.

When they finally broke apart, he was still frozen in place, wondering why his legs refused to move. And then to his horror, Potter lifted his head, their eyes connecting for an infinitesimal moment.

Potter smirked.

With that, he pressed his lips to Lily's again, pulling her to him in a possessive embrace.

Leave! Fucking hell, just go!

Before Severus knew it, he was running, racing through the forest like a pack of werewolves were nipping at his heels. He didn't know where he was going. He wasn't even aware of his surroundings. All he knew was that he had to get away, as if distance alone could blot out the memory of what he'd just seen.

Finally, he was forced to slow down, stumbling over his feet as he plunged through a thicket of trees. He dropped to his knees, panting harshly as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Hello, Snivellus. Fancy meeting you here."

A chill skittered up his spine as he reached for his wand. Unfortunately, it was too late for that. Black had the advantage, whipping off the Invisibility Cloak with a shout of, "Stupefy!"

Severus flew backward, gritting his teeth as his body slammed into a tree.

"James will be along shortly," Black said, his tone conversational. "He's just seeing Lily up to the school. They had a lovely date, from what I understand. I think he even managed to steal a kiss or two."

Lifting his head, Severus watched as another figure materialized from behind the trees.

"Peter, why don't you grab Snivellus's wand? We wouldn't want him to try anything stupid."

Clearly, they'd underestimated his aptitude for wandless magic. He waited until Pettigrew moved closer before he whispered a spell, gratified by the shrill scream that echoed through the trees. His wand slipped from Pettigrew's fingers, landing about a dozen feet away.

"Accio…"

"Oh, I don't think so."

Suddenly, there was a third figure, twin jets of light crashing into Severus's back as he tried to push himself to his feet. He hit the ground hard, his rasping breaths echoed by mocking laughter.

"Leave… me… alone."

"Now, Snivellus," said Potter. "Why would we do that?"

"Accio…"

"Nope." Black plucked Severus's wand from the ground, shoving it in his pocket.

"Coward."

"What did you call him?" Potter demanded.

"I called him a coward," Severus said, finally managing to catch his breath. "Though to be fair, I'd say that word applies to all three of you."

He paid for the insult, wincing as he pressed his fingers to the welt on his cheek.

"Not going to fight back?" Potter said. "Who's the coward now?"

"I'm unarmed, not to mention outnumbered. Isn't that always the way of it? One would almost think you were afraid to engage me in a fair fight."

Potter narrowed his eyes. "If you're looking for a duel…"

"Indeed, I am." Severus paused, giving him a contemptuous look. "I'd like to see how far you can get without your friends backing you up."

"Hey, we're calling the shots here," said Black. "You don't get to…"

Potter shook his head, lifting a hand to stop him. "If Snivellus thinks he can beat me, I'll let him have a crack at it. Hell, why not? It's not like he's going to win."

"True," Black agreed as he pulled Severus's wand out of his pocket. "Though it's a bit less fun for the rest of us."

Severus shrugged. "I'll be happy to duel you when I'm finished with him."

"Right. Like there'll be anything left of you after…"

Severus didn't hear the rest. He focused on his wand, relishing the crackle of energy as he grasped the familiar length of wood. It occurred to him that he could strike without warning, though ultimately, he decided against it. Foolish or not, he couldn't resist the temptation of a fair fight, needing to prove beyond all doubt that his skills were indeed superior.

He could see that desire reflected in Potter, their eyes already locked in combat as they moved into position.

"On three," Black said. "One, two…"

He blocked the first spell, though his Stunner missed Potter by several inches. Suddenly, they were fighting in earnest, jets of light crashing into the nearby trees as they swerved to avoid them. Potter managed to land the first hit, though Severus barely felt it, his breath coming faster as he sliced his wand through the air.

"Oppugno!"

Half a dozen crows appeared, causing Potter to yelp in alarm as they tore at his clothes and hair. They obstructed his vision, too, his next spell missing Severus by at least a dozen feet before it slammed into Pettigrew. Severus heard the scream, though he didn't allow it to distract him. He was in control now, bringing Potter to his knees with a flick of his wand.

With that, he Vanished the birds, his hand twitching as he contemplated his next move. It was tempting, so very tempting, to cast something dark, a spell so savage that it would land Potter in the Hospital Wing for at least a week. Alas, that would defeat the purpose of this little exercise, giving the others an excuse to say that he cheated.

"Expelliarmus."

The spell knocked the wand from Potter's hand, landing him flat on his back.

"I believe," Severus said as he lowered his wand, "that makes me the winn…"

He should've seen it coming. Indeed, he should've known better than to expect a fair fight. As it was, he only had a split second to react.

"Mastigatus!"

Several branches split from the trees, thrashing his opponents as they howled in protest. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to enjoy the spectacle, his body hurled backward by a trio of Stunners. He lay there panting, his vision growing dark around the edges as he mumbled a final spell.

"Protego."