Chapter 7. Whomping Willow and Snape.

After the Match, the five went for a walk outside the forbidden forest.
"Do you know those Slytherin wear gold watches, gold everything them have on them, just to distract me?? Those jerks...." said James.
"I heard Madam Hooch yelling about something, I wonder if....." said Lily. However, Clarissa stopped her.
"Er...Guys, do you hear some noises?" she asked. They all listened.
"Wooooooo...."
"It's getting louder and louder!!" said Felicity, terrified.
"It's from that tree!!" pointed Sirius, his face changing colour.
"C'mom you guys." said James boldly.
The "woo" sound was getting louder... and louder... James wanted to talk toward the tree, but Lily stopped him.
"Madam Sprout had said something about this tree... I think it's called Whomping Willow." explained Lily. "I wonder if..." She picked up a tree branch from the ground.

"Stand back." she said. She throw the stick to the tree. The tree moved.
"Run!!" shouted Lily and she ran.
"Why?" asked Clarissa, trying to catch up with Lily.
"Look behind you!!!" yelled Lily. Clarissa looked, then screamed.
"AAAARGH!!!" the tree was attacking them. It used it's branches and tried to hit them.
"Run for your life!!" shouted Clarissa. They ran for a while. James began to pant.
"Can we... stop.....running now?" panted James. Lily looked.
"Okok. Let take a rest."
"Who in the hell had planted that tree???" hollered Sirius. "I'll kill him!!"
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Black." said a calm voice. They all looked around and saw the headmaster himself. "I hope you would forgive me and don't.. er.. kill me." said Professor Dumbledore, with twinkling eyes.
"Of.. of course not, Professor." said Sirius, getting red.
"Sir, why did you plant that tree? It's dangerous!" cried Lily.
"Not if you touch it. I'm sorry for what had happened. Also, I'm relief to see you're not injured. I advice you not to come near the tree again." said Professor Dumbledore calmly.
"Yes sir." said the five. However, all of them crossed their fingers.
"Good. Anyone for chocolate?"
They went back to school, accompanied with the Professor.

"That tree nearly killed us..." said Felicity, right after the headmaster left.
"Dumbledore never do things without a reason. I wonder what it is though." said James, as the crowd walked back to their common room.
"Hi guys." said a voice behind them. It was Arthur Weasley, the one of kindest prefects. He was crazy about muggles and always asked Lily and her friends all about them. Because of his interest in muggles, Malfoy always tease him and end up having points deduct by Arthur.
"Hiya Arthur. Do you know why the Whomping Willow was planted?" asked Lily with an innocent look in her face.
"Nope. It was just planted this year. I heard it's mighty dangerous." said Arthur.
"It is." said Felicity. Arthur stared at her. "Oh, I mean, I heard Madam Sprout talked about it in lessons." she explained. Luckily, Arthur didn't seem to be interested with the tree.
"Well, I going back to the dorm. Remember those light butts, Lily." called Arthur and he walked off.
"All right, I wouldn't forget!" called back Lily.
"And by the way, it's 'light bulbs', not 'light butts'!!!" yelled Clarissa after him.
"Why it's planted this year? What had happened?" Sirius asked himself right when Arthur was out of sight.
"I have a feeling that we are going to find out..." said Lily.

"Hi guys! I'm back!!" said Remus cheerfully. But he looked very tired.
"Remus Lupin, do you know that I miss you sooo much!!! I haven't seen you for three whole days!!!" cried Clarissa, hugging and kissing him.
"Hi Remus." said James grinning. "Emm...should we leave you two for a minute or two??"
"Is fifteen minutes enough?" asked Sirius, also grinning wickedly.
"Oh..." said Clarissa, pretending to hit them. However, she can't take her hands off Remus' arm.
"Remus, if you haven't went to your mum, you would have played the Quidditch Match!!! Lily played your place!!!" said Felicity.
"Er.... how's you mum, Remus?" asked Lily.
"She's fine Li. Thanks." said Remus, smiling at her.
The five told everything to Remus what had happened. From the match, to the Whomping Willow.

"We are going to find out why Dumblebore plant it." finished James.

"I don't really think that's a good idea..." murmured Remus.

"Why?" asked Felicity. "I never thought you would disagree. Aren't you curious about it?"

"Of course I am." said Remus. "but I trust Dumbledore have him own reasons of doing things. I think we should trust and respect him. We shouldn't bother him about anything."

"Okay, okay." said Lily. Lily knew Remus was hiding something. Lily was sensitive in other's feelings, though she's subborn in hers. This is one of her specialty.
"Remus must have something he doesn't want us to know. That must be something about that tree..." thought Lily. She changed the subject. Suddenly Lily exclaimed.
"What?" asked James.
"Hmm.... is it time for Potions, James?" asked Lily.
"Oh no!! We forgot!!! I hope Professor Sneddon is in a good temper today." groaned James. He took Lily's hand and ran to the dungeons.

Luckily, the professor was in a good temper so she only took five points from each of them. If she wasn't in a good temper... well, she could deduct fifteen points from everyone. Professor praised Snape for stiring the potion so well. Snape always suck up with the Potion's mistress. He smirked at Lily. Lily looked back, feeling sick. But she didn't dare to say anything, in case the mistress had picked something on her to take points from Gryffindor.
"Lily, need any help with your potion?" asked Snape with his sickly low voice. Lily didn't know what to say.
"Er..."
"I'll help her if she needs it, Snape. I think she is going it perfectly well, aren't you Lily?" said James, smiling at Lily.
"Yes. Of course. Thanks anyway Snape." said Lily, trying to fake a smile. Snape scowled. He went back to his place.
"Thanks James." whispered Lily.
"Don't mention it. What are friends for? " asked James.
Lily smiled.

After Potions, Snape tried to make James and his friends in trouble. Snape hated all three of them, especially James. He was jealous of James talent in Quidditch. He was jealous of James' looks and charms. He was jealous of James because he had Lily. Snape followed the three boys, tried to blame them for breaking rules. When James and his friends were late for lessons, he made the teachers believe that they were late on purpose. When James and his friends went out with James' invisibility cloak, Snape spied at them and they nearly got detention.
"Why Snape bothered to follow us around?" asked Remus, panting. They were nearly caught by Snape when they were going to Hogsmeade.
"I stopped him from 'helping' Lily with her potion." said James.
"Helping? That's all?" asked Sirius.
"Never mind Sirius. We'll find something to get even with that git." muttered James.

Snape found out he had done a foolish thing. He had messed up with the Marauders. He had made them angry and it is time for them to pay back. And their way of pay back is way worst than he had ever thought of. He found his underwear in every classroom. He found one of his underwear with slashes round the edge hanging in the Great Hall. It was specially enlarge for all to see. His diary, was yelling all the things he wrote. All the students, even the Slytherin laughed and teased Snape.
"Oh Snape, we never thought you would like that mudblood Lily." laughed the Slytherin, though some of them really like Lily.
"Oh Snape, we never knew you owed red underwear!!" shouted James. "I saw it in the dungeons!!" All the people laughed and went to the dungeons to have a look. From that day on, Snape didn't dare to do anything against the Marauders openly. But he would try anything to get them expelled.