Outside at the tree, Lily had retrieved her pointed stick and had managed to get Peter halfway down the tree. The others were leaning against it and talking about the gates.

"Well," Remus was saying, "We could try going to somewhere else's gates."

"Like the gates of Heaven!" James said, perking up. "No wait, I doubt we could get that high. People took down Jacob's Latter, didn't they?"

Lily gave him an odd look.

"Well, if we can't go high," Sirius said dramatically, "There are always . . . the gates of Hell!"

"Doesn't Hell have gates?" Remus asked, looking thoughtful. "I always imagined like a hole in the ground or something."

"Sure it does!" Sirius told him. "Like in the song."

"What song?" James asked.

"'Murdering Stravinsky'. There's something about at the gates of Hell." Sirius said, looking, once again, quite serious.

"We could go there." Remus said, standing away from the tree.

Lily stared at him. "You can't be serious."

"No, I am!" Sirius yelled, jumping up and down.

"Well," James said, looking around the forest, "Where exactly would they be, these gates of Hell?"

"Stop saying that word!" Lily said, knocking Peter out of the tree onto her head.

"What, Hell?" James asked, looking confused.

"Yes!" Gasped Lily.

"Oh, are you talking about HELL?" Remus asked.

"Stop it, she's really religious." James said. "Her family is one of those good Christian ones."

"That's right." Lily said, looking proud.

"Oh . . ." Peter said, rolling over. "I'm awake. I'm here."

"Nice to know." James said, helping him up. "So, the Gates of, um, Heck it is, huh?"

"You guys," Lily cut in, "Hate to spoil your fun, but there is no way that we are going to find these gates. No one even knows if they exist, and we aren't going to be able to just walk there."

"She's got a point." Remus nodded.

"And even if we COULD find them," Lily continued, "The Slytherins would be going to the gates of Hogwarts."

"What is there are no gates of here?" Sirius asked.

"Let's just stay here." Peter said. "I don't think I can walk anyway."

And so the Gryffindors stood there, waiting and waiting, until five Slytherins, Lucius, Severus, Nancy, Avery, and Jimmy walked up. They all looked bruised and uncomfortable.

"Are you ready to RUMBLE?" Sirius asked.

***

A/NL: This chapter was short, I know, but I wanted to update and I only had a little time. The next one will introduce the black haired Ravenclaw and have a little bit of actual dueling . . . I hope.