Hello. My lovely little friends! Rejoice, for I am ACTUALLY UPDATING! Yes! Shock horror! (Sam, any more smart comments from you, and I'll come round your house. With a floppy disk. And some sort of virus. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!)

Err...yes. Aaaaaaanyway.read on, my pretties... Oh yeah. Disclaimer..er. blah blah, not mine, never mind..

In the Grounds

The six walked leisurely down through the grounds, James and Sirius side by side, and Skye and Lily walking just behind them, although Skye was still holding Sirius's hand. Peter and Sybill were walking a little way back. Sybill wittering on about the position of the heavens.

Skye looked around. "Doesn't the moonlight make everything look beautiful?" She asked. "And its so quiet and -"

An unearthly howl drifted across the night to them. Everyone stopped dead, and the boys' eyes flickered towards each other for a second.

"What was that?" said Lily, looking round.

"Probably just something in the Forest, don't worry."

"We're pretty near the forest now, maybe we should - Sybill?" Peter was distracted by his partner. Sybill was standing stock still, her eyes were unfocused and glazed, and her mouth was moving silently. Peter touched her arm.

"Are you ok?"

"Don't touch me, murderer!" she screamed in a harsh voice.

"Wha?"

"James, what's happening?" Skye looked intensely at Sybill. "She's having a prediction.." She moved closer to the girl. "Listen".

Sybill's words got slowly louder.

"A rat, a traitor, a murderer.

A dog, loyal and true to the end.

A deer, proud and brave, but to become the Dark One's prey.

Three friends, friends till the prey is slain.

The deer will die to fight the hunter

The dog will die to defend the fawn

The rat will ~"

A great snarl deafened the chant. A blur of thick grey and black fur passed the group, and suddenly Skye and Sybill were on the ground, franticly struggling against the.

"Werewolf!" yelled James. "Sirius, its ~"

"I know.!" The two boys looked at each other and transformed. All Lily and Peter saw was that one second, they had been standing there, and the next, the wolf was under attack from a stag, who threw the snapping creature off the girls with his antlers, while a huge black dog dragged the girls to safety. Peter collected his wits and grabbed them.

"C'mon, we've gotta get away from it."

"What was that?"

"Where's Sirius?" Skye hesitated, looking for him. Peter tugged her arm.

"He, they're fine, I promise you. Come ON!"

But Lily and Skye were watching the fight with horrified fascination, and Sybill had only just recovered from her trance.

"What in ~ What's going on? Peter?" She looked round and saw the fight.

"That's them, isn't it?" said Skye simply.

"You mean, James and Sirius are ~"

"Yes, yes, but we have to move, we aren't safe here," said Peter, tugging the girls frantically up towards the Castle. Once they were at a safer distance, they turned back to watch the fight.

The stag's antlers had thrown Remus down hard, and winded him, but he dragged himself up and made to attack James. He had hardly left the ground when Sirius seized him by the neck and pulled him down and away. Remus lashed out with his claws and teeth, and caught Sirius deeply across the chest. He yelped in pain, and the werewolf pulled himself free, and snapped at Sirius' face. The dog rolled clear, onto his feet, but Remus lurched onto his back legs and threw himself towards where Sirius was hauling himself up. James darted in the way, and his shoulder met the full force of the wolf's weight. He was pushed off balance, and Remus instinctively snatched at the stag's thin legs, pulling him over onto the floor. The wolf took at snap at James' neck, but was dragged back again by Sirius. Outraged, Remus spun round and sank his fangs into Sirius's shoulder, near his neck, and wrenched the dog onto his back, leaving his neck exposed. James was still struggling to get on his feet, and Sirius only weakly blocked Sirius's first lunge. The werewolf howled in triumph, and backed up for the leap that would finish in Sirius's death.

"Oh my God," breathed Skye. "Deer, dog and hunter. D'you think that's what it meant?"

"I don't kn~ Oh, I cant watch!" cried Lily

Remus sprang, snarling maliciously, fuelled by bloodlust. He never finished the jump. James had hauled himself to his feet, and, seeing his friend in danger, lashed out with his hooves. His kick had caught the werewolf in mid- air, and Remus hit the floor, with a resounding WHUMPH, unconscious.

Sirius wriggled up, and nosed the deer gratefully, and they limped over to the still form of their friend. James nudged him onto his side, and Sirius carefully licked the drying blood on Remus' muzzle. Then they silently dragged their battered friend over to the Whomping Willow.

Lily turned to Skye. "It cant be the prediction Skye, they're OK, and anyway, there's no rat."

At that moment, Sirius gave an impatient bark. Peter understood, and transformed, rushing over to press the knot in the tree.

"There's rat, Lily." Whispered Sybill, looking confused. "What about it?"

Sirius dragged Remus into the passage, and became human again to lock him in.

"Bad Moony," he said softly. "Stay."

~*~*~*~*~

Ah, don't you love camp endings of chapters? Well, read on, because we need to see what they're gonna do about this mess, don't we? Yes..