Here is another chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Just to let everyone know, I am going to be very busy with hockey for a few weeks. My team is in the States and this week I will be on the ice probably 8 hours. I think I'm getting Thursday off, at which time I will be dying. Lol. So I will try to update, but it depends how much time I have to type after doing my homework and how much energy I have. Thank you to all those who have reviewed, I really enjoy all the wonderful comments that have been made! I'm glad everyone who reviews likes my story!!

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The forest was black and silent. The trees around them were so thick that they had to walk one by one. Thick roots stood in the narrow path and they walked slowly not wanting to end up on the ground, their face in the dirt.

As they walked along, they lost the path; the trees were so thick that they took over the path. They continued to walk on avoiding the trees and their low branches. There was a clearing now and they stopped to rest. Sirius sat down on a stump, Peter on the ground, Remus leaned against a tree but James was restless and he explored the whole clearing.

"This is wicked," James said as he walked.

"Glad you like it," Sirius spoke softly but smiled broadly.

"I still don't think we should be breaking rules like this," Remus the voice of reason said. He held on to the Cloak that had granted them safe passage out of the school.

"I forgot you have been in here before," James continued investigating the Forest. "What did you do last time?" He also ignored Remus' comment.

"Oh you know the usual, thought a werewolf was in the Forest, got myself lost and then met up with a centaur."

"What did the centaur say?"

Sirius thought, he hadn't considered his talk with the centaur for a long time now. He forgot about the conversation as soon as he got to his bed that night, or morning. "He spoke of…" He tried to remember. He looked up at the stars hoping that would help him to remember. "He said something of Mars… he said it was bright."

"Mars being bright speaks of war," Remus told them.

"War?"

"But if you paid attention in Astronomy you would know that the stars do not tell the time just of events, war might not happen in our lives."

"I bet it is," James nodded. "The murders, the disappearances, war is coming."

"You don't know that," Remus shook his head. "What else did the centaur say? Anything about your name Sirius? I mean your name means the dog star."

Sirius racked his brain. The centaur had said something about his name… but what had it been? "Er… yeah it did. But um… oh I remember, it said that it usually stands alone but there is a trail of stars, it asked if I had a brother or a good friend."

"You didn't at the time," Peter put in.

"Thanks for reminding me," Sirius looked over at him. He then looked at James but neither said anything.

There was silence as Remus and Peter looked around them, but James and Sirius just looked at each other. They knew there was something special about their friendship, something bigger than either could imagine. Not only was it strange for a Black and Potter to be friends, but also they were closer than most friends were, and throughout the years, it would only get stronger. They knew it; they could feel it in their hearts.

"Hey Remus, the night I came in here, the full moon was out," Sirius turned to look at him, "I thought you were in the Forest, were you?"

"No, I don't go anywhere on the Full Moon," Remus shook his head. His face was bright red now; he really didn't like speaking of the full moon.

"He goes home," Peter piped in.

"You are really are thick," James laughed. "He doesn't go home, he stays around here. In the Shrieking Shack right?"

Remus nodded.

"Some older students say the place is boarded up," Sirius asked, "so how do you get in?"

"Through the Tree," Remus told them.

"That Whomping Willow? The one that no one will go near?" asked James.

Remus nodded. "There is a way to freeze the branches, and there is a tunnel to go in and that leads to the Shack."

"We have to explore it one day!"

"No!" Remus' face was horrified. "No, I don't want to see it."

"Why not?"

"Because he's embarrassed," James had started walking around again, and was some feet away from the group but his voice carried back to them. "Leave it Sirius."

Silence. Sirius knew he had overstepped the boundaries. He looked down at the ground, and kicked a small rock with his foot. Remus went and sat next to a tree, and had his hands covering his face.

"You know Remus, if there was something we could do to help you we would," James came back.

"There is nothing you can do," Remus shook his head.

"Maybe we can help you study when you come back!" James thought aloud. "We can take better notes to help you."

"I'd be satisfied if you took a note," Remus couldn't help but smile.

"Wish we could turn into animals," Sirius thought aloud. "I mean werewolves are only a danger to humans."

"That would be fun, and we could explore the Forest and everywhere on the full moon!"

"Too bad we can't though," Sirius sighed.

"Yeah, we can't just transfigure each other into animals," James said sadly.

"I wouldn't let you," Remus said forcefully. "Being what I am is my burden, I will carry it alone."

"That's not what friends do," Sirius shook his head. "Friends stay together, through everything."

"No you stay. Yeh don't like the spiders." A guff voice echoed around them.

The four boys looked up in alarm. They heard someone. Someone else was in the Forest.

"Hagrid!" James whispered. He could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Run!" Sirius whispered to the others and they took off in the opposite direction of Hagrid's voice.

With no idea where they were going they full out ran. Remus still had a hold on the Cloak and wished he could yell to the others to stop and just put on the Cloak, but James and Sirius were quicker and farther ahead. All he could do was try and keep up.

When they finally stopped, all four boys were out of breath and they knew they were far away from Hagrid.

"How… come he's… in the… Forest?" Sirius panted. He was bent over, with his hands on his knees. Sweat was pouring down his face.

James just shook his head.

Remus straightened up, "Would… have been a lot… easier if… we just put… on the Cloak."

James and Sirius moaned, they had forgotten about the Cloak.

"Why didn't you yell?" Sirius asked.

"You ran too quickly!" Remus defended himself.

"Well we have to get back up to the school," James told the others.

"How? I think we are lost."

"I suppose its no use just retracing our steps," Sirius looked around hoping to find the answer.

James looked up at the trees; he stared at them and their leaves for a full minutes, "Trees." He finally spoke.

"There are a few," Sirius said sarcastically.

"No… no, we could use the trees to find our way back!"

"How?"

"We can climb them and see what direction we have to go in. Give me a lift Sirius," James walked over to the nearest tree.

Sirius shrugged and gave James a push up and quickly he climbed. He was agile and quickly made his way to the top. The other boys watched him go.

"I see it!" He yelled down. "All we have to do is walk to our left, and we will get to the school!"

"Alright come down so we can go," Sirius called up.

But James hesitated. He was looking up at the school it was beautiful. It reminded him of the first time he saw it, candles were still lit and there was a wonderful presence about it. Hogwarts was calm and so old, yet so strong. James looked around the grounds, Hagrid's lights were off, and the lake was quiet.

"James?" He heard Remus' voice.

"Coming!"

He went down but knew that he would look upon this sight often. He would get Sirius to come with him, and together they would look out at Hogwarts.

They found their way to the edge of the Forest. It was about 2:00am now, and clearly time for them to go to bed. Putting the Cloak around them, they left the Forest without knowledge that they were watched by all the animals and beings of the Forest.