Disclaimer: Maybe a nice, proper disclaimer for a change? Nah...

Author note: Okey, first of all - I'm very, very sorry for the delay - I had my exams and I simply couldn't write.

Now,events taking place in this chapterare probablyone of the first things I came up with, just after I decided to write it, So, I really hope you will like it - finally some action coming, after few slow, romance chapters:)

Anyway, thanks for all your reviews, it means a lot to me to know that you like the story:)

And, last but not least, thanks to Aln-Mai for taking care of grammar, spelling and all this scary stuff.

Chapter 17

Getting some Truth Serum was the easiest part. It was not the first time that the Marauders had sneaked into one of the teachers' offices in order to obtain some important but unfortunately restricted object necessary for their pranks and other activities.

They didn't need to plan the whole excursion, especially since the office which they had in mind belonged to Professor Dose, blind to absolutely everything that was going on around her. She probably would not even notice that the potion was gone.

Peter waited in the corridor, in rat form, hidden in the shadows. Sirius was just behind the door, in dog form, which enhanced his hearing, allowing him to hear subtle squeaks from warnings from outside if someone approached. Remus and James, covered by the Invisibility cloak, rummaged through the shelves until they found what they were looking for. It wasn't Veritaserum, of course. If they got caught while using that on a fellow student, they would risk being expelled from Hogwarts.

Everything went smoothly—the Marauders had years of practice.

The real problem, however, was getting Snape to drink it.

They decided on Potions class, the perfect occasion to strike. The plan was rather simple. As usual, they would cause mayhem, tease Snape enough to divert his attention elsewhere, and slip few doses of serum into whatever potion the Slytherin would be making that lesson. Then they would tease Snape about his abilities in order to provoke him into trying his own concoction to prove that it indeed worked.

And afterwards, they would question him.

The only problem was that the nearest Potions class was on Wednesday, the day of Remus' transformation, which meant that he would not be with them. But they simply couldn't wait any longer— they had already lost enough time.


Harry was struggling not to fall asleep. It was Wednesday—Potions, to be precise. It was just that sort of gloomy day, with gray clouds covering the sky and low air pressure making everybody sleepy.

Hermione was lecturing them again in a monotonous voice about why they should apply themselves more to the subject, even if the teacher's expectations were close to nothing. In general, Harry agreed, but right now he simply couldn't bring himself to do anything. With one last groan, he covered his head with the textbook and laid down on the desk, closing his eyes.

Hermione let out exasperated sight and set to work, fuming angrily. Back behind them a similar scene was taking place between Lily and Ron.

"Why don't we just swap places?" Ron suggested when Lily berated him once again for not helping with the assignment. "Hermione, you go and sit with Lily and I will sleep with Harry."

"Sleep with Harry?" Lily snorted.

"That's not what I meant..." Ron mumbled, his cheeks red.

Hermione giggled and said playfully, "Well, I for one have nothing against seeing what exactly you meant."

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. "You're my sister! You're supposed to be on my side."

Lily laughed openly. Even Harry peeked from under the textbook. We are getting better at this, he thought grimly, better at pretending, better at lying... Somehow, he was not in the mood for jokes today.

"So, are you going to change places or not?" asked Lily. "You'll see! We'll give Snape a run for his money, won't we, Hermione?"

They all looked at the Slytherin student briefly. He was the only one in the classroom really working. He had some thick book open on his desk and was adding ingredient after ingredient to his cauldron. His hair was falling into his face, but it failed to hide his expression—a frown on his forehead marking deep concentration as he stirred the potion slowly.

"Right. Have fun." Ron said sarcastically as he stood up and moved to Harry's desk. He put his head on the desk, mimicking Harry.

Lily shook her head and both girls set to work, paying no attention whatsoever to the familiar buzz of conversations surrounding them.

Harry had really drifted away when a sudden commotion brought him back to reality. His eyes snapped open and he looked around, blinking wildly, only to see both Hermione and Lily fuming angrily.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly.

"Sirius stole some ingredients from Snape," Ron replied quietly, pointing to the front of the classroom.

Harry looked and saw Sirius standing close to Snape with smirk on his face. The Slytherin boy had his fists clenched and grimace of hatred was making his face even more twisted than usual. Behind them stood Peter, with an innocent expression on his face.

James was talking with the teacher, obviously trying to distract the old woman from Sirius and Snape.

Other students were only watching, not willing to take part in the never-ceasing war between four popular Gryffindors and one unpopular Slytherin.

Harry could see Lily's fists clenching and unclenching, as she muttered something angrily to herself.

"Don't bother with them." He whispered, placing a supporting hand on her arm. Lily turned around, surprised by the gesture, but smiled at him nonetheless.

"I know—I can partly understand them. I mean, Snape definitely is a brat. But still—the way they're bullying him—it reminds me of my sister, Petunia..."

"I know how you feel," Harry replied and nodded with understanding. "I know exactly how you feel."

He turned and watched the scene in front of the classroom again. It was painfully similar to the scene from Snape's Pensieve. Again, four boys were attacking one just because they were bored. Another thought suddenly struck him. Was this the reason why Snape was so bitter? Was this the reason of his future choices? Was this the reason why he became a Death Eater?

Suddenly something caught his eyes. Sirius was just taunting Snape with another insult, holding the stolen items up in the air. But behind him, Peter was actually pouring something into the Snape's potion. Some dark, strange liquid, unfamiliar liquid.

"Lily, did you see that?" Harry asked quietly.

"What?"

"Peter added something to Snape's potion. You don't think they would actually try to poison him?"

"I wouldn't put it past them. Come on, let's go." She grabbed Harry's hand, dragging him to the front of the classroom. Harry followed her with a strange, sinking feeling in his heart. It was one thing to bully someone, but poison him? Please, don't let my father get this low... Harry prayed silently, the idea hurting him more than he would ever admit.

As they got nearer, Harry could finally hear what Sirius was saying.

"... you know what I think, Snivellus? It's really good that you are working so hard in potions, honestly." People around laughed, as if the comment was so amusing. Harry gritted his teeth. "There must be some field in which you are doing well. Not any serious magic, of course. This requires some power, doesn't it? But don't worry, potions are excellent choice for those less gifted."

"Shut up, Black," Snape replied furiously. Harry recognized his tone immediately. The same tone which would cause every non-Slytherin student to cower and beg silently for the end of the lesson in just a few years. Only that its effect now was nowhere near to its effect in future. Instead of being intimidated, Sirius merely smirked and said smugly, "What an intelligent response! I'll give you that, Snape, you are really getting better with making conversation. Few more years and you'll be able to use full sentences."

Laughter filled the room again.

"You think you're so funny, Black, don't you?" Snape spat.

"Oh, I was not joking!" Sirius replied indignantly. "I was absolutely serious."

Few people chuckled on the overused mispronunciation.

Snape was about to say something, when another person joined them.

"Why are you wasting your time on him, Padfoot?" James drawled in a bored voice. "Come on, let him do whatever he's doing. It's not like he would ever make a real, working potion anyway."

"What would you know about it, Potter? Somehow I don't see you making any potions yourself! You probably wouldn't be able to tell the cauldron from the spoon!"

James merely glared at him with contempt.

"Now, some people are just natural. I don't need to make any potions—I do well on the exams anyway. I bet I could get any potion better than you, just name it."

From furious expression on Snape's face, Harry could tell that the words were not far from the truth.

"Very well, Potter, why don't you prove it?"

"Why not?" James asked lightly. "But before I prove anything, you prove me that it's worth my effort! What were we doing today, anyway? Ah, the Looks-Altering Potion—come on, drink some! Prove to me first that it really works!"

"You could use some looks-altering anyway, Snape," Sirius added with a smirk.

Snape glared at them for a while, but with everybody watching, he couldn't back from the challenge. Without a word he turned, took a spoon and dipped it in the potion.

"No!" Lily shouted. "Don't drink it, Snape!"

"Evans, what the hell are you..." Sirius started to say, turning to her angrily. James turned as well, with his unreadable expression changing into an icy glare the moment he saw Lily still holding Harry's hand.

Snape only shrugged his shoulders and raised the spoon to his mouth.

"I saw Pettigrew adding something to your potion, don't drink it!" Lily shouted frantically.

Snape turned and looked at Peter, who tried to look innocent, but the blush on his cheeks betrayed him immediately.

"Can't you see that they were teasing you only to make you drink it?" Lily asked quietly.

"Evans, you spoil-sport!" Sirius groaned like a child who had just had his favorite toy taken away.

"What, I should let you poison him, or something?"

Few people gasped at that, horrified at the suggestion.

"You think we would poison him, Evans?" James asked, his eyes widening with surprise and hurt. Harry watched his father's reaction and felt as if a great stone was removed from his heart. It was obvious that it was not what the Marauders had in mind.

"I..." Lily replied uncertainly.

"Honestly, Evans, just how low do you think of us?" James asked with a strange sadness in his voice and then continued, "Has it ever occurred to you that we are doing this for a reason?"

"Yes, a simple, harmless prank," Sirius interjected smugly, throwing a meaningful glance at his best friend. "I'm hurt to see a fellow classmate accusing us of such terrible things. We would never, ever hurt our dear Snivelly. Too much fun with him around."

A few people snorted at that, the tension of whole encounter slowly evaporating.


Severus Snape stormed out of the classroom, furious. Black, Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew...they simply didn't know with whom they were picking a fight. He felt anger boiling inside him as he walked at a fast pace. He knew that one day, he would get his revenge with the help of his powerful new friends and allies. One day, he would not be saved—again!—by that pathetic Mudblood and her equally pathetic friends. One day, he would show everyone...

He didn't see anything around him, concentrating on sweet visions of a humiliated Potter and Black begging him for mercy and suddenly he bumped into someone—Evans.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood!" he spat angrily, pushing her aside and continuing on his way—before he felt something poking him in his throat. He saw Harry Bradley standing in front of him, his face expressionless apart from his eyes, which were boring into him fiercely.

"Don't you ever call her that, Snape. Ever," the boy said.

Snape smirked at the Gryffindor.

"Or what?" he asked with a sneer. "You'll fight with me? Like you did with Potter?"

"No," Harry replied calmly, not letting the insult get to him.

"Harry!" Lily shouted, looking from one boy to another with wide eyes. "Come on, leave him alone. I don't care what he calls me. It only shows how pathetic he really is, it doesn't offend me."

Next to her, Hermione and Ron also had their wands out, but didn't do anything, letting Harry handle the situation.

"Lily, I know you don't like when someone defends you, but you can't let people treat you like trash just because fighting against them reminds you of James Potter," Harry said quietly, his eyes never leaving Snape's face.

The Slytherin was losing his patience. Suddenly he took a step back and took his wand out in one swift movement. But he didn't even get the chance to throw a spell, because Bradley disarmed him with a whisper. He stood there, glaring at the Gryffindors surrounding him, defenseless, but not willing to give up just yet. And then he saw Arborus Nott and Ret van Hollen, two of his fellow classmates, approaching. None of Gryffindors saw them, as they were focused solely on him.

"Apologize, Snape," Harry said.

Severus waited until both Nott and van Hollen had their wands out and then said with a sneer, "You must be joking, Bradley..."

And at that precise moment, both Slytherins shouted their respective incantations, their wands pointing at Harry.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Annihilus!"

Harry ducked first spell and immediately produced a shield to protect himself from the other one. But he was not quick enough. He felt the spell hit him and felt it doing something strange with his magic, weakening him. He kept a tight grip on his wand, but let Snape take his as he fell to his knees.

Instantly both Ron and Hermione joined the fight.

"Stupefy!" shouted Ron, pointing his wand at one of the Slytherins.

"Petrificus totalus!" followed the girl.

Both engaged themselves in the fight with the two boys. And Harry found himself in front of a smirking evilly Snape.

"You thought you could fight against me, you scum?" he asked, his voice filled with cruel satisfaction.

Harry was trying to fight the dizziness when suddenly he heard quiet, shaky whisper.

"Finite Incantatem."

It was Lily. Momentarily, Harry regained his strength and leaped up, sending a random curse in the direction of Snape. The Slytherin boy ducked and two of them stood there, glaring at each other. Both of the other Slytherins were already unconscious. It was back to the two of them.

"You think you're good enough to face me?" Snape asked with a scowl. "You are a coward, Bradley, unable to do anything without the help of your siblings."

"We will see," Harry replied quietly, unfazed by the insult.

"Very well. Serpensortia!"

It was the second time in his life when Harry saw the spell, but this time it was done properly. Instead of one, small snake, a whole bunch of them emerged from Snape's wand. Harry took step back, his eyes widening at the view.

"I knew you were coward. What, Bradley? Scared of few snakes?"

Harry watched the reptiles, which were hissing all at once, creating a humming sound from which Harry could occasionally hear one or two sensible words.

"Humans... so many humans... danger... attack... defend ourselves... danger... attack..."

"Scared, Mudblood?" Snape asked again, this time turning to Lily.

When Harry heard this, he saw red. He glared at Snape furiously and then spat with venom, "I told you not to call her that! Let's see how brave you are! Attack him!" he ordered in Parseltongue, not bothering anymore about the consequences of using the ill-gotten ability in front of so many students.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. As if on cue, everyone—including her and Ron—stared at Harry, shocked.

The snakes slid towards Snape, who just gaped at them, immense surprise written all over his face. He took two steps back, but snakes were faster, hissing at him in anger.

"Finite Incantatem!" Hermione screamed, and snakes vanished with a puff of dark smoke.

"You're a Parselmouth. How come..." Snape mumbled, looking around as if he just woke up.

Harry watched the Slytherin with disgust and anger when suddenly he saw something that made his heart stop. Further up the corridor stood James and Sirius, gaping at him with their mouths open wide.