5: Snivellus' revenge (nearly 2 years later)

"Look out, Remus!" The boy ducked quickly, lifting his book over his head to protect it as the small golden bullet that was the Snitch zoomed over it. James rushed after it, bounding from chair to chair as he chased the Snitch across the common room. Finally he caught up with it and, bouncing off one of the sofa chairs, he managed to grab it in one hand. He got down off the chair, rubbing his scruffy hair out of his eyes and grinning broadly.

"Very nice," Sirius commented lazily from the chair he was sprawled in. "A hundred points to Gryffindor for catching the Snitch."

"It was brilliant, James!" squeaked Peter. James grinned even more broadly at the praise.

"Sorry about that, Moony," he said. "A low flying Snitch could take your head off!" The nickname had evolved last year and seemed to have become stuck to him over the beginning of the autumn term. In a funny way he liked it. It was a reminder of the fact that he no longer had anything to hide.

"Not nearly as likely as a low flying Seeker," shot back Remus good-naturedly, leaning back with a crafty smile and lowering his book. "You've got to wonder why you're suddenly so keen on practising, James. You wouldn't be trying to impress somebody, would you? A certain pretty young Gryffindor named…let me think… Lily Evans?"

"Maybe," said James.

"Maybe!" Sirius called from his chair. "It's not just a maybe when you break off a perfect barrel roll because she wasn't looking at you. We could have lost the match! Although I can understand what she might see in that Ravenclaw Chaser…"

"Shut up, Sirius," said James, and tried to throw the Snitch at him but it just fluttered off in a different direction and he had to run after it and catch it again. Remus watched him, laughing gently. He didn't feel too good and he knew exactly why. Full moon was only a few days away, but at least he wouldn't have the trouble of thinking of new lies and excuses to give his friends. He had become gradually less moody and reserved over the last year as the worry of being revealed was lifted and his friends had proven themselves more than trustworthy. Sirius turned to him, noticing how quiet he was.

"That time of the month, is it?" he teased. Remus threw a cushion at him. Sirius ducked quickly and it flew over his head, whacking James as he scrambled after the Snitch.

"Hey!"

"Not my fault!" Sirius said quickly, holding his hands up in surrender. When James threw it back, he didn't duck fast enough. James laughed aloud and carried on with his search for the Snitch. Remus sighed happily.

"What are you puzzling away at?" said James, snagging the Snitch at last and curling himself up comfortably in a fourth chair.

"Revision, for next lesson. Boggarts," Remus replied shortly, demonstrating the book. "Three guesses as to what it will turn into when it sees me. I have to make it change and I have to make it change fast, before anyone realises what it is."

"What'll you turn it into?"

"I don't know. I wish I could practise beforehand. There's nothing about the moon that makes me laugh."

"Come on, Remus, think bigger," suggested Sirius. "Big round things that make you laugh. Balloons? Bubbles?"

"Sirius' face?" James chipped in. "Bubbles, Sirius? He's not three, you know."

"At least I'm trying to be helpful!"

"You'll be fine, Remus. Defence against the Dark Arts is one of your best subjects," James assured him.

"But won't it turn into a werewolf?" Peter asked. "That's alright, isn't it? Lots of people are scared of them. I don't like wer- Well apart from you, of course, but then you're different, from other... Well, you know," he finished lamely.

"Thanks for that, Peter," said Remus stiffly. "And no it won't. I'm not afraid of werewolves themselves, just of having to become one once a month. I'll have to pass it off as something else. A crystal ball maybe."

"Or a giant pus-filled spot!" exclaimed James. "Quite the finest moment of our first year! We'll have to think of something to beat all our past pranks this time though. Something no one will ever forget. I still hear people talking about that one. You're quite famous, Remus."

"I wonder what dear Snivellus is doing today," Sirius mused. "You know he still hasn't forgiven you for that trick with the spots, Moony. I heard him muttering about it in the corridors."

"Really? What about that time you wrote 'Wash Me!' on the back of his head in flashing letters, surely he hasn't forgotten that?"

"Yes but he couldn't see that, could he? They took it off and didn't tell him what it said. Such a pity." Sirius shook his head sadly. "He's got it in for you now. For all of us."

"Wow," said Remus softly. "After two years? He really can hold a grudge, can't he?"

"Oh yes, he's one of a kind is our Snivellus."

"Do you think we should be worried?"

"Nah! This is Snivelling Snape we're talking about. He wouldn't dare try anything."

He was partly right. Severus would never have tried to pick them off when they were all together. However, as it turned out, he would dare to try and put an Impediment jinx on Remus when he caught him alone in a corridor on the day of the full moon. He waited until Remus had passed him and he had a clear shot at his back before firing off the spell. Hearing the shouted words, Remus spun quickly, pulling out his own wand to try and create a counter spell but he wasn't quick enough. The jinx contained such venomous force that it blasted him and his half-formed shield across the corridor and into the wall. Severus advanced on him, wand pointed directly at his throat.

"You thought you could pick on me?" Severus hissed. "You thought you could bully me and I wouldn't fight back? Well here's a nice little spell that you'll enjoy. I know you love tricks like this so much." The look on his face told Remus that Snape was aiming for something far more serious than a few comedy spots. He was actually going to try and hurt him, he was that bitter.

Remus, scared as he was with the business end of that wand aimed at his head, suddenly had an idea of what he had done in the library two years ago. Severus was as lonely as he had been. He was a vicious, unforgiving beast of a boy, but he was lonely. And Remus had made it worse when he, of all people, should have understood.

"I had no idea," he said, careful not to alarm Severus. "I'm sorry."

"Well it's a bit late now, isn't it." Snape pushed a lock of hair back from his sallow face. "Everyone's always sorry once they're caught. You'll be even sorrier when I'm through with you." He drew in a breath to speak the words and Remus tried hard not to close his eyes. He stared at Severus, trying to read his expression as he had done with James when he was confronted with the truth. After having studied how to hide his own feelings for years, mostly by copying others, he had begun to learn how to value what he saw.

"Severus," he began. "Just think for a minute. If you think that I-"

"Enough!" Snape bellowed. "Don't try and talk yourself out of this one, Lupin. You're not the nice little boy everyone thinks you are." If only you knew, Remus thought briefly. Snape's mouth began to form the letters.

"Everena-"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

With a roar of rage Sirius came barrelling along the corridor, wand outstretched. Snape's wand flew from his hand. He bolted after it and Remus slipped to the floor.

"Are you all right?" Sirius called, skidding to a halt. He waited for the briefest of moments for Remus to nod and then shot off after the fleeing Severus. Remus picked himself up as James and Peter came running up to him; James tucking his wand back into his robes. It was he who had disarmed Snape.

"Not hurt?"

"Not hurt."

"Not hexed?"

"Don't think so."

"Come on, quick. Before he does something stupid."

"Which one?" gasped Peter as they followed Snape and Sirius at a run.

"I don't know. Either of them!"

"There they are!" It was Snape who was now backed against the wall with Sirius towering over him. His wand was out but instead of spewing out all the hexes he could muster, he was speaking quietly and forcefully at Snape, a wicked expression on his face. As he saw the others he let Snape go, keeping a careful eye on him as he stumbled away down the corridor, his greasy hair all over the place.

"What did you do to him?" asked Remus, slightly concerned for Snape's sake. It was an unfamiliar emotion. Sirius shrugged.

"Nothing. Just told him a couple of things he won't forget for a while."

"You didn't do anything?" James pressed incredulously. "That's very self-restrained for you."

"I know," Sirius grinned. "I feel quite pleased with myself." But his expression showed that he was still furious with Severus. "I'd give it until the day after tomorrow, then I don't think he'll bother us again."

"Why the day after tomorrow?" quizzed Remus. "I'll miss it, whatever it is. I'll still be recovering in the Infirmary. If you hadn't all turned up just then, they wouldn't have had to worry about a werewolf running loose tonight. I think he'd have broken both my legs!"

"Don't worry, it's all sorted," Sirius said. "You have to trust me, Moony."

"I do trust you," Remus replied solemnly. He sighed, looking extremely uncomfortable. "I'd better get ready to go. I'll see you all in a day or two." They wished him luck and he turned to go.

"Oh, wait! About Snape," he added. "Don't do anything to him, will you? Don't try and hurt him or anything. I think I need to talk to him when I get back and I need him in a good mood. And one piece."

"Get going, Moony!" said James. "We'll take care of it." He, Peter and Sirius went back to common room, which was nearly empty. They watched as the sun began to set and thought of Remus under the Whomping Willow, steeling himself to transform. Sirius was unusually quiet. He seemed to be thinking hard about something.

"James," he said finally. James looked up.

"What?"

"I think," Sirius said, choosing his words carefully, "I may have done something rather stupid."

"What?" James chuckled, letting his imagination run away with him.

"No, James. Not like that. I think Snape may be going to find Remus."

"Well that's alright. He's safe for the next few days."

"No. Not when he gets back. Now. As in, right now; under the Willow."

"What?" echoed Peter.

"I may have told Snivellus how to find him when he's down there. And he may be going to look for him there. Tonight. After dark." James and Peter both looked at him, very slowly.

"If you're joking…"

"No, I'm not. I'm deadly serious."

"Sirius," said James quietly, "what have you done?"

"I don't know. I was angry and… you know how I get. I wasn't thinking straight. I just blurted it out!"

"What exactly did you tell him?" James was on his feet now.

"Where to find him, when to go, how to get under the Willow. I thought it would scare him into-"

"SCARE HIM?" yelled James. "IT'S GOING TO KILL HIM! MAYBE REMUS TOO!" He paced madly, trying to calm down. "What in Merlin's name possessed you to-"

"I don't know, James. It was a mistake!"

"Too right it was. You swore, Sirius, we all did. You promised not to tell a soul. Think about it. Severus has a wand, Remus has razor sharp fangs, they can't both win you know!"

"What do we do?" yelped Peter.

"Go find Dumbledore," James told him. "RUN! I'll try and catch Snape before he gets there." He looked out the window. The sky was red in the afterglow of the long-set sun. "We don't have long. Go!"

"What can I do?" said Sirius, getting up too.

"Don't you think you've done enough?" snapped James.

"This is my fault. I want to help!"

"Fine, go help Peter. You have a whole castle to search! Get moving!" They burst out of the common room, to the protesting screams of the Fat Lady trying to tell them to walk in the corridors.