{As I'm sure you can guess from the chapter, this is where I cover 'Snape's Worst Memory'. Most of what Snape and the Marauders say is word-for-word copy from the book, so please don't sue! That would just take up too much of the time that could be spent writing.}

{And just a warning this chapter contains mild language, which basically means that there is one swear word. Don't read if you think you'll be offended.}

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR The Afternoon by the Lake

Lily gently nudged Ophelia awake, as the pale grey sun rose over the grounds and spilled into the dorm.

Talia was sitting up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Where's Mai?"

They glanced over to her bed in the corner, where the covers were twisted into a ball.

"She's not really one to get up before us." Talia continued.

"Maybe she got up to do some last-minute studying." suggested Lily.

Ophelia shrugged. "I'm sure it's nothing for us to worry about. Unless one of her firecrackers blew up in her face."

They quickly dressed and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

The Marauders were already at the table, with great dark circles beneath their eyes.

"Good morning." chirped Lily and Ophelia in unison. They looked at each other and giggled.

"Morning." grunted Remus.

Talia stuffed a few strips of salty bacon into her mouth. "I heard you killed each other last night."

"Who did you hear that from?" James asked.

"Some Ravenclaw boy."

"Well that's a bit of an exaggeration."

"He said you had your wands drawn."

Remus pushed his porridge around in his bowl. "He was wrong."

Lily was shuffling a pile of parchment in front if her. "Why aren't you guys studying?" she glanced at her wristwatch. "We only have a half an hour left before the Defence OWL begins."

James shrugged. "My brain can't hold anymore information."

She ignored this and began going over her bestiary.

"Are you ready, Sir?" asked Ophelia, taking a sip of banana juice.

Sirius looked up. "What? Er.. I think so."

"Do you want to go over anything?"

"Alright."

They stood up and went outside into the courtyard, sitting down upon the stone dais.

"So I think we pretty much covered everything. Er... I'm sure the Unforgivable's will come up so you'll probably want to make sure you have that down. What is a long term effect of the Cruciatus curse?"

"Insanity?"

"Right. And what does the Imperius do?"

"The Imperius completely controls the person it is being used on." Sirius answered.

"I really don't think you need to study anymore." said Ophelia. "You know it, hands down."

"Can't we just go over it some more? I'd hate to have the exam in front of me and realise we didn't spend enough time on.. on.. nogtails."

"You're worried that nogtails will come up?"

"It was just an example." he chuckled.

"Oh. Good, because I really don't think they're going to be mentioned." she replied. "So what really happened last night?"

"W-What?"

A clear bell rang throughout the grounds.

Sirius took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, I just want to get this over with."

They returned to the Great Hall, where the four long tables had been cleared away, and in their place, hundreds of individual desks had been erected.

Ophelia took her place in front of Remus.

"Good luck." whispered Sirius, as he chose an empty desk a few rows behind her.

Lily was muttering things over to herself until Professor Flitwick asked the class to begin their tests.

Once in a while, Professor Riley would pop into the Hall, grinning wildly, to watch his students as they proved how much they had learned over the last five years.

As the hours ticked away, they answered questions on grindylows, kappas, vampires and werewolves to mention a few.

Ophelia tapped her fingers on the desk as she read the last question. "Which methods can be used to repel Red Caps?" she muttered quietly.

"Five more minutes." said Professor Flitwick, as he passed by her.

She and Sirius had reviewed Red Caps a few nights earlier.

'He looked so good that night.' she thought to herself. 'No, concentrate.'

'Red caps may be repelled by using several methods." she scribbled. "The first being hexes and charms such as the Patronus. Also carrying a cross or quoting phrases from the Bible. Red caps rarely attack witches or wizards, as they know they have a greater chance of being harmed. Instead, they search for Muggles who cannot as easily defend themselves."

Ophelia set down her quill and looked around the quiet Hall; Remus was busily rechecking his answers and James was running a hand through his hair.

She turned round in her seat and caught Sirius' eye.

"How'd you do?" he mouthed.

She smiled in reply. "You?"

He made an O with his fingers and grinned. He glanced over at James and flashed him a thumbs up, and both went back to doodling on their parchment.

Lily was propping her head up on her hands, her beautiful crimson hair cascading down her shoulders.

"Quills down, please." called Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins. Please remain seated while I collect your parchment. Accio."

He fell to the floor under the weight of the parchment.

James laughed and Talia slapped his arm.

Ophelia got to her feet and joined Lily at her desk. Her nails were red and chewed down to the quick.

"Did you spend more time writing the OWL or staring at Sirius?" she asked as they linked arms.

"I'm a master multi-tasker."

The two girls giggled as they left the Hall with Talia following not far behind, going over her answers.

They made their way outside and collapsed at the edge of the lake.

"Only one more OWL," chanted Lily. "And then summer." She made to retrieve her notes from her bag but Ophelia shot her a wary look.

"You promised you would give me one hour where we wouldn't study." she said.

"But the Astronomy OWL is in seven hours!"

Talia took her bag and hid it behind her back. "You'll get it back an hour."

Lily crossed her arms over her chest but remained silent.

Mai dropped casually to her feet beside them. "Gregory and Warner are still writing their NEWTs." she explained.

"Are you coming with us this summer?" asked Ophelia.

Mai groaned. "I can't. My father's making me come home. Don't ask me why."

"I've been there." she said, her thoughts traveling back to last July.

"Phe," sang Talia. "Look behind you."

She craned her neck to meet Sirius's gaze. He, James, Remus and Pete had settled on a spot near them.

Sirius grinned and quickly turned back to watching James play with a Snitch.

"Neither of you say a word." she warned.

"You're blushing." Lily said simply.

"Bugger off!"

"Ophelia's blushing, Ophelia's blushing." chanted Talia and Lily, exploding in a fit of giggles.

"Mrs Ophelia Black. It has a nice ring to it."

Mai rifled through her bag and pulled out a folded up copy of the Daily Prophet. The headline read, The fourth in a series of 'Dark Marks' appeared over London's West End last night.

'What the bloody hell is a Dark Mark?' muttered Ophelia.

Talia laughed, snapping her out of her thoughts. She was looking across the water at the giant squid who was tossing a young merman around in the air, every once in a while dipping him back into the water.

The merman was understandably not enjoying this game, as it shook it's gray fist at the students.

"The squid better be careful." said Mai gravely. "Once his village realizes he's missing they'll come looking for him with their spears brandished."

"Oh please say we can stay out here to see that." said Talia. "We can study out here, right Lily?"

Lily didn't answer. She was staring intently across the grass, where the Marauders had settled themselves. Sirius had sent him flying across the ground.

"What's wrong, Lil?" asked Ophelia.

"Aren't you seeing this? What are they doing to Severus?"

"Nothing he probably doesn't deserve." she replied. "Leave it alone, Lil."

"They're hexing him and he did nothing to deserve it!"

"Phe's right." Mai agreed. "Snape's a git."

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" called James.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment. There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word." said Sirius.

Talia, Mai and Ophelia laughed loudly.

Snape struggled to get to his feet. "You wait." he hissed, "You wait."

Lily turned away from the commotion. "I can't just sit here and watch this!"

"Lily don't." warned Ophelia. "I know things about Snape-- things you can't even imagine. He's a bad person, and it's just a matter of time before he becomes a Dark wizard. Stay out of it."

"He shouldn't be treated this way!" she said, ignoring Ophelia and jumping to her feet. "Leave him alone!" she hollered at James.

"Here we go." muttered Talia.

"All right, Evans?" he answered, rising to his full height.

"Leave him alone." she repeated. "What's he done to you?"

"Well, it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean..."

Ophelia fought back a laugh.

Snape was sprawled on the ground, sneering at Lily.

"I'll make them pay. Black and Potter will be first. But I'll make them all pay."

"You think you're funny. But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans. Go on... go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Mai gasped. "James likes Lily?"

"Where have you been?" snorted Talia.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it were a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.

"Bad lucks, Prongs. Oi!"

Snape grabbed for his wand and had hexed James, a line of blood running along his cheek.

James wasted no time in hanging Snape up by his feet. His robes fell to his neck, revealing patchy, gray shorts.

"Eww," groaned Ophelia. "I could have gone without seeing that."

"I think we all could have." said Mai.

"Let him down!"

"Certainly. Petrificus Totalus."

Snape went fell to the ground once more, his limbs stiff.

"Leave him alone!" screamed Lily, taking her wand out.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you."

"Take the curse off him then!"

Talia screeched, her hand flying up to her forehead.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" spat Snape.

Ophelia leapt to her feet, a streak of bright red running through her hair. "Bastard!"

"Apologise to Evans!" James hollered.

"I don't want you to make him apologise. You're as bad as he is."

"What? I'd never call you a... you know what!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you because you can-- I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me sick."

"James doesn't hex people in the halls." frowned Ophelia.

Talia and Mai stared at her. "Are we talking about the same James?" said Talia. "James Potter, right?"

Lily spun on her heel and walked back to the castle.

Ophelia was torn between running after her best friend or defending her honour.

Talia gave her a slight push. "We'll go after her. You take care of..." she trailed off and shot Snape a look of pure loathing.

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?" James asked the crowd.

"I have a much better idea." replied Ophelia, jumping between him and Sirius.

"Phe!" welcomed James brightly. "I'm glad you've joined us."

"Ophelia!" hissed Remus. "What are you doing? Leave it to James and Sirius. What if Dumbledore comes?"

"Let her stay and have some fun." Sirius chuckled. "And if he comes, we'll take the blame."

"Snivellus needs to learn that when you take Lily on, you have me to deal with."

"You don't scare me!"

"No?" Ophelia narrowed her eyes and focused her energy. She hoped that this would work. "I can hear what you are thinking. I know your deepest secrets and fears, the things you dare not tell anyone. If I were you, I'd be very scared."

Snape gave a loud, terrified gasp.

The crowd around them were visibly confused.

"So you don't like those who aren't purebloods. Kind of hypocritical coming from someone like you, not the noblest of wizarding families, eh Severus? If you went in for all that pureblood crap. You're disgusting. James, will you do the honors?"

He grinned. "It would be my pleasure. Locomotor Snivellus." said James, guiding him into the lake.

Snape knocked the merman from the giant squid's tentacle as he was thrown up in the air and caught again, the squid's new play thing.

"We should probably leave before Dumbledore shows up." said Remus, looking wildly around the grounds.

Ophelia returned to her spot and gathered up her and Lily's things.

Sirius ran after her, grinning like mad. "Phe, that was brilliant. And your hair.."

She slung the bags over her shoulders and headed for the castle. "It does that." she growled. "How can people like Snape be so..."

"Bloody ignorant?" he suggested. "Try being a Black; most if my family are no better than him. And everyone expects me to just follow in their footsteps like some mindless child. I hate the whole lot of them."

Ophelia stopped in her tracks. "I don't. You're nothing like them. You and Andromeda are going to make people look at the Blacks in an entirely new--"

Sirius spun round and kissed her.

A few moments later, a high-pitched shriek echoed across the grounds. "James Potter and Sirius Black get over here this instant!" Professor McGonagall hollered.

Sirius broke away, smiling. "D-Don't worry. We'll take care of it." he promised, before running back towards his friends.

Ophelia stood unmoving, trying to figure out exactly what had just happened.