Here's some thanks to my reviewers *hands out baskets of thanks* . I'm going to try to make this chapter a bit longer than the others....*sniff* people have been complaining....sadness....

Chapter Five: Dealing with the Demon

Severus was about to pick up his bag and start off toward Defense Against the Dark Arts, when he noticed a shadow on the floor coming from the sunlight-filled corridor.

"Sooo..." James said lazily as he walked slowly into the empty classroom, closely followed by Sirius, Remus, and Peter, "How's life, old friend?"

Severus scowled deeply and muttered darkly, "It just got worse."

"You know, that's funny, because I was just thinking the same thing." Sirius said lightly.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Severus asked as he looked around for his bag, one hand firmly around the handle of his wand in his pocket.

"We could ask you the same question." James chuckled. "But we won't."

"We wanted to see you." Sirius said with a smirk.

Severus opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment the bell rang, and he headed toward the door.

But James was in his way.

Severus pulled his wand out of his pocket so quickly that his hand was merely a blur before his wand was pointed straight at James' nose. Then he noticed that James's own wand was pointed at this own nose.

"You'll want to be a bit quicker next time, Snivellus." James said lazily.

Severus's eyes flashed dangerously and he whispered, "You too."

They both lowered their wands and glared at each other for a moment, until James said, "You ought to get to class, Snivellus."

He moved aside.

* * *

As Severus lumbered into to Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor he saw the marauders coming from the other way. His eyes narrowed, but it was only until after he'd settled down in his seat in class did he wonder how they'd gotten there before him, coming from the other way.

* * *

James smiled at his three friends, a dimple in his left cheek showed in the shade of the tree that they were sitting under. In the distance the past Sirius and James were sitting behind the greenhouses, talking and not paying attention to the four boys under the tree.

"Well?" James said.

"Well, what?" Remus said reproachfully.

"Well isn't time travel great?"

Sirius smirked, "You're feeling a bit enthused aren't you, Prongs?"

Remus cut in before James could put in a laughing response, "I don't like bothering Snape like that."

"Of course you don't, angle," James said with a chuckle, "Only the most pure of spirits are able to resist the temptation of spoiling another day for--"

"I mean it, James." Remus said quietly, pulling up tufts of grass. He looked over at Peter. "Don't you think so, Peter?"

"What? Oh...eh..." He looked admirably at James and Sirius and said, "Nah! It's alright. Snibellus deserves the abuse anyway."

"It's 'Snivellus.'" James said through a grin.

"Yeah, I know." Peter said.

"Well...anyway...." Sirius said.

"What're we going to do now?" James asked.

"We could try again--"

"No." Remus said with as much authority that he could muster.

James cast a sideways glance at Sirius and said, "Fine, Moony. We won't."

Remus smiled and looked up at the sky with tawny eyes.

"How far in time do you think a time turner could take you?" He said lazily.

"I don't know." James said quietly.

"D'you think it would take us to...years and years away?"

James smiled. "Maybe."

Off in the distance they heard the bell ring, but none of them stood up. None of them said a thing for a while, as their minds traveled into the future where this hourglass could take them. In fact, they were so stuck in their own thoughts (A/N Marauders have brains to think with, too) that only a loud peal of laughter from a nearby group of sixth years brought them back to their senses.

Cliffhangers are my favorite things in the world! Hahahahahahaha!