I am sorry it has taken me SO long to update. But I have to ask now….DID YOU GUYS NOT LOVE BOOK #6! WOW! Well, you can defiantly tell now that this didn't come from the Master, (JK Rowling) but the characters and all they represent do…so you people just remember that when reading this. Please Enjoy and be sure to R&R.

At breakfast the next morning, James woke up early to be alone with his thoughts. He showered ate breakfast almost alone, and then went to the library to review his charms lesson from the last class. He was buried in a mountain of books when a new voice grabbed his attention.

"Hi, may I sit here?"

James looked up to see a pretty girl with long brown hair looking down at him.

"Sure. I could use some company."

"I'm sorry." The Girl said quickly, "I just don't like being by myself."

"I understand." James said. "I'm like that sometimes."

"I'm Celeste."

"I'm…"

"I know you are James Potter."

James felt him self smile a little. He was indeed notorious.

"So, what are you doing here so early?" He asked.

"Well, you see I like to study when it is quiet. So, I am usually up every morning at six to find somewhere in which I can sit in silence. But today, the silence of the library is eerie. I feel like something is going to happen."

James strained his ears. "It's no different than how it usually is." He said as listened to turning pages and low breathing.

"No," Celeste, "It's very different something is wrong."

James felt uneasy about the new person. This was odd, nothing was wrong, but here she was insisting that there was. Maybe, she was just psychotic. That is what James decided to settle for until,

"James!" Celeste sat up and looked panicked, "quickly you have to go now! There is no one there to protect her! Go! You have to stop him!"

James was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

But whatever it was Celeste was adamant. She got up and pulled James to his feet. "James, you must go and protect her! She's just a child, she-"

But James never heard who or what she was. A deafening shriek of a small child, a low crack, and the low rumble of deep male laughter caused James to take off wand pulled, to the outside corridor.

By the time he got there, a small group was gathering around. Most every body was coming up the stairs from the Great Hall, but a small handful also came out of the library, and deserted classrooms. James took a quick survey of the hall, and the gathering queue. It is then he saw in the middle of the hall, a small body with a thick head of blond curls. James ran over to her and knelt down beside her. He gently rolled her over and pushed the hair away from her eyes. He felt his heart cleft in two.

"Beth!" Cried a fifth year boy, with the same curly hair, James could only assume this was her brother, Mike. He came running across the floor for a look at his sister. "Is she all right?"

"I don't know." James said honestly checking for a pulse. It was very faint. "She's alive." James said again as the Teachers began to push their way through.

Professor Sprout came to lead Mike away speaking soothing words, "It's ok, dear, and she's all right. Professor Dumbledore will se that she will get to the hospital wing, you can visit her in a bit."

Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall hurried over and examined the girl. Checking like James had done for a pulse just as Lily had joined them all.

"All Students back to the great Hall!" Professor Dumbledore called to the crowed after setting off a spark from his wand to call for silence. "Sit at your tables with your Prefects. NO one is to leave! Prefects, take a roll call of every student in the house. They all must be accounted for. I need the Heads of House to join me in my Study. Miss Evans. You accompany Mr. Potter to the Hospital Wing with Miss Olsen, and then the both of you come straight to my office, understood? Good."

The heads of house and Professor Dumbledore all started down the corridor after the students, but turned left just short of them. James scooped the small girl up in his arms and proceeded in the opposite direction.

"Wait a second James, let me look at her." Lily said gently taking her pulse like James and Dumbledore had done before. Then a light shot from the end of Lily's wand it, was a small narrow beam, but she lifted Beth's eyelid open and shined it into the child's pupil.

"They're not dilating." Said Lily smoothing Beth's hair once more, "She's in a coma. I can't tell what kind of a curse was used. Madam Pomfery will have to look at this…it can't be a C curse because there is no marking, but I don't see how a B can do this sort of damage either."

"Lily, let's let Madam Pomfery look at it. She can tell us."

"Yes…I suppose but…But I think that…."

"Lily, you are over thinking. The point isn't what kind of curse, or hex or whatever it was, the point is someone tried to hurt this poor girl, this little girl who has done nothing wrong."

They reached the Hospital wing. Madam Pomfery was somehow waiting for them and tool Beth gingerly form James's arms.

"She will be all right now." Madam Pomfery said casting a hopeful look at them both. "Please wait here while I examine her."

"Please, Madam…may-" But Lily was stopped by a look from Madam Pomfery.

"Miss Evans I need to examine her myself. I'll let you both know when I figure out what's wrong."

James and Lily sat outside in the dark waiting room for what felt like a small eternity. Time ticked and droned on. Slow and steady, it felt as if time were even controlling the rhythm of James's breath. The second hand would tick and James would in hale, it would tick again and he would exhale…or that's what it felt like.

James leaned back on the bench and shut his eyes. He felt something soft and silky brush his cheek, as something weighed his shoulder slightly down. He opened his eyes, and saw that Lily had fallen asleep, and she had fallen over on his shoulder. He laughed slightly at the irony, then slowly drew his wand and materialized a small pillow.

He then slowly slid Lily's head form his shoulder to the pillow which he had laid at one end of the bench. He slid of the bench into the floor slowly stretching her body into a more comfortable sleeping position. He knelt beside her stroking her hair and watching her sleep. He wasn't sure if she would appreciate it given the way she had been acting the past few days, but James leaned over and gently brushed his lips against her forehead. Then hearing foot steps, he jumped, and then sat on the floor looking deliberately forward.

As the foot steps cam nearer, James watched the approaching shadow with baited breath…only to find out.

"James, I thought I told you both to come straight to my office." Dumbledore said as he rounded the corner to see James sitting outside the hospital wing as if he were standing guard.

James jumped to his feet. "I'm so sorry professor…I-" But, Dumbledore cut him off. "I understand, no doubt Miss Evans could not leave Miss Olsen so defenseless, and you could no doubt leave Miss Evans."

James shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"Now, this is what you need to know, James. Security is tightened. We have teams patrolling around the clock. I have Aurors watching the grounds, and though this will disappoint you, I have canceled all quidditch matches until such a time that we can find our saboteur."

James heart sank. "You did what?"

"I'm sorry James, but you must realize how important the safety of my students is to me."

James looked over Dumbledore's shoulder through the small window looking into the Hospital Wing. He saw Madame Pomfery laying Beth down in a vacant hospital bed. James nodded his head.

"Yes, sir," He said to Dumbledore, "I think I do."

Dumbledore smiled. "Good then," he said, "I suggest that you go back up to your dormitory and get some sleep before your next lesson, James, you look weary."

James nodded as he turned to wake Lily. She stirred slightly, as James stroked her face, "Lily," he said now pushing the hair out of her eyes. "Wake up."

Lily's emerald green eyes fluttered open. She looked around a bit then she looked up at James.

"How's Beth?" she said sitting up.

"I don't know. Madam Pomfery hasn't come out yet."

"Oh." Lily looked down fallen.

"Dumbledore says we should go back to the dormitory before the next class. You can finish your nap there."

"Oh no, what time is it?" Asked Lily hurriedly.

James checked his watch, "Well it's just now ten, there is only thirty minutes until potions is over.

"Oh I need to go to potions." Lily said sitting up fast.

James looked a bit hurt. "Lily, I would really like to talk to you about yesterday."

"Oh, James I'm sorry, but I have to go to potions…I'm really having trouble with…"

James gently caught her hand as she was reaching for her book bag.

"Lily, we will talk about this today." There was no grin on his face. No playfulness in his voice. He could tell Lily was forcing herself to hold his gaze, to not allow herself to be intimidated. But soon, her fearsome gaze dropped, and James could have sworn she blushed a bit.

"I need to go to class, James. Will you please let go of my arm." There was softness in her voice that he had never heard before.

James let go. But it felt to him that he was letting go of a lot more than just her arm as watched her hurrying away to class. Her brilliant red hair glistened against her black robs.

"All right so what exactly lures a werewolf out of hiding?" Mr. Professor Fistic asked in D.A.D.A. the next class period.

Luscious Malfoly whispered to something to a burley Ravenclaw in front of him. The Raven claw turned and grinned slightly, then quickly faced the front again.

"Mr. Malfoy." Fistic said, "You have a response?"

Remus Leaned over and whispered to James and Sirius. "Do you smell something?"

"Nope." James said simply. "What does it smell like?"

Remus grinned. "It smells like the House elves are cooking up something good that's what. I'm very hungry. I didn't get breakfast."

The attention was now drawn back to the lecture at hand.

"Yes, so sorry Professor." Malfoy said with a smug expression.

"You have an answer then?"

"Yes I do. The answer is the beating heart."

"Very close Mr. Malfoy, but not quite. Does anyone else have an answer?"

"Blood," Said Remus without raising his hand and with a large amount of confidence. "A werewolf hears the heart beat, but he or she uses that like sonar, if they follow the sound of the heart, they will find the blood."

"Very good, Remus, five points for Gryffindor. Now, blood is the ultimately what lures them out of hiding to attack. So can any one tell me what other chemicals in the body peaks the curiosity or marks a prey?"

"What?" asked James before he could stop himself, "Professor, the book said blood… just blood? It said nothing about other chemicals and such."

"Mr. Potter how much of your Chapter did you read? Did you read only enough to finish the Study Guide?"

"Well of course I did!" Honesty had never failed James yet. "Usually that's all we talk about, just the stuff YOU put on YOUR Study Guides."

"Generally you are right Potter, but did I not say to make sure you read the whole Chapter?"

"James I told you, you should have read it." Sirius said aloud pretending to be outraged.

"Did you read it then Mr. Black?" Asked Professor Fistic.

"Ahhh, no not really…but only because James wouldn't let me out do him."

"I See. Well then I must explain this. OK, werewolves generally, avoid crowds…"

James decided to chance a look at Remus to see how he was taking all of this. He did look pale. But he was blinking oddly.

"What's wrong?" James asked.

"Don't worry about it, my eyes just hurt. I think some Gilly Powder got in my eyes in Potions."

Something didn't seem right to James.

"Now, that we know werewolves are not social with wizards, how do they track the prey they want? They can sniff out suitable…." Fistic continued.

"Do you hear that?" asked Remus.

"Hear what?" James asked.

"It's a loud…never mind."

"…Because of the coursing rush of adrenalin. They stalk prey based on Adrenaline, then go for the kill based on the blood. The more often a person is frightened then is allowed to stew in their fear; it's like adding seasoning to a soup. If that makes any…"

But before anything else could be said, Remus jumped suddenly across the table on top of Peter. Remus was pushing Peter's arms away. Remus was lowering his head ever closer to Peter's throat. James was prying that he and Sirius were the only ones who could see this as something more intense than a squabble.

Sirius threw in his shoulder knocking Remus off of Peter. James quickly pulled Peter out of the way then went to help subdue his mate.

Thinking fast he said, "REMUS THAT WAS A STUPID THING TO DO! ALL HE DID WAS SPILL INK ON YOUR BOOK!" Sirius apparently got the hint because all he did was scowl at Remus too. Whether or not Peter got it was unknown because he was white and almost ill looking form what had just happened. James figured he was so disoriented that he would have believed anything. James looked at Remus just for a split Second and could have sworn he saw Remus's eyes change back from yellow to blue, but it wasn't the blue James was used to seeing a warm happy blue, this was a cold pale blue, and James knew what was going on.

"LUPIN! Detention tomorrow night!" Fistic said looking outraged. "I mean it was just ink...it cleans up easy enough." Then with a sigh and a disappointed look at Remus Fistic said, "Class dismissed."

When they reached the great Hall for Lunch no one said a thing. It was very odd; Remus was having his wolfish cravings for blood during the day.

Finally the silence was broken.

"I didn't attack Peter because he spilt ink on my book did I?"

It wasn't much of a question. James and Sirius traded timid looks.

Remus spoke again, "I could smell his fear, he has been up to something, His heart was pounding and his blood was coursing through his body. I don't know why or how I did it, but the wolf…" he stopped short fearing he had said too much. "What will I do about my detention?" He said suddenly now a new fear coming across his face. "What if I...I mean, When I do turn…I'll…"

"It'll be ok, Remus." James said trying to calm his friend. "We'll figure something….."

"James."

James stopped short, he new the voice, it was Lily. James turned and looked up at her. His heart skipped beats again. Then Lily continued. "You wanted to talk?"

James stood up and followed Lily out of the Great Hall. She stopped and turned around.

"James I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have done it."

"Done what?" asked James taken aback.

"I shouldn't have let you kiss me."

"Why not? Did I slobber too much for your likening or something?"

"No, James it's not that…it's…"

"You don't feel the same way then…you can't reciprocate what I feel?"

"No, James please don't ever think that. Don't ever think that…"

"What am I suppose to think, Lily?"

"I don't know James, I wish I could tell you, but it doesn't quite make sense to me yet so…I can't really…"

"Lily," James's voice was deep and concerned. "tell me what's going on, please…Remember I made an oath, so did Sirius, Remus, and Peter, we can help."

"I know James…but this is one of those things I need to work out for myself. I don't want you to think that you mean any less to me, and I really appreciate your friendship…will you promise me that won't change? We will still be friends right?"

"Of course." James said trying to look sincere. He did not want to turn into a Pratt in front of her.

She smiled brightly at James, "Thank you, James." Then raised her self on her toes and kissed his check. He felt warm and sick. Then he felt miserable and cold as he watch Lily move so gracefully away from him to go back to Gryffindor Tower.