Prongs turned to his friends. Moony had changed back to a human form. He was massaging his neck in pain. His robes were covered in blood.

"What happened, he asked, I lost control all of a sudden of myself."

Padfoot spit on the floor and then looked at his friend with his pale blue eyes. Sirius Black had never been scared of anything in his whole life. He had never really cared about other people than himself and his marauder friends. But now his face clearly showed he was horrified.

"You bit a Hogwarts student. Well, at least I think you did."

Remus's face went white. He didn't say anything for a long moment.

"Who?" He demanded in a trembling voice.

Sirius shrugged. He had not paid any attention to the identity of the girl Remus had hit.

"It doesn't matter, does it? We'll know tomorrow morning. There'll be rumours all over the school about this! The point is Dumbledore is going to know it was you. How many werewolves run around this school?"

Remus covered his face with his hands. Behind them Peter was crying. Nobody had seen him in the night for he transformed in a small rat. But he had seen the two girls all right. And so had James, yet both of them were too shocked to speak.

"I'm going to be expelled! After all Dumbledore has done for me, I have betrayed him!"

Remus was crying all the tears he had in him. James and Sirius exchanged worried looks. Lupin was always the stable, calm one. They had never seen him shed a single tear. When there was such a crisis Remus always took the matter in his hands and somehow managed to make it all right again. But now nothing was ever going to be all right again.

"Don't worry, Moony old friend, if you get expelled we'll follow you, we won't stay here."

James's face was hard and cold as he said this.

Sirius nodded. Peter looked hesitant but he too nodded.

"No."

Remus breathed deep in. He had stopped crying and regained his usual calmness.

"I appreciate the gesture, he continued, but you shouldn't make such a sacrifice for me. You need to learn. And besides, I just got what I deserved. If only I had been more careful this would have never happened. I'll stop all the jocks and pranks."

Remus looked kind of sad when he went on with this rather long speech.

"I think, guys, it's time we begin to act like adults."

Lily Evans woke up and was surprised to find that she was in the Hospital wing, on a chair beside a bed. She looked around. She was holding Alice's hand. Her friend was sleeping, her face pale and the two bites on her neck very visible.

"Alice …"

Lily felt like sobbing again as she hugged her sleeping friend and whispered in her ear.

"Alice …"

Alice didn't move. It was obvious Madam Pomfrey had given her a very strong sleeping potion.

"Miss Evans?"

Lily stood up. Madam Pomfrey looked at her kindly. Lily loved her and had a lot of respect for the young nurse.

"Yes?"

Madam Pomfrey bent down over Alice examining her patient.

"You may leave. You have classes to attend. Professor Dumbledore will want a word with you, I'm sure, later in the morning."

Lily just nodded as she let go of her friend's hand. She walked down to the big hall and joined Amber to eat breakfast.

"My god, you look horrifying!" Amber said in her usual blunt manner.

Lily didn't bother answering. She felt so lost without Alice and she knew if she opened her mouth she would start howling again. So the two girls ate in silence. Amber wondered what had happened to Lily Evans.

She never had much style, the girl thought, but still Lily never looked such a mess!

Suddenly Lily jumped. Somehow she had felt the stag's presence behind her. The stag that had saved her life. And now she felt as if they were just behind her, breathing on her neck. Lily wheeled around. But there was no stag or dog. It was only James Potter with his famous friend Sirius Black. Both of them looked an even bigger mess than Lily! Amber ran away in case James had it in his mind to start kissing her. She didn't want to ruin her reputation!

Really, she thought, people really should give much more attention to their looks!

No one cared about looks as the news went around the Gryffindor table about what happened to dear sweet Alice! Everyone liked her. She was friends with everyone, even little first years.

"Evans!" a voice shouted.

Once again Lily nearly jumped out of her bones. Frank was there. He was frowning angrily, his nostrils flared.

"You know what these silly little first formers are telling me?"

He pointed at a couple of terrified kids.

"They're saying Alice is in the Hospital Wing as she has just been attacked by a werewolf last night!"

Lily didn't know what to say. It was clear Frank loved and cared for Alice very much. His eyes were practically bulging right out of theirs sockets.

"It's true, Longbottom, Alice has been attacked by a werewolf."

It was as if something enormous had kicked Frank Longbottom from behind. He fell on a chair near Lily.

"How?" he croaked.

Lily had to admit she was terrified of Frank right then.

"Last night, we went for a walk in the grounds. And a big wolf simply ran towards us and we didn't have time to run! It probably would have killed us if …"

Afew curious students around Lily were listening to her. Sirius Black and James Potterglanced at eachother afew times and their friend Remus Lupin was nowhere to be seen.

"If what? Tell me!"

Frank grabbed Lily by the shoulders and shook her violently.

"Hey, control yourself Frank," Black broke in.

Everyone stared at him. For some reason Sirius backed away at once gesturing for them to continue with their business. Frank immediately grabbed Lily again.

"We may have been both killed if a dog and a stag hadn't come."

A few laughed this was so absurd.

"Evans has finally gone bunkers!" Sirius Black cried. James hit him on the shoulder. Hard.

Frank sighed in an impatient way.

"Are you sure you didn't dream that Evans?"

Lily had had enough.

"Yes, I'm sure! And if you really do believe I'm dreaming then go and see Alice for yourself. If I have dreamed it all how come those bites on Alice's neck are so real?

Frank closed his eyes as tears streamed down his face. This astonished everyone. Frank seemed such a tough guy. A tough guy, sure, but also a guy deeply in love.

He made his way towards the Hospital wing. Frank couldn't bear the thought of loosing her!

"Alice …"