James Potter staggered towards the Gryffindor Common Room, his arms aching. That last detention with Sprout had been hell. He didn't even justly deserve it! The nerve of Professor Sprout to even suggest that he had knocked Severus Snape headfirst straight into the open mouth of a Fanged Geranium, in the Greenhouse, on purpose. Actually, he had been aiming for the Snargaluff Stumps…but nobody needed to know that.

"Oh well. At least Snivellus got what he deserved!" muttered James to himself, as he mentally pictured the image of Snape's wildly struggling body, whilst the head was submerged in leaves.

He entered the Common Room and looked around. He spotted Sirius and Peter looking out of one of windows that overlooked the grounds. They were both laughing wildly.

"Hey Padfoot, Wormtail…Uh, guys?" asked James uncertainly, whilst Sirius and Peter continued to snigger uncontrollably. "Why are you laughing?"

Sirius turned towards him, his eyes glowing with suppressed delight.

"Well, Wormtail and I were thinking and-" started Sirius.

"That's a first!" exclaimed James, smiling.

"Shut up, Prongs. Yeah, so we were thinking that our ol' buddy, Snivellus needed to be paid back for what he did to you…"

"What did you come up with?" asked James, excitedly, eager for revenge.

"Well, we needed Moony first–" said Sirius, but he was interrupted again.

"Now that you mentioned him, where is Moony?" asked James.

"He had to look after his 'furry little problem', Prongs," stated Sirius, casually.

James stared at Sirius and Peter. He had completely forgotten about it whilst serving his detention, but why had Sirius and Peter not gone to help Remus in his time of need? Didn't they know how much Remus needed them?

"Why aren't you – er – helping him?" asked James, trying to keep the accusatory tone out of his voice.

"He won't need help tonight," said Sirius, his voice becoming higher than usual with excitement.

"Definitely not!" said Peter.

"What? Why not?" asked James, suspiciously.

"Because Snivellus went!" Sirius choked out.

James went rigidly still.

"What? W-went where?"

"Don't be so thick, Prongs!" exclaimed Sirius, still smiling widely. "Went to 'visit' Moony of course!"

"WHAT!" shouted James, again. "Sirius, what did you tell him?"

Sirius blinked. James hadn't called him 'Sirius' for the past four years.

"Calm down, Prongs–" whispered Peter.

"Calm down? This oaf here just told Snape to go to Moony and you actually found it funny?" yelled James, attracting odd stares from around the room.

"Shhhhhh…Prongs. Don't take it so seriously. I just told Snape how to get into the Whomping Willow if he wanted to find out where Moony went every month." said Sirius, an annoyed look on his face.

"Just…just told Snape? You bloody idiot! Do you even know what will happen down there? I can't believe you would sink so low! And you, Peter, laughing along with him!" James shouted.

People all around the Common Room openly gaped as they watched the three inseparable friends fighting for the first time.

James turned his back on Sirius, who looked angry and Peter, who looked scared and ran out of the Common Room, completely ignoring the shocked stares around him and Sirius' yell of, "James, where the hell are you going?"

James ran faster than he ever had in his life, jumping the stairs and tearing along corridors. He never even noticed Professor McGonagall, who shouted at him to stop running, therefore missing the look of confusion and worry on her face as he doubled his speed and sprinted around the next corner.

He had to get there in time. Please don't let it be too late. Please don't let ME be too late, he thought. How could Sirius have been so stupid? He actually told Snape! Told him in cold blood, without a thought of what would be the consequences for Remus. What next? Publicly announcing it to the whole school? As if Remus didn't have enough to worry about right now.

James threw open the huge front doors and sped across the lawns. Maybe he could transform now? No, that would be too risky in the open air with no covering nearby.

The Whomping Willow came into view. How long ago had Snape entered the tree? It couldn't have been too long ago, James reasoned. He still had to go along the passage until he reached the trapdoor to the Shrieking Shack. James reached the tree and looked around wildly. Grabbing a nearby branch, he prodded the knot on the base of the tree so hard that the branch snapped in two. The tree stopped moving immediately.

James ran into the hole at the base of the tree and dashed along the passageway. His legs were aching. Every breath he took pierced his lungs.

"Can't – stop," he muttered. "Have – to – get – to – Snape."

Then James saw him. Walking ahead, as though he had not a care in the world. Well that's going to change, thought James grimly.

"Sniv– I mean, Snape!" James yelled. "Stop! You can't go there. Sirius was – he was lying to you! There's nothing there!"

Snape spun around. "Then why are you coming after me, Potter?" he snarled. "Did your blood-traitor pal get cold feet?" I always knew his heroic front was all a self-centred act!"

"No! I – he –" James struggled for words. "You're making a bloody mistake!" he blurted. Smooth, James. Real smooth, he thought.

"Don't talk to me about mistakes, Potter. Your whole life was a mistake! Well, for once I will have the upper hand and you…let's just say you will lose your lower half!" Snape yelled and he whipped out his wand and shouted, "Locomotor Mortis!"

James' legs snapped together and he fell over backwards, unable to keep his balance. Snape started to run for the end of the passage. James struggled to reach his wand. His hand entered the pocket of his right, stiff pants leg slowly and with great difficulty he managed to pull out his wand and perform the counter-curse.

Jumping to his feet, James ran down the passage, after Snape. Those precious few seconds he had spent on the floor had felt like an eternity to him. Snape would surely have reached the trapdoor by now.

Then, James saw him ahead. Snape was lifting the trapdoor and stepping into the room.

"NO! DON'T!" James yelled, but it was too late. He saw Snape freeze as he spotted what was lurking in the corner of the dusty room.

Moony.

But, this side of Moony had yellow eyes, bared, dripping teeth and a body covered with matted, bloody fur.

Snape, too paralysed to move, stared in silent fear at the advancing werewolf. The werewolf pounced, Snape yelled and James pushed Snape out of the way, back through the trapdoor and into the secret passage. The werewolf advanced on James and leapt yet again. James dived for the trapdoor, his Quidditch reflexes kicking in, but one of the werewolf's claws ripped into his shoulder. Yelling in pain, James fell through the trapdoor and slammed it shut.

James looked around, sweat and tears blurring his vision. Snape had already started running for the tree exit.

"Snape!" yelled James. "Snape! YOU CAN'T TELL ANYONE!"

"You wait, Potter! YOU WAIT! Soon the whole school will know that Black tried to kill me and that Lupin is a werewolf! All of you were in on this! All of you plotted for me to die!" snarled Snape, manically, an odd glint in his eyes.

"What? I had NOTHING to do with this crap!" shouted James.

"Don't lie to me, Potter!" Snape screamed.

He ran out of the passage but, in his haste to put as much space between himself and Remus, he forgot to press the knot on the tree trunk.

Snape ran headfirst into a barrage of flailing branches. He was immediately struck from behind by an enormous branch, thrown forward a few feet out of the tree's range and slumped on the ground, unconscious.

James pressed the knot on the trunk and once again, the tree stopped moving. Walking closer to Snape's still body, James couldn't stop the small grin that passed over his face.

"I guess Snape got what he deserved," muttered James, almost inaudibly.

But, suddenly, the full realisation of what had just happened hit James with the force of a speeding bludger. Snape had seen Moony. What would happen now?

James breathing became laboured and his head started to swim. Now that the danger was over, James became aware of the sharp pain in his right arm. Looking down, James saw a long, deep gash that ran right through his shoulder and stopped at the point of his elbow. Blood was soaking through his already sweat-drenched robes.

He started to feel dizzy. Everything was spinning. His whole body was aching. The last thing James heard was a howl. A howl that held madness and grief. The howl of one of his best friends.

Then peaceful darkness fluttered over him.