Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. All characters belong to a woman with a great imagination and determination, capable of creating this world that is the center of so many stories.

Sins of Angels: Thanks to all reviewers! You rock! I'm getting a lot of reviews, and that makes me very happy, so please keep them coming! Anyway, here's yet another chapter. In here, some things may take place at the same time, so I'm sorry if you're confused. Please let me know if you are so I can change my wording! Thanks! Enjoy.

Chapter 36 – Gryffindor v. Slytherin

Lily sat on the train back, in the same compartment as the three boys. She looked out the window at the passing trees and fields, none of them talking. Sirius's cuts were healing, and James had to move a bit slower than most, but other than that, they were fine. Remus sat there, obviously uncomfortable, obviously blaming himself for this.

But it wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault that he was bitten, or that Voldemort wanted him just because of what he had been cursed with. It wasn't his fault Greyback had dropped in. And yet the boy blamed himself. It was horrible, sitting through two hours of silence, as everyone knew what was on his thoughts. The worst thing was that he thought they really did blame him, and would not be persuaded otherwise.

"I'm sorry," he said again, for the countless time. As James was about to snap at him over how it wasn't his fault, the compartment door opened. Bellatrix leaned against the railing, relaxing with a small smirk on her face, as the four boys behind her pointed their wands in the compartment.

Lily stood up. "Put those wands down!" she ordered. Bellatrix strolled in, as did the others.

"Sit down, mudblood, and don't order me around!" she snapped. Lily stood her ground and spoke over the cry of outrage that escaped James.

"Five points from Slytherin, and don't make it more!" she threatened. Bellatrix laughed, closing her eyes rather boldly in the company of the four brightest students in the school.

"Do you really think that a stupid little House Cup is on my mind at the moment, pray?"

She said pray, didn't she? But she meant prey. That was for sure. Lily thought frantically, her hand closing on her wand in the robe's pocket.

"Does the little Head Girl attempt to hex me? With four backing me up?"

Lily kept quiet, her grip on her wand tightening. Bellatrix, still keeping her eyes on her, turned her head slightly.

"Shut the damn blinds and lock that door, will you? Oh, and put a silencing charm around us. No need for the whole train to hear her scream.

James shot out of his seat, as did Sirius. Remus tried to, but Malfoy caught him with a stunner. James and Sirius had their wand out in a flash.

"Put those things away, children," Bellatrix said, and then laughed. "You wouldn't want to hurt yourselves."

"Hurting you seems a better course at the moment," James replied coldly as the blinds were shut.

"Listen to me, Potter. You don't want a repeat of our last encounter, right?"

James's face drained of color as the images he'd put out of his mind for the past four months came painfully flooding back as if a waterfall had started. There she was, screaming, pleading, helpless.

"I thought so," Bellatrix said smugly, seeing his look. Memory can be such a treacherous thing, can't it?"

"I won't be caught off guard this time!" Lily said. Her words jerked James back into this world, and he turned to look at her as if trying to confirm this is now, and that was then.

"And I'm here!" Sirius said, staring at his cousin with hate. She laughed.

"You, cousin? What could you do?"

Sirius frowned at her and turned to Remus, when he muttered the counter curse and Remus began to move again. Bellatrix raised her eyebrows.

"Setting the werewolf free, I see?" she said. Several things happened at once.

Sirius leapt onto Regulus and slammed him down on the crowded floor, punching his face. James grabbed Snape by his robes and slammed him into a nearby wall. Lily stepped up and smartly smacked Bellatrix with such force the Slytherin fell into the empty seat next to her. Remus stunned Rodolphus just before Malfoy lunged at him and they became engaged in a battle as well.

"You bloody bastard!" Sirius yelled as he punched his brother. "No wonder Voldemort wanted you! How easily did you sell that to them, eh? What did Bellatrix do, lift up her skirt?"

"Shut up Sirius!" Regulus screamed, grabbing hold of his brother's fists. "I didn't bloody tell them!"

For a moment, Sirius looked even angrier.

"Look, I'm telling the truth, okay?" Regulus said, making sure he couldn't be overheard. "I wouldn't tell about Remus when they're such idiots! They'd probably prance to Dumbledore, tell him, and then not be able to say how they knew other than the fact that I told them! So get off me, will you? It was Greyback, before he went."

Sirius stopped punching him and stood up, looking puzzled. No one noticed him offering a hand to his younger brother.

Just as everyone was too busy to notice Regulus taking it, smiling.

"You told them, didn't you? You bastard!" James said, ramming Snape into the wall again. The boy shrank under James's anger. "And to think I went and got you! I thought no one deserved a penalty as worse as that! Remus didn't know anything about it! And now you…you told them!" James took his right hand and put it on the boy's throat.

"It…wasn't…me!" Snape gasped, struggling to keep his trachea open. James came close to his face, lowering his voice until it could freeze water.

"Listen to me, Severus. You ever utter a word to anyone about Remus, you'll have a nice visit to the devil to look forward to. And a really short trip. Do you understand me?" James whispered, his hand still on the boy's throat. Snape nodded, ever so slightly, gasping for air. "It seems threats are useless against you, Severus," he said, putting stress on his first name that made Snape cringe. "But I find that promises of certain death seem to work quite well. Spread the word, will you. No one else is to find out. And if they do, you're first on my list, Severus. Just keep that in mind, will you?"

James threw Snape away in a random direction and turned to see Malfoy and Remus fighting, and Sirius and Regulus arguing quietly and hurriedly, Sirius's fists ready to strike. James sprang for Malfoy, taking care to step on Rodolphus's nose.

Bellatrix looked up, touching her cheek. "You'll pay for this!" she said, from the seat. "You, little mudblood, will pay in much more than galleons!" she reached for her wand.

"You need to learn how to keep your damn mouth shut, girl!" Lily snapped. "I don't fancy Voldemort likes a loudmouth like you!"

"HOW DARE YOU SAY HIS NAME? You are just a puny mudblood mortal, where he is great and powerful!"

"Also mortal. And I imagine he knows how to fool people better than most ever will."

"The Dark Lord is all knowing! He has knowledge you can only dream of!"

"I'd rather not dream about what twisted his mind so much as to be able to think of these deeds you seem to think are righteous!"

Bellatrix grabbed her wand. Before she could stand up, however, Snape landed on top of her. She stumbled back down and her wand lay next to her, still in one piece.

It was after Malfoy had been stunned that Sirius, who had joined in, James and Remus stood up, looking around. Regulus was leaning against the back wall, sporting a potential black eye and a bruise on his cheek, looking throughrougly bored with the whole scene. After Snape rolled over on the floor, gasping and holding his throat, Bellatrix sprang up.

"Leave it, cousin," Regulus said, gently pushing himself off the wall. "It's not the right time."

Bellatrix glared at the four Gryffindors and muttered counter curses for the two stunned boys. "Fine. Just remember, we will be watching."

"As will we," James said, his eyes lingering on her, then Snape.

"Rodolphus, let's go!" Bellatrix said, and left the compartment. Regulus came after her, walking through the door in a rather relaxed manner. Rodolphus and Malfoy got up and, scowling, went after them. Snape got off the ground, dusted himself off, and shot James a look of pure hate. James just smiled horribly at him, and the boy left. Remus stepped up to the door and shut it, locking it in place.

"Anyone up for a game of chess?" Sirius asked, grinning. Remus smiled and shook his head, chuckling.

"You always lose, Sirius. And yet you keep going. Sure, I'm up for a game of chess. No problem."

"Great!" Sirius said, and sat down facing the middle seat, which became alive with his chessboard and his pieces. Remus sat across from him and took out his own pieces.

"What do you say to a game of chess, Lily?" James said, smiling.

"I say I like cards better, because with cards I have a chance," Lily said, smiling as well. She and James sat down and became engrossed in a game of war.

Bellatrix stopped in her compartment and waited for Regulus to walk in. As soon as he did, she shut the door in her husband's face, clearly fuming.

"Have a soft spot for your brother, do you?" she asked coldly. Regulus flashed her a puzzled smile.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"You know damn well what I mean! How come you were on your feet while the others were either stunned or in pain?"

"Well, I didn't miss out on the pain part at all," he said, touching his cheek. Bellatrix came up.

"Aw, poor dear, did your brother hurt you?" she asked, running her hand softly over the bruise. She withdrew it suddenly, and brought it down hard. Regulus yelped, clutching at his cheek.

"That bloody hurt, you bitch!" he swore, sitting down. Bellatrix's fury was radiating off of her.

"Really, Regulus? That's nothing compared to what you're about to feel, and that still won't be anything compared to what the Dark Lord would do if he hears of this!"

"You mean you're going to tell the Dark Lord that his Hogwarts spies couldn't even take four Gryffindors head on? Come on, Bella, I know you better than that."

"Shut up! You even had the bright idea to cut it short!"

"Two men were stunned, and one was writhing in pain. You had three wands pointed at you, and Remus Lupin had his pointed at me. If we didn't leave then, we'd be slaughtered. You know it, and I know it! You just won't admit it!"

"I said shut up! Open the door, you bastard!" she shrieked. Regulus got up and let the annoyed Slytherins in. Bellatrix laughed as they sat down. "And now we all see what happens to people who contradict me in executing the Dark Lord's plans. Soundproof it, Rodolphus. Make sure it's strong."

Her husband did so. Snape became a little uneasy, and Malfoy looked at Rodolphus with something that seemed to indicate an apology. As the door was locked and soundproofed, Bellatrix smiled with her mouth and not her eyes at Regulus, who knew what was coming, and tried to prepare himself.

He found that he couldn't. You never could.

"Crucio!" she cried, laughing madly.

Regulus screamed as the pain surged through his body, collapsing on the floor. He clutched his head and bit back another scream, determined not to let her have her way.

What followed was a much stronger curse, one that he couldn't bite back. He screamed again, hoping it would penetrate the curse on the door.

No such luck.