Chapter 15

I'm not getting out of here this time

I push and you tend to shove;

I give in and you don't give up;

I'm not getting out of here this time-

I brought a lemon to a knife fight.

Lemon to a Knife Fight, The Wombats

James ran down the corridor, ignoring Sirius's shouts of "where are you going?"

He sprinted down the halls of Hogwarts, desperately trying to stop Snape before he made an awful decision and got himself killed. He could just tell that his leg would be screaming in the morning. Maybe it was screaming now; there was too much adrenaline to tell.

The walls of Hogwarts became a blur as James streaked down corridors and slid around corners. He knew of a few shortcuts down to the main doors, and he used them to his advantage, his brain already mapping out the quickest route to doors. He had lost time while giving out to Sirius, and if Snape knew of any shortcuts, he might've already made it down to the Whomping Willow.

There was so much running through his head as he navigated the corridors and staircases of Hogwarts: possible scenarios for what would happen when he got down to the Whomping Willow; the look on Remus's face when he would find out what had happened; the pain that James would feel in his leg tomorrow; what might happen to Sirius when Professor Dumbledore finds out; what might happen to Snape if James doesn't make it on time.

And strangely, at the same time, there was nothing going through James's head.

By the time he pulled open the front doors, Snape had already made his way down to the Whomping Willow. James felt like his entire body had stopped in fear as he saw the shadowy outline of Snape slip between the branches of the frozen tree and disappear. It was the willow moving again that spurred James into action as he began sprinting towards the willow.

The stick that Snape had used to press the knot of the tree was lying in the grass. Quickly, James picked it up and went to press the knot of the tree, but jumped back as a branch went flying in his direction. He tried it again and had almost reached the knot when another branch came out of no where and slammed into his stomach. He dropped to his knees, coughing and then flattened himself against the ground when another branch came swinging.

He was made to roll over as a branch struck the ground where he had been only seconds before. James forced himself to keep going, using all his quidditch skills to keep himself from getting hurt. James wished that he had Peter with him. Peter could transform into Wormtail and freeze the tree in an instance; Peter could run and tell Professor Dumbledore.

James shook the thought away. It was too late now to go back for Peter; Snape could be about to confront Moony as he lay on the grass. With that thought in mind, James lunged with the stick in hand and managed to press the knot, effectively freezing the tree. He sighed in relief, before quickly scurrying down the tunnel. He made his way to the bottom of the staircase and saw Snape at the top, his hand just about to clutch the handle of the door which led to Moony.

The Shrieking Shack was filthy and covered in dust. The floor was just dirt. The sparse furniture was broken and moth-eaten. A chair in the corner of the hallway had one of its legs ripped off. The shack was so familiar to James, but it looked both the same and different at the same time. Like a warped version of the Shrieking Shack, and James couldn't help but wonder if he had dozed off while waiting for Sirius and was currently in a nightmare. Maybe it only looked so different because of the pounding of his heart, or because the blood pumping through his veins had brought too much oxygen to his head and now he was hallucinating. Maybe the sight of Severus Snape in the Shrieking Shack had messed with his brain, because his brain knew that Snape should never be allowed anywhere near the shack.

James gripped the newel of the old staircase, dizzy and in pain. The balusters groaned under the pressure, tilting slightly away from the stairs. "Snape," he hissed, trying his best to make sure that the werewolf didn't hear him.

Snape whipped around at the mention of his name. "Potter," he replied with disgust. "You're not going to stop me. I'm going to prove once and for all that Lupin is a dirty half-breed. I've always known it, and now I can prove it once and for all. And maybe Lily will finally see that I was right all along and stop hanging out with blood traitors and half-breeds. And what will happen to Professor Dumbledore when the whole school finds out that he has been endangering them by keeping a werewolf in their midsts? And what about when the students write home to their parents? Or if the Daily Prophet were to find out? It would be the end of Professor Dumbledore's career as we know it." Snape grinned. "The way I see it, it's a win-win-win situation for me. Lupin will probably get expelled, Professor Dumbledore will definitely get sacked and I get Lily back."

"Snape," James warned, "if you open that door, there is a very good chance you're going to get yourself killed."

"Are you threatening me?" Snape asked, a dangerous edge in his voice.

"No, I'm warning you. You and I both know what's behind that door. He will not spare you. He's not Remus. What he'll do to you, it's not his fault. Please don't go through with this."

For a second, Snape looked swayed and something akin to hope swelled in James's chest, before it was popped a few seconds later.

"Since when have you cared about my safety?" Snape spat out, before turning and pointing his wand at the door handle. "Alohamora," he said quickly, before twisting the door handle.

Both James and Snape froze, Snape staring at the creature in front of him. James came to his senses and rushed up the rickety stairs, holding onto the bannister when his knee started giving out. When he reached the top, he pushed Snape behind him. The werewolf had already spotted Snape and had been advancing on him, meaning that James took the attack instead. The werewolf's claws slashed along James chest, the pain instantaneous.

James stumbled back, before surging forward to close the door again. The werewolf realised what he was doing and went to stop him. James tried desperately to ignore the pain and the pounding of his heart. James and the werewolf struggled for the door. The werewolf was stronger, and James was growing weaker. The adrenaline he once had seemed to bleeding out with the blood pouring from the cuts in his chest. In one last ditch effort, James pulled the door as hard as he could and managed to close the door on the werewolf. The force of it made him trip back, almost falling down the stairs. James just about managed to grip the stairs rail, the balusters tilting even further under James's weight. James put a locking spell on the door and straightened himself up.

Snape had already disappeared back down the stairs, so James followed suit. He knew he had to get to the Hospital Wing before he bled out in the Shrieking Shack. James staggered down the stairs, clutching the bannister so hard it was hurting his hand. Climbing back up the tunnel was difficult as well, and James found himself grabbing onto the walls of the tunnel to try and keep himself steady. Finally, James saw Snape at the top of the tunnel. Snape had just hit the knot of the tree and was slipping out between the branches. As quick as he could manage in his injured state, James followed suit, eager to make it out before the tree unfroze, lest he got hit again. Both James and Snape escaped the reach of the Whomping Willow, James's breathing laboured.

Unable to go on, James collapsed on the floor, shirt soaked in his own blood and face pale and flooded with his tears. "Snape," he called out, his voice croaky and weak. "Snape," he tried again, his force a small bit stronger this time. Though it was dark, he could see Snape's silhouette turn and look at him, before turning back and heading up to the castle, leaving James lying on the grass.

As much as James just wanted to pass out in the grass, he knew he couldn't be found outside the entrance to the Shrieking Shack. He also knew that he was dangerously close to losing consciousness if he didn't haul himself to the Hospital Wing in time.

Somehow, he made it to the Hospital Wing, collapsing on the floor in front of Madame Pomfrey. He distantly heard the nurse scream, but James wasn't really sure what was real anymore. He felt hands carry him, before he was placed down on something soft and comfortable, and then he passed out.

When he came to, Madame Pomfrey was pouring something into a cup on his bedside table, tutting quietly. She glanced at him. "You're awake. Good."

"What happened?" James asked groggily, raising a hand to press it against his chest, which was throbbing weirdly.

"You tell me. You come in here covered in your own blood and collapsed in front of the sign-in desk, nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Remus-" James started, before shutting his mouth.

"Mr. Lupin is perfectly fine Mr. Potter. He's asleep in a bed near to you, and I'd prefer if you didn't wake him. Besides, it's you I'm more worried about. Professor Dumbledore said-" she pressed her lips together. "Well, Professor Dumbledore said that you saved Mr. Snape from being attack by a werewolf. I assume that's where you got injured?"

James winced. "Do you think anything will happen to me? Am I a werewolf?"

"You weren't bitten, so you are not a werewolf. You might take a certain liking towards rare meat," she told him.

"I'm a vegetarian," he informed her, thinking about his animagus form. Stags didn't eat meat, and ever since James had become an animagus, he had lost any appetite for meat.

"Then you might be lucky Mr. Potter- you might not get any symptoms of a werewolf. You might be perfectly normal. Merlin knows you deserve a break after what that Death Eater did to your leg," she said, muttering the last bit to herself. She took in James's shocked face. "Professor Dumledore told me. Said it was necessary I know, in case you were in a lot of pain and wanted to come to me for help."

James smiled, before it faltered. "So what about my chest?"

"I'm afraid you're in the wars Mr. Potter. You have another two scars to join the three on your leg."

James collapsed against the bed. He was so tired and felt like he just wanted to cry. Then he thought of something and bolted straight up. "Can you not tell Remus about this?" he asked, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through his chest. "He already think he's a monster, and his biggest fear is that he'll hurt someone. Please?"

Madame Pomfrey pursed her lips. "I suppose I can do that."

James sighed in relief, but before he could thank her, a second year burst into the Hospital Wing. "Madame Pomfrey, Professor Dumbledore wants James Potter to go to his office."

"Tell Professor Dumbledore that Mr. Potter is in my care and that I'll release him when I see fit."

"Professor Dumbledore said it was urgent," the second year said, biting his lip.

"Oh alright then, I'll send Mr. Potter up. Although, Merlin knows what Professor Dumbledore would say if I told him how to run a school," Madame Pomfrey tutted and shook her head, and the second year escaped gratefully.

James swung his legs over the bed carefully, and as soon as he stood up, he realised how much his leg was burning. He grabbed onto the end of the bed for support. "Thank you Madame Pomfrey."

"Come back to me as soon as you're finished with Professor Dumbledore," she told him. "I can't help with your leg, but I can give you something for your chest pains, and I want to keep you in for observation."

"Thank you," James said again, before slowly making his way from the Hospital Wing towards Professor Dumbledore's office.