Pushing myself hard to finish the last few chapters of Book Four. I still hope to be done by Christmas, but it might be the New Year at this point. I'm determined to have this book done by 2016, so help me Lord! ;) This chapter was really fun and intense to write, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you for sticking with the story and I can't wait to read your responses. Merry christmas and thank you to all my Potterheads! xx

Severus' liquid black eyes were emotionless. For a fraction of second, I thought he was going to sit down and talk rationally. Then, without warning, he struck.

"Stupefy!" He shouted. Caught off guard, I was hit with the force of the Stunning Spell and launched into the air. I slammed against the chalkboard, little stars popping in my eyes. Severus charged for the locked door. Feebly, I pointed my wand at him and murmured, "Expelliarmus."

The spell missed. Severus grabbed for the knob, but it was still locked. Swearing, he said, "Alohamora!". He turned the handle.

"Expelliarmus!" I repeated, stronger this time, and the spell landed on its target. Severus' wand flew out of his hand and across the floor, on the complete opposite end of the classroom. He would have to run back and get it before he could leave. That would leave him completely vulnerable to attack.

Severus froze. Then he sprinted down the length of empty desks and snatched at his wand. I aimed a Stunning Spell at him but missed yet again; my vision was blurred from smacking my head.

Severus ran past me, for the open door. I threw my leg out and tripped him; he skittered three feet on the stone floor before coming to a halt. He glared at me as we both pointed our wands at each other in a deadlock.

"Give up, Harkstone." He said in a nasty voice. "I'm not afraid to use an Unforgivable Curse on you."

"Oh, really?" I shot back coldly, still half-slumped against the wall. "Did your mates teach you that? The ones who support You-Know-Who? How do you think Lily feels about that, huh? D'you reckon she'd stay with you if she learned the truth? If you came out with how much of a Dark Arts fanatic you really are?"

A shadow of pain crossed his face. He opened his mouth to use another curse, but I cast a Shield Charm that repelled his attack, which sounded like, "Sectumsempra."

"Going to try to kill me?" I asked coldly. "Like Angelina?"

Guilt now flashed across the pale face of Severus Snape. "I didn't know… she wasn't supposed to… I didn't teach her that spell." He said flatly.

"Liar." I retorted. "Maybe James and Sirius were right. Maybe you are a coward."

Severus' face contorted in rage and pain. "I could kill you." Severus said in a low voice filled with loathing. "Right now. There's quite a bounty on your head, you know."

"Go ahead." I dared him, though my blood chilled at his words. Was it Folsom? Or Lord Voldemort? Or someone else?

"You can barely stay conscious." Severus said drilly. "You'll be out in a few minutes. So I won't bother this time."

"I don't give up that easily." I shot back, struggling to sit up better. My back was starting to hurt from the contortion of how I'd fallen. "How long have you been supporting Lord Voldemort, Severus? A year? Four years? Since before Hogwarts?"

Severus' eyes widened. "You dare speak his name?"

"I don't care anymore. He's going to kill me either way, if he gets the chance." I pulled myself upright, the throbbing in my head worse. I gritted my teeth and fought the urge to surrender to unconsciousness. "What was the going price, Severus? How'd they win you over?"

"You can't prove anything." Severus said at once.

"Oh, really? Because I know I caught you hanging around with those Slytherin blokes on multiple occasions. Avery, Nott, Mulciber? Regulus?"

A muscle jerked in his cheek, but he didn't speak.

"I know what you're doing." I told him. "And I know Mara Smith's in with you. I don't know why. But I'll tell you right now, Severus: if you don't break away from these people soon, you're going to lose Lily. Forever."

Severus bared his teeth in a snarl. "She'll never leave me." He roared. "She promised! Besides, you don't know anything about me. About us. You've barely spoken to me in four years!"

"Maybe I could have if you'd actually let me." I snapped. "Maybe we could have even been friends. But you need to listen to me, Severus. If you don't get away from Lord Voldemort now, you'll never do it. Go to Dumbledore. Now. He can help you."

"Dumbledore?" Severus laughed without any trace of humor. "Dumbledore has no idea of what kinds of magic exist. He has no idea of how much power is available to those who seek it. We only have to learn how to tap into it."

"And Lord Voldemort's going to teach you?" I asked sardonically. "Come on, Severus. He's using you. He's using you to further his agenda, and you're falling into his trap! You're going to lose everything. Including Lily."

"That's enough!" Severus shouted, brandishing his wand. "You're one to talk, Harkstone! I know what kinds of things you and those gits get up to. Yeah, that's right! Precious Potter, Quidditch-star Potter! Pretty boy Sirius, that gibbering idiot Pettigrew, and that secretive Lupin! I know he's hiding something big from the rest of the school. And you." His black eyes glinted menacingly, and I stared at him, unprepared for the rush of heated words gushing from him. I had hardly spoken a word to this boy in four years, and now he was venting what sounded like years of long-suppressed hatred and suspicion.

"Perfect little Amber Harkstone. Dumbledore's favorite. Professor Smith's little apprentice. Sean Locke's dirty little secret. Lupin's fantasy girl. Straight A's, probably going to be Head Girl someday, maybe be a professional Quidditch player. Big deal! You're nothing but a shallow goody-two-shoes who thinks she can break the rules with those foul scum Potter and Black! Well, let me tell you, Harkstone: Regulus has the right idea about what kind of person Sirius really is!

"But I'm not finished with you yet! You think you can string someone's heart along without any consequence? You think that you're safe from the Dark Lord and his plans?" He gave a slightly manic laugh that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "He's going to take over the Ministry first, and then the rest of the Wizarding and Muggle world. Things will be different. You'll see. People like you won't be on top anyone. It'll be the people who work hard and aren't appreciated. Lord Voldemort will ensure that we're noticed and that we're recognized. It's the gits like you that'll be going down."

I stared at him, my heart thumping painfully in my chest. Every insecurity, every mistake he'd thrown back into my face like a pot of boiling water. Trembling with a mixture of rage and hurt, I matched his furious gaze, feeling like I was bearing down upon a savage dragon.

"You don't even know me." I said quietly, my voice small and thin.

"Don't I?" Severus' black eyes flashed dangerously. "You don't think Lily confides in me about you? Oh, I know all about you, Miss Perfect… about how you killed Angelina, but 'not really'. How you broke your mother's heart and disappointed your father. How you lost your dear little sick sister and blamed yourself. How you dangle two boys along like they're a game… I know all about you, Amber Harkstone. And you should listen to me: you think you can give me a dressing down? You don't even know me. But I know you. I've been watching you for some time now, listening to Lily when she needs to sort you out herself. You're pointing out the speck of dust in my eye while ignoring the log in your own. Grow up and watch out."

I took a small, steadying breath. It took every ounce of willpower I possessed not to break down and cry. "Don't do this. If not yourself, then leave the Dark side for Lily."

Severus's eyes bulged slightly. "I do this for her! No, Amber… I know I've picked the right side. You're the one who has chosen incorrectly."

Before I could react, he jabbed his wand at me and snapped, "Stupefy!"

I didn't even try to block the spell this time. It hit me like the shed had at the ski lodge, and I sank gratefully into the dark oblivion, away from his punishing words and into the world of nothingness.

"What do you mean, you can't come tonight?" James demanded before Defense Against the Dark Arts the next day. "You're the one who orchestrated the meeting, remember?"

"I know." I said as I stood outside the classroom door with him. "But I have detention tonight with Kettleburn."

Last night, after Severus and I had had words, he had knocked me unconscious and left me in the empty classroom. Filch had found me not long after that and dragged me to Professor Flitwick, my Head of House. When I'd refused to tell him why I was in the library after hours, he'd been forced to give me detention, which I was to serve with Kettleburn that night at nine p.m. until midnight.

Nearly a full day after the cruel, calculated Severus had given me, I still felt cold inside. I felt like I was a monster. I had been prepared to nail his ears to the wall with his own mistakes, but instead, he'd annihilated me with mine. As much as I tried to forget his words, I couldn't stop hearing them over and over in my head, playing like an endless record in the recesses of my brain.

James scowled. "Fine. How about tomorrow night instead? Eleven p.m.?"

"Fine." I said dully, feeling sick and rotten. "I'm sorry, James."

James raised his brows. "For what?"

I shrugged. "Everything. Nothing. I don't know." I shuffled away, taking my usual seat at the desk I shared with Lily. When she arrived, she looked at me squarely, tense. "Severus told me you two had a row last night."

"We did." I confirmed. "It got ugly."

"Oh, no." Lily moaned, shaking her head. "Are you alright? Did you hurt him?"

I shrugged. "Not really. It was the other way around. Listen, Lily: he's not your friend anymore. I don't know if there's any point in staying close with him anymore. He's up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts, and he's deadset in his ways. I just wanted to tell you that. You make the call and choose what you're going to do."

Lily sighed, raking her fingers into her hair. "I know. I've had a bad feeling about him for awhile now. But maybe he'll change."

I closed my eyes, trying to gouge out his echoing words in my mind, but they were etched permanently into my skull. He had given me a good, long look at myself, and I only wanted to run away, or throw up.

"Are you alright?" She asked in a low tone. "Are you and Sean okay?"

"We're fine." I said shortly. We'd been exchanging owl post constantly as usual. We normally exchanged owls every few hours, as often as our birds could relay messages. However, I'd left out the fight with Severus. I never wanted to tell anyone what Severus had told me. Mostly because much of what he said was true, at least in degrees. "Remus isn't talking to me."

"Give him time. He'll come around, just like you did." As she finished speaking, Mara walked down from the steps of her office and the class settled into silence. She was wearing deep purple robes today, her necklace and studs glinting in the sunlight streaming in from the windows.

"Good afternoon, class. Today will be a practical lesson again, so books away and wands out! Every stand up and choose a partner. You'll be practicing defensive spells I've written on the board today. Take turns being the attacker and the defender."

She'd written Stupefy, Protego, Expelliarmus, Impedimenta, Langlock, Incarcerous, Reducto, and Petrificus Totalus on the chalkboard behind her.

"Spell combat is essential in offensive and defensive magic." Mara said as she stood at the podium of the classroom, drawing attention from every student. "These are effective when you are faced with threats from unfriendly spells or foes."

"Professor," Sirius called from the back row, "is it true that the Ministry is talking about authorizing the usage of Unforgivable Curses? So that Aurors can fight back against You-Know-Who?"

Mara gave a small nod of acknowledgment. "It's true that the Ministry is considering certain levels of defense against the Dark Lord and his followers. However, there isn't currently any real sign that Unforgivable Curses will be allowed. It's been talked about, but I doubt we'll ever get to that point."

"Nice question." Lily muttered, rolling her eyes. "Be my partner?"

"'Course." I said, rising to my feet as the other students picked partners to practice with. During the rest of the class, Lily and I practiced our spellwork. Hers was flawless; mine was half-heartedly and shoddy.

"What's the matter with you?" Lily asked as she easily deflected a Disarming Spell. "You're horrible today."

"Thanks, Lily." I said dryly.

"No, you know that's not what I meant." She said impatiently. "I mean you're usually really good. You give me a run for my money." She peered closely at me. "Did something else happen last night?"

I felt sick with remorse and confusion. "I don't want to talk about it. Just leave it, Lily. Please."

"Fine." Lily said, backing off. "You'll talk to me when you're ready."

"Thanks." I said. Just then, there was a loud scream. I turned, expecting to see a classmate, but my jaw dropped when I saw Mara Smith hanging upside down at the front of the classroom, her robes falling past her waist, revealing her undergarments.

"Merlin's' beard!" Lily gasped, rushing forward to help. I stood, paralyzed, not sure quite what was going on.

"Sorry, Professor!" James Potter shouted. "I'm so sorry! Liberacorpus!"

Mara Smith dropped. She landed like a cat and crouched on the floor, looking like an angry tiger as she stared James Potter down. He was scarlet in the face, looking horrified. "I'm so, so sorry! I didn't know that spell would do that-"

"What spell did you use?" She asked in a very quiet, icy calm voice. The entire class was silent, watching James.

"Uh… uh… It was Levicorpus…"

Sirius looked dazed. His eyes were unfocused, a huge, foolish grin on his face.

"Detention." Mara Smith said softly. "Tonight."

James's red face paled to a deathly white. He couldn't speak.

"Class, resume your spellwork." Mara said in a dignified tone, rising to her full height gracefully. "Potter, please sit down and read Chapter Thirteen in your textbook. There will be no need for you to practice anymore."

Sirius looked shocked as his best friend was essentially banned from practical work. "Professor," Sirius said tentatively, "who should I work with?"

"You can work with me, Sirius." She said in that same cool, clipped voice that made me shiver. It was worse than yelling. I had the unpleasant hunch that she was probably plotting James' murder in her mind in a way that would ensure she was proven innocent if she was ever questioned. "And no more tricks or accidents. Otherwise, you'll be joining Mr. Potter in detention tonight."

"Yes, ma'am." Sirius said at once. The tense atmosphere of the room slowly faded as students resumed their work.

"I guess James will be joining me tonight." I told Lily. "I have detention with Kettleburn."

"Not again." Lily sighed. "This is your fourth one this year."

"Yeah," I said indifferently, looking at James, who had hidden his face completely in his book. "Hey, Lily… do you think I'm a bad person?"

Lily blinked, looking startled, then wary. "No… why?"

I shrugged. "No reason." I tapped my wand on my thigh, hitching a smile on my face. "Come on. Let's keep practicing."

At almost nine that night, Professor Flitwick escorted me down to the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall was waiting with James, who was shame-faced and stoic. A warm spell and a torrential rainstorm earlier had washed away much of the snow, leaving grounds muddy and brown. A few patches of stained snow remained. Even though the past day had felt like late March, it was still mid-January, and I knew that the weather was going to revert back to its rightful attitude quickly. The warm air was already being replaced by chilly winter, returning full-force. I could smell frost in the air as our Heads of Houses walked with us down to the barn at the edge of the forest where Professor Kettleburn lived.

"You will be brought back to the castle after your detention by Professor Kettleburn." Professor McGonagall said sternly. "You will do as asked and not question his methods."

"Professor Kettleburn's methods are primeval, but effective. He and Mr. Filch see eye-to-eye on discipline and punishment. They used to hang children by their thumbs in the dungeons, a few years back. But not to worry, not to worry." Professor Flitwick squeaked at the horrified expressions on me and James' face. "He's been warned not to be excessive or cruel. So fret not."

James and I exchanged a look as our Heads led us down to the barn. It glowed like a beacon against the wall of blackness that was the Forbidden Forest.

Professor Kettleburn shuffled out, carrying a crossbow. Limping beside him was a massive black-and-tan dog, which looked like some sort of wolf dog hybrid. The strange dog growled at us as we neared.

"Evening, Professors," Professor Kettleburn said gruffly. "Thanks for bringing the mites down. It's a long walk uphill." He tapped at his wooden leg.

"What exactly do you have in mind for us?" James asked apprehensively, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

"A little of this, a little of that." Professor Kettleburn said evasively. "I'll try to bring them back in one piece."

"Oh, dear," I muttered, palms gathering sweat. I wiped them on my jeans. James and I had both changed into Muggle clothes at Professor Kettleburn's request before serving the detention.

"Don't want your robes to snag on the thickets in there." He said, pointing the trees. "I'll have them back by midnight. If we aren't back by two, send a search party. And be sure to bring body bags."

James laughed. "Very funny, Professor."

Professor Kettleburn eyed him beadily. "I wasn't joking, Potter. Sometimes when folks go in those trees, they don't come back out. Not alive, anyway."

James looked sick. A moment later, the full moon rose over the ridge of trees, bathing us in bright, silvery light. I realized with a pang that Remus would be in the Shrieking Shack, undergoing his monthly transformation.

"Good luck." Professor McGonagall said sternly. "Try not to scare them too much, Silvanus."

Professor Kettleburn grunted. Our Heads of Houses walked away up the moonlit hill back to the looming castle.

"Right," said Professor Kettleburn. "I've borrowed Hagrid's crossbow in case we run into trouble tonight. This here is Loki. He's half-gytrash, half-dog. He'll be part of our protection tonight. Gytrashes have some of the best scents of smell in the world."

"They're nocturnal, too," I added, remembering reading about them, "and they're very dangerous. They live in packs, and they're really hard to see until they're close enough to strike. They have a faint silvery glow and attack like piranhas. They're scared of fire and light, and they're like solid ghosts."

James stared at me. "Nerd." He said at last, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"I'd give you ten points for Ravenclaw, but seeing as you're serving detention…" Professor Kettleburn scratched at his beard. "Yeah, Loki's half-gytrash. So he's solid, and isn't as afraid of fire or light. But he's still nocturnal, and he'll be able to ward off most threats by himself. Gytrashes are nasty creatures."

Loki looked into the trees and gave a low growl. Gooseflesh creeped over my skin at the sound.

"Tonight, you two will be helping me collect mooncalf dung for Professor Sprout." Professor Kettleburn announced, handing us each two empty buckets and a small trowel. "Mooncalves only come out during full moons, and their dung is extremely beneficial to magical plants. It'll make them grow fast and strong. But it has to be collected before sunrise, or it's useless. So, we're going to use Loki's sense of smell to find the buggers. They're usually pretty deep in the woods, maybe a mile or so. They're real skittish too, so we'll have to be careful not to scare them off."

"Professor," James asked in a quavering voice. "Are you sure it's safe to go in there?"

"Of course it's not." Professor Kettleburn shot back. "It's the Forbidden Forest, lad! Plenty of things in there that'll wanna kill ya, or at least take a bite of flesh. Nah, it's not safe at all, which is why it's 'forbidden'. But you'll be alright. You're fourth years, and you've got me with you. And Loki." He gave the half-gytrash a pet. The beast gave a snarling noise that I assumed was a noise of contentment, but I wasn't sure.

"Let's get going, then," Kettleburn said, shuffling toward the forest. "Wands out."

"Lumos." James and I said in unison. Carrying wands in one hand and our buckets with the other, we followed Professor Kettleburn into the black trees with great reluctance. I could see James' face beaded with sweat as we entered the gloomy realm of the trees. Silvery mist hung between the black spires of tall, branchless pine trees as we wended our way through thickets of brambles and undergrowth. We had only gone a few minutes into the trees when I again had the unpleasant sensation that we were being watched.

"Stay together, now, and keep an eye out." Professor Kettleburn reminded us as we passed through the trees. "Loki's on the trail, but don't think we're completely safe. There's lots of unfriendly and hungry creatures out there."

"I wish he'd stop saying that." James whispered to me. He looked pale and ill.

"Are you alright?" I muttered out of the corner of my mouth.

James shook his head. "I wish Sirius was here. I didn't know that spell would do that to Professor Smith Jr. You know, I thought it'd be a funny thing. But that…" he trailed off, mortified. "I'm glad she didn't curse me into a slug. But this isn't my idea of fun, either."

"I know what you mean." I said quietly, shivering as a drop of water landed on my bare neck. I had tied my hair back into a ponytail so it wouldn't get caught in branches, but it left me feeling more exposed. Shafts of bright, milky light cut through the holes in the canopy, illuminating the forest. "How do you think Remus is doing?"

James sighed. "Honestly, he was really low after what happened between you and Sean. Sirius and Peter were up all night with me and him, talking, the night we got back. I've never seen him like that before. Not even when Angelina died."

Guilt curled like a snake in my stomach. "I wish he and I could talk." I admitted. "I don't want to lose our friendship. Not for anything."

"He'll come around, when he's ready." James said. "He's hurt, but he's a good guy. One of the best blokes I know, aside from Sirius. Merlin's beard, I wish he was here."

James did look oddly lost and somehow vulnerable without his constant partner in crime. "I'm here." I reminded him reassuringly.

Was that a ghost of a smile on his face? James nodded once and exhaled loudly. "I just want to finish this detention and go back to the castle. I hate this place. It gives me the creeps."

"Me too." I agreed. "But it is kind of pretty, isn't it? In a strange way."

"Yeah…" James said, glancing around. "I guess so."

"This way," Kettleburn grunted. "A few more minutes and we should be there. Careful not to step in that, Potter, it takes weeks to get the smell out."

"Oh, right." James said quickly, barely missing a pile of dung. It was huge. "Whatever left that must be really big."

"Thestrals." Kettleburn informed him. "They're big, alright, but mostly harmless. Hagrid's got the biggest domesticated herd in Great Britain in these trees."

I felt an odd sensation sweep over my skin as we continued through the misty woods. I kept throwing looks over my shoulder, but there was nothing. The feeling of foreboding persisted. Gritting my teeth, I clenched the wand tighter, my palm wet with anxiety again.

"Where is Sirius?" I asked James after a lull in the conversation.

"He and Peter were going to stay inside." James said. "But I think Sirius wanted to play a prank on Snivellus."

I stopped. "What do you mean?" I asked warily. "James, does this prank involve what you were talking about last night?"

James looked shifty. "It might."

Professor Kettleburn kept going. "James," I said in a low tone, "what exactly was this prank? You've already shown that you can go too far."

James turned red. "It won't happen again. Besides, I've got it all under control."

"James!" I hissed. "Please. Tell me what the prank was."

"Hurry up, you two!" Kettleburn called, already alarmingly far ahead. "I won't come looking for your bodies if you get lost."

James and I sprinted to cover the distance. The unpleasant feeling of foreboding gripped me. But before I could ask James again, Professor Kettleburn held up a hand. "Stop." He whispered.

James and I obeyed. "What's wrong?" James asked, his voice high-pitched and nervous. "Is there something up ahead?"

"Do you see that?" Kettleburn whispered, pointing to a small clearing just ahead. It was bathed in moonlight, like an oasis of light in the forest of darkness. "Those little creatures dancing around in circles?"

After a moment, I did. There were dozens of curious little silver creatures. They were the size of small dogs, no bigger than a Pekingese. They reminded me of long-legged, awkward spiders that lived in my basement and barn back home. All of them were dancing erratically in those weird circular movements, making peculiar chirping noises.

"Mooncalves." I breathed. "Oh, they're so cute!"

"They look like aliens." James said offhandedly.

"They're very shy." Kettleburn told us. "And only come out during the full moon. Approach very slowly and don't make any sudden moves. Their dung is blue and glitters. Get as much as you can and then come back to me. We'll find another colony after this one."

Slowly, hardly daring to breathe, James and I crept forward. The mooncalves were too busy dancing to notice us. Up-close, they were more bizarre-looking than ever, with huge, bulging blue eyes that reflected the moonlight. While they danced, James and I crept forward on hands and knees and shoveled their dung into the buckets. There wasn't much, only enough to fill the bottom three inches of the buckets.

"Not too bad," said Kettleburn dispassionately when we showed him our loads. They didn't smell unpleasant; it was like wet clay. "Loki's already got the scent of another colony. Come on."

Four colonies and two miles later, we'd collected enough dung in each bucket to made it hard to carry them. While Kettleburn wasn't paying attention, I used the Feather-Light Charm on both of our buckets to make hauling easier.

"Thanks, Lionheart," James said heavily, wiping his brow. He'd been struggling to tote the bucket of dung.

"I think that's enough for now." Kettleburn said. "Professor Sprout will be pleased."

"You know," James said as we walked back through the black trees, "this place really isn't so bad."

"Not when you've got Kettleburn and Loki." I agreed. "I think most of the Forest is scared of him."

"And for good reason, too," said Kettleburn sourly as we followed Loki back to the edge of the Forest. "Lots of scary things in here, but nothing's as scary as me. Except for the Acromantula colony."

"The what?" James asked weakly.

"Acromantula colony." Professor Kettleburn repeated. "We passed it about five minutes ago. It's a quarter mile from back there. Gytrashes prey on the spiders, though, so they avoided us. We'll be alright."

"Oh, I see." James said, looking pale again.

"James," I said lightly, hoping to catch him off-guard. "What exactly was this prank of yours?"

James blinked, then sighed. "Well, if you must know… Snivellus has been tailing us for weeks now. It's really annoying. He's trying to see what we get up to. And he's been trying to figure out Moony's furry little problem."

"He told me." I said glumly. James looked at me curiously, but I waved him off. "I'll tell you more tomorrow. You were saying?"

"Well, Snivellus wouldn't back off. So I decided, maybe we should throw him a bit of a bone. Give him a bit of a scavenger hunt. Frankly, I'd like to see him get what he deserves. I know he's deep in with the Dark Lord's supporters, and I'm tired of him." A shifty grin spread on his face. "So, Sirius came up with an idea to scare him."

A terrible feeling of dread filled me. Trying to keep my voice neutral, I said, "What was his idea?"

"Well," James said quietly, so Kettleburn wouldn't hear, "Sirius told him that if he bewitched the Whomping Willow during a full moon and followed the tunnel to the end, he'd be able to see what we get up to."

I had stopped again, staring at him. "James," I said slowly, "Sirius was only joking, right?"

James nodded. "Yeah. I told him it was too risky, that he might actually get attacked by Moony. So we decided to go with my idea instead."

"And what was your idea?"

"We're going to use the Levicorpus on him tomorrow." He said gleefully. "During lunch, so everyone will see it."

I shook my head, unable to dispel the gnawing feeling of apprehension. "James, come on. We know Sirius. Do you honestly think he'd step down a prank? The bigger and riskier, the better. Did he Vow not to go with the first one?"

James frowned. "No, but-"

"Sirius hates Severus. Maybe more than you do. James, did he swear he wouldn't go through with the first prank?"

James looked troubled. He paused, thinking hard. "Sirius wouldn't." He said at last. "He said he wouldn't."

"James…" I moaned, almost dropping the bucket. "It's the full moon tonight. What if he went through with it anyway?"

James bit his lip. "Come on. Let's get back to the castle."

We hustled after Kettleburn. We reached the edge of the forest and the barn, depositing the buckets inside. But Kettleburn cleared his throat.

"Not so fast," he warned. "Harvesting was only half of your punishment. Now you get to spread it on the greenhouse plants."

"What?" James exclaimed. "But we've got to get back to the castle!"

"Not yet, you don't." said Kettleburn. "Finish first. The dung's only good at night. It's useless when the sun comes up."

Heart pounding, James and I picked up our buckets and followed Kettleburn up to the greenhouses. Various live plants twisted their tendrils and leaves as we hastily scooped out the dung and spread it over the soil. The plants were glittering when we left, as if they had stars inside of them.

"Good." Kettleburn said approvingly. "You two look like you've got pixies in your pants."

"We need to get back to the castle." James repeated. "Our friend's in trouble."

"Ah," Kettleburn said, "maybe next time you'll think twice before using a jinx on your teacher."

"I didn't mean to." James said at once, a pink hue seeping from his neck to his hairline.

"They all say that." Kettleburn replied brusquely. "I'll escort you two back."

"No, no," James said quickly, "we can handle it ourselves."

"Not so fast, Slick," Kettleburn said, glowering at him. "I don't want you two running amok without supervision."

"Please, Professor," I appealed, giving him my best charming look. I fluttered my lashes, hoping I was imitating Lily. "I promise we'll go straight to the castle. You have my word."

Professor Kettleburn, to my surprised relief, let out a gusty sigh and waved us off. "Alright, alright. I don't want to be stumping all the way up the hill and back anyways. Don't let me catch either of you two wandering around, you hear? Now get going."

"Thank you." I said sweetly, smiling hugely. James and I exited the greenhouse and broke into a run the moment we'd left it behind.

"Do you think Sirius would actually do this?" James asked me desperately as we charged up the hills, legs cramping.

"Of course I do!" I snapped. "Neither of you know when too far is too far! Hurry up!"

We raced into the castle. James and I made a beeline for the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady was sleeping heavily as we approached.

"Pismire." James panted. "Pismire!"

The Fat Lady snorted in her sleep, but opened. She didn't even notice as I sped into the tunnel after James and into the empty Common Room.

It looked the same as when I had been here last. A fire crackled in the hearth, surrounded by squashy armchairs and a couch. But there was no one here.

James rushed upstairs to the boys' dormitories. He returned a moment later with Peter, who was yawning.

"Peter!" I said, hurrying forward. "Wait a moment. Where's Sirius?"

"He wasn't in bed." James said shortly. "Peter, where is he?"

Peter blinked owlishly, his face peaky from sleep. "I don't know… he went to bed a few hours ago, right after you left for detention."

"Well, he's not there now, Peter." James said, shaking his head. "He's not in the bathroom, either. Merlin's beard. Amber, what if he really went through with this?"

"Then Severus is in trouble." I said, remembering all of the horrible things he'd said to me last night. Part of me wanted to let him suffer, to let Remus attack him with the full might of the moon's power behind him… but I knew in my heart that Severus could very well be killed if we didn't act. Now.

"We've got to go to the Whomping Willow." James said at once. "Come on, Peter! Hurry!"

"Should we get the Cloak?" He asked, yawning as he waddled after us.

"There's no time!" James shot over his shoulder as we raced out of the portrait hole and into the castle. We hurried down the stairs and through the secret tunnel on the first floor, which led us out into the lichen-curtain cave and beyond into the Hogwarts grounds. Peter was gasping for breath behind us, but there wasn't time to wait for him. The Whomping Willow was immobile when we reached it, frozen. The dread mounted until I wanted to throw up.

Severus was down there. He was going to find Remus. And Remus would kill him.

There was a figure leaning against the trunk of the Willow. As we neared it, we saw that it was Sirius. He had a cruel smile on his handsome face, twirling his wand like a baton in one hand.

"Sirius." James said, his voice full of warning. "What did you do?"

Sirius grinned. "Just getting a little revenge on Snivellus, Prongs. Didn't you hear what he did to Lionheart last night?"

James' eyes flickered to me. I blushed and shook my head. "That's not important. His life is at stake, Sirius. Did he go down there?"

Sirius tossed his wand carelessly into the air and caught it again. "Yeah. About five minutes ago. Stupid git. You'll hear his screams any second now, if he can't fight off a werewolf."

James and I exchanged looks of horror. Peter gasped. "Sirius! I thought you were only joking! I didn't know you were actually going to… oh… oh no!"

Sirius laughed coldly. "Oh, come on. Knowing Snivellus he'll be fine. Maybe a few cuts and scratches, but he'll survive. A bug like him is too hard to kill. Like a roach. They just don't die."

"Sirius, you idiot!" I shouted, terror paralyzing my limbs. "If Remus bites him, he's going to be contaminated with the curse of the moon! Or Remus will kill him!"

"What a shame that would be." Sirius said remorselessly. "Go on and save his useless skin if you want to. I don't care."

I stared at Sirius, struck cold by this new, frozen demeanor. His gray eyes glinted in the moonlight. I realized that he truly did not care if Severus died or not.

"James, we have to hurry!" I said, forcing myself out of my shock. "Come on!"

James threw a look full of meaning at Sirius, as if he had never seen his best friend before. Then he plunged into the tunnel after me. Peter did not come. Neither did Sirius.

"Hurry!" I shouted, my feet pounding on the rooted dirt floor of the tunnel. I nearly tripped several times and had to grab the wall for support more than once. I knew that at the end of the tunnel, I was about to meet a fully-transformed werewolf. And hopefully, a live Severus.

"Amber!" James shouted in warning. "I think I can see him!"

"Severus!" I screamed. "Severus! STOP!"

But the figure ahead did not slow down. He broke into a sprint and hurried onward.

"NO!" I yelled, but Severus did not listen. James surged ahead, his longer legs giving him more stride. "Stop him!" I cried, forcing myself to plow on.

The blood pounded in my ears as the end of the tunnel neared. I could hear the horrific sounds of what I thought was a tormented ghost: wailing, snarling, screeching, howling. But as we neared, I realized it was no ghost. It was Remus.

He was going to kill Severus.

"James, hurry!" I screamed as Severus said, "Alohamora!" and the trapdoor burst open. I heard the sounds of the werewolf as if the beast was just inches from me. Severus stood in the light of the opened trapdoor, and I knew that James would not reach him in time to save him.

And then I felt the familiar feeling of compression as I was sucked into a vortex of sound and color. A second later my feet touched the ground again. I was standing in front of Severus, standing between him and a creature that had haunted Remus for years.

Before I could quite wrap my mind around the fact that I had just Apparated for the first time in my life without assistance, I fully appreciated why Remus was so afraid of the full moon. Standing before me was not my best friend, but a huge, terrible half-man, half-wolf creature. Great tawny eyes - feral and ferocious - stared at me with hunger and anger. He had dark brown fur covering his muscular body, and he let out a huge, deafening roar that made my heart skip a beat. The dripping, vicious fangs snapped as I shouted, "Protego!"

The Shield Charm blocked the blow of the werewolf. But it was fast and ruthless. The werewolf snarled and lunged, and a spiderweb of cracks appeared in the iridescent blue light protecting me.

"Snape, you moron!" James yelled from behind me. "Stupefy!"

The Stunning Spell hit the werewolf, which howled in rage and leapt again to attack. The Shield Charm cracked and failed. Hating myself, knowing it was really Remus and not a monster, I shouted, "Stupefy!" in unison with James. The combined spells made the werewolf cringe, howling, doubled-over as it tried to regain its composure.

"We have to get out of here!" James shouted. "NOW!"

Severus was the color of death. He seemed frozen with terror. James wrenched at him and forced him back down the tunnel. The werewolf roared and lunged at me again, claws outstretched, teeth bared.

"Impedimenta!" I yelled desperately. The werewolf slowed, but didn't stop. He collided with me a moment later, sending us crashing to the dusty floor. But before the monster could bite me, James sent another volley of Stunning Spells, and the creature was fended off for a brief moment.

"AMBER, GET UP AND RUN!" James roared. I scrambled to my feet and raced into the tunnel. James slammed the door shut. "Colloportus!" He said in a trembling voice. The door sealed. I could hear the werewolf slamming itself against the door, howling, screaming, trying to get at us like a furious hive of hornets.

A strangled sob wrenched from me as the full weight of what had just happened hit me. Sinking to the ground, I covered my face and wept.

Severus looked like he was about to be sick. White and trembling, he stared at James and I in turn, speechless. James was panting, trying to catch his breath, his wand still out.

"We're alive." James said at last. "Thanks to Amber."

"Thanks to you." I sobbed, unable to stop crying. I couldn't stop picturing the werewolf flying at me, certain death coming for us all. And it was Remus.

Oh, God! Maybe Sean was right. Maybe Remus was right, too. Maybe he's too dangerous. Oh, GOD!
The three of us flinched as the sound of approaching footsteps mingled with the muffled sounds of the furious werewolf behind the sealed door. Standing with Professors Flitwick and McGonagall was Professor Dumbledore. All three teachers looked like they had come prepared to retrieve our bodies. McGonagall gave a little gasp of relief, while Flitwick drew his wand and approached the shuddering door cautiously.

"It is alright, Filius," Dumbledore said in a cool voice, "the door is sealed. However," he went on, the light of our wands reflecting in his half-moon spectacles, "you three will need to come with me. At once."