A/N: ... Hi. *hides from angry mob*

I'm extremely sorry about not updating in... *checks postings* a month *wince*... You all have probably guessed that I got grounded again, and you're right. I'm only allowed to post again because it's fall break and I don't have school to worry about. *sigh* It has not been fun.

Terribly sorry about not replying to many reviews- 81? You're all amazing! Have some Butterbeer and Chocolate Frogs! But yeah, like I said, grounded. I WILL reply to all reviews this time, though, as I haz one more free week before I have to go back to Azkaban- I mean school. Thank you all so much for not giving up on me! To make up for it, I've made this a LONG chapter, with ALL the Marauders' points of view, and a little plot development at the end... :3

Disclaimer: "Yeah, Dndchk is not J.K. Rowling. Otherwise, she would have made her first two fanfics much better than they already are."

"SIRIUS, I'M GONNA KILL YOU EVEN MORE PAINFULLY IF YOU DON'T STOP THAT!" *glances around nervously* "You saw nothing..."

The morning came too early. Liz would have been able to sleep later, but her dorm mates' chatter was impossible to muffle with a pillow. Reluctantly, she forced her eyes open and stuck her head out of the hangings.

Lily and Sarah were bet over a piece of parchment, whispering excitedly and giggling. Victoria was busy braiding her hair and talking loudly, unaware that her audience wasn't listening. Liz groaned and rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, good morning," Lily said, looking up.

"'Morning," Liz yawned hugely. "What time is it?"

"Seven. I was going to get you up in a few minutes."

Liz blinked. "Oh. Er, thanks, I guess." She crawled to the foot of her bed and opened her trunk to get some socks. There was no way she was touching the cold stone floor with her bare feet. Once she'd pulled her socks on, she began rummaging for some clothes.

September first had fallen on a Saturday this year, so Liz was looking forward to having the first day back to spend as she pleased. However, she was forced to wear one of her school robes, as she and her parents had been unable to find any clothes that fit her lanky form. Her mum had promised to send some as soon as possible, but Liz wasn't happy that she would have to wait to wear her muggle jeans. It could have been worse though; at least her shoes fit.

"I'm so excited to start Muggle Studies this year," Lily said, looking at Liz. "What classes are you taking?"

"Oh, you know, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration-"

"I meant new classes," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. But, Lily, why are you taking Muggle Studies?"

Lily's eyes shone, and Liz regretted asking. "Just think about it- seeing what wizards think of muggle methods of getting things accomplished would be so fascinating! And, to be honest... it would be nice to have an easy class, you know?" She smiled sheepishly.

"I'm taking Arithmancy," Sarah said. Liz wrinkled her nose.

"Well, if that's what interests you..."

"Oh, yes! Just think of all the practical applications!" Sarah's eyes glazed over as she stared dreamily at the wall, lost in thought.

"Er, sure. I'm going to breakfast, but I'll see you later." Liz waved and ducked through the door before she could get sucked into a discussion about Arithmancy.

She bounded down the stairs three at a time, and was unable to stop when she rounded the corner and slammed into James.

"Ow!" yelled James, pushing her off his stomach. "Liz!"

"Sorry," she said, offering a hand. James ignored it and pushed himself up.

"Don't you ever watch where you're going?" he demanded.

"I doubt it," Remus said dryly. Liz made a face at him.

"We were wondering when you were going to get up," Peter said, giving her a stern look. Liz held up her hands.

"Hey, give me a break! I got used to sleeping in over the summer," she said defensively.

"Well, you'd better get used to waking up early, 'cause we we won't wait for you next time you oversleep," James said. He kept talking before Liz could get a word in. "But no matter. We have a whole day to ourselves, and I intend to spend it exploring!"

"Breakfast first," Peter reminded him.

"Breakfast first," James agreed.

It was something to be proud of, that they were able to get down to the Great Hall without having to backtrack. But then, James thought, they were starting the third year. It was about time they were able to get things right the first day.

A few minutes after they sat down at the Gryffindor table, Lily, Sarah, and Victoria entered, their heads close together. James sat up straighter and brushed toast crumbs from his shirt.

The girls suddenly giggled, Sarah pushing Lily gently in the direction of the Ravenclaw table. Lily dug her heels in and pushed her back, but when Sarah and Victoria sat in their usual places, Lily went to sit with the Ravenclaws. James frowned and kicked Remus lightly under the table. "What's Evans doing sitting over there?"

Remus turned to look. Lily had sat next to a boy with flat, personality-devoid (in James' opinion) hair and was talking to him animatedly. James scowled when the boy turned his head slightly, allowing them to see his face. It was Ryan Bennet, one of the kids who had been badmouthing werewolves in Defense class last year.

"What's she doing talking to Bennet?" James demanded of nobody in particular. He glowered as he took a sip of pumpkin juice- and almost immediately spat it back out.

Lily was holding Bennet's hand.

"Oh, no, she did not-" James began to stand, but Liz reached across the table and pushed him back down.

"If you go over there to chew them out, you're going to look like a right prat," she said. "Just leave them alone, James."

James scowled, but stayed in his seat. "Fine, but you're going to help me get Bennet," he said churlishly. "Forget what I said about exploring today. I'm going to the library- are you coming?"

"I will!" Peter volunteered. Liz and Remus exchanged glances.

"I dunno, James... I mean, just because you like Evans doesn't give you the exclusive right to her," Remus said, choosing his words carefully.

James threw his hands in the air. "Fine! I don't need your help, anyway! Come on, Wormy. Let's go."

"Huh? Oh, right!" Peter, unused to his nickname, stuffed a last piece of bacon in his mouth and hurried to follow James.

James led the way to the library and immediately headed for the Hexes and Jinxes section. "We're not leaving until I find a suitable punishment," he declared.

"Er, James," began Peter, "How can you be sure that Lily and Ryan are together? Just because she held his hand-"

"Pete, if you're not going to help, then get out." James pointed to the door. Peter, to his credit, just looked at him. At least he knew his place. "Right then," James said, rubbing his hands together, "Let's get started."

Sirius had decided to wait until the others were long gone before he, too, left the dorms. Even though it was early on a weekend and not many people were likely to see them together, it wasn't a risk he wanted to take.

Ten minutes after his friends left, he decided he didn't have the patience to wait any longer, so he made his way down to the Great Hall. Several students were already there, and though Liz and Remus were at their usual places, James and Peter were nowhere to be found. As he walked past, Sirius shot Remus a questioning look.

Library, Remus mouthed. Sirius frowned. What on earth had possessed James to go to the library?

He shrugged and sat a fair distance from his friends and began serving himself. He was famished.

Halfway through his food, Remus and Liz finished eating and left. Sirius watched them go, wishing he could follow them, talk to them outside the dorm. His mood darkened even further when Regulus entered- and he was talking to Snape.

Sirius put his fork down and pushed his plate away, no longer hungry. This was totally unacceptable. Snivellus, corrupting his brother? Something would have to be done. His feet carried him over to the Slytherin table before he made the conscious decision to even go there.

"Hey, Regulus," he said, stopping a few feet away. "I didn't know you spoke Troll."

Snape sneered at him. "Do you not have anything better to do with your time, Black?" Regulus looked from Sirius to Snape and back.

"Do you guys know each other?" he asked. Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"Know him? Who doesn't know Snivellus? His greasy head is kind of difficult to miss." Sirius grinned when Snape's face darkened. "I'm kind of surprised he hasn't already stolen all your shampoo."

"Sirius-" Regulus began, but Snape interrupted him.

"I'm surprised you two are even related," he said. "It's rather hard to believe that a nice kid like Reg could have a brother like you."

Sirius' eyes flashed. Only he was allowed to call his brother Reg. "You want to say that again?"

"Guys!" Regulus pushed himself between them. "I get that you don't like each other very much, but can't you let it alone?"

"No," Sirius and Snape said at the same time. They glared at each other.

Regulus' face fell. "Sirius, Sev has been really nice to me, and Sev, Sirius is my brother. Couldn't you at least ignore each other?"

"Only if Sevvie promises to stop trying to indoctrinate you into the Death Eaters," Sirius said cooly.

"Big words," Snape commented. "Did you actually display a modicum of genuine intellect for a change, or was that just accidental?"

"Please, just stop it," Regulus snapped. Sirius bit back his witty retort and looked at him. Regulus' clear grey eyes were pleading. Sirius swallowed. Sure, his brother might occasionally display some pure-blood bigotry, but the kid was only eleven. Still young enough to believe that a few words were enough to make people get along. How Snape had managed to earn Regulus' approval, Sirius had no idea.

"You're lucky Regulus was here," Sirius hissed. "But next time, Snivelly..." he smirked when Snape blanched.

"Just... go," Regulus said, turning away.

Sirius left the Great Hall, somehow feeling even more depressed than before.

He wandered outside to the grounds, hoping some fresh air would clear his head. He passed Liz and Remus, who were sitting (a little too close together, Sirius thought) under the beach tree near the lake. Liz gave a tiny wave, but didn't pay him much attention. Sirius sighed and headed past the greenhouses, pausing to throw a few stones at the dormant Whomping Willow.

He'd never thought it was possible to feel so alone.

He looked out to the Forbidden Forest, wondering how deep it went. A slow grin spread across his face. He could find out easily enough. But it wouldn't do to go in and end up wandering around in circles.

Sirius skirted around the still-thrashing Willow and hurried to the wall that surrounded the grounds. The grey-tan stone was as strong as it had been when it was first placed, though it was now covered in moss. The walls, Sirius knew, were more for effect than anything else. They were rather intimidating, being nearly two feet thick and over thirty feet tall, but the real protection of Hogwarts were the wards surrounding the castle. Still, the walls were pretty awesome. And they would be his guide to the Forest.

His first few steps into the trees were hesitant. After all, it wasn't called the Forbidden Forest for nothing. Hadn't some of the older students said there were werewolves in there?

Sirius snorted. Unless Remus had a summer home in there that he hadn't told them about, there weren't going to be any werewolves in the Forest. besides, it was early morning. There probably wasn't anything in there that was more interesting than a bowtruckle.

Keeping the wall immediately to his right, Sirius ventured a little deeper among the trees. On the outskirts, the trees were slender, young. Farther in, though, the trunks towered overhead, venerable giants that must have been hundreds of years old. Despite the bright, brisk morning, the Forest was shrouded with a gloom that was the product of a dense canopy, and the branches, leaves, and other detritus added to the somber atmosphere. Sirius could hear animals skittering through the underbrush, and he started when a squirrel leapt across a gap between trees. Somewhere in the distance, a raven called. The harsh screech made the hairs on the back of Sirius' neck prickle.

After about ten minutes, in which nothing interesting happened, Sirius began to get a little bored. The most he'd seen was a bunch of dull trees. Maybe he needed to get away from the wall. As long as he went in a relatively straight line, he should be fine.

Sirius turned left and began going deeper into the Forest, leaving the safety of the wall behind.

"Ugh, do they really have nothing good in here?" James asked, slamming another book on their discard pile. Peter shushed him as Madam Pince glared at them.

"Let's keep looking, James. We're bound to find something good, right?" Peter didn't really believe his own words, but he felt a little better when James seemed to perk up a bit.

"Hand me that book there, would you?" James asked, indicating a leather-bound tome near Peter's elbow. Peter pushed it across the table and focused back on his own book.

"What about the Tongue-Tying Curse?" he suggested.

James made a face. "Best use of that would be if Bennet tries to kiss her," he said.

"Oh... okay." Peter sighed and kept looking. He was slightly irritated that James kept shooting his ideas down, but James was the leader of the Marauders for a reason, right? Maybe Peter wasn't the cleverest, but hadn't he proven his worth before?

...He had, hadn't he?

Dejected, Peter turned yet another page. He stopped. A slow smile began to form. "James?"

"What now?" James said impatiently.

Ignoring the harsh tone, Peter turned the book around and pointed to the spell he'd found. A wicked grin that surpassed Peter's spread across James' face. He clapped Peter on the back, then took the book to study it more closely.

"Excellent, Peter! We're going to use this as soon as we can."

Peter grinned, but his smile faded when James lost interest in him again. James was fumbling at his belt, and Peter realized that he was looking for the two-way mirror. Apparently, Sirius was trying to contact him.

"James?" Sirius' face appeared in the glass. "And Peter? Get Liz and Remus and go to the Forest, now."

Not having to worry about school on the first day back was nice, Remus thought. It gave them time to unwind from the long trip the day before.

After James had dragged Peter off to the library, Remus and Liz finished their breakfast, chatting idly about various things. Eventually, the topic turned to the new teacher.

"So, I noticed you and the other guys seemed pretty... welcoming towards Professor Krasimir last night," Liz began.

Remus uneasily tapped his fork on his plate. Now that he though about it, he wasn't entirely sure why he'd been so enthusiastic last night. Sure, Professor Krasimir was rather pretty, but he couldn't remember what it was about her that made him speechless.

He realized Liz was watching him expectantly. "I dunno why. I mean, she is kind of pretty..." Liz scowled and looked down at the table. Remus frowned, trying to think what he'd said.

"Er, would you like to go outside?" he asked, hoping the fresh air would cheer her up. Liz shrugged and grudgingly allowed him to lead her from the Great Hall and out to the beech tree by the lake.

Liz leaned back against the trunk and closed her eyes. For a moment, Remus thought she was trying to go back to sleep, but she was frowning in concentration, her lips moving soundlessly. Deciding it would be best if he left her alone, Remus retrieved a book from his bag and settled in to read. However, he soon found that it was extremely difficult to concentrate once Liz pulled out her wand, practicing the movement for what he recognized as the movement for the Patronus Charm.

"Expecto Patronum!" Liz hissed, brandishing her wand like a sword.

"Still can't get it?" Remus asked gently.

"What do you think?" she said crossly, laying her head on her knees. "I'm beginning to think I'll never get it."

Remus frowned. That didn't sound like Liz at all. "Maybe you need to work on your wand movement," he suggested. "You're trying too hard."

"So, like this?" Liz asked sarcastically, giving an over-the-top flourish. "Sorry, but I just don't know what you mean."

"Here." Remus reached around her and held her wand hand in his own. "You just need to be a bit gentler," he said, moving her arm in demonstration.

Liz nodded thoughtfully. "Thanks." She turned to look at him, and Remus froze, suddenly realizing just how close their faces were, that his arm was around her shoulders. It was both a relief and a disappointment when Liz shrugged him off to try again. Remus noticed her cheeks were a bit pink, and he wondered if- no. She was probably just a little overexerted from trying the spell.

She closed her eyes for a long time. "Expecto Patronum."

And there it was, the Patronus she'd been working so hard to produce. It was some kind of cat, not nearly as large as a lion, but definitely bigger than a domestic cat. Remus could make out a heavy jaw and a short, thick tail before Liz let the spell fade.

"I- I did it," she said, stunned. "i actually did it..." She threw her arms around his neck. "I DID IT!" she screamed into his ear. Remus winced and pushed her away; she didn't even notice. "I did it! I did it!" She jumped up, laughing hysterically, twirling on the grass and letting her robe twist around her.

"Sit down," Remus implored, patting the ground next to him. "I'm really happy for you, but someone's going to wonder what all the fuss is about."

Still grinning so widely that it seemed her face would split, Liz plopped down next to him, somehow managing to look excited and smug at the same time. Her grin faded a little when she said, "Could you tell what kind of cat it was? It was too small to be anything I can think of, but it definitely wasn't a house cat."

"It looked more like some kind of wildcat to me," Remus said, trying to think. "Maybe a lynx?"

"No, lynxes have shorter tails than that... don't they?" Liz shrugged. "Ah, we'll figure it out sometime. But this means we can finally get started on the transformations! Isn't that great?" She looked up and gave a tiny wave; Remus looked up as well and saw Sirius heading across the grounds, his hands shoved into his pockets and his feet dragging. Remus raised a hand, but Sirius had already turned his back to them.

Liz sighed and rested her head on Remus' shoulder. "This sucks so much."

"Yeah," Remus agreed absently. He was a little distracted by the fact that she was right there with her face so close to his-

Liz suddenly sat up and edged away. It was barely a centimeter, but Remus instantly felt bad. He was probably making her uncomfortable.

"You know what this means, though?" Liz said happily, plucking at a dandelion near her ankle. "When we get started on the transformations, it'll be easy!"

"And you're still sure you want to go through with it?" Remus asked. "I mean, there's a reason not many people attempt to become Animagi; this is the part where so much stuff goes wrong-"

Liz cut him off with a look. "Remus, come on, James and Sirius are the best in Transfiguration, and after that stupid Patronus Charm, anything will be easy! You worry too much, you know."

"Sirius may have said something once or twice," Remus said dryly.

"Just once or twice?" Liz teased, punching him lightly in the arm.

There was a shout from the front doors, and Remus and Liz looked up to see James and Peter sprinting across the grounds. James skidded to a halt in front of them, barely out of breath, but Peter had slowed to a plodding walk by the time he caught up.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, noticing the wild look in James' eyes.

"Sirius- Forest- come on-" James grabbed Remus and yanked him to his feet, seized Peter's arm, and took off, yelling at Liz to keep up.

"James, what is going on?" Remus demanded when they stopped just outside the Forbidden Forest. "Is Sirius hurt?"

"Are you daft? Of course I'm not hurt!" Sirius' indignant voice said. Remus looked around.

"Where-?"

"James, you ninny, get me off your belt and let me explain properly," Sirius ordered. James rolled his eyes and pulled the two-way mirror from his belt. He held it up to show them Sirius' grinning face. Cobwebs and twigs were tangled in his hair.

"Don't tell me you're in the Forbidden Forest," Liz groaned.

Sirius nodded smugly. "Yeah, I'm in the Forest. And you guys will never guess what I found!"

"A tree?" Liz muttered.

"I dunno," Peter said. "All you said was to get Liz and Remus and come here."

"I'm not telling you until you come in," Sirius sang.

Remus and James glanced at each other. Remus wasn't too keen on the idea, but James looked eager for another adventure. "We're in," James said, stepping into the trees. "Just tell us where to go."

"Okay, follow the wall for about ten minutes, then turn left when I tell you to," Sirius said. "Trust me, this is the best thing ever! You won't regret it."

"Why do I get the feeling we will?" Liz said cheerfully, lighting her wand and following James into the gloom. She glanced over her shoulder at Remus and Peter. "Come on, guys!"

"I don't want to," Peter whispered. Remus gave his shoulder a small squeeze.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," he said. he was surprised to find that, for the most part, he meant it. The Forbidden Forest couldn't have been called that for nothing, but between the three of them- and Peter- they would hopefully be able to deal with anything that crossed their path. After all, Sirius had made the trek alone and seemed unharmed.

Peter didn't look convinced, but he grabbed the back of Remus' shirt for comfort and followed him.

"So, you'll never guess what I did a few minutes ago," Liz said as they walked.

"You opened a portal to another dimension and became the ruler of a race of three-headed dodos with digestive issues and a taste for classical music?" Sirius asked. They all stared at the mirror in James' hand. "What?"

"Ah... no. But close," Liz said after a moment. "Anyway, Remus was helping me with the Patronus Charm, and..." She paused, clearly relishing in drawing it out. "I got it."

Sirius and James whooped, and Peter broke away from the safety of Remus' shirt to offer a high-five. He then latched onto Liz's arm, reluctant to be out of physical contact with someone.

"So, what is it?" James asked. "A puppy?"

"No, no, I got it," Sirius said, "A poodle!"

"A labradoodle?"

"A chihuahua!"

"Wait, not a dog- a walrus!"

"A platypus?"

"Seahorse?"

"Guys!" Liz yelled impatiently. "It's a cat."

Sirius looked rather put-out. "You're sure it wasn't a dog?"

"Or a wolf?" James asked slyly. Remus was not amused, and he let James know by swatting him upside the head. "Hey!"

"You're a- a cat?" Peter squeaked, jumping away from Liz and grabbing hold of Remus once more. "But you'll eat me!"

"I'm sure you'll taste delicious," Liz said, pretending to bite at him. Peter yelped and hid behind Remus. "But yeah, a cat. The only thing is, I've never seen something like it before."

"Could you try it again when we're all together?" James asked. Liz bit her lip and shrugged.

"I guess..."

"Hey, hold the mirror up, I can't see," Sirius complained.

"My arm's getting sore- your reflection is too fat."

"How can my reflection be fat?"

"heavy, whatever. Your reflection is too heavy."

Remus cut in before the squabble could evolve into a shouting match. "James, I could hold the mirror for a while," he offered.

"You'd better thank Moony for hauling your ungrateful arse around," James said as he handed the mirror to Remus.

"Thank you, Moony," Sirius said sarcastically. "Now hold me up."

"You know, I could always put you in my pocket," Remus warned, holding the mirror up so Sirius could survey their surroundings.

"There are so many 'getting in your pants' jokes I could make right now," James sniggered.

"Yes, yes, you're hilarious," Sirius said flatly. "Okay, you guys need to turn now. Just keep going straight. I'm only a few minutes away."

"Thanks for the help," James said brightly. He snatched the mirror away from Remus and shoved it in his pocket to muffle Sirius' indignant voice.

They kept going, the trees getting even larger as they headed deeper into the Forest. The branches grew thick overhead, allowing only a little light to weakly filter to the ground. Only a few steps away from the wall, they were all forced to light their wands in order to see.

"This is really creepy," Liz muttered, edging closer to Remus. "I keep getting the feeling like..."

Remus felt the back of his neck tingle. "Like we're being watched," he said softly. Liz's fingers crept into his hand. Normally, he would have pulled away, embarrassed, but he was grateful for the contact. The Forest was making him uneasy.

They all sighed with relief when James spotted a glow coming from between the trees. They hurried forward, unimpeded by undergrowth- there wasn't enough light to allow much besides fungi to grow- as the ground sloped upward. Remus frowned. This was the first hill they'd encountered in the Forest.

Sirius was waiting for them at the top, his wand lit, grinning cheerfully and lounging on the grass. However, the tight grip he kept belied his calm appearance. "About time you guys got here," he said. "What took you so long?"

"You're hilarious," James said sourly, not sitting next to Sirius. He kept his wand out, peering into the darkness. "Merlin, this place is creepy. What the hell were you thinking, Sirius?"

"Honestly, mostly how much I wanted to find something interesting," Sirius said apologetically. "Trust me, after I asked you to get out here, I started to imagine I was seeing stuff in the shadows..."

They all shuddered.

"So what was so bloody important that we had to come to Creepy Capitol?" Liz asked sourly, still scanning the area for possible threats. Her grip on Remus' hand tightened.

"Come here." Sirius stood up and clambered down the far side of the hill- but it wasn't a gentle slope like the side they'd gone up. It was a rocky face- no, Remus realized, once they were all standing in front of Sirius' discovery- a wall. A stone wall, covered by moss, was set into the hill, and the rotted remnants of a wooden door hung off of rusty hinges, revealing a dark, gaping hole.

"Wow..." James said, holding his wand up as he tried to see inside. It was fairly obvious that he didn't want to be the first one in, though, as he kept the rest of his body away from the opening.

Sirius grinned, but he looked anxious. "I went in a little bit- scared the living daylights out of some bats- but I think it's a tunnel. There weren't any other rooms or doors, and it just kept going."

"Another tunnel?" Liz said, biting her lip. "Where d'you think it goes?"

Sirius grinned at her. "Only one way to find out, isn't there?" he said.

He ducked through the doorway and was swallowed up by the darkness.

A/N: Dun dun DUNNNN!

Okay, I'm gonna keep this short, as I delayed eating dinner for two and a half hours in order to type this. I'm starving and cranky and have no intention of sticking around any longer than I have to. You're welcome.

But seriously, I love you guys. Keep those reviews coming! I'm already working on chapter nine, and it'll hopefully be up before I go back to school. But... if not... I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be allowed to update until Christmas- sorry, WINTER- break. *eyeroll* Just so you guys know. I'm really sorry about the delays.

Until next time,

-Dndchk