James and Sirius were up in the Owlery, sending a letter to the Potters concerning their arrival next month for Christmas, when a black owl swooped down through the window. Sirius needed only a split second to recognize the owl that had so many times flown through his dreaded child's home, as being the Malfoy's. Realizing this, he reached up with the reflexes of a cat and caught the poor creature around the wings, effectively preventing it from flying, and with a hoot of protest the owl and Sirius came tumbling to the ground.

James, the poor boy, was unprepared for the sudden scheme of his friend, and received a terrible fright from all the commotion. Not realizing what was going on, he immediately raced to his friend's aid, only to find the animaigus grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"What the blaze! Sirius, are you trying to kill me?" he gasped as he reached down to give Sirius a hand in getting up. Sirius, however, had other plans. Rather than accept the hand that had been extended to him in a kind and warm gesture, he thrust the creature into James' hand.

"I got him!" he cried triumphantly.

"Whose owl is this?" James asked as he began to examine the bird for any signs of identity, but the only thing that he found was a letter tied to one of his claws that read: Severus Snape. This immediately got his attention and he quickly untied the letter from the owl.

"That owl," Sirius spoke up as he got up from the ground where he had been lying so comfortably, "is the Malfoy's owl." Now James truly was curious and wasted no time in ripping the letter open. What they found was something that they had all suspected but no one dared believe true.

Severus

I trust that everything is in place. Remember you have one chance and one chance only. Should you fail the consequences would be disastrous. The Dark Lord does not give second chances.

Lucius Malfoy

"Bloody Hell!" James said as he looked to Sirius. Both boys had an equal look of shock and horror. Granted, they had bullied and teased Snape enough that anyone knew that they were the furthest thing from friends, but to discover that he was working for the darkest wizard that had ever existed was something that neither one of them had imagined.

By the time that Sirius was even able to come up with a remark in response, James was already out of the Owlery, and making his way down the stairs.

"James!" Sirius called as he ran after him. "Where are you going?"

"I am going to show that stupid girl why you should not trust a greasy-haired git."

With the speed and the rage that James was feeling, it took them no time to reach the Gryffindor Common Room where they found Lily and Sol sitting in front of the fireplace.

At the sound of the door banging open the girls jumped in fright. At seeing who it was they calmed, but the look in James' eyes only served to propel Lily into confusion as to what had angered him.

"Here!" James yelled as he thrust the letter into Lily's hands. "Read it!"

"James..." she began, but was cut off by him again.

"JUST READ IT!!"

Terrified of his tone, she did exactly that, she read the letter.

"I don't understand?" she said, failing to make the connection that both Sirius and James had.

"You don't understand? YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND??" he shouted, two times for good measure. "He is a bloody Death Eater! And you have been protecting him!"

It was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Lily, who could not stomach hearing about anyone being mean to another person, could not just sit by and let James be so harsh to a man that she was sure was innocent, no matter what the evidence suggested.

"James, he is not a Death Eater! For all you know someone could be setting him up!" She then looked over to Sol for the moral support that she hopped to find in her friend, but the reply that she got was not what she had expected.

Rather than her long-time friend standing up for her, Sol merely looked at Lily apologetically and said, "I am sorry, love, but that letter speaks volumes. I am afraid that I have to agree with James on this one." Lily could not believe her ears. Standing up she threw the letter back at James.

"All of you are so willing to condemn an innocent man? Fine then! But you will not do it with me at your side." With that she marched up the stairs, leaving three very confused friends behind.