Ch 13 Revenge

When James awoke the next day he found Sirius was gone.

"Madam Pomfrey, where'd Sirius go?"

"He's been released, as you are." Madam Pomfrey stated as she handed him his clothes. She then closed the curtains around his bed and James changed and left.

The first place James decided to go was the Great Hall for some breakfast. He spotted Sirius talking with Peter at the Gryffindor table.

"Hey mates," James said as he approached.

"James!" Peter said excitedly. James took a seat.

"Where's Remus?"

"He's gone home to visit his mother last night," Peter said sadly. James looked at Sirius who was determinedly avoiding his gaze.

"I hope his mother gets better soon,"

"I'm sure she'll be fine," James said.

"So," Sirius said but was interrupted by a voice.

"I see your back Potter, Black," James turned to see Severus Snape walking with Lily.

"You are a right foul git Snivellus," James spat. Anger flared up in him at the sight of Snape. "I know it was you and you will pay for what you did!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Snape sneered.

"You know damn well," Sirius said in a deadly whisper.

"Would you guys stop it? Come on Severus," Lily said pulling him away. They all shared one last glare as the two left.

"Evil git," Sirius muttered.

"We'll put our plan into action tomorrow," James assured him.

The next day during lunch, James, Peter and Sirius were walking outside. It wasn't terribly cold but it was windy. Winter was defiantly on the way and James suspected it would snow any time.

"I say we go in," Peter whined.

"Pete, you've been complaining for the last ten minutes. It's not that cold out here," Sirius argued.

"What are we waiting for?"

"That-," James said pointing. Peter looked and saw Snape and Lily.

"Let's do it mate. Peter, you may want to stay back." Sirius said. Peter was more then willing. James and Sirius looked at each other, nodded and walked confidently over to Snape and Lily.

"Oi, Snivellus!" Sirius yelled. Snape looked over and saw them approaching. He glared at them and heard Lily moan beside him.

"Not again," she huffed. "Potter, Black, what do you want?"

The boys ignored her and kept their attention focused on Snape. James was so angry and determined that he didn't even notice how nice Lily looked.

"We have some unfinished business," Sirius declared.

"Black, if I were you, I'd stay away from me. You don't want a repeat of what happened do you?" Lily was slightly confused by the statement but didn't let it show. What had happened? She wondered to herself.

"Snivellus, are you such a coward you have to go running to the other Slytherins?" James asked. Anger flared up in Snape, he was not a coward.

"We want to settler this," Sirius said.

"A duel," James replied.

"Us against you and a friend of your choice."

"Midnight by the lake."

"You're on Potter, Black," Snape said. He began to think about who he would want to use as a partner.

"I'll be his partner," Lily said. Snape looked at her, he didn't want her getting hurt, but then again she was a very skilled witch and he could train her as well.

"Fine, Lily will be my partner. She's a very skilled witch."

James laughed finally acknowledging Lily. "Evans, a girl? Good luck!"

"Don't think you can handle it Potter?" She asked. James stared at her.

"I can take you on Evans. Better, I can take you on a date." James smirked as he said this.

"Potter, you-!" But she never got to finish because Sirius started to speak again.

"One week to prepare ourselves. We'll meet up outside at midnight one week today, or are you too much of a coward?"

"I'll be there; you just make sure you show up!" Snape retorted. He then turned and left. Lily shot glares at the two boys before turning and following her friend. Sirius and James just smiled at each other. They were finally going to get the revenge they've waited for.

James and Sirius practiced in their dorm room all week with the help of Peter. When Remus returned from his moms a few days later and heard what happened, he also greed to help.

"I found another spell which might help," Remus stated the day before the duel.

"We don't have time to learn anymore!" James snapped.

Remus ignored James's attitude. He was under a lot of stress anyways. "Let's practice what you know." He suggested.

Remus had learnt a silencing charm that he now used on the room so Evans couldn't hear the spells they were learning.

They practiced for a few hours, in which they should've been doing homework, and finally James collapsed on his bed.

"We better beat them," James said finally.

"We will mate, we've learned a lot."

"But Sirius, Snape is evil."

"And I come from a dark family. If worse comes to worse I'll use a dark curse-."

"No!" James and Remus said together. Sirius may have been in Gryffindor but James suspected, living with his dark wizard for eleven years that he may have picked up a few of their habits and enjoyed the dark side a little. "Nothing that'll get you kicked out," Remus said.

"Fine," Sirius replied grumpily.

"You should get some rest,"

"Whatever," the marauders went to bed but both James and Sirius had trouble sleeping that night. They lied awake thinking of the next night.

This was it. James and Sirius were prepared to walk out and duel until they couldn't duel any longer. They were under cover of James's cloak and walking quietly but quickly towards the lake, where they suspected to meet Snape and Lily.

Sure enough the both of them were standing by the lake looking as if they were waiting for someone, which they were. It looked as if they both had their wands lit and pointed towards the school, as if trying to see if anybody was coming.

"Can you see them yet?" they heard Lily ask.

"Shh," Snape hissed. Lily sounded a little worried. "Maybe they chickened out. I guess we know who the cowards are." he sneered and Lily laughed a little to her self but it seemed forced.

James and Sirius hid behind a tree and pulled off the cloak and quietly snuck out behind them.

Snape heard a twig crack and turned around.

"Potter, Black, brave of you to show up." He sneered.

"We're going to settle this once and for all Snivellus," Sirius retorted.

"Potter couldn't win this if he was a seventh year because Sev and I are more skilled. He's been training me."

"Evans, you'd rather learn Dark Magic than date me?"

"One, potter, it wasn't dark magic I learned and two, I wouldn't date you, or touch you for that matter, with a ten foot broom stick!" Lily shot back.

"Potter, let's get this over with." Snape said.

"First we have a few minutes to plan and regroup before we start." Sirius said.

"Fine with me," Lily said. She grabbed Snape's arm and pulled him over to a tree.

"Sirius, what spell are we going to use fist?" James asked.

"Well, Evans is a skilled witch, no doubt about it, and if Snivellus really was teaching her, we have as much chance of winning as we do of killing old Voldy."

"Real confident mate," James said.

"Well, I know a few things that'll help. Just remember the spells we've practiced."

"We only have a bit of time," James said.

"Alright, the main ones are protego, the shield charm. It'll help us block any nasty things but I never got the hang of it exactly. I can do a decent one but it may not hold certain spells."

"Alright, well what else?"

"Expelliarmus, you know the disarming spell. It depends on Sniv's reflexes as well. He may be able to block it with his own disarming spell."

"This isn't helping, what else is there?"

"Reduco, but that one also maybe a little to advanced for us. We are only second years."

"Sirius is there any spells that'll help us win!"

"Stupefy would be the best one but considering that one we usually don't learn until at least forth year, I'd say we can only use the basics ones we've mastered."

When each group broke apart they stood facing each other. James noticed Lily looked slightly scared.

"Scared Evans?" James mocked. Lily's expression changed suddenly to anger.

"Not in your dreams Potter!" she said it confidently but James caught the anxiety and wavers of her voice, and apparently so did Snape. He touched her arm in a comforting way and whispered something to her which made her smile slightly. This was the last straw for James. He pointed his wand at Snape and shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Snape turned so quickly and blocked the spell. He smirked, "You'll have to do better than that Potter," He muttered a spell at James and Sirius blocked it. Finally the battle broke out. James and Sirius were both shooting spells at Snape who was blocking them wisely. Lily seemed reluctant in joining in but shot a spell at James. He countered back and Snape shot another one at James and Sirius shot one at Snape. Lily countered on Sirius, succeeding in her leg locker curse and Sirius toppled over.

"Expelliarmus!" James said and Lily's wand flew into the air and landed a foot away from James. This left a battle between James and Snape.

"Give it up Potter," Snape sneered, firing another spell at him. The spell skimmed James's arm and it started to bleed.

"What's going on 'ere?" A voice yelled from the darkness. The boys stopped shooting spells as they saw a huge man walking towards them. Hagrid.

"Uh oh," James muttered. He quickly took advantage of Snape's distraction and body binded him and undid the curse on Sirius as Hagrid came into view.

"What's all this?" Hagrid asked seeing a cowering Lily standing by Snape and James helping Sirius off the ground. Lily's wand was now lying a few feet from her.

"I want an answer now, as to why four second years are out at this time!"

"Snape and Evans were firing spells at us," James said, "we retaliated, self defence."

"That's not true!" Lily exclaimed.

"Come with me," Hagrid said. Lily glared at James and Sirius, picked up her wand, undid the curse on Snape and helped him up. They followed Hagrid and James and Sirius followed behind them.

"Dangerous creatures lurk around the forest and lake. You ain't to be out 'ere!" Hagrid exclaimed. "I'm takin' yea to McGonagall." The students remained silent as they followed Hagrid into the castle. They were led to McGonagall's office. Hagrid knocked on the door and they heard movement within. The door opened to reveal McGonagall in nightclothes, covered by a night gown.

"Hagrid, what can I do-." She noticed the four students. Her lips thinned as she pursed them tightly together. "Come in," she said exasperated. "I'll inform Horace." She took out her wand and something silver shot out of it. She muttered something and it took off.

"Potter, Black, Evans," she said pointing at three chairs. "Snape Professor Slughorn will be here momentarily." Snape nodded. "Miss Evans, I am surprised at you." Lily just looked down at the ground, ashamed. A moment later Slughorn walked into the room.

"Minerva, what can I do for you?" he asked. He then noticed the students. "Oh dear," he muttered.

"Indeed Horace, I don't have the story yet, I was waiting for you."

"Severus my boy, why don't you take a seat?" Snape didn't say anything but rather just sat down. He looked angry and kept glaring at the other boys present.

"Will someone explain why you were out at this time of night? Hagrid?" she asked when no one spoke up.

"Well I'm not sure what happened exactly, I was in me hut and I 'eard shouts. I look out me window and saw lights by the lake. I went to see what was going on and found Snape on the ground, Evans looking terrified and James was helping Sirius up."

"Why was Snape on the ground and why did Black need help up?"

"James and Sirius said Evans and Snape were firing spells at them so they retaliated." Hagrid replied.

"Is that the truth?"

"No professor," Lily spoke up.

"Then what happened?" McGonagall asked sternly.

"Potter and Black challenged Severus to a duel last week, scheduled for tonight. I said I'd be Severus's partner. We showed up tonight and Potter shot the first spell."

McGonagall's lips were so thin at this point she had to resist the urge to scream at the two boys.

"Potter, Black, is this the truth?"

James knew it wouldn't be wise to lie to McGonagall when she was this angry. "Yes professor," he muttered quietly.

"Why?" McGonagall asked in a shrill voice, "Why did you challenge them to a duel?"

"To get revenge for what happened to us!" Sirius finally spoke up. James knew McGonagall knew what he was talking about.

"Severus has nothing to do with whatever you're talking about! You just like picking on him." Lily exclaimed.

"Keep your mouth shut Evans! You don't know what we're talking about!" James yelled at her. He didn't care that she looked as if she was going to cry at being yelled at, or the fact that, even though she had tears in her eyes, anger was evident. He didn't care that he yelled at Lily Evans, the girl he liked.

"Enough," McGonagall said, "duelling, being out of bounds at this time of night," she turned to Hagrid. "Would you get Albus Hagrid?"

"Sure Minerva," Hagrid said weakly. He knew the poor students were in big trouble. He liked James and Sirius; they were good lads even if some of their jokes got them in trouble. Nobody said a word while Hagrid was gone and five minutes later he returned with the headmaster behind him.

"Minerva, please take Mr. Potter and Mr. Black to my office, I'll be with you momentarily." McGonagall nodded and the boys stood up and followed McGonagall out. They were quiet on the way up to the office. James and Sirius knew they were in big trouble.

LILY'S POV

Lily sat in the chair quietly waiting to see what her punishment would be.

"Miss Evans, thirty points will be taken from Gryffindor and two weeks detention with Madam Pomfry. You may go," Lily nodded feeling relieved it wasn't anything bigger than that.

SNAPE'S POV

Snape watched as Lily walked out of the room.

"Horace, Hagrid, if you don't mind I'd like to speak with Mr. Snape alone."

"Sure thing Albus," Slughorn said and the two men walked out of McGonagall's office.

"Mr. Snape," Dumbledore started, "after the talk we had about the attack on Mr. Black, I'd have thought you wouldn't be foolish enough to do anything lie this. I will be informing your mother."

Snape sat there staring at the ground. He didn't say anything.

"I will be taking fifty points from Slytherin and you'll also receive two weeks detention with Mr. Filch." Still Snape didn't say anything, "This is your final warning Severus," this is when Snape finally looked at the headmaster, being addressed directly by Dumbledore, "If another attack in ventured on any of those boys by you, you may be suspended, possibly expelled."

"Yes sir," Snape said quietly.

"Back to your common room now," Snape nodded and walked out of the room.

A/N: Alright so yet another chapter up. In my last story I had a duel planned but McGonagall stopped it, well there was a duel to make up for it lol. Probably wasn't the best but hey, it's a duel. So please review and tell me what you thought!