CHAPTER 3

Sirius went back to the common room. He had no chance to ask Centaury about the incident because she was near to tears already. One thing is that he never knew how to comfort a girl; all he knows is to charm them with his dazzling looks. After going to Professor Dumbledore, she just vanished. Sirius hasn't heard her leaving... When he reached the common room, he spotted his friends and approached them.

"Hey padfoot" James said in a bored way.

"Hey..." Sirius said.

"What's with the face?" Remus asked as he closes his book.

"It's about that Centaury girl" Sirius said.

"What about her?" Peter asked. Sirius then talked about Centaury and about what Snape told him. Then at Professor Dumbledore's office about how she disappeared.

"Hmm, I wonder what's wrong with her" Remus said.

"I don't know..." Sirius said.

"Come on, let's get working" James said as they discussed their next prank. They never discuss animagi potions at any unsecured area because they're afraid of eavesdroppers Particularly Lily.

Lunch came and the marauders set for the great hall for food. James found Lily consoling another red-head. The boys looked at them, thinking that Lily was comforting a crying Centaury. But all they found was a smiling Lily and Centaury.

"... 5... 4... 3..." Counted Centaury

"...2 ...1" James continued. "Really girls, what-"' exactly what, they just hear a couple of squeals at the corridors and revealed a group of ravenclaws wet with paint. The marauders laughed so did the others.

"Classy..." Sirius said laughing. "Who did that?"

"I don't know, but he sure is a bit of loud" James said.

"I think you two has to do something about this" Remus said when the laughs abated.

"No" Lily said the corners of her mouth was twitching.

"Hey Centaury, where were you when we delivered the parchments?" Sirius said.

"I... I was there" Centaury said in confusion.

"But I didn't see you walking out" Sirius said.

"Oh..." Centaury said and went on eating her mashed potatoes.

"Centaury... is there something you're hiding?" Remus asked. Centaury looked at him intently and Remus looked back determinedly.

"None..." Centaury said in her mystic voice. Lily looked at them both.

"I see" Remus said shrewdly.

"Hey, leave her alone" Lily said and pulled Centaury to a different seat and began talking.

"What's with Lily?" James said frowning and Remus was eyeing at them.

"I wonder what's wrong with that Centaury girl" Sirius said and James brightened up.

"Alright, guys... wanna deal?" James said.

"What deal?" Peter said.

"Alright here's the deal, whoever gets Centaury's secret, will win the deal. Let's throw in some prizes for the winner... let's say 10 galleons each and the losers will get a dare from the winner" James said cockily.

"Count me in" The other three said.

"I can't believe it!" Sirius said ogling at Remus. "Do prefects deal?"

"Shut up" Remus scowled.

Days went until the last of September. The marauders haven't seen Centaury anywhere near Lily. Whenever they ask where she is, she would only tell them to mind their own business. Although they could see her in class but she vanishes every time the class was dismissed. Remus always looks at her unconsciously. She would stare back too. She would smile and turn her attention back to the professor. Then after class she would disappear and no one will notice her.

One evening, the marauders are to go in the forbidden forest to find a stag (though it's impossible to find one in night time). James took his invisibility cloak from his trunk and went to the common room to meet up with the rest of his friends. They played exploding snap until the other students went to their dorm to sleep. When the common room is already cleared, they went through the portrait halls and went to their favourite secret passageway towards the forbidden forest, they past Hagrid's hut and to the forest.

On the forest, James pocketed the cloak and began looking around the eerie forest. Peter gave a small whimper... he hates the forest. Sirius looked at the sky and smiled. Remus was looking around. How on earth were they going to find a stag? It's easy... Remus is a good tracker. He's got his werewolf instincts to feel the scent of a particular animal.

"So... where to, Moony?" Sirius asked.

"Hmmm" Remus said and began moving southeast. "There's one near the lake"

"Lake?" Sirius said. "Then we're going the wrong way, the black lake in nowhere here"

"No... There's another lake in this area" Remus said.

"What-but there's no other lake... we explored this forest for a million times!" Sirius said.

"You may never know what the forest hides" Remus said frowning. "Come on"

The marauders walked and walked, past some eerie trees and bushes, past the acromantula's lairs, past several centaurs who greet them, and past several trees. Then, after a few minutes, they're in front on a large moldy boulder. James and Sirius looked around to see if there's a lake but they found none. However, Remus was frowning while looking at boulder.

"Where is the lake?" Peter asked impatiently. "All I can see is fog and trees!"

"Shh" Remus said.

"What?" Peter said looking at Remus.

"Will you shut up? The prefect is concentrating!" James said and Sirius laughed.

"I prefer you guys to shut up if you don't want acromantulas to spot us" Remus said and placed his hand on the moldy boulder. To his surprise, his hands passed through. "Come on in guys"

The marauder went in and found out that it was a cave. It was so dark that they use their wands to light their way. They walked for several minutes until they saw a dim light beyond. It meant they had reached the end. As they reached the end of the tunnel, they were amazed to see the place beyond. It was one of the most beautiful spot that they could ever see. The lake was wide as the black lake, young fir trees were surrounding it, and there were several animals resting there. The half moon lit dim light around it...

"Where are we?" James asked.

"Paradise..."Peter said weakly.

"Look! There's a stag there!" Sirius said as they saw a stag with his herd.

"I don't think we could harm that stag..." Remus said. "He's with his herd..."

"So, now what?" James said. "We need its blood"

"We could use the invisibility cloak" Sirius said.

"Deers can feel you coming near" Remus said simply.

"We can stun it..." Sirius said.

"Alright!" Remus said and they used the invisibility cloak. They crept near the herd and shoot stunning spells at the stag. They went to the stag and its herd were enraged.

"Uh-oh..." James said as the herd faced them looking as though they were ready to attack.

"We've go to do something!" Peter squeaked, the other stags were charging.

"Protego!" Remus, Sirius and James said. There was a dome-like protection surrounds the four of them. The stags kept on charging and most of them were fatal. Seconds passed by and they four could feel their protection was slowly abating.

"Sirius... if we die here, I wanted you to know that it was I who stole your chocolate cauldron back when we were first years!" James said holding his wand.

"WHAT?" Sirius yelled until the protection was destroyed. The marauders were pale and waited for their fate until-

(A/N: well have a guess what happened ^^)

thanks for reviewing Saturn Fate Silver Maxwell... hehehehe,