In the End

Chapter 5: Colère

There's music in the dawning morn,
There's music on the twilight cloud,
There's music in the depth of night,
When the world is still and dim,
And the stars flame out in the pomp of light,
Like thrones of the cherubim!

*~*~*~*

Severus calmly walked into his chambers, gently closed the door, and strode over to a cabinet located on the other side of the room. Opening the small door, he carefully pulled out a large bottle full of amber-colored liquid, uncorked it, and poured some of it into an elaborately decorated crystal goblet. Filling the cup to the brim, Severus serenely re-corked the bottle and placed it back into the cool cabinet. He then picked up the goblet and glided over to his dark green couch. Gingerly sitting down, he leaned back and let out a sigh of content when he finally raised the cup to his lips and gulped the fiery substance.

He licked his thin chapped lips, lowered the cup, and stared blankly into his empty fireplace. Severus cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips. He could've sworn he'd left the fire going earlier. He shrugged.

Then, the mirror on the wall to his left suddenly exploded into a hundred jagged pieces.

Severus frowned and turned to face the mirror...well, where the mirror had once hung on the wall. There was nothing there now except for a frame and several large fragments of glass.

He felt something warm trickle down his cheek. He raised a hand to his face and pulled back; he was bleeding.

Severus stared at his hand and blinked slowly. Shaking his head, he picked up his goblet and took another large swig of cognac. He found that his head was completely devoid of all thought. It was empty, an abyss, but for some reason Severus did not care. In fact, he rather liked it. For the first time in years, he felt nothing.

A knock at the door didn't even startle him. Turning his head languidly, Severus heaved himself off the couch and moseyed over to the threshold. He smiled dimly when he opened the door and saw who was standing behind it.

"'Lo, Albus," he said slowly. "How're you?"

The headmaster quirked an eyebrow. Snape rarely called Dumbledore by his first name...and, yes, that was definitely alcohol he smelled on the man's breath. "May I come in, Severus?" he asked calmly.

"Of course, old man," Severus said amiably, but with heavily hooded eyes. He then turned around, bumped into the doorframe, bounced off and continued on his way to the living room without so much as a second thought.

"Drink, Albus?" Severus asked, holding up his goblet and subsequently sloshing some of its contents onto his robes. Frowning, Severus looked down at his now-wet body and stopped moving altogether.

Dumbledore watched the younger man very closely. Severus was now just staring at his damp robes, completely immobile, not saying a thing, and frankly, that worried Dumbledore. While he was used to Snape often hiding and masking his emotions, he also knew that when Severus got angry, everybody knew about it. This silent, calm, almost cheerful Severus unnerved Dumbledore greatly and he suspected that like most disasters, it was only a matter of time before Snape exploded.

A glass shattering broke Dumbledore out of his thoughts. Startled, he looked at Severus and saw that the man was now holding the remnants of the crystal goblet that had been his hand. Large pieces of the glass had sliced into Severus's palm, which was now bleeding profusely, but still, Severus did not react. Dumbledore rose slowly from the couch and sidled over to where the younger man was standing. The closer he got, the more Dumbledore could see that Severus was actually shaking.

"Severus...?" he asked cautiously.

"You didn't tell me," Snape said coldly, burning a hole in the carpet with his eyes.

"She and I agreed that it would be the safest way--"

"BOLLOCKS!" Snape shouted loudly. Then, in one dramatic gesture, he swirled around and with a loud cry of desperation and frustration, hurled the remainder of the glass in his hand at the wall.

"Severus, we thought it'd be best--"

"Stop lying to me!" Severus barked angrily, swiveling back around to face the headmaster. "If you were so set on protecting me, you never would've encouraged me to bloody date her in the first place!"

"I thought it would be good for you two to get to know each other again--"

"YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME!" Severus erupted. His face was bright red, a rare sight, and his jaw was clenched painfully.

"Severus, stop this at once!" Dumbledore exclaimed in an authoritative voice. Severus's eyes flashed dangerously but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Please, sit down," Dumbledore said in the calmest voice he could muster. Snape glowered at the older man for a moment before flinging himself onto the couch.

Dumbledore gazed at Severus for a moment before also sitting down and crossing his hands in his lap. "I do not understand why you are angry--wait, let me finish before you speak, please."

Severus closed his mouth with a snap and glared menacingly at the doddering old codger.

Dumbledore sighed wearily and ran a hand through his beard. He suddenly felt very, very old.

"What is it that you want, Headmaster?" Severus said shortly, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his chin a little.

"I would like to know why you are angry."

"What I am angry?" Severus sputtered. "Why I am angry? I thought you were supposed to know everything!"

"I will not pretend to know the inner workings of a mind as complicated as yours," Dumbledore replied carefully. "However, if there was anybody to be mad at, it would be me. It was my idea for Milah to remain hidden by those charms."

"She lied to me," Severus ground out through gritted teeth.

"Do you claim that you did not suspect something was amiss about her?" Dumbledore said reasonably. Severus scowled but remained silent. The man was right, of course, as usual. From the first day Severus had met Joanna Kent he had been suspicious of her, enough so that he had even looked at the Magical Registrar. Severus groaned. Of course, he thought, more than a little angry with himself. He suddenly felt utterly ridiculous. The names were all but identical--all the evidence he needed had been right in front of his eyes, yet he never saw it, never made the connection. Why? Because you are an idiot, his brain told him and Severus did not argue this fact. He had refused to see the truth and his brain was currently screaming Denial!!! repeatedly in his head. He scowled again; he hated, absolutely hated, feeling stupid.

So he did what all men his age and in his position would do: brood. And pout.

"She still lied to me," he grunted, turning his head to stare into the empty fireplace.

Dumbledore fought hard not to sigh in exasperation. "We lied to you," he said emphatically. "Besides, what would have happened had we told you immediately? What would you have done differently?"

Severus narrowed his eyes and ground his teeth loudly. He was being unreasonably stubborn, he knew that, but right then he did not care. He did not give a flying fuck, actually. He wanted to be angry. He reveled in it. It was a familiar, oddly comforting emotion, one he had intimate knowledge of, one that didn't leave him confused and nervous and horny like a bloody adolescent. He welcomed the anger with open arms. Over the years it has become the one emotion that he relate to and for some inexplicable reason, he didn't want it to go away.

"She lied," Severus said in a frighteningly cold voice. He could not stand the pity in Dumbledore's eyes. He turned away and whispered, "Please, just...leave."

He heard but did not see the older man rise from the couch and cross the room. His chamber doors stayed opened for several seconds as Dumbledore hesitated before leaving.

"I was married once, did you know that?" he told Severus. The younger man shook his head, slightly startled. "Oh, yes, I was. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever known, inside and out. She had a laugh like an angel's and the most striking violet eyes. She was my everything, Severus," Dumbledore said softly. "She died when she was only fifty-two. I was devastated. I never remarried."

Severus stared at the headmaster, thunderstruck. He honestly had no idea why Dumbledore was telling him this.

"Please, remember this, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly. "There are many people in this world who care about you, who care for you. Milah is one of those people. Do not shut her out."

Without another word, Severus watched, open-mouthed, as the most powerful wizard in the world strode out of his quarters.

*~*~*~*

The harsh wind whipped through Joanna's hair but she did not really notice it; she was vaguely aware of the fact, however, that her bum was completely asleep, seeing as she'd been sitting on the harsh earth for the past two hours.

"You were always a brooder."

Joanna shrugged listlessly as not the least bit surprised that he was there. "What do you want, Remus?"

The werewolf sighed and then plopped himself down on the cold ground next to Joanna. He determinately did not look at the stone to his right.

"Dumbledore Flooed a few hours ago and said that you could use some company," Remus replied evenly. "I've been looking for you ever since."

Joanna said nothing but continued to stare a little beyond Remus's shoulder. He swallowed and closed his eyes, trying--and failing--to keep the painful memories at bay.

"Does Harry know they are here?" she asked softly.

"I don't think so," he replied just as softly, the wind carrying his answer into the dusty sky. "I take it Severus was upset about the recent revelation."

"Upset would be an understatement," Joanna said tonelessly.

"Milah..."

Joanna winced badly. "Please don't call me that."

Remus remained silent. He wanted to ask why--Merlin, how he wanted to ask why--but he just couldn't do that to her...

"Why are you here?" she asked dully.

"It looked like you could use some company," Remus said honestly and Joanna nodded absently. They sat in silence for what felt like hours, neither saying a word, with Remus purposely not looking at the stone while Joanna stared hungrily at it.

"Did you ever know what happened to me and Severus after the O.W.L.s? Do you remember what happened?" she said at last, her voice full of regret and self-loathing.

"Harry saw it, in a Pensieve, in Snape's Pensieve no less," Remus said faintly. "He saw what James and Sirius did to Snape. He was pretty shaken up about it. That's when Snape stopped giving Harry his Occlumency lessons. But to answer your question, no, I don't know exactly what happened between the two of you. It must've been bad though."

Joanna remained silent as she watched the sun dip below the horizon in the distance. The moon would be up soon and even though it wasn't full she knew that she couldn't be around Remus much longer.

"I abandoned him that day," she said, her voice cracking. "I've wondered over the years, late at night when the world is still and dim, whether me not being in his life turned him into the man he is today...if it made him a Death Eater."

"It was his choice, Joanna," Remus said firmly. "I honestly don't think he would be any different. Snape was still friends with all those Death Eaters, even while he was friends with you, and I just don't believe that you could've made much of a difference."

Joanna clenched her jaw and felt a few tears well up in her eyes. Bringing her legs up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and tucked her chin between her knees.

"He hates me," she said hoarsely.

"He doesn't hate you--"

"HE DOES!" she exploded. Her eyes were haunted and swirling a multitude of colors. "Don't you understand, Remus? I feel everything that he feels; I know everything that he knows, right down to my soul! That's how it always was and that is how it always will be! I lost him once all those years ago. I don't know if I can do that again!"

"Then don't!" Remus exclaimed. "Don't let him push you away! You know what he's like, you know how vindictive and cruel he can be but don't let that stop you. He's back in your life now and vice versa, and that's not going to change any time soon. Fight for him!"

"I'm tired of fighting," Joanna said miserably, her posture drooping. A tear rolled down her cheek, and Remus's heart clenched because he could not wipe it away.

A heavy breeze whipped Joanna's hair and a flock of bird suddenly slew out of the forest, as if they had been disturbed. A heavy silence stretched between the two and Remus shuddered as the sun got lower in the horizon.

"Harry is the Heir of Gryffindor," she admitted unexpectedly, and Remus choked.

"Excuse me?" he blurted.

"He's having the dreams," she said absently. "And Dumbledore told me that he--Harry, I mean--that he conjured the Sword of Gryffindor in his second year."

Remus nodded slowly and licked his lips. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," she said succinctly. "The dreams cannot be fabricated. He remembers them, though, which is amazing...I have never been able to remember a dream without the aid of Legilimency or a Pensieve."

"But...James--he never mentioned anything," Remus said, shaking his head.

"No, he wouldn't have, considering he never had the dreams to begin with."

"But--you just said that Harry, and, and Gryffindor..." Remus spluttered. "I mean, it had to have been passed down through the Potter side because Lily was a Muggle-born..."

Joanna nodded knowingly. "I agree that it came through James's side of the family. However, he most definitely never had any of the dreams like Marlene and I had...and Voldemort. For some reason they just never manifested in James. The powers chose Harry instead. I haven't the faintest clue as to why, however."

Remus swallowed loudly and proceeded to stare in awe at Joanna. "Does Harry know any of this?"

Joanna gave a kind of funny half-shrug. "He told me about the dreams, that he remembered them. I wanted to tell him about me...about our apparent shared ancestry, but he would have none of it." Joanna chuckled mirthlessly. "He'd probably be so confused if he knew who I was."

"And who are you?"

Joanna snorted. "I don't even know anymore. I'm surprised I haven't a dozen split personalities by now...

"Bonjour, Harry," she muttered to the air. "Je m'appelle Hélène LeCorbeau. Je suis l'héritière de Rowena Ravenclaw. Yeah, that'd go over real well."

"What did you say?" Remus asked, blinking.

"Hello, Harry," she repeated softly. "My name is Hélène LeCorbeau. I am the Heir of Rowena Ravenclaw." She shuddered. "I really hate that name..."

She stood up suddenly and brushed the grass off her robes. "I really must be going now, Remus. I'm sorry you came all the way out here for nothing."

"I'm just sorry that--that all this all happened," he replied softly. "That Severus is angry with you."

"There's nothing I can do, now," she said, gazing mournfully at the tombstone at her feet. Bending now, she picked up a twig and Transfigured it into a white rose.

"Lily's favorite," Remus breathed as he watched Joanna bend down on her knees and place the flower on James's and Lily's grave. It was the first time he had looked at it the entire time he had been there.

Joanna kissed the palm of her hand and then pressed against the Potters' names as another fat tear rolled down her face. She then raised herself off the ground and without a word set off for the castle, leaving Remus alone with James and Lily for the first time in years.

The two were so caught up in their own loneliness that neither sensed the dark, brooding figure watching them from a short distance away, hidden underneath a treasured invisibility cloak...

*~*~*~*

Severus stormed in the Defense classroom and slammed the door shut loudly, causing the students to jump.

"Get out your books, turn to page 158, and read silently!" he barked.

"Woke up on the wrong side of the coffin, he did," Ron whispered into Harry's ear, who stared blankly ahead, apparently deep in thought.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for talking, Weasley!" Severus snapped.

"What?" Ron yelped.

"Make that thirty points," Snape growled. "Keep talking and it will be more."

Ron promptly shut his mouth, a look of bewilderment on his face. Harry continued to stare.

"Read!" Snape bellowed, causing the class to jump again and immediately dive into their textbooks.

Thirty minutes later, Snape ordered them all to stop and to move to the front of the classroom: they would be learning proper dueling techniques today.

"Potter, Malfoy," he barked, "to the front. NOW."

Malfoy and Harry glared at each other in contempt as they stood at opposite ends of the dueling platform.

"Feel free to use any charms, spells, curses, hexes, or jinxes you have learned in the past six years for this duel," said Snape, a maniacal gleam in his eye. "On my mark. One...two..."

"Expelliarmus!" shouted Malfoy before Snape had finished counting.

"Protego!" Harry cried quickly and deflected the spell. "Impedimenta!"

Draco dodged that curse and yelled, "Locomotor mortis!"

"Protego!" shouted Harry, easily repelling the curse. "Confundo!" Draco dodged again and Harry formed a plan in his mind; Malfoy wasn't using the shield charm. "Furnunculus!" Harry cried and, upon seeing the direction Malfoy was diving to, instantly yelled, "Stupefy!" The spell hit Malfoy straight in the face and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

The class erupted in cheers (except for the Slytherins) and Harry grinned sheepishly.

"Wake him up, Potter," Snape ordered. Harry scowled but strode over to where the arrogant Slytherin laid Stunned on the floor. Pointing his wand at Malfoy's face, he muttered, "Ennervate."

Draco's eyes fluttered open and came to rest on Harry's face. He immediately pointed his wand into Harry's throat and yelled, "Impedimenta!" Harry was thrown across the platform and landed hard on his back, knocking the air from his lungs.

Harry sprung to his feet, gasping, and pointed his wand in Malfoy's direction. The Gryffindors and the members of the D.A. were in an uproar, but Snape was, of course, ignoring them. Harry should've known better than to think that Snape would allow him to win anything against Malfoy.

Neither boy made a move for several minutes, choosing to circle each other apprehensively.

"Scared, Potter?" Malfoy sneered.

"Please," Harry said scathingly, "I dueled with Voldemort and lived to tell about it. You think I'm scared of you?"

Malfoy growled low in his throat.

"Oh," said Harry, pretending to think, "plus, I fought against your father at the Department of Mysteries last June and, well, we both know how that turned out." He was baiting Malfoy, hoping to distract him long enough to cast another Stunner, so he wasn't expecting what the Slytherin said next.

"Yes," Draco said softly, "you killed your precious godfather."

A loud buzzing filled Harry's ears and he immediately saw red as he felt an unnatural amount of rage bubble up inside him.

"Progenia Leo Stupefy!" Harry exploded. A bright red light the shape of a lion shot of from his wand and barreled towards Malfoy. The Slytherin tried hastily putting up a shield, but the spell went straight through it and hit Draco smack in the middle of his chest; he was instantly lifted off his feet and thrown all the way across the room.

Malfoy landed hard on his back and did not move. For several minutes, everyone in the room was silent, staring at either Harry or Draco, their mouths gaping.

"What was that spell, Potter?" snarled Snape, giving Harry a shrewd, calculating look; nobody seemed to be paying any attention to the unconscious Slytherin on the other side of the room.

"I don't know," Harry said through clenched teeth. "It just...came to me."

"What was the incantation?" Snape asked.

"I don't remember, sir," Harry said with a sneer.

"It was Progenia Leo Stupefy," interjected the straggly-looking Theodore Nott. Harry scowled at the boy and he smirked back.

"What is that spell?" Severus barked, glaring at Harry.

"I told you, I don't know. Sir," Harry added angrily.

Snape's black eyes flashed and his lip curled. "Can it be that the great Harry Potter doesn't know everything there is to know about Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Harry glowered at Snape with no small amount of loathing. "Wake up Mister Malfoy, Potter. NOW," the older man snapped.

Harry gritted his teeth and clenched his fists so tightly that the nails broke skin. Without answering, he strode over to where Malfoy lay crumpled on the floor. Harry pointed his wand at the obnoxious Slytherin and muttered, "Ennervate."

Nothing happened.

"Er..." Harry's heart began to beat a little faster. "Ennervate!" he repeated more earnestly. Still, Draco remained motionless. Fear gripped Harry's insides. He bit his lip hard and cast a nervous glance at Snape, who was currently taking points from Gryffindor for some reason and, thankfully, not paying attention to him at the moment. Panicking, Harry searched his mind for some other spell that could wake the Slytherin. And then, like before, it just...came to him.

"Progenia Leo Ennervate!" Harry said confidently. Another red lion shot out of Harry's wand, though smaller this time, and hit Malfoy straight in the chest. With a loud gasp, the blond woke up, looking very dazed and confused. Mercifully, the bell rang and without waiting for a single word from Snape, Harry grabbed his bag and rushed out of the Defense classroom.

*~*~*~*

"Harry, what was that all about?" Hermione asked worriedly as the trio made their way down towards the Great Hall for dinner.

"Hermione," Harry grunted, "I really, really don't know. It just...came to me. It's hard to explain, but when I use it, everything just feels...right."

Hermione looked like she had much more to say about the matter, but was silenced by a look from Ron. Instead, she crossed furrowed her brow and appeared to be in deep thought all the way to dinner.

Upon entering the Great Hall, however, all talking ceased and about four hundred pairs of eyes turned towards Harry. Sighing, Harry pulled Ron and Hermione with him to the Gryffindor table, sat down, and helped himself to some dinner, attempting to ignore all the whisperings and stares.

Hermione peered up at the head table and saw that Professors Snape and Kent were sitting at opposite ends of the table, glowering at the students and each other. Professor Kent looked very sad for some reason, and Hermione could see, even from the other side of the room, that the woman's eyes were rapidly changing colors. The rest of the staff sat between the two teachers; Professor McGonagall's mouth was set in a very tight line, whereas Professor Dumbledore looked quite solemn and old, much to Hermione's concern.

About halfway through dinner, the tension in the Great Hall was palpable and no one failed to notice that Professor Kent's eyes were still changing colors; Hermione idly wondered if she was some sort of Metamorphagus. But before she could continue with that thought, Professor Dumbledore stood up and the Hall quieted down.

"During this time of war, happiness must be found in even the smallest of places," Dumbledore sad with a small twinkle in his eye. "Therefore, there will be a Masquerade Ball on Christmas Eve in the Great Hall. It's for fourth years and above, I'm afraid, and as a requirement, you must dress up as a famous witch or wizard of your choosing. Also, no prearranged dates are allowed. The staff feels--and I agree--that the four Houses should learn to get along better with one another, hence, a Ball where everyone's wearing a mask and no dates are allowed. I look forward to seeing you all there. Thank you."

Joanna sat at the table for several more minutes before she rose quickly from her seat and excused herself from dinner, sick and tired of the stares she had been getting all evening. She wasn't outside the hall for but a minute, however, before Severus burst out of the Hall doors and stormed his way over to her.

"What do you want, Severus," Joanna asked before he got a chance to say anything and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I deserve an explanation," he barked, grabbing a hold of her arm and squeezing tightly.

"You deserve nothing!" Joanna snapped, wrenching her arm from his grasp. "Now leave me alone."

She started walking her way towards the dungeons, but Severus would have none of that. He hurried after her, grabbed her elbow, and swung her around to face him again; he purposely kept a hold of her flesh, knowing perfectly well what it did to her.

"You lied to me," he hissed in her face. "For months, you just stood there and lied to my face, allowed me to court you, for Merlin's sake, yet you said nothing."

"Let go of me," she croaked, a terrified expression crossing her face. He looked positively murderous and his onyx eyes were so black that she could no longer see the pupils; it reminded her horribly of Lucius Malfoy.

"Not until you explain yourself," Snape said through clenched teeth, barely moving his lips. "I had a right to know. You should have told me."

"Severus," she said softly, "if you do not let go of me this instant, you will regret it."

Snape growled deep in his throat but did not release her. "Do you know what it was like for me?" he breathed into her ear. "You aroused me and I fantasized about you; I imagined making love to you, holding you in my arms, touching you, tasting you, and you knew that that was going to happen, yet still you said nothing."

Severus pressed his body into hers, forcing her to feel how aroused he got whenever she was near him. "Do you feel that?" he purred into her ear. "You caused that, this humiliation. It is your fault I've been thinking with my prick for the past five months and you encouraged it. You knew of our connection, of what we could do to one another, and you allowed it to happen. If you were so keen on keeping it a secret, why endorse this at all?"

Tears were streaming down Joanna's face now and it was taking all her energy not to give in to Severus and allow him to have his way with her right there in the hallway.

"Hey! What's going on here?" barked a familiar voice. Jerking back, Severus let go of Joanna's arm with such force that she stumbled backwards.

Harry Potter was standing in the archway, a murderous expression on his face.

"Nothing that concerns you, Potter," Snape hissed, leering at Joanna.

"No?" Harry said angrily. "What are you doing to Professor Kent?"

Severus narrowed his eyes dangerously and stalked over to where the younger boy was standing. Stopping very close to the boy's body, Severus leaned in and thrust his face into Harry's.

"Come to save the day again, have you, Potter?" he snarled maliciously. "Well, I'd hate to disappoint you, but Kent here doesn't need saving, as was the case with your precious mutt. Perhaps even the death of your godfather couldn't keep your heroic theatrics at bay, hmm? How many people are you going to kill, Potter, before you learn your lesson, you insolent little brat?" Then, with a dramatic swish of his cloak, Severus billowed off towards his chambers.

Joanna stood immobile for a minute before rushing over to Harry; he was shaking head to toe. "Harry?" she said, tentatively and (she would later learn) stupidly laying a hand on the young man's bare arm. "Are you all right?"

But he did not answer; instead, Harry's jaw was clenched shut, his fists balled up tightly, and he was still shaking uncontrollably. Joanna gasped loudly as she felt the power course through Harry's body and into her own.

Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the castle; every single window in the corridor burst outwards. However, the wards that protected the castle propelled the shards inward. With a loud cry, Joanna grabbed Harry, pulled him into a protective embrace, and quickly put up the strongest shield charm she could muster.

*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, in the Great Hall, Albus Dumbledore was merrily eating the last bites of his treacle tart when a sudden burst of magical energy coursed through him. Eyes wide, he stood up as fast as he could and scanned the Hall. However, before he could say "Phoenix," the windows surrounding the Hall blasted apart.

Screaming, the students ducked or put up shield charms; others covered their loved ones in an attempt to protect them (such a scene occurred at the Gryffindor table with a Mister Weasley and a Miss Granger).

Pandemonium ensued as the students tried to scramble away from the Hall; Dumbledore, on the other hand, was attempting to grab the student's attention. If this indeed was an attack, he needed to maintain control. A loud scream brought his attention to the doors of the Hall.

Rushing forward, Dumbledore pushed his way through the throngs of scared and injured students and into the corridor of the castle. He then stopped dead at the sight before him: lying in the middle of the hallway were the unmoving bodies of Harry Potter and Joanna Kent, covered in blood and broken glass.

*~*~*~*

Severus flew down the corridor. He was bleeding rather profusely from a large gash in the side of his face, but he didn't care. All he could think about was getting to Joanna--No, Milah, he corrected angrily. He did not know where she would be, but he suspected that she'd probably be in the same vicinity of where he had left her.

The closer he got to the Great Hall, the louder the voices; from what he could hear, the students were in an uproar and the teachers were most likely having a problem maintaining order. He finally reached the corridor and saw the top of Dumbledore's head peaking out of the crowd. Pushing his way forward, Severus was able to reach Headmaster in record time.

"Professor--" he gasped. He was way too old to be running like that anymore. "What can I do to help? Where's Joanna?"

Dumbledore gave him a long look and Severus sucked in a breath at how cold the old man appeared. Peering around the Headmaster's body, Severus saw Potter sitting on a stool, nursing his wounds and giving Severus an equally cold stare.

"I think you've down quite enough here, Severus," Dumbledore said, gazing at him from over his half-moon spectacles. "Please do me a favor and wait for me in my office. I will be there momentarily"

Snape stood there, stunned at the frostiness in the older man's voice. After everything Severus had done over the years, after all the revels and all the deaths and all the poor choices, Dumbledore was now looking at him as if he'd never seen him before. It made Severus's heart ache.

"Of course, Headmaster," he said almost inaudibly. Swooping around, Snape stormed away from the corridor and made his way to Dumbledore's office. Upon reaching the statue, he snarled, "Canary Creams," and made his way up the spinning staircase into the room.

Several minutes later, Severus found himself stalking back in forth in the Headmaster's office, scowling heavily, and snapping at every painting that was foolish enough to attempt to engage him in a conversation. The only one that didn't try to talk to Severus was Phineas Nigellus, who instead took to glaring at Severus with no small amount of loathing in his eyes. The look was so reminiscent of Sirius Black's that Severus pointedly ignored the painting during his pacing.

"AAARRGGHHH!" he bellowed unexpectedly as searing hot pain ripped through his left forearm. Clutching his arm with his right hand, Severus sank down to his knees and fought back the urge to vomit. Clenching his teeth, he yanked back the arm of his sleeve and stared at where the Dark Mark was burned onto his skin. Biting his lip to keep from screaming again, he touched the tattoo with the first two fingers of his right hand and an image exploded in his mind: Hogsmeade.

Severus yanked his fingers away from the Mark and gasped for breath. They were going to attack Hogsmeade already? That didn't make any sense--

Just then, another blinding flash of pain burned through his arm. Severus hissed and put his fingers to the Mark again.

When he jerked his hand back from his left arm, Severus was certain he was going to throw up; the Dark Lord wasn't interested in attacking Hogsmeade. He only wanted his faithful Death Eaters to meet there. Oh, no, he had his sights set on something bigger, something much more powerful:

Hogwarts.

*~*~*~*

Milah watched as Lily stormed back to where they were standing by the lake and her green eyes flashing wildly. Alice and Evee were gaping at the redhead but Milah was frowning.

Before Lily could skulk past her, Milah grabbed the girl's arm. Feeling Lily's anger, humiliation, and shame, she asked, "Did he really call you what I think he just called you?"

Lily looked at her sharply and Milah bit her lip when she saw tears well up in Lily's bright green eyes. Milah clenched her fists. "I'll handle it," she said in a soft, frosty voice.

Striding over to where James and Sirius were dangling Snape in the air, she pulled out her wand and removed the spell they were holding over Severus, causing him to fall to the ground with a loud thud.

"Hey, what happened?" said Sirius, looking around. He then caught sight of Milah.

"Ohhh, shite," he muttered. Milah was glaring at them, her hair practically cackling with energy, and she was giving the two of them such a look of death that Sirius was sure he should be dead by now.

Behind the boys, Snape was pulling himself up off the ground; he raised his wand and was about to hex Sirius and James when Milah said, "I swear to God, Severus, if you do not leave my sight this instant, I'll make you regret the day you were born." Snape blinked at her, fury marring his features, before jamming his wand in his robes and storming away.

Milah looked at the two Gryffindors for a long time before speaking. "I don't know what you two are on about," she said softly, "but you need to stop acting like complete prats and GROW. UP!"

She did not give the boys a chance to retort, because she too stormed off in the same direction as Severus.

She found him in the Transfiguration classroom, throwing everything in sight and yelling at nothing in particular. She walked in and slammed the door behind her. Severus jumped, but upon seeing whom it was, continued to destroy the room, shouting at her all the while.

"Why didn't you stop them?" he snarled, flinging a book at her head. Catching it deftly with one hand, she threw it to the other side of the room, and glared lividly at him.

"As I do recall," Milah said coolly, her anger rising, "someone did come to your aid but you had to go and call her that foul name! How could you do that, Severus? How could you say that nasty word to her, after everything's she's done for you and considering how you feel about her?"

Severus stopped throwing things and glared at her, his eyes glinting. "I don't know what you're talking about," he hissed venomously.

Milah raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "You're pathetic," she spat. "You're in love with Lily. You can't hide that from me, Severus! I've known for years--"

"SHUT UP!" he shrieked, hurtling a chair at her. Stepping aside, she allowed the chair to continue on its course, where it promptly crashed into the wall a moment later.

"What's it like, Severus," she spat through her teeth, "knowing that you're in love with a Muggle-born, in love with a Gryffindor, in love with a girl who will, without a doubt, end up falling for James Potter, your sworn enemy, one of the most popular boys in school--"

"Milah, I'm warning you," he growled

"Or what," she barked, "call me foul names too? You care for her, you love her, and if you'd get past your stupid prejudices, you'd see that Lily Evans is one of the most wonderful people you'll ever know! She'd actually give you the time of day, if you weren't so horrible to her and the other Muggle-borns at this school. You're nothing but a coward, Severus."

The next thing Milah knew, Snape was crossing the room in a fit of anger and grabbed her roughly by the arms. "Shut up!" he bellowed. "SHUT UP!"

"How could you call her a Mudblood?" Milah shouted in his face. "She's my best friend and I've defended you to her and you had to go and call her that horrid name! You are a coward, Severus! A pansy, hypocritical, sniveling COWARD!"

SLAP!

Snape had hit her; he had backhanded her so brutally across her face that Milah fell to the ground and hit the cold stone floor hard.

Tears stung at her eyes and Milah gingerly felt the right side of her face with the back of her hand and discovered that she was bleeding from her lip. Milah looked up at Severus and watched as he slowly backed away from her, a look of horror in his eyes.

"I see you've turned into your father, Severus," she said softly, rising up off the ground. He mouthed wordlessly at her and he kept darting his eyes between his hand and Milah's face, as if truly not believing that he had just hit her. He took a step forward, but Milah held up her wand and pointed it straight at his chest.

"Don't come any closer," she said to him calmly, but coldly. He stopped dead in his tracks and gaped at her.

"This is over," she said, "this friendship is over. I'm tired of this, Severus. I'm tired of defending you, I'm tired of...I'm just tired. I will continue to work on the potion alone. I want nothing to do with you anymore. You are no longer my friend, Severus Snape. Good bye."

Snape shook his head disbelievingly. "Don't go!" he chocked out as she turned to leave.

Milah did not look at him when she spoke next. "You, of all people, should know that I always stick to my word. Do not speak to me, Snape, or I will have no qualms with telling Sirius exactly what happened here today, understand?" Without waiting for a reply, Milah strode to the door, flung it open, and walked out of Severus's life...

*~*~*~*

Severus ran. He ran as fast as he could, faster than he'd ever run in his life. He had to find the Headmaster, he had to tell him: the Dark Lord was coming. He was coming to Hogwarts.

Severus stopped and gasped for breath. They were no longer outside of the Great Hall and the windows had not yet been repaired.

"Where are they?" he growled.

"Professor?" came the timid voice of Hermione Granger.

"Miss Granger, twenty points from Gryffindor for being out of your dormitory!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I just wanted to tell you that Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Kent, and Harry are in the hospital wing, sir." With that, she spun around and stomped down the hall towards Gryffindor Tower.

Cursing under his breath, Severus began running again, this time to the hospital wing.

He burst through the doors and spotted the Headmaster and Transfiguration teacher frantically attempting to repair the windows, and, surprisingly, failing. Joanna was lying still in one of the hospital beds, pale as a ghost. Harry was sitting at her side, head in his hands, clutching at his scar.

"Headmaster!" Severus hissed as he approached the older man. "The Mark--we've been summoned--Hogsmeade. He's making a move on Hogwarts now that apparently some of the wards are down!"

"I know, Severus," the wizened man said gravely, "Harry had a brief vision. However, the windows will not repair. We will need Joanna's help up in order to repair the vast damage to the windows and wards, since she was the conduit of Harry's magic that did the damage in the first place."

"Then wake her up!" Severus roared.

"She will not wake!" snapped Madam Pomfrey. "She's in some kind of coma. She was not meant to allow that kind of magic to pass through her body!"

Severus stared at the Mediwitch, not even bothering to cover his scowl. He whirled back around to face Dumbledore. "The Dark Lord wants me specifically to stay here. I believe he wants me to aid him in penetrating the rest of the wards that were not damaged. It is only a matter of time before he arrives!"

"I am well aware of that, Severus," Dumbledore said sharply, "but there is nothing we can do until Joanna comes around. See if you can wake her." It was now Snape's turn to stare at the Headmaster. He scowled again and then swept over to where she woman laid silently on the bed.

"Joanna," he said gruffly. She did not stir.

"Joanna!" he repeated loudly. She snored. Clenching his fists to keep from forcibly shaking her awake, he looked at Dumbledore anxiously.

"Poppy, could you get Harry something for his scar?" Dumbledore asked calmly. The Mediwitch gave him an odd look before pulling Harry up from his chair and gently shoving him into her office. Dumbledore then turned back to Severus and said, "Try...other names." Severus could see the nervousness in the old man's eyes. Voldemort had never tried taking over Hogwarts while Dumbledore was there, but this opportunity of the weakened wards was simply too good an opportunity for him to pass up.

"Milah," he said. "Milah!" McGonagall covered her mouth with her hand and gasped.

"Milah!" he bellowed. "Hélène!"

He was getting desperate. "Milah, listen to me! I order you to wake up!"

*~*~*~*

Milah was floating; it was so peaceful here. No emotions, no nightmares, no evil dark wizards hell-bent on destroying the world. She liked it here.

"Milah!" a voice shouted through the mist. She blinked, but could not locate the familiar voice.

"Milah, wake up!" the voice ordered. Milah furrowed her brow. Where did she know that voice from? It sounded urgent.

"Milah, I order you to wake up!" Milah frowned. For some reason, she had the sudden urge to obey this voice. Why?

She yawned. She really wanted to sleep.

"Hélène!" Milah froze. She had not been called that name in years. It reminded her of the bad times, of the bad people, of the bad place...

Sighing resignedly, she tried to open her eyes, to wake up...but her eyelids were so heavy...she felt them drooping again...

"Call her Hélène, again, Severus," said a different voice, this one very kind and gentle and vaguely familiar.

"Hélène, I order you to wake up!" Milah clenched her teeth. How dare he call her that foul name! She hated that name!

With a concentrated effort, Milah forced her eyes to open...

*~*~*~*

"Get the hell away from me, Severus," Joanna growled as her eyes fluttered open.

"Joanna, can you hear me?"

"Professor Dumbledore?" she asked groggily. Where was she? Oh...the hospital wing. Damn. Was there ever going to be a year here at Hogwarts where she didn't end up in this place?

"What's going on?" she asked, slowly sitting up.

"There isn't much time to explain," Dumbledore said in an unusually hasty voice, "but Voldemort is on his way to Hogwarts. Some of the wards are weakened and we believe he's going to attempt to take over."

"What?" exclaimed Joanna, throwing the covers off the bed and trying to stand, but wobbled dangerously. Dumbledore grabbed a hold of her arm to steady her. "How did that happen? Who took down the wards?"

"You and Potter did," Severus sneered disdainfully.

Joanna blinked and then moaned as the memories came rushing back to her. She had been standing in the corridor, fighting with Snape...he had grabbed her...Harry had appeared and had fought with Snape. He had been angry...very angry.

"Oh my God," she groaned, closing her eyes. "I--I don't know if I can do it alone. I'll need help."

"Whose help?" barked Snape. Joanna raised her head and glared into Severus's beady black eyes.

"Yours. And Harry Potter's."

*~*~*~*

"Take my hand, Harry," Joanna ordered.

"Wha--?" he said, clearly bewildered.

"Just shut up and do it!" Severus snapped impatiently. All the Heads of Houses--Severus, Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall--plus Joanna, Harry, and Dumbledore, were holding hands and standing in a circle in the middle of the corridor where Harry and Joanna had blown the windows apart.

"Tell me again why he's here?" snarled Snape.

"Quiet!" Dumbledore commanded. "Now close your eyes and stay silent, concentrating all your magic on repairing the castle. We might have to say the incantations many of times in order for it to work."

Silently, the old man raised his hands and the others were forced to do so as well. He boomed "REPARO!" over and over again and soon the others were participating as well.

It was working, but it wasn't going fast enough. Suddenly, the urge hit Harry and Joanna at the same time. Without thinking, Harry cried, "Progenia Leo Reparo!" at the same time as Joanna bellowed, "Progenia Aquila Reparo!"

A huge blue eagle and a familiar giant red lion soared out of Joanna and Harry's respective bodies and a loud cry went out amongst the group as the power poured from their bodies and into the walls of the great and mighty Hogwarts. Wind billowed past them, blowing their hair in their faces. Joanna's eyes were screwed up tight; it took all her energy not to collapse on the spot.

A loud sucking noise was heard as the wards and windows around Hogwarts repaired themselves. Almost as soon as it had started, it was over. The wards had been restored. Voldemort would not be coming to Hogwarts tonight.

Joanna gave a feeble smile to the gawking professors before she and Harry both crumpled to the floor, and Severus's left arm exploded in pain.