In the End

Chapter 7: A Secret Club, one Dark Lord, and a Potion

Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one.
~John Keats

There really was no point at to why Joanna was walking around Hogwarts at a quarter till nine in the evening besides the fact that she just felt like going on a walk. It had been a while since she'd been able to appreciate the beauty of the old castle, and for some inexplicable reason, she just absolutely had to go on a small tour.

"What are you doing out?"

Joanna jumped and spun around; upon seeing who it was, she smiled broadly and said, "Hello, Starla. How're you?"

Professor Sinistra grinned. "I'm all right. And you?"

"Pretty good," Joanna replied, shoving her hands in her pockets and rocking on the balls of her feet. "Oh--I'm just meandering around the castle, by the way. I haven't had time lately to relax and a nighttime stroll sounded appealing. What about you?"

"Just on my rounds," said Starla, brushing non-existent wrinkles out of her robes. "'Tis a bit dull around here tonight, thankfully. I've only had to break up six snogging couples instead of the usual twelve."

The two women laughed, and then Starla gave Joanna a sly look.

"What is it?" Joanna blurted.

"Oh, nothing, really," Starla demurred with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "It's just...well, some of us on staff have been a bit, ah...curious about your relationship with a certain brooding, dark, irritable man whose name rhymes with Deverus Drape."

"What?" Joanna spluttered, feeling a blush creep up her neck. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, come now," Starla said in an infuriatingly patient voice. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed Severus's change in behavior? Sure, he's still a bastard but he's slightly less of a bastard now, and the majority of the staff agrees that it's because of you."

Joanna's eyes bulged and she felt herself go a little lightheaded. "Er..."

Starla's evil grin grew wider and the Empath was suddenly reminded of why the woman had been sorted into Slytherin all those years ago. Joanna swallowed nervously.

"You know, you're the only other person I've ever known to actually make some semblance of a friend with Severus in all the years I've known him," Starla commented airily.

"Oh?" Joanna croaked. "What do you mean, only other?"

"Well, surely you remember," the darker woman said, surprised. "I mean, she was in Ravenclaw, after all, and a very famous Ravenclaw at that."

"Uh...Who are you talking about?"

"Milah Kensington, of course."

Ugghhh, Joanna thought as all the blood drained from her face. "Ah, yes, I--um--I remember her, yes."

Starla chuckled but then sobered quickly. "'Tis a shame what happened to her," she said sadly. Sighing, the Astronomy professor checked the time on her watch and blanched. "Oh, my, I've been talking for much too long. I'm off to finish my rounds. Have a lovely evening, Joanna."

"Thank you," Joanna whispered. "Goodnight."

The blonde woman watched as Starla walked down the corridor and out of sight before letting all her breath out in on long whoosh. Running a hand through her hair, Joanna turned around and decided that what she needed right then was to have some peace and quiet.

So that was how she found herself standing next to a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and curiously studying the door that led to the Room of Requirement. Shaking her head sadly, not at all amused with the thought that she'd probably be walking in on some students doing things teenagers shouldn't really be doing, and bemoaning that she couldn't get the solitude she was looking for, Joanna opened the door, stepped into the room, and then stopped dead in her tracks.

There were at least thirty or forty students in the room, all of them hurtling hexes, spells, jinxes, and whatnot at one another. Joanna just stood there at the threshold of the room, slack-jawed, and staring stupidly at the scene before her, only barely managing to avoid a wayward Stunner. This seemed to snap her out of her daze; removing her wand and slamming the door shut, she muttered "Sonorus" into her wand and roared, "Everybody stop!"

Her magnified voice carried throughout the room; slowly, the spells desisted and the students were left standing around the room with looks of horror written on their faces.

She hastily muttered "Quietus" into her wand before barking, "What in Merlin's name is going on here?"

No one answered her but rather the students took to shuffling their feet and toeing the floor. A few moments later, the crowd of people parted as Harry Potter walked towards the fuming Potions teacher.

The very picture of Gryffindor bravery--and stupidity, as Severus would put it--Harry stopped very close to Joanna and said, with a raised chin, "Is there anything I can do for you, Professor Kent?"

Joanna gaped at him. Recovering quickly, she hissed, "What is going on here? Who are these people and why were you dueling with one another?"

Harry licked his lips and cast a brief glance over his shoulder. "This is the D.A.," he responded.

"And what exactly is the D.A.?" Joanna asked, placing her hands on her hips and hoping that she was displaying a fair amount of authority.

"Dumbledore's Army," piped up a voice from the back of the room.

"Dumbledore's what? Army?" she asked incredulously, raising her eyebrows so high they were in serious danger of falling off her forehead.

"It's the Defense Association," Harry said stiffly. "We started it up last year when Umbridge was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Joanna blinked and stared dumbstruck at the young man across from her. "I don't recall the D.A. being on the list of extracurricular clubs approved by the faculty," she commented slowly.

She saw Harry's jaw clench. "That's because it's not," he said. "I told Dumbledore that no one was interested in it this year but...we wanted to keep it a secret."

Joanna finally managed to tear her eyes away from Harry's and scanned the room. She recognized the majority of the faces in the room but she was disturbed by what she didn't see.

"There are no Slytherins," Joanna said as her eyes continued its path around the room. "Why aren't there any Slytherins here?"

"They're all Death Eaters!" someone exclaimed from the side of the room and the crowd murmured in agreement.

Joanna sucked in a breath. "You don't truly believe that, do you?" she asked Harry softly.

If Joanna had hoped her soothing tone would help cool Harry's temper, she was sorely mistaken. "I haven't any proof otherwise," he said aggressively, and another hum of agreement rippled through the students.

"So all Slytherins are Death Eaters, is that what you're implying?" Joanna said hotly. When no one gave a definite answer, she continued, "So Professor Sinistra, Madam Hooch, and Professor Snape, they're all Death Eaters simply because they'd been in Slytherin, is that it?"

A heavy silence descended the room. Joanna knew that mentioning Sinistra and Hooch would have the desired affect of proving that being in Slytherin did not equal being evil, but she also knew that if she did not also mention Severus, students would become suspicious as to why he would have been omitted. Perhaps that was why Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron were staring at her dubiously--they knew of Severus's past, but the others did not. She hoped.

"Let's make a deal, then," said Harry abruptly, startling Joanna out of her thoughts.

"I beg your pardon?" she said with raised eyebrows.

Harry bit his lip and cast another glance around the room before saying, "Don't tell the other teachers that we're meeting and we'll start inviting Slytherins to join."

"What?" Joanna exclaimed, thunderstruck. "Are you joking, Mr. Potter? You all need adult supervision! What happens when someone gets hurt? Or worse? No...no, I cannot condone that sort of irresponsibility. You've been lucky that nothing bad has happened so far."

"Nothing bad has ever happened before," Hermione said, stepping up from Harry's side. "We're only learning spells that have been covered in our regular classes, such as blocking and defense, and then teaching how to reinforce what they've already learned. We're not doing anything dangerous."

"We are capable of defending ourselves," Harry put in. "Some of us have proven that."

"I have no doubt that you do, Mr. Potter," said Joanna, "but that doesn't mean something still couldn't happen."

"What if you were our supervisor, then?" Ron interjected. Joanna glared at him, then Harry, and then the rest of the students.

"You don't seem to understand," she said a little desperately. "I cannot keep an organization such as this a secret from my employer and colleagues! You do know who Albus Dumbledore is, don't you? It's just not right."

"But you're very good at keeping secrets, Professor," Harry said softly with a glint in his eye.

Joanna held her breath and stared at Harry with a wounded expression. "May I speak with you outside?" she demanded. Harry gave a curt nod and, after whispering something into Ron's ear, followed Joanna into the empty corridor.

"Listen, Harry," she started the moment the door to the room had closed, "I know that you and I have a different relationship than just one of a teacher and her student, but you cannot speak to me the way you did in there. I'm still your professor, an adult, and a fully qualified witch. Sometimes, we do actually know what we're talking about. You need an advisor in there, preferably Professor Snape--since he is your Defense teacher," she added at Harry's snort of disgust. "But I had come to the conclusion that you and I respected each other, Harry. What you showed me in there, that wasn't respect, and I'm not exactly sure what has happened between us to warrant your current behavior."

Harry clasped his hands behind his back and looked back at Joanna with carefully hooded eyes. "Then perhaps you shouldn't have lied to me."

Joanna's jaw dropped. "I--what? I told you at the beginning of term that some things needed to be kept a secret, so I have no idea what you're bloody talking about!"

Harry's eyes widened at the curse and Joanna's uncharacteristic behavior, but wisely did not point it out. A few moments passed before he spoke. "I heard you," he said in a near whisper, "in the cemetery, with Remus, sitting at my parents' grave--which, by the way, no one's ever bothered to tell me about. I heard you. I heard everything you said, about who you are and who I am."

"You were eavesdropping," Joanna said in a low voice. Harry looked contrite for a moment, but then his face was yet again a mask of indifference.

"If I hadn't, I never would've known about my ancestry. No one would've told me, as per usual."

"But I did try to tell you," Joanna said reasonably, "and you insisted on not knowing. You can't tell me one thing, Harry, and then expect me to act in the opposite manner...You said you heard everything?"

Harry blinked and nodded slowly.

"Then you know who I am." It was a statement, not a question. Harry nodded again and shifted his eyes to the floor. "And you've told others?" Joanna asked quietly, a feeling of dread settling into the pit of her stomach. Harry raised his green eyes and met hers dead on, telling her all she needed to know. "Oh, Harry..." she whispered miserably, closing her eyes.

Harry sighed loudly and fell back against the wall. "Do you know what my summer was like?" he said, his voice full of emotion.

Joanna snapped her eyes open. "I can't imagine."

"I made a decision," he said firmly, "a decision about my life, about my friends, and about the people I love. I have...something I have to do, something that I'm destined for, and I can no longer deny it. But I can fight, and I can teach others to as well. If that means keeping the D.A. a secret from those who would interfere and push people way, then so be it. I know who I am now and I know what I have to do."

Joanna swallowed and stood stunned. Harry was too young, much too young to have to be thinking about these things, about his life and possible death at the hand of a raging, psychopathic Dark wizard. It wasn't fair, she thought, that this wonderful and compassionate young man had to think about such things...that anyone in the room beyond had to think about them. But life isn't fair, remember? she told herself angrily and then shook her head.

"You're asking a lot of me, Harry," she said, boring her eyes into his. He did not respond but stared steadily back at her, his demeanor unwavering.

"I know...but I'm asking you as a friend."

Joanna sighed. "I'm old enough to be your mother, Harry."

The boy shrugged and said, "So is Remus." Joanna barked out a loud laugh and it took Harry a moment to realize what he had said. A small smile played on his lips when he asked, "Does that mean you'll do it?"

Joanna sobered quickly and let her head fall back against the wall. "I'm going to get in so much trouble," she muttered dejectedly. She lowered her head and smiled at the look on Harry's face.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. Joanna huffed and shook her head good-naturedly.

"You and I, we need to have a talk," she told him sternly, and Harry agreed. "When does the D.A. meet?" she asked.

"We don't have a steady schedule, so to speak," Harry informed her. "Don't worry--I'll have Hermione give you something that will let you know when the next meeting is."

"All right," Joanna murmured. Glancing at her watch, she said, "I suggest you and your pupils end for tonight. It is already passed curfew for some of the younger ones."

"Okay," he said, turning around and getting ready to re-enter the room.

"Oh, and Harry?"

"Yeah?"

Joanna cocked her head to the side. "Twenty points from Gryffindor."

Harry's face drooped and his eyes widened in surprise.

"And five points to every student in there," she added, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Harry smiled genuinely and, after bidding Joanna goodnight, walked back into the Room of Requirement.

Joanna's smile slid off her face as she proceeded to walk back through the corridors and down into the dungeons. Bugger, she thought. Severus is going to kill me.

*~*~*~*

Severus Snape, however, was not giving Harry Potter and his bleeding machinations a second thought at the moment. He had been summoned thirty minutes ago and was walking swiftly down a dimly lit corridor, his robes billowing impressively behind him. He was late, but he was almost always late for gatherings; he was the only one allowed to be tardy without having to suffer the consequences...much.

He came to stop at a large, intricately large mahogany door and knocked a specific number of times (** *** *). There was a long pause before the door swung open and Severus glided smoothly into the room. A few heads turned briefly towards him, but he ignored them all. They were lackeys, unimportant fools who should not be so blessed to be here in the presence of the most powerful wizard in the world.

He finally reached the center of the large ballroom and promptly slid to his knees, bowing his body forward significantly.

"My Lord," he murmured, scooting forward and kissing the hem of the Dark Lord's blood red robes.

"You're late," Voldemort drawled.

"My sincerest apologies, My Lord," Severus said apologetically, bowing his head even further.

"Get up," said Voldemort lazily and Severus raised himself up from the floor, keeping his head bowed the whole time. "You are dismissed," the snake-like man snarled to the majority of the Death Eaters in the room, who all tried to look like they weren't scrambling for the door. After the room was relatively cleared, save for a few close followers, Voldemort began to speak.

"Do you know why you are here?" Voldemort said as he lowered himself into an ornately carved wooden throne.

"My Lord, I needn't a reason to be called by you. I am always at your service," Severus said firmly.

Voldemort's lip curled and Severus inwardly shuddered. "Indeed," he said. "Your report, Snape.

Bowing again, Severus pulled out a sheet of parchment from his robes and began speaking, "Joanna Kent has proven herself to be foolishly loyal to Dumbledore. Unless forced to do so, she will not betray the man." Severus paused to clear his mind. "She is powerful, however, and would be most useful to you should you decide to take her into your service. From my observations, she is adept at Charms, Transfiguration, Defense, and Potions.

"It has also come to my attention that she is the one teaching Potter Occlumency, not Dumbledore, as originally believed. From conversations I have managed to gleam from her and the old fool, Kent is unfortunately succeeding in her endeavors in teaching the brat to block you from his mind, My Lord."

Voldemort sneered. "I've noticed," he hissed venomously. "She will pay for that." The Dark Lord said nothing for what felt like an eternity before he spoke again. "Speaking of Potions, now that I'm back in my own body I believe it is time for me to begin to safeguard myself against further possible attacks. Snape, I want you to make me Kensington's potion and have it ready as soon as possible. I believe last time it took around three months to brew."

Severus blinked, unnervingly caught off guard by what his Master had just said. "My Lord?" he asked.

"Do not make me repeat myself," Voldemort snarled.

Severus stooped quickly, saying, "My Lord, I only know the first half of the ingredients for the Empath's potion. It could take me years to figure out the other half."

"Then we'll just have to find the precious Heir of Ravenclaw and get it out of her again," Voldemort said viciously and Severus's heart stopped beating.

"Master?" he said slowly. "I do not understand..."

"Do you think me a fool, Severus?" Voldemort hissed, his red eyes pitiless and cold. "There is no possible way that Kensington is dead. You are proof of that, are you not?"

Severus opened his mouth to speak but Voldemort cut him off. "Do not speak unless told to do so!" he spat, ignoring the fact that he had in fact just asked Snape a question. "You should be either dead or insane by now, yet you are neither. She is alive. I know it. The person disposed of that night was a fraud. She--is--alive."

Severus stood, rooted to the spot as an icy coldness descended into his stomach. "Forgive me, My Lord, but--"

"I said do not speak!" Voldemort shrieked and Severus shrank back, bowing deeply, and his body tightened as he anticipated the curses that would sure to come.

"She is alive!" Voldemort continued savagely. "She is alive and she is mocking me, just like Potter! How she is still living, I do not know...How can you not feel her, Snape?"

Severus clenched his jaw. "Master, I was under the impression that I had killed her. Therefore, I was not looking for her nor was I trying to find her. If she is truly alive, she is not in or near Scotland, as I would know."

"Master?" cut in a harsh feminine voice to Voldemort's left.

"What is it, Bella?" he said coolly, keeping his manic gaze trained on Severus.

"Forgive me, My Lord, but Lucius Malfoy saw the Empath die all those years ago. How can you be sure she is still alive?"

"You doubt me, Bella?" Voldemort said quietly.

"No, My Lord, never!" Bellatrix said quickly. "I only do not understand--if my brother-in-law saw Severus kill her, how can she then be alive?"

"I already told you," Voldemort hissed, frowning. "Whoever was killed that night was not Milah Kensington. It was an imposter, someone in Polyjuice, perhaps, or even under the glamour charms invented by the Lovegood whore. Either way, she is not dead. Of that I am certain."

Silence descended the room; Severus's face remained impassioned and completely blank though deep on the inside he was boiling with rage and fear.

"I want her back," Voldemort said, licking his thin, white lips. "Find her, Snape, and bring her to me. You are dismissed."

Bowing deeply, Severus backed out of the room. Once he was gone, Bellatrix stepped forward again and spoke. "You did not tell him of your plans."

Voldemort continued to stare at the door. "He needn't know," Voldemort murmured. "Our informants at Hogwarts are much more reliable. Is everything in order for the twenty-fifth?"

"Yes, Master. The operation will begin at eight o'clock in the evening. Alpha team will be on the island by about 2 a.m. once the Aurors and Order members are occupied elsewhere," Bellatrix responded with a vicious smirk.

Voldemort nodded. "How are the repairs going?"

"Very well, My Lord," said Bellatrix. "They should be done by the end of tomorrow and be ready for...guests."

A cruel smile crossed the wizard's face. "Very good...Narcissa!"

A tall figure with sweeping blond hair stepped forward and bowed down. "Yes, Master?" she said in a simpering voice.

"You've spoken with your son?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"And?"

A rueful smile played on Narcissa Malfoy's obscenely red lips. "He is more than willing, My Lord. He says that the plans are already underway."

Voldemort's eyes glinted madly and he leaned back in his chair. "That is...very excellent news, Narcissa," he murmured, licking his lips again. "You and your son have done well. As a reward for you faithfulness, your husband will be returned to you shortly."

"Thank you, Master," Narcissa said, bowing down to her knees and kissing Voldemort's robes.

Voldemort settled further into his throne and a horrible smile to cross his face. Finally, things were going his way and in only a few months' time, Harry Potter would be in his hands.

"Bella?" he murmured.

"Yes, My Lord?" she asked as she walked to stand in front of him again.

Without preamble, Voldemort raised his wand and hissed, "Crucio."

"You really shouldn't question me, Bella," he said softly over the woman's tortured screams.

*~*~*~*

Severus paced back and forth in Dumbledore's office, one hand clenching his wand while the other continuously ran through his hair. He was fucked. Truly and completely fucked.

"We have a problem," he said bluntly to Joanna, Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and, to his immense dissatisfaction, Remus Lupin.

"What exactly does that mean, Severus?" Dumbledore asked patiently.

Severus continued to pace feverishly. "The Dark Lord wants me to make the Limito anima potion," he said quickly.

The silence in the room was deafening; all Joanna could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears. "W-what?" she whispered.

Severus stopped moving and turned his onyx eyes on her, licking his lips. "That is not all," he said quietly. "The Dark Lord, he...he knows that you--that Milah Kensington is alive."

All of the blood drained from Joanna's face and she felt bile rise in her throat. "What do you mean he knows?" she hissed, her eyes wide and her breathing labored.

Severus licked his lips again and resumed his pacing. "He believes that the person killed the night he was vanquished the first time was an imposter, a fraud. He is quite convinced that you are alive."

Joanna swallowed heavily and buried her face in her hands.

"I do not know how he knows," Severus continued, jaw clenched.

"It's must be because he was inside my head when I was at--at Troudemort," Joanna muttered miserably from behind her hands. "Once he's inside your head, he never truly leaves..."

Severus stopped pacing and stared at Joanna, his expression unreadable.

"Excuse me," came Remus's calm voice, "but I'm terribly confused. What is the Limito anima potion?"

"Limito anima is an extremely complex potion that, in theory, is supposed to be able to block the Killing Curse and keep a soul bound to the earth," Joanna supplied dully, staring at the carpet. "Oh, yeah, and I invented it. Severus helped a little."

Snape scowled.

"That's impossible," Remus spluttered. "Nothing can block Avada Kedavra."

"Oh, I assure you, it can be blocked," Joanna muttered. "Most solid objects can either absorb the curse or deflect it. Fawkes here can survive it. Harry Potter survived it. This potion can provide protection from it."

"But you said in theory," McGonagall shrewdly pointed out.

Joanna sighed. "Yes, well, the only human who ever tested it was Voldemort, so needless to say, it worked...sort of. He wasn't exactly a human when he took the potion, though, was he? Guess I forgot to mention that to him, though. Ha."

The suddenly plunged into another loud silence and Joanna was positive she heard a cricket chirp somewhere.

"I beg your pardon?" McGonagall growled.

"Oh, yeah, didn't I tell you?" she drawled sardonically. "Yeah, see, this potion, right, it's very powerful and includes blood magic and all that. Basically, if you take this potion you are protected for twenty-four hours against the Killing Curse. It also prevents the soul from leaving this plane of existence and it's supposed to block the curse all together. Don't know why it didn't work on Voldemort...Although, I s'pose it did in a sense, right? I mean, his soul still survived the Killing Curse even if his body didn't."

"Bloody hell, Milah," Remus breathed, gaping at her. "You invented that? When? How? When?"

Joanna raised her head and gazed into Remus's warm amber eyes. "I started the theory on it after Samantha Brown was killed in the Death Eater attack on the train platform right before our third year. I didn't start brewing until fifth year, however. It took many more years after that before the potion became stable enough for use..."

Remus continued to gape.

"You were able to invent a potion that includes ancient blood magic, can supposedly block an unblockable curse, and keep a soul attached to this plane of existence, all when you were fifteen-years-old?" McGonagall asked in astonishment.

"Severus helped a little," Joanna murmured with a shrug and Snape scowled again.

"Bloody hell," Remus repeated dazedly. "How? Why?"

"How?" Joanna mused, her eyes dull. "Well, that would take an incredibly long time to explain. Why? Well, after watching my best friend and roommate murdered right in front of my eyes, oh, I dunno...I guess you could say I was highly motivated. Like I said, Severus helped, but mostly with the research and theory. He only knows about half of the ingredients used. He shouldn't know the other half. You don't, do you?"

Severus shook his head.

"Good," she breathed to herself. "Two things about this bother me, though. First off, why does he want the potion again? I mean, it didn't exactly work like it was supposed to last time, did it? Second, why is he so convinced that I am alive?"

"I don't know," Severus replied tonelessly, "to both questions." He paused heavily. "And he wants me to find you," he added quietly. Joanna's head snapped up.

"Brillant," she muttered, clenching her fists. "I take it you did nothing to allay his suspicions?"

"What exactly was I supposed to do, Milah?" Severus barked at her. "You just don't go telling the Dark Lord he's wrong about something when he's completely convinced he's right, and especially when he is right!"

Joanna stared at him through heavily hooded eyes before finally looking away, her jaw clenched and shaking her head, muttering, "I should've known."

"What was that?" Severus growled, stepping closer to where she stood by the window.

She turned her gaze towards him again but did not answer.

"Listen, Severus, it's been a long night for all of us..." Remus began gently but Snape quickly cut him off.

"Don't you dare talk to me, werewolf," he spat venomously. "Why are you even here?"

"Don't speak to him that way!" Joanna exclaimed.

"I'll talk to him however to hell I want to!" Snape shouted, his black eyes glittering with rage. "Now answer my question, Lupin! Why are you here?"

Remus remained serenely silent. He had his hands jammed in his pockets and he was staring at a spot just beyond Severus's shoulders. It took him a moment to realize that he was looking at Milah. An irrational surge of jealously bloomed in Severus's chest; with a snarl, Snape stormed over to where Remus was hovering, grabbed hold of the werewolf's jacket collar, and slammed him harshly against the stone wall.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?" Severus bellowed in Lupin's face.

"Let him go!" Joanna shrieked. Snape ignored her, choosing instead to pull Remus forward again and thrust him violently back against the wall.

"Severus, stop this at once!" Dumbledore roared thunderously. Snape abruptly let Remus go and the werewolf slumped to the floor. Severus then whirled around and pinned Joanna with a steely gaze.

"Did he know about you before I did?" he asked in a steely voice.

Joanna gritted her teeth and sneered at him. "Yes."

Severus's eyes flashed dangerously but before he could say anything else, Dumbledore cut him off.

"Enough, Severus," he said firmly. Severus snapped his head to the Headmaster and pursed his lips. "Is there anything else you would like to report?"

"No," Snape said shortly, avoiding Joanna's death glare.

"Then we will end the meeting for now," Dumbledore said resolutely. "We will decide what to do about Voldemort's desire for Limito anima. As for now, however, we will keep it amongst those in this room, is that clear?"

Four heads bobbed in agreement and Dumbledore dismissed them.

"Goodnight, Joanna," Remus said in a hushed voice before he left the room.

"'Night, Remus," she responded with a small smile. "Be careful."

He flashed her a crooked smile before stepping into the fireplace and disappearing in a flash of flames. Joanna then turned around fully intent on giving Severus a piece of her mind only to find him already gone from the room.

"Bloody git!"

She stormed over to the door and was seconds from wrenching it opened when Dumbledore stopped her.

"Joanna, if I may speak to you for a moment, please?" he requested mildly. She blinked and nodded slowly as she made her way over to his desk, a thrill of dread settling in her stomach.

*~*~*~*

Severus stormed into his chambers and slammed his door shut, briefly relishing in the way the BANG echoed in the corridor outside. Stalking into his room, Severus angrily tore off his Death Eater robes and threw them onto the floor. He was angry--angry with Dumbledore, McGonagall, the Dark Lord, that fucking werewolf, even Milah, but mostly he was angry with himself. This was his own bloody fault in the first place. It was at times like these when Severus wondered why he had become a Death Eater in the first place.

Severus stopped his movements at that lost thought and glared at his left forearm. He was lying to himself, of course; he would never forget the day he willingly and gleefully took the Dark Mark, sure that he was making the perfect decision, never once doubting his decision nor knowing that in doing so, he would be giving up a piece of his soul in the process.

Growling, Severus ran a tired hand over his face so hard it seemed as if he were trying to iron it off. He stood there for an indefinite amount of time before a knock on his chamber doors startled him out of his dark thoughts; closing his eyes, he focused on whoever was standing outside his door and frowned.

Striding across the room, Severus swung open his door and came face to face with Joanna. She raised an eyebrow at him and, without waiting for an invitation, marched into his living room.

"What do you want?" Severus snapped after slamming his door shut for the second time that night.

"Oh, don't you dare get churlish with me, Severus Snape," Joanna snarled, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him. "You know exactly what this is about."

Snape narrowed his eyes and studied Joanna intently. "Don't tell me you're angry about my behavior towards the werewolf!"

"Don't call him that!" Joanna screeched, her eyes swirling a myriad of colors. She strode forward and stopped mere inches from Severus; he could feel the anger radiating off her body and it was horribly arousing. "You treated Remus terribly tonight--!"

"That's because he knew about you before I did!" Severus shouted, taking a small step back in an attempt to get away from Joanna's body.

"Jealous?" Joanna hissed dangerously, poking him hard in the chest. "I trust Remus--"

"So you trust him more than me, is that it?" Severus said melodramatically.

"Oh shut up!" Joanna spat. "That isn't the case and you know it! Are you going to hold that against me forever?"

Severus clenched and unclenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he furiously worked at Occluding his mind, and sweat beaded on his brow. He needed to get away from her, and soon.

"Why are you Occluding, Severus?" Joanna asked sharply. "What don't you want me to feel?"

"Nothing," he growled, his face white.

"Come on, Severus!" she said, stepping closer and poking him in the chest again. "Scared?"

"Stop that!" he snapped.

Poke.

"Stop it!"

Poke.

"If you don't stop that this instant--!"

Poke.

"Milah, I'm warning you..."

Poke, poke, poke. "What are you gonna do to me, Severus?" Joanna mocked. "Huh? What?"

The next thing Joanna knew, Severus had grabbed her shoulders and hauled her against the wall; a second later his mouth was on hers, hot and needy and wet, kissing her hard, ravishing her mouth, lips, dear God, her tongue...

She moaned deep in her throat and Severus growled, pushing his body flush against hers and crushing her into the wall. She didn't mind though; all she seemed capable of doing was allowing Severus to continue kissing her. She felt as if she were on fire, her skin flushed and her mouth wet, his kisses searing straight into her very soul.

She let out a whimper as he pulled away, only to have it turn into a groan of pleasure as Severus brought his mouth to her neck and sucked hard on her pulse point. Joanna cried out loudly and sucked in a sharp breath.

"Severus..." she breathed, her eyes rolling back in her head as he continued to worship her neck with his mouth and her body with his hands.

"You're mine," he growled as he licked her neck, his hot breath tickling her skin and causing a jolt of desire to course through her body and settle in her center.

And then, without warning, a horrific memory invaded her mind...

"What do you think, Severus?"

"Only the best for you, Lucius, as always."

The blond man smirked and then slowly licked the side of Milah's tear-stained face. "Oh, most definitely," he drawled. "It has been exceedingly fun breaking her. She's mine, now, in every sense of the word."

Joanna gasped loudly and her eyes flew open in horror. Pushing Severus hard in the chest, she scrambled away from his embrace in order to get as much room between their bodies as possible.

"Stop!" she choked, breathing heavily. Her entire body was shaking and she refused to meet Severus's heavy gaze.

They remained motionless for several minutes, perhaps even hours, neither saying a word, yet an immeasurable amount of understanding passing between the two. Joanna felt absurdly ashamed and she could feel her cheeks heating up.

"I apologize," Severus said stiffly, boring his eyes into Joanna, who still refused to meet his gaze.

"No--no, please don't--" Joanna stammered and she sucked in a shuddering breath.

"I was under the impression that you were comfortable around men again," he continued.

"I--I am, I mean, yes--no, you don't understand," she babbled incoherently. Taking another deep breath and releasing it slowly, Joanna finally raised her eyes to meet Severus's. "I am...fine with being with men," she said softly. "But...it was just what you said--it, it just brought up bad memories. I..."

Joanna trailed off, feeling ridiculous and embarrassed. Severus said nothing but continued to stare at her with fathomless black eyes.

"I see..." he said slowly. Joanna's eyes fluttered shut; she was sure her face was on fire now.

"Please," she mumbled. "It's not you--it's, it's just...I have to go," she announced suddenly. "I'm sorry--I'm so sorry, please, just, don't think--please, I--"

Severus never heard the rest of the sentence as Joanna fled from his quarters, tears brimming in her eyes. He stood in a stunned silence, staring incredulously at his chamber door that Joanna had just run out of. Truth be told, he hadn't the faintest idea what had happened. One minute, he and Joanna were kissing, and the next, she's pushing him away and fleeing his rooms.

Severus's fireplace burst to life suddenly. Startled, he turned just in time to watch the tall and imposing figure of Albus Dumbledore emerge from the flames. Severus frowned at the mental image that assaulted his mind with the thought that if the headmaster had appeared just a few minutes earlier, he would have seen Severus and Joanna all but fornicating against the bloody wall. And what was worse was that he was still partially aroused. This day just keeps getting better and better, he thought dryly.

"What is it I can do for you, Headmaster?" Severus inquired irritably as he strode into his parlor.

Dumbledore looked around the room and then turned to Severus with a twinkle in his eye. "Where is Joanna? I told her to meet me here. I have a few things to discuss with the two of you."

"She left," Severus grunted.

"Ah," said Dumbledore as his eyes continued to sparkle. Severus had the sudden urge to punch the man. "Well, it is not necessary that she be here," the older man commented, "since I've already discussed this with her. Let's sit."

Severus pursed his lips but said nothing as he settled himself into an armchair. Folding his hands in his lap and taking on an air of seriousness, Dumbledore spoke again. "I've requested that Joanna give you the rest of the ingredients to Limito anima."

"What?" Severus spat. "Are you mad? Do you remember what happened to her the last time it was made?"

"And Joanna has agreed," Dumbledore forged on, as if Severus had not uttered a word.

It was not often that a man like Severus Snape was at a loss for words...and this was not one of those times, as he had plenty to say on the matter. Dumbledore allowed the younger man to rant and rave for a few moments about idiotic plans, foolish women, and false heroics before holding up his hand and putting an end to Severus's tirade.

"Joanna is fully aware of the consequences, Severus," the headmaster said solemnly, "which is why, when you're making Limito anima, she will be making a counter potion."

"Gnwah?" was Severus's eloquent reply.

"She informed me just in the office after the meeting that she had been researching a counter potion since Voldemort came back almost two years ago. She says that she should be able to produce a potion that will offset the properties of Limito anima."

"She doesn't have the time for such an undertaking," Severus argued, finally finding his tongue. "As a matter of fact, nor do I."

Dumbledore merely smiled serenely at him. Severus decided that punching the mad old fool wouldn't be nearly sufficient enough and only death would make his life easier.

"Bloody hell," Severus grumbled, getting up off the couch and stalking around the room. "I don't know if I can make it."

"Joanna assured me that the task was not beyond your skills."

"I'll make sure to thank her," he sneered.

"I'm sure she'll appreciate that," was Dumbledore's smarmy reply. The two men were quiet for a long time, each lost in their own swirl of thoughts and memories before Dumbledore spoke again. "What happened that drove Joanna from this room?"

Severus sighed almost inaudibly. "I...believe I may have overstepped my bounds with her." When Dumbledore said nothing, Snape said, "I suppose I pushed her too hard too fast."

"And why do you believe that?"

Severus pursed his lips and stared hard at the crackling fire; the room felt very warm all of a sudden. "We were...kissing," he said quickly, doggedly ignoring Dumbledore's twinkling eyes, "and I think that something I said may have triggered a bad memory. When she pulled away, I acted in a way that would be called...insensitive by some."

"Ah," said Dumbledore in an understanding voice. Severus scowled and turned away.

"Perhaps you should go and speak with her," the older wizard suggested mildly and Severus's head whipped around so fast that his neck cricked.

"Oh, yes," he said acidly, rubbing his neck, "that's a bloody fantastic idea. Thank you for your help."

Dumbledore sighed dramatically. "Well, if you're not brave enough..."

"This isn't a matter of bravery," Severus barked. "I'm not a Gryffindor. That tactic won't work on me."

"True, true," the Headmaster mused, twiddling his thumbs and the two men found themselves in another everlasting silence.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Severus bellowed before storming out of his chambers, vowing to murder Albus Dumbledore in the very near future.

*~*~*~*

Joanna jumped as three heavy pounds on her chamber door resonated throughout her quarters. Feeling the warm fuzziness wash over her, she groaned as she strode across the room and opened the door.

"Yes, Severus?" she asked wearily.

"I would like to speak with you," he said, barging into her room.

"Please, do come in," she muttered sarcastically as she closed the heavy oak door. Walking to where Severus was standing by the couch, Joanna crossed her arms and gave the man a pointed look. "Well? What is it?"

"I want to know what happened tonight."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Joanna said with narrowed eyes. Severus growled low in his throat and actually barred his teeth.

"Do you think this is easy for me?" he hissed. "Do you think it's easy for me to listen to Albus bleeding Dumbledore give me advice on my personal life? Or to even come down here to confront whatever the hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Joanna fairly shrieked. "Well I'm sorry if kissing you reminds me of the most traumatic experience of my fucking life, Severus! So bloody sorry for inconveniencing you!"

"Don't you think I understand that?" he barked in a dangerous voice, taking a step closer to her. He didn't want to admit it, but what she had just said had stung him. "Don't you think that there's not a day that goes by that I don't regret the choices I've made in my life? Don't you even realize that you're one of the reasons why I went to Dumbledore in the bloody first place? Don't you know that if I could, I would give anything, I would do anything, to change the past?"

Joanna said nothing, but Severus could tell that she was only barely suppressing her anger.

"Who were you kissing back there?" she asked suddenly, causing Severus to jump slightly at the abrupt change in topic; he'd been certain that she would ask him more questions about his days as a Death Eater and not about their semi-sexual escapades.

"What do you mean, who was I kissing?" Severus said with a sneer, genuinely at a loss as to what she meant.

"Who were you kissing," she repeated through gritted teeth. "Milah or Joanna? Who do you want, Severus?"

Snape felt the air deflate from his body; there was no way he was coming away from this conversation alive. There was simply no right answer to that question. He was a dead man.

Deciding that simply not answering was the best way to go, Severus also crossed his arms and glared defiantly at Joanna.

"Answer me," she growled and something inside Severus snapped.

"Fine!" he exploded. "You want the truth? I'm attracted to you! And yes, to that body--you're beautiful! I can't help it. But you want to know something else? Underneath those bloody charms, it's still you, Milah Kensington. You talk the same, act the same, walk the same, mispronounce my name the same way--"

"I don't mispronounce your name!" Joanna protested indignantly. "It just sounds so much better as Se-VERE-us and not SEV-er-us. Much more dramatic, if you ask me. And that's not the bloody point!"

"Then, what is the point?" he scathed.

"The point, Severus, is that you have to make a choice!" she cried. "I know it's complicated, I know, but I can't help it. This is who I am now. I honestly don't know if I'll ever look the way I did before, okay? I'm Joanna Kent now, have been for fifteen years, and I don't think things will be changing anytime soon."

"You'll change back once the Dark Lord is defeated--"

"Christ, Severus, I never would've pegged you as delusional," Joanna said scornfully. "Do you really believe that he can be killed? Are you that hopeful for the future? And what should happen if the Light fails, hmm? Would you still want me? Would you even try to save me?"

"I have not worked so hard, done so many things, and come so far only to fail!" Severus roared passionately. "I refuse to allow that to happen!"

Almost as quickly as it came, the tension in the room seemed to dissipate; Severus and Joanna felt themselves deflate and plunge headfirst into the World's Loudest Silence. Joanna ran a shaky hand through her hair, mussing it up, and sank down onto her couch.

"Stop hovering," she muttered. "It only makes you look more like a bat." Severus's lip curled disdainfully.

"This is so difficult," she said miserably. "It shouldn't be this difficult...Why are you here, anyway? I never thought you'd go running after me."

"Dumbledore--" Severus blinked, suddenly remembering one of the reasons he had barged down here in the first place. "What the hell are you thinking?" he exclaimed.

"What?" said Joanna, clearly bewildered.

"That potion!"

"Oh..."

"Oh? Oh? Is that all you have to say? Are you mad or do you simply have a death wish?"

"I am not mad, nor do I wish to die," Joanna murmured. "Surely you can understand the necessity of making Limito anima and a counter potion, of how important it can be to the War?"

"That doesn't matter," Severus retorted. "It's too dangerous. I won't allow it."

"You won't allow it?" Joanna hissed. "What are you, my keeper? You can't tell me what to do, Severus--"

"Oh?" he said with a cocked eyebrow, and Joanna flushed angrily.

"Don't do this, Severus," she spat, "don't throw away a chance to kill him for good. I can make the counter potion, I know I can. Have faith in me. Trust me."

"I do not want to give them another reason for kidnapping you!" Severus proclaimed.

Joanna's eyes narrowed. "Than don't go telling people about it," she replied coolly.

"Duly noted," Severus snarled. "If you are so insistent on making this counter potion, then I will assist you."

"I don't need you're bloody help--"

"That's an order," Severus smoothly put in.

"ARRGGH!" Joanna screamed in frustration, flying off the couch and flushing a violent shade of red. "You are the biggest bastard--bloody git--absolute worst--ARGH!"

"Putting aside your proclivities towards me," Severus drawled, "would it really be so bad working with me again?"

"No," Joanna growled while mentally adding Snape to the top of the list of people she was going to kill one day.

"So then, there isn't a problem, is there?" he smirked.

"No."

"Stop gritting your teeth, it's unbecoming."

"Bugger off."

"I plan to, later."

Joanna opened her mouth to spout off another acerbic retort with she stopped, suddenly at a loss for words. Swallowing thickly, she felt her cheeks heat and she quickly looked away.

"You're blushing," Severus said in a voice that caused a delicious shiver to run Joanna's spine.

"No, I'm not," she protested with absolutely no conviction. Severus's gaze darkened and the mood in the room changed drastically: they were no longer fighting. They were courting.

"You are," he purred, taking several steps closer until he was practically on top of her. Joanna could feel the heat and arousal radiating off Severus's body and had to close her eyes in order to keep from actually swooning.

Next, Severus's lips were on her own and the kiss was nothing like the one before; it was slow and soft, yet searing and passionate. Joanna kept her eyes squeezed shut and somehow her arms found their way to Severus's neck; feeling mischievous, she then ran her nails hard down his back, causing him to gasp and shudder slightly. He pulled away after that and Joanna's eyes fluttered opened.

"Perhaps I should go," he panted softly.

Joanna's head felt delightfully fluffy, and all she could do was nod and mumble, "Yeah...prob'ly for the best."

Clearing his throat, Severus slowly stepped away from Joanna and bid her a good evening before leaving her quarters. Exhaling loudly, Joanna sank back down on the couch and then broke out in a huge grin. She really was quite a besotted idiot, she mused. But for the first time in a long time, Joanna felt strangely and truly happy.

"Don't think you're getting off that easily, Professor," she said aloud with a smirk.

*~*~*~*

"Come in, Harry," Joanna called from her desk. It was Tuesday evening, only a few days after the D.A. incident and the first day of winter break; she had seen Harry in their last Potions class of the term and he had agreed to meet with her on Tuesday for Occlumency instead of on Thursday, seeing as the Masquerade was that night.

"How are you?" she asked kindly.

"I'm all right," he mumbled, shifting on his pouf.

Joanna smiled again and the two set about doing their usual routine for Occlumency; after an hour, Joanna spoke again:

"You're doing incredibly well, Harry. I'm very impressed with how far you've come this year."

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"Are you staying here for break or going elsewhere?

"Professor Dumbledore wants me to stay here. Says it's safest."

"That's good, then," Joanna commented briskly. "Next Thursday is the 31^st, New Year's Eve. Would you be opposed to meeting on our regular date?"

"No, that's fine," Harry replied politely.

"Good, good," she said distractedly. "Would you like some tea?"

"Er, sure,"

"Ahh," Joanna said smiling as she took a sip of the tea she had just conjured. "That sure does the trick. So, Harry, got any questions for me? If you're anything like your mother, then that's a definite yes."

"How do you know about the Room of Requirement?" he asked, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

Joanna chuckled and set down her teacup. "I've known about this room since my first year at Hogwarts. Your mother of all people showed it to me. She overheard your father and the other Marauders talking about it. She could be sneaky, sometimes, Lily."

"Oh," was all he said. Worrying his lip, he asked, "Is...is everything that happened...that you said in the cemetery true?"

"Like what, Harry?"

He swallowed and found the laces on his shoes to be utterly fascinating. "Are you really the Heir of Ravenclaw?"

Joanna smiled wistfully, saying, "Yes. Found out my third year, although Professor Dumbledore knew long before I did."

"Oh...how--how did he know?"

Joanna averted her gaze then. "Er...I kind of did something," she said slowly, "when I was four...I was able to conjure something that only a descendent could, well, conjure."

Harry cocked his head and was about to ask what, when she continued speaking rapidly, "Gryffindor had a sword, as did Slytherin, but Ravenclaw had a dagger instead. It was given to her on her thirtieth birthday--which happens to be June 30^th, my birthday as well. That's when the dreams started for me, on my thirteenth birthday. Anyway, like I said, I conjured her dagger when I was four."

"Why would you have needed it if you were four?" he asked, surprised.

Joanna groaned. "You really don't want to know. Wouldn't you rather ask me something else, Harry? Please?"

"Fine," he muttered. "Then--then I'm the descendent of Godric Gryffindor because I can pull a sword out of a hat?"

"You don't need the hat to conjure the sword, Harry," she said firmly. "And you are having the dreams as well. The dreams are memories, Harry, straight from the founders themselves, implanted in their children's children to ensure that the legacy lived on. I have no idea whatsoever how they were able to do that, but it's true nonetheless. Voldemort had the dreams too, when he was Tom Riddle, and still does."

"Why didn't anyone ever tell me?" Harry growled, his anger rising.

"Because no one knew," she said patiently. "Don't be getting all snappy with me, Harry. I tried to tell you who I was that day we started with Legilimency, but remember what you said? 'But what if Voldemort breaks into my mind? He could see who you really are. He'll come after you and it'd be my fault again.' You didn't want to know because you were afraid it would cost me my life. It was a very noble thing you did, Harry, but you chose not to know, remember? As for your dreams, I had my suspicions, as did Professor Dumbledore, but we weren't sure, all right? James never mentioned having dreams, not once, and he never did the Progeny Charm, either, so I never knew. No one knows what happened to the Gryffindor line, either, once his and Brianna's daughter, Alyssa, got married. His son, Rufus, never wed. The name was lost. A few generations later, the Potter line emerged and they've been having boys ever since."

Harry sat in a stunned silence as everything Joanna had just told him sunk in. "The--the Progeny what?"

"The Progeny Charm," she said briskly. "The spell you did that day in Defense, the one against Mr. Malfoy? And the one to repair the wards? You said Progenia Leo--plus a spell--because Gryffindor's symbol is a lion/griffin...thing. Ravenclaw's is an eagle, so I say Progenia Aquila. Does that make sense? It will heightened the affect of a spell and it's unique to each Founder."

Harry nodded but his mind was reeling. "How can you be so sure? You said that my dad never had the dreams or whatever."

"I know, it's so weird," she said softly. Running a hand through her hair for the hundredth time and biting her lip, she said, "Anyway...we can get back to this later. We still have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah," Harry said slowly, "like how you're not Joanna Kent, you're, er, Ellen Lercorbo or whatever."

Joanna winced. "Hélène LeCorbeau, Harry. It's French and your pronunciation of it makes my ears hurt. Anyway, I never go by that name unless I absolutely have to. If you've done your research--and something tells me, you have--then you would know by now that I was adopted and my name was changed to Milah Kensington. Oh, and you would've found out that I am an Empath, too, I s'pose."

"Er, yeah," he mumbled.

"So who else knows--Hermione? Ron?" she demanded.

"Yeah...yeah, they know," he said uncomfortably. "Hermione's the one who found your name in Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts."

"I'm in Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts?" Joanna asked, startled. A wicked grin broke out on her face. "Cool. Anyway, so Hermione and Ron know. That's okay, I guess...you trust them, so I trust them--"

Joanna broke off abruptly when Harry started twiddling his thumbs. "More people know?" she asked. Harry flinched, looking appropriately ashamed.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I was just so angry that no one had told me..."

"Who else knows, Harry?" Joanna said sharply.

"Er...Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood."

"Luna Lovegood?" Joanna gasped, standing up and looking, to Harry's surprise, absolutely terrified. "Luna knows? Oh my God..."

"I'm sorry," Harry blurted out. "I really am. I just--I was so angry that no one had told me the truth, that everything was being kept from me, that I just gathered up my friends and--"

"And what?" Joanna barked and Harry jumped. "Harry, you have got to learn to control that temper of yours! For Merlin's sake, it wasn't as if I kept it from you on purpose! I wanted to tell you! I even went as far as to tell you that I'm not who I appear to be, because I knew he hated being left out of things, and this is how you repay me? By telling a secret I've been keeping for fifteen years to five teenagers, including Luna of all people?"

Joanna collapsed into her chair and buried her face in her hands while Harry stared at her in a stunned silence for several minutes.

"I'm really sorry," Harry whispered. Joanna looked up at him with a sad look on her face and Harry started; her eyes were a pale blue color that looked vaguely familiar.

"I don't know what to do about this," she said, piercing him with a look. Muttering to herself, she said, "Dumbledore, Remus, McGonagall, Severus, you, and five adolescents...Merde, ten people now."

"I really am sorry," he said in a hushed voice.

"I know, Harry," she said vehemently. "I can tell, remember? Empath and all." Sighing, she glared at her empty teacup, hoping to take her frustration out on it instead of Harry. She didn't want him to feel guilty, though he definitely needed to realize that what he had done was dangerous. Being an Empath, Joanna was able to tell that Harry was sincere in his apologies and appropriately ashamed that he had told her secret to five of his friends.

"You trust them all?" she asked.

"Yes," he said steadfastly.

"Then I guess I'll just have to deal with it," she said slowly. "I need to discuss some things with Professor Dumbledore. I'm not really all that angry, Harry. Well, I am, but...I think it'll be okay."

Standing up, she said, "I need to go...think things over. I'm sorry we couldn't continue this discussion, Harry. I trust you understand why?"

"Yes, ma'am," he responded dully.

"Good, good," she said absently. "I'll see you at the ball Thursday, then?"

"Er, yeah."

"Good...well, I must be off now," she said, wringing her hands. "Good day, Harry."

"'Bye," he muttered. Slumping into his pouf, Harry felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He sat in silence for many minutes before he gave a loud cry of astonishment. He had finally recognized the color her eyes:

They were Luna's