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Lost and Found	By : TheLibrarian Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 3257 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all his friends (and enemies) are the brain-child of J.K.
Rowling. I�m just borrowing them. Exclusive ownership belongs to JKR, Arthur A.
Levine Books and Scholastic Inc. Jane Sinclair and all additional characters belong
to me. You belong to yourself.

***

Came the last night of sadness

And it was clear she couldn't go
on

Then the door was open and the
wind appeared

The candles blew then disappeared

The curtains flew then he
appeared

Saying �don't be afraid�

(Don�t Fear) The
Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult

Chapter Seventeen
� Don�t Fear the Reaper

�So, this is
her?�

The tall
sinister-looking man in flowing black robes surveyed her unabashedly, his
malevolent eyes raking over her, seizing her up, trying to glean her most
hidden thoughts, her darkest secrets. The red glint sparkling in Voldemort�s dark eyes promised nothing good, and Jane shuddered.
The Dark Lord exuded power and an aura of evil surrounded him like the garments
he was wearing. She finally understood why people feared him. Moreover, he
looked exactly as he had in her nightmares, and once again, a sense of d�j� vu
came over her.

He gestured
at her with a dismissive wave of his hand.

�This� slip of a woman?� His question was directed at someone
standing behind her.

Jane turned
around. Gordon Grant stood a few steps away from her, looking at her with
unconcealed hatred. He nodded curtly.

�Yes, my
lord,� Grant verified.

�This,�
the Dark Lord inquired again, scrutinizing her once more, �is Dumbledore�s
secret weapon? The witch who would dare
escape my Death Eaters and defy me? Her?�

Grant nodded
again.

Voldemort deliberated for a moment, tapping a long pale
finger against his lips. �How� interesting.�

He circled
her once, assessing her one more time.

�Incredible,�
he finally said. �You don�t look dangerous��

Jane sighed.
�I�m not��

��but then
again,� he continued, ignoring her, �looks can be deceiving.�

She didn�t
know how to respond to that.

�I wonder,� Voldemort mused, �what Dumbledore saw in you.�

He stepped
closer and searched her eyes. Jane immediately averted her gaze, but he was
already invading her thoughts. Without warning he slipped into her mind and probed
her memories. Jane struggled against his ruthless invasion and prevailed.
Gradually, she pushed him out of her mind, hoping fervently that he had not
glimpsed her deepest secrets.

�I see
Severus has taught you well,� Voldemort finally
remarked, retreating from her mind. �I could use someone like you, Miss
Sinclair��

�You mean my
secret,� Jane corrected him.

Voldemort did not seem to mind her interruption. His
bloodless lips pulled into an amused smile. �Subtlety isn�t lost on you, Miss
Sinclair, and you are spirited. Your uncharacteristic bluntness is rare and
rather� refreshing. Follow me, and you shall be part of something great, something
beyond your imagination � a new world��

Jane shook
her head. �I like the world as it is. I have no wish to change it.�

�Deny me,
and�� He shrugged carelessly and pointed his wand at Grant.

Without warning,
the Death Eater collapsed to the ground. Voldemort
stepped over the dead wizard without sparing him a second glance and approached
her. He extended his hand towards her.

�Follow me,
Jane,� he repeated softly, �and I�ll give you anything you desire.�

�I have
everything I desire,� she told him tersely.

Voldemort studied her for a moment. �Not everything...�

He waved his
hand through the air and conjured Severus� image, which dissolved almost as
quickly as it had appeared. Jane�s heart skipped a beat. Severus had looked
tired and worried. Had he been worried about her?

�Ah, yes�
Severus�� Voldemort nodded knowingly, watching the
play of emotions on her face. �A good servant� and an even
better spy.�

Her head
shot up. �He�s not a�� Jane quickly clamped her mouth shut, but her emotional
outburst had already betrayed her.

The Dark
Lord chuckled. It was a high-pitched creepy sound that sent shivers down her
spine.

�I hope, for
your sake � and Severus� � that you are a better lover than a liar.�

Jane looked
at him mutinously, but the wizard just chuckled again.

�I am beginning
to understand why Severus has taken such a liking to you.�

She looked
at him questioningly, but he only laughed. �You didn�t know?�

Her body
betrayed her again. A faint blush spread over her cheeks. She should have
known. Severus wasn�t a man of many words. Instead, he let his actions speak
for him. In his own way, he had cared for her.

�Silly
woman, a man like Severus does not risk his life on a whim. He even went to
Azkaban for you, hoping to keep you safe, to keep you hidden from me.�

Voldemort noticed Jane�s surprise.

�Oh, yes,
Miss Sinclair, I knew. I knew of you even before Severus went to Azkaban. He
hid his thoughts very well, but, you see, even he was powerless against
me. I secretly slipped into his mind and saw how he felt about you. I knew that
you would be the key to unlock his knowledge� and vice versa. It�s rather
poetic, don�t you think?�

When Jane
didn�t answer, he continued. �Even after his time in Azkaban, Severus thought
he could divert my attention away from you, if he kept his distance��

He broke off
and stared out a window, lost in thought. Suddenly, he whipped around.

�But enough of this.� He raised his wand. �You will tell me
your secrets now��

Jane shook
her head. �I�d rather die.�

The dark
wizard smiled. �That can be arranged.�

He lazily
pointed his wand at her. Jane�s body immediately began to writhe and contort as
the agonizing pain of the Cruciatus Curse hit her.

�The
secret,� he prompted calmly after several minutes.

�No,� she
panted, her body still reeling from the after-effects of the Cruciatus Curse.

He aimed his
wand at her again. Excruciating pain shot through her, through every fiber of
her being. The Dark Lord watched her dispassionately.

�No?� he
queried softly. �Maybe this will convince you.�

Voldemort raised his wand, and Jane felt her throat
constrict. All of a sudden, she had trouble breathing.

�The
secret,� he prompted again.

�No,� she
choked out defiantly.

�No?� He
twisted his wand slightly. �I think� yes.�

Jane clawed
helplessly at her throat. The blood was pulsating in her ears and her lungs
burned, unable to release the gas contained within. Stars danced before her bulging
eyes, but she determinedly fought the urge to surrender.

�My lord Voldemort,� a lazy drawl suddenly sounded from the doorway.

The Dark
Lord looked up from Jane�s contorted features and smiled in welcome.

�Ah,
Severus,� he greeted his spy jovially. �How� nice of
you to� drop in.�

Jane�s world
turned black.

***

Both men
stared at the unconscious woman on the floor.

Jane�s face
was bruised. From previous experience, Severus knew what Voldemort
and his Death Eaters were capable of, but it appeared they had rather held
back. Still, Severus had to fight the urge to kill everyone who had dared lay a
finger on her. He did not meet the Dark Lord�s eyes. It was imperative that he
acted as detached as possible. Voldemort could never
know of their� relationship. However, it was more difficult to ignore her than
he�d imagined, and he had to muster all of his self-control to cloud his mind
against the Dark Lord�s inquisitive stare.

�As you can see,�
Voldemort informed his servant with a sweeping
gesture, �I finally have Jane Sinclair in my power. Something you were unable
to accomplish.�

�I was ready
to bring her to you,� Severus explained smoothly, �had Grant and Bellatrix not taken matters into their
own hands and interfered with my plans.�

The Dark
Lord fixed his servant with his intense gaze. �They did my bidding. They
know how to please their lord.�

Severus
sneered. �Yes. And their impatience has made them careless. By killing an
innocent underage wizard, they have managed to draw a lot of attention. The
Ministry has sent its best Aurors after them, and I
have no doubt that they will manage to track them here. It is only a matter of
time.�

Voldemort studied the man before him for a while. �And how
do I know that you haven�t revealed my whereabouts to the Ministry
already?�

Severus
shrugged. �I have always served you well, my lord, and I have never given you
reason to doubt my loyalty.�

�That is
true,� the Dark Lord agreed. �However, you have disappointed me, Severus.�

�I have?�

�You
deliberately shielded Jane Sinclair from my gaze. You hid her from me.�

A muscle
began to twitch in Severus� face. He realized that Voldemort
knew of his deception and feverishly thought of a way to buy more time.

�My lord,�
he began, �I��

The Dark
Lord waved him off. Once more he stared down at Jane�s still form.

�She is
somewhat fetching,� he conceded pleasantly, �if one
cares for the forthright type.�

He moved to
Severus and threw his arm around the younger man�s shoulders. �I can understand
your attraction to her.�

Voldemort felt Severus stiffen. �Yes,� he confirmed with
deceptive calm, �I know. In fact, I have known of your� liaison for some
time. It was quite� interesting to watch.�

�Let her go,�
Severus said quietly. �You no longer need her. I know why Dumbledore chose her.
I know her secret. It is me you want.�

The Dark
Lord�s lips pulled into an amused smile.

�You always
were too smooth, too composed. You never let your emotions determine your
actions��

His face
hardened. �Until now.� His arm dropped to his side and
he turned away.

Severus immediately
felt for his wand, but before he could draw it, Voldemort
had whirled around, his wand at the ready.

�You always
were a good servant, Severus,� the Dark Lord informed him, �even if you did
play for both sides��

Suddenly, the
doors banged open, distracting him.

�My lord!� Bellatrix Lestrange came rushing into the room. Panic was written all
over her face.

Voldemort�s head spun around. �What is it?� he hissed
impatiently over his shoulder.

�Aurors, my lord,� she panted. �We�ve been discovered.�

The Dark
Lord looked at Severus, whose bland face betrayed nothing.

�You must
flee, my lord,� Bellatrix implored him, hurrying to
his side.

Noises of a
fight � shouts and screams, crashes and bangs � grew loud. Bellatrix
looked towards the door, where flashes of light illuminated the dark corridor
beyond. She tugged impatiently at his arm. �They must not catch you.�

Voldemort had his wand still trained on Severus, but
indecision sparkled in his eyes. �How many?�

The
distraught witch shook her head. �I don�t know. Too many.�

Lucius Malfoy, recently escaped from Azkaban, appeared in the
doorway. His normally meticulous white-blond hair was disheveled and blood
trickled down his face from a cut on his forehead. He clung to the doorjamb for
support.

�My lord,�
he shouted over the growing noise. �We are being overrun. We need
reinforcements.�

A stunning
spell hit him from behind and he was propelled into the room. He came to lie
facedown a few feet from his master, knocked unconscious by the force of
impact. Suddenly, a throng of people pushed through the door. Aurors and members of the Order were mercilessly raining spell
after spell upon the remaining Death Eaters. Voldemort
cursed and grabbed hold of Bellatrix�s arm. He
pressed one long pale finger to the brand on her skin. Moments later his army
of Death Eaters Apparated and immediately set out to
defend their lord. They quickly descended upon their enemies, driving them back
and down the stairs. Voldemort would have Disapparated and left his minions to their fate, had he not
caught a glimpse of a certain dark-haired, green-eyed bespectacled wizard. His
mouth twisted into a triumphant grin. He shook off the hysterical witch
clinging to him and headed into battle.

***

As soon as
the Dark Lord�s wand pointed away from him, Severus had rushed to Jane�s side.
He bent over her and quickly felt for her pulse. A wave of relief swept through
him, when he felt it throbbing strongly against his finger. He reached under his
robes and retrieved a vial of Rejuvenating Potion. He poured the purple liquid into
her and, cradling Jane to him, waited for her to regain consciousness.

He didn�t
have to wait long. Only moments later, her eyes flew open.

�Eewww!� she complained, sticking out her tongue in disgust.

She looked
around, and he watched her eyes grow wide and the blood drain from her face as
she recalled where she was. For a moment, he thought she would faint again. Her
gaze fell upon him, and confusion registered on her face.

�Severus?�

�Shh,� he soothed her. �Don�t talk.�

She coughed.
�Severus, what are you doing here?�

He helped
her sit up, but kept his arm around her shoulders. �Saving you,� he told her
matter-of-factly. �Now, do be quiet.�

Severus
pulled out another vial and held it to her lips. �Here, drink this. It�ll help
your body heal and regain its strength.�

Jane obediently
swallowed the green liquid and leaned back. Her throat was sore, but she could
not remain silent. She grabbed the front of his robes.

�Severus,
Colin Creevey is dead.�

�I know,� he
said quietly, stroking her hair comfortingly.

�It�s my
fault,� she told him dully.

�No, it
isn�t,� Severus countered grimly. �But now is not the time. We need to get out
of here. Do you think you will be able to walk?�

Jane nodded.
He helped her to her feet, but her knees gave way and she clung to him for
support. He scowled at her.

�Just give
me a minute. I�ll be OK in a moment.�

Severus was
still holding her, frowning doubtfully.

�I� I can
stand,� she assured him moments later. �Really.�

�Good,� he
said. �Come on, then.�

At that
moment, a handful of Death Eaters stormed into the room, closely pursued by
Arthur Weasley and two Ministry Aurors.
The Death Eaters outnumbered their opponents and quickly gained the upper hand.
Severus muttered an oath. He had to help them. He turned to Jane and grabbed
her shoulders.

�Jane,� he
told her sternly. �Stay here. Out of harm�s way. Do
you understand?�

She nodded.

�Good girl.�
Severus briefly caressed her cheek with his thumb. Then he drew his wand and
joined the fight.

Jane watched
him as he quickly disposed of the Death Eater cornering Arthur Weasley. Pride surged through her. Was there anything he
wasn�t good at? She doubted it. She glanced towards the door. Severus had told
her to stay put, but she had to go after Voldemort.
Dumbledore had been convinced that she was the key to Voldemort�s
destruction. She had to trust in the wise wizard�s vision and follow her
instincts. She retrieved her wand and clutched it tightly in her hand. It was
now or never. Jane hurried out the door and along the corridor. She had to step
over several bodies until she finally made it safely down the stairs. In the
entrance hall and adjoining rooms, wizards and witches were fighting each other
with deadly determination. Not ten feet from her Molly Weasley
was being crowded by two Death Eaters. Jane attacked, drawing strength from the
knowledge that Severus had come for her. She mattered.

The two
women quickly fought off the Death Eaters, knocking them unconscious, and Jane
went on in search of Voldemort. She found him all too
soon. He casually disposed of several wizards as he made his way towards Harry
Potter. The young wizard was battling a witch, Bellatrix
Lestrange. His back was turned to Voldemort
and he never noticed the dark wizard approach. Jane shouldered her way past
several dueling couples, until she had a clear view of Voldemort.
She aimed her wand to stun him, but missed. She muttered an oath and tried
again. This time, he was thrown off balance.

Voldemort spun around to face the person who had dared
attack him. Gathering her courage, Jane stepped in his path and raised her
wand. When he recognized her, his mouth twisted into a cruel sneer. He would
enjoy killing this woman who had thwarted his chance to kill Potter. Now she
would pay. But first, he would make her suffer. His spell hit her wand, instantly
pulverizing it in her hand. Her skin was still tingling from the particles
embedded in her flesh, when another spell threw Jane off her feet. She watched
in horror as Voldemort slowly advanced on her. He
stepped closer until he finally stood over Jane, his wand pointing at her face.
She lay at his feet, unarmed, and the Dark Lord was gloating.

�I admire
your determination, Miss Sinclair,� he grinned maliciously, �and your
fearlessness. Not many have dared to face me as you did, but none survived��

Jane met his
gaze defiantly.

�Such
spirit,� he chuckled. �Are you sure you don�t want to join me and my Death Eaters?�

�Quite
sure,� she answered dryly.

�Pity,� he shrugged
indifferently. �But to be expected��

He lazily
pointed his wand at her. Her body immediately began to writhe and contort as the
agonizing pain of the Cruciatus Curse hit her once
again. He did not wait for the curse to wear off. Instead, he pointed the wand
at her again � and again. She screamed until she thought she could scream no
more. Mustering her last ounce of strength, she gave voice to her pain as she
had so many years ago.

�EXSANGUINARE!�

A shudder
went through Voldemort, and for a moment he looked
down at her in astonishment. The skin over his cheeks began to split apart in
neat red lines. Blood, so dark it almost seemed black, began to ooze from the
cuts and trickle down his face. He raised his hands and studied them curiously
as more cuts appeared. Jane watched him, a sense of vindication washing over
her. But then, to her horror, Voldemort suddenly
smiled. He shook himself like a wet dog would and when he looked at her again,
the cuts were gone, his skin intact again.

�Nice try,�
he applauded her, his reptilian features distorted into an ugly grin. �But now,
it is my turn, Miss Sinclair. Now, you die.�

Jane steeled
herself, but his attack never came.

�NO!�

Severus had killed
the Death Eaters he�d been battling and, realizing Jane had left, gone in
search of her. He was now rushing towards them to save Jane. He placed himself
between Jane and the Dark Lord, shielding her with his body.

�Severus,� Voldemort acknowledged him calmly. �So, this is how it will
end?�

Severus merely
shrugged. �We cannot choose our destiny.�

�Destiny�� Voldemort slowly shook his head, something akin to regret
in his eyes. �I never would have thought that, in the end, you would be brought
down by a woman� There are much worthier causes to die for, Severus.�

�There are
certain things I regret, Voldemort, but this
is not one of them.�

�I�m glad to
hear it.�

From her
position on the floor, Jane watched the ensuing duel. Voldemort
aimed at his former servant, but Severus was ready for him. A silent
dance of death ensued as the two men began to duel, casting spell after spell
at each other. Severus was feigning and attacking lightning quick, like a
snake. He struck and withdrew. He dodged and countered, but Voldemort
matched his every move. Jane propped herself up to watch. Severus was fighting
the Dark Lord � for her. He�d placed himself between her and the dark wizard,
shielding her. Just as he had in her dream. Jane
frowned. Too much of her dream had become reality already. This house, Voldemort�s appearance, the fight � too much had come true
to be considered coincidental. The implications sent her heart racing � in her
dreams Severus had died�

Jane
painfully scrambled to her feet, determined to look for a weapon. She had to
help Severus somehow. She couldn�t let him die. Not now. Not after they had
finally found each other again. The battle was still going strong. It was
chaotic and loud � utter madness. Jane saw Remus and Tonks
fighting back to back. She recognized several more members of the Order,
fighting Death Eaters left and right. Flashes of light shot from numerous wands,
and Jane had to dodge several errant spells. Her gaze fell back on Severus and Voldemort. Severus had just managed to counter a
particularly powerful spell, but he stumbled. The Dark Lord grinned
triumphantly and took aim. Severus was still struggling for balance and he
would not be able to defend himself. The realization hit her suddenly, and she
immediately knew what would come next. Before she could do anything, Severus
was hit by Voldemort�s spell, fell to the ground and
moved no more.

�SEVERUS!�

===

Lost and
Found � 2006 by MMHG

===
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