Don't own anything recognisable from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books.

Chapter 17

Sacrifice.

"No!" Eve whimpered as the dagger reflected the moonlight onto her face. She struggled to move, but the invisible magical ropes holding her to the altar would not move.

"No!" Severus roared as Evaristus approached Eve with a satisfied smile on his face.

He toyed with the dagger and glanced towards Severus. "Have you changed your mind? Have you seen my daughter?"

Severus looked at Eve, and she saw his strength melt away. "No. No I haven't changed my mind."

"Please." Eve whimpered. "Please don't kill me."

Evaristus grabbed her chin and forced her to look into the eyes of Severus. "It's him you should be pleading with. Only he can save your life."

"Hey! Wait a minute. I thought you said I could have the girl." Avery whined.

Devlin glared at the death eater. "Later, I need her first." He turned to Severus again. This is your last chance. Tell me and I shall spare the girl."

Severus' shoulders drooped and he looked into Eve's eyes with grief. "She was dead from the moment she arrived here."

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry yelled as he raced down the corridor towards Albus' office. "Professor!"

He rounded the corner and found himself face to face with Albus.

"She is, she is," He gasped for air. "She is in trouble."

"Calm down Harry." Albus instructed sharply, but seeing the urgency on Harry's face he began walking swiftly down the corridor towards the library where the Gniweiv bowl was situated. "Tell me as we go."

"Professor Phaon is in trouble. Devlin is threatening to kill her. But I think we have a clue to where they are."

The library doors burst open before Harry had a chance to touch them and they marched into the room and straight up to the bowl.
Nearly-Headless Nick had joined Ron and Hermione in looking at the bowl, and they stopped talking as soon as they entered.

"Look Professor! That looks like a sign, and we can read it!" Hermione said excitedly. "We wrote it down before it faded again." She said and showed Albus the notebook. "If only we knew where it was!"

Albus' face darkened in anger and horror, and he muttered. "I know where it is."

Harry looked up at him and nearly gasped at the pure anger on his face. "You do?" He whispered.

"Yes." He said abruptly, and paced around the room. "The question is, how do we distract them from Severus and Katrina, long enough to save them?"

"That's not the only thing Professor." Ron added. "He's gonna kill Professor Phaon if Professor Snape doesn't tell him where Fay Devlin is, but she is Fay Devlin!" Ron said worriedly.

"Then perhaps you should give him what he wants!" Nearly-Headless Nick said.

Everyone turned to look at him in confusion, but he merely beaconed them closer, and told them of his plan.

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

The knife cut into the skin on Eve's wrists cleanly, and blood seeped from the wound. Eve whimpered and tears stung her eyes as she saw Severus' ashen face. She could feel the warm flow oozing into her clothing and making it stick to her skin, and the bursts of blood quickened as her heartbeat increased through fear.

"Severus?" She whispered.

"Stay with me." She heard the hoarse voice, but could not bring herself to look at him, the futility of the situation bringing a bout of depression.

"STAY WITH ME!" Severus screamed. "Katrina, look at me."

She raised her head at the desperate request, and forced herself to stare into his eyes. "It does not hurt, Severus." She lied unconvincingly.

"It will do soon." Avery muttered menacingly in her ear, and she felt the warm stale breath against her spine. She shuddered.

"Leave her alone!" Severus said gruffly.

Eve felt her head being pulled back and felt the sharp, cold edge of the knife piercing a point of her throat. "You could have prevented this Severus." The voice of Evaristus floated above her head from behind her.

"Wait." She whispered. "I am Fay."

"Fay?" She heard the shock in Evaristus' voice.

Severus looked at Eve in horror. "No Katrina, don't."

"Fay. I knew you would come if I had Severus." Evaristus said in a sinister way. "And now I have you just where I want you."

Eve prepared her self for what was to come. She knew her father's tortured ideas of love. But Evaristus let Eve's face fall hard into the altar, and she felt the crunch as a bone in her nose broke.

She eased her head gently off the altar, and saw… Herself.

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

"Stay calm now." Hermione/Fay whispered to herself, and mentally sent a prayer up to the heavens.

She had volunteered to be the one that had the altered faces charm cast on, as the person had to be of the same gender as the charmed image, and Professor McGonagall would be needed in the fighting, but she was dreading her decision now. She saw Evaristus heading towards her and realised that he had fallen for the trap.

"Just a couple more steps." She murmured to herself.

"Fay." Evaristus said coldly, stopping short of the target.

Hermione nodded, and hoped he would come closer to her; they needed Evaristus to be separated further from the group in order for the plan to work.

"Well Fay. Is there anything you want to say to me?" He asked.

"What about them?" Avery asked hesitantly.

"You can have them now." Evaristus said menacingly, his dark eyes glinting with satisfaction at the sight of Fay.

Realising that she had no time left, and watching Avery cross to the two professors with evil intent, Hermione took a couple of steps backwards hoping to entice Evaristus forward.

It worked.

"Now!" She screamed, and all of a sudden the garden lit up with a large bright light.

"What the…?" She heard Avery yell.

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

The bright light blinded Eve, and she winced as she turned away. A familiar presence appeared behind her and she shrank back towards the altar thinking it was Avery.

"Katrina, it's me." Remus said quietly. "We've got to get you out of here."

"Severus?" She asked weakly.

"Don't worry, we're not leaving anyone here."

She looked around as Remus softly chanted the removal spell, which would free her of the bonds, worried about Severus she looked towards him, and saw Professor McGonagall releasing him from his restraints.

"That got it!" Remus exclaimed, and gently, but hurriedly, pulled her to her feet. "We have to go, now!"

"Who…?" Eve said, motioning at the figure of Fay.

"Hermione. Now quickly. Go in that direction." He motioned towards a mound of earth, and she could just about see the figures of Dumbledore and Flitwick, chanting in unison, keeping the light spell active. Harry and Ron were stood between them and the Death Eaters protecting them as best they could.

"Where…?" Eve asked, but Sirius had disappeared.

A large looming figure approached her and she gasped as she realised Avery was pointing a wand at her and leering threateningly.

"You thought your friends could save you?" He asked. "Petri.."

Remus appeared form nowhere and jumped onto Avery, ripping the wand from his hand.

Eve screamed, and backed away from the sight.

"Ugghhh." She groaned as she fell over something in the ground. She scrambled up and saw her bag.

"Accio Wand!" She yelled pointing at the bag, and a lipstick floated away from the bag, growing longer in shape until it reached wand shape, and touched her hand.

She healed her blood-dripping wrists, and looked around.

Ron and Harry were coping well with the Death Eaters, and McGonagall and Severus had reached the mound. McGonagall was tending to the worst of Severus' injuries. Remus was still battling Avery on the ground, pounding into him with his fists. But… Hermione was nowhere to be seen.

"Hermione?" She yelled at the Professors, but the looks of shock and horror on their faces told her all she needed to know.

Again she looked around, and that's when the sinking feeling appeared in her stomach. Evaristus was missing too.

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

Hermione was running through a part of the garden which was full of trees, she presumed it was once an orchard. She was trying to get away from Evaristus Devlin, who was slowly gaining on her.

It had been a mistake to run, she knew that now, but what else could she have done. In all the confusion everyone had forgotten about her.

"Fay?" She heard the singsong voice, and she dropped down into the bushes.

"Oh, Fay?" The voice became louder and she willed her lungs to stop breathing so heavily.

"I found you once, I can find you again." He added, and she could see the soles of his shoes from where she was hiding. "All I have to do is find Severus Snape, and there you will be." He paused and she saw his shoes turn towards her hiding place. "You always were too soft, too sentimental. I tried and tried to create the perfect daughter, but no."

It was too late before she realised that Devlin knew exactly where she was hiding, and she attempted to run again, but he caught her by the arm, and drew her close to him.

"Finally. Now you will pay for running away." Evaristus said warningly and raised his wand at Hermione/Fay menacingly.

"No!" Hermione/Fay screamed in fear.

"Stop." A sharp voice intruded. Hermione looked up and saw Katrina stood before her, her wand pointed at Evaristus Devlin, out of the corner of her eye she saw movement and realised that Severus had followed Katrina.

Evaristus looked up at the bloodstained Eve. "I will kill her."

"I will not let you do this father." Katrina said, and as she neared him her hair grew longer, and turned a deep shade of black.

"Fay?" His face turned ashen, and he let go of Hermione/Fay, who ended the altered faces charm. "NO!" He screamed and pointed his wand at Eve.

"Yes, father." She spat out the word. "I have been here all along." She neared the retreating figure of Evaristus, who was petrified at the look of angry insanity that he saw in her eyes. "And by the way, I am not known as Fay any longer." She looked at Severus, who had positioned himself behind Evaristus. "I am Katrina Phaon, Substitute Professor of History at Hogwarts, and former Death-Eater."

Evaristus' wand flew out of his hand towards Katrina, who caught it, and pointed it at him…

A/N

Thanks To Squirrel and KR for reviewing.

Squirrel: Please stop sending sloppy kisses. I appreciate the sentiment, but I keep on having to wash the drool from my face. It's not nice….

KR: I like long reviews!! You're welcome for commenting on your review, and are you sure you're okay??? You keep falling off your chair!!! Would you like me to phone an ambulance for you? I'll make the next chapter REALLY boring, so you don't get any more bruises, okay???

Love to you all

Krusty.