"I've got to get to you first

Before they do

It's just a question of time

before they lay their hands on you

make you just like the rest

I've got to get to you first."

-Depeche Mode-

Ch.1

This was the one he had been looking for. He could sense her power by simply smelling the air in her room, she radiated it from every pore. This was the girl in the prophecy, the one that would take his place as Dark Master and finish his work in the magical world. He knew he had mere months left, the Aurors were closing in and this time he would be gone for good. He climbed through the open window, crossed to the bed, scooped up the sleeping teenager and disapparated.

Kestrel Mari Jones didn't know anything unusual had happened until the next morning.

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Severus Snape's morning had been fairly uneventful- that is, until he stumbled across the body of an unconscious sixteen-year-old outside his bedroom door. To say he was surprised would be an incredible understatement. He said some fairly unpleasant things about Dumbledore's Irish coffee before noticing the chain around the girl's neck with a charm resembling a small roll of parchment. He drew his wand form inside his robes and tapped the charm three times, thoroughly unsurprised when it suddenly grew to a normal piece of parchment with poison-green writing.

Severus,

Raise this one well, and sympathetic to my side. Don't ask, just do. You'll
see why.

V.



The stunned Potions Master had to read the note several times before finally comprehending it. He scooped up the girl and began to carry her to Dumbledore's office. As he made his way through the empty corridors he thanked every lucky star that summer break had started the week before. He didn't even want to imagine what students would say about the snarky Professor carrying a girl through the halls.

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"Ahh, Severus! I was just going to talk to you. Don't forget, the students arrive a week from tomorrow." Albus Dumbledore seemed just as cheerful as ever, which was surprising comsidering that just the night before he had been just as drunk as the rest of the staff. In fact, Snape seemed to remember something involving a collander, a loaf of bread, a monkey and a pirate eyepatch. He shuddered at the memory.

"Ermm, Albus? What should I do with..." he looked down at the girl in his arms.

"Oh! Set her here, set her here...where did she come from?" For once Albus Dumbledore had no idea what was going on.

"I found her oustide my door about five minutes ago. Along with this." The grim-faced Professor set down both girl and letter on Dumbledore's desk and stepped back.

"Well." Albus set the letter down. "Well. I suppose the only thing to do is to add her to the summer session. We can't send her home, her parents are undoubtedly dead. Whether she knows it or not, magic just changed her life for good." He looked at the new student with sympathy in his eyes instead of the usual twinkle.

"Well, better wake her up." Albus drew his wand, but Severus stopped him.

"Hold up, what's this about a summer session?"

"Sibyll didn't tell you?" Severus shook his head. "Wonder what good the Inner Eye is when your memory's shot to...oh well. Remember about six years ago when we were really short staffed and I let Bertha Jorkins do the Finding?" Snape nodded. How could he forget? After all, that was the year Potter had come to Hogwarts. "Well, she missed a few children somehow. Only
five, but still, we can't have untrained magic roaming around the countryside, so I've decided to bring them in this summer, tutor them, and place them into the sixth year class when we start for the next year." Snape nodded again, this time with understanding.

"Now that that's cleared up..." Dumbledore tapped the girl on the forehead with his wand.

"Ennervate!"

Kestrel sat up, looked around, and promptly did what any Seattle girl would
do in a position like that. She screamed.

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A/N: Hihi!!!!! Yes, Milady Insane is back with a veangeance! And I might
actually finish this one...mebbe....hehe...but yeah....ya'll know the drill, the more reviews I get the faster I type...constructive criticism is
welcome, flames will go to heat my loverly blueberry tea (with unholy
amounts of honey, I've got a cold :-( )

Disclaimer: I...don't...own...anything...clear enough for ya?