I…AM…NOT…JK…AND…I…NEVER…WILL…BE…(darn it)

Chapter Thirteen
The Clarinet

Severus's sleep was beyond restless that night. After the fourth book he had decided not to draw any conclusions without reading the final one first.

He scanned every page of than damn book and found only this:

…Four members of the Honored Five were killed in an attack by pirates that tried to raid Emelan. Although Emelan was saved, four of it's greatest heroes died in the fight. However some say that they best thing for Stirsword (better known as Sarah) would have been to die. Sarah's parents died in a pirate attack years earlier. The four mages had memorials placed in their honor at the Winding Circle's temple graveyard. On the anniversary of their capture many people gather at the bodiless graves to mourn no only the lost of their savories but also of their friends. They are said to be four of the nicest people you would ever meet, however many shall not get the chance to make that judgment.

Sarah woke up and got out of bed almost stepping on Emma. "Watch it." Said the mage sleepily.

"Sorry…"

"And how are you feeling?"

"Like hell, Severus is probably standing right by the door just waiting for me to get up."

"I don't think so. If you ask me that really isn't his stile. He'll probably just sit in his class room torturing students till you come to him."

"Your probably right."

When Sarah hadn't come back to the Mages room the night before Emma had offered to go look for her. When she had found Sarah in her library, a ghostly pale she had asked Sarah what was the matter. After a moments hesitation Sarah explained the whole story of how she had told Severus who she was. When Sarah said that she wished to spend the night in her own rooms Emma had offered to stay with her. After a hilarious display that managed to crack a small smile from Sarah, Emma had learned to used flow powder to tell her friends she would be staying. There was no argument in the matter whatsoever as to if the others should come. They new it was best that Sarah be left alone, but being the friends that they were and the friends Sarah so desperately needed Emma new she must say.

Severus had no class on Sunday and thought about going to see Sarah. He however had not wanted to seem desperate so instead spent the whole day at his desk grading papers in such a fowl mood that even Granger only got an "A". He gave out a flood of "P's" and was truly regretful that there was no such thing as a "Z".

Finally, much to Severus's relief, it was time for his extended lesson with Sarah. It's time to get a few things sorted out. He thought.

When he walked into the classroom he noticed that Sarah was not there, so he sat in the middle of the floor and waited. He waited and waited for over a quarter of an hour when Sarah walked in. "I'm so glade you finally decided to show up." Said Severus sarcastically.

Emma who had walked in behind his supposed teacher gave him an evil look. Severus was surprised for he had taken the girl as one to never frown, she always seemed so happy all the time. It made Severus sick.

Sarah gave her friend a feeble wave of dismissal. She looks half dead. Thought Severus as he looked at Sarah. Like she wished she hadn't gotten up this morning. Severus new the feeling. Wishing he would just go in your sleep was one of his happier fantasies. It was right up there with Granger turning in a paper that wasn't a foot over the required length and the bliss of never seeing another red-haired Weasley for as long as he lived.

"Severus," she said dryly, "If we could please go to the dungeons we may start the lesson."

For the next two hours Severus brewed. First she had told him to make a healing salve and then a O.W.L. level snake poison antidote. Both were what Severus thought to be child's play and finished them perfectly except for one minor mishap with his magic.

He would occasionally through glances at the pale faced mage and was surprise to see that even when her skin color became lighter than Severus's she still managed to hold on to that same unemotional expression she mostly war. Matter of fact when alone with Sarah, Severus had never seen her smile. Good. Was the only word that came to his mind at that thought, yet somehow it didn't seem sincere.

After corking the antidote Severus walked over to the mage. "Here… what other ridiculous potions or remedies would you like me to make." So Severus's great surprise his sarcastic comment seemed to cheer her up a bit. However as soon as the emotion touch her face it was gone and Severus was left with an even more solemn Sarah. "Perhaps if you might by some miracle not object to me making a potion that actually requires consciousness I may just learn something."

"But this is challenging for you Severus. You feel slightly worn, do you not? Or at the very least you feel more edgy than usual and I saw your magic slip or was that just my imagination?"

"And here I thought you were dead. I thought it might be nice for Professor Binns to have a fellow ghost teacher… Oh, wait, that's right, your the only one who's not dead aren't you Sarah. Or should I call you Stirsword from now on."

Severus was expecting her to either pale or charge at him. However she stood calmly in place, if a little shaky, and stared at him for a reason Severus could not understand.

"I trust you have read the books then." She said focusing in on his eyes. When Severus didn't answer she continued. "You are an intelligent man Severus… I know you know all of what you have read, but what have you pieced together? And what do you wish to know? For I must say I have some questions about you as well, however that is for a later date. I believe our conversation left off at me giving you the books and asking you to talk to me when though… So…"

Severus had interrogated people before without the use of potions, however even though the girls were usually around Sarah's if not a bit younger he had given that type of questioning up a long time ago. Left without a tactic of approach Severus went for the obvious. "You parents names and their powers."

Sarah face was that of both grief and longing. "I hope you don't mind, but I am a writer after all so this questioning shall go in more of a story format rather than question and answer."

Severus gave a slight wine for he had never been one for bedtime stories, not that anyone had ever really offered to tell him one.

"My mother was Dumbledore's daughter. Her name was Milisa and her power was that of cooking. Something of which I have never been able to master. She was also gifted with wizardry magic as well. When she was nine a good friend of my grandfather's Nicholas Flamel discovered she had a strange power. Nicholas helped Dumbledore to define the magic much to my grandmothers grief. Mother told me she nearly threw Dumbledore out the house when she found out he was planing to send their only child away. Although after some coaxing she agreed to let her go to Winding Circle to learn. My mother's teacher I believe is named Pastry, I don't know her birth name."

My mother was nineteen when she meet my father Jarred, who later became Moonstripe. The reason for his choice he never told me. His power was that of weapons, a trait which I did inherit. Around this time my mother took the name Moonstar."

When I was born almost four years later a friend of my parents Niklaren Goldeye, better known as Niko tested be for magic but found only wisarding magic and nothing of a mage. When I was three my parents and I moved to the wisarding world. During this time I got to know my grandfather and he became rather fond of me. I remember little of that time except that he used to come in the evenings and play with me before I went to bed. A few times he would take me and a broom to fly over Hogwarts saying that I might some day go there. My mother always had a fit when he did this for Dumbledore is rather bad on a broom and my mother was always afraid I'd get hurt."

Severus waited as Sarah took a pause, her eyes betraying a emotion of longing. Her stared deeply at him then said, "I believe I have more than answered your question… Would you like me to keep going or are you tried of my rambling?"

Severus, not wanting to seem to anxious decided upon giving a slow nod. "Please continue, I wish to know why if this 'Niko' didn't find any magic do you have it today. Were your parents incapable of testing you themselves?"

Sarah tried not to be offended by his statement and continued. "Niko chose the name Goldeye for a reason. All his powers have to do with the ability of sight, there for it would have been much harder for my parents to spot magic in me than it would be for someone name Master Goldeye."

Anyway where was I… Oh, yes, when I was five my parents and I moved back to your home in Winding Circle. The main reason was that my father and the wisarding world never really got along. You see the best way to explain the mage world is to say that it is kind of like a world for both muggles and wizards combined. Not to say that some of the people in the smaller cities aren't afraid of mages, but in Winding Circle, going a day without seeing magic is like going a day without seeing food. Anyhow, when we moved back Niko tested me again and found nothing once more."

For the next few years I was a normal kid. My mother taught me of the wisarding world and just before my tenth birthday talk began of me attending Hogwarts now that Voldemort was thought to be defeated. When I turned ten Niko once again came to test me for magic because me parents were thinking of sending me to live with Dumbledore for a year before I started school. Niko had insisted on trying once again saying that I would do my grandfather more harm than good if I when to Hogwarts with untrained mage magic. This time when he tested me he found the magic, both writing and weaponry. A letter was sent to Dumbledore saying I would not be coming to live with him and my parents started to train me. I had been training less than a week when once again Niko appeared on my doorstep. He told my parents he had found a teacher for me. After a long talk with my parents, which I was not included in they had decided it in my best interest to live with kids my own age."

I was moved to a barrack at Winding Circle Temple, but I didn't fit in. Kids made fun of me because I had wisarding magic, although I couldn't do anything with it. However once a boy from another barrack got me so upset that I caused his nose to become that of a pig. Not to mention a knife was found floating inches from his throat. Later that day both Niko and my teacher took me to a little house called

Discipline. Niko said that he had a vision and soon other kids would come to join me as well. Within the week I had four new roommates, but they hated be more than the others that I used to live with. They didn't even care about me being a witch. They hated me because I have parents who were alive and wanted me. Their parents had either abandon them or they were dead."

Within the month though we were all the best of friends even if we did fight a lot. Then a few months after that the five of us were caught in an earthquake and about to die. Sandry, one of my friends was a sowing mage and she used her pocket loom to intertwine our magic's using a string she had made with five lumps in it. The string allowed us to become stronger and we were able to save our lives."

When I was fourteen my parents died in a pirate attack on the city."

Severus interrupted after hearing this. He was beginning to believe this story teller was doing just that, telling him a story. Her life is starting to sound as bad as mine… Well if she thinks she came fool a Snape she will soon find out she is mistaken!

"Sarah I am well aware of how your parents died, however some parts of your story do seem to be-"

"A bit sketchy?.." Sarah asked looking at Severus in and amusing way.

NO! This insufferable mage has just been caught in a lie. Why is she happy about it?.. If this was supposed to be some sort of test or lesson of some sort I swear I'll hex her till the Honored five is officially extinct!"

Sarah paused for a moment then continued her rambling. "…Or was the word you were looking for more along the lines of stretched, exaggerated, or maybe you were thinking… A bold faced lie. Is that it Severus?"

Severus made a face that looked like it belonged to a wild animal ready to pounce. "Your last assumption was rather close."

Sarah laughed to his face.

HOW DARE SHE!

"Severus if you think that this story is even a bit stretched you should hear some of the ones that where floating around winding circle about two years after where my story left off. One of my personal favorites is the one that says in my disgruntle grief I killed twenty people by stabbing then to death with quills then went mentally insane and started to keep their heads as people to talk to since I no longer had friends. I must say that whoever is responsible for that story have quite the imagination."

Now if you will let me finish?.. Good, after the death of my parents I paid a month long visit to the wizarding world. Dumbledore was rather upset to say the least when he heard of his only child's death. And then Severus why don't we just keep heading downward into the pit of total despair because two years later my friends were captured and killed. All four of them in another attack by the same foul creatures. ANY MORE QUESTIONS?" Sarah said, her voice ringing with a sort of smiley glare plastered on her face.

"Yes."

And… They might be!"

Severus gave a rather broad smirk. "How on Earth to you expect me to believe that these so called 'pirates' didn't capture, harm, hurt, or rape every, man, woman, and child in you precious city?"

Sarah returned the same broad smirk back at Severus. "Well if that is you must difficult question I believe you shall find your answer quite satisfactory. You see, all of Winding Circle is surrounded by a wall of over fifty to in some places a hundred feet. All mages stand and fight from on top of the wall on the part facing the sea. They use their magic so the do not have to have direct contact with the enemy."

"They how did you friends get captured." He said with an inner smile proud at his ability to outsmart the storyteller every time.

Sarah paused. Her face more solemn than ever before. To Severus's eyes, although he would never admit it, she looked so miserable that even a Dementor's kiss couldn't have been the cause of her grief. When she finally did answer she was staring at a place over his left shoulder. She spoke so softly that Severus had to lean forward to hear. She spoke slowly and miserably. "They just had to get closer… Sandry pulled out the string and handed it to me. I was to guide them and protect them with my swords as they fought from the ground. I couldn't go with them because I was responsible for over fifty dueling swords at the time… They had lent me some of their magic… each of them… to help me control so many at once. They thought they were strong enough to fight so Tris used her magic with the winds to lower them down… I had two swords on each of them… two! But it wasn't enough…"

Sarah stood from her place on the floor and walked slowly from the classroom, leaving Severus to ponder his thoughts.

Half an hour later James and Neil came into the classroom to find Severus still there. He was pacing back and forth along the wall by the door.

Severus heard them and looked up, "What?"

Neil shock his head hiding a grin while James smiled broadly. While Neil stayed by the door James came over and clasped him on the back. A gesture that Severus was not at all comfortable with. "Nothing Severus, it's just that Sarah does the exact same thing when she is nervous, or shocked. You two really are very much alike."

"I don't think so."

"Well of course you don't think so." Said Neil joining in the conversation for the first time. "You after all know almost nothing of the real Sarah."

For Neil, Severus's look said it all. "Has she ever told you of what she does in Winding Circle? You know… now a day's… Has ever fooled with her magic in front of your eyes? And I'm not talking about demonstrations or exercises or anything of that sort. I mean has she ever just made a quill zoom around the room for no reason or started doing stunts with a sword purely for the fun of being one with the magic… I guarantee you have never seen her smile. Not even those ones she's had on her face when she around us, but her actual smile. I'll tell you when you see it you'll know it at once. She really can be a kind and heartwarming person, Sarah. But to see the sun you must first get through the rain."

"There really is no reason to answer Severus, besides we saw Sarah in the hall and figured we should probably come get you before you ended up spending the night here… Say, who would you like to learn something else about Sarah. I promise this will not be as depressing as her life story, it's actually rather…"

"Fun?" Asked James.

"Exactly. Come on Severus, let us take you to the wonderful chapter of Sarah's life called, The Clarinet.

NOTES FOR MY NOTEBOOK

The next chap shall be more exiting I promise.

The next Chap after that is where the main plot shall begin to unfold. The chapter title: The right pair for the job. Now the only question is… What job?

Also thanks to BLACKFIRE and TOPS. It's nice to know that I'm not the only person on hear.

Hey, you may be wondering why the title is what it is if the chap is what it's about. I have another page written but where I ended it didn't fit nicely. And according to a certain unnamed person I had a 5:00 deadline for today.

IT WILL GET MORE INTERESTING, PROMISE. JUST TWO MORE CHAPS I SwEaR