AN: Wow, I actually done it. Haha, you guys don't know. While writing this I ran into a Writing Mountain. If I had a chapter for every time I've rewritten this chapter I'd be done with this fanfiction. I'm still twitching over some parts but I hope you enjoy it. And I hope I've made it over the hump. Here we go.

Fire Angel

Part 3

Kronos

An eleven year old Angelina Johnson was hurrying down the hallway, cursing her luck. Angelina was now experiencing her first day of classes at Hogwarts . . .and she was running late!

This was really not cool since she originally left breakfast twenty minutes early for the blasted thing. She was actually hanging around the dungeons area when small blonde first year came to her, saying she was lost. Apparently she assumed she was from another year. She was going to tell her that she probably had as much a clue to the Hufflepuff common rooms as she herself did, but she seemed so close to crying that she found herself accompanying her.

She remembered more of the tour than she realized, so they made it to her common rooms with no problem. She waited for the girl to get her things ("if it wasn't too much of a bother") with no problem. They made it back to the Great- Oh, no, class is starting soon, can you show me to my classroom?- Charms class, again with no problem.

After she dropped the girl off she turned back and strode down the hallway. . . to meet a stone wall. This had the potential to be a problem. Her watch told her she had three minutes before class started. This definitely was a problem.

She didn't hit a dead end; the hallway just seemed to have . .angled itself, but it did end up rerouting her completely. As soon as she re-entered familiar territory, the bells caught up to her. By the time it started sounding the hour she just came back to the dungeon area.

Dong . . .Dong . . .Dong . . .

New white sneakers could have faired better with the stone floor, with Angelina scrambling down the hall and nearly stumbling down the second flight of stairs. She finally just leapt off the fifth step before she had an accident.

Dong . . .Dong . . .Dong. . .

Cursing the delay the landing gave her, long skinny brown legs flashed from under her robes as she lifted them to gather speed. Clear and white beads slapped smartly against her nose and cheeks as she dashed around corners, hopefully towards her potions class. Left, right, then left? Which left? God, was it the same left?

Dong . . .

The last hallway, a doorway revealing a glimpse of students and cauldrons, with a slowly closing door. She was almost there.

Dong . . . Angelina's hand pushed back the door before it closed shut, going back towards a (internally) surprised potions professor. The heavy door didn't hit the man, though by his expression it might as well. He already had a cold glare directed at her, but the angling made it impossible for her to notice him at first. Seeing the full class she immediately started apologizing, eyes scanning for the teacher.

She finally turned around and looked up at the professor. And kept looking up. The coldly irate professor was tall, as tall if not taller than her own father, with pallid skin, large hooked nose and contrasting lank black hair and dark eyes. She knew this wasn't going to end well.

"I'm sorry sir, for being late, but I had to-." She tried to speak in the humblest tone that she could manage, but the professor spoke as if she hadn't.

"It seems we have the perfect example of the Gryffindor's dedication for all things scholarly. I'm curious to know what monsters scared you from the deep to force you into an enclosure of learning. Or were you trying to find yourself some robes that actually fit?" Angelina tugged self-consciously at one of her sleeves. They fit! If only barely. She knew it was a mistake to have the things picked out without her actually being there; her aunt always underestimated her height. "Either way that could have been taken up at another time. Congratulations, Little Miss, you are the first student to lose points for your House. Fifty points from Gryffindor."

Fifty! There were mutters of dismay and anger from the Gryffindor side. Angelina was trying to keep herself from being furious. A faint dull red flushed across her nose as she failed.

"No that's not fair! Sir!" The 'sir' she practically spat. "I wasn't even late! You saw me! I was just on time!"

He wasn't even affected. "And ten more for impertinence."

Before she could begin to respond she saw a smaller boy, unremarkable for dressed in Slytherin robes, waltzed in and took one of the vacant seats on his side. And she watched as nothing happened. She couldn't believe this.

Enraged, she turned back to the professor, who already had his back to her, posed to write on the board.

"I suggest you find your seat Miss Johnson if you don't wish to lose even more points."

Merlin knew what could've happened if a brighter red didn't pierce through Angelina's haze. She caught one of one of the twins wildly gesturing her back to the desks.

/Calm down, it's okay. Look, there's no way you can win in this. Please sit down before it gets any worse. We know it's not your fault; we heard he's a complete bastard/

Fairly complicated gesturing.

A simmering Angelina whipped towards her seat, robes billowing. Snape didn't react to the gust of heat that flared from behind.

"A problem has arisen," Dumbledore said, suddenly serious. "And we would like your help."

After the phoenix was calmed into a less animated state, the professor and former student settled around the Headmaster's desk. Candy and tea were passed out while they had polite small talk. Well, she and Dumbledore; Snape just glowered.

Angelina put down her teacup. "May I ask why?" She had no clue why anyone would want her specifically for anything. She doubted she had the talent, and certainly not the experience, to warrant any sort of recommendations.

White eyebrows lifted in surprise and amusement. "Why not? You have shown to be just as promising an Auror as you were a student. You've excelled in all your lessons and on-field training, and had been the fastest to go through said training in years." Dumbledore took a sip of his tea. "Or so I've heard."

. . . Oh.

Angelina kept back her first two questions immediately, knowing the best they could do was to create more questions. Yes, all that he said was true, but she wasn't about to give herself a pat on the back for it. War was what got her through training in record time, she believed, not her outstanding personal attributes.

Before Angelina could think of an appropriate response Dumbledore set down his own cup.

"Are you aware of the role that Severus Snape had played in this war?"

She had another brief moment of surprise. How could he possibly assume that she would know that? Angelina blinked.

"Well, yes, actually." The whole story behind her hearing it from a reliable source would be tedious. During her time in Hogwarts she heard many rumors involving Snape, and never paid special attention to any one in particular, but during her seventh year she was told that Snape was a spy for the side of light. She had to believe it because it came from Ron Weasley himself, and anything positive about the man from Ron became undisputed fact. That it was also begrudgingly confirmed by Harry Potter helped.

Snape gave a quick sharp look in her direction, and Dumbledore displayed no discernable reaction. He continued

"Then you can understand how precarious it could be. There has been an incident, and because of such Hogwarts has ceased being a safe place for him."

So she was really kidding herself that after all this time somehow this whole thing didn't need to involve the potions master. Ugh. They've had . . .past issues. Well, her and the majority of the student populace, so maybe it won't be too bad. And he may not be the one to hold grudges. . . .

Hah Bloody Hah.

But still . . . "I don't see how I can be much of a help."

"Though we can spare very little from the main effort I believe it is important to protect as many lives as possible. Every life is important." Angelina didn't miss the stress on the word 'every', nor the pointed look in Snape's direction. Snape lips thinned, obviously trying to withhold something. "Severus is a powerful wizard, but it is always harder for one to go it alone. We would like if you could accompany Severus while we find a way to have him return safely."

Then reality hit her. Angelina looked back at the Headmaster as if he lost his mind. She thought maybe the worst she had to do was to stand by as he picked ingredients in a low level danger zone or had some meeting with a not really important Death Eater. Something that her small amount of training could handle and wouldn't have any huge repercussions if she faltered. Not a mission that would basically have her as the sole back up for our side's only spy.

"Sir this seems important. Too important to only have someone at my level involved"

Another unreadable glance from Snape in response, but again Dumbledore did nothing but smile.

"A band of Aurors would not be so useful if the point is to be discreet. And I believe you give yourself too little credit." Dumbledore casually removed his spectacles and started to clean them with his sleeve. "Although the choice remains yours. If you feel that a higher ranking Auror should take this job I will find someone else." Okay . . .

. . . . And that was it.

He stopped talking.

No. No, this isn't the way this works. He was supposed to talk around theissue until choosing to do otherwise would seem virtually impossible. Not give a seemingly open ended decision on the others' part.

Hm. Well, then, Angelina made up her mind pretty quickly. As soon as she opened her mouth though the phoenix chose that moment to land on the desk, stirringsome parchments and knocking over the paperweight. Her Quidditch-ready hand caught the awkward object without thinking, just as a pale long fingered hand stopped the fall from underneath.

"Though that wouldn't be the way to do it."

That was the last thing she heard before the world melted around her.

Alright, some of these things I did on purpose, some had to have been genuine mistakes, and others I've done knowing I could be wring about it. On the really minor things I'm taking AU liberty, but feel free to tell me if something doesn't sound right; if it was an accident I'll try to fix it. And as always tell me what you think.

And of course I loved the people who reviewed, though you wouldn't know by my actions. Thank you FredsAngel, Taiyl, Ashliegh, angelface04, Evilevergreen, HonorineHermelin, and Fredsonetrueluv ever so immensely. And thank the last three again for bugging me after an obscene amount of time has passed. Though I never forgot this fiction you gave me the extra push to go and finish this chapter.

And for apology for the delay and the possible suck of this chapter, I'll say of one of my oddities: the second chapter?My Severus always had a talent with potions. And so he did wash his hair out. Successfully.