When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 19: Back to a Double Life: Part 1

When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 19: Back to a Double Life: Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

June 1995

The sweat fell from his neck and his bones ached from the need to maintain a stiff, strict posture. He couldn't deny that he'd felt the desire to run away like Karkaroff at the first itch. At how he felt the need to grab his arm and scream.

He needed to check it, but couldn't since they were still in the middle of the blasted challenge and Potter was still inside the labyrinth. He had to make sure he was safe. Dumbledore was here, but he wasn't a Potion's master and potions were usually needed during this event.

He locked his knees at the first sign of weakening legs, but couldn't contain a growl. Albus took his blue gaze away from their focus on the labyrinth. "Severus?"

The mark felt like it was going to rip through his skin and melt his arm. The only time it'd ever hurt this much was when the Dark Lord had disappeared. He opened his trembling hand, and he forced it to still.

"The mark it's--"

A scream of joy interrupted his words. They turned their focus on the couple that appeared at the labyrinth's exit. But one body was too pale. It was too quiet and still.

He looked at the other boy, bloodied and bruised. In an instant, he knew that everyone had been deceived. He knew that today one student had died and a monster had risen. It was just as Dumbledore predicted years ago when he asked for his aid. His time to protect the boy from the Dark Lord had come.

The joy turned into mournful and terrified screams the second people realized what had happened.

All this year had been a plot under their noses. But who? No teacher from this place would harm Potter and no one reeked of being under control of someone.

When he looked again, the majority of the students were crying and trying to comfort each other. The teachers tried to calm them down and get them to the castle in an orderly manner.

This was madness.

He couldn't find Potter among the chaos, and Albus was distracted with consoling Diggory's father. That young man didn't deserve this. That family didn't deserve to be ripped apart the way it was.

Another innocent victim.

And Potter was in the middle of it. The prophecy was right, and that was why Potter always was involved with something related to the Dark Lord.

He needed to find the boy because whoever did this wouldn't stop now that their master was alive. The fanaticism of the old Death Eaters was too high to ignore. So he tried to walk to Dumbledore, ignoring the burn on his arm. He paused when blue eyes met his, an understanding crossing between them saying that he too had noticed Potter wasn't there.

Dumbledore started to walk towards him. Snape turned toward the castle and moved, walking slowly until the headmaster caught up to him.

"Alastor Moody took Potter. He might not be what we thought, Severus. Go get some veritaserum and join me in Alastor's office with the minister as fast as you can. I'll go with Minerva and keep him from hurting Potter."