Lost- Year 1

For disclaimer see Chapter 1

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Fenella Forbes, solicitor to Muggles and Wizards alike, was at the family estate for Sunday brunch. Also attending was her great-uncle, the current headmaster of Hogwarts. She decided now was as good a time as any to share the latest news with him.

"Uncle Albus, do you remember when you asked me about the Gordons who lived just outside of Hogsmeade, and their estate called Stagwood?"

"Of course, my dear. I remember well -- such a loss to the Wizarding community when they were killed. Why are you asking?"

"A relative just showed up at my office Friday. We are still verifying the genealogy, but I believe she is genuine. Quite a coincidence really, the codicil deadline is in three weeks. Amanda Gordon's gift of Sight was almost wrong.”

“A female relative you say? How old is this woman?” Albus Dumbledore was now most interested in what his great-niece was discussing.

“Maybe early thirties? I should know all the details Tuesday when she returns to the office to start the paperwork.”

“Where is she from?”

“She is American.”

Albus frowned slightly at this bit of information. It was a wrinkle in his plans. An American woman, most likely a Muggle, might not be willing to make a few sacrifices for the greater good of the Wizarding world she had no interest in. He decided to wait until more information could be gathered before making a final decision.

“Fenella, please contact me when you have more details on the new owner of Stagwood,” he told her.

“Of course, sir. As soon as I can.”

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Tuesday evening an old owl flew to the Head Table in the Great Hall and landed in front of the Headmaster. There were a few curious glances from the House tables and staff members, as he hardly ever received mail in the dining hall. Even Minerva commented on it.

“Just a note from my great-niece asking me to visit with her this evening on a family matter. I will need to be gone only an hour or two.”

“You go ahead, Albus, and I will take care of things for you. Give Fenella my regards,” she told the Headmaster.

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The fireplace glowed green as her great-uncle walked through the flames and into Fenella’s study. The two settled into chairs in front of the fire.

“Here is all the information I have on Miss Bentley.” She handed him a file with a dozen or so papers in it.

Albus looked over the pages, making note of a few things which concerned him most. He smiled when the page for Muggle tax filing was found - single, female, no dependents. All positives in his favor. Then a small frown crossed his face. “Why is her address listed as your office?”

“Because it seems Miss Bentley is without one at the moment. Before she left America, she sold her home and had no job,” Fenella explained.

“She is a little older than you thought. Will be 35 in July?”

“Correct. But she carries it well.”

He turned to the next page and read it completely. “There is rather vague information here about her vocation, or rather lack thereof.”

“I have been doing some checking on that. Apparently the nature of the work she did was quite covert and dealt with national security - both that of America and Great Britain. Near as we can figure out, Miss Bentley has been all over the world in the last decade and a half as a spy.” She smiled at her uncle with eyebrows raised.

Her uncle looked over his half-rim glasses at her and his own eyebrows elevated slightly. “That is intriguing indeed, then. It would appear that a few of the visits to England coincide with occurrences in our own community. Is she aware of us?”

“More likely than not. Shacklebolt knows her - they have worked together nearly every time she’s been on assignment here. There is also the fact that she disregarded all warnings about leaving Pennington and went on to Hogsmeade. Nothing much seems to have shocked her there.”

“Most interesting. Does she have magical abilities? Have you found any indication of such?” Albus’ tone was most hopeful.

“Nothing to indicate it yet, sorry Uncle Albus. Her parents were moving around quite a bit at that age when children are usually noticed and sent letters. Add to that she might have slipped through the system in two countries. She went to school in America, but lived in Mexico at that age. Each country’s school may have thought the other enrolled her. Without thorough testing there is no way to tell now, obviously.” Fenella shrugged in frustration.

“It seems bureaucracy finds a way to let us down, no matter the country it is in. What does ‘Religion - Other’ mean, Fenella?”

“Belief systems as in Christianity, Judaism and the like. It seems she is a single practitioner of Goddess Worship infused with Paganism. This woman is very well-read and knows a smattering of just about everything. Along with the work she did, research on any topic seems to be a hobby, if you can imagine that.

“Uncle, do you still hold to the prophecy and Amanda Gordon’s writings? Can it possibly be that this American Muggle is the one you spoke of?” she nearly whispered, even though they were alone in her private offices.

“My dear, nothing would surprise me. Whether it is this woman or another unlikely candidate, we must find out. You know I have submitted a few selected candidates from the next incoming class at Hogwarts. Only one seems even remotely matched, but of course she will not be of age for seven more years. By that time the coming conflict will be resolved, Merlin grant us. Even a list of graduates for the last decade have not presented any likely matches.”

“I know it is a sensitive subject, but was this another of Trelawney’s ‘Doom and Gloom’ prophecies or one of the rare true ones?”

“My dear niece, you are a skeptic like your mother,” Albus laughed. “This was one which I witnessed and recorded. And as you seem to doubt the origin, I will tell you it was recorded elsewhere from another one with the true gift of Sight.”

“Where?” Fenella practically spat out.

“Amazingly, the area in America where Miss Bentley was born and raised.” Albus waited for this bit of information to be digested, then continued. “You can now understand why I have been most interested in Stagwood and the new owner of that estate.”

“You are not going to tell her, or him, are you?” She knew how her great-uncle worked after 40 years of being around the old wizard.

“It would not do to interfere with the natural course of things.” At this Fenella snorted, but quickly quieted herself. “Although a gentle nudge in the right direction is always acceptable.” Albus smiled at her and winked.

Thinking the man’s definition of ‘nudge’ greatly differed from her own, she just smiled and made no comment on his statements. “You may keep that file, it is a copy of all the paperwork I have. What course of action should I take with Miss Bentley? Or I should say Lady Bentley - the estate does come with land and title.”

“Call Donald Drummond at the Ministry tomorrow. There may be jobs available with the ACES division or even with the Aurors. He may even be acquainted with Miss Bentley already, given her past pursuits in espionage. Might you know of any work she could do? The more opportunities presented to her, the more likely she is to stay.”

“I will call Drummond. There may be a few jobs available for her. A few discreet calls can be made on her behalf. Do you need anything else?”

Albus looked through the rest of the file. “Is there a photograph available of this young woman? Oh yes, and is she staying at Loretta’s inn?”

“Yes, she has been at Loretta’s for the last week and will stay there until a decision is made. As for the photo, I will send one by owl by tomorrow. The security camera in the front office should have a few good views.”

“Very well, Fenella. If you would be so kind, in the future please address owls to my office so as not to arouse suspicion.” He got up and patted her head before flooing back to his office.

Fenella sat in front of the fire and said a small prayer. She hoped the right thing would be done, but had always suspected her great-uncle often lost sight of the trees for the forest. The greater good was always more important than the lives of people working for it. Some days she cursed the fact that family ties and honoring of elders was so deeply ingrained in her psyche.

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Upon returning to his office and securing the file of information about one Miss Catherine Bentley, Albus Dumbledore flooed Kingsley Shacklebolt. “Hello, my boy. How is everything?”

“Fine, Headmaster. To what do I owe the honor of a late-night floo call from Hogwarts?” the Auror asked.

“I was going to inquire about a woman who has recently come to my attention. She will possibly be moving to an estate near Hogsmeade. There is a possibility you are acquainted with her. Catherine Bentley?”

A broad smile could be seen on Kingsley’s face. “Of course I have known her for many years. What did you want to know?” He was not giving out any information until it was clear what Dumbledore knew first.

“It is my understanding you have worked with her on occasion. I was concerned about her being so near the town and the school. Do you know if she has any magical ability?” A carefully worded, uninformative question was the Headmaster’s specialty.

“We have worked together many times. There is no need to worry about her being near the town or Hogwarts - she is aware of our community. As to her abilities, it is hard to say.” Evasive answers were part of Auror Training 101.

“Very well, Kingsley, I will come out and say it. Have you seen evidence that Miss Bentley possesses any magical abilities at all?”

“Not specifically. She does not use a wand or cast spells. It is nothing that overt. It is more subtle. If she is under stress or threatened, things just seem to happen that will help her out of the situation. Also Catherine can sense danger - her intuition is almost eerie. Does that make any sense?”

“Most perplexing, my boy. Not quite wandless magic, but more than mere sensitivities is my guess by your description.”

“Yes, Headmaster, that would be a good middle ground to define it. I am seeing Bent, I mean Catherine, this week for lunch in Hogsmeade. We have kept in touch and I just found out she is here. You say she is staying, as in long-term?” This was news to Kingsley.

“You may need to inquire of her directly on that matter. I have only heard rumors. It might be best if you didn't mention our talk tonight. Thank you, my boy.” With that the connection was broken.

That night found Professor Dumbledore up late thinking about this American woman and if she was the one. It intrigued him that she knew of their world and had already worked to save it. Still, he did not know if Catherine Bentley would choose to help save the Wizarding world - with or without a little 'nudge'.

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Professor Snape made his usual entrance through the teachers' door at breakfast Thursday morning - loud. Following the slam, he grunted greetings to seatmates as he scooted his chair noisily to the table. His sleep the previous night had been dream-plagued. Not the usual dark, dangerous nightmares. Not even a nice, serene, quiet dream. These dreams had been about a mysterious woman he could not identify. He drank his coffee and looked out at the students sitting at their house tables, searching for clues.

No, none of them had auburn hair and glasses. His mind reflected on previous years' students and found no match there either. Was she a summer fling? He was not sure he could remember that far back - it had been several years and none of them lasted more than a few months. A relative maybe? Great Salazar, please no - one does not do such things with a relative, no matter the rumors about purebloods. The dreams had been most erotic in nature, which was a rare occurrence in the dream-world of Severus Snape.

His mind's wanderings were interrupted by Professor Dumbledore. "Severus? As you know, this week is the end of classes."

"Thank Merlin for that," the Potions Master said in his usual acerbic tone.

"Yes well, there is more. The regular once-a-decade cleaning is upon us again. A schedule is posted in the teachers' lounge. As the house elves take this task to heart, I'm requesting each professor move out of their respective quarters and classrooms to allow full access."

"They will not be cleaning either the potions classroom and stores nor my private lab. We have discussed this before, Albus."

"That we have, my boy, but the fact remains that this will be done. As I've said before, you only need to explain which areas contain dangerous items and they will be left alone or cleaned only under your supervision.

"You now have an excuse to visit your lovely cousin and her husband at their inn. How convenient that it is so close by. It would be a good idea to owl them and make arrangements." Albus smiled down at him.

Merlin's testicles on a platter, he really hated it when the old wizard backed him into a corner and forced him to do things he never wanted to do. One more argument occurred to him. "Headmaster, how am I to get all the potions for Poppy and my experiments finished if the summer is interrupted with house elves cleaning?" Let the old man invalidate that claim.

"I did take that into consideration, Severus. The dungeons and your classroom will be the first areas they attend to. That will leave you the rest of the summer to fulfill your duties." The older wizard smiled broadly.

Bugger it all! "When do I need to leave?" he asked with a resigned sigh.

"Saturday. Right after the students depart, you can also leave."

"If I may wait until Sunday, all the papers will be graded. Then I won't need to take them off school property." His one last hope of any control over his life.

"That will be fine, Severus. So long as you are gone before Sunday night."

He could only nod his confirmation. There was no longer a desire for breakfast, just one to get the hell away from the man who manipulated his life - even when it was summer break. His exit from the Great Hall was just like his entrance - loud.

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"Welcome to Yenta Livery Company. Name?" the small, blond-haired witch behind the counter asked. She always started with this question when the next person stepped up to the window. It was so automatic now, she never even looked up -- just pulled out a new application and readied to start filling out blanks.

"Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the man at the window quietly announced.

"Professor Dumbledore! Are you getting married?" the woman asked in a whisper. Her mind whirled at the thought of having such juicy gossip drop into her lap on a Friday - to be shared for the entire weekend with all her friends and family.

"Not I, Miss Perkins. I am here on behalf of someone else and would like to speak with the head Matchmaker, if I may."

"Of course, sir. Let me go get her." The small witch ran to the back office to find the woman. "Madam Rollins! Professor Dumbledore is here!"

"From Hogwarts? Is he putting in a petition, Miss Perkins?" This news surprised the senior G.M. (Geneamorological Matchmaker), as she was positive Minerva had staked a claim on Albus years ago.

"He said he was here for someone else and wants to speak to you."

"Then bring him back, child. We do not keep such a wizard standing out in the waiting room with the riffraff!"

The young woman hurried out and escorted him back to the private office.

"Professor Dumbledore, what a pleasure to see you. It has been far too long." G.M. Rollins stood and greeted the man. "Please, have a seat. How may I be of assistance to you?"

"Madam Rollins. I am here to put in a petition for our Potions Master, Severus Snape," Albus said as soon as he sat down.

"Oh. You realize he will be, um, a challenge? It is not every day a woman who would appreciate his, um, appeal applies to our agency." She knew of the Potions Professor well, her granddaughter having been in her sixth year when he started teaching. The stories from more recent graduates only confirmed what a harsh, bitter, albeit brilliant man he was.

"No worries my dear. I believe a potential match has just moved to the area." He handed a scroll to her. "Here is the information on Professor Snape and what is currently known of the young lady. Please feel free to owl myself or Solicitor Fenella Forbes, her representative here, if you require further answers. I trust you understand this must be kept in the strictest confidence." Professor Dumbledore leveled a firm gaze at her.

"Even from the two parties involved in the match?" His quick nod made her eyes grew wide. "Blind matches, while not illegal as such, are quite rare these days. We have not been requested to do one in several decades here at YLC."

"You have met the professor in question?" he asked gently. She nodded several times. Albus smiled and his eyes twinkled.

"I understand. Rest assured this will be handled discretely and only by me," her tone formal and true. "You must understand, though, finding a match in this way is most unusual and does not often work. It is really best to let us check over a list of possible candidates and refer the list of those rated over 90% for consideration." She did not like anyone trying to second guess sixteen centuries of the proven methodology used at YLC.

"With all due respect, Madam. Considering your agency is the best, there have been no candidates found in the last few years. I simply thought to assist and offer a possible match. As you said, he does present a challenge."

"That I did. Of course I will be happy to fill out the application and check the candidate you present. I take it Miss Forbes will be able to answer any questions needed." Albus nodded. "Then I will start today and keep you advised of the outcome." She stood to escort him out.

"Very good, my dear. Give my regards to your family," he walked out of the office and waved.

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“Ready for tea, Catherine?” Loretta MacGregor asked the only guest currently staying at her establishment, Hogsmeade Inn.

Looking at the clock in the sitting room, Catherine Bentley frowned. “You’re not planning another late-night dinner, are you? I’m still not adjusted to eating meals any later than six in the evening.”

“This should be alright. No sense making a large meal later when you and Patrick won’t eat. Are you sure the two of you are not related?” she teased the American.

“If we were, then you could decide what to do about the old family estate, instead of me. A late, heavy meal makes it most uncomfortable to go to sleep at a decent hour.” She joined Loretta in the dining room.

“I understand. As long as it is only the three of us, I don’t mind making ‘tea time’ into a light meal and forgoing the rest. I’ll just go get Patrick and we can start.” With that, Loretta went to find her husband.

When the two returned, Catherine was surprised as the man spoke to her directly. “What will you be doing tomorrow and Sunday, Miss Catherine? Any plans?” Patrick asked casually.

“Nothing that I know of. I’ll need to wait until Monday to do any more research or meet with my solicitor. Did you need me to do something for you?” She always offered, as it was polite to do so and the inn keepers had been gracious hosts.

“Thank you, but no. We will be gone Sunday to visit family, but should be back early Monday,” he explained.

“Oh. Did you need me to leave then? Are you closing up while you are gone?” Catherine’s mind raced, trying to figure out where else she could stay for a day.

“No, dear,” Loretta assured her. “There is no problem with you remaining here, unless you would prefer not to stay. My cousin is coming Sunday, so you won’t be alone. Of course, I’ll leave you plenty to eat so you won’t need to do anything but a quick heat-up.”

“If your cousin doesn’t mind, I don’t either. When will she get here?”

“Um, he. My cousin teaches at the school up the road. He is taking a little break for the start of the summer holidays. It will be a nice change of scenery for him." Loretta didn't sound convinced.

"Oh, is that the school inside that castle the other side of Hogsmeade? That has to be the largest castle I've ever seen. Won't be much of a change for him though, with the school still visible from here." Catherine thought it very odd to take a vacation so close to the place one worked nine or ten months out of the year, but said nothing else.

Patrick got things back on track then. "We will be leaving early Sunday morning. Rosemerta said you had plans to join her for brunch then. Loretta will get you a key before we go. The professor should arrive late Sunday, so you might not even meet him until Monday. Just don't worry if you hear someone else in residence."

"That will be fine. Now, tell me about your mom. How is she doing?"

The rest of Friday evening was spent talking of families and relaxing with the cats in the sitting room. Catherine even borrowed her favorite cat when she retired for the evening, missing her own Siamese greatly.

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Late Saturday morning Severus Snape was still in bed. In a half-wakeful state, he slowly sipped coffee brought by the house elves. Another year of teaching was done. And another summer free of interruptions lay ahead. At least it would be free after the 'Great Cleaning Fiasco', as he had come to call it. He reminded himself to sit down with Albus and the house elves in charge to reiterate forcefully the rules for cleaning anything in the dungeons.

His mind then wandered back to the dreams which had kept him abed so late today. Understanding one had no control of their dreams, it was still disconcerting to him the extremely erotic nature of the ones the last few nights. The woman was not even vaguely familiar to him. He could even remember her voice from the dreams - sultry, sexy and one he'd never heard before. But then, it was entirely possible she was a combination of women he had known, or even a representation of his ideal woman.

At this thought, he snorted. 'Ideal woman'. Such an absurd fantasy that was. Given his reputation, no witch with a functioning brain would give him a second look, much less a second date. There had been a few brave souls who had lasted a few months at most, but in the end none could tolerate his personality for longer. Once again, he told himself it was all for the best. Living in the duality forced upon him, a complication such as a long-term lover would be just one more thing to worry about.

Hearing a scream ring through the dungeon hallways, he shook his head and got up to get dressed. Thank Merlin the students, even his damnable Slytherins, were leaving this morning.

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Catherine woke up Saturday morning confused. Dreams usually did not stay with her. She would know there had been one, but always it sat on the fuzzy edges of her sleep-addled brain with all details lost. But for the last several nights that had not been the case. Nearly every detail was as clear as if the dreams were often-watched favorite movies.

The image that leapt to the forefront was a pair of obsidian eyes fixing her with a piercing stare. Yet, she did not know anyone with eyes that dark. Nor did she know of a man with black hair and nearly white skin. And the voice. She had always been attracted to men with deep voices, but this one was of such a timber as to send shivers through her.

Deciding it was best not to dwell on fantasy, she got up and headed for the shower. It would be more constructive to get downstairs and help Loretta. There would surely be things Catherine could do for her while the inn keepers were gone.

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A/N: Shall we cue the omnious music yet?