Disclaimer: I still own nothing
The Unwanted
Chapter Three
Severus Snape, Professor of Potions, sat before a roaring fire sipping a nearly full glass of firewhiskey. This was his second glass of the evening. He had just returned from one of the so called Dark Lord's Revels. How he hated those affairs, full of pure blood wizards and old name families, vying for attention and status, looking to Lucius for recognition and advancement.
He knew that Albus Dumbledore awaited him. He also knew that he needed to calm his temper before seeing him least he say something unintended. Throwing a handful of floo powder into the fireplace, he lowered to his knees and stuck in his head.
"Headmaster?"
"Severus, so I see you are back." The headmaster's eyes were full of concern. "I am glad not to visit you in the hospital wing this time."
"Headmaster, I ask you to wait a few minutes, I need to shower and change before going over this evening again," the Potions Master sighed.
"Of course, take your time. I have a bit of work to finish up. Shall we say in half an hour?" He smiled kindly.
"Thank you, Headmaster." Severus stood with his shoulders slumped and headed for his shower.
"Yeah," he muttered, "take your time but be here in thirty minutes."
When he had showed and changed to fresh clothing, the old ones smelling of drink and smoke from the revel, he flooed to the Headmaster's office.
"Well, Severus?" Albus began.
"It was another one of Malfoy's Revels. He claims the Dark Lord ordered it. The rumours out there appear to be true Albus. I think he is trying to get back but no one is talking about how. Nevertheless, this Revel had nothing Dark Lord about it. No news, no orders, no updates, no plans. Malfoy was just looking for a piece of trim." Severus spat with disgust.
"How many…" Albus started.
"Two," he answered. "One muggle, about 16 years old. I never got close enough to get her name. The other, a squib last name Benningan, first name Mandy, so it may be Amanda. Wasn't there a Julie Benningan a couple of year ahead of me? Could be related. You should be able to get the first name from the Ministry in any event. Perhaps their connections with the Muggle law enforcement can match missing persons for the Muggle."
"Where?" Albus began again, not needing to finish the question.
"Hyde Park, near that fairy statue, why all the way to London I have no idea, nor do I care." Severus scowled. "There may be another body, I don't know. Lucius claims she is alive… but look for three. All I know is that Lucius was kept occupied for a time. He didn't ask for a clean up crew, but I cannot be sure about him. Her last name would be Gil… something, father's … or step-father…first name Harold, there is a Harold Swiler, that may be him, I was honoured with his conversation this evening. He brought his own stepdaughter for Lucius, Albus, his own daughter." He sneered, and felt like vomiting the firewhiskey into Albus' wastebasket.
"It is my fault," Albus leaned back in his chair and lowered his head until his chin rested on his chest. "Her name is Elizabeth Gilstone, step-daughter to Harold. Severus, her home life is beyond cruel. Twice I have attempted to have them release her to me and twice I have failed. There are no laws that allow interference and I am beside myself seeing only her life in the future."
A tapping came to the window to Severus's right. He looked at it with a lifted eyebrow.
"Expecting something Headmaster? Rather late for mail," he sneered as he opened the window allowing a large white owl to fly over to Albus' desk.
With his brow wrinkled in confusion, Albus untied the parchment, offered the owl a treat and turned to Severus.
"From the Ministry," he said.
"Perhaps they have found what you were about to ask about." Severus puzzled, knowing it would be too soon for even the Muggle law enforcement to have found the bodies.
Albus read the parchment as Severus closed the window after the owl's exit, and allowed him some time for his thoughts.
"It seems I am needed at the Ministry immediately. They have a minor, a child, in custody. An eleven-year-old girl." Albus reread the note before passing it over to Severus.
"Headmaster, it is 3:30am. What crime could an eleven year old commit at this time?" he asked, "Perhaps some dunderhead at the Ministry thinks breaking parental curfew is worth more than our sleep. I should start deducting house points for aspiring to work for the Ministry."
"Now Severus, this appears serious. You have been with me, for what? Three years now if I recall, you should know that problems, like babies, come in the middle of the night."
"And I suppose that they are not sending an escort for you? You know it is not safe to go by yourself in these times," Severus sneered, raising an eyebrow. "So I am led to believe that this will be yet another sleepless night."
"Yes my boy, it would appear so for both of us." Albus rose and waked to the fireplace. "Care to join me Severus?"
"Do I have a choice?" Professor Snape sighed knowing he had none. Stepping into the fireplace with the Headmaster they both disappeared in a flash of green.
After arriving at the Ministry of Magic, checking their wands, and passing endless security checks they were at last in the Juvenile Department. A young woman, who appeared to shop for clothes at the same store that Molly Weasley used, greeted them with a grim look on her face. She looked like she had been pulled from bed for this investigation, and was not happy about it.
"Albus, I am so glad you could come. I am at a loss. Never, never have I encountered something as vile as this." She sadly shook her head and dabbed her handkerchief to her eyes.
"Now Sally, I am sure we can work something out here. Let me introduce my Potions Master, Professor Severus Snape. He also works in the capacity of Head of House. I thought he might be useful with his background in dealing with first years." Albus smiled sweetly. "Severus, this is Sally Newcomb. She attended Hogwarts about the same time as you. When you were Fifth Year I believe she was Seventh."
"And this is relevant how?" the Professor sneered.
"So Sally, can you explain to me what you think happened before we go into see the poor girl?"
"She cast the killing curse. She killed her step-father." Sally stated flatly.
"She what?" Severus hissed, thinking he had not heard correctly.
"You heard me," she sadly shook her head. "What do we do? We have never had a child sent to Azkaban. Yet, the only punishment on the books is just that. Where did she learn this Albus? Where did she get a wand? She isn't registered and is home schooled. How did she summon enough magic to perform that curse? Where did the anger come from?"
"How can I help Sally?" Albus asked kindly.
"She needs a representative, Headmaster. She needs someone to explain things to her. She is alone. She does not seem to understand what can happen. I thought that since she should be in Hogwarts… maybe… I don't know sir, I just thought you could help."
"Surely her Mother is with her," Severus offered.
"One would think, but no. Her Mother wants nothing to do with her. She told the Aurors that she no longer has a daughter. She wants to go through with formal disinheritance. It is a pure blood family."
"We need to talk to the child, can you arrange that?" Albus questioned.
"Yes, I have her right through the back door." She nodded to a small opening at the far end of her office.
"I had no place to put her and I didn't want her in with the other prisoners." She sighed loudly and ran her fingers though her hair. "What are we to do?"
Albus and Severus were about to enter the room off of Sally's office when a small sound came to them. Albus raised his eyebrows as he recognized the small voice.
"Please, please, please," the voice, sobbed repeatedly. "Don't send me back, don't send me back."
"Elizabeth Gilstone?" Headmaster Dumbledore for the second time within 24 hours opened his arms as the girl rushed into them.
"Please Sir, don't let them send me back, please don't let them send me back. Please, please, please." She sobbed, raising her chin but not allowing her eyes to meet his.
"Back where child?" Albus crooned. "No one is going to send you home. I am afraid that you may never be able to go home."
"No, to the Malfoy's, Sir." She sobbed louder, her voice hitching as tears ran down her face, and she wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
"Mother said she was going to send me to Lucius. She said that since he had started training me he could finish me. She said she would disinherit me then sell me to him. Please, please, please, don't send me back," she wailed and hung onto his robes.
"Child," Severus's voice was harsh, "Was your stepfather's first name Harold?"
"Yes," she said, trying not to cry, only succeeding in hiccupping the answer into Albus' chest, not looking at the Professor.
"You were with him tonight at the Malfoy Estate. Is that correct?" he hissed.
"Yes." She hiccupped. "I didn't want to, really, truly, my best promise, all my books if I am lying, promise, he made me go he did, he really really did." She begged that someone believe her as she clung to the Headmaster's robes as if drowning.
"And pray tell, was there more training when he got you home?" he sneered.
"He… he was going to … going to… I thought just a beating. I was bad he said. But then he…. my dress…he …" She turned red and looked up to the Headmaster's face. "Do I have to say it out loud?"
Severus turned on his heel going to the door and roaring. "Ms Newcomb, come here!"
"Yes Professor?" She hesitated to enter the room.
"What by Merlin were you thinking? On the other hand, indeed, were you thinking? This girl, this child, this… this … innocent, was protecting herself. She was at a Dark Revel, she has been abused, she has been used for Merlin only knows what … and you dare, you dare to arrest her. How dare you?!" he thundered.
"I cannot just ignore the fact that she cast the killing curse, with an illegal wand, underage for the use of magic, and the fact that she has been cast out by her mother," Sally said firmly standing as tall as her 5ft 2 frame would allow.
"What in Merlin's name do you plan on doing?" he yelled at her.
"If you have any ideas I am sure you will let me know," she growled back at him.
"Ideas?" he yelled, "How about arresting Lucius Malfoy as a paedophile? How about arresting him for molesting and raping children? How about finding and defeating the Dark Lord? I assure you, he is out there. How about looking at her step-father's arm? I am sure you will find a mark, you know the mark? You work at the fucking Ministry, surely you know what to look for. How about awarding her the Order of Merlin for bringing down a Death Eater? An eleven-year-old, not even in school, with enough rage and sheer fear to bring down a Death Eater. Bloody Hell witch, praise her for doing more good than your own have done these many years."
Running a hand through his hair, he glared at Albus.
"Severus?" Albus questioned.
"She was the one Lucius had. Albus you were right, she was the one." He lowered his eyes unable to look at the girl.
"Get her a home, make sure it is safe. Take away her wand. Hell, I don't care, take away her magic until she starts school. Just protect her," he roared at the top of his voice. "She needs to be hidden. She needs to be cared for. What do these people have children for anyway? They have to be licensed to raise Slake Weed, for Merlin's sake, but anyone is allowed a child."
"Severus?" Albus looked at the wizard. "It will not do anyone any good if you lose control. I suggest you wait outside while we try to come up with an answer."
"You Albus," Snape looked at the Headmaster coldly, "Have never seen me lose control. And, it would be wise to never do so."
With robes billowing behind him, he left to the outer office. He wanted to go to Malfoy's and drag him out of bed. He wanted to find the same whip that left the marks he could see on the girl and he wanted to train Lucius as he had trained the girl. He wanted to end it all now and deal with the Dark Lord later, but knew that was impossible.
Severus paced while Albus and Sally went over the details of the case. He could not fathom how this small slip of a girl could kill such a wizard as Harold Swiler. He did not understand how she even knew the killing curse. What he did know, was that as far as he was concerned, she had every right to do so.
