Okay, I figured everyone would probably kill me if I left it like that, and
my Dad told me to stop doing cliffhangers, so here's the next chapter.
Happy Christmas.
Back to the story -
Erin stared down at the star beneath her foot.
No. It couldn't be.
She had parents, Muggle parents. She was Erin Cooper. There was no way she could be Voldemort's daughter.
It was a mistake, it had to be a mistake. Around her, Erin could hear people shouting, but it all sounded dim and far away.
She lifted her foot up, put it back down. Still green.
Had she gone color blind or something?
Then somebody grabbed her arm. Instinctively, Erin tried to jerk away.
"Oh no ye don't, missy," sneered a voice above her. Time was speeding up again. Her arm hurt.
"Let - go -," she said faintly. She thought she could hear Harry calling her name. Around her, Erin could hear the other Aurors coming up to grab her. Put her in jail, maybe. Feed her to the dementors.
At that moment, reality crashed back in. She could see and hear again. More importantly, she could move. And all that Erin could think about was getting away.
Erin smashed her knee into the man's groin. He doubled over in pain as Erin turned and ran blindly from the hall. A few Aurors tried to stop her, but she simply bowled them over. Sheer panic was coursing through her veins. She had to get out!
Finally she was at the door. Erin flung it open and raced into the night outside. Towards the only place she could think of to hide. The Dark Forest.
"Erin!" Severus shouted above the crowd. Erin had managed to break free of the Aurors and was streaking towards the door. Around him, students fought to get away. Everything was confused.
"Erin!" he shouted again, but it was too late. Erin had already fled outside. Cursing fiercely, Severus pulled out his wand and pushed his way through the panicking students. One Auror tried to grab him, but Severus smashed his elbow into the man's face. The Auror went down without a cry, blood streaming freely from his nose. Roughly, Severus pushed people out of his way. He was almost to the door now.
Suddenly, searing pain shot through his left arm. Gasping, Severus bent over and pulled up the sleeve of his robe. On his pale skin, the Dark Mark was burning black.
Voldemort was summoning his followers. He knew who his daughter was. He was coming to get her.
Erin was in the forest now. There was no noise except for her breathless panting. The only light came from the moon and stars above.
For the first time, Erin stopped running and stood still. Everything seemed strangely familiar. She felt like she had been her before.
Of course. Her dream. It had looked exactly like this, except that Bryan and Wind-Runner were nowhere to be seen. But somehow, Erin had the feeling she was not alone.
Suddenly Erin was afraid. She pulled her wand out of her robes and gripped it tightly.
"Who's there?" she called out. Her voice rang eerily in the dark stillness.
Somehow, Dumbledore managed to restore calm. Everybody was suddenly very quiet.
Severus knew that he had to go and find Erin, but the pain in his arm was too intense for him to move. It had never felt like this before, never. He bent over it once again, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He could see Aurors around him closing in, obviously taking him for a Death Eater from the mark on his arm. Severus didn't care about them. He had to find his daughter.
Suddenly Dumbledore was standing in front of him. Severus looked up.
"Voldemort," he managed to whisper. "He knows - "
Just like in the Great Hall, a hand grabbed Erin's arm.
Erin turned to see a masked man staring coldly down at her. From what she could see of his face, this had to Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father.
"So glad you could join us, Ms. Kristoff," he said smoothly. He smiled with evil pleasure. "We've been waiting for you."
Severus, Dumbledore, and a handful of other teachers ran into the forest. The pain in Severus' arm had faded to a dull throb now. He paid no attention.
Dumbledore paused suddenly, making McGonagall almost collide into the Headmaster. "We'll need to split up," said Dumbledore shortly. His tall, thin frame threw off power even as his blue eyes blazed with fury. "Severus and I will go straight ahead. Minerva, to the left. The rest of you, to the right. We need to find Erin before her father does."
"Master!" called Lucius. "Master, over here!"
Erin fought and struggled, but it was no use. Lucius was a full- grown man, and she was just a teenage girl.
"How brave," smirked Lucius as she twisted in his grip. "Really, you do look like Angelina. Let's hope that you're more intelligent."
Severus and Dumbledore heard Lucius shout at the exact same time. They glanced at each other, then plunged ahead.
Erin kicked Lucius in the shin. Hard. His smirk was wiped away by a wince. Erin kicked him again with savage pleasure.
"You little brat," he snarled, raising one hand to hit her.
Suddenly, out of the darkness, a shimmering white figure plunged through the trees and reared up over Erin. Lucius gave a startled cry and released his captive. Erin fell to the ground and was nearly trampled by the unicorns' golden hooves. Lucius cried out again as the unicorn chased him through the trees. Erin lay still on the cold forest floor, trying to catch her breath.
The unicorn came galloping back. Erin looked up at it. The unicorn wasn't alone. On its back was a figure entirely cloaked in black. From inside the hood, Erin could see the faintest glimmer of blue eyes.
"Bryan," she whispered. "Wind-Runner."
The unicorn pranced in acknowledgement even as its rider nodded. Suddenly, Bryan cocked his head in a listening position. Wind- Runner reared up and began to gallop away.
"Bryan!" she shouted after him, but he was already gone.
"Erin?" came another voice. "Erin!"
Snape and Dumbledore burst through the trees.
"Erin," gasped Snape. "Are you all right?"
She nodded, suddenly feeling extremely tired. Too tired to ask why her teacher was using her first name.
Snape knelt down and hugged her, pressing her against his robes. For a second, Erin was startled (Snape? Hug her?), but then she relaxed. She wasn't in the mood to question something that felt so natural.
Her eyes closed drowsily, and within seconds, Voldemort's daughter had fallen fast asleep in the Potion Master's arms.
Okay, faithful readers, I need some help. How do you want me to end this? I don't mean that it's about to end (far from it! I have too many good bits to cram in), but I do need an idea of what direction to head in. Should Erin kill Voldemort outright? Should I end this story at the end of the Hogwarts' school year and write a sequel? Does my story suck and I should stop altogether? What? Warning: I will look at everyone's ideas, but I'm not going to post what the end will be. That would spoil everything. PS - does anybody have any guesses as to who Bryan is? Hint; he has been in Hogwarts before. (hee hee - oh, this is going to be so good. Don't worry, I'll try to put the answer in the story fairly soon)
Back to the story -
Erin stared down at the star beneath her foot.
No. It couldn't be.
She had parents, Muggle parents. She was Erin Cooper. There was no way she could be Voldemort's daughter.
It was a mistake, it had to be a mistake. Around her, Erin could hear people shouting, but it all sounded dim and far away.
She lifted her foot up, put it back down. Still green.
Had she gone color blind or something?
Then somebody grabbed her arm. Instinctively, Erin tried to jerk away.
"Oh no ye don't, missy," sneered a voice above her. Time was speeding up again. Her arm hurt.
"Let - go -," she said faintly. She thought she could hear Harry calling her name. Around her, Erin could hear the other Aurors coming up to grab her. Put her in jail, maybe. Feed her to the dementors.
At that moment, reality crashed back in. She could see and hear again. More importantly, she could move. And all that Erin could think about was getting away.
Erin smashed her knee into the man's groin. He doubled over in pain as Erin turned and ran blindly from the hall. A few Aurors tried to stop her, but she simply bowled them over. Sheer panic was coursing through her veins. She had to get out!
Finally she was at the door. Erin flung it open and raced into the night outside. Towards the only place she could think of to hide. The Dark Forest.
"Erin!" Severus shouted above the crowd. Erin had managed to break free of the Aurors and was streaking towards the door. Around him, students fought to get away. Everything was confused.
"Erin!" he shouted again, but it was too late. Erin had already fled outside. Cursing fiercely, Severus pulled out his wand and pushed his way through the panicking students. One Auror tried to grab him, but Severus smashed his elbow into the man's face. The Auror went down without a cry, blood streaming freely from his nose. Roughly, Severus pushed people out of his way. He was almost to the door now.
Suddenly, searing pain shot through his left arm. Gasping, Severus bent over and pulled up the sleeve of his robe. On his pale skin, the Dark Mark was burning black.
Voldemort was summoning his followers. He knew who his daughter was. He was coming to get her.
Erin was in the forest now. There was no noise except for her breathless panting. The only light came from the moon and stars above.
For the first time, Erin stopped running and stood still. Everything seemed strangely familiar. She felt like she had been her before.
Of course. Her dream. It had looked exactly like this, except that Bryan and Wind-Runner were nowhere to be seen. But somehow, Erin had the feeling she was not alone.
Suddenly Erin was afraid. She pulled her wand out of her robes and gripped it tightly.
"Who's there?" she called out. Her voice rang eerily in the dark stillness.
Somehow, Dumbledore managed to restore calm. Everybody was suddenly very quiet.
Severus knew that he had to go and find Erin, but the pain in his arm was too intense for him to move. It had never felt like this before, never. He bent over it once again, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He could see Aurors around him closing in, obviously taking him for a Death Eater from the mark on his arm. Severus didn't care about them. He had to find his daughter.
Suddenly Dumbledore was standing in front of him. Severus looked up.
"Voldemort," he managed to whisper. "He knows - "
Just like in the Great Hall, a hand grabbed Erin's arm.
Erin turned to see a masked man staring coldly down at her. From what she could see of his face, this had to Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father.
"So glad you could join us, Ms. Kristoff," he said smoothly. He smiled with evil pleasure. "We've been waiting for you."
Severus, Dumbledore, and a handful of other teachers ran into the forest. The pain in Severus' arm had faded to a dull throb now. He paid no attention.
Dumbledore paused suddenly, making McGonagall almost collide into the Headmaster. "We'll need to split up," said Dumbledore shortly. His tall, thin frame threw off power even as his blue eyes blazed with fury. "Severus and I will go straight ahead. Minerva, to the left. The rest of you, to the right. We need to find Erin before her father does."
"Master!" called Lucius. "Master, over here!"
Erin fought and struggled, but it was no use. Lucius was a full- grown man, and she was just a teenage girl.
"How brave," smirked Lucius as she twisted in his grip. "Really, you do look like Angelina. Let's hope that you're more intelligent."
Severus and Dumbledore heard Lucius shout at the exact same time. They glanced at each other, then plunged ahead.
Erin kicked Lucius in the shin. Hard. His smirk was wiped away by a wince. Erin kicked him again with savage pleasure.
"You little brat," he snarled, raising one hand to hit her.
Suddenly, out of the darkness, a shimmering white figure plunged through the trees and reared up over Erin. Lucius gave a startled cry and released his captive. Erin fell to the ground and was nearly trampled by the unicorns' golden hooves. Lucius cried out again as the unicorn chased him through the trees. Erin lay still on the cold forest floor, trying to catch her breath.
The unicorn came galloping back. Erin looked up at it. The unicorn wasn't alone. On its back was a figure entirely cloaked in black. From inside the hood, Erin could see the faintest glimmer of blue eyes.
"Bryan," she whispered. "Wind-Runner."
The unicorn pranced in acknowledgement even as its rider nodded. Suddenly, Bryan cocked his head in a listening position. Wind- Runner reared up and began to gallop away.
"Bryan!" she shouted after him, but he was already gone.
"Erin?" came another voice. "Erin!"
Snape and Dumbledore burst through the trees.
"Erin," gasped Snape. "Are you all right?"
She nodded, suddenly feeling extremely tired. Too tired to ask why her teacher was using her first name.
Snape knelt down and hugged her, pressing her against his robes. For a second, Erin was startled (Snape? Hug her?), but then she relaxed. She wasn't in the mood to question something that felt so natural.
Her eyes closed drowsily, and within seconds, Voldemort's daughter had fallen fast asleep in the Potion Master's arms.
Okay, faithful readers, I need some help. How do you want me to end this? I don't mean that it's about to end (far from it! I have too many good bits to cram in), but I do need an idea of what direction to head in. Should Erin kill Voldemort outright? Should I end this story at the end of the Hogwarts' school year and write a sequel? Does my story suck and I should stop altogether? What? Warning: I will look at everyone's ideas, but I'm not going to post what the end will be. That would spoil everything. PS - does anybody have any guesses as to who Bryan is? Hint; he has been in Hogwarts before. (hee hee - oh, this is going to be so good. Don't worry, I'll try to put the answer in the story fairly soon)