Chapter XVII - Owls arrivals
Two days later, Ellie still didn't show any sign of improvement. The two men inhabiting her house and looking after her almost never spoke. Severus hardly ever left her bedside. He kept giving her a potion every morning, even though her wounds were now healed.
Remus was taking some breakfast, one of his first meals in the last days, when Perseus flew inside the house and stationed himself at Ellie's bedroom door, hooting. Remus noticed the letter was for Snape and opened the door. The owl flew inside, drooping the letter in Snape's lap.
He opened and read it.
"Dear Severus, I received your owl and I'm sending more phoenix tears as you asked. I also give you permission to miss your Hogwarts appointments but I'd wish you could appoint someone to substitute you while you're gone. I hope you can manage to return soon, A. Dumbledore"
Snape took a small glass that was hanging in Perseus leg.
"Phoenix tears?" asked Remus, but at that moment another owl came in through the open door, leaving a letter in Ellie's stretched hand.
They exchanged dark looks and Snape decided to open it. It was from Mrs. Wood, Ellie's mother.
"Ellie, please answer me! I just read in the Daily Prophet that you had been attacked. Is this true, dear? Please tell me. I cannot go to you now, because of my students. But if you don't answer me by night denying everything I swear I'll find the means to find you! Please tell me you're well! Mum"
"The Daily Prophet?" asked Snape after reading it. "How could they know?" Another owl came by the door, leaving the Daily Prophet over the bed. It was addressed to Ellie. Then the owl flew away, not waiting for payment.
Remus understood who had sent the newspaper the moment he read the little box with the news Mrs. Wood had mentioned. It was even circled in red ink.
"The Rebounding of Spells It is tragical when wizards mess up with things they shouldn't, because their spells are bound to fall upon them, writes especial correspondent Rita Skeeter. It was what Ellie Wood, former member of the Confederation of Potion Makers, found out the worst way possible. While trying to develop an illegal potion, Miss Wood brought under her roof a dangerous werewolf, Remus Lupin, who brutally attacked her on the night of the full moon. As everyone is aware, werewolf bites transforms the bitten person into a werewolf itself. By now, Ellie Wood has certainly learned, at the cost of a normal life, that there are things that shouldn't be messed with at the risk of loosing precious things in life. The attack of a werewolf will certainly not be forgotten by the Ministry of Magic, who will try to seek the guilty wolf to trial."
"You were seen!" said Snape, looking at the picture.
Remus looked at the picture, with horror, recognizing him as a wolf attacking Ellie. Seeing it from outside made it even more horrible than he'd ever thought! Snape immediately stood up and left the room.
"Lupin, come here!" he called from next room.
When Remus got there, Snape was examining the window edge. First he thought he was looking at a beetle passing by, but then he realized there was some purple powder which Snape seemed to have recognized at once. Remus recognized it as well: the remains of the flash of wizard's photo taking.
"She was here." Snape said bitterly "Rita Skeeter was here waiting for something to go wrong. For a story to be told. And she could have stopped you. She could have saved Ellie."
Remus felt and anger rising inside him. He knew Skeeter would buy her revenge, but at the cost of someone's life?
Another owl came flying through the door, leaving Remus a letter.
"Dear Mr. Lupin, We have received intelligence that you have attacked the witch by the name of E. Wood at sunset, two days ago, at the mentioned person's place. We have enough incriminating material with us (Skeeter's photos, said Snape) to conduct a process. Remain at the place where you receive our letter until Ministry Agents can escort you to the Ministry of Magic for a hearing. Remember that fleeing will only aggravate your situation. Yours sincerely,-"
"Run away" interrupted Snape. "Run away now, while you can. I won't tell them that you were here."
"It will only 'aggravate my situation'! " said Lupin in a slightly quivering voice.
"They will send you to Azkaban if you don't go. Now!" Snape insisted in an urgent voice. "Or would you rather share a cell with your friend Black?" he snarled.
"Maybe I should" said Remus, quietly. "I will never forgive myself."
Snape look at him intensely. "I will never forgive you." he said dangerously. "But there are more important things now. Think about Ellie!"
"What about Ellie?"
"She will wake up and find you in Azkaban. Can you imagine what that would mean to her?" The next words seemed to take him every strength he had to be able to say them "It was no one's fault." he said at last.
Remus looked at him amazed, taken by a sudden feeling of gratitude and admiration.
"How long does it take to perform a Fidelius Charm?" asked Remus.
Snape was looking puzzled. "You... You must trust completely in your Secret Keeper." he said, uncertainly.
"I do, Severus. I trust you completely to hide me." and seeing Snape was not reacting, he added "You need someone here in case you need help. I'll do anything to save her life. And I know you will too. I trust you to be my Secret Keeper."
Two days later, Ellie still didn't show any sign of improvement. The two men inhabiting her house and looking after her almost never spoke. Severus hardly ever left her bedside. He kept giving her a potion every morning, even though her wounds were now healed.
Remus was taking some breakfast, one of his first meals in the last days, when Perseus flew inside the house and stationed himself at Ellie's bedroom door, hooting. Remus noticed the letter was for Snape and opened the door. The owl flew inside, drooping the letter in Snape's lap.
He opened and read it.
"Dear Severus, I received your owl and I'm sending more phoenix tears as you asked. I also give you permission to miss your Hogwarts appointments but I'd wish you could appoint someone to substitute you while you're gone. I hope you can manage to return soon, A. Dumbledore"
Snape took a small glass that was hanging in Perseus leg.
"Phoenix tears?" asked Remus, but at that moment another owl came in through the open door, leaving a letter in Ellie's stretched hand.
They exchanged dark looks and Snape decided to open it. It was from Mrs. Wood, Ellie's mother.
"Ellie, please answer me! I just read in the Daily Prophet that you had been attacked. Is this true, dear? Please tell me. I cannot go to you now, because of my students. But if you don't answer me by night denying everything I swear I'll find the means to find you! Please tell me you're well! Mum"
"The Daily Prophet?" asked Snape after reading it. "How could they know?" Another owl came by the door, leaving the Daily Prophet over the bed. It was addressed to Ellie. Then the owl flew away, not waiting for payment.
Remus understood who had sent the newspaper the moment he read the little box with the news Mrs. Wood had mentioned. It was even circled in red ink.
"The Rebounding of Spells It is tragical when wizards mess up with things they shouldn't, because their spells are bound to fall upon them, writes especial correspondent Rita Skeeter. It was what Ellie Wood, former member of the Confederation of Potion Makers, found out the worst way possible. While trying to develop an illegal potion, Miss Wood brought under her roof a dangerous werewolf, Remus Lupin, who brutally attacked her on the night of the full moon. As everyone is aware, werewolf bites transforms the bitten person into a werewolf itself. By now, Ellie Wood has certainly learned, at the cost of a normal life, that there are things that shouldn't be messed with at the risk of loosing precious things in life. The attack of a werewolf will certainly not be forgotten by the Ministry of Magic, who will try to seek the guilty wolf to trial."
"You were seen!" said Snape, looking at the picture.
Remus looked at the picture, with horror, recognizing him as a wolf attacking Ellie. Seeing it from outside made it even more horrible than he'd ever thought! Snape immediately stood up and left the room.
"Lupin, come here!" he called from next room.
When Remus got there, Snape was examining the window edge. First he thought he was looking at a beetle passing by, but then he realized there was some purple powder which Snape seemed to have recognized at once. Remus recognized it as well: the remains of the flash of wizard's photo taking.
"She was here." Snape said bitterly "Rita Skeeter was here waiting for something to go wrong. For a story to be told. And she could have stopped you. She could have saved Ellie."
Remus felt and anger rising inside him. He knew Skeeter would buy her revenge, but at the cost of someone's life?
Another owl came flying through the door, leaving Remus a letter.
"Dear Mr. Lupin, We have received intelligence that you have attacked the witch by the name of E. Wood at sunset, two days ago, at the mentioned person's place. We have enough incriminating material with us (Skeeter's photos, said Snape) to conduct a process. Remain at the place where you receive our letter until Ministry Agents can escort you to the Ministry of Magic for a hearing. Remember that fleeing will only aggravate your situation. Yours sincerely,-"
"Run away" interrupted Snape. "Run away now, while you can. I won't tell them that you were here."
"It will only 'aggravate my situation'! " said Lupin in a slightly quivering voice.
"They will send you to Azkaban if you don't go. Now!" Snape insisted in an urgent voice. "Or would you rather share a cell with your friend Black?" he snarled.
"Maybe I should" said Remus, quietly. "I will never forgive myself."
Snape look at him intensely. "I will never forgive you." he said dangerously. "But there are more important things now. Think about Ellie!"
"What about Ellie?"
"She will wake up and find you in Azkaban. Can you imagine what that would mean to her?" The next words seemed to take him every strength he had to be able to say them "It was no one's fault." he said at last.
Remus looked at him amazed, taken by a sudden feeling of gratitude and admiration.
"How long does it take to perform a Fidelius Charm?" asked Remus.
Snape was looking puzzled. "You... You must trust completely in your Secret Keeper." he said, uncertainly.
"I do, Severus. I trust you completely to hide me." and seeing Snape was not reacting, he added "You need someone here in case you need help. I'll do anything to save her life. And I know you will too. I trust you to be my Secret Keeper."