Thankyou again Stocktonwood, nice to know somebody loves me reaches for tissue and blows nose noisily Anyway, glad you like it. Is nobody else reading this? Am I THAT boring? Could you please tell me if I am? REVIEW!! I know you're out there somewhere! Clears throat Sorry about that, got a bit carried away.
Chapter 8: Contemplation
"To contemplation's sober eye. Such is the race of Man"
Thomas Gray
Dumbledore accompanied the clearly agitated girl to the hospital wing. Much to his and the girl's relief the young wizard was in the same condition as his daughter had left him in.
"He said something about Harry and about someone not knowing something. He said he had to go, or something along those lines, and then I can only assume he was delirious; he talked about it being dark."
"Yes..." Dumbledore's reply was cut short. The wizard lying on the bed opened his eyes.
"Albus, Albus!" he cried out.
"I'm here my boy, what is it?" Dumbledore took the wounded man's hand in his own.
"Harry... He told me... Bring Harry... He doesn't know, Albus, he doesn't know... Ella... Where is Ella? I have to go... He will know I'm here... He will kill her!" Severus tried to get up but in his weakened state he merely fell back onto the bed.
Ella came forward and smoothed her father's hair back again.
"It's ok Dad, I'm here."
"What does he not know, Severus?" Dumbledore asked kindly.
"The prophecy... He showed me my parents... He raped me..."
Severus Snape was now shaking from head to foot, his wan face has turned a greenish grey and the two individuals by his bedside turned him onto his side hastily as he gagged.
Madam Pomfrey, who had just woken up, bustled over.
"He was delirious Poppy, he relived what happened. I asked him a question, I'm sorry." The wizened man looked drawn. The young girl looked drained. Both of them had a common resolve; they would make Voldemort pay.
That afternoon the six friends met in the library once again. Ella told Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Draco what had happened since they had left the hospital wing and their hatred towards Voldemort had spiralled upwards.
As they sat around the table contemplating quietly, a man, who Ella had never seen before although the others clearly recognised him, entered the library. "Remus!" Harry cried and flung himself into the man's arms. Ron and Hermione beamed at the slightly dishevelled looking man, Neville and Draco looked wary while Ella looked on in confusion.
Remus Lupin saw the girl looking at him and walked towards her. Something about him made her take a step backwards. The man seemed to understand. "Ah, so much like your mother, she saw too." Ella was still baffled, what had her mother seen?
"Miss Snape, your mother was one of my greatest friends. This was partly due to the fact that she was the first person at Hogwarts who saw what I was. From your reaction to me I can tell that you have inherited the ability to see from her." Ella was even more confused, 'the ability to see'?
"Miss Snape, I am a werewolf".
'Yes, of course you are' thought Ella. 'Yes, I am standing here having a conversation with a werewolf. My father, who, for 15 years I considered to be dead, is lying upstairs after being raped and cursed by a dark wizard of all things. In the meantime, I am standing here talking to a mythical beast!'
This was all too much for the girl. She had adjusted to magical life quickly and had not questioned what she was now a part of. Now that she came to do so she found that her mind had just blacked out. She pitched forward and was caught by Lupin. Ella's friends were worried but they could understand her reaction.
When the girl came to she was given chocolate by the man who then introduced himself as "Remus Lupin". Maybe if he had told her his name first then she would have had time to adjust. Remus, the brother of Romulus: both raised by a she-wolf. Lupe, Lupus, Lupin: moon.
She nibbled her chocolate as the older man informed the group that and order meeting had been called in the wake of "recent events" and they had all been asked to attend.
"You are all aware" Albus Dumbledore began when the order members had gathered "of the horrific state that our fellow order member and friend, Severus Snape, is in. I personally pray for his swift recovery."
There were several murmurs of "here, here" from around the room and several sniffs from female members who were horrified by what had happened.
"Severus, although he was not particularly coherent when he spoke, has given us some information that may well be vital. It would seem that Voldemort" he ignored the shudders around him "wishes Harry Potter to be brought to him by Severus. He does not know that the boy is not the one who is to fulfil the prophecy. It does, however, seem that the Dark Lord does know about Ella's return and if Severus does not bring Mister Potter to him, then Voldemort has threatened to kill her." The noise of several gasps filled the room as well as urgent hushed voices. Ella did not make a noise, instead she just stared straight ahead of her, her expression set into one of grim determination.
"I need not inform you of how grave the situation that we find ourselves in is, I ask each of you to go away from this meeting and think of what might be done before the in a fortnight."
The meeting ended and each of the members went their separate ways. The six students remained in the conference room.
"I will go to Voldemort with Snape" said Harry.
There was a collective "NO" from the group.
"Well what else can be done" asked Harry with a sigh.
"Hermione" Ella spoke for the first time since the meeting had begun "what was that potion you said you used in the second year that turned you into a cat?"
"Polyjuice potion..." the realisation dawned on the brown haired girl "..No, you can't mean? Surely..."
"It would work though" said Ella firmly.
"What would work? Asked Draco, thoroughly bemused. Neither he nor Neville knew about the time Harry and Ron had changed into Crabbe and Goyle. Even Harry and Ron, who knew what the potion did were at a loss to see how it could help. Unless...
"You can't possibly be thinking what I think you're thinking?" Harry hoped the answer would be negative but the two girls nodded grimly.
"No.. You can't... It's too dangerous!"
"What's too dangerous?" Draco shouted.
"Ella is going to use the potion to turn herself into me and then face Voldemort herself!"
Neville gasped and Harry, Draco and Ron exclaimed "I won't let you do it!" at the same time.
Hermione had remained silent since Ella had said that it would work. She had thought about it from every angle and had come to the conclusion that it was the only option. She wished that wasn't the case but it was. "We will have to talk to Dumbledore".
The others nodded their assent sadly.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Dumbledore asked Ella kindly after she had explained her plan.
"I have to say that I also think that it is or only option. We shall wait for the next meeting and, unless another alternative arises..."
"I understand sir" said Ella. Her voice was so flat and emotionless that her friends and her mentor looked anxiously upon her.
Next Chapter: Revelations- Snape gets out of the hospital wings only to be given some information he could do without.
