Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Shock for Ellie

Shortly after breakfast, Amelia arrived again at Hogwarts. As before, she and Ellie took a walk about the grounds. Ellie knew that Amelia would have to leave soon, so as soon as she could, she introduced the topic of her father.

"Amelia?"

"Yes?"

"Since you and my mum were so close, you must have… you must have known my dad," Ellie said. Amelia stopped walking.

"Oh."

Ellie stopped too and looked up at her. Amelia avoided making eye contact with Ellie.

Amelia was torn. She did not want to lie to Ellie, but she didn't see any way out of that question without lying. She cursed Snape under her breath for being so obstinate about Ellie.

"I don't know anything about him," Amelia finally said, hoping she had sounded believable. Ellie's searching looks were not helping matters. Amelia felt sure that if Ellie looked her in the eye she would be able to guess she was lying.

"Really? You don't know who he is?" Ellie asked desperately.

"No," Amelia stated. She felt disgusted with herself at the look of disappointment on Ellie's face.

"Didn't anyone know?" Ellie asked.

"I'm sorry," Amelia answered in a sympathetic voice as she shook her head.

Ellie felt like screaming. If Amelia didn't know then who else would. This was it – the end of the line. She would never know who her father was. All her hopeful thoughts of a dad who loved her and wanted her evaporated in an instant.

Before Amelia left, she had a present for Ellie – a big tawny brown owl.

"Her name is Helga. She's special. No matter where I am, if you send her a letter for me she'll be able to find me. I'll write to you as often as I can. If you ever need to talk to someone you can send me a letter, and if you ever need me just send a note with Helga and I'll be here as soon as possible."

"Thanks," Ellie told her.

"Now, come here," Amelia said, and gave Ellie a hug.

"Remember, if you ever need me, I'll be here, okay?"

"Okay," Ellie whispered, sad to see her go. Amelia was the only real link she had to her mother, and now she was gone.

Amelia was true to her word, and she sent letters frequently to Ellie. The correspondence kept Ellie's spirits up. Mrs. Manning was still very ill and in hospital. Ellie was worried about what would happen to her if Mrs. Manning died. She would have to go to an orphanage for sure. She had no family. Five months passed until it was the end of May, and there was still no improvement in Mrs. Manning's condition. Ellie began to panic. The term would be over before she knew it, and she had nowhere to go. Things were about to get worse however.

Dumbledore had just sat down to breakfast, and he was debating whether to have one sausage or two when an owl swept by and deposited a letter in his lap. He opened the envelope gently and found a small note inside. Written in the note was something that made him forget altogether about his sausages. His expression grew very grave. His eyes wandered over to the Gryffindor table, and soon he spotted Ellie, laughing with Jamie.

"Minerva," he said, turning to Professor McGonagall. "I need you to bring Eleanora to my office straight after breakfast," he told her, standing up.

"Is it bad news?" Professor McGonagall asked. Several other professors who were sitting nearby listened with interest, among them Professor Snape.

"I'm afraid it is. It seems Eleanora's guardian passed away last night," Dumbledore said slowly. Professor McGonagall looked shocked. "Oh dear," she whispered. Dumbledore nodded to her, and left the hall by the door behind the staff table.

Professor McGonagall was not the only one shocked by this news. The other staff members who heard Dumbledore's words muttered amongst themselves, some casting pitiful looks at the oblivious Ellie. Snape sat frozen in his seat. If Ellie's guardian was dead, what did that mean for him?

When Professor McGonagall approached Ellie as she was leaving the hall, her solemn expression told her what was wrong.

"She's dead, isn't she?" Ellie mumbled.

"Come with me dear," Professor McGonagall said, putting a protective hand on her shoulder. Jamie didn't want Ellie to go without him, but Professor McGonagall ordered him to stay where he was.

Professor McGonagall led her to the familiar statue that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office. This time Ellie barely noticed the revolving staircase. She was lost in thoughts of Mrs. Manning, and her own fate. Before she knew it, she was sitting on a seat in front of the desk in Dumbledore's office, as he looked kindly at her from the other side of desk.

"What's going to happen to me?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm not sure," Dumbledore admitted. "But don't worry about that now. We'll think of something," he assured her.

Jamie had returned to the common room after breakfast. It was a Saturday so there were no classes. He paced about the room, anxious for Ellie to come back, and feeling heartbroken for her. It was so cruel. First, she had lost her mum, then her grandparents, and now the closest person she had to family, Mrs. Manning, was gone too. Not to mention the fact that she would probably never know who her father was. It was so unfair that Ellie had to go through all this!

When Ellie eventually came through the portrait hole, he took one look at her red eyes and pulled her towards him. She began to sob into his shoulder. A few other students gave them odd looks, but Jamie led Ellie into a corner.

When Ellie managed to compose herself, she felt very embarrassed about crying in front of the whole common room. Jamie reassured her that everyone would understand.

"Are you going to tell Amelia?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I suppose I should," she said, wiping her tears.

Jamie brought her some parchment and ink and Ellie scribbled down a few lines, outlining the situation briefly to Amelia. She and Jamie then walked up to the Owlery and found Helga.

"She'll probably come here when she gets it," Jamie told her.

"I hope so," Ellie replied.

Amelia did come, and much sooner than Ellie had anticipated. The next morning Jamie was out early to watch the Gryffindor Quidditch team practice. When he was walking back to the castle Snape hurried past him. Curious, Jamie followed him at a distance, and soon he saw the gates ahead of him. There was a woman waiting there, and Snape was letting her in. Jamie squinted his eyes, trying to make out the woman. She looked familiar… of course! He recognised her from a photograph – it was Amelia.

Jamie rushed back to the common room as fast as possible. When he burst through the portrait hole he was unable to speak, he was so out of breath. Ellie gave him a curious look. He began gesturing wildly to her.

"Outside…. Saw Snape… Amelia!" he gasped.

"Ellie was puzzled by this, but Jamie's frantic pointing suddenly made sense – Amelia was outside! She dashed off immediately. Jamie wanted to follow, but he was too exhausted and collapsed into a nearby chair instead.

"The Headmaster sent me down to let you in," Snape explained to Amelia as he unlocked the gate. She nodded. They walked together in silence, until Amelia spoke.

"So, you obviously know," she said. Snape sighed.

"If you mean am I aware that Miss Winterbourne's guardian is dead then yes, I know," he told her.

"So?" Amelia said.

"So?" Snape countered.

Amelia let out a frustrated sigh.

"So are you going to tell Ellie the truth?" she said.

Snape stared coldly at her for a moment before replying.

"No," he stated.

"No?" she repeated incredulously. He didn't reply, but merely began to walk in the direction of the castle. She pulled him back however. He turned around, glaring at the hand that was still on his arm.

"Don't just walk away from me!" she said angrily. "She's got no one left! You have to…"

"I don't have to do anything!" he hissed suddenly.

"She's your daughter!"

"And?"

"And? And? Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Amelia cried.

Snape said nothing. Amelia threw her hands up in frustration.

"You know what, I always thought you were a stupid little prat," she spat. He glared at her, furious.

"I never understood what Claudia saw in you. I thought she was mad when she first started talking about you. I never said anything because I knew there had to be something that Claudia saw in you. For the life of me, I can't think what. You were always a slimy little toad as far as I could see. And look at you now – exactly the same, keeping this from Ellie!"

"Don't you dare lecture me about keeping secrets Amelia," he snarled. "If she had not been kept a secret from me in the first place then we wouldn't be in this situation. Claudia made her choice. She obviously didn't want me to have anything to do with the girl. You had twelve years to tell me of the child's existence but you didn't, so don't start talking to me now about keeping secrets!"

"It wasn't my place to tell you! This situation is completely different. Ellie has no one! No mother, no grandparents, no family! You are all she has, and as much as I pity her for that, I still think she has a right to know who you are! What's going to happen to her? Are you really going to stand by and watch her be tossed in some children's home? Your own child?" Amelia exclaimed.

"Don't call her that!"

Amelia scoffed.

"What do you think Claudia would say if she knew about this? What do you think she'd think of you if she knew that were turning your back on Ellie like this – that you won't even acknowledge her?"

Claudia's name felt like a knife through Snape's chest. He knew that Claudia would be disgusted with him if she could see him now, and that made him feel bitter. It did not change his sentiments however, although he did feel a pang of guilt.

"What do you expect me to do? Do you want me to walk up to the girl and tell her I'm her father? Or should I get up in front of everyone at dinner and announce it to the whole school? Maybe I should put an ad in the Daily Prophet and proclaim to the whole world that I am Eleanora Winterbourne's father! Would that please you?" he snarled at Amelia.

Amelia opened her mouth indignantly to reply, but suddenly froze, a horrified expression on her face. She was looking beyond Snape, at something behind him. Snape glanced over his shoulder, and suddenly shared Amelia's feelings of horror. Standing a few feet behind him was Ellie. She was looking at him with a mixed expression of shock and devastation. She looked at him for only a moment before turning and running away. Snape suddenly felt weak. She knew. The brat knew.

"Severus…?" Amelia said softly. He turned and looked at her, but he had no energy for arguing anymore.

"I hope you're happy," he sneered, and with a final piercing stare, he staggered back to the castle.