Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J.K Rowling.

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Secret is Revealed

When Jamie got out into the grounds, he had no idea where to begin looking for Amelia. What if she had left the grounds? Perhaps running down to the gates and having a squint out onto the road might be the best thing to do first.

He jogged down towards the gates, hoping that if Amelia had left she would still be close enough to call back. He was about halfway to the gates when he spotted a figure out of the corner of his eye. Instinctively he glanced at it as he ran past but the second he turned his eyes back to the path he realised the person he had just seen was Amelia herself. He came to a sudden stop and darted over to her.

Amelia was sitting under a tree, looking distressed. Her forehead was resting in the palm of her right hand and her left hand was balled into a fist and hitting the tree repeatedly. She was muttering to herself. When Jamie got closer, he could hear what she was saying.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid…"

"Amelia Ryan?" he asked hesitantly. She flinched and her head jerked up immediately

"Oh," she cried in a relieved voice. Jamie gave her a puzzled look as she heaved herself to her feet.

"Er, you are Amelia Ryan, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes I am. Who are you?"

"My name's Jamie," he told her. She gave him a curious look.

"Ellie's Jamie?" she asked with interest. Jamie blushed at being referred to as 'Ellie's Jamie', but he nodded.

"Have you seen Ellie?" she asked, concerned.

"Well, yeah, and she was acting weird," Jamie told her. She gave a knowing nod and Jamie heard her mutter, "I bet she was."

"What's going on?" Jamie asked. "I know she was upset about Mrs. Manning, but not like this. I know she went to speak to you a little while ago so…"

"Where is she?"

"In the girls' dormitories."

"Could you take me to see her?"

Jamie hesitated. Were visitors allowed into the tower?

"I used to be in Gryffindor you know. I think Professor McGonagall might make an exception under the circumstances," she added, reading Jamie's doubtful expression.

"Okay," he agreed, and they began to walk towards the castle together. Jamie wanted to ask Amelia some more questions but her expression was so thoughtful that he didn't want to interrupt her. At least she was going to speak to Ellie. She might be able to cheer Ellie up. He'd be waiting outside the entrance to the girls' dormitories if she didn't anyway, and he'd shout up the staircase to Ellie if he had to.

When they got to the portrait of the Fat Lady, she gave Amelia a look.

"I know you, don't I?" the Fat Lady asked. Amelia laughed.

"Yes, you do!" she replied. The Fat Lady nodded and muttered with pride, "I always remember a face!" In a louder and firmer voice she added, "Password?"

When they entered the common room, Amelia gasped.

"It's exactly the same as I remember!" she uttered in awe. A few students turned and gave her curious looks. A prefect glared disapprovingly at Jamie.

"You can't bring strangers in here!" he cried indignantly. Amelia chuckled to herself and glanced at the shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P inscribed on it.

"I used to be a Prefect once too," she told him and then, ignoring his bewildered stares she headed straight for the door that led to the girls' dormitories.

"See you in a bit," she told Jamie, and disappeared through the door.

"I'm going to report this to Professor McGonagall immediately," said the Prefect in an important voice.

"Whatever," Jamie muttered as the boy left the room. He sat down by the door, waiting.

When Ellie had reached her empty dormitory, she had flung herself onto her bed and begun to cry bitterly. She felt as if her whole world had come crashing down – Mrs. Manning was dead and Snape was her father. The word 'nightmare' didn't even begin to cover it.

What would happen to her now? The question had tormented her last night, keeping her awake, and now it was eating away at her again. What if she was forced to go and live with Snape? It would be awful. He was so creepy and gloomy. A few hours a week of lessons, she could just about handle, but living with him would be like being stuck in detention with him for the rest of her life. She would have to endure his piercing stares several times a day, and imagine having to call him Dad? Ugh! She resolved immediately to never, ever do such a thing.

"Ellie?" a gentle voice called out. Ellie lifted her tear-streaked face and saw Amelia standing in the doorway.

"Can I come in?"

Ellie felt angry with Amelia. She had known. Ellie turned away from Amelia, but the creak of the floor told her Amelia had come in anyway.

"I can understand if you don't want to talk to me, but at least let me explain."

Ellie stayed where she was, refusing to look at Amelia. She heard Amelia sigh, and then felt her mattress shift as Amelia took a seat beside her.

"The situation with your parents was complicated," Amelia began. Ellie's interest was piqued immediately, remembering her conversation with Snape, but still she pretended that she wasn't interested.

"Your mum… she was confused about what to do, so she made a choice. She decided not to tell Severus, not right away. She needed time to think. I know that may be hard to understand, but she thought she was doing what was best."

Ellie slowly turned to face Amelia.

"What exactly was it that was complicated though? Why was she confused?"

Amelia paused and bit her lower lip. How could she explain it?

"I can't say," she admitted, and Ellie let out a frustrated sigh.

"It's not my place to tell you Ellie. I wish your mum were here to explain it to you, but I don't want to put words into her mouth. I'll see if I can find some old letters, that might help explain things better."

Ellie's mood took a turn for the better when she heard this. Her mum's letters!

"Okay," Ellie said, "But I have another question."

"All right."

"Why didn't you say anything to me after you met me? You obviously knew, and I know he knew because he told me. Why was it kept from me?"

"Severus asked me not to tell you. I wasn't happy about it, but I felt he should be the one to tell you," Amelia told her.

"But he didn't want to tell me," Ellie said. She couldn't help feeling rejected, even if it was by Snape.

"I don't think he knew how to," Amelia said, trying to cheer Ellie up. Ellie shook her head.

"Let's face it – I've never exactly been his favourite student, and he's never exactly been my favourite teacher. If I hadn't overheard him, he probably never would have told me."

"Oh Ellie, I don't believe that. Severus has always been…," Amelia began, and then paused, hunting for the right words.

"… A very private person," she finished eventually. "He always was. When he and your mum were going out, he didn't want your mum to tell anyone. She didn't care who knew but he did. He was always funny like that – very quiet."

"Why did my mum go out with him?" Ellie asked bluntly. Amelia was taken aback by the question.

"Oh," she said. "Um, they got to know each other quite well when he was helping her with her Potions work, and she felt he had a sweet, sensitive side."

"Snape, sweet and sensitive?" Ellie asked incredulously. Amelia laughed.

"I never saw it myself!" she admitted.

"But she changed her mind? I mean, she didn't tell him about me so…"

"Like I said Ellie, it was complicated."

"I know, I know. I just wish I knew what complicated meant!"

"It's a pity we don't have your mum's old diary. She was always scribbling away in that thing. I'm sure half of it was about Severus and you," Amelia said.

"Diary?" Ellie repeated, her heart beginning to pound.

"Yeah, I gave your mum one for her fifteenth birthday. She always had it with her."

Ellie's hand began to tremble as she reached over to the cabinet beside her bed and slowly opened a drawer. She moved some things around then pulled out the diary she had found two years ago in the attic.

"Is this it?" she breathed. Amelia's eyes grew wide as she took the diary from Ellie's hands.

"Where did you get this?" Amelia asked, amazed.

"I found it in our attic at home. But the pages are blank…"

Amelia chuckled to herself as she flipped through the pages.

"Yeah, extra precaution against nosey parkers. Nothing a simple spell can't fix," Amelia said cheerfully and pulled out her wand. Ellie watched breathlessly as Amelia closed over the diary and then tapped the cover with her wand.

"Specialis Revelio!"

She opened the diary up began to turn over the pages. Ellie watched in amazement as small handwriting began to slowly appear, covering each page from top to bottom.

"I think your mum would want you to have this," Amelia said smiling, as she handed the diary back to Ellie.

"Thanks!" Ellie cried, her heart suddenly as light as a feather.

"Are you going to be okay?" Amelia asked her. Ellie nodded, still gazing at the diary in wonder. Amelia laughed to herself and gave Ellie a quick hug.

A minute later, she walked into the common room and was immediately accosted by an anxious Jamie.

"Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine, she just needs some time alone, but I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready. Just be patient," she told Jamie.

"Amelia," a stern voice called and Professor McGonagall appeared out of the shadows. Amelia jumped.

"Oh sorry, Professor McGonagall's here by the way," Jamie muttered.

"Professor, I…" Amelia began, but Professor McGonagall's hard expression melted into a twinkling smile. Amelia grinned back.

"You're not going to give me a detention are you?" she joked.

"I think we can overlook this minor indiscretion," she said, although she gave Jamie a stern glance. He promptly moved away.

"Come to my office for a cup of tea, there's something I wanted to discuss with you anyway," Professor McGonagall continued. Before leaving, Amelia glanced back at Jamie and winked at him. Jamie grinned back, glad he had avoided a detention himself, although the Prefect was giving him furious glares. Jamie hastily grabbed a book and buried his face in it, making sure to keep a firm eye on the door to the girls' dormitories. Whenever Ellie felt like appearing again, he would be there.