Chapter 16
As they sat in the office all of them were nervous.
Ginny, Neville, Harry (who had been stopped leaving the grounds), Ron, Hermione and Fred were all in Dumbledore office waiting to be spoken to.
As he entered he sat down and looked at them all gravely.
"However irrelevant it seems I urge you, all of you to tell me anything that might have indicated to where she would have gone." he said to them. They all knew who she was.
Hermione no longer could keep it in. her guilt was getting to her.
"Sir," she said and felt as all eyes landed on her. "This might be relevant I don't know but in September Elle had I guess, a vision, of her uncle. She had been upset and pretty much afraid, of what I didn't know but she had dreamt of him holding her as her father again." she said and looked to a heart broken Harry. This was the worst news he had ever got.
He had thought she was over him long agog.
"Why haven't you told me before Hermione?" asked the professor.
"Because it was so long ago I didn't think it had matter and she had trusted me to keep it to myself." said the fourth year student.
"Very well," said the teacher gravely.
"Sir the other day it was her grandfather's anniversary of death. She wanted her uncle as well," said Fred shocking them all.
"So we can presume she gone to find him?" asked Neville.
"It's our strongest lead." said Dumbledore.
"Harry I'm so sorry," said Hermione and watched as the boy walked out on them. He had tot clear his head. How could Elle be doing this to him? She had been coping so well on her own and now this. Harry just didn't get it.
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"I'm going to take her to Marge's, it's for the best," said Vernon to David the middle of the next day.
He was tired like he hadn't been in months but knew if her real parents were looking for her the first place they would check would be this area.
"Are you sure she's ready to travel?" asked Ella.
"I don't know but I haven't to try and get her back," he said.
"What are you running from?" asked Ella. She wasn't stupid.
"Petunia," once again he lied. His wife was just such an easy excuse for him to use.
Giving him some more coffee as he used he gave her a weak smile.
"Did she settle at all last night?
He just shook his head. "She kept waking every twenty minutes or so crying over a bad dream or something." he told her sadly. It truly pained him to have her in such a conditional. The wizards must have treated her badly he didn't know how they could have done it to his innocent little princess.
"The poor dear," she cooed.
Just then, her own two children entered the room.
"Uncle Vernon," said Lauren. "Is Elle going to be ok?"
"Course she is honey but I have to take her back to her aunt Marge's tonight, you lot need your living room back," he said as they all stood in the kitchen.
"I and Dave have told you, you are both welcome to stay as long as you need."
"No I want to take her home," he said.
"Alright well you're her dad, you know what's best," said David.
"Thanks," said Vernon.
Taking her through some water he sat on the side of the sofa and stroked her hair waking her from her dream.
"Princess?" he asked the dozy girl.
"Dad," she mumbled as he gave her some water as he tried to wake her.
"Baby I need to take you away, you understand why?" he asked her.
"Course," she said as she triad to get up.
"Hay, hey, hay," he said as she stumbled. "Come here!" he said and lifted her up. "I've got you."
Preparing the car he laid her on there back seat under a duvet and some pillows under neither her head.
Strapping the middle belt round her waist loosely he said his goodbyes and thanked them.
"As soon as she's well enough, come and visit," said Ella.
"I will," said Vernon he got in the car and smiled as he looked at his baby in the back.
He had her back, and was taking her home. She was safe again.
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As she opened the door he was shocked by the state of her niece.
Her brother rushed past her took no heed to her as he went in to the living room.
There mother was also feeling sick as she saw her granddaughter as her son put her on the couch.
Waking up from her doze, Elle felt confused. "Where am I?"
"Don't you remember darling," he asked her. "We're at Auntie Marge's."
"Hello darling," said Marge as Joyce also came in to view.
"Hi," said Ellouise weakly as she shut her eyes. "I've never slept so much in my life, yet I've never been so tired," she complained. She just wanted to feel better. She hated this. She hadn't meant to feel or look like this when she had got here.
"It's ok," he said. "You go back to sleep."
"Stay with me," she begged him. She didn't want to be by herself at all right now.
"Of course I will, you just go to sleep honey," said Vernon as he took off his coat and sat by her. "I'm always going to be here now."
Sitting back in her chair Joyce watched as her son looked….difficulty around them.
He couldn't meet her eyes.
Looking at him she saw him look at her with affection and a longing in his eyes. Why did he long for her? It was just something she couldn't put her finger on it.
He seemed over protective of her ass she watched Marge try touch Elle he sent her a death glare.
He wanted her all to himself it seemed.
Then again he hadn't had her in months. They had been the worst of his life. Maybe he just wanted to settle her home by himself.
"Love, its eleven maybe you should take her to bed," she suggested.
"In a minute," he said still memorized by the sleeping girl.
Marge bought her brother a tea in and her niece so me water, which she drank for a while when she woke and then Vernon just as his mum had said took Elle to bed. It had been trying day for them both and they were exhausted.
Laying her in his bed he sat in a chair by her side and watched her.
"I don't want to go back," she told him sadly.
"Then Elle you don't have too, I wont make you do anything," he said to her stroking her hair.
"Promise?"
"Course I do princess," he said to her.
"I love you daddy," she said to him her eyes glazed over and her fever on the rise again.
"I love you to baby. Go to sleep. It'll be better in the morning."
Trusting him she fell in to uneasy dreams.
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Looking round the four people all knew it was true
"She's been here," said Remus. No one else had dared to say it.
They stood, in the middle of the night in the middle of the park at little winging where Elle had met Piers just 24 hours ago.
"is her scent fresh?"
"Yes."
"Shall we head over tot number four then" asked Sirius.
"Yes," said Lily.
They all walked on and James felt sick with worry though part of him felt a strange defeat. He had always known that this was a possibility. He had just chosen to ignore it. No way could he make up for eleven years off love in just over five months. She had been looking rough for a while yet he had just been so consumed by everything else in his life.
The tournament, the new babies, work, he hadn't found the time to reassure the baby he had right then. And now she had gone to her old life looking for comfort. The mere thought of Dursley touching her made him want to hurl. How could she pick that liar over him?
As he thought of this lily turned to face him and was shocked to see her husbands face covered in salty tears of pain. Wiping them away at his wife's glance he knew he had to be strong. Not only for lily, but especially for Elle. When they did catch her, which they would she would need him like never before. And this time be wouldn't be to busy.
Lily also felt a defeat. If there had been single topic they had just ignored it had been her sister and her husband. They had been irrelevant and all six of them in the summer had been too concerned with fun to take the time to reflect on what had just happened. Elle had just suffered a huge loss in her life and yet that just was ignored. There was no way she should have let that happen her girl. She had sworn she would be a good mother but if she had let this happen to her child how could she even have the right to call herself a mum? They didn't let this happen.
Remus cursed himself. He had been the one who had been talking to her every day for months she should have realized if something was wrong with Ellouise. He had been worried on boxing day when she hadn't picked up the mirror at all but he thought she was sleeping or playing with her friends or talking about the ball. He just hadn't thought this was a possibility. He had seen her on a few bad days over the term but her uncle had never ever been an issue they had brought up.
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Waking up the next day at her aunts Elle guessed her day was at breakfast already. Walking down the stairs she saw her suspicions were right.
Smiling weakly she was sure if nothing else she had got more sleep than the night she had spent at David and Elle's not that she didn't wish she was still there. She hadn't had a chance to catch up with Lauren, at all.
"Morning," she said weakly to the three adults round the table and sat down her herself in the last empty chair.
"Hello sweetheart," said Joyce to her as she saw her.
She still looked very pale but had more colour than she had the night before.
"How you feeling princess?" Asked Vernon.
"Still sleepy."" she said. "But can I have a cup of tea, waters so plain." she complained.
"If your sure your up to it," he said pouring her a cup. "You're still shivering."
"Just a little cold," she true to play it off. She wasn't feeling any better even if she looked at it, but even so she didn't want to spend her first day with her family asleep.
"Go sit by the fire, we'll be in a second ok?" said her dad and she nodded and did as she was told.
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"So did you find out any thing last night?" asked Mel as they all stood in the office of the head master of Hogwarts . Harry and Elle's friends were all there to as well as the marauders.
"That the Dursleys have left little winging, but they were there. Where would so she go?" said Remus.
"She said she had family tot the women at number four."
"Uncle David," said Harry. He was there most valuable resource till Dudley got there.
"David?" asked James looking sat his son.
"He's uncles Vernon's best friend. When we were young he said they were our family. If Elle has any family in little winging its them," he said firmly trying to get them pieces of them puzzle together.
"Ok but she wasn't there her scent would have been stronger," he said.
"Where would Dursley take her?"
"Aunt Marge's." said Harry.
"The one you blow up?" said Ron.
"Yeah."
"Who'd have her address?"
"Petunia."
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It had been a regular day for Ms Evans as she got home. Well actually better than usual. Work had been going well and there was this one client and she didn't know but they had just really clicked and today she had got his number. After Vernon she never thought she'd trust again but she was wrong.
Just then as she was half way through her dinner when there was a knock on the door. Going down to answer it she was shocked to see her sister.
"Lily?" she said.
"Can we talk Petunia," said the distraught women.
"Come in," offered the elder of the two sisters.
As they got to the kitchen petunia got lily a drink.
"What's happened?" she asked.
"Its Ellouise."
"Go on," said the women.
"She's gone missing," said Lily.
"Oh god, do we have any idea where?"
"Yes,"
"Oh god," said petunia with a slight dread in her voice. "Vernon you stupid man,"
"You've go it," said Lily. Hole in one.
"Do you have his sisters address," said Lily
"Yeah sure," said a worried Petunia and went to get it.
"Thank you," said Lily as she received it and drunk up. "Well I have to go get her," said Lily. "Thank you for this sister," she said quietly.
"Lily?" asked Petunia.
"Yes."
"How's- how's my Dudley?" she said. She knew her father would let the golden girl see him. She had too know he was ok. The pain the mother felt with not seeing her only baby was killing her inside.
Feeling pity for her sister lily put a hand on the elders arm. "He's ok," she said looking in to her sisters eyes before turning and running in to the December night.
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Ass she lay trapped in her dream Elle felt fear, a fear she had never felt before was in her. This was worst than when she had left for Hogwarts the first time, worst than when she had first thought her uncle may have not been a real Dursley, even worst then that day back in July when her world had crumbled yup around her and she could do nothing but watch in terror of what was going to happen to her next.
He seemed to be dead. Just gone, like that. They all were. She saw there faces all around her.
Lily, James, Harry, a baby, Emily, Mel, Beth, Sirius, Remus, a women with black hair, Lauren, Fred, Neville, Marcus, Dudley. All of them, dead.
As she walked on through what seemed too be Hogwarts a terror was in her
.what ever had just killed her family was in these walls and she had to find it.
Just then there was a cry. She knew that cry. It was the cry of her baby sibling, he or she wasn't dead.
Taking the baby in her arms she tried to calm it but it didn't work.
Just then baby grew, and grew.
It was her size suddenly. This wasn't her baby sibling, was it?
"Vanessa."
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The three adults sat round the fire just as they had a few nights ago and Joyce watched as Elle seemed to be asleep peacefully for a while lulled by her fathers gentle caress but then the dream must have turned evil because Elle seemed scared.
She seemed too whimpered a bit and then she whispered something.
"Vanessa."
Vernon froze.
Joyce knew the look on his face. How could she not, she was his mother. It was the one he had when he had been caught doing something wrong as a child. Like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"What's happened?" she asked him.
Elle screamed as if she was in pain. Just then the back door was knocked down.
Elle woke with a start. Her family. All of them dead. Had she been looking properly she would have seen the marauders were there at her aunt's, but, she wasn't.
All she knew was she had to get to Hogwarts she had to save the Potters, she was a Potter! Fighting off the pain and doziness she went, she had too.
Running out the front door she legged it out the garden on to the road.
From then on things seemed, to Lily (who was nearest Elle at the front door by now herself) to go in slow motion..
"Baby!" she screamed in fear. But it was too late.
There was a bright light.
There was a screech.
A scream.
A body flew through the air.
The driver knew he had knocked a girl over.
Then there was a silence that lasted forever.
A/n: oh the suspense I put you guys through. You really don't deserve it!
IamSiriusgrl: thanks!
moonfire-lovr: thanks for the review. I'm glad you did feel it. I like it when I achieve that!
randypotter1222: how long? Around thirty chapters. Yes Umbrigde will still be in there! Thanks for reviewing!
Rem'sony: thanks for reviewing!
Taffy-Isabelle-TaffCunns: Elle is thirteen. What happened will be reviled in the next chapter properly. LOL will do! Thanks for reviewing.
Moony's-Wolf: thanks for reviewing!
Paula I am so glad you said that thing about how you see your other and father ( the people who raise you) do you mind if I use it the next chapter when Elle talks with lily and James about how she is feeling? Yeah Harry does feel cheated. Thanks for reviewing!
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