His Daughter

Author: Leta McGotor

Disclaimer: I owe nothing but some characters like Victoria McDrake, her family, Richard McGonagall and Professor Nostradamus Crehl. The other belongs to JKR.

Chapter 2 Unexpected News

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office and stared absent-mindedly out of the window. Outside the sun was shining brightly, the last warm sunbeams in autumn. On the Quidditch pitch trained a team and most of the students were sitting at the lake or under trees and made their homework or just enjoyed the last warm days of the year. Usually Albus enjoyed to watch the students but today it was hard to him to look at them.

This morning he had got the letter of Duncan McDrake telling him of the death of Victoria. He was so shocked that he had forgotten to go to his first class. At lunch he couldn't eat, later he wasn't able to see through the Transfiguration homework and now he couldn't even concentrade on just looking out of the window. Every time he saw her standing in front of him with her long black hair, her green eyes and with her famous smile. Yes, he had loved her.

But now he would never see her again, never speak with her again, never tell her again that he loved her. No, she was gone. He sighed and looked again at the letter of her brother. '…ask you to come one hour earlier because there are some very important circumstances we have to discuss.' What was there they had to discuss? Albus couldn't think on one thing he had to speak about with Duncan McDrake. He never had liked him very much and that was based on reciprocity. A knock at the door took him back from his thoughts.

"Come in." To his surprise one of his sixth years came into his office. She was prefect and head of the Gryffindor Qudditch team. Her name was Minerva McGonagall.

"Ah, Miss McGonagall, how can I help you? Please take a seat."

"Professor Dumbledore, I have a problem. My father has forgotten to ask you for permission that I'm allowed to go home this weekend. There is a big family celebration and it is tradition for all of us to be there. This morning I got the letter, where he told me, that he had forgotten to ask. Now I'm here to ask for permission." She said staring at him without sitting down. No emotion was to be seen in her face. She only stood there as if she was a statue.

"There are many of those celebration this month I see. You are not the first one who asks. Of course you can go and…"

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." She interrupted him, turned on her heels and left his office. Albus looked surprised at the door. Shortly afterwards there was a second knock at the door and Professor Crehl came into the office.

"What have you done with Miss McGonagall? She nearly bumped into me and without an excuse she run down the corridor. What happened to your star student? Has she forgotten to make her homework?"

"Don't joke. She… I don't know. She came here to ask me if she can go home over the weekend. You know all this family celebrations now. And then,…yes. She turned around and stormed out of my office."

"You know I don't like her, the school-brain. She was a bit strange when she came to Hogwarts but now it is worse than then. Okay with that father it is no surprise. Richard McGonagall isn't what you call a loving father and husband. You don't want to know what he does when he is at home. But now… I wonder about you. First you missed your class, then you didn't eat and now I find you in your office staring at the door. Are you sure you feel well?"

"Yes, of course… it's …it's… you know."

"Do you know why she died?"

"No."

"Whos was her husband? Maybe you could ask…"

"I don't know."

"Where did she live?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know much about her, do you? And her brother didn't tell you what he wants to discuss with you?"

"No"

"Strange family."

Wednesday went, Thursday came and went, too and then it was Friday. More than a dozen students had left for the weekend in the morning and most of the others had the the afternoon off. Albus couldn't concentrade the whole day. It was difficult for him to remember what he should teach or how to hold a fork. Professor Crehl asked him more than two dozen times if he felt all right and recommended to go to the hospital wing.

Lunch came and went and Albus felt even worse after it. At 15:00 he arrived at the residenze of Duncan McDrake. He knew he was half an hour early but he knew Duncan was prepared. A young woman led him to the private library of the head of the McDrake family. The private library was only for Duncan McDrake alone. No one was allowed to go into that room without his permission and he never gave his permission even to his wife.

When Albus arrived there he found a small room. Maybe this room was a big one but with all the shelves at the walls and with all the books in them and lying on the table and on the floor it was difficult to move in it. Albus looked around and then he saw the man sitting in an old armchair waiting for him. Duncan McDrake was a small man. He had black hair, which more and more vanished from his head and a healthy colour of his skin. His eyes were green, a family feature. Although the man wasn't tall he could scary people to death with only one of his expressions. He could get very loud in a conversation but always knew what to say. He was a very intelligent man.

"Albus Dumbledore" He said and Albus felt as if the eyes of the man would examine him from top to toe.

"Mr McDrake" Duncan McDrake said nothing only stared at the man standing in front of him. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. Then after a nerly endless time he nodded and offered the armchair opposite from him to Albus.

"Everyone can make a mistake but it is only a real mistake when you don't see that it is one. I have seen that I made a mistake. I have seen that it was one but to late. I never thought that it could be wrong. Do you understand?"

"I think I can't follow you."

"Victoria." He said without a further word of explanation. But before Albus could say a word he continued.

"Do you know that she was ill?"

"Ill? You mean she had died because of an illness?"

"Stop interrupting me and don't ask, I'll tell you. Victoria had a very weak health, I believe you know that. She never should have brought children to this world. After each birth she became weaker and weaker and the children, too. They all died shortly after the birth, some arrived their first birthday, none the second." He paused and looked at Albus. Albus had stopped breathing. He never knew that Victoria had children. If he had known, he would have helped her. He knew that she was far to weak to give birth to a child. He swallowed.

"She died in childbirth, Albus. The child was long dead before that. But now to that, what I want to discuss with you. I know you didn't stand in contact and therefore I'm sure you don't know. Her first child is alive. Her daughter is now 16 years old and was the pride of her mother. But her father hated her and made her life nearly unbearable. But the girl stand it because of her mother. Do you know why he hated this girl that much? I'll tell you. All of his children died and she was still alive but the girl was not his daughter, Albus. She is yours."

Albus gaped at the man sitting in front of him. Had he really said that he had a daughter? Had he really said that? Albus couldn't believe his senses, he simly couldn't. Duncan McDrake continued.

"He hated her more and more with each death of his children. She had to work very hard at home and I believe he beat her, but I'm not sure. I only wanted to inform you. I guess I'll see you later. Good-bye" He stood to leave but Albus stopped him.

"What do you mean you wanted to inform me? What is her name, where is she, how is she and…"

"Albus, no one meant that you should take care of her. She is going to stay with him and me."

"No, I don't let my daughter in the hands of a man who hates her and probably beats her. She is my daughter and she'll be with me."

"No, Albus. In her hollydays she will stay with me. You see her nearly the whole year in school."

"You mean I know her and never knew that she is my daughter? I have seen her five and a half year without knowing? What is her name?"

"I'm not going to tell you. Let her. It's not worth to penetrade in her life now. And I don't want that you speak with her. She won't answer you. I see you later." With that words he left the room without one look back. Albus sat in the chair and thought. He never knew that he had a daughter, never knew that… and now he knew that he had a child but that he is not allowed to knew her name or even to speak with her.

He stared at the wall opposite from him, the only place, where were no books but a huge painting of the three McDrake's: Duncan, his younger brother Dougle and in the middle the youngest of them Victoria. A tear fell down and a second followed. He had missed her so much in the past years and now…

Suddenly Albus Dumbledore jumped to his feet. He never would let his daughter here. He would take her with him. He owed this to Victoria and to his daughter. And with that idea he left the library.

Please tell me what do you think about it. Only click on the small button left. It isn't that difficult. Thank you for reading. And a really big thank-you to DamesFan, Amanda, Saint Potter and Always Hopeful for reviewing.