His Daughter

Author: Leta McGotor

Disclaimer: I own nothing but some characters like Nostradamus Crehl and the McDrake family including Richard McGonagall. The other belongs to JKR.

I'm really, really, really sorry for the long gap but when I had written the chapter someone thought he would do something "nice". Means, I had no Internet for nearly two weaks and therefore had no chance at all to review something or to update. Because I couldn't send this chapter to my beta, it is not beta read, either. I hope you can forgive me.

Skichik: Yeah, you got it. Sorry for my wording. Often I don't even know that it is that confusing. Thank you for reading and reviewing nevertheless.

DamesFan: Minerva würde laut Film wenn überhaupt, dann wohl eher nach Durmstrang passen, glaube ich. Ich fand die hatten einen tollen Auftritt. Der „Schlüsselsatz" spielt hier noch einmal ein Rolle, also keine Panik.

SherbetKitty: Minerva doesn't even think of going willingly to Beauxbatons, she has her own plans. Thanks for your review.

Amy: Yep, exactly that part matters and although Albus didn't know it then, he knows it now in this chapter. Please read it and thank you for your review.

Kiwi.307: Yeah, it's awful for Albus to be in prison, especially that prison. Thank you for your review.

Chapter 14 Help yourself

It was a long journey for her and the wheather was not better than her mood. Minerva McGongall sat in a train opposite from her grumpy looking uncle and it stormed and rained outside. She didn't want to change her school. She had liked to be in Hogwarts, not to say that she was enormously proud to study there. But now from one day to the other all what she had were the memories in her head. She knew for sure that she wasn't allowed to see her father (or how the most people believed: her former head of house). Every time she looked out of the window she saw the raindrops forming his face with a big grin plastered on it. She wondered how he looked right at that moment. Was he cold, in pain or was he very frightened? She didn't know but she had read so much about Azkaban that alone the sound of the name let shivers run down her spine.

So her thoughts were with her father and with her school and with all she left behind and that was a great deal of things. When she had entered the train this morning her uncle had told her that she wasn't going back to Scotland again until she had finished her time at school completely. That meant she had to stay at the school even in her holidays and that made her even more sad. She loved Scotland with all its features. Scotland was her home and she didn't want to leave it as well as she didn't want to leave Hogwarts and, most importantly, her father. It seemed as if he was miles and miles away and that she never would get the chance to see him again. She felt like a bird cought in a cage, that had to see the own home vanishing.

Miles and miles away a lonely figure made its way through the cold and deserted corridors of Azkaban. This man went so fast that you could think he was running. Of course he didn't because running was forbidden. But the man hated this place, he hated not only the prison itself but all what had to do with it, to begin with the name. And now? He was here because he wanted to be here, isn't life a stange thing? Not that he visited the prison only because he was bored, no, his aim was a little cell in the west part of Azkaban, where he would find a friend of him, hopefully not too weak to give him a hint how he could help.

Nostradamus Crehl stopped in front of a heavy door, that looked exactly the same as all the others he had passed. Oh, how he hated this place. Slowly the door opened without any help from others and Professor Crehl drew a last breath before he stepped into the dark room. It was not lit by any light, nor was there anything that could bring warmth into those wet walls. He shuddered. Never had he seen something that undiscribable. That was no place for people to live. Even rats had more comfort. Slowly Professor Crehl looked around. There was a man he haedn't seen before in the corner, fast asleep and there his friend sat on the floor and looked at him as if he wouldn't recognice who he was. Professor Crehl noticed the shabby and and worn-out clothes but couldn't see the rest of his friend clearly enough to say something more concrete.

"Albus?" Nostradamus Crehl asked quietly.

"Nostradamus? I hadn't… I didn't expect you to…"

"Sshhh… I haven't much time. Albus, I must know what happened. I know you are innocent but what happened that night. I can't help you…"

"I don't know… I don't know. Someone murdered Richard McGongall and the only thing I know is, that it wasn't me. Nostradamus, they showed me his body. It was awful. They didn't use the Avada Kedavra… they have tortured him to death. I can't imagine who could do something like that." He shuddered.

"Albus, don't you have a clue who…"

"No, I don't know."

"Who what?", asked the sleepy voice of the man in the far corner "Who has done what?"

"It's nothing of your business.", snapped Professor Crehl. But the man ignored him.

"Another of those men who wander around and kill people because there is someone who prefers clean hands? Another of those murderers who torture people to death without any mercy? Those who have killed my Elenora? Another one of them?" He said and became redder and redder in the face, although nobody saw it because it was too dark in the cell.

"What are you talking about, man?" Professor Crehl sapped at him. He hadn't understood anything he was saying and when the man didn't answer he turned grumpily to Albus.

"Nostradamus, that's it, that's it." Albus said and jumped to his feet. "He is right, how could we have been that stupid?" Nostradamus Crehl who understood nothing looked worried at his friend and partner.

"Albus, I know Azkaban is hart, very hart indeed, but…"

"No, Nostradamus. Who, besides myself, wanted to see this man dead? Who? And who didn't want to do it on his own because he is far too noble for such things? Who? Think, Nostradamus, think. Oh, how could we have been that blind?"

"Who do you mean? I see nobody who… You do not mean , no, you are not talking about… Albus, that is impossible. That man is far too intelligent and far too powerful to pay for a so obvious murder. He would have done it in another way."

"How do you know? Duncan McDrake was always someone the most people couldn't understand. Nostradamus, you have to go to the hospital. Minerva is…"

"…not there anymore. She has left the hospital not a whole day ago. She is on her way to Beauxbatons, her new school, because her uncle didn't think it apropriate for her to go to Hogwarts any longer. She must reach the school in the next two or three hours and her uncle is with her. There was nobody who would stop him."

"Then you must stop him. I can't but I trust you. You must stop him and bring Minerva back to Hogwarts where she belongs – besides, she is allright, isn't she? I hadn't the chance to see her that day. Oh, how I wish I could…"

"Albus, she is fine, weak maybe, but fine. She will make it. She is your daughter, don't forget that."

It was late when Nostradamus Crehl reached his rooms to get a few hours of sleep. After he had left Azkaban he had spoken to a few "friends" who owed him a favour. They were looking for that mysterious man who might have murdered Richard McGonagall. If all worked how he had planned Albus would be out of prison and reunited with his daughter at the end of the week. But until then there was a lot of work to do and he needed his sleep to do it properly. When Nostradamus Crehl opened his door he noticed that there was someone in his room. Headmster Dippet looked at him curiously awaiting him.

"Oh, Headmaster. I didn' expect you here, I hope you haven't waited that long."

"Nostradamus, where is she?" Dippet said without taking his eyes from the professor.

"She? I don't know who you are talking about."

"They say she is Albus' daughter, his daughter… I can't believe… but not now. Where is she, Nostradamus, where is Minerva McGongall?"

"I don't know. Beauxbatons maybe? Her uncle wanted her to go to this school instead of Hogwarts. Have you forgotten?" Professor Crehl answered frostily. He had argued with the the headmaster over this point but he had refused to do something against the plans of Duncan McDrake. The man was far too powerful.

"No, but she never arrived at the school. She escaped her uncle and since then she is not to be found, lost without a trace. So where is she? She is Albus' daughter. Is she going to Azkaban to help him? That would be her death." Dippet said and the colour of his face switched from red to white and back to red within seconds.

"I don't know where she is, I don't know." Professor Crehl shook his head. It would be too easy if all had worked how he had planned it, really far to easy.

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