Chapter 17

Emily sat at the crystal ball, looking into it's depths. She saw nothing but swirls of mists. "Am I supposed to see something?" she asked Professor Trelawny, confused. Trelawny pushed her away. "No, no, that would be my job. For I posess the Inner Eye and I shall be the one to search the crystal ball."

Humming happily, Trelawny gazed into the ball. Emily watched. Nothing happened.

Trelawny gasped dramatically, "I see good fortune in your future." She smiled knowingly. "A very good future indeed."

"Is there anything about my dad?" Emily asked impatiently.

"You dad?" Trelawny dropped the mystic act. "What do you mean 'your dad?'

Emily sat uncomfortably. "I thought….maybe you could tell me if he really loved my mom."

Trelawny sighed. "Your dad left your mom?" she said, quietly. She looked sad, and distant, not like the psychic she usually pretended to be. Her hands were folded softly in her lap, he eyes tearing as if remembering a painful memory from the past. "Mine did too."

Emily was unsure of what to say. Should she comfort the teacher that she barely knew, or correct her for thinking that her dad had deserted her mom by choice? Despite what other students said about Trelawny belonging in an asylum, she was really just in almost the same position as Emily. Their fathers had left, but for different reasons.

"Did you ever see him?" Emily asked, carefully. She didn't want to hurt Trelawny's feelings.

Trelawny sniffed and sipped some tea. "Once. At my mom's funeral. He didn't look like he wanted to be there. He was so…horrid to her, leaving her to take care of a baby all by herself."

Emily pitied her. She quietly said, "Mine too." She looked down at the floor. "He left my Mom soon after I was born. He couldn't stay. My Mom told him he couldn't."

Trelawny sniffed, and then grinned weakly. "Unusual. Usually the person who leaves is the one who doesn't want to stay." She shook her head. "Was you Mom nice?"

Emily nodded. "She was wonderful. She went away for a bit, and I ran away to here. I just wanted to get to know the world better. Mom hadn't told me anything." Tears dripped down her cheek. Trelawny offered Emily a handkerchief and she dried them off.

"Poor girl. We're both going through this together. You're new to Hogwarts, and I may as well be considering how the other students and teachers treat me. They say I'm a freak, and I know they do." She patted Emily's hand. "Fell free to come any time, dear. It was nice having someone to talk to, if only for a little bit. You had better be going back to your room."

As Emily left she glanced back, to see Trelawny staring emotionlessly out the window at the dark, gray sky.

Emily didn't tell her friends about her visit to Trelawny. She didn't want to hear them rattling off about what a crazy, old bat she was.

The next day was Saturday, and Emily needed the time to catch up on her work again. She was on her way to the library when she found Professor Lupin on his way to the Owlery.

"Professor, may I ask you something?" Emily had thought about it, and the only way to know the truth was to calmly ask him, without getting emotional.

Lupin put his hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye. "Sure," he said, and led the way into his classroom. Emily sat down at his desk, in the chair across from his.

"So Emily, what did you want to ask about" Lupin said, folding his hands on his desk and looking interestedly at Emily. She found it hard to believe he was her father. True, he had the same bad temper as him, but he was much less wild than her. "You crashed into me yesterday looking quite upset."

Emily blushed. "That was you? Sorry."

He waved it away.

Emily took a deep breath. Could she really do this?

"While was at dinner, I ummm…heard you were going out with…ummm….I don't really know how to say this. Lupin slumped backwards in his desk. "Oh, please God, no. You heard about Tonks and me?"

Emily gulped and nodded. Would he be mad?

Lupin shook his head. "You're just like me, you know that. So curious and you'll never give up."

Emily hadn't been expecting that. "Oh," she breathed, "Right." She wasn't used to being referred to as just like him. She still had trouble thinking of herself as related to him. Her mom falling in love with him- maybe she could see that. But the whole father-daughter thing would take some getting used to.

"Well, I didn't think I'd ever see you or your mother again, and I figured I should just move on. Tonks began begging after me, and at first I wasn't so sure. I told her I was too old for her, not good enough for her," he frowned. "But you'll know all about that I'm suspecting. Anyhow, I was nervous. Eventually Molly Weasley convinced me to get on with my life and go for her. You know Ron Weasley, right? He's best friends with Hermione, who's your friend Jon's cousin. Molly would be his mother."

"Professor, speaking of Ron and Hermione…and Harry…Harry seemed really upset when he heard I was your…" she didn't know how to put it without it being too awkward.

"Your father?" He finished, as if it was nothing. He frowned. "No, knowing Harry, I suppose he didn't take it well at all. He's probably moping around the Gryffindor Tower right now. I should probably go talk to him." He sighed. "I used to be best friends with Harry's father. James did the impossible just to be with me. He taught himself, along with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, how to become an animagus." He looked dreamily off into space. "Thos were the days. We were always getting into mischief."

Emily grinned. Always getting into mischief, eh? Well, she did that more times then he would ever be able to imagine. Just take her coming to Hogwarts for example. If that wasn't mischief, what was? "So, is that why you know Harry so well?"

Lupin's childish grin dropped. "No, James and Lily, Harry's parents were killed by Voldemort. Then he tried to kill Harry, but failed. I met him later when I first taught at Hogwarts. Didn't Leila ever tell you about the famous Harry Potter?"

Emily nodded. Leila had told her a bit, but not that Emily's own father had been best friends with the dad of "The Boy Who Lived." Emily definitely didn't know as much about the story as other wizards did, living in a town full of muggles.

Lupin sighed. "Well, at least she did that. I wonder where she is now?"

Emily had been wondering the same thing, and she told him so. "She got a letter from a wizard friend and left almost immediately. Then the creepy, rat guy came and-"

"You mean, Peter," Lupin interrupted.

"Huh?"

"His name is Peter Pettigrew. He used to be my friend," Lupin's face darkened, "Until he joined Voldemort."

Emily shivered. The Peter Pettigrew man was so creepy that she could hardly believe he had been good, or friends with Lupin.

"Your mother probably left because she was informed that Peter was coming," Lupin sighed. "But why did she have to refuse to take you? That's just like her, but why? It would've made everything simpler if she hadn't insisted on keeping you clueless. She probably thought Peter would see her leave and try to find her, leaving you alone in the house. From what it sounds like, he just missed seeing her and was surprised to see you. It's almost good that you came to Hogwarts. Voldemort won't look for you here."

"But neither will Mom," Emily said as it dawned on her. "She'll think I'm back at home if she goes back." She stood up hurriedly. "I gotta go back there!"

Lupin followed suit. "It could be dangerous for you and for her. I'll go tell McGonagall."

Emily ran up the stairs, stopping when she found Jon, Ron, Hermione, and Harry.

"I'm coming too," said Jon stubbornly after Emily had quickly explained everything to him out of breath.

"Fine, but get your stuff and hurry. We're leaving ASAP," Emily ordered.

"We'll come too," offered Hermione. Harry and Ron looked shocked. "We will?" asked Ron.

Emily shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. We're just looking for my mom."

Harry sarcastically said, "Yeah, you and your chum of a dad going to explore the world. I'm gonna stay here, Hermione. Ron, you can go if you want."

Hermione glared. "At least go to help Emily. This is about the whole dad thing isn't it?"

"I just wish he had told ME!" shouted Harry. "At least me, of all people, that he had a daughter!"

"He wouldn't have told anyone because he barely knew himself. He was trying to forget about my mom and I anyway!" Emily replied, growing more and more irritated by the second. "And it was none of your business so you should just bug off!"

"Yeah, well, have fun. If Voldemort's done off with your mum, don't come whining to me, 'cause it's not 'my business' anyway! Have fun with your DAD" shouted Harry. They had attracted the questioning looks of some passing second years.

"If you're so 'close' to him, you're welcome to him! He's barely my father for leaving my mother and I and totally forgetting about us!" Emily yelled.

"Emily, he had to. It would've put you in danger if he mentioned you to anyone. They could've let it slip to a Death-Eater." Hermione tried to calm her, clinging on to Harry's shoulder.

"So tell, Harry, that! Why should I care what he thinks anyway? I'm just going to make sure my mom's not worried about me!" Emily screamed at her.

"If she's even alive anymore," muttered Harry.

"You…little…creep! You take that back NOW!" Emily shouted, shooting a jinx at Harry under Hermione's arm.

Harry tried to shoot a jinx back at her, but it hit Ron instead. Ron instantaneously grew long antlers coming out of his head with so much weight that he started to fall over.

"Guys! Stop this! This argument is so pathetic! Just give it up already, will you? Pretty soon McGonagall's gonna come down here thinking that there was an explosion or something!" Jon begged. Out of breath, Emily and Harry stared at each other. Emily glared at them all and pushed past so she could get some of her stuff from her common room.

Fifteen minutes later she found Lupin, Jon, Hermione, Harry, and Ron waiting for her in the Entrance Hall. Harry looked a little sour, but when Emily reached the landing he strode up to her and said, "Sorry about earlier. I talked to Lupin, and I'm really sorry I got so mad. It was stupid."

Emily shrugged. "It's fine." They smiled at each other and joined the group.

"You ready, Emily?" Lupin asked.

Emily nodded.

Lupin sighed, "Then your mother's in for a big shock. Poor Leila. She'll have a heart attack seeing me again."

And then they were off.