Snape's Daughter (Book Two)

Chapter Nineteen : The Weak

Falling to the ground, Severus hit the flooring of his office. Clutching onto his arm he tried to resist the pain that filled it, constantly checking to see if anything was wrong with his actual arm. But it seemed intact.

"Severus," Albus called as Severus pulled himself up off the floor, almost hanging over the table in pain.

"I know what it means Albus. It means she's hurt, it's like before. Except this time, it's serious. She's in grave danger, I can feel the lack of oxygen and the loss of blood like it's my own wound," Severus said, panting in pain. Slowly, he could feel blood oozing from his stomach, the quench of pain streaming through his body. But there was no blood. Nor a wound.

"A stab wound? Is that what you're suggesting?" Albus asked his from his portrait, for once not asleep.

"It would only seem possible. But I'm unaware of her location and have been unaware for months since she left. It's nearly May now. I should've found her by now," Severus sighed, the pain gone suddenly in an instant.

"Go, now. Find her then," Albus ordered him, worried about why the pain suddenly stopped.

"She's not. She can't be dead," Severus gasped, his hands covering his mouth. The tears started to fill up his eyes lids, and the realisation hit him. He'd just experienced his daughters death... He thought.

"Severus there isn't much time to loose. Ellia is vital to everybody's survival just like Harry. If she dies now, your mothers prophecy would never be completed," Albus said, watching the blunt man wipe away the tears and take a breath of fresh air.

"Then the remainder of her family will die, and so will Remus. Unless they are already dead," Severus said, now pacing the office floor.

"Just go and find her, Severus. You haven't got much time to loose," Albus ordered Severus," Before she bleeds out."

Ellia slung in his arms, Draco scurried along past Bellatrix, who was sneering at the bleeding girl. Draco didn't care though, he only paused in his tracks when Harry and Ron stood in front of him.

"What did you do to her?" Harry asked him as Ron glanced over at Bellatrix. Wormtail was lying unconscious at their feet.

"She needs help, immediate medical attention. I don't know where to take her without him finding out," Draco panted, looking down desperately at his girlfriend.

"Take her to Hogwarts," Harry snapped, the first place that popped into his mind.

"Hogwarts? Bloody hell are you mad? The Burrow. My mum'll care for her," Ron demanded, before stepping forward into Bellatrix's sight.

"Hogwarts. Madame Pompfrey will care for her," Harry told Draco," You owe me one." Harry quickly ran after Ron, whilst Draco apparated out of Malfoy Manor and into Hogsmede.

The alarm drills went off but he soon ignored them. The first Death Eater who greeted him pretended he didn't see him, the Malfoy family were still a disgrace. He was running out of time and the blood was still running down Ellia's arm. Near the Shrieking Shack, he dropped to the floor and pulled of his jacket, quickly wrapping it tightly over the stab wound.

"Stay with me, okay?" Draco panted, the tears filling in his eyes. He picked her up again, before kissing her ice cold forehead, "Please?" He ran through the forest, loosing his breath and energy after everywhere step. "C'mon Ellia, don't leave me. Don't you give up. Stay with me," He cried, tripping up and dropping her as he himself tumbled across the forests floor. Her body lied lifeless on the floor, still breathing.
Just.

"You require help?" A voice echoed, as Draco looked up to see a Centaurian stood in front of him and Ellia. Bouncing back, Draco yelped.

"Stay away, or I'll, or I'll..." Draco shouted, forgetting about Ellia for a split second.

"You-Know-Who? I'm not scared. But does she need help," The Centaurian pointed at Ellia, before gliding towards her.

"I'm aiming for Hogwarts, Ellia needs to be healed," Draco informed him, stepping up and brush himself off.

"Hogwarts? That's not the best place to take her at this point, especially with those Death Eaters there. Although I'm sure you'd know that already, Mr Malfoy," The Centaurian snapped, crossing him arms.

"It's not about me. She needs to be healed and that's the nearest place. Will you help me or not?" Draco snapped back, before the Centaurian scooped Ellia up in his arms.

"I'll take her there, to Hogwarts. Being here or anywhere near here isn't safe for you," The Centaurian snarled, before looking down at Ellia.

"Be careful and take care of her. Don't let Snape go near her either, she's sensitive to that subject," Draco warned the Centaurian.

"She used to love him, this one. I remember her from when she was only 10, playing around in the forest with us, me, for a limited time until she had to go. Then one day she never came back," The Centaurian told Draco, the memories of the little girl playing in the leaves haunting him.

"At Hogwarts they called her The Lost Gryffindor. There's a portrait actually, dedicated to her. Just keep her safe, keep her protected," Draco said, before apparating back to Malfoy Manor. The Centaurian looked down at the little girl, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"I've not got time to loose," He said, before beginning to run through the forest, the girl in his arms.

Minerva McGonagall sat perched in her office chair, reading a letter that she had received from Remus Lupin. Worry and guilt flooded her blood as she read the words 'Ellia never returned'. The guilt felt like it was building a house with bricks on Minerva's shoulders. Ellia could be anywhere, with anyone. She could be dead for all Minerva knew. Shaking her head to rid the dead thoughts, Minerva pulled out a new piece of parchment.

'Dear Remus,'

She began, the ink scribbling across the parchment.

'I myself have no information as to where Ellia is, however I shall now be sending out a small search party for her. I believe that she is not in any immediate danger, however she still needs to be kept safe.'

She dipped her quill into the ink before beginning to continue writing, however she was stopped when Filius came running into her office.

"Minerva, Minerva. You need to come and see this quickly," Filius told her, panting as he sucked in a gush of air.

"What is it now Filius? If the Carrow's have tortured another student please send them up here, otherwise they need medical attention," Minerva sighed, looking up at the sweating Charms Professor, signalling him to leave. But he didn't.

"It's not the Carrow's, it's what Hagrid found on the edge of the Forbidden Forest," Filius told Minerva, heaving himself forward closer to her desk.

"What's he found this time? Last time that Buckbeak was...."

"It's a girl, Minerva. It's Ellia," Filius snapped, the quill instantly dropping out of Minerva's hand. The ink spilled onto the parchment as Minerva rose from her seat.

"Why didn't you say so!"Minerva rushed from our behind her desk, grabbing her wand as she did so. Almost running past Filius, she scurried out the room to find the girl. Meanwhile, Filius stood in awe as the woman rushed out.

"For an old woman, she sure can run," He sighed, before running off after her to find Ellia. He hasn't seen her yet himself, a message had came up from a student that Hagrid had found. Whether or not he actually had, or if she was hurt, wasn't actually known. But if she was there, there would have to be a reason.