Snape's Daughter (Book Two)

Chapter Twenty : The Innocent

Running over to the lifeless girl, Minerva watched as Hagrid's eyes shot up to see Minerva's.

"She's weak and unstable. Wouldn't come 'to the castle, not with Snape and those Carrow's there," Hagrid said, as Minerva reached the pair. Ellia was slung in his arm, her head rocked backwards and her eyes glued shut. A jacket was wrapped securely around her arm, however it was blood stained.

"We better get her to Poppy, she'll be safest there," Minerva ordered, scurrying back up to the castle.

"C'mon Fang," Hagird called as he hauled the girls body up the hill and into the Hogwarts Castle, where students were scattered all over the place.

"Clear the hallways, exit out of the way, we have an injured student!" Minerva shouted over the chattering students, however none of them seemed to budge. It was normal though, an injured student. The Carrow twins always liked to injure their students.

"Shut up you hag!" A Slytherin shouted, before chuckling away with his Slytherin kin beside him. Infuriated with anger and her blood nearly boiling, Minerva used all her strength to push past the students, before exclaiming,

"There is an injured student and she needs immediate medical attention! She's dying!" One by one the students made a clear path for Hagrid, Minerva and Fang as they all stared in awe as they rushed through the corridors. Finally reaching the Hospital Wing, Minerva swung the doors open to see Poppy treating yet another victim of the Carrow Twins.

"Minerva? Is something wrong?" Poppy asked, turning her head to see the frail old lady.

"This is what's wrong," she panted, pointing at Hagrid as he carried in Ellia's body.

"Ellia!" Poppy gasped, running over to Hagrid and directing him to the only free bed.

"I'll put her 'ere," Hagrid said gently placing the fragile girl on he bed before Poppy started examining her.

"What happened to her?" Poppy asked Minerva and Hagrid, as she begun to unravel the bloodstained jacket.

"Found 'er lyin' on the floor, reckon a Centaurian left 'er there," Hagrid grunted, stepping back away from the girl.

"Poppy?" Minerva asked her, frightened and concerned about her welfare and chances of surviving.

"She's suffered a stab wound, lodged deep almost the whole way through her arm. I'd say it occurred around half an hour ago, she's seemed to have bled out," Poppy informed Minerva, examining the wound," The jackets been on there for around 5-10 minutes I think, which might have just saved her life and stopped any more blood escaping her arm."

"But will she be okay?" Minerva asked her, as Poppy begun treating the wound.

"She should be, with the right treatment, medicine and and care. Obviously she's lost a lot of blood, but that's nothing I can't fix," Poppy said, grabbing a nearby clothes and clearing up Ellia's blood.

"Thank gosh," Minerva sighed with relief, finally assured that she would be safe.

"For now she must remain here whilst I treat her, however I shall inform you when she awakens," Poppy informed Minerva.

"Suppose I better get goin'," Hagrid said, before exiting the room.

"Thank you Poppy," Minerva smiled at the nurse.

"It's my pleasure Minerva, but please rest now. I can see the exhaustion in your eyes," Poppy ordered Minerva, before Minerva left the Hospital Wing at once. Rubbing her eyes, she started the journey back to her office, were she would continue to explain to Lupin what had happened. That was until the frail old lady nearly ran straight into the selfless headmaster.

"Minerva, just the person I wanted to see," Severus said, brushing himself off.

"What is it Severus? I have no reason to talk you except from the fact you're headmaster," Minerva snarled at him, crossing her arms.

"My daughter, Ellia..."

"I know who your daughter is Severus, now what do you want with her? You know full well that if it was up to me that innocent girl would not be your daughter, she deserves better," Minerva scowled, crossing her eyes and looking at the headmaster. She felt no mercy or sorrow towards him, only anger and frustration as his obsidian eyes looked down on her.

"Is she safe?" He asked her,  a question that surprised Minerva and almost made her jump back. Why would he care?

"Apart from the fact that she was left bleeding out on the edge of the Forbidden Forest and was stabbed, yes she's safe here," Minerva scowled, before trying to push past. However, Severus grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Where is she?" He scowled this time, a cloud of anger and rage filling his eyes.

"Hospital Wing, now if you'll excuse me Headmaster," Minerva shook him off of her, before walking away from the traitor.

Running through the the crowds up to the Hospital Wing, Neville and Ginny swung open the doors before running in to see Ellia lying on a bed, Madame Pomfrey treating her.

"Oh gosh Ellia," Ginny panted, reaching her bedside before taking a hold off the image before her. Ellia's hair was in a knotted mess and her clothes were damp and torn, a slice was on the top of her arm and her eye lids were tightly shut.

"Is she okay?" Neville asked Madame Pomfrey, wrapping an arm around Panemia.

"She should be fine and awake very soon, the wound is just healing," Madame Pomfrey said as she wrapped the wound up in a bandage.

"What happened?" Ginny asked her, crossing her arms in confusion. Professor McGonagall had said she was safe somewhere away from here, obviously not that safe.

"We don't know. She was stabbed by the look of things," Pomfrey informed them, before walking off to grab some medicine.

"We need to tell Aurora and the twins," Neville suggested, watching Ellia's chest rise up and down slowly.

"No, we can't. It'll upset Aurora too much and they'd be attracted to come here, but they can't. Just no," Ginny snapped, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

"What else do you suggest then? I'm sure McGonagall will tell Remus because she's in the order, but I don't know anybody else who can help her in this situation," Neville sighed.

"Help who?" A little girl said, bouncing off her hospital bed and walking over to Ginny and Neville.

"Our friend, Ellia," Ginny replied, studying the little girl.

"Ellia Snape? My cousin knows her," She said, her big eyes looking up at Ginny.

"Who's your cousin?" Neville asked her, confused as to who she was.

"Aurora Grace. I'm Echo," the little girl said, holding forward her tiny Palm in the paid reach. Echo Grace.