Snape's Daughter (Book Three)

Chapter Thirteen : The Lynx Minister

Ellia sprung through the familiar fireplace, coughing as she brushed the ash off of herself. Panemia was stood waiting for her, her arms crossed as she chuckled to herself.

"You should get that cleaned, you know," Panemia hinted, pointing to the ash pile in the fireplace. Ellia turned and looked down, shaking her head and looking back up.

"I haven't been here for a while, that's why it's so dirty," Ellia explained, re-positioning one of the photographs that stood on the fireplace mantle.

"Is that you and Professor Snape?" Panemia asked, pointing to the much loved photograph of Ellia and her father on the mantle place.

"My 9th birthday," she said, "That was the year before I joined Hogwarts." Ellia looked closely at the photograph, studying her own happiness.

"I remember that year," Panemia smiled, before looking around the room they were in, "I never expected this many books." She pointed at the shelves upon shelves of books, then to the un-touched Daily Prophet, still resting on the arm of her Professor's arm chair. Books over filled the shelves, even leaking out onto the floor and leaving a trail of stacked books. As she walked over to the prophet, Ellia still engrossed in the photograph, she picked it up, blowing away the small layer of dust that had settled on the paper. She read the date ; 28th August 1997, as her eyes widened. The date was just less than 2 years in the past, the headline reading 'Continuous Death Eater Attacks : Is this end of our prolonged peace?'. She begun flicking through the old prophet, remembering her dad telling her about it 2 years ago. There was various articles on muggle attacks, as well as on Albus Dumbledore's death. Not forgetting Severus Snape's betrayal. As Panemia took her focus away from the prophet and to Ellia, she watched as the girl turned around.

"That prophet, I forgot about that," Ellia commented, pointing the old newspaper as she stepped away from the fireplace. She'd left the photograph behind, knowing that she would see it again in just a matter of minutes or hours. It still upset her, seeing her father's portrayal. Even in a photograph.

"I can tell," Panemia said, slapping it back down on the armchair it was previously laid across, "It's dated to the 28th of August Ellia, August of 1997."

"That's the issue that they declared my father a traitor," Ellia sighed, turning her head away from it, "He probably didn't read it after that."

"Let's get you some clothes and go," Panemia suggested, "The last thing I want to see is you moping around here like last summer."

"I have a reasonable reason to mope," Ellia argued, as they walked out of the room and into the hall.

"But it's the not the way to spend your whole life," Panemia said, as small house elves scurried past her feet.

"Mistress Snape, you have returned," The three house elves said, greeting the girl with a little bunch of lilys, picked from the back garden.

"Why thank you, but I haven't returned for long," Ellia insisted, taking hold of the small lilys and smiling at the elves generous gift. They had planted the lilys 6 months prior to the day, in memory of their deceased Master.

"Is there anything we can you for you? Anything we can get?" The elves asked, smiling up at girl win their big green eyes. They were a happy bunch of elves, that was for sure. Even after years of being surrounded with Severus Snape as company, they still treasured everyday they had serving the Snape's.

"Only a change of clothes, if it isn't too much," Ellia suggested, accepting the elves offer.

"Of course, anything for Mistress Snape," They said, as they then scurried up the wooden stairs and onto the first floor. With each small footsteps, the stairs creaked and shrieked as if they had muggle feelings, crying out to not be used.