Snape's Criminal Daughter

Chapter 8

Running through the underground market Severus Snape decided, was one of the hardest things he had one. And then he saw her, dashing through the crowd as though it wasn't there at all. He had tried following her, but then there was a lady who had stepped in his way, pestering him with questions. Debating whether or not to hex her, he had tried to skirt around her, to no avail. He had lost the girl, craning his neck over the lady's neck, he could no longer see her dashing through the crowd. The woman was persistent, he had to give her that, but then again, he hated people who were persistent. 

Deciding he had enough of this, he apparated out of her eye sight. Finding himself in the middle of a fight between a couple of drunk men, he ran. He had no time for this. With a couple of bruises, he escaped, only to find a brawl unfolding in front of his eyes. It was between a small figure, he couldn't see who it was, the figure had their back turned to him and they wore a hoodie, hiding any hair and a group of drunk men who clearly could hardly stand. Ready to step in, but appeared that he needn't have worried. In one fluid motion, the figure had flipped the first man over their shoulder causing him to land on his back and gasp for breath. The second had a knife held in his hand. Thrusting it towards her. She caught his arm, and ripped it out of its socket, causing the man to scream out in pain. The rest of the men stopped in the tracks and then bolted. But not at her, no, they ran past her, and right into Severus. Finally seeing who the figure was, he groaned it was the girl. She chuckled and climbed a rusting metal ladder. Fighting off the men and running after her, he saw out of the corner of his eye one of the men pull another muggle weapon from his belt. It was what they called a gun. Throwing up a shield charms, he dashed to the ladder and flung open the trapdoor. 

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 Hearing the creaking of the trapdoor caused Eileen to turn around like a whip, nearly knocking the old professor on the ground. The man who had been following her burst out of the hole, gasping for breath. Smirking, she stepped back to give him room to stand. She hadn't realized how tall he was until he was standing next to her. The old man was chuckling.

"It appears she gave you a run for your money Severus." He laughed, causing the man called Severus to scowl. His eyes meet hers and they soften momentarily, then return to their cold obsidian tunnels. 

"If you don't mind headmaster." He hissed "I'll be heading back now." His voice was filled with venom. The headmaster nods and Severus spins and vanishes into thin air. They stand in silence until she decides to finally break the silence with a question. 

"So now what?" The headmaster smiled at her question. 

"Now my dear, we find you a wand." He's still smiling 

"Now what I tell you is very important, I need you to grasp my hand, tighter now, and don't let go." She was hesitant, she didn't really like trusting people, but nonetheless, she held on tight, bags wrapped around her shoulder. With a sharp turn that nearly threw her off his arm, they vanished. Feeling as though she was being squeezed into a thin, dark tube, she continued to hold on to his arm. Trying in vain to breathe, until her lungs seem to open up again and her eyes found sunlight. Gasping for breath and nearly vomiting in the process, she realized that she was still grasping onto the headmaster's arm. Retracting her arms as quickly as possible, hoping he hadn't noticed, she looked around. 

"So where exactly are we?" She questioned. She didn't recognize this street imparticular. He smiles. 

"All in good time my dear, all in good time." Walking toward a small pub between a bookstore and a shop, he gestured for her to follow him. People's eyes, she noticed, seem to slip from one store to the other, skipping right over the building in the middle of the two. As they drew closer, she could now make out the sign, The leaky Cauldron, it read. Smiling, he held the door for her. She walked inside, only to find herself in a small pub. At one table, a pair of women sat whispering, they both wore long black robes. Another table sat a pair of what looked almost like goblins. But that's not possible, she thought, but in the past days, she had begun to believe things that she otherwise, would not have thought possible. 

The old headmaster wandered over to the counter, waving to a man washing glasses behind it. 

"Dumbledore! How long has it been?" He cried, shaking hands with him as he smiled. 

"Too long Tom, to long."

"Could you stay for a drink?"

"Ah, how I wish I could, but I have business to attend to."Patting her on the shoulder as he talked. Trying to move out of his grasp, but he had a firm grasp on her. Only now did the man called Tom seem to notice her.

"She's a bit old to be a new student Dumbledore. I take it you know how to enter?"

" I do Tom thank you, perhaps I will stop by later."

"I would be ecstatic." Leaving the bartender behind, he steered her toward the back of the pub. Drawing stares as she went, she tried to ignore them, to no avail. Stopping in front of a brick wall, he tapped his wand on a single brick. Nothing happens. And then a twitch of movement catches her eye. One of the brick has begun to move, and the others surrounding it move too until a clear doorway stands where a solid brick wall once stood. Walking through the brick, she finds herself in an alley, a sign on her right confirms it. 

Diagon Alley. 

Wishing she had about eight more pairs of eyes, she takes it all in. The shops around her read signs like Madam Malcome's and Olivanders. At the end of it all, lies a large white building, there is writing above the door, she realizes, but before she can read it, he drags her inside. 

Long tables on either side of the large room seat goblins, some writing what she thinks are quills. A couple of them are weighing precious gems, some the size of her fist. Without even blinking an eye, he walks up to the desk at the front of the grand room. He asks for a vault number, but she isn't listening, instead she is memorizing the layout of the room. Taking in every detail, something she did on instinct. Dumbledore takes notice, and smiles, gesturing for her to follow him and another goblin. Entering the hallway behind the desk, they come to a minecart and a dark tunnel. Climbing into the cart, she begins to wonder where they are headed before she can put more thought into it, the cart jerks forward. Gasping for a moment, and then smiling in glee, as it reminds her of falling from buildings in London. 

When they finally come to a halt, her eyes are watering from the freezing air. They stand and walk to a vault door next to where the cart stopped. The goblin raises his hand and strokes the door. She can hear a series of clicks and the door opens. A pile of gold, silver, and bronze coins lay in a heap on the floor. Dumbledore smiles and hands her a bag. She walks over to the pile, and scoops up handfuls of the coins, the clinking of them as they enter the bag comforting her slightly. They re-enter the cart and ride to the surface again.