Snape's Criminal Daughter

Chapter 9

"My Lord." The voice whispered in a hoarse tone, almost unmistakeable. They were gathered around an obsidian black table, one man was seated at the head of it. If you could call him a man. His pearly white skin and snake-like nose, his red eyes, glaring through the darkness of the room. A snake circled his chair, coiling around his legs. Some of the chairs were empty, others were filled by people in black robes, all wearing masks. The speaker looks for permission from the man at the head of the table, with a slight nod of his head, the speaker continues. 

"They have found the girl. She remains with Albus Dumbledore." The man hisses at the speaker, and he freezes. 

"Severus." The man hisses. "Is this true?" The venom in his voice is dominant, and the man Severus responds as though there is none. 

"Indeed my lord, he has taken her to Diagon Alley, she will move to Hogwarts the next day, at first light." The man at the head of the table smiles. 

"Good, then you will keep an eye on her?"

"Of course my Lord." 

"Very good, then we are in capable hands." 

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Coins bag in hand, she and Dumbledore wandered through the alley, stopping at a number of shops. One, she had to have black robes fitted for her, the next one was filled with foul-smelling objects, all stored in jars. A bookstore was by far, her least favorite. Dust was everywhere and so were students, milling about, it made her twitch. Trying to get out as fast as possible, she bumped into a boy with unruly black hair and glasses. He stared at her for a moment, and then his friends came rushing in to break the silence. Nodding a silent goodbye, he left her standing there. 

Walking back outside, she looked around for the old headmaster and found him sitting at one of the tables a few shops down. Seeing her walking toward him, he stood up and meet her. 

"All done? Good, then we are almost done, we, or rather you, need one more thing. A wand." This was what Eileen was most looking forward to, the broomsticks and the potions ingredients were great and all, but they proved nothing. A wand would at least, tell her something. Walking cautiously up to a shop with peeling gold letter, on which the words read Olivanders makers of fine wands since 382 BC. The shop is filled with small, long boxes, evidently holding the wands. As far as she can see, there is no one inside, so she sits on the chair near the windows. The headmaster remained outside, leaving her to wonder what to do with an empty shop. Suddenly, a man appears from behind one of the shelves. His long gray hair and beard show that he's been doing this for a while now, and his smile, it's almost mischievous. 

"Ah, hello my dear, come for a wand I presume, did yours break?" His question is polite, but there is something judging about it. Hesitating for a moment, then she finds her voice.

"No sir, this is my first one." The question in his eyes is prominent, but he holds it back and begins to rummage through the piles and piles of boxes. But then he comes back around with nothing in his hand. 

"My apologies my dear, what's your wand arm?" Wand arm? She knew how to write, Em had taught her, but she wrote with both hands, ambidextrous they called it. Pausing for a moment, she holds out her right arm. He nods and vanishes into the stacks of boxes scattered around the shop. Some lie on the floor, others are in stacks that look as though they are about to fall over. He comes rushing over with one in his hand. 

"Here dear, try this one, pear and unicorn hair." At the mention of unicorn hair, she almost laughs. Feeling very foolish, she begins to wave the wand in the air, not a moment later, he rips it from her hand muttering. Walking back into the shelves, it finally hits her that this man might just be a nutter. Before she can leave, he comes back in, this time with arms full of boxes, some of them dropping to the floor as he walks. 

"Here dear, this one now,  hawthorn and dragon heartstring." Waving the wand and again feeling very foolish, he whips it away from her again. She tries wand after wand, all of them ripped away by the man called Ollivander. When he finally runs out of boxes and wands, he returns to the shelf for more. A fallen box on the floor catches her eye. It's slightly open, reviling the end of the wand. Curiosity gets the better of her and she walks over and picks it up. Opening the box further, she picks apart the tissue paper surrounding it. Grasping the wand, she feels a sudden warmth in her fingers. 

"Mr. Olivander!" She calls, she hears the sound of falling boxes and a stumbling Mr. Olivander. Dashing through the shelves, he finds her holding a wand. 

"Ah, Holly and Dragon, I should've known."

"what do you mean?" She asks. 

"Holly is the wood of your wand dear, and Dragon is the core. Dragon heartstring"  Smiling he asks for fourteen galleons, confused until he shows her the gold ones. 

"See the silver ones? Yes those, they're called sickles, seventeen of those to a galleon, yes the gold ones. And the little bronze ones? Yes, those are knuts, twenty-nine of those to a sickle. Got it? Good." She hands him the galleons and he gives her the box and places the wand inside. clutching the box in hand, she leaves the store. She finds the headmaster standing outside, waiting for her. Walking up to him, she holds out the box. 

"Got it, now what?" He smiles and guides her from the alley. Walking through the pub again watching the people sitting at the tables carefully, memorizing every detail she can. They exit the pub and stand on the sidewalk outside. 

"Now once more miss Eileen, grip my arm, yes hard, and hold on tight." Gripping onto the bags and the headmaster's arm, she prepared for the sensation she wasn't in a hurry to experience again. Once again, he twists on the spot, and she is squeezed into what feels like a tube, unable to breathe. When she opens her eyes again, she is faced with a tall metal gate, it creaks open to reveal a castle standing on a hill. A black lake below it reflects the numerous towers stretching to the sky. A forest stretches across as far as her eyes can see.  She can see the shadow of a small town in the distance, and a light breeze makes the trees in the forest shake. 

She turns her gaze to the castle. It huge. Towers stretch to the sky, even from here, she can see the detail is extremely intricate. Windows are scattered across their surfaces and larger sections are scattered here and there. Realizing her mouth is gaping, she snaps it close. The headmaster smiles and begins to walk up the castle. 

"Hogwarts my dear, will be your home for the school year. You will not be attending as the rest of the student do, you will be taught be taught separately by a select few professors. I ask you not share this with anyone you may meet. Do we have a deal?" His proposition is strange, but she accepts anyways, and a smile is thrown onto his face again. They come to a pair of double doors, their light wood has been weathered over the years. Flicking his wand, the headmaster enters the castle and she follows. The hallways are decorated with paintings, and she is shocked when some of them look her way, others wave friendly in her direction. Suits of armor stand here and there. Coming to a stone gargoyle they stop and the headmaster mutters a word that she can't quite pick up and the gargoyle jumps aside. 

Stepping onto a spiral staircase, they reach a circle office. It's beautiful, in its own way. A desk sits near the back, covered in mysterious objects. Bookshelves line the walls and what looks like a bird stand sits against an uncovered stone wall. A slightly open cabinet draws her eye, as a faint blue glow is emanating from inside. Dumbledore smiles, noticing her curiosity.

"I think it's time you meet on of your professors miss Eileen." His voice is kind, and she nods. The door that she had just walked through bangs open and a tall figure comes storming into the office. 

"My dear, please meet Professor Snape."