| Dugbog
Join Date: May 2010 Location: Iowa , United States
Posts: 141
Second Year | 
This Chapter is important. I really went in a different direction that originally planed. But I like how it panned out. Someone in the comments asked a really tough question and I believe I answered too soon. I made it so technically what I answered could be taken different ways. Anyway I hope you enjoy its long and crazy! Oh and Katie , I hope some of your questions are answered in this chapter.
Disclaimer: Anything Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.
Chapter 14
“Ella this is not your best work” Snape said
“The solution should be clear, and this, this is cloudy.” He pointed his wand to the potion brewing in the cauldron.
“ Do it again.” He snapped.
“ Sir it is eleven.” Ella groaned
“I want clean notes, and everything to be perfect, I will be back to check.” And with that He left Ella alone.
Ella glanced to see Malfoy with his nose in a book and his quill writing fiercely.
Good, she thought.
At least he was being quiet, but why did he have to leave her with him.
Ella threw away her notes, and began to wash out cauldron.
“You know he washes his cauldron the same way you do.” Came a whisper from the back.
“I don’t know where you coming from, but I suggest you shut your mouth”
“ Plus, all potion masters handle their cauldrons the same way.” Ella murmerd back to him.
She knew she had to focus if she was to get back to her dormitory anytime soon.
She grasped the lid with her left hand and with her right she held her wand.
She then tilted the cauldron and uttered a spell in which a silvery liquid came out of her wand.
She circled her wand until the entire cauldron was clean.
She sat the cauldron on the burner, and began to heat it.
A sort off peace fell on her, and even Malfoy wasn’t going to distract her. This was her time.
“Now , what did I do…….”
She read the instructions clearly.
“Dittany is a major ingredient, but not the main. To heal wounds faster than what dittany would add one half ladle dragon blood, heat for half hour and then add crushed dittany leaves in a circler motion .”
She read aloud a few more lines.
“Not used for normal wounds, the dragon’s blood when heated will turn clear, unlike the purple or cloudy seen in medical potions.”
She made sure she did everything perfect to what the directions said to do. She even crushed the leaves extra than before.
About an hour and a half went by and Professor Snape opened the door to see her progress.
“Well Miss. Greene it looks like you’ve done it, but we need to test it..” He said looking proud.
Ella took her knife and in her palm made a deep cut.
“ Are you that sure?” Snape said shocked
Ella took her dropper and poured the liquid into the cut.
Instantly it turned pink and sealed up.
Ella smiled.
“ I was sure.” “ But one more thing, I’m not sure what I did the first time to not make it work?” She said.
“If the leaves are not crushed small enough, the potion will not turn out.”
“Your leaves were simply too large.” He began to explain why the potion didn’t turn out.
Ella’s faced dropped.
“Ella, anytime the directions say crush, you must crush into fine pieces.”
“What are the differences between this potion and what Madame Pomfrey uses.”
“Madame Pomfrey uses a potion which yes heals , but for deep or extreme wounds this is what the hospital uses.”
“She will be happy to have a few vials on hand , for those circumstances”
Snape glanced at Malfoy with a stern look.
“Malfoy , you can go .”
Ella saw that Malfoy with a nod left immediately.
“Now, sit down.” Snape seemed antsy like he was holding something in.
Ella sat down wondering what Snape was up to.
“I have something to tell you.”
“Ok, what is it?”
“I have contacted the ministry and informed them of your talents.” “We have reached an agreement that there is a way you can skip the rest of your forth year potions, fifth, sixth and seventh year!!” Snape was grinning from ear to ear.
“How?” Ella was intrigued.
“Well, if you agree to this , the minister himself will come to Hogwarts and give you the following: A parchment, for detailed notes, one vial, that will be tested and a card with the potion that must be done to perfection”
“If the potion is perfect, then you will not have to attend classes” He was smiling at this point.
“Well, You will have two hour sessions three times a week with me instead.”
“This is a lot to take in” Ella said.
“Once I send an owl , you will have two days to prepare, on the third its test time.” Snape said
“Any clue to the potion?” Ella was concerned.
“None”
“There is no pressure” Snape said reassuringly.
“What if I fail?” She said worried.
“Then we stick to the same schedule.”
“You wont fail” He said assuring her.
“I don’t want to let you down.” She said with her head down.
Snape reached over and held her hand.
“You wont.”
“Ok, I am up for the challenge.” Ella said with a smile.
“Great!”
“Ill send the owl now.”
“ Go to bed, you will have no classes for the three days.”
“ Ill send your stuff up, go and get some sleep.”
Snape rushed out of the room.
Ella got up slowly.
Questions were racing through her mind. What if she failed? What would Snape think?
She walked to her dormitory in a state of shock.
Thankfully, no one was in the common room and she plopped in front of the fire place.
Her peace was interrupted by the low voice of Neville Longbottom.
“Was it hard to be in the same room as Malfoy.”
“Oh, hi Neville, yes , yes it was.”
“Neville, I can tell you something?” Ella’s voice was soft.
“Well, yes” Neville walked next to her.
“If Draco would of asked me to be his girlfriend , I think I would of said yes.” “With or Without the potion.”
Before Neville could say anything, she got up and patted his shoulder and walked away.
Ella was up before anyone else.
She braided her long dark hair into a single side braid, and gathered her books and her suitcase.
She headed down to the great hall which was empty but for a few older Ravenclaw’s.
She sat down and began eating her eggs.
Then it hit her, the pressure began to take over, and she began to shake .
“My dear what is the matter?” Came a soft voice.
Ella glanced up to see Dumbledore staring at her in confusion.
“Oh, Sir I am just worried.”
“Don’t be , it wont matter what score you receive” Ella sighed.
“But isn’t it exciting, a student hasn’t taken this test for eighty years!!” Her eyes went large after hearing what else Dumbledore had to say.
“Thanks, that helps.” She said being sarcastic.
“Oh Miss. Greene, I guess that wouldn’t help, anyway good luck!”
Ella’s tensions eased as the hall began to fill with more students including her friends.
“Potions all day?” Ron said with a look of disgust.
“Yeah, that’s the cool part.” Ella said eating her toast.
“That is the worst part!” Ron said as everyone laughed.
“Hermione, I meant to tell you last night I completed this potion that I think will be most useful for you.”
“Really? What is it?”
“Well, its basically an upgraded healing potion.”
“It has dittany ,but uses dragon blood!”
“ I’ll write down the instructions , I mean as much trouble you three get into , you might need it.”
“I would save it for a few years, it actually works better with age.”
“Oh , that would be useful! Thanks!”
“Look, how my wound is healing!”
“Ouch!” Everyone said at once.
Ella showed them her pink scar on her palm.
“ It wasn’t bad”
“Harry you really should focus on your egg!” Hermione bellowed at Harry.
“Yeah, yeah ,yeah”
“She’s right you know.” Ella said nodding her head.
“Yeah , unfortunately she is.”
The screeching of owls was heard overhead and Ella saw Chauncy from the pack. Her parents wrote back.
Dearest Ella,
There is no possible need for your birth certificate. I have it in safe keeping.
-Mom and Dad.
“They wont give you it?” Hermione said in outrage.
“ Oh , I will get it.” Ella said determined as ever.
Ella pulled out a parchment and a quill and began to right.
St Lukes Wizard Hospital
To whomever this may concern:
My name is Ella Rae Greene, and I am requesting my birth certificate. Please use my owl; he will know where to go.
Thanks, Ella R. Greene.
After finishing the letter she gave it to Chauncey and took off herself.
“See you guys at lunch!”
Ella walked up to the library, and found the spot that the librarian Madame Pince had set up for her.
“Let it be known, This was not my decision.” “ I usually close at eight pm, but I have to be open for you till midnight.” Madame Pince said all this in disgust.
“Miss. Priss.” Ella said hissing.
“Its Pince.” The librarian snapped.
“ Priss, I am here to study , not for your nonsense.”
Ella smiled, and the lanky librarian walked off in a huff.
Ella opened her bag and pulled out her books. Then she pulled out her cauldron and everything needed to make potions.
“ Protego” She said scanning the area with her wand.
“Why is there a need for a protective charm , Miss Greene!’
“Well, I don’t want green acid slime to eat away your precious books!”
“ Hmmp….” Was the sound that came from Madame Pince.
Ella laughed.
The hours passed by and nothing seemed to stick in Ella’s brain.
The frustration began to bottle, and the sixth and seventh year books were harder than she thought.
“How are you doing, Ella ?” Dumbledore calmly asked.
“ Not good professor.”
“Well, let’s see here.” He said grabbing her book.
Dumbledore glanced at the page of her fifth year book.
“Study, tips for creating potions from your fourth year and fifth year books.” “Then study actual potions from sixth and seventh.” “Study what you don’t know.”
“The ministry is not tricky, even though they think they are” “They will choose a potion from your seventh year textbook.” “I’ll bet you ten galleons on that one!” Dumbledore said.
“Thanks , Sir.” She took his advice and opened her sixth and seventh year books and began to skimming.
Ella skipped lunch and studied her books intently. She chose a seventh year potion and began to work on it.
“Miss. Greene, this is the fifth time an explosion as happened!”
“I know I know.” Ella said rolling her eyes.
“ What am I doing wrong????” She didn’t care she was talking aloud.
“Well, fix it whatever it is because, well this is a library, and you’re a big distraction!” Madame Pince face was red.
Ella looked up from her simmering cauldron. She had enough.
“ Shhhh, don’t you know this is a library, and Im trying to study.” Ella said smiling at Madame Pince.
“Go pet Mrs. Norris and make Filch happy.” She knew she was being evil, but she didn’t care.
Ella grinned in delight as Madame Pince stormed away.
A few hours later her friends came to visit.
“Hey Ella it’s nearly seven, missed you at lunch and dinner.” Harry said as Hermione and Ron followed.
“I just can’t get this potion down!” Ella said as her anger began to rise.
“What is it?” Ron said grimacing at the nasty looking potion.
“It is a cure for stomach worms.” Ella said with no emotion.
Ron and Harry both held their stomachs in disgust.
“You think that sounds bad, read the ingredients.”
“And it keeps exploding, so I keep having to clean purple slime off me.”
“Well, we will lets you go, here is a turkey sandwich.”
“You guys are amazing!”Ella said smiling.
“We will see you later.” Harry said laughing at Ella who had almost finished the entire sandwich
" How can you eat that ,with that nasty smelling potion brewing."
" Doesnt bother me that much!" Ella said laughing at Ron.
Once they left, Ella began to stir until her potion went soupy and turned a bright yellow
.
She took out her wand and uttered "Incendio "
Her cauldron went aflame and after a few hours the soupy matter turned a bright red signaling she had correctly created her cure.
“Finally” Ella said aloud.
“Finally, you can get out of her.” Miss Pince was smiling at her witty comment.
Ella glanced at Madame Pince.
“ You secretly love me , don’t lie.” Ella said hiding the grin she had planted on her face.
“ You are that bold child?”
“Yes.”
“ Pack up and leave.” Madame Pince’s face was stern.
“ Yes , Sir.” Ella smiled.
Ella put her books away and started to fill up vials and label them.
“Ok, see you tomorrow.” Ella said as she walked out the door.
“Alright tomorrow it is.” Madame Pince shook her head and Ella could swear she smiled
By the time Ella climbed in the portrait hole it was nearly midnight.
She sat in the big comfy chair and smiled.
After all the stress of the morning, she completed a tough potion.
“Hey Ella!”
“Hey Neville, up again?”
“I just wanted to see how your studying went.”
“It went well, goodnight.”
“Night…”
The next morning Ella awoke ready to begin the day. She had to get breakfast, go to the library and some how meet up with professor Snape who seemed to be ignoring her.
“Really , he hasn’t once checked in on you.” Hermione said gathering her books.
“Nope, its been Dumbledore.” Ella said walking towards the door.
“He shows up at odd times to check in.”
“That’s weird”
“It is.”
The hall was full of students eating, studying and talking to their friends. Ella sat next to her friends, and began to eat.
Ella was eating her eggs and reading her potions book when the hooting of owls filled the air.
Ella went back to reading her book when to her surprise Chauncey came and landed on her shoulder.
“Baby, are you hungry?” She said scratching the top of his ears.
She gave him her bacon and realized he had a certified letter for her.
“Already?” She said aloud.
“That fast?” Hermione said.
“ I sent it yesterday, and all the way to America!” Ella was truly astonished.
“You are just the fastest owl!” Ella said giving him more bacon.
“Go and rest , I promise I wont use you for a while.”
As if Chauncey knew the command he hooted back and flew away.
Ella stared at the sealed envelope that CONFIDENTAL written on it. “Well are you going to open it?” Harry said nudging her.
“Yes , of course I am .”
Ella went to open the envelope when a loud voice echoed through the hall.
“ELLA GREENE”
Ella stood ,and looked at the opening of the door to see Professor McGonagall standing with her wand out.
She stuffed the envelope in her pocket and gathered her things.
“I will see you guys later, I have no idea what this is about.”
The three nodded their heads as she walked towards McGonagall.
“This way my dear.”
“What’s going on.”
“Dumbledore needs to speak with you.”
“Why”
“Lets let him explain.”
They came to the opening of his office and she said the password.
They walked up the steps ,that appeared and Ella found it weird that his door was closed.
“Wait here” McGonagall said pointing at the ground.
Ella could here faint voices, and put her ear against the wall.
“She is my daughter.”
Ella stood back in shock.
Her mother was here. At Hogwarts.
“Would you kindly lower your voice, she is right outside this room” McGonagall said with a stern sharp voice.
Ella stood back shaking with fear.
What did I do? She thought.
The latch of the door opened, and Ella saw Dumbledore.
“Come with me , Ella.”
Ella stood like a statue right in her place.
“ I’m scared.” She blurted out.
“ Don’t be , I promise everything will be ok.”
Ella took a step forward and stepped into the office.
Ella stood in the doorway and almost fainted.
A half circle encompassed Dumbledore’s large desk. Five chairs made up the circle. From left to right sat Angela, Lisa, Jenny, Deborah Greene, and Edward Greene. Ella’s entire family sat in front of her.
“Ella , sit at my desk.”
Calmly she made her way to Dumbledore’s desk and sat down. She looked to her left and saw Professor Snape and to her right Professor McGonagall.
She faced her family, and yet no one looked directly at her. Not even Jenny, who seemed to glow, would look at her.
“What is going on?” Ella said the first words.
“Why did you request your birth certificate from the hospital?” Ella’s mother snapped.
“ Because my friend Hermione is doing her ancestry and wanted to do mine.”
“What is the big deal about that?” Ella asked.
“ I told you honey there was no funny business here” Said Ella’s father to her mom.
“You guys barely write me and for a birth certificate you rush here.”
“This is not making sense.” Ella was clearly confused.
“ Its your fault!” Deborah Greene said pointing to Snape.
“Wait a minute!” Ella yelled back at her mother.
“ Why are you yelling at him?!”
Dumbledore walked over to Deborah and Edward.
“Its time.” He gave them a vile and then walked over to Snape and gave him one.
Ella turned towards Snape who looked mortified.
Each of them took out their wands and put them against their heads. All there eyes were closed and silver was being pulled out. They put the memories in the vial provided, and Dumbledore collected them.
Ella’s breathing became rapid, and her mind became blank.
Dumbledore walked towards a cabinet opened it and there appeared a pensive.
“Do you know what this is?”
Ella who had seen one just once before replied “Yes” He then asked her to come over.
Ella got up and looked into the water. Dumbledore poured the memories in the pensive.
“Don’t hate them Ella, they love you.” Dumbledore whispered.
“This is the only way to explain everything, without confusing you.”
Ella nodded, and put her head in the water.
Ella opened her eyes and she began to walk around.
She was in a small house with books everywhere. She heard a faint cry and turned away fast.
A man was sitting in an old chair with his hands on his face. His black hair was scraggily and she knew exactly who it was. She walked up to him and noticed a piece of parchment on the floor. She picked it up.
Severus Snape,
By the time this reaches you by muggle post, I will be dead. I have been in America for the past five months; I had a child, your child, a girl with dark hair and blue eyes. I am sorry I lied, but I couldn’t allow her to live in England with you. You’re to deep Severus. To deep in you know who’s grasp. She is safe. A prominent wizarding family took her in. They adore her. She was not legally adopted, but her name will be Greene. Please don’t go after her. Let her be safe.
-Jane.
Ella read the letter over and over again. She couldn’t believe it, yet for some reason she was calm. She set the letter back where it was and began to look around. This is where she could of lived, grew up. It was a sad place. She heard a shuffle and Snape stood up. He grabbed the letter pointed the wand and it went into flames.
The memory shifted. Everything around her changed and she realized she was at her old home in Ohio.
“Isn’t she beautiful?”
Ella turned around to see her mother, who was younger beaming.
She then saw her three older sisters, who were so tiny come running up to try and hold her.
“Mommy, can she sleep in my room?”
“Sure, Jenny.”
Ella couldn’t help it. The tears flooded. No matter what, she was a Greene.
Ella stood for a few minutes, and she watched as each of her siblings held her.
“No , No, not yet!” Ella yelled, but the scene had changed. She was back in Dumbledore’s office.
“What do I do?” “Could it be , it has to be.” “Her last name is Greene.” Ella saw a much older Snape pacing around Dumbledore.
“Calm Down Severus.” Dumbledore said trying to calm him down.
“How can I?” Snape snapped.
“Did you love Jane?” Dumbledore asked.
“No.” Snape said a
“ Not even a little.” Dumbledore this time had his glasses off , rubbing his eyes.
“ We were friends.”
“ I could never love her like I love….” Snape said staring out the window.
“Why didn’t you ever go find the girl?” “ She was never adopted legally.” “ In all aspects of Wizard code you could claim her.”
“Jane, was right.” “ I was in to far deep.” “ Jane always knew what to do.”
There was a pause and there for a few minutes both men were lost in thought.
But Snape interrupted the silence.
“He would of killed her, and now I cant even say I have a daughter.”
“No one knows but you, Dumbledore.”
“We will see if she is yours come sorting.” Dumbledore said with a smile.
“Do you love this?” Snape said his temper rising.
“Severus, we are dear friends.” “ I don’t like seeing you suffer, but you are overreacting.”
“What do we tell the parents?” Snape said.
“You will do nothing, I will take care of everything, and make sure we comply with the wishes of her family.” “They will be upset I am sure.” “They will be upset and possibly overreact like you are doing now.”
“That’s her family.” Snape said.
“ Exactly , that’s why they will be defensive.”
“Thank you for helping me.” Snape said sitting across from Dumbledore.
“ It will be ok.” Dumbledore said reaching for his friends hand.
Ella stood in the corner watching the dialogue in complete silence. This was all to fast..
The scene didn’t change, but Ella could tell this was a new memory because different books were on tables and the sorting hat was on Dumbledore’s desk.
“Severus, she’s your daughter.” Dumbledore said not even blinking.
“ I know.” Snape flinched as the words came out of his mouth.
“She looks like Jane.” Snape whispered back to Dumbledore.
“ I beg to differ.”
“ Her mannerisms, the way she carries herself and the dark black hair all are you.”
“ When I saw her, I saw you.”
Snape shuddered, stood up and grabbed the sorting hat. He held the hat right up to his face.
“ Why was Ella Greene put in Gryffindor?”
“You mean Ella Snape.”
“Shut it.” Snape’s voice was raspy.
“She is kind and brave, and afraid of failure.” The hat replied.
“It was hard, she could have been put in any of the houses.” “ Ravenclaw ,for her wit, Slytherin because of her gift, and Hufflepuff for empathy.” The sorting hat replied.
“What is her gift?” Snape said instantly.
“Potions.” The hat whispered.
Snape sat on the chair and dropped the hat to the floor.
Everything went black.
The scenes were gone, and Ella pulled lifted her head up.
She stared at the faces eagerly looking for her reaction.
Black began to close in and she fainted.
Well I hope you enjoyed the chapter = ) Keep the comments coming =DDDDDDD
-Heather 
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