Sarah Beth wrote back immediatly. The first thing she said to do was go through the book, high light everything that was incorrect, and write down what really happened. Then, I sent her a copy of the high lighted text and my corrections.
I had to wait for her to figure out what to do. In the mean time, she suggested something I never, in a million years, would have thought of doing: She told me to pay a visit to Mister Harry Potter and explain the situtation.
I thought she was crazy, but apparently he had tried to stop the publishing of hte book. I wasn't sure why, but he was angry at Rita Skeeter as well.
The thing was, I wasn't really sure if I wanted to talk to him. I couldn't bring myself to. I had spent all of these years trying to kill him. Working with a group wh ohated him. Hating him and blaming him for Wyatt's death. Asking for his help would make me feel terrible: ashamed.
On the other hand, people would listen to him. I was a Death Eater for three years. Why would they? Harry Potter, on the other hand, had their trust already. He was Harry Potter. The Mister Harry Potter. the valient hero who defeated the Dark Lord.
I would have to do it, though. As affraid as I was, I would have to get it fixed. I couldn't let Rita Skeeter slander my uncle's name. I loved him too much to let that happe.
So, I dug around and dfound out that Mister Potter was living with the Weasley's, another family I had made fun of in the past.
I looked up their address, some place nick named 'The Burrow', and made my plan.
A week later, I found my opertunity.
Lucius was at work, as was Draco. Narcissa had to go out to get some dress she had had hemmed, so she told me that she woulld get it while I took my nap, if I didn't care. I told her it was fine. She smiled,d kissed my forhead, and gave me my Combination.
I went up to my room and waited for her to elave. AFter a few minutes, I went to my bathroom and got on my knees infront of the toilette. I lifted the lids, then peered down into the clear water sitting above white pourciline.
I had to do it for my plan to work. I could't keep that Combination in my body. If I did, I would be asleep before I could get there.
I opened my mouth and stuck my index finger in it, way iin the back. I moved it around for a couple seconds, then there it was: The reflex.
A gurlging noise excaped my lips, then I felt the contense of my stomach rise into my throat. I removed my my finger just in time to hold back my hair as I began to vomit. When my stomach was finished, I pulled my body up straight agaian, coughing. Inside the bowl, the once clear water was now bright yellow.
I smiled. I didn't have to worry about the Combination anymore. Now I had to go to the next step of my plan.
After brushing my teeth, I excited the bathroom and grabbed the Floo Powder off of the mantal. I threw it into the fire, and quietly said,
"The Burrow"
A pleasant face immediatly appeared in the fire.
"Hello. May I ask who is calling?" The woman asked. I looked down, trying my best to avoid her eyes.
"Um...I....Mister Potter...." I managed to say. She must of understood what a meant, because she looked back, and then at me, still smiling.
"I'm sorry, dear, but may I ask who you are? It's nothing against you, it's just the media just won't leave him alone."
"I, um... Eleanor... Snape. Eleanor Snape." I stuttered. She nodded.
"You're Severus's niece, aren't you? The one that has been all over the Prophet?"
"I, um... Guess so..." I kept my eyes casted down. I felt really anxious. I didn't like that woman. She was too happy, like Sarah Beth.
"In that case I will go get him." She began to turn around, but I stopped her.
"Actually." I started. "I kind of wanted to talk to him in person, tf that's okay..."
"That's no problem at all. You can come right over, dear." She stepped aside as a guesture for me to step through the fire. I grabbed the bag I had packed for myself before hand, took a deep breath, and went through.
I came back out in a small kitchen. Despite the size, it was over flowing with pots and pans and pictures of the Weasly children. The pleasant woman who I had been talking to was standing a few feet away, waiting eagirly. She approached me, and I stepped back a bit.
"Hello, Eleanor. I am Molly. Would you like anything before I get Harry?"
"No..." I umcomfortably shifted.
"Are you sure? I can get you a snack, or a cup of tea."
"No thank you... I would just like to speak to Mister Potter, please."
"Alrighty. You may go sit in the living room if you would like, it's right through there." She pointed into a smaller room containing a fireplace, a couch, and a big cukoo clock. I nodded and quietly went where she directed. As I waited for her to come back, I grabbed the hat I had been knitting and the ball of yarn out of my bag. My knitted had improved, and I could now make simple thing like hats and scarves.
After stitching a few rows, Molly returned. I looked up to see that she wasn't alone.
"Here he is, Eleanor. Are you sure you wouldn't like anything?"
"No..." I looked back down. Mister Potter stepped forward.
"If she need anything, I wil lget it for her. Take a break, Molly." He offered. Molly smiled, and pinched his cheek before going on through the house. Mister Potter took a look at me and sat across from me in a chair made of a different material than the sofa.
"So..." He started. "You are Snape's niece?"
"Yeah..." I bit my lip. I couldn't believe I was doing this. This was the Harry Potter. He was the reason I was where I was. If he hadn't of beaten You-Know-Who, who knows what would have happened? Maybe I wouldn't be crazy. Maybe he would have died instead of Vincent...But again, no one knew.
I tried to concentrate of my stitching in effort to control my emotions.
"He was a brave man, you know. You're uncle. I want you to know I am glad to call him my friend."
"He... I miss him. I miss him a lot."I replied.
"I'm sure you do. You have good reason to. You are a lot like him, you know."
My breath caught in my chest.
You are a lot like him, you know.
No one had ever toldl me that. All my life it had been "You look just like you're uncle". Everyone had alway focused on our looks, not my personality. Not how I acted. Not how I felt. Mister Potter said that I was like my Uncle, and he also said that my uncle was a good man. He thought I was good. He actually thought I was good....
"Thank you, Mister Potter." I felt tears prick behind my eyes. He smiled, peering at me with his green eyes.
"The Prophet said that you were in St. Mungo's for a while. I am very glad you are doing better."
"Thank you, Mister Potter." I looked up from my knitting, then continued.
"You don't have to call me 'Mister Potter'. You can call me Harry." He laughed.
"Oh...Okay, Mister Harry." I said. He paused ,then continued.
"It also said the Malfoy's took you in. Are they treating you well?"
"Yeah. Um... Lucius and Narcissa help me a lot. So does Draco, some times."
"That's good to hear." He leaned forward a bit. "So, what brings you here?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, there must be a reason you came?"
"Oh.. well... I went to the book shop a few weeks ago and found this." I put the knitting down and pulled my copy of Snape: Schoundrel or Saind out of my bag. I handed it to him.
"Oh, yeah. I tried my hardest to stop her from publishing it." He solomly said. "But she faught me all the way."
"Open it.' I instructed. He didn't question, but did so. He flipped through the pages, eyeing the highlighted paragraphs.
"What are all of these markings?" He questioned. I picked my knitting back up. The hat was almost completed.
"It's everything that was a lie. I wrote down teh corrections, here." I took out my notes and gave them to him as well. "My, um... friend," I had trouble saying the word. "Sarah Beth told me to do it, then said I should see you, since you are against it as well."
"Sarah Beth Cumberland?"
"Uh-huh."
"The Prophet says they want her for the New Ministry, but she won't accept any posisions. From the talking, she's fantastic at Wizarding Law."
"That's why I asked her, but she hasn't found anything out yet."
"Tell me when she does. I will do anything to get this book off hte shelf. People need to know the truth about your uncle. He was a good man."
"Thank you. I love him a lot." I replied. He was quiet for a moment, then stood up.
"You know, I think I have something you would like. Wait a minute, please." He walked out of the room. I continued to knit as I waited. When he came back in, he was holding a small vial full of a silvery liquid. Or maybe it was a steam. I wasn't sure. The way it moved around looked like a mist, yet the way it moved as the vial did made it look like a liquid.
"Here you go." He reached it out to me. I hesitated before taking it.
"What...is it?" I asked, moving it around and watching the myserious silver inners.
"It's some of your Uncle's memories. He gave them to me before... He gave them to me." He left it at that. I felt my eyes begin to tear up again.
"Thank you... Thank you so much, Mister Potter." I wiped at my eyes.
"It's no problem. You deserve it. I'm sure you miss him a lot. I am so sorry for your lose. I wish I could have done something."
"It's okay. It's not your fault..." I swollowed. "What time it is?" I asked. Harry looked at his watch.
"Almost one." He replied. I finished the final stitch on the hat and tied off the yarn.
"I have to leave. I'm suppose to be taking a nap right now. It's part of my therapy."
"Okay, then. Thank you for visiting, Eleanor. It was lovely meeting you. And I will do anything you need me to do in stopping this book." He reached out his hand for me to shake, but instead I just put the finished hat in his hand.
A peace offering.
He didn't push. Instead, he just accepted it with thanks and put it on his head.
I picked up the pot of Floo Powder from on top of the fireplace and threw some into the fire. It turned green. I looked back at him before walking in. He smiled at me, and I weakily smiled back before going into the flame.
Back in my room, I laid down in my bed.
I had just visited Harry Potter. Harry Potter had agreed to help me. But most importantly: Harry Potter had forgiven me. He didn't say so vebally, but he was going to help me after years of me trying to kill him. He gave me some of my Uncle's memories. Most importantly, Harry Potter had given me a feeling of hope. Hope that we would stop Rita Skeeter and make her pay for what she had done.
Harry Potter was my friend.
Or atleast a friendly acquaintance.