The Enemy of my Enemy

The Betrayed

"Professor! Professor!"

The door swung open, and Severus Snape appeared on the other side. "Miss Green, what is the meaning of this racket!" he asked, although he looked relieved to see her.

"It's Professor Dumbledore," said Teddie, her breathing rapid from running and pounding on the door. "He - he needs help - I left him with Harry - He drank poison and -"

Snape set a hand on her shoulder and guided her into his office, closing the door behind them. "What kind of potion did he drink, Miss Green?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"Why did he drink it?"

Teddie stopped short. What could she say? Dumbledore had only indicated that he needed Professor Snape's help to counteract the poison but hadn't told her what to say if he asked what kind.

"Miss Green?" Snape repeated, staring at her. "I need to know what poison it was so that I can be sure I am giving him the right antidote."

"I don't know what poison it was, it didn't have a label," said Teddie. "It was neon green, and it sounded like it made him face his worst nightmares or fears. Every time he drank it, he would scream and beg for whatever he was seeing to stop."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "And yet, he continued to drink it, why?" he asked.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Teddie cried. "He just..." she sighed, tears now rolling down her cheeks. "Professor, please, just help him!"

"Where is he?" Snape asked, collecting a black bag from the top desk of his drawer. Teddie recognised it as the one he had used to help Theo after they had learned his father was abusing him. She could only assume that held several antidotes.

"Astronomy Tower," said Teddie. She moved to follow him, but Snape placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You stay here," Snape instructed.

"What? No!"

Snape sighed and removing his wand from inside his robes, pointed it at her feet. "I'm sorry, Miss Green but this is absolutely necessary," he said. He then reached under her sleeve, took her wand, and tossed it onto a nearby desk, just out of her reach.

"Hey, you can't do that!" Teddie yelled after him.

"You will thank me later," said Snape. "Also, do you remember what I said before you left with the Headmaster earlier this evening?"

Teddie furrowed her brow in thought. "That, whatever happens, isn't my fault?" she asked.

"Precisely."

"But what do you mean?"

Snape didn't reply. He merely swept out of the room and disappeared.

~X~

It seemed like hours since Snape had left, and he had yet to return. Teddie, her feet still glued to the floor, had been doing her very best to try and reach her wand, but had only managed to knock it onto the floor and watch it roll away from her.

Accio Wand, she thought, stretching out as far as she could on the floor, her fingers barely brushing the wooden stick. Come on, come on! But it was no use. The wand was just too far away.

She wondered if Snape had made it to the Astronomy Tower in time. Had he been able to help Dumbledore? Had he and Harry taken the Headmaster to the Hospital Wing for monitoring, or where they in his office?

Where was Harry? Was he still with them? Did he still have the locket? Had Dumbledore asked Snape to look at the locket? Given it was a Horcrux and radiating dark magic, and Snape being the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, it would only be logical that he look at it.