The Potions Master and the Ravenclaw

"Please Help Him"

Madeline pressed her fingers to Snape's wrist. His pulse was still irregular, still weak. He was still unconscious. He was sweating profusely and she wiped his face with a cool cloth, brushed his wet hair away from his face, then kissed his forehead. Perspiration was a good sign. The toxin was leaving his body.

It had been an hour since she'd given him the blood replenisher. Oh, please let it work, she thought. Please.

The doors to the hospital wing swung open and she looked up to see Dumbledore moving quickly toward her.

"Madeline, I came as soon as I could. I was... away." His blue eyes took in her blood-covered uniform and his brow furrowed.

"Severus has been been cursed, Headmaster. He's dying. He's lost a lot of blood. Quite a lot. I've healed the wound and cleaned it. He's had blood replenisher and it's helping. It's replacing the blood he lost and he's sweating the poison out, but his vital signs remain unchanged. I've tried a blood purifying spell, but it takes time to work. He may die before it takes effect. I'm thinking of crushing a bezoar and forcing it down his throat. This isn't a typical poison. It's a curse, so it may not be efficacious, but I have to try. I can't let him die."

"You're awfully calm, my dear."

"Hysteria will do my husband no good," she said evenly. "And I'm his only hope at the moment. He's too ill to transport to St. Mungo's and his predicament might be somewhat difficult to explain."

He nodded. "How can I help?"

"Fawkes," she said. "Call him to you. His tears may may heal him."

"Of course."

Madeline turned and went to the supply room. She selected a large bezoar from the cabinet and crushed it as fast as she could. She mixed it with a small amount of pumpkin juice and returned to Snape's bedside.

"Help me sit him up, please."

With surprising strength for a man so old and thin, Dumbledore lifted Snape into an upright position in the bed and supported him in his arms.

Madeline took a dropper and drew up the bezoar mixture, then laid it on the bedside table.

She picked up her wand and aimed it at Snape's chest.

"We'll have a very small window of time. Are you ready?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"Rennervate," she said, and Snape's eyes flew open. She held his jaw and squirted the contents of the dropper down his throat. He swallowed, then collapsed against Dumbledore's chest once more. The headmaster laid the younger wizard back against the pillows and placed his hand on his shoulder.

Madeline waved her wand over her husband's body, chanting a healing incantation softly three times.

Then she heard Fawkes's cry and she turned to see the beautiful phoenix flying through the open doors of the hospital wing.

The large bird landed gracefully on the foot of the bed and Madeline pulled back the blanket to expose Snape's bare chest.

"Help him, Fawkes. Please help him," she whispered.

Fawkes tilted his head and began to sing, moving to Snape's side. His tears fell on the closed wound and it glowed with a soft golden light.

Madeline held her husband's hand tightly, willing him to open his eyes.

The glow faded and Fawkes flew to his master, perching on Dumbledore's outstretched arm.

They stared down at the man in the bed, pale and still. His chest rose and he breathed in deeply through his nose, then his black eyes fluttered open.