The Mirror of Erised
Chapter Fifteen
By Jewel Little Bird
Snape corrected homework assignments while wondering whom the hell was running down the hall like a maniac. He debated bursting out of the classroom and scaring the offender shitless, only to have the decision taken out of his hands as Hermione burst into the room. He noted with surprise that the normally calm girl was in a panic.
"Professor! Professor!" she screeched at a pitch that should've shattered glass.
"Stop screaming, Ms. Granger. I have a headache."
"It's Fleur, Professor! Sir Nicholas told me to get you! She's poisoned herself!"
Snape flew from his seat and grabbed her arm on his way to the door, practically dragging her. "Take me there!"
Snape and Hermione arrived just after Dumbledore and Harry, the latter of whom had been sent for the former. Fleur was lying on the floor behind her desk, Sir Nicholas leaning over her. "She's not dead," the ghost said, "but she's nearly there."
Snape knelt next to her and immediately checked her pulse, beathing, and even lifted one of her eyelids to see if her pupils were contracted or dilated. "I can't tell what she took! Look for the bottle she used." Hermione went scrambling to the desk while Harry started searching the floor.
"Severus," Dumbledore's voice said behind him. "Here." The Headmaster had found the vial the poison had been in.
Snape took it and sniffed the remnants of the poison and scoffed. "Painless Death," he said as Filch arrived, led by Mrs. Norris, "and a pathetic brew at that. She must've made it herself." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out the antidote. "Filch, help me."
With the caretaker's help, Snape got Fleur to drink the whole bottle just as Madam Pomphrey and Ron burst in. The nurse knelt next to Snape and checked Fleur's lifesigns, then looked at him. "What did she take?"
"Painless Death. I've just given her the antidote."
She nodded. "Good. She'll still need a day or so to recover."
"She'll be alright, then?" Ron asked.
"Yes, she'll be fine."
"Argus," Dumbledore interrupted, "if you would be so kind as to help Poppy take Fleur to the infirmary?"
Filch nodded as Pomphrey conjured a strecher, then helped lifted Fleur onto it and pushed it out of the room. Sir Nicholas and Mrs. Norris followed them.
As Snape stood up, Dumbledore turned to the three children. "It would be appreciated if none of you mentioned this to anyone. Fleur is going through a difficult time at the moment, and she's going to need time to recover."
They nodded.
"And I'll be the one to deal with all three of you if anyone squeals," Snape added malishiously. Dumbledore gave him a look, but didn't say anything.
They paled then nodded again, much more fervently than before.
@
End of Chapter Fifteen
Snape corrected homework assignments while wondering whom the hell was running down the hall like a maniac. He debated bursting out of the classroom and scaring the offender shitless, only to have the decision taken out of his hands as Hermione burst into the room. He noted with surprise that the normally calm girl was in a panic.
"Professor! Professor!" she screeched at a pitch that should've shattered glass.
"Stop screaming, Ms. Granger. I have a headache."
"It's Fleur, Professor! Sir Nicholas told me to get you! She's poisoned herself!"
Snape flew from his seat and grabbed her arm on his way to the door, practically dragging her. "Take me there!"
Snape and Hermione arrived just after Dumbledore and Harry, the latter of whom had been sent for the former. Fleur was lying on the floor behind her desk, Sir Nicholas leaning over her. "She's not dead," the ghost said, "but she's nearly there."
Snape knelt next to her and immediately checked her pulse, beathing, and even lifted one of her eyelids to see if her pupils were contracted or dilated. "I can't tell what she took! Look for the bottle she used." Hermione went scrambling to the desk while Harry started searching the floor.
"Severus," Dumbledore's voice said behind him. "Here." The Headmaster had found the vial the poison had been in.
Snape took it and sniffed the remnants of the poison and scoffed. "Painless Death," he said as Filch arrived, led by Mrs. Norris, "and a pathetic brew at that. She must've made it herself." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out the antidote. "Filch, help me."
With the caretaker's help, Snape got Fleur to drink the whole bottle just as Madam Pomphrey and Ron burst in. The nurse knelt next to Snape and checked Fleur's lifesigns, then looked at him. "What did she take?"
"Painless Death. I've just given her the antidote."
She nodded. "Good. She'll still need a day or so to recover."
"She'll be alright, then?" Ron asked.
"Yes, she'll be fine."
"Argus," Dumbledore interrupted, "if you would be so kind as to help Poppy take Fleur to the infirmary?"
Filch nodded as Pomphrey conjured a strecher, then helped lifted Fleur onto it and pushed it out of the room. Sir Nicholas and Mrs. Norris followed them.
As Snape stood up, Dumbledore turned to the three children. "It would be appreciated if none of you mentioned this to anyone. Fleur is going through a difficult time at the moment, and she's going to need time to recover."
They nodded.
"And I'll be the one to deal with all three of you if anyone squeals," Snape added malishiously. Dumbledore gave him a look, but didn't say anything.
They paled then nodded again, much more fervently than before.
@
End of Chapter Fifteen