"This is it," Harry repeated.
The first thing Teddie noticed in this new room was the giant grandfather clock in the corner, and the large bell jar on the table.
"Oh look!" said Ginny, pointing at the bell jar.
Inside the glass, drifting along a sparkling thread was a jewel-sized egg. As it rose to the top of the jar it cracked open and a hummingbird popped out, but as it started to fall, the bird's feathers became damp again and it transformed back into an egg.
"Whoa," Ginny breathed, her eyes wide.
"Keep going," urged Harry.
"You dawdled enough by that old arch!" Ginny replied, crossly.
Teddie smiled and put her hand on the young girl's shoulders. "If we have time, we'll come back," she said.
"Where to, mate?" Ron asked Harry.
Harry glanced around the room. They all had their wands out and a serious and anxious tension filled the air. Nodding at a door beside the Grandfather clock, Harry led them over, swallowed, and then pushed the door open.
The room behind the door had a ceiling as high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, class orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle brackets set at intervals along the shelves.
Harry hurried forward and peered down the shadowy aisles between two rows of shelves.
"You said it was row ninety-seven," whispered Hermione.
"Yeah," breathed Harry.
Hermione peered at the shelf closest to her. "We need to go right, I think," she whispered. "Yes, that's fifty-four…"
"Keep your wands out," Harry said softly.
Teddie's grip on her wand tightened. He didn't need to tell her twice.
They crept forward, as a group, all huddled up and careful not to step on anyone around them.
Teddie glanced, now and again, at the tiny, yellowing labels that had been stuck beneath each glass orb on the shelf. Some she could make out; others were so faded that she had passed by before her brain could register what number was shown. Some orbs, she also noticed, were full of weird liquid that would glow under their wand light, but others were dull and dark as a blown lightbulb.
They passed row eight-four… eighty-five…
"Ninety-seven," whispered Hermione.
The group stopped, each one peering down a darkened alley beside the shelves. There was nobody there.
"He's right down at the end," said Harry. "You can't see properly from here…"
They crept forward away, between the shelves. The glass orbs on either side of the glowed softly as they passed.
But Sirius was not there.
"He should be near here," whispered Harry, his voice hoarse and dry.
Teddie looked around, her eyes peering into the darkness, looking for any signs of movement. She strained her hearing, trying to find scuffles, shuffles or groans, but there was nothing but deafness.
"Harry," said Hermione tentatively.
Harry ignored her, his head swivelling from side to side as he tried to find any signs of where Sirius was being held. "Harry," Hermione tried again.
"Somewhere about… here…" Harry muttered. "Or maybe..." He hurried to look down a second aisle.
"Harry?" called Hermione.
"What?" Harry snapped.
"I…I don't think Sirius is here."
Nobody spoke.
Harry stood, his back straight and facing them. He took a hesitant step forward, and then broke into a jog.
"Harry!" Teddie called.
Harry stopped mid-way down the aisle, his breathing hard.
"Oi, Potter," Theo called. "Look at this."
Teddie turned to find her best friend standing in front of shelf Ninety-Seven, looking up at the orb that sat on the very edge. "What is it?" she asked.
"I don't know," said Theo. "But it's got Potter's name on it."
"What?" Harry asked, returning up the aisle. He stepped closer to the shelf and peered up at the yellow label. He stiffened as he felt warm air on his neck and glanced to the left, startled to find Teddie standing so close.
S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D.
Dark Lord
And (?) Harry Potter.
Teddie met Harry's gaze.
"What is it?" Ron asked, sounding unnerved. "What's your name doing down here, Harry?"
"I'm not sure," Harry replied.
"I'm not here," Ron continued. "None of the rest of us are here…"
"Harry, I don't think you should touch it," said Hermione, sharply.
Harry paused; his arm outstretched to the orb. "Why not?" he asked. "It's something to do with me, isn't it?"
"Don't, Harry," said Neville suddenly.
Harry and Teddie looked around at him. Neville's face was shining slightly with sweat. He looked as though he could not take the suspense anymore.
"It's got my name on it," said Harry.
Teddie furrowed her brow as she looked back at the orb. What was so special about this little ball, all of them, not just the one with Harry's name on it. What were they? What was the smoke inside?
"Teddie…" Hermione said, sucking a breath as Teddie's fingers brushed across the cool glass.
The light inside dimmed but nothing happened.
"Well, that was anti-climactic," Teddie muttered. She lifted her hand, frowning as the ball remained fused to the shelf. "What the…?"
"What?" Harry asked, looking around.
"I can't lift it," said Teddie. She tried to lift the orb again, her fingers clutching tightly around the glass. But the ball didn't shift.
Removing her hand, Teddie turned to Harry, and by the look on her face he knew that she wanted him to try it.
"Harry…" Hermione breathed.
Harry ignored her and wrapped his fingers around the glass. The smoke inside glowed brightly, and he lifted it into the air with ease.
"I don't understand…" said Harry, shaking his head. He looked from the ball to Teddie and then back again. Why could he lift it and not her?
Teddie crept closer, staring down at the little glass ball. She reached out to touch it, feeling the warmth it offered.
"Very good, Potter," came a voice in the dark. "Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."
~X~
Teddie felt Theo's hand enclose tightly around her wrist as black shapes melted out of the shadows. Each one appeared in a vacant spot between the shelves, herding the group together in the centre.
"To me, Potter," repeated the voice.
Teddie looked sideways, her eyes narrowing as she spotted the long, blonde hair of Lucius Malfoy. He had a black robe on, and the hood was pulled up, but his signature hair flowed over his shoulders, giving away his disguise.
"To me," Malfoy Snr repeated, his hand outstretched, the palm facing upwards.
"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked.
Several Death Eaters laughed.
"The Dark Lord always knows," said a harsh female voice.
"Always," echoed Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."
Teddie glanced from Harry to the shelves around her. So, the little glass orbs were prophecies. She had read about them, obviously, they were a big part of several muggle fairy tales where the protagonist was on their quest or adventure because of a prophecy that had been written before they were born, but she hadn't considered them to be a real thing.
"I want to know where Sirius is," said Harry
"I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked the female voice. She and her fellow Death Eaters were a mere foot away from the teenagers.
"You've got him," said Harry. "He's here. I know he is."
"The little baby woke up frwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo," mocked the woman in a horrible baby voice.
Teddie felt shifting behind her and glanced around to find Ron shifting from one foot to the other.
"Don't do anything," Harry whispered. "Not yet -"
The woman let out a high-pitched screech of laughter. "You hear him? You hear him? Giving orders to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us?"
"You don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Malfoy. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."
"I know Sirius is here," Harry repeated. "I know you've got him!"
More Death Eaters laughed.
"It's time you learned the difference between dreams and reality, Potter," said Malfoy. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."
"Go on then," challenged Teddie, shaking herself from her stupor. She stepped forward as Theo tried to tug her back. They hadn't noticed her yet, and that was a good thing, if she could keep herself hidden then she could avoid the risk of being abducted again.
But the hushed silence that fell when Teddie spoke was enough to tell Theo that it was too late.
"The rumours are true," Bellatrix whispered, her eyes wide as she took in Teddie. "It's you. You're her. Faye."
Teddie's eyes hardened and her grip tightened around her wand.
"Now, why doesn't everyone calm down," said Malfoy, raising his hands in a half-surrender/half-calming pose. "All we want is that prophecy."
"Right," said Teddie, "and then what? What happens after we give it to you? You just let us go?"
Bellatrix raised her wand and pointed it at Harry. "Accio Proph -" she started.
Swiveling around, Teddie snatched the glass ball from Harry. Now that it was from the shelf, she found that she could hold it without incident. She held it to her chest and raised her wand at Bellatrix, muttered "Protego!" and deflected the summoning charm as a sliver of magic materialised between them.
"Ooh, does the wittle Princess know how to play?" Bellatrix mocked, her eyes gleaming with entertainment as she stared down at Teddie. "What are you going to do next? Blast me with a shield? Boil my blood?" She laughed.
Teddie's hand shook with restraint.
"Do you need some persuasion, Princess?" Bellatrix continued. She removed her wand and pointed it at the group. "Which one shall I torture? Go on, you choose. Then we'll see how powerful you are."
Teddie bit back the growl growing in her throat. This woman was more psychopathic than she had been led to believe.
"Ooh." Bellatrix laughed, her wand coming to a stop on Theo. "What do we have here? Blood traitor, eh? What do you think, Princess? Shall we make him scream?"
"Try it," Teddie hissed. "You do anything to any of us, and I swear to Merlin that I will break this." She held the Prophecy up.
There was an intake of breath, and Malfoy put his hand on Bellatrix's arm, urging her to lower her wand.
"You know I will," said Teddie, glancing at Malfoy. "I bet you've heard all about what I did to the Philosopher's Stone. How I destroyed it. Don't think for one second that I won't do the same with this." She indicated with her head to the orb.
The little colour in Malfoy's face drained away and his eyes widened ever so slightly. He knew, from experience, that Teddie Green wasn't someone to back down from a challenge. He had seen first-hand how far she was willing to go to protect her friends and stand up to anyone that attempted to underestimate her.
If he underestimated her now, then she would surely destroy the prophecy before he had the chance to get his hands on it.
"What kind of prophecy are we talking about anyway?" Harry asked,
"What kind of prophecy?" repeated Bellatrix. "You jest, Harry Potter."
"Nope, not jesting," said Harry. "How come Voldemort wants it so bad?"
Many Death Eaters hissed.
"You dare speak his name?" whispered Bellatrix. "You dare besmirch it with your halfblood tongue, you dare -"
"Did you know he's a halfblood, too?" Harry asked. "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch, but his dad was a Muggle - or has been telling you lot he's a pureblood?"
"STUPEF -"
"NO!"
A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix's wand, but the spell deflected as a shield appeared, sending the stunner hurtling into a nearby shelf.
An orb shattered, sending shards of glass clattering to the floor as pearly white figure of an old man unfurled into the air.
"…at the Solstice will come a new…"
"DO NOT ATTACK! WE NEED THE PROPHECY!" Malfoy bellowed.
"He dared - he dares - he stands there - the filthy halfblood -" shrieked Bellatrix, pointing wildly at Harry.
"WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!" bellowed Malfoy.
Teddie scoffed, bringing Malfoy's attention back to her. "So much for letting us go once you've got the prophecy," she said. "You've just confirmed, Mr. Malfoy, that you don't intend on letting us leave."
"We don't intend on letting you or Potter leave," said Malfoy. "You're both equally valuable to the Dark Lord. He will be best pleased when we return with you both and the prophecy. Your little friends are simply… collateral damage."
Teddie sucked in a breath between her teeth. "In that case," she said, half-glancing at Harry. She wouldn't attack unless he gave her the go-ahead sign.
Meeting her gaze, Harry bobbed his head.
"GO!" Teddie yelled, throwing out her hand. When she had done it a few moments ago, she had somehow managed to summon her shield through her palm and throw it at Bellatrix, deflecting the Stunning spell, she was hoping that she could do it again, and use it this time as a distraction more than a deflection.
"REDUCTO!" echoed the others, each of them pointing their wands at a different set of Death Eaters. Six curses flew in six different directions and the shelves all around them exploded, little glass balls shattering as they hit the ground, emitting pearly white figures into the air.
"RUN!" Harry yelled.
Teddie felt Theo seize her hand and dragged her backward, one arm over his head, protecting his face from shards of falling glass.
A Death Eater lunged out of the darkness, but Theo pointed his wand at him and muttered, "Stupefy!"
At the end of the corridor, Teddie and Theo stopped, their breathing heavy. They could hear the others all around them but couldn't see anyone through the darkness. There was shouts and yells of spells, charms, incantations, and curses from both friend and foe.
"Harry! Hermione!" Teddie yelled as the pair run across their path.
Harry skidded to a halt and whirled around, a look of relief appearing on his face as he spotted Teddie. He jogged over to her, Hermione following as panic reflected in her gaze.
"Where are the others?" Theo asked.
"They must've split up," said Hermione, gasping. "We have to find them."
"This place is massive," said Teddie. "And we don't know whether they've gone in deeper or back the way we came." She was hoping that the others had the sense to try and make it back to the door, it was their only exit right now. If they could get out of here and back up to the Atrium, then there was a good chance they could call for help.
Harry looked scared. "We should go look for them," he said.
"We can't," said Hermione. "We don't know where they are."
"We can't leave them here!"
Teddie shook her head. "We won't," she said. "But Hermione's right, we need to get out of here. I don't think the Death Eaters are going to go after the others. You heard Malfoy, it's us and the Prophecy that they want more than anything. They're going to be looking for us."
"So, we just leave?" Harry asked.
"No. We need to lure them out," said Teddie. "We need to be the bait."
Hermione, Harry, and Theo stared at her.
"Wait, you want to willingly put yourself in the path of Death Eaters?" Theo asked. "Teddie, I love you, but that's crazy!"
Teddie smiled softly. "I know," she said. "But I think a little crazy is what we need right now. So, what do you say?"