"What's your plan to talk to Slughorn?" Daphne asked.
Teddie shrugged as she added the final touches to her Care of Magical Creatures essay. "I was thinking of going to his office before dinner and, you know, asking him," she said.
"I thought you said Potter already tried that approach?" Blaise asked. "What makes you think that you'll have any better luck?"
"Maybe I won't," said Teddie. "But, I can only try. Besides, as much as it pains me to do it, I can always play on the 'orphan' approach. Slughorn adored Riddle when he was at school, maybe if I play up to the whole 'I want to know more about my father', he may let something slip."
"You said that You-Know-Who had a fascination with the four Founders, right?" Theo asked.
Teddie nodded.
"And he stole the locket and cup from Hepabizh."
Again, Teddie nodded.
"Maybe you could as Slughorn why he believes He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did that?" said Theo.
"That's a good idea," said Teddie, nodding. She dipped her quill into the inkwell and scratched out her name on the bottom of the essay. She then set it aside to dry.
Daphne eyed the stack of essays beside Teddie. "Are all those yours?" she asked.
"No. These are essays from the year three class that Flitwick set last week," said Teddie. "He wants me to grade them by Thursday, ready to be given back on Friday."
"You're really getting into this whole teachers assistant thing, huh?" Daphne asked.
Teddie grinned. She may not have liked the idea that she shared the same ambition as Voldemort when it came to teaching, but she could honestly say that their reasoning behind the idea was different. Voldemort wanted the Defense position because it gave him a pool of influential young teenagers; whereas she wanted a teaching position as it allowed her to educate and broaden young minds.
"Any chance of you being promoted yet?" Blaise asked. "Junior assistant is great, and all that, but what duties would a senior assistant undergo?"
Teddie shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Never spoken to Flitwick about it, to be honest,"
"Maybe it means you can take lessons," said Daphne. "You know, like, half Flitwick's load and take a lesson of first years or something."
"I'm already tutoring a few students who are struggling," said Teddie, "I don't need to be taking lessons, too."
Daphne smiled. "Professor Teddie Green," she teased. "It has a nice ring to it."
Teddie rolled her eyes. "What about you?" she asked.
"Huh-uh," said Daphne, shaking her head. "We're not talking about me. We're talking about you. Do you want us to start calling you 'Professor'? Because we can, you know."
"Don't you dare," Teddie warned.
Daphne giggled.
Teddie smiled and shook her head. "You're a pain," she said.
"I know," said Daphne. "But you love me."
"Someone has too."
Daphne teasingly blew Teddie a kiss. "Speaking of Professors'," she added, nodding to the portrait hole where Professor Snape had just stepped through. He made a beeline for the table that the friends were sitting at.
"Miss Green, if you would follow me," said Snape, his voice drawling.
"Um, sure," said Teddie, setting down her quill. She looked to her friends, all of whom seemed confused at the request, then she shrugged and followed Snape out of the common room.
~X~
Professor Snape didn't speak until he and Teddie were back in his office. Waiting for them, was Professor Slughorn.
"Oh boy," Teddie thought.
"Miss Green," said Slughorn, nodding at her.
"Professor," said Teddie, nodding.
"It has been brought to my attention, Miss Green, that you and Mr Potter intend to corner Professor Slughorn when he is alone," said Professor Snape. "I am here to warn you that such actions will not be dealt with lightly."
"You make it sound like we're going to do something bad when you say it like that," said Teddie.
"Are you?"
"What? No!" Teddie protested. "Harry and I just have some questions that we believe Professor Slughorn could answer us."
"Related to Potions?" Slughorn asked.
"Well, no, not exactly," said Teddie. She fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve. "More so to do with…" she hesitated, not because she was nervous, but because she wanted Slughorn to believe that she was genuine, "… my father. My real father."
Teddie resisted the urge to throw up. Her insides squirmed and she had to clench her jaw to keep from giving herself away. She met Slughorn's gaze.
Snape was staring at her, too, the same inquisitive gaze on his face was reflected in Slughorn's, and she couldn't blame them. Ever since she had learned the truth about who she was, she had wanted absolutely nothing to do with anything that linked her back to Voldemort and Avery, and now, here she stood, asking after them.
"You knew my father when he was at school," said Teddie. "You knew him better than most Professors. I just… wanted to know what he was like, you know? What was he interested in? I don't know all that much about his past, only that he wanted to be remembered."
Both Slughorn and Snape shared a look.
"Well, he was bright, much like your brother," said Slughorn. "His thirst for knowledge was something I had never seen in a student."
"Is it true he wanted to be a Professor?" Teddie asked.
Slughorn raised an eyebrow. "Yes. You remind me so much of him on that front," he said. "Although, he never went out for Defence assistant as you have Charms. Such a shame he ended up working at Borgin and Burkes, he could've been great in any position he chose, and he chose an assistant at a shop." He shook his head in disappointment.
"I hear a few Professors insisted he work for the Ministry?" Teddie asked. "In what capacity, can I ask?"
"Auror, would be my first choice," said Slughorn. "But, I always believed your father could try his hand at anything and succeed. As much as Defense Against the Dark Arts excited him, he had a knack for History of Magic, also. Found the History of our world to be fascinating."
Teddie tilted her head, feigning curiosity. "In what way, Professor?" she asked.
"The Four Founders, mostly," said Slughorn.
From behind his desk, Snape eyed Teddie curiously. She met his gaze and he lifted an eyebrow, and indication that he would've liked to know what she was doing.
"He was fascinated by the Founders," said Slughorn. He was rambling now, and Teddie couldn't help but hope that he would slip up and reveal everything about Voldemort. "And not just any specific Founder, although he did share a love for Slytherin. He knew everything there was to know about all the Founders, even things that many of us would've found unhelpful - like, for example, where Helga Hufflepuff was born and raised."
"Wales," said Teddie without thinking.
Slughorn and Snape stared at her.
"Sorry, Mason loves reading," said Teddie, shaking her head. "He's read everything there is to know about the Founders, and Helga Hufflepuff was born and raised in Wales. I don't know where exactly, but yeah, she's Welsh."
Slughorn seemed almost proud. "Is there anything else you would like to know?" he asked, almost eagerly.
Teddie shrugged. "Do you know why he had a fascination with the founders?" she asked. "I think I can guess why he wanted to know more about Slytherin, to know that you're not the only Parseltongue out there must've been a huge relief for him. I mean, it is such a rare ability, and all that."
"I suppose so," said Slughorn. "Although, your father loved individuality. You know, anything that made him unique was better than something that made him the same."
Teddie nodded.
"As for the other Founders," said Slughorn, heaving a great big sigh. "I couldn't tell you why he found them interesting. Neither of them had anything that made them unique, at least, not like Slytherin's ability to talk to Snakes."
"What about their families?" Teddie asked. "Did they have descendants?"
"All except Slytherin, if I remember correctly."
"Are you sure?" Teddie asked.
Slughorn raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Miss Green, I assure you, Salazar Slytherin did not have any children," he said. "Your father was not the only one fascinated by the Founders. I, too, find them a great interest. Helga Hufflepuff's linage can be traced to present day, Rowena Ravenclaw's ended when her daughter was killed, and as far as I am aware, Godric Gryffindor did not have any children. Why, are you so interested? This must have something more than just your father in mind."
Teddie resisted the urge to cringe. She sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry, Professor, you're right, of course, while this does have something to do with my father, it's actually for another reason than just wanting to know more about it," she admitted.
"Oh?"
Teddie licked her lips. "Well, you see, um, I was doing some reading the other night, and I came across a peculiar piece of magic," she said. "I asked Professor Snape about it, and well, you can imagine the reaction I got, and while this particular piece of magic should come under Defence Against the Dark Arts, it also comes under Charms, and I don't feel like Professor Flitwick would understand my curiosity."
"What is this peculiar piece of magic?" Slughorn asked.
"The object, if I am recalling it right, was a Horcrux?" Teddie asked. The temperature dropped, but Teddie held Slughorn's gaze as he fidgeted in his seat. "I'm just curious to know if they like a storage box of sorts," she hastened to add. "You know? Like, I know they're objects, but what do they hold? What Charms would you use to open one? Or, are they special objects that can -"
Slughorn stood abruptly. "I think that is enough History for one night," he said. He turned to Professor Snape. "I thank you for your assistance, Severus, but -"
"Professor?" Teddie asked.
"Goodnight, Miss Green," said Slughorn. He pushed past Teddie and disappeared out the door.
As the door closed with a snap, Teddie turned to face Snape.
"What were you expecting of him?" Snape asked.
"I don't know," said Teddie. "Although, what I got helped prove a theory I had."
"Which was?"
"That Voldemort used the founders artefacts to create whatever a Horcrux is."
Snape sighed. "I wish you would heed my advice once in a while, Miss Green," he said. "Trust me when I say that this is not something you wish to involve yourself in."
"I wish I had a choice," said Teddie. She sighed has she met Snape's gaze. "It's something that Professor Dumbledore has set me and Harry. Professor Slughorn knows something important, and he has given Dumbledore a modified memory concerning it, and now Dumbledore wants Harry and I to get the real memory."
Snape nodded slowly. "And this memory concerns a Horcrux?" he asked.
"Yes. I believe that Voldemort used a Horcrux to store something valuable," said Teddie. "Dumbledore believes it, too, but we don't know what. We also believed that his fascination with the Founders was his way of connecting himself to them. He stole Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup from someone, and then he came back to Hogwarts looking for a job."
"And you think he wanted to use this position as a post to do what, exactly?"
"To look for objects pertaining to Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, obviously," said Teddie.
Snape sighed. "This is dangerous territory that you are wading into, Miss Green, I'm sure you're aware of that," he said.
"If it helps us stop him then I'm all for it," said Teddie. "They've killed innocents, and not just my parents, I will do anything I can to stop them from causing heartache to someone else."
Snape sat back in his chair. "What about the heartache you are causing?" he asked.
Teddie stopped, frowned, and stared at Snape. "What heartache am I causing?" she asked.
"You're asking Professor Slughorn to remember something that, quite possibly, could break his career as a Professor, do you not understand the pain that could come from just remembering something like that?" he asked.
"No offence, Professor Snape, but he already destroyed his career when he told Voldemort what a Horcrux was," said Teddie. "Besides, he's already admitted to Professor Dumbledore that he does not intend to remain within Hogwarts longer than this year. If he has information that can help us stop Voldemort then shouldn't he be sharing it with us and not hiding it? I mean, if that were me, and I had something that would help stop innocent people from being killed, I wouldn't care of the reputation that I could lose from it."
Professor Snape sighed. "Just be careful, Teddie," he warned.
"I appreciate your concern, Professor," said Teddie. "But, I can take care of myself. Besides, shouldn't you be more concerned with what Dumbledore doesn't want you to tell me?"
Snape raised both eyebrows at her.
"Yeah, I heard you over Christmas," said Teddie. "I wanted to ask you about it, but I figured, you know what? I'm tired of chasing him for answers."
"Isn't that what you are doing with Professor Slughorn?"
Teddie shrugged. "Some things are worth being hunted down, I suppose," she said.
The pair stared at one another for a second longer, before Snape bowed his head. "Alright then, Miss Green, you are dismissed," he said. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Professor."
~X~
The next afternoon, during Defense Against the Dark Arts, Teddie was startled from her job of handing back essays when the door opened, and Harry stumbled inside. She furrowed her brow at the annoyed and frustrated look on his face, but before she could say anything, Professor Snape's drawl echoed from the front of the room.
"Late again, Potter," Snape said, coldly. "Ten points from Gryffindor."
Harry scowled and threw himself into the seat beside Ron. He smiled briefly, as Teddie set his essay down in front of him, and then turned to meet Ron's gaze as she moved on.
"Before we continue," said Snape, as Teddie handed the last of the essays out, and then returned to her seat. "I want your Dementor essays." He waved his wand and twenty-six scrolls of parchment soared into the air, landing on his desk in a neat pile. "I hope, for your sakes, they are better than the tripe I had to endure on resisting the Imperius Curse. Now, if you will all open your books to page — what is it, Mr. Finnigan?"
"Sir," said Seamus. "I've been wondering, how do you tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost? Because there was something in the Prophet about an Inferius -"
"No, there wasn't," said Snape.
"But sir, I heard people talking -"
"If you had actually read the article in question, Mr. Finnigan, you would have known that the so-called Inferius was nothing but a smell sneak thief by the name of Mundungus Fletcher - but, Potter seems to have a lot to say on the subject."
The whole class turned to where Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione.
"Tell us, Potter, how would we tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost?"
Harry swallowed. "Well, ghosts are transparent," he said, nervously.
"Oh, very good," interrupted Snape. "Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education has not been wasted on you, Potter. Ghosts are transparent."
From the corner of her eye, Teddie spotted Malfoy smirking while Crabbe and Goyle sniggered beside him. She rolled her eyes and looked back at Harry, offering him a small, encouraging smile as he met her gaze.
"A five year old could have told us as much," sneered Snape. "Would anyone else like to explain the difference? Miss Green, how about you?"
"Uh, not really," said Teddie, shaking her head. She knew better than to get involved in something that was occurring between Snape and Harry. In the past she may have jumped to Harry's defence, but over the years she had learned that sometimes it was better to just stay out of Snape's way when he was on the war path.
Snape's lip curled and he turned his attention to the rest of the class. Only Hermione's hand was in the air, and he chose to ignore her, setting his sights, instead, on the Slytherin's. "Mr. Zabini, how about you?" he asked.
"Well, an Inferius is a corpse that has been reanimated by a Dark Wizard's spell," said Zabini. "It's not alive, and merely used like a puppet. A ghost is the remains of a person's departed soul left on the earth."
"Excellent," said Snape. "Ten points to Slytherin."
Teddie rolled her eyes. Of course Snape would judge that as a fair enough answer, Blaise was correct, obviously, but he could've said that the Inferius were reanimated skeletons and Snape would've rewarded him.
"Well, what Harry said is the most useful if we're trying to tell them apart!" said Ron. "When we come face-to-face with one down a dark alley, we're going to be having a look to see if it's solid, aren't we? We're not going to be asking, 'Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul'?"
A ripple of laughter echoed around the Gryffindors. Leave it to Ron Weasley to play the class clown.
Snape sneered and silence fell again.
"Another ten points from Gryffindor," said Snape. "I would except nothing more sophisticated from you, Ronald Weasley, the boy so solid he cannot Apparate half an inch across a room."
Teddie sighed and rolled her eyes. Don't let the other houses mark you ask bullies, that is what Snape warned them at the start of every term, but yet he had no qualms with being the bully.
"Now open your books to page two hundred and thirteen," said Snape, "and read the first two paragraphs on the Cruciatus Curse."
~X~
On Sunday morning, Mason and Astoria sat with Teddie and the others at the Slytherin breakfast table. Today was the day that all of them, bar Astoria, were to head into Hogsmeade and try the Apparition test without the hoops.
"Are you nervous?" Astoria asked, swallowing a heap of beans and scrambled eggs.
"A little," said Daphne. "I mean, I don't really see myself taking the actual test, but I want to at least continue practicing."
"I'm sure you'll do great," said Astoria.
"Not as good as Mason, but still good," said Blaise.
Mason ducked his head as he took a gulp of orange juice. "I'm not that good," he said. "Besides, I'm not the only one that has succeeded. Hermione Granger has, too."
"She's just like you, though," said Teddie. "That's a lot to live up to for the rest of us."
"We're all going to do fine," said Mason. "I know it. Just remember to focus."
"At least he didn't start reciting the Three D's," said Theo, spreading raspberry jam on his toast.
The group laughed and Mason aimed half a sausage at Theo. The latter caught it in his mouth, chewed and swallowed.
"You're becoming more like us, you know that?" Mason said, laughing. "Imitating our muggleness by catching food out of the air."
"Yeah, because only Muggles do that," muttered Teddie.
"Halfbloods may do it," said Astoria, "but you'd never catch a Pureblood doing it. It's against our etiquette to act so… rude, for the lack of a better word."
Teddie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Do you guys ever do anything fun?" she asked. "I mean, I know we've been friends for a while now, but the only fun I've every truly seen you guys have is what me and Mason have shown you - did you ever have snowball fights before us?"
"Sometimes," said Daphne. "More so when we were kids, but not after we reached the age of eight. Although, I can't speak for the boys."
Teddie turned to Blaise and Theo.
"I was allowed a lot more freedom has a child," Blaise admitted. "I mean, mum did most of the heavy lifting, sort to speak, but there was always a man around to look after us, so I could be more of a child. Theo?"
Theo shrugged. "Not really," he admitted. "As you know, Dad was pretty controlling when it came to me and mum. We weren't really allowed to venture far unless Dad knew where we were or who we were with. When we were at home, I had a monitor - usually a House Elf - that would report back to dad and tell him everything I did."
"I still hate him," said Teddie.
"I'm sure he holds the same sentiment," said Blaise.
"Highly doubtful," said Mason. "Not with the truth out there for the whole world to see. Cyrus Nott probably loves the fact that Teddie is in Theo's life now, gives him an in with Avery and Voldemort."
Teddie rolled her eyes as the others shuddered at the name. While she had promised that she would keep saying it to a minimum, sometimes she and Mason slipped.
Soon the breakfast food disappeared, along with the glittering plates and goblets, leaving only a bare and empty table in its wake.
"Best we get this over with, huh?" Daphne asked.
"You sure you want to do this?" Teddie asked. "No one will think any different of you if you don't."
"Yeah," Mason agreed. "You're looking really green."
Daphne groaned. "I don't know what I want, to be fair," she admitted. "I know it's not compulsory, but I don't want to disappoint -"
"Disappoint who?" Teddie asked. "Your parents? Grandmother? I don't think Darla and David will care if you don't learn to Apparate, and as for your grandmother, she needs to learn that this is your life, not hers."
"That's easy for you to say, Ted," said Daphne. "But I've told you what my grandmother is like. She's big on tradition."
"You've already broke tradition," said Teddie. "You're friends with me and Mason, and Astoria is in Ravenclaw, not Slytherin. Stop living your life for someone else and start living it for you."
Daphne sighed and looked down at her sister.
"I won't think any different of you," said Astoria, "and Teddie's right, neither will Mum and Dad. If you don't want to do this, then don't do it. You can hang out with me until the others come back."
"You sure you won't mind me staying here?" Daphne asked.
Mason hugged Daphne tightly. "We want you to be happy, Daph," he said. "Not ill."
Daphne smiled lightly as she hugged Mason back. "Thank you," she said.
"Come on. We'll make plans to meet up while we're waiting for Filch to finish searching everyone else," said Teddie, linking arms with Theo and leading the way into the Entrance Hall.
Across the way, queuing up behind the other test participants, Teddie saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She knew that Harry wasn't going into Hogsmeade today, he wasn't old enough to take the test in a few weeks - not that it seemed to matter in terms of Mason, but then, Harry wasn't on Mason's level of achievements.
"Don't you think I've been trying?!" Harry cried, his frustration evident in his tone. "He doesn't want to talk to me, Hermione! He can tell I've been trying to get him on his own again, and he's not going to let it happen!"
"We'll you've just got to keep at it, haven't you?" said Hermione.
"Are we talking about Slughorn?" Teddie asked, interrupting. She ignored the look that Ron gave her.
Harry sighed and nodded. He hadn't spoken with Teddie since Dumbledore's last session, and therefore had no idea if she had succeeded in getting the memory from Slughorn
"His avoidance may have something to do with my last meeting with him," said Teddie. "He tried to cut me off by going directly to Professor Snape."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"I mean, he went to Snape and complained that he believed Harry and I were trying to get him alone for reasons unknown," said Teddie.
"Makes it sound like we're doing illegal activity," said Harry.
"That's what I said!" agreed Teddie. "Anyway," she shook her head, "I played up to the fact that I wanted to know more about Voldemort, and, as much as I hate to admit it, I played on the fact that we share a familiar bond."
Hermione smiled sympathetically as Harry patted Teddie's shoulder. Ron, meanwhile, huffed and folded his arms. Teddie continued to ignore him.
"I asked him questions - what Tom Riddle was like at school, what subjects was he interested in - you know, things that pertained to the memories we have seen so far," said Teddie. "He answered everything in detail, at least until I asked him about Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms. I said that I was looking for an explanation on a particular piece of dark magic that crossed both subjects, and he just upped and left abruptly."
"That's it?" Ron asked, speaking for the first time. "What a useless waste of our time."
"Ron!" Hermione hissed.
"At least I tried, Weasley," said Teddie. "What have you done?"
"Aside from get poisoned," Blaise muttered.
Ron's ears turned pink, and he glared at the dark-skinned boy behind Teddie. He opened his mouth to retort but cut off as Filch stabbed the Secrecy Sensor into his side.
"What's going on 'ere?" Filch asked. "Are you leaving or loitering?"
"We're leaving," said Theo. He grabbed Teddie's hand, brushed past the trio of Gryffindors, and out into the grounds.
"Oi, hang on!" Filch called after them. He brandished the Sensor.
Teddie sighed, rolled her eyes and stepped back into the doorway. Once Filch had run the sensor over every inch of her body, she and Theo shuffled out into the fresh air.
When Mason and Blaise joined them, the four turned and waved to Daphne and Astoria, both of whom were heading towards the lake.
"We'll probably be in the library when you get back," said Daphne.
"Good luck!" Astoria wished, hugging Mason.