The Enemy of my Enemy

The Memory, Part I

"I did indeed," said Dumbledore, settling himself back into his chair.

"So, what if you show me all of this and it turns out I'm not the power that the prophecy disclosed?" Teddie asked. "This could all be a complete waste of time."

"Maybe," said Dumbledore, nodding. "But, I have a feeling that it is not. Shall we continue and then decide that later down the line. And," he added, as Teddie remained cautious, "if it does turn out to be a waste of time, at least you will have a better understanding of your heritage, too."

"I thought that is what Caroline was for?"

"She is," said Dumbledore. "This heritage is linked to you through your father - Lord Voldemort, or rather, Tom Riddle, as I knew him to be."

Teddie sighed. "He's not my father," she murmured.

~X~

Teddie landed beside a short, plump man wearing enormously thick glasses that reduced his eyes to mole-like specks; they were standing in a country lane bordered by high, tangled hedgerows, beneath a summer sky as bright and blue as a forget-me-not.

"Who is he?" Harry asked, landing behind Teddie. Dumbledore stood behind him.

"That would be the owner of these memories," said Dumbledore. "His name is Bob Odgen. "He was employed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He died some time ago, but not before I had tracked him down and persuaded him to confide these recollections to me. We are about to accompany him on a visit he made in the course of his duties"

Bob was reading a wooden signpost that was sticking out of the brambles on the left-hand side of the road. He was also wearing the strange assortment of clothes so often chosen by inexperienced wizards trying to look like Muggles: in this case, a frock coat, and spats over a striped one-piece bathing costume.

"Great Hang - Hangleton?!," Teddie shrieked, spinning around to face Dumbledore. "But that's -"

"Where you were kept for two weeks at the end of fourth year, yes," said Dumbledore.

Teddie swallowed as she watched Bob Odgen take off at a brisk pace down the lane. She was shaking when she felt Harry's hand touch her shoulder, and turned to face him, terror sweeping throughout her whole body.

"It's okay," Harry said, soothingly. "You can't get hurt here. Besides, you've got me and Dumbledore. We won't let anything happen to you."

Through her tears, Teddie forced a smile and took Harry's hand as he offered it to her. He linked his fingers with hers and squeezed, leading her down the lane after Odgen.

They walked a short way with nothing to see but the hedgerows, the wide blue sky overhead and the swishing, frock-coated figure ahead. Then the lane curved to the left and fell away, sloping steeply down a hillside, so that they had a sudden, unexpected view of a whole valley laid out in front of them.

Little Hangleton was nestled between two steep hills, its church and graveyard clearly visible. Across the valley, set on the opposite hillside, was a handsome manor house surrounded by a wide expanse of velvety green lawn.

Odgen had broken into a reluctant trot due to the steep downward slope. Dumbledore lengthened his stride, causing Harry and Teddie to jog to keep up. The closer they got to the village, Teddie's heartbeat faster and faster, her breathing shortening as her hands clenched tightly into fists, her palms sweating in anticipation and fear.

She understand the concept of this being a memory, but that didn't help the fearful response she got to the village where she had learned the truth. While everything leading up to the big reveal hadn't been perfect, but she never would've guessed she was the daughter of a powerful dark witch or wizard.