Invisible String [t. s]

Fear

"Well done, all of you. Well done. Congratulations." Said Dumbledore while Theseus frowned, surprised at the compliment when everything had gone terribly wrong.

"Congratulations?" Asked Theseus, incredulous.

"Indeed. Professor Hicks managed to foil an assassination. And you're alive, you're well. The fact that everything didn't go precisely to plan was precisely the plan."

"Countersight 101." Said Hicks.

"And what about Amélie? Was her getting captured part of your plan no plan?" Dumbledore looked away for a fraction of second and Theseus had a sudden concern. "Albus, we don't have the advantage here and we have to do something to help Rosier!"

"We can't."

"What do you mean we can't? They're going to torture her, they could kill her! Do you know how much her sister wants her dead? She-" Dumbledore stood silent and Theseus saw it in his eyes. Suddenly, he knew. "You prick." He said before having a go at him. Theseus' fist met Dumbledore's cheekbone at lightning speed almost taking him down.

"Theseus!" Newt yelled.
"Albus!" Minerva called at the unison. Newt managed to hold Theseus back before he could try to punch Albus again.

"It's alright, I deserved that." Said Albus.

"You deserve much more than that!" Said Theseus, the fury in his voice echoing in the Great Hall.

"Can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?" Jacob asked.

"He's using Amélie as a diversion." Newt frowned and looked at Dumbledore, not entirely believing the words coming out of his brother's mouth. "As long as they're busy trying to get information, that she surely doesn't have out of her, we're going to make our next move, am I right?" He scoffed and the rest looked at Dumbledore, who was rubbing his cheekbone to ease the pain of the punch.

"It's true." Whispered Newt, he couldn't believe this. He trusted Dumbledore blindfolded, but why would he do something like this?

"Sacrificing her for the greater good?" Asked Theseus.

"Theseus, you need to understand-"

"Understand what?! That she agreed to help us- she agreed to help you because she trusts you, and you sent her to an imminent death? She's in the lion's den, Albus!"

"Calm down." Newt told Theseus.

"I can't calm down! Would you calm down if it was Tina, Newt?" He remained quiet. "That's what I thought." His eyes moved like darts from Newt's to Albus'. "It should've been me, not her! Anyone but her!" Theseus placed his hands on his hips, breathed in and out, trying to calm himself. "Did she know?" He asked after a hot minute in silence. "What you had planned for her, did she know?" Theseus knows Amélie would've agreed to sacrifice herself, but she wouldn't have agreed to die on the spot. Death terrifies her, she had told him.

"No, she didn't." Theseus scoffed at Dumbledore's words.

"When she finds out she'll never forgive you, nor trust you ever again."

"I'm counting on it."

"And neither will I."

"I know." He sighed. "But she is alive, Theseus."

"How do you know?"

"Because, like you said, they need information."

"Information she doesn't have, Goddamn it! We need to rescue her."

"One thing at a time. We will rescue Amélie, Theseus, I give you my word."

"I wish your word had any worth to me anymore, Dumbledore." Albus sighed and nodded.