The Eye Of The Gazer
Chapter 12
At Malfoy Manor, Draco Malfoy and Gabrielle Delacour lay asleep in each other's arms in Draco's four-poster bed. Both were rudely awakened by the noisy entrance of Draco's father, who firstly knocked loudly on the door with the head of his cane, and then strode into the room, oblivious of any potential embarrassment. They could see that there was something seriously amiss. Gabrielle saw Draco open his mouth to protest, then close it, and wait for his father to explain.
"Draco, Gabrielle, I apologise for this intrusion, but I urgently need to speak to Gabrielle. Draco, your sister is in St Mungo's, she is very ill indeed. She may even die." As he said these last words, there was a catch in his voice, and Lucius closed his eyes, swallowing hard.
"Monsieur Malfoy? I do not understand. Why do you want to see me?" asked Gabrielle, puzzled, sitting up in bed and holding the covers firmly against herself.
"Gabrielle, I hope you can help us. The Healer-in-Charge told us that Veela Healers can intercede to prevent a death. You are part Veela. I wish to ask if you believe you have the power to help Bryony to live?"
Gabrielle's eyes widened, and she stared at Lucius, her mind racing. "But Monsieur Malfoy, I 'ave never 'eard of anyone oo was not a pure blood Veela oo could do zis." She shook her head. "I am sorry. I wish I could 'elp you. If I 'ad the power of course I would save 'er."
Lucius sighed. His shoulders slumped, and he looked suddenly much older. "Are you sure? Is it not even possible for you to try? I am sorry to seem disbelieving, but Bryony is my daughter, and Cho's only child. We would both be devastated to lose her."
As Gabrielle's mind cleared a little more following the initial shock of her rude awakening, a thought was niggling at the back of her mind: she suddenly remembered a conversation she had had recently concerning Bryony Chang. I wonder…? she thought.
Gabrielle turned to Lucius. "Please wait outside while I dress, Monsieur Malfoy," she said, "I 'ave just sought of somesing."
When Gabrielle joined Lucius on the landing, after telling Draco firmly to remain where he was, she asked him to take her to Narcissa's room. "I cannot remember which room it is. We must speak to 'er." Seeing that the young woman seemed genuinely to have some sort of idea, Lucius led her to his late wife's bedroom. Gabrielle stood before Narcissa's portrait, held her lantern high, and addressed her: "Madame, wake up! Wake up! Ze Secret Keeper is in great danger!"
Narcissa stood up, and at these words, seemed to be awake immediately. "What is wrong with her?" she demanded. Lucius, unaware of the previous conversation between these two, and confused by Gabrielle's apparent knowledge, explained Bryony's situation in as few words as possible. Narcissa looked shocked, but was plainly thinking. However, Lucius began to be impatient. "My daughter is dying. If one of you has an idea, I would be extremely grateful to hear it."
Narcissa ignored her former husband, and closed her eyes. Gabrielle sensed that Narcissa had her hand on the magical artefact. She closed her eyes too, and let the disturbance in the flux around her guide her thoughts to the same object. She began to see its shape with her mind's eye: the unique sharpness of its edges; the winged supernatural Veela on the handle. The Veela became real: a beautiful, pale, winged female creature perched on the edge of an abyss. It called to her in an ethereal voice. Gabrielle unconsciously put out her hand, and suddenly felt the weight of something real resting in her palm. She opened her eyes, and saw that she was holding the handle of an object encased in a dragon skin sheath.
Gabrielle looked up at Narcissa, who had also opened her eyes. A look of understanding passed between them. "It is only lent," said Narcissa, speaking in French so that there should be no misunderstanding. "It will only permit you to use it in order to aid the Secret Keeper. When she is safe, the Subtle Knife must be returned immediately. You must not speak of its existence to anyone. You must make the journey to save her alone. Lucius knows already of the Knife. He is permitted to stand by you, but none other must be present. He must not touch it himself until your mission is completed, unless you die in the attempt: for you must understand that success is not guaranteed. It is possible that both you and the Secret Keeper will die. On these terms only will the Knife permit you to be its temporary guardian.
"Do you accept the task?"
"I accept," said Gabrielle, simply. She was dressed in traditional robes, and placed the Subtle Knife in the long pocket designed to hold her wand.
Gabrielle Delacour, unaware of the radiance now surrounding her, turned to Lucius Malfoy.
"Come, Monsieur. Let us go to ze 'ospital and try to save Bryony."
Gabrielle and Lucius entered Bryony's hospital room together. Cho stood up as soon as she saw them. Lucius came straight to her side, and instinctively they held each other closely for a moment, each drawing strength from the other. As they drew apart, Lucius looked at his daughter, but there seemed to be no change in her condition. He indicated Gabrielle.
"This is Gabrielle Delacour. I understand you met years ago at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament. I am sorry, but there is no time for a joyful reunion here and now. Gabrielle is part Veela. She has agreed to try and save Bryony.
"Cho, I know this is hard for you, but you must trust me. I have to ask you to leave the room. What Gabrielle is about to do must not be observed by anyone except myself. I regret that I cannot give you the reason for this, but it is necessary. Please, dear Cho, wait outside. You must also prevent Madam Luxor and any other hospital staff from entering. I am sure they will argue with you, but it must be done this way."
Lucius steered a stunned Cho Chang out of the side ward, and firmly closed the door in her face. With a swift pass of his wand, he sealed the door with a ward against insistent intruders. He turned to Gabrielle.
"Well, Mademoiselle Delacour, it is done, we are alone as my ex wife insisted. I have to ask you, do you have any idea what you are about to do?"
"No, Monsieur Malfoy, I do not. I 'ope ze Knife will guide me. But Madame Narcissa believes in me, she believes I can do zis. I 'ope she is right!"
"Do what you must, Gabrielle," said Lucius, gazing at the white face of his unconscious child. "I trust that you will try your best. I can ask no more of you. And if I can assist you in any way that is permitted, I will."
Gabrielle nodded curtly. She turned to face the bed, and stood by Bryony's pillow, placing herself as close to the girl's head as possible. She stretched out her arms so that her hands lightly touched Bryony's head, one palm pressed against each temple. Then she closed her eyes, and breathed slowly in and out, concentrating her mind on the Subtle Knife in her pocket, mentally asking it for guidance. The Knife formed an image in her mind: she saw the infinitesimally thin silver cutting edge on one side of the blade. A voice seemed to tell her, This is the Blade of Life and Death. She saw the winged Veela outlined in gold wire transform into a young woman with a white face and long silver-white hair, who held out her hand to Gabrielle.
Gabrielle took the hand of the Veela, and felt the coldness emanating from her. The Veela took to the air, and Gabrielle found herself hovering over a black abyss. She looked downwards, and could see ghostly shapes moving below. She peered at them, and saw they were shadowy people. She looked around her, and saw an elegant white bird apparently soaring on thermals above her head; but as she watched it, she noticed that the bird was flying lower with every turn. However hard it tried, the bird could not keep aloft, and threatened to plummet into the black abyss.
The Veela seemed to whisper in her head, "That is the child's Ba. See, it is a crane. This is a good sign, for the crane is a symbol of good luck. But you must stop the Ba from sinking into the abyss. The Ba must come back into the light with you."
"But how must I do it?" Gabrielle asked her Veela guide. "I cannot persuade a Ba. I do not have the powers of my Veela grandmother."
"You bear the Subtle Knife. This is the World Beyond. You must cut a window into the World of the Living, and allow the Ba to fly out of here. But beware. If you let the Knife slip, you may cut yourself, and the wounds do not heal. Should this happen, you will never leave here. You must also close the window when the Ba is free, for otherwise you will create a route from the World of the Living into the World Beyond into which the unwary may fall unexpectedly."
With infinite care, Gabrielle took out the Subtle Knife, and unbuckled the unfamiliar straps on the dragon skin sheath. She held the handle firmly, noting that the wire-patterned winged Veela had an insubstantial look, whereas the human Veela on the opposite side shone brightly. She slid out the blade, and was dazzled by the fineness of the edges.
"Use the silver edge," the Veela told her. "The silver edge is the supernatural blade. The steel edge is a weapon of exquisite fineness and precision."
"Where must I cut?"
"Seek for the Secret Keeper. You can feel her presence. Cut at the place nearest to her."
Gabrielle obeyed. She shut her eyes, and allowed her senses to seek the child: the Secret Keeper lay over here, just alive. Her breathing was becoming more and more shallow, and her Ba was flying further and further away, down, down. "You must do it now," commanded the Veela, "Now, or we will lose her!"
Gabrielle reached out and cut with the silver blade, handling the Knife as carefully as possible. Light shone into the space she had created: she saw the floating spherical crystals of St Mungo's gleaming above the bed, and the closed eyes of Bryony Chang below them. Suddenly, she heard wing beats by her ear, and the white body of the crane flew by her, the feathers of her red crown glowing like fire in the crystal light. The Ba bird passed through into the World of the Living, and melted into shadow as Bryony opened her eyes.
"Close the window," said the Veela urgently.
"But I do not know how," protested Gabrielle.
"First put away the Knife."
Gabrielle took the sheath, and carefully replaced the Knife, fastening the buckles securely. She put the sheathed Knife in her pocket, breathing a slight sigh of relief that she had avoided injuring herself.
"Now concentrate."
Gabrielle concentrated, seeking for a way of closing the window between the worlds. She could not see how to do it. The Veela could not tell her. In fact the Veela was fading, fast disappearing into shadow in the same manner as the Ba bird.
Gabrielle found herself standing on the very edge of the black abyss. She stepped backwards to avoid the edge, and felt her feet slipping. She tumbled down, down…
Lucius had been standing by the bedside in helpless frustration. Before him, he saw Gabrielle place her hands on his daughter's head, and then she seemed to drift into a trance. He could see that she was taut with concentration. He watched her face carefully for any clue: the young woman stood rigidly still, and only her eyes moved under their closed lids.
There was no change in either female for some while, and Lucius began to doubt the wisdom of his action: should his daughter die whilst the Healers were excluded, he knew that Cho would never forgive him, nor would he ever forgive himself. Then, as he began to despair, and curse himself inwardly for his arrogance, he saw a flicker of movement: some ghostly entity seemed to fly over Bryony's head, and fade into the shadows; and almost immediately, his daughter opened her eyes.
Lucius gasped, filled with sudden relief, and was about to move towards her, when he saw a change come over Gabrielle. She was no longer rigid, her hands fell away from Bryony's head, and in slow motion she began to sway slightly. Her legs buckled underneath her, and she started to sink towards the floor. Lucius moved swiftly to catch her before she fell far enough to hurt herself. With both hands full, he could not reach his wand, he therefore concentrated his mind, removing the ward on the door and opening it with his willpower alone.
As soon as the door had swung far enough open for him to be heard, Lucius called out, "Cho, fetch Madam Luxor! Bryony has woken up! She's alive! But Gabrielle needs a Healer urgently, she's unconscious!"