Chapter 246
"Sister?" Gabrielle opened her eyes, staring blankly at Fleur. Then her small body trembled. Now that she was conscious again, the bone-chilling cold of the lake hit her all at once, like a cruel punishment.
"We can leave now, Gabrielle. It must be freezing here, isn't it?" Fleur said gently. Her slender legs moved slightly, as if she was about to take Gabrielle's hand and swim straight back to the surface as quickly as possible.
"But…" Gabrielle hesitated, turning her head to look at the others still tied to the stone pillar.
She still remembered the girl who had been beside that big brother before. Even before she had been placed under Dumbledore's spell, that girl had spoken to her softly, comforting her, making her feel strangely safe.
Gabrielle's small forehead rested lightly against Fleur's cheek. Fleur had drawn the Head Bubble Charm in closer, making it smaller, and now she could clearly see the conflicted expression on her sister's face.
"Their champions will come to save them soon," Fleur said, guessing what Gabrielle wanted to say.
But then, she fell silent.
Was she being too selfish?
If she was right, the others tied here were just as important to their champions as Gabrielle was to her. She had just felt that crushing helplessness herself—the person she cared about most right in front of her, in danger, and she could do nothing. That feeling… it was unbearable.
Her gaze shifted, landing on Pansy and Hermione. Only then did she truly understand—these "treasures" weren't objects at all.
They were people.
"Why is he so slow? He still hasn't come?" Fleur frowned slightly. She remembered Pansy clearly—especially after everything that had happened with the Yule Ball.
At the same time, doubt crept into her mind. With that boy's strength, it made no sense for him not to be here yet. She had already wasted quite a bit of time, but Draco still hadn't shown up.
Of course… there was a small, spiteful part of her that found that rather satisfying.
But when she saw the expectation in Gabrielle's eyes, Fleur hesitated. Leaving just like this… she couldn't quite bring herself to do it.
Then suddenly, a thought surfaced in her mind.
A slightly wicked one.
She could take this chance to make Draco owe her.
"That works," Fleur murmured, her lips curving into a faint, mischievous smile.
Gabrielle blinked. She could swear she had never seen her sister look quite like that before. Her little face stiffened slightly.
"They look pitiful, don't they? Do you think your big sister should help them?" Fleur asked softly, her expression shifting again into something gentle and angelic, as if nothing had happened. The change was so quick that Gabrielle wondered if she had imagined it.
Gabrielle nodded firmly.
"Then I'll help them. We might go up a bit later. Is that alright?" Fleur asked again.
Gabrielle nodded once more without hesitation.
"Close your eyes," Fleur said quietly.
Gabrielle obediently did as she was told.
Fleur swam over to Hermione first.
"So this is that boy's girl? When did that happen…?" she muttered under her breath.
Hermione was unconscious, her face pale. Her brown curls floated around her shoulders, her brows faintly furrowed. From time to time, small bubbles slipped from her lips. She looked no different from how Gabrielle had been earlier.
Fleur had already assumed Hermione was Harry's girlfriend—his "treasure." She let out a quiet sigh.
What a ridiculous rule… taking the person someone cares about most and using them like this.
Without hesitation, she leaned down and pressed her lips to Hermione's, repeating the same method she had used before.
They were both girls, and besides, this was about saving someone. There was nothing to hesitate over.
The merpeople, perhaps unsettled by Fleur's earlier outburst, had retreated. Otherwise, they would have surely tried to stop her from interfering with the other captives.
"Awake? Then wait for your champion to come find you," Fleur said lightly.
Helping Hermione was much faster than before. Hermione coughed slightly, then opened her eyes.
She still looked dazed, her usually sharp and lively eyes clouded. Fleur wasn't sure how much she understood, but she gave her a brief, reassuring smile anyway.
Then her attention shifted—to Pansy.
The girl was still bound tightly to the stone, her eyes shut, her face tense with discomfort.
A flicker of satisfaction rose in Fleur's chest.
Soon, someone was going to owe her a very big favor.
She swam over, reaching Pansy in a moment, and began to untie her.
At the same time, a small doubt crossed her mind. Why hadn't simple spells worked earlier, but this strange Muggle method did?
But she didn't dwell on it. She still needed to hurry—she wanted to be the first back and win this task.
If she had known the truth, she would have realized that the Muggle method itself wasn't what mattered.
Dumbledore's magic wasn't a complete unconscious spell. It would lift as soon as part of the hostage's body left the water and came into contact with air. It was a signal—the rescue had been made, there was no need to keep them unconscious.
Fleur's Head Bubble Charm happened to meet that condition. When she "rescued" them, their heads were briefly outside the water.
Fleur looked at Pansy, preparing to lay her down flat to begin.
But suddenly, her heart began to beat faster.
An odd, unfamiliar feeling stirred in her chest.
Guilt…? she wondered. Because my reasons aren't entirely pure?
She dismissed the thought almost immediately. Yes, part of this was to get back at someone—but another part of her simply couldn't leave them like this.
She shook her head, sending ripples through the water, as if trying to clear the feeling away.
Then she took a deep breath from the remaining air in the bubble, leaned closer—
And began.