Bonds of Gratitude
She couldn't help but glance at the young man a couple of more times as they ascended; it was during one of those looks that she felt her sister jerk in her arms.
Fleur quickly glanced at Gabrielle and saw her eyes open while at the same time her body began to glow. "NO!" Fleur screamed in her mind. "She can't...It's not her time to transform," But time or not, she knew what was happening, as it happened to all Veela, as it had happened to her.
Gabrielle's body started to grow, her legs, her arms, her body stretched and transformed right in front of her. The robes that her sister wore stretched and then shredded under the strain of the increasing size of the wearer. Gabrielle's eyes first were confused but then grew wide in fear and she began to struggle, to fight for a breath of air that would not come.
Fleur desperately kicked harder trying to get to the surface. She could see the light in the distance above her moving in the shallower water. As she fought to rise faster and faster, she felt a familiar pull at her ankles. A panicked look down confirmed what she feared, more Grindylows.
As she tried to kick one loose another grabbed her and another. She continued to kick at them desperately, but the struggle was in vain; there were too many of them. Slowly they started pulling her and Gabrielle back into the depths of the lake.
Harry had been following Fleur to the surface, the dead weight of Ron slowing his ascent, but he had kept his wand out. After months of 'Constant Vigilance' being yelled at him, he wasn't about to let his guard down. It was the glow that first alerted him that there was a problem.
The gloomy water suddenly lit up around them. Harry's eyes quickly found the source of the light; Fleur's hostage. As he stared at the two of them a most peculiar thing occurred. It was if Polyjuice potion had ended or started, the girl who appeared to be about eight or nine, started enlarging, taking a new shape, one not of a child but of a young woman.
At the same time Harry saw her start struggling. Obviously she was awake and panicked. He looked at Ron to make sure he was still asleep, when he looked back at the Beauxbatons champion he saw she was now under attack by another swarm of Grindylows. Harry instantly knew he had to help.
After another glance to make sure Ron was still asleep, he shoved his friend upward and turned to help the struggling women. He could see Fleur was fighting as best she could but it was obviously a losing battle as they started descending back into the depths. Without a moment's hesitation Harry kicked hard to bring himself nearer to the pair.
Just as he closed, he saw the air of bubble that surrounded Fleur's head disappear, saw her eyes widen in fear and desperation. Just as Harry sent a jet of hot water at the first set of horned creatures, he felt the effects of the the gillyweed start to fade from his body as well. With his last few breathes he sent spell after spell at the Grindylow, forcing them to abandon Fleur and flee into the depths.
Harry grabbed Fleur and her hostage and kicked hard, struggling to pull them toward the light that was the surface of the lake many feet above them. Without the webbed feet, the struggle was much more difficult.
His lungs started to burn as they craved the needed oxygen, but still he struggled. He felt the load lighten and looked to find Fleur was now also kicking hard as well. Upward the two of them fought, with the younger girl between then they struggled to reach the light that seemed so far away.
Harry looked back at Fleur and found her blue eyes looking back at him. In the terror and desperation that loomed in her eyes, Harry saw something else; he couldn't describe it but knew it was something worth fighting for. He kicked even harder as he felt a rush of renewed energy.
They broke the surface and each gasped the lungfuls of air they had to have.
"GABRIELLE!" Fleur shouted at her hostage. She'd stopped struggling sometime during the ascent. "OH...GABRIELLE," She looked at her sister and then at Harry. "She's not breathing."
Harry looked around desperately, but there was no one close. He could see Ron swimming toward the platform some fifty yards away, but no one else was close. He looked back at Fleur and at the beautiful young woman. He knew he needed to do something, anything, but only one thought came to mind. He wasn't sure if he could do it, or if it'd even work on a person but he had to try something.
He pointed his wand at the girl and shouted "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA" with the proper swish and flick just as he swallowed a mouthful of icy cold water.
The young woman rose from the water and as Harry forced himself to not cough or choke, he urged her toward the stands. He could feel his energy leaving and knew he wouldn't get her there, but he also knew she needed him and he would not fail.
Just as the strain was about to break him he felt it lighten and stop altogether, but the girl did not plunge back into the icy lake, she continued toward the platform. Harry looked past her to see Professor Dumbledore with his wand out guiding her to safety.
Exhausted, Harry sputtered the water from his mouth and lungs. When he caught his breath he glanced back at the Beauxbatons Champion and saw she was staring at the platform. They both watched the girl float gently to the ground and a witch Harry recognized to be the school nurse knelt down and started attending to her. He again turned to Fleur.
"She'll be fine," He tried to assure her. "Madam Pomfrey is the best."
"Thank you," Fleur said as her blue eyes found his. "You...I..."
"Let's go so you can be there when she wakes up," Harry said cutting her off.
Fleur only nodded and together they swam toward the platform. The water was frigidly cold and every stroke felt like an eternity. Harry, without the webbed hands and feet, was the slow one now, but even though her sister was on the platform, Fleur swam with Harry.
"You can go on. I'll be..." Harry tried to say.
"Non!" Fleur responded sharply but said nothing else. Though for the rest of the swim every time he glanced at her, he found her looking back at him. Fatigue and concern clouded her brilliant blue eyes, but a hint of a smile was upon her lips.
Finally they made it to the platform and Harry insisted that Fleur leave the water first. He pulled himself up immediately afterward. People swarmed them, some throwing blankets on them while others handed them mugs of hot liquids. Though it was appreciated, Harry and Fleur were only concentrating on one thing, the person lying on the blankets being tended to by Madam Pomfrey.
The school nurse was surrounded by several empty potion bottles of various sizes and shapes. Currently she was waving her wand over the young lady. Harry could see the fear and concern that Fleur felt but almost immediately they heard the sputtering and coughing and relief swept over both of them. She was alive.
"She'll do," Madam Pomfrey said. "I want her up in my ward soon though."
'Give them a moment," Dumbledore said as Harry and Fleur knelt beside the young woman.
Fleur took the young girl's hand in her own as she smiled at her sister. "How are you Gabrielle?"
Gabrielle looked back at her sister and then closed her eyes as if trying to remember something. "What happened?" She asked weakly in French when she reopened them.
"My little sister grew up, you transformed Gabrielle. You are now a young lady," Fleur said with tears in her eyes as she squeezed her sister's hand. "But we were underwater, and zen we were attacked and I couldn't get you to ze surface."
"But 'ow–?" Gabrielle started this time in the same language her sister had used, and then she saw the dark-haired young man who was beside her sister. Her eyes widened and she started "You're–"
"Eet was 'im. 'E saved our lives Gabrielle. I...I owe 'im my life and yours. I..." Fleur didn't finish what she was saying. She turned back to Harry. "You saved me, you saved Gabrielle, I owe you so much and I...I need you, I..." She stopped. She knew what she wanted, and as her veela powers rushed back into her she couldn't stop herself.
....
Guys my p@treon is live. Join right now to read ahead by more than 30 chapters.
Also you will get the next two chapters for FREE.
Link: p*atreon.com/ScarlettRose00 (Remove the *)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone