Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 132: Tingling tongues

Tony had bellowed Aminah's name and it contained a desperate fear that made the hair on Harry's arms and neck stand on end.

The noise that Harry heard when he first entered the dormitory was louder now and clearly coming from Aminah's area. He still couldn't figure out what it was. It didn't sound like crying, which was, frankly, what he expected.

He knew that the last few days had to have been an emotional big dipper for her... but this noise wasn't sobbing. It was a strangled, far away noise... but like a wounded animal—both monstrous and whimpering. He could also hear someone scrambling frantically. Something was really wrong.

Harry imagined terrible things... they flew through his consciousness... each more horrible than the one before it in the space of time that it took him to cross the room. And still, he managed to clutch his staff as he swung it viciously across his path and shouted out, "Help! We need help!"

Harry struck something soft with his staff and Tony made a surprised gasp of pain. Harry was moving so fast that he barely had time to stop before he ran into Tony with his body, but he stopped in time.

"What is it? Tony, what's wrong?"

"She's stuck—I can't get her out. Help me, oh, Merlin! It's awful! I think she's going to suffocate!"

It did sound like Aminah was gasping for air—but it was muffled—as if she were behind a thick door. Harry reached out toward the scuffling noises he could hear. He found Tony's arm and followed it to Aminah's back. She was tense and pushing against the bed. He gasped when he realized that her arm was swallowed to nearly the shoulder by the mattress. Her hair was scattered everywhere and started to follow the curve of her head, but then it ended and there were pieces of paper, crumpled and torn.

"No, here—grab here!" Tony snatched Harry's hand and put it on Aminah's waist.

Harry tried pulling on her waist, but he had no leverage around Tony's large frame and his hands kept slipping off.

"I can't hold on! What is she stuck in? Is her head in the bed? How does that even happen?"

"Her head and arm are in a book—like she's viewing a memory—but stuck in between—not in or out—the way it is embedded in the bed—I've never seen that! Gah! I don't know how to get her out. Here, grab her shoulder here, I'll grab her other one." Tony pushed his hand back to her shoulder, and Harry put his other hand on the bit of shoulder that was nearly flush with the bed, and they tugged, the bed moved, but Aminah shrieked—her voice still far away, but clearly in pain—and they stopped; they were hurting her.

Harry stopped pulling and started rubbing circles on her back. She was heaving like she was struggling to get her breath or maybe sobbing.

"What about a spell?" Harry shouted. "What's a letting go spell?"

"Arrg! I know this. I know this. What is it?" Tony said with rising panic. "It starts with an "R!"

"Retract? Release?" Harry asked.

"Yes, something like that... but in Latin!"

"Relashio!" Healer Jordan commanded from the doorway and Aminah went flying back with such force that both Harry and Tony tumbled backward, sprawling on the floor, tangled up together in a heap. Aminah took in great heaving breaths of air as if she'd been underwater for a long time, her back arching against Harry's legs. He felt around for her hand and held it.

She started coughing and squeezed his hand so tightly that he was worried for his fingers. Healer Jordan was kneeling down next to them and she must have done something that made it easier for Aminah to breathe because she relaxed against his legs and her hand loosened its grip on his fingers.