Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 148: Vessel of fire and ice

"Harry and Septima, quit laughing!" Mei shouted as they punched at the cloak that Harry and Septima were pinning down over the pool. Harry's cane rolled toward his hands. He caught it and used it to help pin down the side of the cloak. "What's this bloody sheet doing?"

"Mei! Don't remove it. The invisibility cloak is preventing the nulling effects of the magic from reaching you. We don't know what they will do to you," Healer Jordan said.

"Nulling effects? Invisibility cloak? What's going on? Why are you in this underground chamber? Why did you summon me here if it is dangerous? I thought the Center was sealed off because of some crazed death eater? "

"Yes, and something or someone, rather, has attacked the Center. It has been compromised by a nulling field that saps magical cores."

"And you brought me back? Why?"

"We need your help."

"Oh, of course. My help. Why don't you call the sodding Ministry of Magic?"

"We can't get out of the Center... well, we couldn't until we tried with Harry's cloak shielding the Egress from the nulling magic. And we called you because the thing shutting down the Center is at the bottom of a pool of water. We need your help," Healer Jordan explained.

Harry expected to hear the splash of Mei's tail as they retreated back to the South Sea's sun and coral reefs.

"So you need me to retrieve something that is in a pool of water? Something that saps magical cores?"

"The source of the null zone is in the pool next to this one. Septima dove down to get it, but couldn't reach it. We're running out of time because the wixen who put it there could come back at any moment. We have Harry's invisibility cloak which protects whoever is under it from the null zone, but we won't all fit under it."

"So, Harry and Septima are being zapped right now as we speak?"

"Er. Yes, it is part of the urgency. Can you help us?"

"What'll happen to me once I'm out of the protection of the cloak?

"We're not exactly sure - but both Dobby and Figora fainted. Dobby succumbed more instantly than Figora. They are still recovering."

"And the Auror and you... Healer Jordan, you fainted, too," Septima added.

"That's right."

"Uh, if I faint underwater, I'll drown. I'm more mammal than fish."

"I know it is asking a lot. We're running out of options."

"Why is Harry okay?"

"We're not exactly sure. And he can't be in the null zone for too long, either, or Septima."

"Even Septima? Huh. How much time is too long?" Mei asked.

"We're not really sure. 30 minutes? An hour? Harry, how long were you in the corridor before you found Dobby?"

"Er, I dunno. It seemed like forever, but it couldn't have been much more than a half-hour? What if Mei were to wear the invisibility cloak to go get the thing down there?" Harry asked.

"It would just float off, though," Septima said.

"If they put on a shirt over it to keep it on, then it would stay, right?" Harry said, pinning the invisibility cloak under his knees and reaching inside his shirt to transfer Nio to his neck. He muttered an explanation to the snake as he pulled off his shirt. He shivered as the icy air washed over his torso and his skin puckered into goose flesh. Nio hissed in protest and Harry tried to soothe him.