His Final Riddle

31. The aftermath

Mrs Zabini grabs my wrist "I need help Angelica" her eyes are wild and wide and her face is pale with exhaustion "I have tried every spell I can think of and his wounds are just not healing."

I nod my head and turn back to Blaise, I slide my wand into the holder on my arm and step close to him. I begin to unwrap the muggle bandages slowly as blood pours out in gallons.

"What are you doing?" Xavier watches me with worry as more and more blood spills onto the floor.

"I think I know how to heal his wounds, it must be the same curse Harry used on Draco last year. I tried to heal it as you have done but it only made it worse. Thats why I think it's the same spell. I was able to heal Draco and stop him bleeding but it is an insanely complicated spell." I glance back at Mrs Zabini "can you make a scarring and healing dittany?"

"Of course" she nods determinedly "I know I need Bat wings, hag eyes, , re'em blood, herbaria and pond slime. Is there something I am missing?"

"Dittany of yore" Xavier replies before I have the chance "small green square bottle."

"That's the one!" Mrs Zabini runs from the room "I won't be long!"

Xavier looks up at me as I unwrap the last of the bandages "what's the spell? Can I help?"

I throw the blood soaked bandages to the side and nod my head "definitely. Watch me first, the spell has to be done three times in a row for it to work. After that just keep repeating it until we see the wounds are closed. Watch my hand movement as thats the hardest part."

Xavier puts the blood replenishing potion down and moves to stand besides me so he can watch me carefully.

I take my wand and begin to work over Blaise's shoulder where the worst of the injuries are.

"Vulnera Sanentur, Vulnera Sanentur, Vulnera Sanentur." I draw my wand in the complex diagram that Snape had drawn into the textbook I found so long ago. As I finish it off the reaction is immediate and the largest wound moves slightly together stopping the majority of the blood flow.

I continue on in the same way working on the large gash, after several minutes Xavier appears to have learnt the spell as he begins to work besides me our voices blurring together as we mutter the same two words over and over again.

"Here!" Mrs Zabini bursts into the room with a large glass bottle in her hands, inside is a green translucent liquid which shines in the light. She comes and stands besides me and lets out a shocked gasp as she looks at her son "he has healed so quickly."

"It's the only cure for the curse used against him" I whisper as I step back and allow Xavier to finish the work. I look at Mrs Zabini "it closes the wounds and stops the bleeding but the dittany is vital to help with scarring and to stop the wounds from reopening. They are still very weak."

She nods and looks down at Blaise who has now stopped screaming, his eyes are screwed shut and he lets out sobs and shuddering breaths as Xavier closes the last of his wound.

"Pass the dittany" Xavier reaches his hand out and takes the bottle, he turns back to Blaise and without hesitation he begins to massage the liquid on.

Mrs Zabini lets out a long breath as she sits down into the wooden chair behind her, she looks up at me and I can see the emotions in her eyes. Her usually immaculate hair is messy and frizzy from sweat and her sons blood, her white expensive dress is covered in blood and mud and her hands are still shaking as she presses them against her face.

"He's going to be okay" I smile at her "really. Look at Draco now, you would never know he was in the same position just a few months ago."

Mrs Zabini nods "yes. He's going to be okay." She takes Blaise's hand and kisses it, as her eyes close a single tear rolls down her cheek and I feel my heart twist.