"Welcome, my boy, to the heart of all knowledge in this country: The Department of Mysteries! Here we aim to discover all the secrets of our known world. We safeguard the future, delve back into the past, and study mystical concepts, the way we live. We discover ourselves: we discover the world. You are very privileged to be here, my boy."

"Really?" thought Adam. Just looks like a dark and cold place to me. And to think that it was summer too! And he wished Mr. Bode would stop calling him "boy". It was annoying.

Adam had become an Unspeakable Intern for two reasons. Firstly, his dad thought it was a good idea.

"It's a good idea," he had said. "Its good money for your mother, but you are an Unspeakable so you can't brag. Decent job, though."

But really, because of his friend Sam.

"I was an intern there, I was. I was an Unspeakable, so I'm not allowed to say nothing. But there's really cool stuff in there."

Well, it had been three hours in the Department of Mysteries, squinting in dim light and performing menial tasks for Mr. Bode and there hadn't been a sign of any such "cool stuff". Not a peep.

"I think we're done for tonight, boy" said Bode jovially closing his ledger. Then a thought struck him and he blinked. "Damn. Left my notes on primary reincarnation in the Brain Room. Fetch them for me, boy?"

Rolling eyes inwardly, Adam reluctantly slide off his stool and headed for the circular hallway.

He patted his pocket and reached for his wand, but as the doors whirled around him he realised with sinking feeling that his fingers scraped only synthetic fabric. His wand was in the office. The office he could now no longer find.

Putting Bode's notes out of his mind, Adam stumbled blindly through where he guessed the door to be.

But it wasn't the office. Tiny luminous globes, set on tall numbered shelves lay out the paths ahead. Fascinated and naive, Adam followed the lights as if in a trance. Where was he? Was this the cool stuff? In which case, it had not failed to impress.

In awe, Bode followed the shelves of glassy spheres row after row, until one in particular caught his eye. Mid way up on row 97, was a small one bearing the inscription

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D

Dark Lord

and (?) Harry Potter

Harry Potter? The Harry Potter? Tentatively, Adam reached up, hoping to touch the glass, feel what it was like. Would it be warm? Would it be heavy?

"Stop right there."

Adam froze, hairs jerking into fear at the back of his neck. He had a quivering uneasiness that he had stepped somewhere above his head.

"That's classified information."

"I'm sorry! I- was lost!"

"Irrelevant. You must forget all that you saw, or Ministry security will be threatened. I have no choice."

"You could make me forget!"

"Too long. Much easier this way."

"They'll ask- questions!" The words stuck in Adam's throat.

"No reason."

"Why not? I am innocent! It was an accident! "

"Because your body will not be found."

Stepping out from the shadows, was a face he thought he knew. Mad Eye Moody- what was he doing here? He looked odd- not quite himself.

Adam died protesting his innocence and his face paled to the white of the crystal prophecies hanging like stars above his still unbreathing head. After a time, all but his parents forgot him. After a time, he became a statistic, another faceless casualty. Just another tragedy. Another child who fell out of their depth, into matters they never dreamed could be true. Another accident that could have been stopped. Another child that didn't see adulthood. Another boy that never came back.