I'm so sorry. I've been having some problems with my depression meds, so it's been a rough week and a half or so. I won't be this late again, I promise. Just please don't stop reading.

It was actually a bit scary to stand in the brightly lit, wide entrance of the Ministry, with the fountain depicting Harry Potter still draped in mourning black. Lesley tried to ignore the suspicious looks she was getting and hold her head high. The main problem was that she didn't quite know what to do. Her original plan of just entering the lift and going straight down to the Department of Mysteries was obviously not going to work.

"Excuse me, sir," she said in her sweetest, most innocent voice to the old wizard checking wands in front of the lifts. He held out his hand for her wand.

"Name," he said as he began to test it.

"Lesley McBrian." His brow furrowed for a moment.

"Age."

"13, sir."

"House."

"Slytherin, sir." He looked up, his eyes wide.

"Just what in Gringotts do you think you're doing here, girl," he whispered. "Get out of here before the law passes and you get yourself arrested!"

"What law?" said Lesley, heart beating far too fast.

"The law that Weasley girl somehow got them to vote for," he said. "Said she saw the Slytherins murder the Potters in cold blood, with Harry's own son as the ringleader. No, I'm not saying she's lying, but surely the arrest of any Slytherin in a bit much. Next she'll be asking to re-post the Dementors at Azkaban."

"Look, sir, I've got to get in."

"I can't let you. They'll be done within an hour, and without Harry in there to ground them I know what'll happen."

"I'll just have to be fast, then," said Lesley.

"Look, girlie, I can't in good conscience-"

"Then don't. Do it in bad. I can't tell you what I'm doing here, but I can tell you that what Weasley is saying is a lie and I'm trying to save us all."

"You're just a kid!"

"I'm also a Slytherin and I don't want to die. I don't see anyone here jumping in to save us." Lesley's voice softened. "I you want to help me, sound an alarm. Tell anyone who was in Slytherin to go, leave, hide, and with any luck we'll be in contact shortly."

"And who is this 'we'?" Lesley smiled.

"The Life Barfers," she said, then she laughed. "That joke never gets old." The wizard still looked hesitant, but he nodded.

"Fine," he said. "I'll ward 'em and I'll let you in. Put you down as a Gryffindor just to be safe. But you've got to promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me this won't lead to another war."

"I can't," said Lesley, studying the man's earnest, lined face. "The was has already started."

"I was afraid of that." The wizard sighed. "You are free to go through."

"Thank you, sir." As Lesley entered the lift she saw the old man scribbling down notes and enchanting them. The doors clanged shut.

Two wizards and a witch entered on the next floor. The two wizards studied her critically and she shot them a smile. The witch smiled back at her.

"Visiting you parents, dearie?" she said.

"Nope," said Lesley, "saving the world." The witch laughed nervously.

"Well, be careful, dear, and make sure you're home in time for dinner."

"Galinda," barked one of the wizards, "you know what I told you."

"Yes, sir," said Galinda. "I remember." The other wizard rolled his eyes.

"Sorry about her," he said to Lesley. "She's just nervous about the law passing."

"Of course I am; you know I'm a Slytherin, Crick."

"You have absolutely nothing to worry about," said the first wizard sternly. "Just keep your head down and answer all the questions honestly. Merlin knows you were never involved with anything like that." Lesley shook her head.

"That's not good enough for Rose," she said. "Believe me, I've tangled with her before. The best thing you can do, Galinda, is get out as soon as you can, before you're rounded up and killed. Get in contact with WFIH, they'll help you go into proper hiding."

"Surely you're exaggerating!" said Crick.

"My name isn't Shirley, its Lesley. And I'm most definitely not exaggerating." The lift stopped and Lesley got out as a pleasant female voice announced that it contained the Department of Mysteries. "Ciao!" The lift doors closed over two wide-mouthed wizards and a wide-mouthed witch. Lesley could only hope that Galinda (what kind of name was that anyways?) would take her warning seriously and leave.

The hallways were dim and eerily silent. Lesley supposed that there had to be people somewhere, but for now she was the only one in sight. This was fortunate but slightly creepy, and Lesley couldn't help but look over her shoulder nervously, half expecting a trap. But Lesley was able to keep walking, her footsteps echoing off the stone walls, until she was directly in front of the door.

Lesley paused with her hand on the doorknob. She had heard rumors of what was in there, everyone had, and she had no doubt that security had been upped since Rose had taken over. She gripped the doorknob, twisted it, and-

"PASSWORD!" the doorknob bellowed. Lesley jumped backwards.

"Holy shit, give a girl some warning!" she shouted.

"You didn't expect me, so I won't bother asking for the password," said the doorknob, sounding almost gloomy. "Go or I'll be forced to sound the alarm."

"Sorry, but I can't," said Lesley. The doorknob was silent for a moment.

"That is a new response," it said at last. "I don't know quite what to make of it."

"Most people ran away?"

"Yes, and don't bother to hold conversations with sentient doorknobs."

"Well, I don't have much of a choice. I have to get in there."

"Why?" said the doorknob. "You don't work here. I didn't recognize your hand."

"Because if I can't find out why Mrs. Potter was killed many, many people will die."

"You don't even know what she was working on," the doorknob sniffed. "How do you expect to find it in there?"

"I don't know," Lesley admitted. "I was hoping you could help me."

"You expected to find a talking doorknob?"

"I was hoping for a talking wall, but a doorknob will do."

"We have one of those too." The doorknob raised its voice. "Oi, Carl! There's a girl here who wants you!" A low groan emitted from the wall.

"What is it this time, Paul? Had gum stuck to you again?"

"Shut up, that was one time! Besides, you don't see me complaining when you forget to unlock Gary."

"Who's Gary?" said Lesley.

"I'm Gary," said the door. "These two idiots are my brothers. What do you need, child?"

"Two things," said Lesley. "I need to get in, obviously, and I need to know what Mrs. Potter was working on."

"I don't know what Mrs. Potter was doing before her death," said Gary, "but I do know what door it was behind. Ask for Micah."

"Gary, you're not seriously going to let her in," said Paul the doorknob.

"Why not?" said Gary.

"She doesn't know the password!"

"Oh, stop your whining. You don't like the feel of that Weasley any more than I do."

"If anything, you should hate her more than we do," mused Carl. "She was awfully rough with you when you didn't let her inside."

"Of course I hate Weasley, I just don't want to let anyone in unauthorized."

"A perfectly valid and legitimate concern," said Lesley. "But you see-" She was cut off by the sound of footsteps and a familiar voice. "Quick! Let me in!" Lesley whispered frantically.

"Why should we?" said Paul haughtily.

"That's Rose! If she finds me here she'll kill me!" With a grunt from Gary the door opened. Lesley threw herself inside and slammed it behind her, cutting off Rose's angry shriek of "Get her!" All was still and silent once more. Lesley walked to the center of the room, doors encircling her.

"I need Micah," she said. The room whirled around her, torches creating rings of gold, until it slowed and stopped. Whispers made the hairs of her neck stand on end. She walked forward and tried the doorknob.

It twisted.

There we are. I'm so sorry about the delay. I'll see you in a week hopefully. Review, please!