Disclaimer: I own Chelly, Luis, and Ebony and that's it. This part is a little different from the book due to the addition of the three plus Oliver being there now. Just a few slight changes, overall it follows the movie
Note: Only because Rock Royalty replied so quickly am I posting another chapter tonight. I have them all loaded til the end of it but I just release them a little at a time...but here's a treat of sorts for Royalty
THRESTAL RIDE
"Where are we going?" Oliver asked as they walked through the trees. It was less dense than the forest, more light seemed to dwell in this area, but it was a few minutes til they neared the clearing just off the path.
"Almost there," Luis said, knowing the route out of habit from his trips with Luna. They had come across this place in his third year when Luna was a first year and Chelly was across seas in the United States. They were pretty much outcasts and found this place while out for one of Luna's strolls. They followed the sound of the Threstals, Luna more eager than he was. He had thought they were hideous at first, but they tended to grow on him when he found not many could see them at all, that you had to see someone die in order to have the ability to see them at all.
"Here we are," Luna smiled dreamily staring at the clearing of the dark creatures.
"What? There's nothing here?" Ron said and looked around what appeared to them to be an empty field. But Harry, Luna, Ebony and Luis could see the skeleton looking horses clearly.
"Wow…" Ebony said in drawn shock. "They're beautiful."
"What are?" Oliver asked looking around in all directions. "I don't see anything."
"You see them, Ebony?" Harry asked her.
She nodded. "Threstals…I heard of them, but considering I never took the carriages to school I never saw them."
"What the hell…" Chelly squinted her eyes at the area by the tree…it looked like a horse outline, but darker, more skeleton looking. "What is that?"
"What's what?" Neville turned in a circle trying to find what she was seeing.
"You know, when you squint you look more Asian?" Luis teased her, nudging her with his elbow.
She glared at him, to get him to shut up but it seemed to egg him on. "Yeah that doesn't help much either."
She shook her head. "I'm gonna smack you in two seconds."
"No, you're not."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because it's been two seconds," he smiled broadly and she stepped to hit him. Luis flinched and backed up just before Chelly could make contact. Ebony stood in-between them, blocking the blow.
"Save it for later," she pointed towards the tree Chelly had been looking at. "Those are Threstals."
"I don't see anything," Hermione huffed.
"It's cuz we're better than you," Chelly said and stuck out her tongue.
"No," Harry said correcting her. "If you see them it's because you've seen death."
That seemed to quiet them all into an awkward quiet and it was Luna who broke the silence. "I saw my mum die when I was young…Luis was there which is why he can see them as well…they managed to revive her for a short while but found it would be no use, that she was beyond repairing. Chelly was at the hospital when she was taken off life support which is why she can almost see them…and Harry was there with Cedric Diggory."
Neville looked at Ebony. "What about you, Ebony?"
She kept her eyes on the Threstals, unable to even glance at Ron and Ginny. "My mum was a Death Eater…when I was young, before she died, she took me with her when she tortured and killed a couple people…it was horrifying…and the only clear memory I have of her. She was killed after that."
"That's horrible," Hermione gasped, hand to her mouth.
"For the people she killed and their families, yes…I don't feel so bad for my mother. That's beside's the point though, we should be getting out of here."
"Right," Harry nodded and addressed the others. "All right, Luis, Luna, Ebony, Chelly and I are going to help you on to the Threstals since none of you can see them and then one of us will ride with you. Ron, you first."
"Me?" he whined and pointed at himself. "Why me?"
"Because you need help on, you can't see them," Luis explained and stood next to one Threstal, petting its head. It rubbed against his hand, enjoying the attention. "Here, I'll get on first." Luis hooked his leg over the horse creature and sat upon it with ease.
The other's eyes bugged out as they saw Luis sitting on air. "What the bloody hell?" Ron cried out.
"Come on, Ron, you're wasting time," Luis said agitated. It took both Harry and Chelly to help the blubbering boy onto the horse. Once on, he whimpered and grabbed onto Luis for dear life, seeing nothing under him but air.
"Oy, Ron, don't hold on so tight, you're not gonna fall off the horse," Luis reassured him.
"Easy for you to say, mate. You can see the bloody things."
"Oliver, you next," Ebony said and gestured him over to one of the Threstals.
"I'll go with him," Chelly volunteered and hopped up onto the shadow of the horse she could see. Ebony helped direct Oliver on. He had a bit more ease with it considering his Quidditch skills.
"Ok, right. Hermione," Ebony called on the girl who looked paler than usual as she stepped forward. She had a fear of heights. She remembered that from flying on Buckbeak with her a couple years ago. "It won't be bad, you'll fly with me." Ebony got onto the Threstal and wished she had brought her cloak to hide them from the sight of humans. Not that it would matter since the others would be visible. But night was falling and the dark would be a shield enough.
It took both Harry and Neville to help her on and once on she squealed in fright and clung to Ebony, burying her face in the back of Ebony's sweater. She had a feeling the fifth year would stay like that the entire flight and highly doubted she'd be loosening her death grip anytime soon. With a quick glance and Ginny and the look of hope she had at the thought of possibly riding with Harry, Ebony spoke. "Neville, you'll fly with Luna. And Ginny, you should fly with Harry." The girl's face lit up, her eyes practically glowed. They first helped Neville on behind Luna where he blushed three shades of red as he put his arms around her and Ginny could have just floated onto the Threstal to sit behind Harry as happy as she was.
"Are we ready?"Harry asked with a scan at everyone. Hermione whimpered into Ebony's backside, burying her face more.
"As ready as they're going to be," Ebony nodded.
"Can we just get going?" Luis asked, uncomfortable with Ron's clinging. "The sooner we're there, the sooner I can pry him off me and breathe."
"Okay, now for those of you who can't see, I'd suggest closing your eyes if you don't like heights," Harry advised.
"Don't have to bleeding tell me twice," Ron whimpered.
"All right…off we go," Harry kicked at the horse and the others did the same. The horses took off galloping, flapping their wings and before the ten knew it they were airborne, flying high above the clouds. Ron and Hermione were the only ones with closed eyes. The others seemed to enjoy the thrill of nothing but air. It took all of twenty minutes to fly in, the night sky the perfect camouflage to hide them from muggle eyes. They landed just outside the Ministry. Ron and Hermione all but kissed the ground, practically jumping off the Threstals.
"We can only take the booth, so two or three can fit at a time," Harry explained.
"I'll go with the first group then," Ebony volunteered. "It'd be better to have someone with experience in fighting down their first just in case even though the Ministry should be empty by now."
"Right, Luna, Luis, you two go first with her," Harry pointed them out and they stepped into the crowded booth. Ebony dialed the numbers, heading down into the Ministry. It touched the ground and they stumbled out into the vast empty area, Cornelius Fudge's poster the only moving thing within. Ebony took her wand out for good measure. Death Eaters were tricky after all and Voldermort was the best at concealing himself until he wished to be seen. Her wrist wasn't burning or hurting just yet, but it didn't mean he wasn't there.
The booth came back down and Chelly, Oliver and Hermione came out. Oliver looked around, his wand already in his hand like Chelly's. "It's empty."
"Looks can be deceiving," Ebony told him.
"Wouldn't there be some sign of them?" Luis asked, biting at his nails, the other hand holding his wand.
"No," Chelly answered, watching the area to the right. "Not unless he wanted there to be."
The booth reopened for Ron and Neville to step out. Both looked tense and alert, unsure of why they even came. They waited in silence until Harry and Ginny were the last to arrive.
"Where to Harry?" Chelly asked him.
"The elevator to the top floors…I know exactly where the room is," he said and they all moved to the elevators, vastly alert of everything around them. Once inside no one spoke, no one knew what to say as they were about to approach the very room Harry had seen Voldermort in. The very place that could be crawling with Death Eaters…and the Dark Lord himself.
THE PROPHECY
"Department of Mysteries," the automated voice said as the elevator came to a stop. Stepping out, they found themselves staring down a long narrow glossy tiled dark hall with a door at the very end of it.
"This is it," Harry said, his eyes on the door.
They walked forward, each breathing heavily in fear, wands tight in their hands. Harry and Ebony took the front while Chelly and Oliver brought up the back with Luis, everyone else walked more in the middle but watched the sidelines as they passed through the door. Chelly reached out and took Oliver's free hand in her own for good measure and some reassurance. He squeezed back, calming her racing heart a bit.
The entire room was lined sky high with shelves upon shelves of crystal balls, tagged with names of various people. They swirled and glowed with a mist as they passed by. Luis seemed dazed by them, reaching out to touch one.
"Luis!" Chelly whispered fiercely at him in a warning tone. He dropped his hand away, jumping back and glanced at her mouthing 'sorry' before staring back at them all as they went on. Harry was counting the rows, reading off the numbers printed on each shelf with his wand lit. Ebony wasn't too far behind him seeing as how it was her father Harry had seen in the vision.
Chelly had hoped to keep her out of this mission since she was involved in the vision she had seen with Sirius falling through the misty archway way and disappearing. But it didn't seem like Ebony would be going anywhere. Not without knowing Sirius was all right and Harry wasn't in danger from the Dark Lord.
She sighed and turned to Luis. She rolled her eyes at him as he was touching one of the glass orbs again, completely enticed by the swirling glowing mist. She dropped Oliver's hand and slapped Luis's away from the ball. "Don't touch!"
He rubbed at his hand, "Ow…but they're so pretty."
"You can look, but don't touch," she scolded him. "Besides you should be watching out, not watching the spheres."
He pouted at her and turned away but she saw his eyes move back to the glowing spheres, his ADD getting the best of him. "Pretty…"
She shook her head and turned back to the front just in time to hear Harry speak. "He should be here."
"Harry," Neville spoke and Chelly turned around again to see him staring at an orb on the shelf just above his head. The one the Order had been trying to keep hidden so Voldermort couldn't get a hold of it. "It's got your name on it."
With a frown Harry stepped up to look at it. It was his name, printed clearly on the tag. He glanced at Ebony and by the look on her face he could tell she knew about it, that she and Chelly both knew about it.
"It's yours Harry…it's what he didn't have the last time," she told him, unfazed by it as it dawned on her it was the prophecy that was being kept safe.
He reached out and carefully removed it from its place, staring into it to hear his prophecy. Ebony closed her eyes as she listened to it, already knowing that one could not live while the other survived. And now Harry knew as well.
"Ebony…" she heard Chelly speak and looked at her friend. Her eyes were slightly wide, she had had a vision. She saw them all in this very place and shadows coming from all sides, one in particular walking straight up to them with the same cold blue eyes and his snake head cane.
"What is it?"
"It's a trap," Chelly spoke but her words were too late as the vision became all too real. Chelly and Oliver turned to face the back where the shadows approached wearing silver masks. Death Eaters.
Ebony and Harry spun, wands pointed ahead as the figure walked towards them wearing a similar silver mask. She knew who it was. His cane gave away the identity his mask held and his voice was one she knew all too well.
"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked and Ebony already knew the answer. This was set up. The vision was a plant to get them to come here, to get the prophecy Harry held in his hand. They had all walked right into the trap.
"You know, you really should be able to tell the difference," the Death Eater spoke and removed his wand from his cane. "Between dreams and reality," he swiped the wand in front of his face and the mask misted away to reveal Lucius Malfoy.
"Lucius," Ebony hissed his name, eyes narrowing.
"Ebony, what a pleasant surprise to see you here…though I shouldn't be too surprised now should I?" he smiled coyly at her
She held her breath. Most Death Eaters presumed she was under cover for the Dark Lord, working from the inside just as her father was. And her presence here would only pull them to believe she helped walk them right into the trap, tagging along to make sure the prophecy was found by Harry. To them, she had delivered it exactly, while in her reality she had missed to see what should have been plainly obvious. That it was indeed a set up.
"You saw only what the Dark Lord wanted you to see," Lucius explained. "Now hand me the prophecy."
"If you do anything to us, I'll break it," Harry threatened.
A cackle came from the darkness behind Lucius and Ebony felt her blood run cold, "He knows how to play." Bellatrix Lestrange stepped from the darkness in her tattered black dress, hair bushy and dark and eyes deep into the madness that was her second cousin, another of the poison of her blood line that she was regretfully related to. "Pity, pity…baby Potter."
"Bellatrix Lestrange," Neville spoke her name in disbelief as he started at the woman who had destroyed his parents. His hand tightened on his wand.
"Neville Longbottom, is it?" Bellatrix smiled as she stopped next to her brother in law. "How's Mum and Dad?"
"Better now that they're about to be avenged," he growled and pointed his wand at her. Harry put his arm out to stop him and Chelly and Oliver pulled him back by his shoulders as Bellatrix too pointed her wand at him, ready to finish off the Longbottom family.
Lucius slowly put his hand up to reassure everyone. "Now…let's everybody…just calm down. All we want, is that prophecy…"
"Why would Voldermort need me to come and get this?" Harry asked sternly.
"You dare speak his name," Bellatrix seethed angrily. "You filthy half blood!"
"Calm down, it's all right," Lucius told her, putting his arm up to stop her from moving towards him. "He's just a curious lad, aren't you?"
"Oh shit…" Chelly mumbled from the back. Ebony didn't have to look around to see the Death Eaters surrounding them. She could feel her birth mark trembling ever so slightly under her watch.
"Prophecies can only be retrieved by those for whom they are made," Lucius answered and started slowly stepping forward towards Harry. "Haven't you always wondered what was the reason of the connection between you and the Dark Lord? Hmm? Why he was unable to kill you when you were just an infant? Don't you want to know the secret of your scar? All the answers are there, Potter, in your hand. All you have to do is give it to me and I can show you everything."
Harry stared at the glowing orb in his hand. Ebony wanted to tell him not to do it, hoped he wasn't stupid enough to just hand it over to Lucius. Harry took a deep breath. "I've waited fourteen years…"
"I know," Lucius said with mock concern and a nod, holding his hand out.
"Guess I can wait a little longer. NOW! Stupefy!" Harry shouted and pointed his wand at Lucius and Bellatrix. Ebony said the words at the same time and sent Bellatrix and Malfoy backwards as the others did the same to all the surrounding Death Eaters. Some disappeared into a black mist, streaming upwards to get away. They took off running down an aisle and a black mist reshaped into Lucius in front of them, he held his hand out for the orb and they backed up, sprinting down another aisle.
Luna, Chelly, Neville, and Ginny got broken up from the others, running down a different aisle.
"This way," Chelly shouted and moved Neville and Ginny ahead of her. She turned to Luna to find two Death Eaters had formed between them and one backhanded her cousin across the face. Luna fell to the ground and pointed her wand at one. "Leviosus!" The Death Eater shot straight up into the air.
Chelly reached into her back pocket, removing one of her confusion potions and uncorking it with her teeth. "Hey!" she shouted at the Death Eater that had hurt Luna. He turned around and Chelly pointed her wand with her other hand. "Accio mask!" the man's mask flew off and Chelly threw the potion in his face. He cried out as it stung his eyes and left him completely out of it.
Neville moved around him to help Luna to her feet and Chelly took the opportunity to kick the man in the groin. He double over in pain and she kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious to the floor. She pointed her finger at him. "That's for hitting my cousin asshole."
"Come on," Ginny tugged on her sleeve and they continued running down the aisle, sending random shots at Death Eaters to buy them time till they found the door.
A few aisles away, Harry, Luis, Oliver, Hermione, Ron, and Ebony were fending off Death Eaters left and right. They came to a stop and six of them surrounded the group.
"Oh this is sooooo not good," Luis shook his head at the ambush.
Ebony could feel the tension of the others as the Death Eaters closed in, stupefy was no longer working as they expected it.
"What do we do?" Hermione asked in a panicked voice.
"Keep trying," Harry egged her on.
Ebony knew it would be of no use now. That if something wasn't done and done fast they'd be caught. She took a deep breath, holding her wand up. She was a Slytherin after all. Her father was Severus Snape and had taught her much more than the basic spells, but things of darker magic that were only meant to hurt…and she was, after all, Death Royalty. A crisis like this called on her heritage. She pointed her wand at the Death Eaters coming from behind them. "Incendio!" A wall of fire burst from the floor up, blocking them out from getting to them or they risked being burned. No common water spell could put that out.
It seemed to send the ones coming from the sides off guard as the stupefy spells now worked on them. She swung her wand to the Death Eater ahead of them. "Sectumsempara!" A large amount of blood flew up in an arch from the Death Eaters black robes and he fell to the ground, the wand tumbling from his lifeless hand. With the force she put behind that curse she knew he was dead, if not close to it, and didn't want to know who lay behind the mask. She shoved the others forward instead, trying to push them from their shock. "Go! Run!"
The six took off running down the aisle, past the body. Soon they bumped into the other four.
"Are you all okay?" Harry paused to ask.
"Great, never better," Chelly wiped at the cut on her forehead from a Death Eater they had just encountered.
A mist was coming down the aisle and before Ebony or Chelly could point their wands, Ginny pointed hers and shouted a spell that caused a huge blast, much like the one she used in the army training. It worked…but the side effect was a tremble that caused all the orbs that were piled sky high to come crashing down in a wave of glowing furry.
"Not so pretty! Not so pretty!" they heard Luis say from somewhere behind them as they stared at it for a moment in shock.
"Shhiiittt," Chelly muttered and turned to run.
"Go!" Harry yelled. "Run!"
The ten took off running to the door just ahead. Chelly looked behind them and only saw the glowing orbs. "Where's Luis?"
Oliver pointed to the door. "There!"
Chelly looked ahead and saw Luis already disappear through the door, way ahead of them. She put more into it, hating to run but it was a probable cause. Either run faster or die by glowing glass shards. They reached the door and all pushed through.
Chelly screamed with the others as they fell through the air having nothing to step on once they passed through but found themselves in a bottomless void of air. Instead of death by glass it was going to be death by smashing on the ground.
Dun dun dun!!...I love cliff hangers...don't you? R&R in the meantime before we see what happens next...
