"You dirty half-breed!"
Another Stunning spell shot past my head.
I barely flinched, and ran as fast as I could away from my hiding spot behind one of the large stones. My heart pounded loudly in my ears as I rushed away.
"Come back here, Creary!" Umbridge's voice was high pitched with malice. "They only want to discuss your future options!"
I ducked when I heard another Auror call out a Stunner. It struck the ground a few feet ahead of me. A sizzling bare patch was left behind.
"He's heading for the forest!" a man shouted behind me.
A stitch clawed at my side, but I pushed through it. I knew if I slowed even a little, they would be on me. If I could just get to the forest, I would have a better chance of escaping. A fire raced through my veins. My limbs elongated, bones cracking loudly. My face changed shape, my jaw dislocating itself, and the front of my skull elongated into a snout.
"Wha - What is he?!"
"It doesn't matter what he is, you fools! Get him!"
I dropped to all fours and sprinted away. The ground became a blur under my mutated hands and feet, my claws leaving gouges. A felt a stinging pain in my shoulder. I howled in anger but pushed on. The trees flew past as I slipped into the forest. I did not follow a known path. My hands and feet guided me away from the treeline. Thorns and sticks snagged at my skin. Sharp stones sliced into my palms.
But still I ran.
Until I reached a vaguely familiar clearing with a stream. It took a moment for me to realize this was the place I had hid the last time I had transformed into my monster form. The small sandy cave beside the stream still had my nest of leaves. I circled a few times then lied down. Whimpering quietly, I curled in on myself until I was a ball of bleeding skin.
I knew this day was going to happen.
Umbridge had finally chased me from the school grounds.
She chased me from Harry.
-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-
It was a few days before I ventured away from my cave. The fear of being found overwhelmed the urge to return to the castle. I had been in my monster form the entire time, except when I had to put up wards to warn me if anyone or anything came too close; thankfully that did not happen.
Pausing at the stream to get a drink, something caught my attention.
Voices.
Voices?
I glanced down at my reflection, took a moment to decide what the hell I was going to do, then lept over the stream to find out who was in the forest. The path leading to the Acromantulas' den was nearby, and they would willingly eat anyone who stumbled too close. The voices led me through the trees. I followed a curvy path, my mutated hands and feet silent on the forest floor.
"By the time we've done that, Sirius'll be dead!" Harry's voice snarled loudly. There was a dull thud then a curse.
There was a quiet reply, too quiet to be Ron. Hermione must be with him.
I glanced around an elm tree.
They were standing among the trees. The acrid scent of the centaurs and the bitter smell of giant blood perfumed the air. What had happened here?
More footsteps caught my attention. A small group of disheveled but familiar students pushed through the ferns and brambles into the clearing. I cowered behind my tree. No one other than my family had seen me in my monstrous form. What would Harry think if he saw me? Would he try to kill me like so many before him?
"Anyway, Harry, how exactly are you planning to get to London?
"Yeah, we were wondering that." Luna's voice drifted from the group. It was then that I noticed who was with her: Ron, Ginny and Neville. All were sporting injuries of some kind. Neville had been struck above his right eyes; blood dribbled from a cut on Ron's lip; and Ginny had some rough looking scratches on her cheek.
Ron held out Harry's wand when he was close enough. "So, any ideas?"
"How did you get away?" asked Harry, taking his wand.
I stared at the group of six. What had happened while I was hiding in the forest? Was Umbridge physically hurting the students?
"Oh, you know, a couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm. Neville shown he could do a nice little Impediment Jinx," said Ron, now holding out Hermione's wand. "But Ginny was best. She got Malfoy with a Bat-Bogey Hex. His face was covered in the great flapping things. Anyway, we saw you heading into the forest out of the window and followed. What've you done with Umbridge?"
"She got carried away, by a herd of centaurs."
I snorted quietly in amusement; Luna glanced over in my direction. I shuffled a little further behind the tree.
"And they left you behind?" asked an astonished Ginny.
"No, they got chased off by Grawp."
"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked while still looking at my tree.
"Hagrid's little brother," Ron filled her in. "Anyway, never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-Know-Who got Sirius or -"
"Yes," said Harry. "And I'm sure he is still alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him."
I held my breath as the group went silent. My head was spinning by what I had heard. Voldemort had captured Harry's godfather and was holding him hostage somewhere? It did not make much sense. What could Sirius provide for him, except for another body to add to his list of victims?
"We'll have to fly," Luna finally piped up after a moment.
"Okay." Harry sounded testy. "First of all, 'we' aren't doing anything if you're including yourself in that, and second of all, Ron's the only one with a broomstick that isn't being guarded by trolls -"
"I have a broom," Ginny said.
"Yeah, but you're not going," her older brother growled.
"Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!"
"You're too -"
"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-Know-Who over the Sorcerer's Stone," Ginny said, interrupting Harry. "And it's because of me Malfoy's in Umbridge's office with giant flying bogeys attacking him!"
"Yeah, but - "
"We were all in D.A. together," said Neville quietly. "It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it? And this is the first chance we have had to do something real. Or was that all just a game?"
"No. Of course it wasn't," Harry said impatiently.
"Then we should come too. We want to help."
"That's right," Luna agreed. "And so does Talis."
That made the group go silent again.
"We don't even know where he is," said Hermione. "How do you know he would help us?"
Luna's crystal eyes caught mine, and I flinched away. "He's closer than you think."
Damn Ravenclaw. I slid into the foliage behind the tree.
"Talis. You can come out now."
"What?"
Luna approached the tree, a warm smile on her face. She peered around the thick trunk and looked into my eyes. "We need your help, Talis. Please."
I hesitated then sighed quietly. Luna's eyes widened just the slightest as I moved towards her, revealing my monster form. She reached out a hand and gently touch my hairless muzzle. "So this is your heritage."
I narrowed my eyes at her. How does she know these things? I certainly haven't told her about my bloodline. This young woman was something.
"I don't get it," I heard Ginny say. "Talis has been missing for a whole week."
"Maybe Luna has finally lost it," Ron muttered.
I moved my head back a bit so I could lick Luna's palm. Luna's smile widened. She moved away to look around the tree. "He's scared," she told the others.
"What the hell is he scared of?" demanded Ron. "It's just us. Talis isn't scared of anything!"
"He's afraid he will scare you." Luna motioned with her hand for me to come closer. I shook my head. Maybe I should get away from them - Luna cut off all thoughts as she rested a hand on my shoulder. I blinked at her. "Let them see. You are not a monster." I glanced at my oddly-proportioned body. "Oh, come on." She grabbed my pointed ear and gave a few tugs. I growled at her, completely unsure of myself, but reluctantly followed her into the clearing.
My heavy hands and feet thudded against the ground, and I sat on my haunches with a huff. Luna smiled and patted my head. I lifted my eyes to the group, immediately wincing when I saw the fear in their eyes. Ron had pointed his wand at me, and I made to move away.
"Stay," Luna said as commanding as she could. "We were bound to find out eventually." She turned to the others. "It's Talis. This is his secret he did not want anyone to see. His heritage."
The five unsure students stared at me in silence. I could smell and see their fear. A wave of sadness caused my shoulders to droop. They were looking at me just like the people at the Ministry. I looked down at the forest floor, not wanting to look at them anymore.
Then a familiar pair of sneakers appeared in my vision.
This was it.
Harry was going to leave me for good now.
"Talis."
Here it comes.
"This is your heritage?"
I nodded, still looking down.
"You're not much different from a werewolf."
My head snapped up. Where was the rejection? The hatred? Instead, Harry's eyes shown with curiosity. I flinched away from his hand when he brought it up to my face. Was he going to strike me? The warmth of his palm on the side of my muzzle shocked me. I grumbled quietly at his gentle touches. This was going better than I thought.
"That thing is Talis?" asked Ron, his voice high pitched with fear.
I stared into Harry's beautiful eyes.
"Yeah. It's Talis." Harry traced my scar with his forefinger. "He can't help what he is; it wasn't his fault." He glanced over his shoulder at the others. "This is something he inherited from his father. His mind is sane, though. He is still human underneath."
I rose to my mutated hands and feet. On all fours, my head came to Harry's chest. If I stood up to my full height I'd tower over him by at least three feet. I breathed a deep sigh then willed my heritage to retreat. The transformation was not as painful as the last time, but I still snarled as my body returned to its human shape. It only took a minute before I was standing in front of them in the same clothes I was wearing the day I vanished from the grounds. I gave myself a shake. "Fuck, that hurts," I muttered.
Two arms encircled my middle in a crushing embrace. I huffed as the breath was driven from my body. Hands gripped the back of my shirt, and a face burrowed into my neck. "I don't smell pleasant, Harry."
"I don't care," came the mumbled reply. "Just shut up and let me hold you."
With a soft sigh, I granted his request for a few moments then I gently pushed him away. Grabbing my wand from its sheath, I quickly and quietly muttered a refreshing charm. The layers of grime and sweat vanished instantly. I looked over Harry's head at the rest of the group. Their shock was starting to wear off, and they lowered their wands.
"Have you been in here this whole time?" Hermione asked.
"Ye -ugh." I huffed as Harry once again wound his arms around me, squeezing me to his smaller frame. "Umbridge and a few Aurors chased me from the castle grounds." I raised a hand to run my fingers through Harry's black locks.
Ron frowned. "Why? Because of you being a... naked werewolf?"
"Yes. Umbridge has a vendetta against those that are half-human. Hagrid is gone, so, naturally, I was the next... thing she wanted to get rid of." I closed my eyes as I rested my cheek against the top of Harry's head. His familiar scent was comforting. "She knew I was close to the students, especially you guys. I guess she thought getting rid of me would make you more subservient to her."
"That would have never happened," Ron muttered.
I blinked open my eyes. "I know. Your loyalty to the school and Dumbledore is unwavering. It's amazing how much you all have grown over the past year." I sighed quietly. "When you get back to the castle, tell Firenze to watch his tail. The toad-bitch will be after him next."
"I doubt that will happen."
"Why?"
The mischievous grin that flashed across Hermione's face was a bit unsettling. "She was taken away by the centaurs."
"Wha- How?"
"She wanted us to show her Dumbledore's secret weapon, the one he had hidden in the forest. Obviously, there was no such weapon, but she followed us anyway. She was about to attack us when the centaurs showed up." Hermione glanced over her shoulder as if expecting the horsemen to pop out of the trees. "Umbridge attacked one of them, calling them all sorts of names -"
"Let me guess," I interrupted her. "'Half-breeds'? 'Animals'?"
She nodded. "Then Grawp came out of nowhere, demanding to see Hagrid. He was very upset when we told him we did not know where he was."
"Did the centaurs attack him?" I asked with a snarl.
"Yes. That's why Harry and I have blood on us."
"He's just a kid," I said quietly. "He didn't know better."
"And now here we are, trying to figure out a way to get all of us to London so we can save Sirius."
Harry shifted a bit to glare at her over his shoulder. "I told you that you're not coming with me."
"Harry, do you not remember how we won the House Cup in first year?" Neville's quiet voice caught my attention. "I received the winning points because I stood up to you when you went after You-Know-Who. Well, I'm standing up to you again," he said, puffing out his chest a bit. "We are going with you to the Ministry. If something bad is really there, then wouldn't it be wiser to have your friends there to back you up?"
"He has a point," Ginny piped up, stepping forward to stand beside the taller Gryffindor. "If you go alone and get ambushed, who will be there to save your ass?"
I snorted a laugh.
"That's great and all," said Harry after a moment, "but we still don't know how we're going to get from here to there." Ginny opened her mouth, but Harry wouldn't let her speak. "I know some of you have brooms, Ginny, but that's not enough. Mine is still locked up, and the school brooms will not make it that far. And there's no way to Apparate inside the school grounds." He stared at his friends. "Any suggestions?" he demanded.
No one spoke up. Their faces showed that they were clueless as to what to do.
Then Luna looked at me. "We'll fly, of course."
"Luna," Harry said, exasperated. "We jut went over this -"
"Harry, we'll fly."
His emerald eyes shone up at me. "And how the hell do we do that, Talis? You got a hidden set of wings as well?"
"I'm going to ignore that because I love you," I growled.
"Then what?"
I rolled my eyes and gently pushed him away. He let out a whine only I could hear. I ignored it and raise my hands to form a makeshift megaphone over my mouth.
"What are you doing?"
"Shut up. I'm getting us to London."
"How?"
I drew in a deep breath then let loose a wild screech, an unnerving combination of a bird call and a howl. The bizarre sound faded into a ringing silence. I gave two more calls before I heard it.
Hoof beats.
A strange call came from the trees, similar to mine but way more realistic. I smiled at the shadows. "That's my girl."
The younger teenagers stared at me in bewilderment.
"Your girl?" Ron sputtered.
Luna's crystal eyes shone brightly in the gloom. "You are brilliant, Talis."
"She owes me a favor anyways," I said, my right hand twitching.
From the shadowy forest came Mixl, her head raised proudly as she trotted into the clearing. She paused when she caught sight of the small group. I moved towards her, hand outstretched. "It's alright, Mixl. These hooligans won't hurt you." I glanced at the grey patch on her wing. No signs of infection. I breathed a sigh.
"Hooligans?"
"Hush!"
"Mixl, we both know you owe me one," I teased quietly as I stroked her bony cheek. Mixl nickered at me. "We need to get to London, but getting there is a problem."
"What the hell is he talking to?"
"I think a thestral."
"Looks like thin air to me."
"Honestly, were you not paying any attention of Care of Magical Creatures that day? They can only be seen by those who have seen death."
"Talis saw someone die?"
"She's beautiful."
Harry appeared at my shoulder. "Her wing looks great," he commented quietly.
Mixl turned her head to stare at him. Her nostrils flared as she sniffed him a few times, then she leaned forward to rest her chin on his shoulder. Harry let out a gasp at the affectionate gesture. When Mixl backed away, he looked up at me. "What was that about?"
"She recognizes you as my mate," I said. "We're loyal to each other, and now she's sharing that loyalty with you." I turned back to the thestral. "If we're going to London, we're going to need help. Where's your family, Mixl?"
The thestral tossed her thin mane, then raise her head to let out another call. A few moments later I could hear more thestrals moving towards us. Before long the rest of the herd stood in a semi-circle around us.
Tenebrus stared at me, stamping a fore-hoof on the ground.
Mixl whipped around and chirped at him. When he snorted and shook his head, Mixl snapped her beak-like mouth at him. Then she extended her patched wing and glanced from Tenebrus to her wing a few times. Tenebrus' white eyes glowed before he lowered his head in obvious defeat.
I stepped up to the stallion and gently stroked his nose. "Thank you, my friend." I turned back to the teenagers. "Alright. We have transportation."
"How are we supposed to get on?" asked Ron, eyes narrowed as he stared a little to the right of Noctis. "We can't see them."
"Come here." I glanced over the thestrals. "Griseo."
The grey thestral walked over; I help Ron onto the male. "His mane is right here," I said, taking Ron's hand in my own. "A tight grip is good, but do not yank his hair. Griseo does not like that. None of them do." Ron stared down at me, freckles prominent against his now even paler face. "He won''t hurt you, Ron. I promise." I gave Griseo a few gentle pats on the neck.
Helping Ginny and Hermione was a bit easier. I paired Hermione with Caeleste ("Is she as beautiful as her name?" "She really is.") and Ginny with Noctis ("What color is he?" "Pitch as night."). Neville was a bit trickier as he was prone to being a bit twitchy. After a moment, I decided Vespertilio was the best match. ("Why is his name 'bat'?" "Because his wings are longer than the others." "What?" "No, no, that's a good thing. His wings will act as a balancing beam if you shift a bit. Trust me. He will not let you fall." "I trust you.")
I looked over at Luna to see if she needed help.
She obviously didn't. I shook my head as she adjusted her long skirt. She was sitting sidesaddle on Stellae as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Stellae was staring back at her, chirping quietly.
"That just leaves you and me," I said to Harry.
Harry's eyes widened as Tenebrus marched importantly up to him. The large male regarded him silently with his bright eyes then lowered his skeletal body a bit so Harry could get on. "Wow," Harry breathed as Tenebrus stood to his full height.
I smiled up at him. "It kind of pays to have a mate who's friends with thestrals, eh?" A beak prodding my shoulder caught my attention. I turned, still smiling, and met Mixl's white gaze. "You up for this, Mixl?"
She tossed her head with a loud chirp.
"That's my girl." I gave her neck a few pats before I gently got on her back. "Alright." I turned to the others. "Remember: do not yank their manes. Do not touch their wing joints." I withdrew my wand and cast a warmth spell on all of us. "That will save everyone from frostbite. When we are up in the air, it may be difficult to hear each other. Does anyone have anything they want to say now?"
"This is mental," Ron muttered loudly, hands clasping Griseo's mane.
"Noted. Anything else?"
"Do they know the way to London?" asked Harry.
I nodded. "Yes." I glanced at the others. "Anyone?"
No one else spoke up, though I could see Neville murmuring under his breath; Vespertilio nickered quietly in return, as if reassuring him.
"Okay then." I locked my knees behind Mixl's wings. "Hold on tight. Mixl, Ministry of Magic, secret entrance, London. Let's go."
Mixl's wings spread beautifully. She lowered herself into a bit of crouch. A moment passed then Mixl rocketed herself in the sky. I clutched her mane tightly.
Within moments, the castle grounds were gone, then Hogsmeade. Shadowy fields, thick copse of trees, and spiraling rivers passed under us. The night air smelled so fresh and clean, but I knew if I had not been protected by the warming spell I would be freezing.
Mixl suddenly dipped as her wings caught on a gust. I gritted my teeth and moved my body with Mixl's to help her regain balance. It worked and once again we were flying smoothly.
Hours slipped by. The landscape below us turned into a shadowy mess, lit occasionally by pinpricks of light when we flew over farmhouses and towns. Above us, the stars shown like a vast field of diamonds, lighting our way.
Suddenly, Mixl started to descend as a rapid pace. Behind me, I could hear one of the girls screaming, but a quick glance behind me did not reveal a falling body. Even if one of us had fallen, the thestral would have caught us out of midair. The orange-ish lights of London grew in size and intensity as the thestrals carried us over the tall building.
I almost slipped off Mixl's back as she landed in a shadow filled alley. An overflowing dumpster and a heavily vandalized telephone box were the only things I could see. Strangely, there was no sound beyond the mouth of the alley, as if the night itself was holding its breath.
With a groan, I dismounted, wincing as my legs throbbed a bit. They had grown stiff from the long ride. I gave myself a mighty shake.
"Never again."
I looked up as Griseo and Tenebrus landed nearby. Ron abruptly slid unceremoniously from Griseo's back; the thestral snorted in amusement. He was still grumbling profanities as the rest of the group dropped gracefully into the alley. Neville seemed like he was trying not to relieve himself while Luna was speaking softly to Stellae. Hermione and Ginny seemed to be okay as they carefully scrambled down from Caeleste and Noctis.
"Okay, now that we're here, what do we do with them?" Harry asked, appearing at my side and motioning to the thestrals. The lizard horses had wandered over to the dumpster and were digging for scraps of meat.
I gave a short sharp whistle. All six lifted their heads; Noctis already had a bone sticking out of his mouth. "Don't eat anything that smells funny, and get back to the castle before dawn breaks."
Tenebrus snorted before turning back to the garbage.
"Thestrals," I muttered as Luna asked, "Where do we go from here, then?"
"Over here. Come on," he urged when the others did not follow him to the telephone box. He slid open the door. I watched as the students stuffed themselves into the tiny box. "Talis?"
"I'll meet you guys down there," I said, taking my wand out of its sheath. "There's not enough room, and I can make sure there's not any unwanted company in the lobby."
Harry stared at me. "And what would happen if there was someone there?"
"Then I would take care of them."
"And if they got to you first?" Fear glazed his emerald eyes.
I sighed quietly. "I told you I would love you beyond death, Harry. And I meant it." I rested a hand on the telephone box door. "I'll see you guys down there." I slid the door shut and stepped back. It wasn't until Harry turned back to the receiver did I realize I had revealed our relationship to Ginny, Neville and Luna. Oh, well. Can't take it back now. I flashed them what I hoped was a reassuring smile then held out my wand, turning on the spot.
A quick suction-feeling then I was standing in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic.
I held my wand out and spun in a circle.
No one was around.
There was a clattering sound behind me. I whipped around, a curse on my tongue, but relaxed when I saw it was only the overfilled telephone box. The six teenagers looked rather perplexed at being squished into the small space. Once the bottom of the booth touched the floor, the door opened, and all of the students came pouring out.
"It's so quiet," Ginny commented, her voice a whisper, as she stepped over to me. "It's almost deafening."
"That's what scares me the most," I muttered back.
"Come on," said Harry before he sprinted off down the long hallway. The rest of us followed. The pattering of our sneakers drowned out by the rush of water from the fountain. I never really liked that fountain; the statues looked too happy and there wasn't a werewolf. We slid past the security desk and the golden gates to the lift. I winced as the doors opened with a loud metallic clatter.
Once we were all in the lift, Harry urgently poked the number nine button. We waited with bated breath as the lift began to noisily descend. As if by instinct, I shuffled to the front of the group, wand ready. If anyone was waiting for us done there, I was going to protect the students.
"Department of Mysteries," said a cool female voice as the lift finally came to a shuttering halt.
The grill-like doors opened, and we silently stepped out. We were met with a hallway dimly lit with flickering torches. At the end of the hall, there was a plain black door.
"Let's go,"harry whispered, and led the way to the door, but came to an abrupt stop a few feet away from it. He looked back at us. "You know, maybe a couple of us should stay here, just in case. Be a lookout -"
"And how would we get a message to you?" Ginny growled, eyebrows vanishing into her long bangs. "You could be miles away, and we'd never reach you."
"We're coming with you, Harry," Neville said quietly.
"Let's get on with it," Ron muttered.
"Talis?"
I shook my head. "Open the damned door, Harry."
Harry stared up at me for a moment then turned back to the door. He reached out a hand, but it swung open by itself. We hurried over the threshold, and stepped into a perfectly circular room. It was like stepping into a shadow: everything - the floor, the ceiling, the black doors - were jet black. It was only from the flickering of the blue flame torches that I could decipher what was what.
"Someone shut the door."
"Wait!"
But Neville had already shut the door. At once there was a deep rumbling sound and the room started to move. I snarled as the blue from the flames burned my eyes. For several long seconds the room spun, creating an atmosphere of disorientation, then it stopped just as suddenly as it started. I gave myself a shake. "Fuck."
Neville pressed against my side. "How're we going to get back out?"
"We don't need to worry about that now," Harry said forcefully; I narrowed my eyes at him. "We can figure that out once we get to Sirius."
"Where do we go, Harry?" asked Ron.
"I don't - . In my dreams I would go through the hall into this room then into a room that kind of... glitters. Let's try a few doors. I'll know the right way when I see it." The first door he tried opened up into a long room that was lit by lamps hanging from golden chains from the ceiling. No glittering, though. There was hardly a thing in the room, except for a few desks and very large glass tank filled with deep green water in the middle of the room. Some sort of pearly white things were floating lazily in the water.
"What are they?" Ron whispered.
"I dunno," replied Harry.
"Fish maybe?" Ginny offered.
"Aquavirius maggots!" Luna said with a giddy hop. "Dad said the Ministry was breeding - "
Hermione stepped forward to peer into the water. "No. They're brains."
I stared at the tank. One of the blobs floated forward and bounced lightly against the glass. There was no mistaking it.
"Brains?"
"She's right," I muttered. "Why the Ministry is keeping brains is really fuckin' weird."
"Let's get out of here," Harry said. "This isn't the right room."
Ron pointed toward the far wall. "There are doors here. Should we try them?"
Harry shook his head. "In my dream I went from the dark room into the second one. Let's go back and try again."
The students could not get away from the tank of brains fast enough, but I glanced back once more before I followed them into the circle room.
"Don't close the door yet!" Hermione pulled out her wand. I moved to the side as she said, "Flagrate!" and drew a fiery X on the door.
"Great idea," I praised her as I shut the door.
At once the rumbling started again. I slammed my eyes shut as the walls started to spin. The seconds seemed like an eternity.
"Let's try this one."
I opened my eyes as Harry tried a second door. At once, my ears picked up some sort of whispering. "Wait!" I stepped forward and, sharing a quick look with Harry, walked into the room first, wand raised.
It was a dimly lit amphitheater. Stone benches wound around the room, creating a steep staircase to the sunken center. In the middle of strange stone courtroom, there was a dais. On it, was a crumbling stone archway. A tattered black curtain hung from the arch, fluttering lightly as if it had been touched. The strange whispers seemed to be coming from it.
"Who's there?" Harry jumped down to the bench below.
"Harry, be careful," Hermione whispered.
I followed Harry as he scrambled down the stone steps towards the archway. The loud echoing of our sneakers almost drowned out the whispers.
"Sirius?"
I winced as the whispers grew insistent, as if whomever was talking knew we were nearby. Harry circled the dais, eyes scanning the curtain that still swayed gently in a non-existent breeze.
"Harry, Talis, let's go," Hermione called from the top tier. "This isn't right. Let's go."
Harry stopped circling the dais and stood beside me. "You hear them too?"
I nodded. "Yeah. This is something unnatural," I muttered. "Come on, Harry." I reached out and gently took his hand in mine. I gave a few tugs. "This isn't the room we are looking for. No glittering. Just an unnatural courtroom."
"But Sirius could be -"
"Harry, you said he could be found through a room that glitters." I glanced at the curtain. "Staring at a curtain and trying to decipher the whispers is a waste of time."
Harry reluctantly turned away from the archway. "You're right."
"Tends to happen," I replied as I led the way back up the stone benches. I let go of his hand when we reached the top.
"What do you reckon that curtain was?" asked Harry once we were all in the circular room.
"I don't know," Hermione admitted quietly. "But it's dangerous, whatever it is." She placed a fiery X on that door as well before shutting it.
Once again I shut my eyes as the room spun then opened them when it stilled. Harry glanced at the doors before choosing one at random and tried to open it. "It's locked!" he snarled, shoving his weight against the black door. Nothing seemed to be able to open the door: Hermione's "Alohomora!" spell did not work and neither did the knife Sirius gave to Harry. "I guess we won't go through that one," Harry muttered as the metal of the knife melted.
"Maybe it is that door?" Ron suggested.
"In his dreams, Harry could go through the door," said Hermione before she placed an X on that door as well.
"This spinning is driving me insane," I snarled as the room spun then stilled.
Harry flashed me a look then marched to another door. "This is it!" he cried when he saw what was on the other side. He shoved the door the rest of the way open and led us inside.
I blinked a few times so my eyes could adjust to the bright room. There were clocks everywhere. Tiny and large. Grandfather and carriage. Watches and hourglasses. Everything glittered. The sound of their combined ticking sounded like the patter of marching. At the far end of the room stood a large crystal bell jar, the source of the glittering light that reflected off everything.
"Look!" Ginny said, pointing to the heart of the bell jar.
Inside, it seemed as if the air was swirling. And in the center of the glittering wind was a tiny egg. The wind seemed to pick up the egg and lift it towards the top. As it went, the egg cracked and a hummingbird chick spilled out. As it drifted upwards, the feathers dried and became brilliantly colored. By the time it reached the top, it was an adult, its wings a blur. Then it began to descend. As it did, the feathers became dull and damp. It was becoming a chick again! it drifted down to the broken eggshell, which closed around it once the bird reached it. The egg sealed itself seamlessly.
"Let's go," Harry said.
Ginny made a sound of annoyance as Ron pulled her away from the jar - the egg was hatching again. "You wasted a lot of time staring at that old archway," she protested, but followed when her brother gave her a look.
We were met with another door as we slid around the bell jar. Harry gave it a push, and it swung open.
This new room was quite different from the clock room. The ceilings were lost in the shadows, and full of shelves after shelves of small, dusty glass orbs. The blue flames from the torches flickered dully, barely casting enough light to see. I held up my wand and muttered, "Lumos."
The others followed my lead. The soft lights of our wands melded with the blues cast from the torches. It helped a bit, but not enough to battle away all of the shadows.
Harry moved forward to peer down an aisle between two the shelves.
"You said it was row ninety-seven," said Hermione. "We need to go right, I think. Yeah. That one is fifty-four."
"Keep your wands out," I said.
I stayed at the rear of the group as we moved down the aisle. The dusty silence was almost deafening, but I forced myself to focus. If anyone or anything snuck up on us, I could not afford to be distracted. But there was nothing. Just the sound of our own footsteps. Then Harry started muttering under his breath about how Sirius just had to be there, somewhere among the shelves. For the very first time, I doubted my boyfriend. This whole thing has been a whirlwind from the start. What if Sirius wasn't here? What if this was just a ploy to get Harry away from the protection of the castle? I know he loves his godfather with every fiber of his being, but. . .
"Harry, it's got your name on it." Ron's voice shook me from my thoughts.
I peered over the redhead's shoulder to see what he was pointing at. It was one of the small orbs. There was a yellowed label on the shelf right beneath it. In a spidery handwriting I thought I recognized, it read "S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D, Dark Lord and Harry Potter." I recognized the longer one as Albus' name - no one else seemed to have a long name like him.
Harry reached out and took the orb from the shelf, though the others did not seem to want him to.
The whisper of a cloak caught my attention.
I spun around, wand raised in defence, as a drawling voice came from the darkness. "Very good, Potter. Now turn around and give that to me."
Lucius Malfoy. I'd recognize that slimy bastard's voice anywhere.
From all sides, dark figures appeared from the gloom. At least a dozen wands were lit and pointed at us. I gave a low snarl.
"To me, Potter." Malfoy held out of his hand. "Now."
"Where's Sirius?" Harry said.
Harsh laughter came from some of the Death Eaters. The gravelly voice of Bellatrix Lestrange came from my left. "The Dark Lord always knows!" she crowed.
"Always," Malfoy repeated quietly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."
"I want to know where Sirius is!"
"I want to know where Sirius is!" Lestrange mocked in a high baby voice.
"You've got him. He's here. I know it."
"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo!" Lestrange let out a maniacal shriek of laughter.
I heard a shuffle behind me, then Neville muttering, "Bellatrix Lestrange."
Lestrange smirked, coming to stand beside Malfoy. "Ah! Neville Longbottom, is it?" Her smirk broadened into a smile. "How's Mom and Dad?"
"Better, now that they'll be avenged," Neville snarled, shoving his way forward. I caught him in the chest with my arm and shoved him back. Lestrange pointed her wand at him. I snarled at her.
Malfoy glanced at Lestrange then turned his cold silver eyes to me. "Now, let's everybody just calm down. We do not need the product of bestility to turn animal on us." There was a weird snickering from the Death Eaters. "All we want is the prophecy."
"How come Voldemort wants this?" asked Harry.
"You dare speak his name!" Lestrange's eyes seemed to bug out of her skull. "You filthy half-blood!"
"Did you know he was half-blood too?"
Shut up, Harry.
"Yeah, his mother was a witch, but his father was a Muggle. Has he been telling you lot he was pureblood?"
"STUPEF-"
"NO!"
Malfoy deflected the Stunner Lestrange shot at Harry. The spell bounced away and smashed into a shelf; a few of the glass orbs fell to the ground with a crash. Two pearly white figures blossomed from the shattered glass, chatting merrily with each other.
"Do not attack! We need the prophecy!"
"He dares to speak his name!"
I stared at the quarreling Death Eaters. Beside me, Neville was a seething ball of rage. His eyes were focused on Lestrange's shadowed face. I knew he wanted to get revenge for his parents' undoing.
"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over," Harry spoke up again.
"Do not play games, Potter."
"I'm not playing games," Harry insisted. The shuffling behind me failed to be noticed by the Death Eaters.
"Such a curious lad," said Malfoy with a sneer. "Dumbledore failed to tell you that the reason you have such a scar was hidden in the depths of the Department of Mysteries?"
"What about my scar?"
Malfoy's pointed face lit up with malicious delight. A few of the Death Eaters laughed, but, just under their chortles, I could hear Harry whispering, "Smash shelves." I glanced over to where the pearly ghost-like mists had vanished.
"That Lord wondered why you had not come rushing to the place where it was hidden in your dreams. Of course, natural curiosity would be the explanation, if Dumbledore never told you."
"So he wanted me to come get it for him. Why?"
"'Why?' Because the only ones who are permitted to retrieve the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries are the ones about whom they are made. The Dark Lord discovered this when he tried to use others."
"And why did he want it so badly?"
"It is a prophecy about the both of you," Malfoy explained, his sneer widening. "Have you wondered you the Dark Lord tried to kill you when you were an infant?"
"Someone made a prophecy about him and me? And he made me come here to get it for him? Why not come get it himself?"
Lestrange shrieked a laugh. "Get it himself? The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic, while they are ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, revealing himself to the Aurors, when they are wasting their time hunting my dear cousin?"
"Now!"
My voice joined five others as we all shouted, "REDUCTO!" Six curses shot in six directions. There was an explosion of ancient wood and glass as shelves exploded under the force of our curses. There was a moment of silence, then pearly white smoke surrounded us as voices from people long since passed filled the room. Then something caught my attention. The shelves around us were starting to sway. A little at first, then a lot.
My eyes widened as orbs fell from the top shelves.
"Run!" Harry yelled.
The next minute or so was loud and confusing. Shelves fell onto their neighbors, sending glass orbs to the ground like large hailstones. Shouts of pain and rage mingled with ancestral voices. My sneakers slipped on pieces of wood and glass splinters. For a moment, I fell and glass shredded my knees. But I was back on my feet in an instant, my heritage healing my hands. I shouted curses over my shoulder at the Death Eaters, shooting blind as I ran.
We sprinted to the door and through the clock room. Harry had already opened another door by the time I reached the circular room. I paused for a moment to place a locking charm on the door before rushing across to join him. We were in the stone courtroom again.
I barely had a chance to do a quick head count - all the younger teens had made it - before dark smoke swirled through the room. I could hear laughter as, one by one, the teenagers were snatched up by a plume of smoke. My head whipped this way and that as I tried to assess where all of them went. Soon dizziness forced my eyes shut.
"Well. Well. Well."
My eyes flew open.
No!
It - It can't be!
I narrowed my eyes dangerously at the man stepping out of a cloud of dark smoke.
"Hello, Talis."
"Blue."
