A.N.:I don't quite know how long this story is going to be. I started it with the intention of being a oneshot, but I liked it and got carried away. As to how many chapters this story is going to have, depends on how many people are going to read it, my mood and my free time.
Chapter 2: Department Of Mysteries
Peter looked more afraid now than ever. As if he himself didn't know what he wanted to do.
"Peter", Sirius said softly "you know nobody is going to think any less of you if you don't agree to come, you don't have to."
Peter looked at him for a long moment, and then some of the fear in his eyes was replaced with determination. "Well...", he said "you might need little Wormtail to get inside small spaces for a quick getaway, I'm your guy."
Peter smiled, and so did the rest of them.
"Ok then", said Mary. "it's settled, we're going to the Ministry. The question is how do we get out of Hogwarts and into the Ministry ?"
Lily looked skeptical at this, while Marlene frowned, deep in thought.
"Leave that to us." Sirius said, feeling exited.
"Get back to your dormitories, get changed into something less recognizable, preferably black so we won't be seen, and meet us back here in five minutes."
Five minutes later, we were all in the common room, after we got changed, grabbed the Marauders map and some dung bombs, because who knows, they might come in handy.
"Ok, now that we're all set, does anyone have any idea how to get out of this bloody castle because let me remind you that this is the safest place in Britain, so if people can't get, they can't get out just the same."
Marlene said in almost one breath.
"We know a secret passage", said Sirius."It gets you right under Hogsmead, we go there and apparate, near the guest entrance of the Ministry."
"Wow...", Lily said looking a tiny bit impressed "and how do you know how to get into the Ministry ?"
"Dad-Charlus- James's father, that is, works in the Ministry, he is an Auror. He has taken us a couple of times at the Ministry through the guest entrance, so we know how to get in.
"Ok, so James-", Sirius said with conviction in his voice "you get under the invisibility cloak, take the map with you, with two others, get them to the secret passage, dump them, come back and take two more. Leave me and Peter for last."
After James had taken Lily and Malrene to the secret passage, he came to get Remus and Mary with him. When they l, and it was just Sirius alone with Peter, he turned to Peter.
"Wormy...", Sirius asked with a softeness in his voice that he usually used only when he was eith Marlene, "are you sure you want to do this, I promise you, nobody's going to think any different of you-"
"Padfoot", Peter interrupted him, "all my friends are going to risk lives today, I have to-no I want to -be there with you guys."
Sirius smiled, pride evident all upon his face.
When they were finally all into the passage, Mary asked "Where in Hogsmead does this lead exactly ?"
"Right inside Zonko's", Remus replied.
"What!", Lily exclaimed furiously, "what do you mean inside Zonko's, we're not braking in his shop, even if we did get inside it it's the middle of the night, we would'nt be able to get out of the shop anyway, because let me remind you it's closed!"
James only laughed and looked at her with amusement in his eyes "Lils, calm down. You think we didn't think of that. What do you take us for, a bunch of idiots ?"
The tree girls only stared at him intensley with a duh look in their eyes.
James looked offended. "Oi.. we aren't idiots-"
"James" Remus cut in.
"Right, right, sorry. Anyway we won't get locked inside Zonko's because Sirius here-" he said patting Sirius's back."-nicked a spare key to Zonko's for occassions just like this !" James announced proudly.
Lily and the girls only looked at him with an accusatory look. And then Lily atarted rambling about stealing is not accaptable and all that.
When we finally managed to get out of the secret passage, out of Zonko's and into the streets of Hogsmead, they finally all turned to look at Sirius, Marlene's hand still in his.
What are they all looking at me for, thought Sirius frustrated, as if i have all the answers.
"Ok...", he said finally. "Since me, Prongs and Moony have all know where the guest entrane is you guys will side-along apparate with us. Prongs you take Lily, I'll take Marls, and Moony you take Mary and Wormy."
They all agreed and in a loud crack! we were standing outside a telephone booth.
"Here we are", James said happily.
"What, where is here exactly. This isn't the entrance to anything!", Lily replied angrily.
"Lily, this is the entrance to the Ministry." Sirius said, pointing at the red telephone booth.
"Oh, right...magic", Lily said shyly, her cheeks reddening a little.
After they got in, in pairs of four and three, and requested passes for the Department of Mysteries, they got in the elavator.
"Department of Mysteries", spoke Sirius in a deep voice.
The elevator then started moving to the direction of their destination.
You could feel the nerves of everyone in the room,thought Sirius. Marlene was clutching his hand so tight that both their knuckles had turned white. Same with James and Lily.
Peter and Remus, who was standing way closer to Mary to be considered normal, were in a corner in either side of the elevator, clearly worrying. Wormtail was so stressed in fact, that gis forehead was glistening with sweat.
"Look guys," Sirius said. "I know we're all afraid. We would be stupid if we weren't. But don't forget we're doing this, not only for Dumbledore but for the war as well. And that we have each other. I, for one, wouldn't want anyone else here with me."
They all looked at him a bit stunned for a moment, because he wasn't the kind of person that gave motivational speeches, that was more Remus and Lily's kind of thing.
Marlene gave his hand a small squeeze, and he instantly felt better, like everything was going to be alright.
"Nice speech." Marlene said with a smirk on hair beautiful face, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief.
Just like that the tension was broken, James cracked up laughing while holding Lily's hand and they all followed suit.
Sirius opened his arms and Marlene came to hug him, he burried his head in her blond locks, wanting to feel safe for a moment before everything started and this was the place he felt safest, right in Marlene's arms, and he was sure the same went for her.
He pulled back after a minute of this, and looked into her face. She was looking at him with a look full of love and trust he didn't think he deserved. "I love you", he said quietly as not to be heard by the others. She was the only person he let himself feel vulnerable, even with James his best friend, his brother in all but blood, he didn't feel as comfortable as he felt with her.
She smiled, a smile so loving that was reserved only for him, that only he got to see. "I love you", Marlene said quietly, only for him to hear. They had long agreed not to usetoowhen they saidI love you'sto each other, as to not be seen as they were just agreeing with what the other said.
He gave her a quick kiss and stepped away, still holding her hand. He looked at James and an understanding passed between them. If anything happened to either of them the other would loom after the rest, most of all the girls, nowomen, they loved.
Ding! echoed around the elevator, making him step back from Marlene's embrace.
Department of Mysteries, said the woman's voice that came out of the elevator.
This was it. It was time.
"Do we even know where to look, we can't be wondering in an entire department for hours till we find Dumbledore, or worst Death Eaters!", whispered Marlene.
"She's right-", He said. "-the Department of Mysteries is vast, it will take us hours which we don't have to seatch all of it."
"Mary-" Remus asked her softly. "-did you hear McGonagall say anyrhing else about the location which they are holding Dumbledore, any clue whatsoever ?"
They all looked at her, pleading her to say yes.
"She-she said, that in the letter they were saying that they are holding him in the room that was full of prophecies, round crystal spheres."
"Ok-" Sirius said quietly as to be heard only by them, "-we'll look around untill we find the prophecy room. Wands at the ready."
They began looking for the room that Mary described. The problem was that there were so many identical doors that they were sometimes searching the same room two or even three times.
"Ahhhhhh" groaned Peter and James.
"This is the third time we have come across this stupid clock room", Peter said sounding tired.
"How do the Unspeakables even know where to go in this place ?" James asked, looking up at the ceiling as if it would give him the answers we were looking for.
"Who are the Unspeakables ?" Lily asked him.
"The Unspeakables are the people who work at the Department of Mysteries, my mother is one." James replied to her.
"Really ?" Lily asked him excitedly, as if it was the most appropriate time to ask about your future in-laws, "What does she do here ?"
"I don't know, nobody does. That's why they are called the Unspeakables. They aren't allowed to speak to anyone about the work they do here. Not even my dad knows what my mom works on, it drives him crazy sometimes. They don't discuss what they do outside these walls."
"Wow..." Lily whispered looking around the room amazed. "Then when someone wants to get a job here, he doesn't know what he will do if he gets the job, he's going in there blind ?" Lly asked horrified.
"Well...yes" Remus answered her.
"B-b-but that's stupid, why would someone want a job that doesn't even know what it is ?"
"I don't know, ask my mom" James said in a what can you do tone.
"Guys-" Marlene whispered-yelled at them, "-I think I found a door that we hadn't gone through."
We all followed her, and when we entered yet another same looking door, we came across hundreds upon hundreds of rows of shelves with crystal spheres on them.
"This must be it.", he said, "This must be the room that McGonagall was talking about."
Finally, he thought after one and a half, almost two hours, of looking around the Department we finally found the room that Dumbledore was kept. Slam! The door behind us shut closed and dissapeared. After a bit of arguing, knowing we couldn't do anything about it now, and after we agreed that our priority was Dumbledore, we started searching the halls.
We were searching for about a quorter of an hour when we finally stopped in a crossroad to gather our thought.
"Where the hell is he ?" James asked, sounding indignant.
"Mary...may-maybe you heard wrong maybe this wasn't the room that they were holding him in" said a troubled Remus.
"No! No, I know what I heard. McGonagall specifically said the room with crystal spheres." Mary answered him.
"Maybe there's another room with them in it, a room that we haven't checked yet, we should go look to find a similar room" Lily said.
"How-" Peter said shakily, "-are we going to do that, the door disappeared, remember ? How are we going to get out of here ?"
"Maybe we can-" started James, but before he could continue a laugh filled the room, a chilling, crazed and oh so familiar laugh.
"No, no, nononono...", he chanted while the others looked at him with a confused but also worried look.
The next second, about seven or more Death Eaters emerged from the shadows, wearing their masks and pointing their wands at them. At once they all had their wands pointing the Death Eaters as well.
His hand instinctively searched for Marlene's and he found it searching for his.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Siri" a masked Death Eater said while laughing, that maniacal laugh he got so used to and hated, so much throughout his childhood, and he knew who it was even before she said enything. "Hello cousin, treachery looks good on you."
Marlene's hand squeeze his one more time, but he didn't register it, didn't register Wormtail's quiet sobs or the frantic looks Prongs and Remus were sending him. He only had eyes for her.
"Hello Bella", he said softly, despite the rage that was building up inside of him. He could feel Marlene's piercing gaze on the side of his head, but he paid her no mind.
Bella–no , not Bella Bellatrix he reminded himself, this is not the Bellatrix you used to play with as a child, this is not Bella anymore. She waved her wand across her face and the mask that she was wearing dissapeared. Her face appeared, the face that was quite beautiful when she was younger, still an innocent little girl looking after him and his brother, now pale as a ghost and with a deranged smile on her face.
"Rodolphus still beating thecrapout of you at home or did you finally managed to stand up to him ?" he asked, after his eyes caught the purple bruises forming on her hands and neck.
The crazy look in her eyes return, filled with hatred. "YOU FILTHY LITTLE-" she started to raze her wand, her wild hair moving behind her, but the Death Eater standing next to her, on her right, put his hand on her shoulder.
"Patience Bella" he spoke in a low voice, Lucius Malfoy's voice "You will get your chance to play with them, just wait a little while longer."
Bellatrix straightened herself, seeming now more collected, a little less crazy.
"Where is Dumbledore, where are you keeping him?" demanded Rumes.
All the Death Eaters laughed. Bellatrix asked "Does this little half breed speak for you little cousin ?" making all the other Death Eaters laugh harder.
"Well, I must admit when I send that fake letter at Hogwarts, I expected more. So much more. I was hoping McGonagall, or a member of the Order to show up, not some children, half-breeds, blood traitors and mudbloods." said the Death Eater standing next to Bellatrix, on her left, while laughing, in a voice he recognized but couldn't quite identify.
"The letter was fake ?" asked James, in a voice that hid how afraid he truly was.
"Of course it was fake you imbecile. Do you really think that if we had Albus Dumbledore in our mercy he would still be alive ? Our Lord would have killed him on the spot, and the war would be ours, we would have already won." said Lucius.
It hit us all in he same time. It was a trap. We had walked right into it like fucking fools!
Of course, he thought, of -fucking-courseif Dumbledore was captured he would've been killed on the spot. They wouldn't risk not killing him, Dumbledore's death was a huge victory, perhaps the only victory they would need, to let him be alive a second longer. And we hadn't thought of that. We just waltzed in here with our fucking dicks in our hands and hoped for the best.
"I must admit-" Lucius said, "-what exactly did you think you were going to accomplish here ?" he continued with a laugh, "what were some children going to do againstus. If we had managed to capture the great Albus Dumbledore, you had zero chance against us."
"We came here to rescue him, or die trying and hopefully take down some of you along the way." Remus spoke up, and he admired his courage and bravery at the moment.
"The half breed has some nerves, but naybe that's all he has" said Bella, who was watching Remus with a curious gaze. "Fighting for the very people that made him an outcast, and are disgusted by him once they figure out what he is. And brave. So very brave." she added with a sarcastic tone in her voice.
"Join us, boy" the Death eater on Bella's left said, "join us, and we promise you, when we win this war you will be free. No longer an outcast, no longer will you see people be disgusted by you, no longer will you live in the side lines. You will b-"
"I will NEVER join you!" Remus interrupted him with conviction in his voice, and hatred burning in his eyes.
"Very well then..." the Death Eaters spoke in a soft voice, like he was expecting Remus's answer. "I was hoping for some Order members to have some fun, to play, with. I was even hoping for Moody. But I suppose you will do."
He knew what was going to happen seconds before it did, he yelled to the others to get down, pulling Marlene's hand as he did the same. Out of the cornet of his eye he saw James draging Lily with him,follow his command almost immedietly, a sign that he trusted him implicitly. Then he saw Remus dragging Mary and a petrified Peter down along with him.
"CRUCIO!" came out of the Death Eater's mouth, just a millisecond after they all hit the floor, and he saw the red light fly out of his wand, above their heads and into the chest of another Death Eater that was behind them. They watced him scream in pain, fly back a few meters, hitting his head on a shelf and then fall to the ground unconscious.
Trying to take them by surprise, he, James and Remus all stood up at once, wands aiming at three different directions of the Death Eaters and shouted together"Stupefy!".The Death Eaters became a cloud of black smoke and all appeared in front of them. They lifted the girls and Peter of the ground and together they started running to the opposite direction, while defending themselves from the incoming spells coming their way from behind them. They didn't know a way out, the only thing they could do was run away from the Death Eaters.
Five minutes later and they were still right behind us, Bellatrix's crazed laugh the only familiar thing echoing in the corridors, chasing us through the seeming endless halls of the Department Of Mysteries.
He could not even fathom how many similar doors they passed on their way to somewhere,I don't even know what we were looking for at this point, a way out of this mess we found ourselves into, and it was all because of our ownbloodyarrogance.
How could we have been so stupid!
How could we have thought that seven mere children were going to be able at rescuing Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard alive for Merlin's sake, from the hands of the people that even most Aurors were afraid of pursuing.
We were being reckless as usual, hellmorereckless than usual, that's how!
Dammit! We really should've stayed in the fucking common room.
Suddenly someone materialized from the cloud of black smoke and sendBOMBARDA
right in the middle of us, forcing us to split apart. He, James, Marlene and Lily went one way and Remus, Peter and Mary went the other.
We hurried left and right through the corridors, trying to find Remus and the others when an angry voice shouted"AVADA KEDAVRA!"followed by a green light coming from ahead of us heading straight for Marlene.
He quickly transfigured a prophecy from a shelf nearby into a chait to take the impact of the killing curse, and it did. The chair exploded into pieces right in front of their very eyes, and he couldn't help but think that
if he hadn't done that, Marlene would've been the one exploding into pieces.
He felt not only fear inside of him, fear that he would lose her, but also such rage inside him, rage the likes that he had never felt before. He wanted to kill the man that almost cost him Marlene, the one that almost stole his hole future from him.
He stood up, having been blasted back when the chair he used to save Marlene exploded. He didn't acknowledge James saying his , nor Marlene's soft cries of"Sirius". All he had in mind was inflicting pain upon the one that almost killed her, the one that almost took her away from him.
"CRUCIO!"he heard himself shout, and he watched as red light emerged from the tip of his wand and hit his target. Enjoying the screams that were coming out of his victim's mouth."CRUCIO!"he heard someone shout, and only when he watched the red light come out of his wand did he realise that he heardhimselfshout the curse, watching as it hit it's target again and the man screamed and finally fall down unconscious.
"Sirius.." he heard a soft voice say, Marlene's voice, and felt a small hand land on his shoulder, reassuring him that she was there.
He turned to look at her, sure that he will see fear in her eyes, sure that she would be disgusted with him andMerlin forbideven afraid of him. But he was proven wrong when all he saw in her beautiful blue eyes was understanding and none of the things he was afraid-noterrified-he would see.
"I'm okay love" she said to him, now her hand cupping his cheek and he leaned into her touch because heneededto feel that she was alive, and he now noticed the red scratch under her left eye, right on her cheek, and he guessed he got it from the pieces that came from the chair that exploded, "I'm alive,we're alive" her blue eyes shining and full of unconditional love.
"We're alive", was the only thing he said.
"We are" she comfirmed, still cupping his cheek.
He kissed her palm, took her hand and let her steer him towards a limping Lily being supported by James.
"You okay ?" he asked them.
"Yeah-" Lily looked at him a bit wearily "-he stuck the landing-" she said pointing at James "-I on the other hand didn't. Either it's broken-" she continued, while showing us her ankle "-which i don't think so, or it's sprained which is more likely" she finished.
"Okay-" James stated, "-we should find the others".
"Yeah, we should", he and Marlene agreed.
They set off to find them, wondering in the maze-like corridors for a while until they collided with someone. He instantly raised his wand, ready to hex whoever was in front of him to oblivion when he heard him shout "Oi Oi Oi, Padfoot wait it's me, Remus"
"Oh thank Merlin" he hugged Remus and quickly let him go when he winced.
"What happened, are you okay ?" he asked concerned.
"No, no. I'm fine. Just the slashing curse hit me in the side. Nothing to worry about, we can deal with it later." Remus replied a little breathless from all the running that he had been doing apparently.
Sirius only now registered the other two behind Remus. Mary was clutching her hand which seemed broken and Peter was doubled over his hands on her knees breathing heavily.
At his questioning look, Mary replied "Bone breaking curse, courtesy of your cousin I think, hurts like a bitch but I'll manage"
Sirius winced, guilt pooling around in his stomach "Sorry" he said to her.
"Why are you apologizing ?" Mary asked with a confused look on her face, "You didn't cast the spell."
"Yeah-" he replied, "-but Bella-Bellatrix-is my-"
"She-"Mary interrupted him with a stern look "-is her own person, regardless being your cousin or not"
"Amen", he heard Marlene say playfully.
"Shut up" he threw back while smiling at her, feeling grateful that Mary didn't blame him.
"Ok-" James stepped in, Lily still clinging onto his arm, "-nice chat, we'll do more of that when we get out of here. We have got to get out of this place.NOW!"
"He's right-" he said, "let's go"
Couple of minutes later when it seemed like the Death Eaters were leading them to one direction, they found a door a couple of meters from where they were.
"There, there, a door!" exclaimed Lily, relief and happiness evident on her face.
He opened the door first and before he could warn the others that the door wasn't leading anywhere, that behind the door was a long fall, the others collided with him and they all fell down to the other side of the door.
A.N. I think that either the app has a problem, or it was created that way, and sometimes it creates large gaps between sentences, it cuts them in half and then continues like 3 lines down. Every time I fix it and save it like it should be, the next time I come and check it, it is back the way it was before, with gaps. Please tell me if you see this as well, or is it just me. Thank you all for reading my story (if anyone reads it).