Notes: Well guess who decided to show up? Surprise! I'm not dead! Seeing as a lot of unbelievable crap has been happening lately, I decided to join in the fun and finally update. Seriously though, I started this story ages ago when I had a lot more free time, and in a nutshell what happened was that I could no longer count with that same amount of free time I used to enjoy. However, I never wanted to abandon this fic because it just didn't feel right. It's been a very busy past few years but I am happy to announce that I have finally finished my university courses and am well on my way to begin my undergraduate thesis, meaning that although I have more responsibilities, I also have a lot more time. Which I will try to responsibly manage (though honestly I'll probably fail) so as to continue this story. In other words, I'll try, but updates will be sporadic at best.
Since it's been so long I've basically lost track of all reviews I've answered and those I haven't so if I haven't answered I apologize beforehand (I'll get to it if you remind me which one I missed). As always I really do appreciate the continued support.
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Chapter 57: *Audible Gasp*
…
We cannot continue postponing this!" Snape's voice rang, trying to speak over the cacophony of voices that discussed their current issue.
Lupin winced at the sound. His body was still somewhat sore and his senses still sensitive from the passing of the last full moon just a couple of days ago. They were currently sitting at the table at Grimmauld Place, the Order members gathered after a long day of work, or in his case information hunting. They'd finally cleared some of the larger upstairs rooms to use as a proper meeting room, the only downside being that they still hadn't set the fireplace to be fully operational, meaning that the group had to resort to magical means in order to keep warm.
"What do you expect us to do? Dumbledore hasn't contacted us, and aside from your suspicions, there are no clues that would point to something being wrong. If we continue to guard the prophecy then there's nothing to worry about." Kingsley argued. "We should continue doing as we've done until further notice."
"And allow the enemy to strike us while our backs are turned? Constant Vigilance!" Moody exclaimed.
"Well I agree with Moody in that we should be prepared, but we don't really know what we are up against." Lupin tried to reason.
"Well maybe if Snivellus did a better job then we might know." Sirius began, while Lupin just sighed.
"If you have any suggestions for doing my job then why don't you try doing it yourself, Black? At least I am being productive instead of wasting away in this house all day." Snape spat. "These are no mere suspicions, I assure you."
"Stop it, you two. You're not school children anymore." Molly admonished.
"Whatever the case, the Dark Lord has not confided this information with anyone, as far as I am concerned. What troubles me however, is that with Dumbledore gone, this would be an ideal opportunity to get to Potter. Furthermore, he has not continued in his pursuit to capture Tribal. I had assumed this was because of Dumbledore's presence at Hogwarts as well, which was the reason he decided to target him at Hogsmeade, but I am no longer sure that is the case." Snape said with a serious look on his face.
"You mean to say there's another reason he hasn't made his move yet?" Lupin asked.
"That's correct. I initially thought that he had given recruiting members for his army as his biggest priority, but I realize now that this was not the case." The black-clad man said.
"That's right, asides from the giants, and Fenrir Greyback's pack, we haven't heard about Voldemort making further alliances with other creatures, at least that's what I've heard. It's almost as if he's been preoccupied with something else." Remus reasoned. He'd been in charge of the werewolf front, and he too had noticed just how quiet things had been.
"That's what I fear. Even those within the inner circle do not know what is happening. There are rumors, however." The potion master continued. "As I said before, multiple orders had been sent abroad. For months now the Dark Lord has been ordering all kind of materials in bulk using pureblood families as proxies. What he planned to do with those materials is a mystery."
"So, what? You're saying those materials, whatever they may be, are just sitting there?" Sirius concluded.
"Nobody knows where they are being kept, or why they were ordered in the first place. I spoke to Dumbledore about my concerns, but he did not comment on it. I do not think this is something we should ignore now, of all times." The greasy haired man said.
"Well logically, one would think that the purpose for obtaining those materials would be to manufacture something or to use in the war effort." Lupin began analyzing the facts. However, there were many things that did not add up. Why prioritize manufacturing when he had been so busy gathering an army?
"However the Dark Lord has no manpower to accomplish it." Snape replied quickly. Lupin too agreed that it was strange. If it were something used for the war, like maybe a secret weapon of his own, wouldn't he at least need manpower to use it?
"How can you be so sure of that?" Sirius asked furrowing his brow.
"Simply because nobody knows. Word would have gotten out rather quickly otherwise." The gloomy man reasoned.
"He could have sworn everyone to an Unbreakable Oath." Kingsley countered.
"There are ways to bypass the oath and obtain information. Furthermore, he has become paranoid as of late. In his current state there are very few he would place his trust in, and should anyone from the inner circle have been told, then I would know of it." Snape replied once more.
"But he must have told someone. How long has this been going on?" Lupin interjected.
"Since December, at least. That is why I was not informed of his infiltration inside the Ministry, until hearing of Arthur's attack." The wizard replied. "At that time I supposed that it was then he realized that the prophecy couldn't be removed by just anyone, but now I'm not so sure if that's the entire story behind it."
"What do you mean by that?" Lupin asked, his interest piqued.
"Even amongst his Death Eaters, there are rumors that the Dark Lord has been in contact with someone regularly." Snape answered.
"Do you think that person could be the reason as to why Voldemort has been so secretive?" Kingsley questioned.
"I believe it's a definite possibility to explain such a sudden change." The former Death Eater said.
"What do you mean someone? Surely somebody must have seen his meeting with that someone." Sirius asked with a scoff of disbelief.
"Voices are heard, but nobody enters or leaves the room." The spy answered.
"Well he could be using Floo." The Animagus suggested.
"Really, how daft can you be, Black? Do you honestly think the Dark Lord would use a heavily-controlled Ministry tool to communicate clandestinely?" Snape snapped.
"Well, I don't see you making any suggestions, Snivellus." Sirius shot back.
"What would you have me do? Ask the Dark Lord directly and waste the last fifteen years by blowing my cover? At this moment it is imperative to not rouse the Dark Lord's suspicions. He's already executed several of his followers for much less." The potions-master spoke.
"Is that it then? You're just going to back off because you're to bloody chicken to stick your neck out?" Sirius snapped, and was soon greeted with a wand tip to the neck.
"Do not confuse bravery for stupidity, Black." Snape seethed, black eyes lit in fury as he threatened the Animagus. Sirius glared back, unmoving while Lupin and Moody attempted to break them apart; the tension thick in the air. "I do not fear death, but if it came to it, I will make sure that my sacrifice was damn worth it-"
At that time a loud rumble shook the floor beneath their feet, a loud blast booming loudly from outside the house.
"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" Moody was the first to react, pulling out his staff out and assuming a defensive position.
"Impossible! This place is guarded by the Fidelious Charm, they couldn't possibly know its location. Even if they did, they shouldn't be able to get in!" Kingsley called out, trying to calm down the quickly panicking wizards and witches of the Order of the Phoenix.
As if to prove the man wrong, another large explosion shook the place, eliciting surprised cries from the people gathered.
"MOODY! Status!" Kingsley called out, as the grizzled, old Auror peaked over the grimy, old window to catch a glimpse of their assailants.
"Oh, for Merlin's bloody sake!" Moody called out angrily before quickly limping out the door and then the stairs, the sound muffled as another explosion shook the room, sending pieces of rubble down from the ceiling.
Following suit, the previously arguing duo, followed by Lupin and Kingsley quickly went down the stairs and followed Moody through the now open door. Standing there, as bold as day, was none other than Zidane's strangely-clad older brother, and behind him his large Antipodean Opaleye sitting obediently like a trained guard dog, both looking entirely out of place in the dilapidated Muggle neighborhood.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Moody yelled in a way not dissimilar to a Ministry Auror Instructor.
It didn't take Lupin long to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but even after realizing that this man was currently trying to blow up this particular part of the street, the entire picture still didn't make a lick of sense.
"It was about time you people showed yourselves." The man said, and if anything, he looked indignant.
"Does the bloody International Statute of Secrecy mean nothing to you?" The ex-Auror continued to yell.
"It's fine, I took care of the neighbors already and I even bothered closing this area off. Nobody should bother us." The man said, and Lupin couldn't help but shiver as the man mentioned 'taking care' of the neighbors. Immediately he thought of the worst case scenario. As if sensing what they were all thinking, the man just rolled his eyes. "Oh please, it's not like I killed them. They're just asleep."
"Would you mind telling us why you decided to blow up half the street?" Kingsley shouted, anger and disbelief still laced in his voice.
"What's this racket. You'll wake up the entire street at this rate!" Mrs. Weasley said, coming out the open door as well, her voice as loud as anyone's at the moment.
"Not now, Molly!" Sirius said as the moment came closer with her hands on her hips.
The strangely-clad man seemingly ignored the Weasley matron's calls, as if annoyed by the noise, and continued speaking to Kingsley.
"Well, obviously. I had to get your attention somehow. Dumbledore never showed me where HQ was, but from what I gathered it must've been around here somewhere." Kuja said as he waved his fingers and bits of the cracked pavement began to move, soon covering the large craters he had left in his wake.
"And for good reason." Lupin heard Moody mutter under his breath, and he was sure that the man must have heard as well, but he gave no indication, otherwise.
"Anyways, that's not really why I´m here. It's best you all hurry up and get to the Ministry of Magic." The man said turning towards his large pearly steed.
"Is that a threat?" Moody shot back.
The man gave an irritated sigh, and then spoke slowly as if he were dealing with toddlers. "No, this is a warning. Harry Potter and his friends are in deep trouble."
…..
"We have to keep looking." Harry said as they once again ended up in the spinning room from before.
Surprise and disbelief were the first things that went through Harry's mind when they had finally made it inside the Ministry of Magic. A part of him had expected some kind of resistance to their arrival, yet it had been as easy as going through the visitor's entrance, claiming he was on a rescue mission, and receiving the according visitor's pin. There wasn't even a single guard back at the large fountain like last time, and though the lack of security seemed somewhat foreboding, he was too preoccupied with saving Sirius to care.
At that point he was led to believe that reaching Sirius inside the Department of Mysteries would have been an easy task considering their easy entrance, however he was quickly proven wrong.
The Department of Mysteries was larger and more complex than his dreams had let on. The entrance had led them to a large circular room, almost entirely black save for the eerie blue, burning candles that provided what little light they could. A dozen of handle-less black doors, all identical had greeted them, a few of them locked while the few they had tried had greeted them with bizarre sights. After all he was positive he hadn't seen a room with a tank full of brains in his visions, nor had he seen the ominous ancient arc with the eerie black veil.
"Do you remember anything else from the visions?" Hermione asked, eyeing the doors she'd marked with an 'X' once the room stopped spinning once more.
"It's was blurry, but I think there were shining lights of some sort." Harry said impatiently. This had made them waste far too much time and at this point he just hoped Sirius wasn't beyond one of the locked doors since 'Alohomora' and even Sirius' pocket knife had failed to open the last locked door they tried. "Let's try this one."
Harry quickly opened the nearest door, the rest of the group following after him.
"This is it!" The Boy-Who-Lived exclaimed. Dazzling lights greeted his eyes, made only more intense by the dim lighting of the previous room.
It took a few seconds for his eyes to get accustomed to the diamond-like brilliance staring right at him, but once they did, he realized that he was looking at the gleam coming from what appeared to be hundreds of clocks of different shapes and sizes, all seemingly distinct. The clocks seemed to dominate the room; over desks, in between the spaces of the many bookcases present, they seemed to cover almost every surface of the room filling it with a persistent and incessant 'clicking'. In the far end of the room, there was a crystal bell jar as tall as he was, shining and glittering like a beacon.
"This way!" Harry called, his heart beating wildly in his chest at the realization that they were finally on the right path.
They quickly moved through the room, their legs then stopping at the large bell jar. Harry's eyes were quickly drawn to the glittering current inside of it and the egg at the bottom, watching with morbid fascination as he saw a small hummingbird hatch from it and fly higher until becoming old and tattered, only to fall and be born from the egg again.
"Oh look!" Ginny said, making him look away from the strange spectacle and shake his head.
"We have to keep moving!" Harry said, despite Ginny's comments on him wasting time at the veiled archway from before.
They crossed the dark door at the end of the room, each of them pulling out their wands. They each looked more serious and tense than before, their fear apparent at whatever awaited them on the other side.
The room they entered was larger than anything they'd seen so far, as tall as a church filled with nothing but towering shelves covered in small dusty glass orbs that seemed to glow faintly in the sparse, blue candlelight. Some were glowing oddly while others were not, all of them had yellowing labels underneath, however.
He could neither see nor hear anybody else in the cold room, even after edging forwards the only thing that increased was the foreboding sense at the back of his mind.
"You said it was row ninety-seven." Hermione whispered, wariness clear in her voice. "We need to go right, I think."
"Yeah." Harry said, looking at the row number marked in glimmering silver. "Keep your wands ready."
The tension was near palpable as the group moved onwards. Harry listened hard for any hint of movement or a struggle, though he supposed that Sirius could have easily been gagged, or unconscious.
'Or dead.' A small voice at the back of his mind supplied, but Harry chose to ignore it, despite his rapidly increasing heartbeat. After all, if Sirius was dead he should feel it shouldn't he?
"Ninety-seven." Hermione whispered, bringing him out of his thoughts and the entire party to a halt.
"He should be around here." Harry whispered, eyes looking frantically for Sirius as he moved down the hall.
Only silence and darkness greeted him.
"He should be…" The teen said, confusion creeping its way into his voice. They had reached the end of the hall, however, there was no Sirius to be found, not even a single sign of struggle.
"Harry?" Hermione began questioningly.
"He might be…" The teen said as he peered down the next alley, but then stopping and hurrying along the next one. "Or maybe…"
"Harry?" Hermione began, by now everyone was gathered around, their uneasiness was apparent.
"What?" Harry snarled, a part of him already knowing full well what Hermione would say, however he could still not accept it. He had seen it. Sirius had been right here.
"I-I don't think Sirius is here." The bushy-haired girl whispered.
Harry was about to retort, when another voice stopped him.
"Harry!" Ron whispered, he was now standing a few ways from the rest of the group.
"What?" The teen said harshly. He did not want to hear what Ron had to say about this.
"I-It's got your name on it." The redhead said, this time motioning to one of the orbs on the shelf.
"What?" Harry asked as he approached Ron.
Looking at where the taller teen was pointing, Harry saw that there really was a faintly glowing sphere with a yellowing tag that had his name on it. It was covered in a layer of dust that as though it hadn't been touched in many years.
S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D
Dark Lord
and (?) Harry Potter
"What is it?" Ron asked, sounding unnerved.
"I don't know." Harry said, brow furrowed before slowly reaching towards the enigmatic glass orb.
"Harry, I don't think you should touch it." Hermione said sharply.
"Why not? It has something to do with me doesn't it?" Harry shot back.
Feeling a surge of bravado, the teen closed his fingers around the glass orb, surprised when the glass felt warm to the touch instead of cold like the rest of the room. For a moment he expected something, anything to happen as he took the sphere from where it originally sat, however after a few seconds nothing seemed to happen.
The others approached once they felt it was safe. It was just as Harry wiped the layer of dust off the glass orb when a sudden voice called from behind him.
"Very good, Potter." The very familiar voice drawled. "Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give it to me."
Harry turned rapidly and at the same time he heard Ginny gasp. Black shapes rippled and emerged from thin air, their hoods covering their faces, all except for one; Lucius Malfoy.
The teen felt his stomach drop. This couldn't be happening. Not only had they been expected, but now there were outnumbered and trapped.
"Where is Sirius?" Harry said, his Gryffindor bravery making itself known despite the fear that currently gripped him.
Several of the Death Eaters laughed, amongst them a cruel female voice spoke up.
"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo." The woman mocked, while Harry felt a rising sense of panic.
" I know he's here!" Harry shouted.
"It's time you learnt the different between life and dreams, Potter." Lucius Malfoy said the Death Eaters around him once again laughed. "Now give me the prophecy or we start using wands."
"Go on then!" Harry said, brandishing his own wand in spite of the turmoil going inside of his head. If Sirius wasn't really here then he may have just given his friends a death sentence. His thoughts then went back to Zidane and what they'd done to him back then. Had they been wrong? Besides him Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna also raised their wands. Whatever the case it was too late to think of it now.
A sudden explosion caught him off guard, the ground trembling as the several hundreds of glass orbs all shook in unison. For a moment he thought it was the enemy, however the curtain of dust and smoke that rose between the two groups, now pierced by several jinxes and curses coming from the Death Eaters led him to believe otherwise.
"Run!" Harry quickly called, taking advantage of the small window of opportunity as he used the shielding charm against the red jet of light that suddenly flew his way.
"DO NOT ATTACK, WE NEED THE PROPHECY!" He heard Malfoy Senior shout as the group quickly made their retreat.
"Reducto!" Harry shouted, aiming towards one of the shelves than then exploded. The others did the same, making the entire structure topple, the glass spheres shattering and releasing what appeared to be pearly white figures.
The teen suddenly heard a crack and felt someone grab him roughly by the robes. Turning around quickly, Harry elbowed his offender hard in the face, feeling the Death Eater's mask crack under the force. Up ahead he saw jets of light amongst the pearly white figures released from the so called 'prophecies'. Pulling free, the teen attempted to run forwards towards the shouting voices of his friends, but after hearing something crack to his right, he then felt his knees buckle under him.
"Harry!" He heard Ron's voice call out, the group halting to a stop once they saw their leader fall behind.
"No, don't stop!" Harry shouted at the teens, but it was already too late. Several Death Eaters surrounded the group, Lucius Malfoy at the head with his wand drawn towards him. "Let's try that again, shall we? Give me the prophecy."
"Don't Harry!" Hermione shouted but was quickly cut off by the loud shrieks of the female Death Eater.
"SHUT UP YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD!" The woman shouted, pulling back the hood that once covered her face. Harry's eyes widened in recognition, flashes of the Black tapestry back in Grimmauld Place and the wanted posters from the Azkaban breakout going through his mind. This woman was Sirius's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange.
"YOU!" Expectantly Neville scowled, his body quaking with anger as he spoke.
"Neville don't!" Luna called out but that only made the woman's attention be drawn to the teen.
"ENOUGH!" Lucius Malfoy shouted. "Give me the prophecy, Potter and no harm will come to you or your friends."
"You really think I'll trust you?" Harry shot back.
"It seems to me like you're in no position to bargain." The man retorted. "What'll it be?"
"You never said why Voldemort wanted this so badly. Why didn't you take it when you had the chance?" The Boy-Who-Lived questioned.
"Prophecies can only be retrieved by those mentioned in them." Malfoy Senior answered. "As for why it's so important…haven't you ever wondered the meaning behind your scar? The reason the Dark Lord tried to kill you that night?"
Harry's eyes widened at the man's words. He'd been told that he was able to live because of his mother's love. He knew the hows, he just never really thought of the whys. He'd always just assumed his parents were targeted for being part of the Order and that he'd just been an innocent bystander that had been lucky to survive.
"You mean to say that Dumbledore never told you? That the reason your parents were killed was because of you?" Malfoy continued, his tone bordering on amused. "Wouldn't you like to know the reason? If you give me the prophecy we could find out."
The teen looked at the man's outstretched hand and then at the glass orb currently in his grasp. It was true that he wanted to know, and at the same time he didn't know how to work the prophecy. He didn't want his friends to get hurt because of him either.
"Harry don't give it to him!" Hermione exclaimed but was roughly grabbed by a nearby Death Eater.
The girl's words mimicked his own thoughts. Though he wanted to know, he knew he could never trust Lucius Malfoy.
"If you don't release them, I'll break it, and neither of us will ever know why Voldemort tried to kill me." Harry threatened, raising the orb threateningly as if ready to smash it on the ground.
"Easy there." Lucius Malfoy said holding both hands as if in surrender. With a few motions, he made the Death Eaters holding his friends to release them slowly and take a step back. It was clear that Malfoy valued the orb's wellbeing far more than he cared to admit.
"ENOUGH!" Bellatrix Lestrange called out, her tone bordering on insane. "If he won't give it to us, I'll make him. IMPERIUS!"
Harry watched almost in slow motion as the jet of light flew from the tip of Bellatrix Lestrange's wand towards him, his own arm moving at an almost painfully slow speed to block. Looks of surprise and shock coming from the faces of everyone, even Lucius Malfoy. However, before the spell could connect or he could fling the orb against the floor, a sudden flash of green-blue and gold shimmered in the air before him. A shining glint of metal flashed before his eyes as the spell was intercepted, while a sudden force suddenly pushed him backwards and made him fall onto the ground.
"I'm sorry but I'm afraid that option really won't quite do it for me." A voice called. It sounded lighthearted and amused at the same time, seeming completely out of place from the tense atmosphere that surrounded them. Beyond that, the voice was familiar and belong to just about the last person he expected to see at the moment; Zidane Tribal.
"You!" Lucius Malfoy called, his face suddenly distorted by anger. However, everybody else including The-Boy-Who-Lived seemed to be thinking the exact same thing.
He was wearing a thick vest resembling the Muggle attire they'd seen him wear casually. He wore bracers on his arms with thick gloves unlike the thin ones he wore every day. On one hand, the one held up was a long crooked blade that seemed familiar but he couldn't quite place. Looking down Harry also noticed that the teen was wearing high-boots that reached up to his knees, baggy pant and several belts crisscrossing his waist with holsters and bags held for easy access. It was a look he'd never even imagined for the teen. But what finally caught his eyes the most was the long ribbon-like object, as gold as Zidane's hair trailing behind him while swaying side to side as if alive.
Harry suddenly paused, all thoughts momentarily forgotten. Was that a tail? Harry's eyes traced the furry appendage towards its origins, and indeed, it appeared to be a tail, like a cross between that of a cat and a monkey.
"HOW DARE YOU!" Bellatrix Lestrange shrieked, but was simply ignored by the blonde.
"It's been a while." The blonde told a furious-looking Lucius pleasantly, while the group of teens just stood in utter confusion at the exchange happening before them. "I thought you might have improved after all this time, but it seems you're just as slow as ever."
The teen then casually threw something up into the air before catching it with his left hand, his right hand still held the blade pointed at Bellatrix Lestrange. Holding it up for the rest to see, Harry realized it was a glass orb. It was then the teen also realized that he was no longer holding the prophecy in his hand.
"How-" Harry began, several Death Eaters were now swarming towards the blonde, while the group of teen just stood there, unsure of what to do other than once more hold their wands at a ready.
'I'll create a distraction, you guys get out of here as fast as you can.' Harry blinked, unsure of what he had just happened. He could have sworn he heard a voice in his head. 'Did you hear me? You guys need to get out of here as fast as you can. I'll hold them off so as soon as you get the chance, run!'
Harry suddenly recalled that one Legilimency lesson where Professor Kuja had done the same. Realization hit him hard. He was hearing Zidane's voice.
Harry frowned. He still didn't feel like he could trust the blonde. There was no guarantee that this was just another trick to give the prophecy to the Death Eaters without their interference. The wound of Zidane's betrayal was still far too fresh in his mind. However, he was well aware of the danger they were all in and he didn't want his friends to be in danger because of him.
His choice was quickly made for him when a sudden flash of gold flashed across his eyes as a loud, deafening explosion nearly rocked him off his feet. The shelves shook violently, the sound of glass shattering mixing with the Death Eaters' shouts as countless prophecies broke, releasing misty figures from inside. Just as Harry saw Zidane's silhouette leap forwards through the mist, he felt an insistent grip on his arm that hurriedly pulled him back and away from the dangerous spectacle in front of him.
"You filthy halfbreed!" Bellatrix Lestrange's shouts could be heard over the cacophony. Jets of light were now flying everywhere, frequently misfiring and hitting nearby shelves only to add to the confusion.
Harry turned towards the person dragging him away. It was Hermione.
Her hair was a mess, and her pale skin was covered by a thin layer of sweat, with a fresh cut on her left temple from where she likely fought the Death Eater that was previously holding her down.
Without turning back Harry followed, wand bared while adrenaline rushed through his veins.
They ran through the maze of shelves once more, their breaths coming up in visible puffs due to the biting cold. Harry was only vaguely aware of the few silhouettes following, though he was unsure as to whether they even belong to a friend or a foe; the notable lack of curses towards him coming from their direction seemed to point to the former. The teen's heart raced as his eyes caught sight of a black door a little off behind a couple of shelves. Grabbing Hermione's hand, Harry pulled her towards the door, just in time to dodge a jet of sickly yellow light that hit the spot the teen had stood on not two seconds ago. The ground rumbled once more, an explosion resonating right behind them, but Harry didn´t dare look back. Even as he felt pain blossom on his shoulder as a curse seemed to hit it, he continued to make his way towards the door, his heart still racing even as his hand touched its cold surface.
"Quick, in here!" The teen managed to call, relief suddenly washing over him as the door was slammed open.
Both teens entered the room, the same room with the glittering clocks. Harry anxiously looked back to see if anybody else followed, but was quickly pulled back by Hermione just in time for a jet or red light to hit the door frame.
"Where are they?" The Boy-Who-Lived exclaimed as he ran. It looked like the explosions had forced them to disperse. Hermione on the other hand remained quiet, her face tense and her eyes calculating as she seemed to be in deep thought.
Hearing their pursuers approach, both teens ran through the room, sending jinxes and curses towards the three Death Eaters that followed them.
"Stupefy!" Hermione called out, sending one of the Death Eaters flying; his head crashing into the large bell jar. Both teens paused as they watch with morbid fascination as the man's head shrank to that of a baby only to slowly age and then becoming young again while his body flailed about.
Peeling his eyes away from the disturbing spectacle, the two teens ran out of the room again, shutting the door behind them and watching as the doors began to spin once. They were in their first room once more, several "X"s still burning on the black doors.
"Where do we go now?" Harry said, staring at the doors.
"We should get back and call for help, but we didn't mark the exit door." Hermione said, thinking hard. "But we don't know if there might be Death Eaters waiting for us there. We need to find Ron and the others, as well."
Hermione paused, her eyes looking at one of the marked doors with interest.
"What is it?" Harry asked as he too looked at the door.
Hermione repeated the gestures with her wand as if to mark the door, then the bushy haired girl gave it a strange look. "I didn't mark this door."
"What?" Harry asked in confusion. There was an "X" on it just like with the others, but upon closer inspection the mark seemed somewhat off compared to the others. It was positioned lower on the door compared to the others and handwriting seemed a bit rushed compared to Hermione's neat script.
Biting her lip slightly, the girl tentatively tried pushing, eyes widening slightly when the door actually opened easily.
"But all the other doors we tried were locked." Harry frowned.
"Someone must have opened it after we came through here." Hermione said deep in thought as she entered the room.
"Then who?" Harry asked, as he followed Hermione into the room. "Shouldn't we be looking for the others?"
It was dark, forcing both teens to use 'lumos' to guide themselves inside. Unlike the other strange rooms this one actually resembled an office of some sort, only with tall shelved filled with large leather-bound tomes of many different and almost impossible-looking colors. Movement caught his eyes and he realized that there were several charmed quills writing by themselves in a slow and lethargic scrawl. Perhaps this was the place the Department of Mysteries held their various records.
"They'll have to pass through the round room if they want to get away so it'll probably be easier if we stay put. I guess that why he marked this place; in case we got separated." Hermione remarked offhandedly. It seemed her thoughts were still elsewhere.
"What do you mean by that?" Green eyes narrowed as he looked at Hermione. He recognized the expression on her face, it was one of realization and sadness.
"Harry, I think we made a huge mistake." The teen said, looking down, only to be interrupted by a 'bang' coming from outside the room.
Warily approaching the door, Harry opened it slightly, just enough to allow him to see what was going on outside, it was then, much to his surprise that the door was suddenly wrenched open from his grasp and he felt something heavy, or rather several heavy things land on top of him. Struggling against the weight, the teen looked up only to see a shaggy mane of red hair blocking his vision. Several groans then quickly reached his ears.
"Ron?" Harry questioned, recognizing the Weasley-red hair tone.
The pile shifted as the teen attempted to crawl back from under the bodies. Behind him Hermione had also come to investigate the noise.
"Will all of you please get off?" Harry grunted as he struggled in vain. Realizing they were currently crushing him, the group of teens quickly got off of him. It was then that the green-eyed teen was able to get a good look despite of the dim, blue lighting coming from the nearby torches.
Ron had a currently dazed look, almost as if he were not really quite there. There were also angry, red injuries around his neck, almost as if he had been burned and strangled at the same time. Neville's entire left side of his face was swollen, making him doubt if he could even see out of his left eye. Luna currently had a nasty cut under her eye that was still slowly oozing blood. Ginny at first glance seemed mostly fine, though mostly worse for wear like everybody else.
His quick inspection was abruptly interrupted when he heard several shouts coming from close by. The teen's head swiveled as one of the marked doors opened with a loud 'bang'.
"There they are!" A Death Eater called out, a jet of yellow light immediately flying from the man's outstretched wand.
Harry tried to quickly bring up his own wand in defense but it was already too late. The attack shot right past him, and hit Ginny right on the forearm, making a sickening crack as it impacted the limb.
Ginny cried out in pain. It was an awful sound that shook him to his core, piercing right through the battle as another trio of Death Eaters showed up and began their onslaught of attacks. The teen grit his teeth as he retaliated with a jinx, only to have it blocked by one of the Death Eaters. Why were they even still after him when he no longer had the prophecy?
"Harry we need to fall back!" He heard Hermione call out. At some point she had shoved a dazed Ron behind her and was now covering the both of them. Similarly, Luna was defending both Neville and Ginny, with the former attempting to generate a dent in their opponent's offensive in spite of his reduced vision.
The teen cursed as they were forced to take a defensive stance, their opponents slowly, but surely overwhelming them. Whilst they technically outnumbered the Death Eaters, they were still in no conditions to protect their injured and fight at the same time. The Death Eaters knew this. In fact, they had been purposely focusing their attacks on Ron, Neville, and now Ginny.
"Head back to the room!" Harry finally decided. He knew it would not solve things in the long run, but if they were lucky it would buy them more time to come up with a better plan. It seemed in fact that he didn't have all that many options given that they didn't even know what door to take to leave this place.
The teen quickly positioned himself in front of Hermione so that she could guide Ron back inside. Noticing the tall redhead's retreat two of the Death Eaters paused, before readying their respective curses at their new target. However, before they could utter a single word, one of the doors banged open once more.
It all happened so fast. Harry blinked, his eyes suddenly catching a streak of cyan and gold rush towards the masked men, and then a glint of shining metal as the black floor and walls of the room were suddenly sprayed with a shimmering fluid –blood Harry realized– that looked just as black under the light of the blue torches.
Metal shone once more as the blade was swept in a fluid arc, only this time finishing with a single thrust and a pained cry from one of the Death Eaters. With two of his comrades down, the last Death Eater was able to quickly regain his bearings and retaliate with a sickly-yellow, colored curse that quickly shot out of his wand. There was a quick movement behind Zidane's back, his right hand suddenly reappearing only with a wand in his grip, instead of that crooked blade from earlier, just in time to deflect the attack, while his left hand still held an identical, albeit blood-stained, version of the blade, ready for an attack. With what he could only describe as inhuman speed, the teen was already in front of the much taller Death Eater, said man could only emit a "gurgling" sort of sound as the glinting tip of bloodstained metal reappeared from the man's back.
Harry stood, heart racing though unable to move; disturbed yet unable to look away as the shorter blonde pulled out his blade and then approached in a light jog, his mind blaring in alarm at what he now realized was danger.
"Don't just stand there!" The blonde said, making him snap out of his trance-like state. "Quick, everyone inside!"
…
To be continued…
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A/N: This is stuff I wrote a while ago, because believe it or not, it actually does take me a long time to write. I'll try to update at least once a week, at least until December (we'll see how things go from there).
Also, did the Pottermore Patronus quiz and got a Magpie, which is a surprisingly good fit. What did you guys get?