CHAPTER 39: The Department of Mysteries

The next morning Harry awoke to an empty dormitory. The previous day played in his head over and over throughout the night. It was a wonder he had slept at all. He still didn't know how to react, Ginny was gone and Ron hated him, Harry supposed that if he had walked in on someone and his girlfriend- But the thought stopped, he had no girlfriend, she was dead. He wanted to cry but couldn't, the time for mourning would come soon enough, but he had to stay focused until he killed Voldemort. He would just put his head down and put his plans in motion until the final battle came, after that he had no idea what would happen.

One thought kept going through his mind despite his resolve, he could get through the veil. He could get to the Department of Mysteries and walk through the veil, he could see his parents and Sirius again. Maybe he would be able to bring them back out with him too. Harry also thought about what Hermione had said, about risking too much by going through the veil. But if only Voldemort could kill him than he didn't have to worry about that, did he? What happened if he just got caught in a different dimension or something? He'd still be alive but unable to fight, Voldemort would have a clear field. But he wanted to see Sirius so badly, he never even got to say goodbye.

Harry walked into the Common room to see Hermione sitting on the couch by the fire. "Hey, Mione." She turned to him and smiled.

"Hey you." Her gaze was penetrating. "What are you thinking?" Harry quickly looked away. "Harry, you can't go through that veil! It's just too risky!"

"I know, Mione. I know. It's just that…I just want to see them so badly." She pulled him into an embrace.

"I know, Harry. Let's go down to breakfast."

"Give me a few minutes, I'll catch up with you." She gave him a concerned look and then disappeared through the portrait hole. After making sure nobody was around he apparated to the Ministry of Magic.

The lobby was empty because the Christmas Holiday still had a few days left. Harry knew that there were probably some employees around, but hoped he wouldn't run into any. He took off and followed the familiar route to the Department of Mysteries. He saw the door that had plagued his dreams the previous year and slipped inside just as he heard voices from the corridor.

Ignoring the chatter Harry pushed on until he reached the circular room surrounded by doors. Harry saw the x's that were burnt into the doors the previous year, and remembered with a pang of guilt that it was his fault that Hermione had been injured. Harry remembered that he had gotten out by asking which was the exit, so he thought it might work in reverse as well. The trouble was he had no idea how to describe the room to the door.

"Which is the way to the veil?" The doors didn't budge. Harry was getting restless now, he was wasting time that he could be spending with his parents. His voice almost broke when he tried to speak again, but he recomposed himself and asked "which is the door I want?" He heard a click from behind him and raced through the door that had opened. When Harry got inside, however, he realized that he had never seen this room before.

In the center of the room were two fixtures, separated by a ten foot gap. The strangest thing about it, however, was that a crimson red light was shooting between the two fixtures like electricity. Harry stared at the electric field, wondering why it had been behind that locked door. He walked carefully around the room staying close to the wall the entire time.

He wondered why the door opened to him now and not the first few times he tried to open it. He thought maybe it had something to do with the fact that he had been trying to force the door open the first two times, but that explanation didn't seem sufficient. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was thinking about his parents when he asked for the door to open?

As the thought drifted through his mind he noticed that the red electric bolts connecting the fixtures seemed to surge with more power. Could it be possible that it was feeding off his love? Harry shook his head as he realized that it was the opposite that he needed, he wanted to feed off its love. He thought about how he wanted to use the power to defeat Voldemort, that only a spell with that kind of power could vanquish someone, or something, so dark.

Once again the electric bolts surged with new energy, only this time it was different. Instead of the bolts getting bigger they seemed to be jumping more wildly. They weren't going in between the fixtures now, they were hitting the walls and leaving scorch marks as well. Harry moved towards the door, suddenly afraid that he had done something wrong. As soon as he moved, however, a bolt caught him square in the chest.

Harry fell to his knees as an electric current surged through him. He was in pain, but it was nothing compared to the cruciatus curse. After a few seconds of the intense feeling he became used to the feeling and just felt a warm tingling sensation in his fingertips. When he opened his eyes he saw that the electric current was gone, the only things remaining were the two fixtures and scorch marks on the wall.

He got to his feet and waited for the room to stop spinning. As soon as he had regained his balance he made his way slowly towards the exit. He looked around at the other doors but knew that Hermione had been right, going through that veil was too risky, he would save that for after he dealt with Voldemort. If he absolutely needed to talk to his parents or Sirius he could use the portraits, but he wasn't sure spending time with them was a good idea either, he had to remained focused on his plans. He dissapparated with a loud crack.

When Harry reappeared in his dormitory he sat on the edge of his bed to clear his thoughts. He didn't feel the least bit tired as he thought he would after being electrocuted by that strange current. He had the strangest sensation, he wasn't really sure what the power given to him was, but he knew how to wield it.
"Harry, are you up here?" Harry nearly jumped from his bed at the sound of Hermione's voice. He had completely forgotten about meeting her for breakfast.

"Yea, Mione. I'm right here." He said opening the curtains. She moved her eyes slowly over him as if making sure he was indeed all there.

"Where have you been?" Harry opened his mouth to answer but then closed it again. He wasn't sure how to describe it.

"I went to the Department of Mysteries, but don't get mad yet." He said, Hermione was looking at him strangely. "I finally opened the locked door. I'm not entirely sure what happened. One minute I was standing ther looking at this re electric current, the next minute I was being electrocuted by it, but it only hurt for a split second, then it actually felt kind of good." She watched him intently and then sat down next to him in the bed.

"You don't know what it was?" She asked slowly.

"Dumbledore said it has something to do with the power of the heart, something called the felix felicis. It was weird though, after I was electrocuted there was nothing left, the current had disappeared."

"I…I don't know what that means. I have to go to the library." She stood and walked quickly from the room. Harry's eyes followed her. He thought about her for a few minutes after she was gone before snapping himself back into reality. He had a job to do. He apparated to the edge of the forest and walked in alone.

"Harry Potter, we have been awaiting your return." Bane told him quietly.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, but there have been matters up at the school." Harry's voice broke and he could say no more. Luckily the Centaur knew what he was trying to say.

"I'm very sorry for that, I liked the young girl that accompanied you here last time. If we hadn't already decided to join you the act of killing a young woman like that would have swayed us. As it is this event has just strengthened our resolve." The Centaur paused, "it seems to have strengthened yours as well, Harry Potter."

"I have a job to do, when he is dead I will mourn." He said simply. The Centaur looked surprised by this but quickly recovered.

"I must tell you that my herd will do very little good if we are taken outside of the forest. We are not good at close combat, our strength has always been our archers. From the edge of the forest we can easily reach the lake with a high degree of accuracy. That will cover a sizable portion of the area you need defended." Harry nodded taking in the information.

"What if part of the army marches through the forest itself?"

"Then between the elves and us they will not make it to the castle. You will lose the protection our arrows can give you but they will lose a sizeable force indeed." Harry was surprised that the Centaur was speaking to him so bluntly, it was most unusual.

"As soon as I create the battle plans I will hold a meeting between some of my friends, yourselves, the elves, and the acromantulas. I also have one more favor to ask of you." The Centaur arched his eyebrows and waited for Harry to continue. "Would it be acceptable with you if Hagrid was allowed to visit his brother, Grawp? He wishes to teach him more English so he may help in the upcoming battle." The Centaur looked skywards and Harry feared he would resume his usual cryptic speech.

"I will allow this, but if Hagrid or the Giant cause us any more trouble than they will both be killed." Harry quickly agreed to their terms, bowed, and took his leave. Harry ran back up to the castle to begin the next part of his operation. He needed Hermione to write a letter to Krum and set up a meeting. Harry would make his trip to Romania to enlist the aid of Charlie Weasley and the dragons then move south into Bulgaria and use Krum to meet with the Bulgarian Minister of Magic.

When Harry got back to the castle he quickly sought out Hermione who was reading in the common room. There was still no sign of Ron but neither of them really cared at that point in time. She seemed somewhat skeptical about his plans but agreed to write the letter anyway.

"How do you plan on getting there, Harry?"

"I'll apparate. I just need to find out where to apparate too."

"Don't look at me, do you know anyone else who has been there?"

"I don't- Yes, actually I think I may." He responded, remembering that Ollivander had talked about the Bulgarian wand maker Gregorovitch like he was a close friend. "But I'm going to Romania first, I need to talk to Charlie about the dragons." She gave him an exasperated look but didn't say anything as she handed him a piece of parchment and a quill. When they were both done Hermione offered to get Hedwig, but Harry had a better idea.

"Just give me your letter, If I asked Hedwig to fly it over there she won't make it in time."

"Then how will you-" Sh realized what Harry was thinking. "No. I'm not letting you do this, you'll get caught!" Harry looked at her in mock outrage.

"I never get caught!" Hermione sighed and shook her head. She massaged her temples as if she had a bad headache. Harry put his hand under her chin and gently raised her head so she was looking at him. "Don't worry about me, if I can do this then Voldemort's forces will never be able to get near the castle." She opened her mouth to interrupt him but he continued. "I'm ok, I really am. I'm going to end this as soon as possible, but I have to make sure the next battle is the last. I want a life." She stared intently into his eyes before leaning forward and giving him a soft kiss on the lips.

"Good luck." Harry just smiled, not knowing what else to say. He got up and set off for the headmaster's office.

He arrived at the corridor where the familiar stone goblins stood at attention. He walked over towards them but stopped before they had a chance to open.

"Is the headmaster inside?" Harry called out, hoping the gargoyles would respond. The statue on the left looked like it was contorting in pain. His stone eyes were focused on Harry almost as if he were being tortured for information. "Don't tell me!" Harry yelled quickly. Even though it was just stone he couldn't bare to watch someone go through that kind of pain.

"Why did you end the spell?" The other gargoyle asked quietly.

"He looked like he was in a tremendous amount of pain."

"We are trained to withstand this pain."

"Well I'll let you save your strength for a true enemy. I just want to enter to see Fawkes." The Gargoyles sized him up before responding.

"No, he is not inside at the moment. Do you still wish to enter?" Harry walked forward and the gargoyles sprang aside to reveal the spiral staircase. Harry went up and

opened the door slowly. When he saw that the room was, in fact, empty save the phoenix he walked over to Fawkes.

"'Lo Fawkes." He said quietly. Fawkes sang a greeting. "Can you deliver these letters for me?" Fawkes considered him for a moment before offering her leg in response. Harry hadn't expected it to be this easy. He tied the letters to her leg and she disappeared in a flash of fire. Harry waited for a few minutes before another flash announced her return. Two more letters were attached to her leg.

"Thank you, Fawkes. I owe you one." He put his hand up and stroked the phoenix' red and gold plumage. Fawkes sang a few heart warming notes before Harry dissaparated.