Chapter 20
- The Department of Mysteries -
Teddy had never been inside the Ministry of Magic before but when he arrived, walking out of the green flames of one of the many fireplaces, that place was completely empty as it was well past working hours. He stared at the long, black bricked halls. A huge golden fountain stood nearby with large statues of wizards, witches, goblins, centaurs and house elves standing majestically on it. Underneath them were small human figures, trying to avoid behind crushed by the large feet of the statues. Muggles.
The sight made him feel sick but then he remembered why he was here. He remembered Harry explaining his trial and how he had seen the door to the Department of Mysteries on the ninth floor. He turned around on the spot and finally caught sight of an old-fashioned styled elevator. He jumped inside, his finger hitting the number nine and then gripping the sides of the elevator and it quickly dropped.
Teddy's heart raced as if came to a stop so suddenly he fell to the floor, before quickly picking himself up. "Level nine." A female's voice said and the doors opened, revealing a long black corridor, at the end was a dark wooden door. The silence was deafening and he jumped as the elevator closed behind him. He looked back at the door which he realized was gaping slightly open. The other must've already been inside.
Reflexively, he pulled out his wand from where it'd been half tucked into the top of his jeans.
Every step he took echoed off the cold walls and his suddenly wished he'd brought a jumper. His hand pushed the door fully open and he hesitantly walked inside.
Bang!
It shut behind him, and he was surrounded in total darkness. "Lumos." He whispered and once he was able to see he stared at the hundreds of shelves around him, that stretched up further than the eye could see. On the shelves were hundreds of thousands of small misty glass balls, each one with a small name tag around it.
He leaned in to read one of the name tags but then he saw another light, coming from further in the maze of shelves. Without thinking he ran forward, his footsteps loud and quick. He didn't know why but he didn't call out their names. Maybe he was too afraid to. The light grew bigger and bigger and...
"Stupefy!"
"Wait!"
He ducked just in time, his head barely missing a blast that hit one of the shelves behind him, exploding two of the small orb-like balls. He let out an exhilarated gasp and stared up at the others. Arkie had her wand pointed at where his head had been, her mouth open in surprise and shock. "Teddy?"
"Arkie!"
She ran forward and embraced him. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to find you. What are you doing here?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Voldemort, he has Sirius." Harry said and Teddy winced at the Dark Lord's name.
"No he doesn't." He said gently but Harry brushed him off.
"Teddy, I saw him. I had a vision, I saw Voldemort-" Teddy winced again at the name. "- torturing Sirius, right here. He wanted him to get him something. He was right here." The dark haired boy turned around as if expecting to see Sirius lying against one of the shelves.
"Harry," he continued gently. "He's not here. He was back at Headquarters with me, that's why I'm here, to tell you that."
Harry once again brushed him off, not processing what he'd said. "No, he's here. I know it."
"Harry." Ron murmured, facing one of the shelves and pointing at one of the glass balls. "It's got your name on it." The ball seemed to glow in Harry's presence, who took a few steps closer. Everything was silent again as he glanced wearily back at the others who didn't say anything. Teddy watched as he picked up the ball that looked to filled with smoke. Suddenly, a raspy voice whispered from inside the smoke.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches." It croaked slowly. "And the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal... but he shall have power the Dark Lord knows not." It went quiet as if taking a silent breath before continuing. "For neither can live while the other survives."
Teddy put his arm around Arkie as they listened but then he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head ever so slightly and gasped. "Harry."
He stared a tall man, dressed in dark robes, his face covered with a metal Death Eater's mask, strode towards them silently. Teddy didn't even notice as Harry pushed in front of him, gripping the ball and pointing his wand. "Where's Sirius?" He demanded, the tip of his wand quivering in his unsteady grip and Teddy took a half-step forward but stopped when Arkie grabbed his arm.
"You know," the Death Eater began, his voice metallic from behind the mask. "You really should learn to tell the difference between dreams... and reality." The Death Eater flicked his wand and the metal mask evaporated in a black mist, revealing his face. Teddy stared at Lucius Malfoy but wasn't surprised. Harry had claimed to have seen him the graveyard the year before when Voldemort has risen. "You saw only what the Dark Lord wanted you to see."
Teddy's grip tightened on his wand. "Now," Lucius growled darkly. "Hand me the prophecy." Teddy glanced down at Harry's hand, gripping the ball.
"If you do anything to us, I'll break it." Harry spat and there was a high pitched giggle from behind Lucius.
"He knows how to play." A lean woman, with pale skin and a mass of curly dark hair walked mockingly towards them. "Itty, bitty baby. Potter."
Teddy could sense Neville tensing behind him. "Bellatrix Lestrange."
"Neville Longbottom, is it? How's Mum and Dad?" She asked with a sly grin.
"Better, now they're about to be avenged-" Neville ran forward but Teddy got his way, yanking out of Arkie's grip and wrapping his arms around Neville to stop him from raising his wand. Bellatrix raised her wand threateningly and Lucius held up his hands.
"Now, let's everybody just calm down... shall we?" He spoke softly. "All we want is that prophecy." He pointed to the misty orb.
Harry glared at the two of them and Teddy slowly let go of Neville once he sure he wouldn't do anything stupid. "Why did Voldemort need Harry to come and get it?" He asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.
Bellatrix straightened as if just noticing Teddy's presence. Her eyes glinted with anger. "You dare speak his name?" She whispered before exploding. "You filthy half-breed!"
Now Teddy began taking a few steps forward, only to be pulled back by Arkie's strong grip again.
Lucius barely looked at him and continued to stare at the prophecy in Harry's hand. "It's all right. He's just a curious lad, aren't you? Prophecies can only be retrieved by those about whom they are made. Which is lucky for you, Potter."
Teddy jumped slightly as he noticed more figures wearing metal masks were standing in between the shelves, walking ever so slowly towards them. The other began to notice them to and soon all eight of them had formed a circle, wands at the ready, but the Death Eaters showed no fear as they drew closer and closer.
"Haven't you always wondered... what was the reason for the connection between you and the Dark Lord?" Lucius said, his voice manipulative and sinister. "Why he was unable to kill you... when you were just an infant? Don't you want to know the secret of your scar? All the answers are there, Potter, in your hand." Harry stared down at prophecy and looked up to find Lucius only a few steps away from his. "All you have to do... is give it to me. Then I can show you everything."
Teddy's breath quickened but he didn't dare speak, instead his hand opened, searching for Arkie's until he finally found it.
"I've waited 14 years." Harry whispered.
Lucius gave an fake empathetic look. "Oh, I know."
Harry went silent then looked back up at the white haired man. "I guess I can wait a little longer. Now!"
"Stupefy!" They all shouted at once, flicking their wands. Some of the Death Eaters were sent flying back, others jumped out of the way.
"Let's go!" Teddy yelled even though the room was silent. They all ran between the tight shelves, their wands still lit. But there path was blocked by a large clouds of dark shadows, the shadows soon took the form of Lucius Malfoy, his hand outstretched. They all ran down another path and Teddy felt Arkie's hand slip from his.
He turned around but was all alone. "Arkie! Harry! Hermione! Ron!" He cried out.
There was a rustling sound and was face to face with terrifying masked figure. "Stupefy!" He shouted and the masked figure was shot backwards. He gave a triumphant laugh turning around and grunting as a Death Eater's fist collided with his jaw. He tasted blood and touched the area were his lip had split before trying to stand up. "Stupid half-breed!" The man growled. "Thinking that you can stand against us. Should've just stayed in the forest where animals like you belong!"
The man raised his foot, aiming for Teddy's wand that had flung from his hand. But he grabbed it just in time. "Stupefy!" He shouted but the man flicked his spell away, a prophecy smashed sharply.
"Petrificus Totalus!" The man froze and fell to the floor as stiff as a board. Arkie ran towards Teddy, helping him up. "You okay?"
"Babe, you have never been sexier." He remarked and she grinned in response, but the distant sound of a prophecy smashing and spells being casted snapped them out of their quite trance. They ran towards the sound and Arkie screamed in fright as they collided with the others. They all turned around as five wizards, as in a black smoke-like form, flew towards them.
"Reducto!" Ginny cried and a bright ball of light struck the wizards. Teddy covered his eyes until the light was gone. Everything was silent.
But soon he picked up the sound of distant smashing. Prophecies had begun to fall off the shelves, along with the shelves themselves. The wave of glass was coming towards them. "Get back to the door!" Harry yelled and they all ran. Teddy's legs ached but he forced them to keep moving, to keep running. The door was ahead of them. They were so close.
"Alohomora!"
The door flung open and he gasped as he ran through and his feet touched nothing. His heart rose to his throat as he fell into the black abyss.