Chapter XXIII - The Department of Mysteries

The three of them left the room quickly, all agreed to leave for the Ministry at once. Though their numbers were not nearly as many as they had hoped, they knew that aiding Harry and his friends was of the utmost importance. Sirius still insisted on going, and the other two decided that the situation was too pressing to argue it further with him.

Together they Apparated to the telephone booth that marked the entrance to the Ministry of Magic and piled inside, pressing the buttons as quickly as they could. The descent into the Ministry seemed to take a lifetime.

Sirius wrenched open the door and they bolted out, the sound of voices growing from somewhere beyond. The doors ahead were little match for them and within minutes the other members of the Order came into view.

"You made it!" Moody said gruffly as Shacklebolt and Tonks tried a few more doors. He clapped Sirius on the shoulder.

"This way," Tonks said, sounding thoroughly excited. They pushed through the door into a room with a large tank, inside which brains floated. "Look!"

Just around the corner lay a group of children- Ginny Weasley, who clutched her ankle, Ron Weasley, who lay giggling, and Luna Lovegood and Hermione Granger, who both appeared to be unconscious. The Order members stopped to help almost immediately.

"What happened-" Remus started.

"We're fine! Harry and Neville-," said Ginny urgently, shaking her head. "They're in the Veil Room!"

Sirius was the first to head for the door. The rest of them followed, hurtling toward the sound of screaming.

"Harry?" Rosemary asked.

Sirius glanced back. "Not Harry." The screaming stopped and Sirius raised his wand at the twin doors drawing nearer and nearer. "Alohomora!"

The six of them burst into the room, which seemed to fall away. There, in the middle of the room, was Harry and Neville- and ten or so Death Eaters. Without hesitating, Tonks sent a Stunning Spell at Lucius Malfoy, who jumped out of the way as the Order members made their way down the steps.

The room was alive with light as they all sent their own spells at the various dodging Death Eaters. They broke off, each taking a Death Eater- Shacklebolt took on two. Sirius advanced on his, who backed toward where Neville and Harry struggled with Macnair. Suddenly, Moody found himself knocked back and he fell, his head coming in contact with the ground rather hard. His magical eye rolled across the floor unnoticed.

Sirius Stunned his Death Eater, who fell to the ground, and then looked around wildly for Harry. There! Another Death Eater pointed his wand straight at Harry, and Sirius hurtled himself forward before the words even left the Death Eater's lips. The duel, it seemed, was a much-welcomed break, despite the urgency of the situation. Sirius was glad to be out of Grimmauld Place and actually doing something, especially something as involved as this. He ducked a spell aimed straight at him.

"Nice one!" He shouted, shoving Harry down and out of the way of two more spells. "Now I want you to get out of-"

But his sentence was cut short as a Killing curse narrowly missed him. Despite his excitement at being out of his house, the seriousness of the situation was not lost on him; he rushed to meet Bellatrix, shouting for Harry to take Neville and the prophecy and run.

Sirius swung his wand hand through the air, a jet of red streaking from it straight at his cousin. She deflected it easily, her hair sweeping wildly into her face and her eyes glittering madly. The room seemed to dissolve around him as Sirius focused all he had on the duel, those dueling around him turning into a blur of color and forms, sound and movement.

The appearance of Dumbledore was completely lost on the pair as they dueled. Unbeknownst to them, Dumbledore rushed down the steps and the dueling all around began to dissolve as Death Eaters scrambled to escape- but Dumbledore was too fast for them. He began rounding them up like cattle, pulling them back with an invisible lasso with ease.

Still, Bellatrix and Sirius battled. Fury filled Bellatrix's face and she sent a Stunning spell at her taunting cousin, who ducked it. The others around them had turned to watch now, almost unable to do much of anything with the confusion the arrival of Dumbledore had caused. Suddenly a voice cut through Sirius' thoughts:

"Sirius!"

He was unable at the time to tell just whose voice it had been, but it jarred him into another dodge, and he narrowly missed the billowing veil in the archway. He jumped back down the steps as another jet of red soared straight for her, but she slipped out of the way. Shacklebolt stepped forward, away from the Death Eaters Dumbledore was steadily collecting in the middle of the room, to help Sirius duel her.

Meanwhile, Moody and Rosemary made their way toward Tonks, who lay immobile on the steps, and Remus stopped to help Harry and Neville.

There was a bang from where Sirius, Bellatrix, and Shacklebolt dueled, and both Sirius and Shacklebolt fell to the ground yelling in pain. Bellatrix bolted for the door, deflecting a spell from Dumbledore before disappearing.

Harry bolted after her.

"We'll handle the rest!" Moody shouted to Dumbledore, motioning to the door. Dumbledore gave hardly a nod before heading out after Harry and Bellatrix.

He found them in the hall of the Fountain of Magical Brethren- and with them, Voldemort and Lauren. Voldemort spoke quietly to Harry, the words Dumbledore couldn't make out but he animated the fountain all the same, and just in time. The wizard's statue stepped in front of Harry as Voldemort sent a Killing curse toward him. Bewildered, Voldemort cried out before his eyes settled on the source: "Dumbledore!"

Voldemort watched him approach a moment before glancing to Lauren standing nearby. "Your favorite student has missed you."

Without a word, Lauren's piercing gaze turned from Harry to Dumbledore.