I do not own Harry Potter. Charlotte Potter is my OC.

Through Which We Cannot Return

Several pairs of eyes glinted at them through the slits in the hooded masks of the Death Eaters as they appeared out of thin air, surrounding them in seconds. They were extremely outnumbered, with two Death Eaters for each member of Dumbledore's Army. Gripping the glass sphere to her chest, Charlie slowly turned on the spot.

"Mr. Malfoy," she returned, unable to keep the heavy weight out of her voice. She'd fallen hook, line and sinker for their trap and they knew it. She knew she was in their hands, at least until she figured out how to tip the scales in her favour. Right now, she needed to stall for time.

"I don't get it," said Ron in agitation. "Charlie, where's Sirius?"

"Yes, Potter," a harsh female voice cried tauntingly. "Why don't you tell your little friends where Sirius is?"

"Charlie?" ventured Harry nervously.

"He's not here," she ground out, the tips of her ears burning red at the raucous laughter that erupted amongst the ranks of the Death Eaters at her admission.

"The Dark Lord knows her rather well," said Lucius in a smooth voice. "There was no way she would sit by when she believed her godfather to be in danger. But the trick was getting her to believe that what she was seeing was real…we were worried your reason would overpower your heroic desires. But it seems we need not have feared. Give us the prophecy before we start using our wands."

Charlie arched an eyebrow. "You can't expect me to believe that you're just going to let us leave if I give this to you."

"Accio prophecy!"

"Protego!"

Charlie blocked the spell just before the glass sphere reached the tips of her fingers. She tightened her hold on it and kept her wand up, as did her friends, who stood in a circle so that their backs were to no one.

"Well, well," the woman whispered. "You do know how to play the game, don't you?"

"Stop it," said Lucius sharply. "We must get the prophecy first!"

"Let us torture the small one then," whispered the woman, taking off her hood. Dark eyes looked straight at Ginny and Charlie could hear Neville's small squeak at the hollow, thin face of Bellatrix Lestrange. "I'm sure she'll give it up when one of her friends is screaming for her life."

Charlie stepped nimbly in front of the redheaded female as the others closed tightly around her in a protective barricade. "You want to get to her, you'll have to go through us," snapped Charlie. "And since I have this, I doubt you're going to want to play rough. You wouldn't want this to break, would you?"

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes but did not make a further move. Charlie kept her eyes locked on her and Lucius, who seemed to be the Death Eaters in charge for the night. "So…this prophecy…why does Voldemort want it so badly?"

"How dare you?" shrieked Bellatrix, eyes wild. "How dare you call him by his name, you filthy half-blood?"

Curious to see how far they could go, Charlie kept her wand at the ready as she said boldly, "I can only imagine what he's been telling you, but if anyone has the right to say his name, it's me. Fun fact—he's a half-blood too."

"You disgusting, lying—"

"Yeah, didn't think he told you. His mother was a witch but his father was a Muggle. Last I checked, that doesn't make him a pure-blood—"

"Shut up! Stupefy!"

But Charlie didn't get the chance to defend herself from the spell, for Lucius Malfoy cut in and sent the red jet of light sailing into the nearest shelf. Two glass spheres shattered and Charlie stared at them, half-focussing on Lucius berating Bellatrix for her hasty decision.

Two pearly-white figures drifted from the shattered remains. Each of them delivered a prophecy, but neither was distinguishable due to them being spoken at the same time. An idea formed in her mind and she knew she had to convey it to the others without getting the Death Eaters to notice.

"He wants it," she spoke loudly, catching Lucius' and Bellatrix's attention again. "But what's it got to do with me?"

'Harry.'

She felt Harry jolt behind her. 'What?'

"Well," sneered Lucius. "I suppose you do not jest. I doubt you would have come all the way down here if you knew exactly what you'd be used for. It would have made you a bit more wary, perhaps, so I am grateful for your ignorance. I suppose Dumbledore never told you that the reason you bear that scar has been here all this time."

Charlie felt her heart pump in her chest, though she tried to keep her features schooled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

'Charlie, what?'

'When I give the word, break the shelves. Pass it on.'

"That prophecy is about you and the Dark Lord, Potter," said Lucius with a slow smirk. "Right in that sphere is the exact wording of how you came to wear that scar and he is most interested in hearing it for himself."

Charlie suddenly remembered, when she was eleven with some semblance of innocence left, had asked Dumbledore why Voldemort had chosen to kill her, and had gone since without an answer. But here they were, in the palm of her hand, and now she wasn't sure if it'd ever been worth it to know.

"So Bode and Sturgis…his puppets for getting what he wanted," muttered Charlie. "I'm here because I'm the final plan. The only one who can touch the prophecy, since it's me it's of. He wouldn't do it himself. Not when everyone's so ignorant of his return. He wouldn't come to the Ministry and draw unnecessary attention." Charlie played with the prophecy and let out a sigh. "I suppose this time I've truly been made the fool."

"That you have," said Bellatrix with a cackle. "Now hand it over."

Charlie tilted her head to the side. "Or perhaps it's a bit too soon to pass judgements. Now!"

"Reducto!" shouted seven voices.

Dust, glass and splinters of wood immediately began to rain down upon them. The group of teens wasted no time in racing down the row, arms over their heads to guard them from falling debris. The shelves were toppling down and the Death Eaters scrambled to get out of the way.

Charlie spotted the door leading to the glittery room ahead and charged through, with Neville, Hermione and Harry following after her. Hermione shut the door and cried, "Colloportus!"

"Where are the others?" asked Charlie anxiously, not seeing Ron, Luna or Ginny.

"They must have gone the wrong way," said Harry in horror. "What do we do?"

"We wait for them in the corridor of doors," decided Charlie, knowing they could not waste time standing around thinking. "Let's go."

They rushed across the room but before they could get to the exit, voices sounded from the sealed door. The four teens hastily scrambled underneath the desks just as two Death Eaters burst into the room. "Where'd they go?" asked a rough voice.

"Might've taken off into the hall," answered the other. "Check under the desks just in case."

"Stupefy!"

Charlie's spell hit the Death Eater in the knees, causing him to crumple backwards and crash into the grandfather clock. She rolled out from underneath the desk with Harry scrambling out after her. The other Death Eater had his wand levelled at Hermione, who was clambering out to get a better aim.

"Avada—"

"Expelliarmus!"

Charlie's eyes widened as her wand, along with the Death Eater's, sailed across the room and clattered near the entrance to the Hall of Prophecies. The Death Eater turned on his heel and raced after his wand, ploughing Harry over in his haste. She and Neville were right behind him, and desperate to correct his mistake he hollered, "Charlie, move!"

She dove to the ground as he cast a Stunning spell. It missed the man by inches, allowing him to grab his wand and whirl around.

"Stupefy!"

Hermione caught up in time, sending a jet of red light directly into the Death Eater's chest. He toppled backwards into the bell jar, but instead of sliding off the glass surface like she expected he went straight through. Eyes wide, she managed to grab her wand and climb to her feet.

"Oh…wow."

The man's head was rapidly shrinking in size, growing smoother and balder with each passing second. Soon a baby's head was left, looking disproportionate on the large body. The cycle would start again, but the man wouldn't get a chance to clear his head and regain his bearings, for he would begin to degenerate into infanthood.

Time…this room is all about time.

"Come on," spoke Charlie. "Let's go."

They hurried for the open door that led to the black hallway, but when they were halfway there, they could see two more Death Eaters approaching. Charlie veered to the left and crashed through the door, her friends following after her. Hermione didn't get the chance to seal the door shut, for the two agents of Voldemort forced their way inside.

"Impedimenta!"

They all yelped as they were forced off their feet. Neville slammed off of a desk and slid out of sight, Hermione crashed into a bookcase, Charlie and Harry slammed into the stone wall, sliding dazedly to the floor.

"We got her!" hollered one of the Death Eaters. "In the office—"

His words were immediately halted after Hermione cast a Silencing spell on him. Harry used a Full Body-Bind Curse on the second Death Eater and he crumpled to the floor, stiff as a board.

"Good job, Harry—" the bushy-haired girl started to say, but stopped when the Silenced Death Eater made a slashing motion with his wand, causing purple fire to streak across Hermione's chest. Her eyes widened with surprise and she dropped to the floor.

"Hermione!" shrieked Charlie, racing over to her side. She grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly, but she did not get a reaction. "Hermione!"

Neville tried to clamber over to help, but the Death Eater shot out his foot and kicked him hard in the face, breaking his wand in the process. White-hot anger flooded through Charlie.

The Death Eater jerked for a moment before crumpling to the floor, Stunned.

Charlie stormed forwards and ripped off his mask. He stared blankly up at her, and she recognized him from the Daily Prophet; Antonin Dolohov. "This one's for the Prewetts," she growled, and snapped his wand in half.

"Hermione," said Harry anxiously, rushing over to her side.

"Dere's a pulse," said Neville, nose swelling and dripping blood, holding her wrist. "She's alive."

Relief crashed through Charlie. She got to her feet and said, "Okay, we need to get to that black hallway. Neville, can you carry Hermione?"

"Uh-huh." Neville gave a strong nod and looped his arms around the girl, putting her over his shoulders.

Harry snagged Hermione's wand from the ground and handed it to Neville. "Here. You should use this."

He nodded, casting a despondent glance at his broken wand before they set off. The only occupant of the Time Room was the baby-headed Death Eater crashing about, having managed to free itself from the bell jar but too soon. They crept past him and made it into the black hallway. The door shut and the wall started to spin. Charlie noticed with dismay that Hermione's crosses had faded from the doors.

"Now what?" whispered Harry.

Before she could say anything, one of the doors burst open and three figures stumbled out. "Hey, Charlie!" said Ron with a giggle, leaning close to her face. "You look so funny!"

He was pale and blood pooled at the corner of his mouth. Concerned, Charlie asked, "What happened?"

"He got hit with something," said Ginny, who was clinging to Luna for balance. "I don't know what."

"I think she broke her ankle," added Luna. "Four Death Eaters chased us into a room of planets."

Charlie eased the giggling Ron to his feet, brow creased with concern. "Let's just pick a door and see if we can get out of here."

But they did not get the chance, for Bellatrix and three Death Eaters barged through one of the doors. With reflexes honed from running away from Dudley and his gang, Charlie lunged to the nearest door and flung it open, shoving Ron across the threshold and then helping the others across, ducking the Stunning spells flying their way. She sealed the way they came in, but there were many other doors for the Death Eaters to use.

"Close them up!" she hollered.

But they did not reach all the doors in time. Luna was thrown across the room as Bellatrix and five Death Eaters poured into the room before she could seal the door. She hit a desk and slid to the floor, unconscious. Bellatrix locked eyes with Charlie and made a beeline for her. Charlie ducked her spells, moving closer and closer to the door, her eyes darting about anxiously.

"Hey, Charlie!" said Ron with a hysterical giggle. "There's brains in these tanks! I wanna brain!" He raised his wand. "Accio brain!"

"Ron, don't!"

But it was too late. The redhead caught the brain in his outstretched hands, tentacles unfurling from the slimy organ and snaking around Ron's arms. Fear replaced the dizzy cheerfulness and he whimpered. "No, get it off! I don't like it!"

"Diffendo!" Charlie cried, but nothing happened. Ron fell to the floor, thrashing with the brain.

"Ron!" screamed Ginny, but a Stunning spell hit her in the face and she slumped sideways. Neville tried to use Hermione's wand, but the blood in his nose was making it difficult to say the incantations, rendering them ineffective. A Stunner hit him in the arm and he dropped to the floor.

Harry dove to the ground to avoid a barrage of silver arrows, which created craters wherever they landed.

'What do we do?' he cried.

She and her brother were the only ones left fighting. Her friends were all injured. She needed to get the Death Eaters away before they decided to do more damage. They only wanted her. Her and the prophecy.

'Stay here. Try to get that brain off Ron. Make sure the others are okay.'

Blocking their mental connection before he could protest, she turned on her heel and raced out of the room. She could hear the Death Eaters scrambling to follow as she burst from the Brain Room and into the room with the veil. She clambered down the stone steps and paused in the sunken pit for breath.

Great, she thought as the five Death Eaters followed, with as many more suddenly appearing from the other doors. She climbed onto the stone dais and watched as they surrounded her from all sides.

"Playtime is over, Potter," growled Lucius, ripping off his mask so he could glower at her. "Hand over the prophecy. This is your last chance."

Charlie stared at him warily. "If I give you the prophecy, will you let my friends go?"

"Stupid girl," snarled Bellatrix. "You're in no place to make bargains—"

"We have no reason not to," interrupted Lucius smoothly. "After all, it's you the Dark Lord wants. The others are of no use to him."

"Too bad, because you can't have her either!"

Charlie's eyes widened as Harry appeared at the top of the stone benches, wand clenched in his fist. "Harry! Don't!"

"Stupefy!"

One Death Eater was knocked to the ground, where he did not get up. Bellatrix whipped her wand towards Harry and screamed, "Avada—"

"Stop!" screamed Charlie, and she let the prophecy go.

Bellatrix abruptly stopped, eyes widening with horror. Before anyone could do any fancy spellwork she snagged it back out of the air with her finely tuned Seeker skills. The air was now tense, and Harry chose this moment to break through the surrounding Death Eaters to join his sister on the dais.

'You almost got yourself killed.'

'Don't give me that,' chided Harry. 'You were just about to give your life. Though I suppose we're screwed either way.'

'Not if I can help it.'

"All right," she said loudly, her voice echoing throughout the room. "Here's what's going to happen. You are going to let us leave with our friends. Mr. Malfoy is going to escort us out, and he gets the prophecy when I'm assured my friends will leave here safely."

"How dare you—"

"Shut up," interjected Charlie, and Bellatrix's fingers twitched for her wand, eyes flashing with frozen fury. Green eyes locked on Lucius Malfoy, she continued, "It's either me and a broken prophecy or no me and an intact prophecy. Which option do you think he wants more?"

Eyes narrowing into slits, Lucius stared at her. He opened his mouth.

Then chaos reigned.

Two doors on the highest tier burst open and Kingsley, Remus, Tonks, Moody and Sirius poured into the room. The Death Eaters immediately went on the offensive, but the members of the Order were raining spells too rapidly for them to defend. Charlie snagged Harry by his arm and dragged them off the dais, where they pressed against the stone floor.

"You okay?" she hollered.

"I think so," he called back.

"How are the others?"

"Okay, I think. Ron was still fighting the brain, but he'll survive."

An explosion occurred inches away from their faces, causing them to scramble back. A thick arm grabbed Charlie around the neck and hauled her up, cutting off her air circulation. She craned her neck around to see her attacker as Macnair, his hood torn in two.

"Give me the prophecy!" he snarled.

I've had enough of this thing, she managed to think through the haze beginning to cloud her mind. "You want it?" she rasped. "Take it!"

With all the strength she could muster she rammed the prophecy right into Macnair's face. There was the sickening sound of shattering glass and crunching bones and he howled with pain, stumbling backwards. Harry raised his wand and hollered, "Stupefy!"

He hit the ground hard, blood oozing from the wounds in his face. Charlie watched as the pearly-white figure drifted into the air, but she could not hear what was being said over the commotion. Giving her head a slight shake, she turned to Harry and said, "Thanks!"

"No problem!"

They started to crawl across the floor. Charlie froze at the sight of a blue magical eye lying on the floor, its owner a few feet away, a bloody wound on Moody's head. Dolohov advanced towards them, face hard with malice. He started to make the same slashing movement with his wand as he did with Hermione and Charlie cried, "Protego!"

Whatever the spell was, the Shield Charm blocked the brunt of it. Sirius barrelled onto the scene and slammed into Dolohov, and soon their wands were clashing like swords. Charlie looked for an opening and cast the Full Body-Bind Curse when she had the chance.

"Good job!" praised Sirius. "I want you—"

The three were forced to hit the floor when a jet of green light sailed their way. Charlie looked over and paled at the sight of Tonks tumbling down the stone benches like a limp ragdoll. Sirius sprang to his feet and hollered, "I want you two to get out of here!"

"Wait!" she cried when he raced off to fight Bellatrix. Heart pounding in her chest, she grabbed Harry by the hand and started tugging him across the room. They were soon intercepted by Lucius, who pressed his wand against Charlie's neck.

"The prophecy!" he snarled. "I want it!"

"I already broke it!" snapped Charlie.

Going white as a sheet, Lucius rasped, "You what?"

"I said I broke it! Impedimenta!"

A stunned Lucius was sent sailing across the room, landing on the stone dais in which Bellatrix and Sirius were now fighting. He sprang back to his feet, face filled with murderous rage, but before he could do anything Remus intervened, cutting between them.

"Go!" he roared at the two teens.

They quickly complied, climbing up the stone benches as fast as possible. Charlie let out a grunt as the section of stone she was standing on crumbled. Harry was beside her in an instant, trying to help her to her feet. "Are you okay?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, let's get—"

The two stood, but did not move forwards. Eyes wide, they could only stare at Albus Dumbledore, who stood framed above them in the doorway to the Brain Room. Face white with fury, Dumbledore strode down the steps, wand held aloft. The Death Eaters had noticed his arrival and were now trying to make a break for it, but it was a useless endeavor.

But there was one pair still fighting. Charlie turned to stare in concern at Sirius, who just missed a Stunning spell from his cousin. He let out a bark of laughter and taunted, "Is that really the best you can do?"

The second spell hit him directly in the chest.

Her world stopped.

The laughter still on his face, a hint of surprise in his eyes, Sirius fell slowly and gracefully through the tattered veil of the archway. His eyes were a mix of fear and surprise, and then her godfather's face disappeared into the veil, the black curtain fluttering back into place as if nothing had happened.

Sirius.

She was aware of Harry tugging on her arm. But she did not feel it.

Sirius.

She was aware of Bellatrix laughing triumphantly. But she did not hear it.

No, not again, I can't lose someone else, please no. I just found him, I can't lose him—

She was running, tearing down the steps and flying across the dais. Remus barely managed to intercept her in time, arms circling tightly around her waist and hauling her backwards as she thrashed.

No no no!

"Charlie, stop!" cried Remus, voice thick with tears.

It's my fault, it's my fault…

"There's nothing we can do!"

No, no, Sirius, please…

"He's…he's gone."

"SIRIUS! SIRIUS! SIRIUUUUSSSS!"