Chapter 30 : Meanwhile, back at the Ministry
Dan, Rupert, Emma and Tom sat there, staring at Narcissa as she finished her story, then they swiveled their heads to look at Sirius and Minerva, who both nodded.
"Blimey!" "Bloody hell!" "Oh, my!" "Splendid!"
"Okay, I'll ask the big questions . . . what happened with Peter? Did Voldemort realize what had happened? Did you all get out safely?" Dan started listing the questions as they popped into his mind.
"Whoa, whoa!" Harry stood, holding up his hand to stop the inquiry avalanche.
Narcissa was smiling as she took her seat next to her husband, who leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Well done, my dear."
"We need to go back to the Ministry and what was going on there and then you'll see how the two tied together, " said Harry. "We followed the sequence of events, as they were written in the books, right up until the part where the Death Eaters have us surrounded in the Prophesy room. That's when our part started to change."
Neville stood and walked forward to stand by Harry, who smiled at his mate, then ushered him forward to continue the story.
"Well, as you know, we had decided that we would try our hardest to not make a shambles of the whole room; breaking all of those Prophesies and getting separated in the process of trying to escape. So, from Christmas holiday on, we'd been taking 'Apparition' lessons in order to get a couple of extra seconds head start and drawing the Death Eaters into the rooms where we wanted them," Neville explained. "We'd paired up according to our dueling abilities, and proceeded to lead the Death Eaters on a merry chase through all the rooms and offices, heading to the Veil Room.
"There was no guarantee, of course, that they would split into the groups we knew from the books, so we had practiced different scenarios, in order to be prepared. Anyway, when, instead of hitting the stacks and having them fall, each pair in our group 'Apparated' to the door that led to the rooms we knew we could get through and regroup, as we'd planned. "
"Ah, yes, well, best laid plans and all that," muttered Ron.
"It didn't happen quite as you'd planned?" Emma asked.
"No . . . . close, but we did have to improvise at a few points before the big fight in the Veil Room.," replied Neville. "So, to go back a bit, we made it into the Prophesy Room and made our way to Row 97. And we knew Sirius wasn't there, never had been, but we played our parts, remembering how you lot had done it in the movie, and sure enough." Neville swiveled and swept his hand to indicate Lucius. "The band of Death Eaters walked up to us right on schedule."
Turning to Lucius, Dan couldn't help but ask. "Did you have any idea you were walking into a trap, Lucius?"
"None what-so-ever, Daniel. We had watched from a distance, never had a clue we were being observed and in our supreme, arrogant confidence, thought a group of school children would be easily subdued and dealt with, except for Harry, of course. He was to be delivered to the Dark Lord, with the Prophesy." Lucius answered, looking directly at Dan, his voice never wavering. "We were right fools and deserved what happened to us," he added.
Dan nodded and turned back to Neville. "Okay, let's hear it!"
X X X
As black shapes approached them from the different rows, wands pointed at them, eyes glinting from the depths of their masks, the group formed a defensive circle, facing outward, their own wands held at the ready.
"And now, Potter, you will give me that Prophesy Sphere, and then you and your friends may leave."
Harry knew Lucius Malfoy had no intention of letting them waltz out of that room, much less the Ministry.
"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, continuing the perception that they didn't have a clue as to what was happening.
The Death Eaters snickered and Lucius held his hand out.
"The Prophesy, boy, then we'll tell you what you need to know."
"I wouldn't give you the time of day, Lucius, old man, or your mate, Tom, either," Harry snarled at the tall blond man, who had lowered his hood and removed his mask when he realized Harry knew his identity.
"HOW DARE YOU . . . "Bellatrix screamed, as she raised her wand and took a step towards Harry.
"Bella! NO! Do not let him provoke you! We need the Prophesy," Lucius admonished her, stepping between Harry and the wild eyed witch.
"I will not have this Mudblood brat besmirching the Dark Lord!" Bella shouted.
"Get a clue, Bella!" shouted Harry. "Your Master is a MUDBLOOD! Named Tom Riddle! He's the very thing you HATE, or has he conveniently failed to mention those little facts?"
Lucius was now gripping Bella's wrists, trying to keep her from hexing Harry, as the other Death Eaters were torn between watching those two struggling and keeping an eye on the students. Neville had edged closer to Harry, Luna and Ginny were elbow to elbow, while Ron was next to Hermione.
"Ready?" whispered Ron.
"Set!" said Ginny quietly.
"Go!" Neville shouted, grabbing Harry's elbow and 'Side-alongApparating' away, the others shooting off into the air, all heading to their designated escape door. The dumbfounded Death Eaters looked up, shocked at what they had just seen; students can't 'Apparate'! But these just had!What the . . .?
"After them, fools!" shouted Lucius, even as he streaked upward, Bella screaming in rage as she followed.
X X X
Harry and Neville landed by the door of the Time Room, Ginny and Luna were at the Planet Room door, while Hermione and Ron made it to the entrance of the Brain Room.
Harry and Neville hurried into the narrow hall-like space housing all of the 'Time Turners' and other magical devises, that did Merlin only knew what. They skirted around the huge Bell Jar, after sealing the door shut, knowing that wouldn't hold off the Death Eaters for long.
Taking a small box from his pocket, Neville quickly enlarged it, placing it on of the display cases. Harry and he quickly gathered the half dozen different 'Time Tuners' that Draco had told them survived the battle . . . placed them in the box, sealed it and put the box into a drawer in the corner desk, where it would be best shielded from any stray spells. No sooner had they finished that vital task than the door at the far end of the room started to crack and buckle from the efforts of the Death Eaters to get into the room.
X X X
Ginny and Luna were busy sealing the entrances into the Planet Room, although they did take a second or two to gaze at the swirling, pulsating orbs drifting around the dark, starlit chamber.
"This is so pretty. I wish we could spend some time, just watching it all," Luna said dreamily, even as she continued along the wall, sealing the other doors.
"Maybe we can ask for a tour, after this is all over," replied Ginny. "The Ministry will owe us one, so to speak."
Just then, someone started pounding on the door at the far side of the chamber, so Ginny and Luna moved to their defensive positions and readied themselves.
X X X
Ron and Hermione sealed the door to the Brain Room and then got behind the large tank with the floating brains, which was close to the other end, lab tables and equipment surrounding them.
"I don't believe I was stupid enough to touch one of those things," muttered Ron.
"Ron, you'd been hit with a spell in the Planet Chamber, so you were a bit silly, and didn't realize what might happen . . . none of us did, until that brain attacked you," Hermione reminded him.
"Oh, right, forgot that bit, but . . . " Loud bangs on the door to the Prophesy Chamber stopped their discussion in its tracks as they refocused on the fight to come.
X X X
Mad-eye Moody, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus Lupin, Arthur and Bill Weasley waited in Arthur's office, knowing the kids were already in the Department of Mysteries. Albus and Severus would be there any moment and then they would proceed to the Veil Chamber for the final battle.
"Let's take our 'FelixFelicis' now, everyone," Arthur Weasley suggested, as he handed out the small vials. "Albus and Severus have their own, but I'll double check to make sure they remembered to take theirs when they arrive," he added.
"Ah, did I hear my name?" asked Dumbledore, standing in the doorway.
"Yes, I was just saying . . . " Arthur replied.
"No worries, Arthur, Severus and I took our doses when we arrived at the Ministry," Dumbledore reassured Mr. Weasley. "Well, gentlemen, shall we make our way to the lower levels?" asked Albus, as he turned to head back to the hallway.
Severus had been standing guard at the door to the main corridor and nodded to the others as they approached.
"Anything?" Dumbledore asked.
"No noise, no movement . . . so far," responded the somber Potions Professor.
"Then let us make our way, with caution, to our assigned positions."
The Headmaster led the way to a back staircase that took then downward, to the impending confrontation.
X X X
The door to the 'Time Room' shuddered and then imploded, leaving a gaping hole, through which four Death Eaters entered, tearing off their masks, coughing on the dust and debris they had caused.
"Where'd they go?" asked Theo Nott's father.
"They can't be far, we were right behind them," answered Vincent Crabbe's dad. He bent over to check under the tables and was blasted backward toward the remains of the door.
Harry flipped two of the tables onto their sides to give Neville and him some protection against the spells that started blasting across the room. Clocks and other Magical timekeeping instruments were exploding over their heads. The Death Eaters scrambled to find protection for themselves, as Harry and Neville fired off spells in return.
Somehow, the giant bell jar sat, untouched, on its platform, spells just missing it, or, if it was struck, seeming to absorb them without any damage what so ever.
X X X
Dolohov, MacNair, Mulciber and Rookwood surged into the Planet Room and skidded to a halt.
"Are you sure you saw them come in here?" Rookwood stood, wand out, trying to see through the darkness.
"Yeah, I saw the blond closing the door," replied MacNair. "They wanna play hide and seek," he growled. "Don't you girls?"
"Come on out, peacefully, and Uncle Antonin will see that no harm comes to you." Dolohov watched for any movement, as he called to Ginny and Luna.
"We just need that Prophesy your friend Harry is carrying, that's all," Mulciber wheedled. "Just that one thing and we can all go home."
Suddenly, two comets, coming from either side of him, smashed into Dolohov, knocking him to the floor.
"That's for my two uncles you killed," came Ginny's voice.
Mini asteroids started pelting MacNair, who tried to duck, covering his head.
"And that's for all the innocent animals you've tortured and killed," Luna shouted.
The other two were spinning around, trying to get a hint of where the girls were hiding.
"Do you see them?" shouted Rookwood, over Dolohov's moans and MacNair's curses.
"No! All these spinning, floating things are in the way . . . and they're making me dizzy!" answered Mulciber, just ducking in time to avoid being hit on the head by Jupiter
Another round of blazing comets and stingingly swift asteroids came at the four Death Eaters, who struggled against the onslaught as best they could.
Suddenly MacNair shouted and pointed; he'd spotted Ginny behind a nebula on the far side of the room.
"There's the Weasley chit; GET HER!"
X X X
Lucius Malfoy kicked aside the remnants of the door that Bella had gleefully blasted off its hinges and entered the 'Brain Room', scanning for any sign of the two students they'd seen entering.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," sang Bella, as she followed Lucius deeper into the room.
" 'Prestor Grandis' ", whispered Hermione, as she aimed the water erupting from the end of her wand.
" 'Galciere' ", Ron intoned, as he waved his wand, freezing the water into a huge sheet of ice.
"We know you don't have the Prophesy Sphere, Miss Granger," Lucius purred. "We mean you no harm, but it would be so much easier on everyone if you persuaded your friend Potter to just give it to us. I meant what I said about letting you all go, you know."
"Like I'd believe anything you said, Lucius," Hermione called. "Bella and I will be best friends before that happens."
"You and me? Best friends!?" Bella shrieked . "A Mudblood and a Pureblood!? HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!" Bella cackled insanely.
"Hey, stranger things have happened," Ron injected, loudly. "Hell, Rudolphus married you, didn't he?"
"It's that Blood-traitor, Weasley," growled Rabastan Lestrange.
"Don't worry, I'll make him eat his words . . .you circle around that way," Rudolphus pointed, "I'll go this way. . . keep them talking, Lucius," he hissed.
X X X
Harry and Neville were involved in a good old fashioned Wizards battle, both sides shooting off as many spells as they could, inflicting as much damage as possible. However, the Death Eaters were at a distinct disadvantage, as they could not take any chances of hitting the Prophesy Sphere. So, they contented themselves with targeting Neville and raining down destruction on the boys heads, hoping they'd surrender.
"Good thing Draco had us put those few things safely away," Neville gasped, before he popped up from his spot behind a stout roll top desk and fire off a "Body Binding Hex' at Jugson and was rewarded with a satisfying 'THUNK' as the Death Eater hit the floor.
"Too right! They're trying their best to pulverize everything in here!" agreed Harry. "Time to teach them a lesson, what?" Grinning wickedly, Harry took aim at Avery, who was trying to slither along the wall, "Sectumsempra!"
Avery's screams and cries for help drowned out any answer Neville tried to give Harry. Instead, he tugged on Harry elbow and pointed to the door in the back wall, that led to the connecting corridor where they would meet the others. Harry nodded and the two boys backed cautiously toward the exit.
X X X
Ginny heard the 'Weasley chit' remark, so she stood, stuck out her tongue and leapt behind a passing planet, heading across the room. As the Death Eaters rushed after Ginny, they passed Luna's hiding place, as she raised and then whirled her wand.
"WingardiumLeviosa" she called. The Death Eaters had stopped and spun around at the sound of her voice, but before they could take a step toward her, they found themselves hanging in a tangle of arms and legs, the cargo net enclosing their struggling forms.
"That worked rather well, don't you think, Luna?" grinned Ginny, as she 'Accioed' the Death Eaters fallen wands.
"Fred and George know some really useful tricks, don't they?" agreed Luna, giving the dangling net a push.
"Wait until I get out of here, you bi . . ." started one of the inhabitants of the swinging rope ball, but was cut off in mid-sentence by a silencing spell.
"Tsk! Tsk!, such language," Ginny admonished. Turning, she linked her arm with Luna's. "Come along, Luna, we have more Death Eater butt to kick."
The two girls headed across the room and exited into an inner hallway.
X X X
Albus and the rest of the Order fanned out along the wall in the corridor behind the Veil chamber, putting them far from the action taking places at other locations on that level. They could hear faint shouts, but nothing distinct.
"We won't enter the Veil Chamber until we know for sure that most, if not all of the Death Eaters are in there. We need that element of surprise, if we are to capture them all, except Bella. Severus, don't worry about anyone but her," the Headmaster looked over his half-moon glasses at his Potions Professor. "She must be convinced that you are there only on my orders, and that it's only because you are loyal to Tom that she will be able to escape."
"Yes, Headmaster. I'll try and get to her as soon as possible," replied Severus. "She won't like leaving Rudolphus, but she'll be more concerned about warning the Dark Lord that you are here than her husband's fate."
"Lovely woman," muttered Mad-eye, while Tonks giggled.
X X X
"Now?" questioned Ron, as Hermione double checked how far Rudolphus and Rabastan had managed to advance along the walls on either side of the room. Lucius was still trying to persuade them to talk to Harry to avoid any harm to their group.
"Now!" was her terse reply.
Ron stood and send a spell crashing into the huge tank containing the brains, causing it to explode in a tidal wave of glass, water and tentacled brains. Hermione and Ron started sailing the brains through the air to land on the Lestrange brothers. As Rudolphus and Rabastan jumped up, screaming and clawing at the clinging brains, they turned to run back toward Lucius and Bella, but . . . zip . . WHAM, their feet flew out from under them as they slipped on the sheet of ice that covered the floor in the middle of the room.
Lucius and Bella weren't having any success reaching their fellow Death Eaters, as they, too, had started slipping and sliding on the frozen surface, now doubly slimy with the contents of the tank.
Ron and Hermione took this opportunity to head toward the back of the room and their escape route, when they heard Bella shriek in rage. Instinctively they ducked and the door they were about to open was blasted open for them.
"Thanks Bella, old girl!" Ron called, as he gave her a jaunty wave and then followed Hermione into the hallway.