I'm becoming more and more a night owl thanks to this :D Oh, well...hopefully my boyfriend will forgive me.

The Department of Mysteries was exactly as its name sounded: a weird and bizarre mystery that kept getting worse with each door they opened. Between brains in an aquarium and an archway that whispered so only Harry and Luna could hear, Harry was thoroughly horrified. Than they finally reached row ninety-seven where Snape was supposed to be and discovered he wasn't there, but an orb was with Harry's name on it.

Though the others insisted he shouldn't take it, Harry picked it up anyways, curious as to why his name was on it.

"Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

They were surrounded by Death Eaters and Lucius Malfoy was talking to Harry as he held out his hand.

"To me, Potter."

They were trapped and outnumbered.

"To me." Malfoy spoke again.

"Where's Severus?" Harry asked.

Death Eaters laughed. A woman's voice spoke triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"

"Always," Malfoy repeated softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I want to know where Severus is!"

"I want to know where Severus is!" Mimed the woman.

"You've got him. He's here. I know he is." Harry knew he was convincing himself, not begging them for Snape's life. He had been wrong.

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo." The woman mocked him.

"Don't do anything...not yet..." Harry implored to his companions when he felt Ron stir.

The woman was laughing now. "You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"

"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix." Malfoy said. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I know Severus is here. I know you've got him!"

The Death Eaters were laughing harder now.

"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter. Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."

"Go on, then." Harry raised his wand and saw out of the corners of his eyes the others do the same.

The Death Eaters didn't move.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt."

Harry let out a laugh, but it was weak and bitter. "Yeah, right! I give you this...prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"

The woman started to shriek the Summoning Charm, but Harry cast his Shield Charm faster, barely managing to cling onto the glass sphere.

"Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter." The woman sniggered. "Very well, then..."

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius roared at the woman. "If you smash it..."

Harry's mind was spinning through his options, though he was quickly feeling as if he had none.

"You need more persuasion?" The woman pulled off her hood, revealing herself to be Bellatrix Lestrange. "Very well...take the smallest one. Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us." He told her as he stepped in front of Ginny. "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?"

She said nothing.

"So...what kind of prophecy are we talking about anyway?" All he knew was he needed to keep talking until he figured out a plan.

"What kind of prophecy?" Bellatrix snapped. "You jest, Harry Potter."

"Nope, not jesting." Harry said. "How come You..." He changed his mind and said, "And Voldemort want it?"

"You dare speak his name?" Bellatrix whispered as several of the other Death Eaters let out hisses.

"Yeah." Harry pretended to be braver than he felt. "Yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol..."

"Shut your mouth!" Bellatrix screamed. "You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare..."

"Did you know he's a half-blood too?" Harry shouted. "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle...or has he been telling you lot he's pureblood?"

"STUPIF..."

"NO!" Malfoy deflected the spell into the prophecies on another shelf so that they broke. "DO NOT ATTACK! WE NEED THE PROPHECY!"

"He dares...he dares..." Bellatrix was livid. "He stands there...filthy half-blood..."

"WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!" Malfoy looked similarly furious.

Harry had a plan now.

"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over." He pressed down on Hermione's toes.

"Do not play games with us, Potter." Malfoy hissed.

"I'm not playing games."

"What?" Hermione whispered into his ear.

"Dumbledore never told you that the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?"

Harry was shocked, but managed to ask, "What about my scar?" while remembering his plan. He quickly added in a whisper without moving his lips, "Smash shelves."

"Can this be that Dumbledore never told you?" Malfoy was saying. "Well, this explains why you didn't come earlier, Potter, the Dark Lord wondered why..."

Harry was barely listening, "...when I say go..."

"...you didn't come running when he showed you the place it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording..."

"Did he?" Harry asked as Hermione passed on the plan to those behind him. "So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? Why?"

"Why?" Malfoy seemed delighted. "Because the only people who are permitted to retrieve a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Potter, are those about whom it was made, as the Dark Lord discovered when he attempted to use others to steal it for him."

"And why did he want to steal a prophecy about me?"

"About both of you, Potter, about both of you...haven't you ever wandered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?"

Harry forced his emotions down, tried to clear his mind, tried to gain control. "Someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me? And he's made me come and get it for him? Why couldn't he come and get it himself?"

"Get it himself?" Bellatrix shrieked. "The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic, when they are so sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to the Aurors, when at the moment they are wasting their time on my dear cousin and several other members of Dumbledore's precious Order?"

"So he's got you doing his dirty work for him, has he?" Harry snapped. "Like he tried to get Bode to steal it?"

"Very good, Potter, very good..." Malfoy said. "But the Dark Lord knows you are not unintell..."

"NOW!" Harry yelled.

Spells flew, shelves exploded, and spheres began to burst.

"RUN!" Harry hollered and they all took off. They were running, stunning Death Eaters as they went, trying to stick together, but not managing to. They reached a room and heard Lucius shouting through one of the doors. "Leave Nott, leave him, I say, the Dark Lord will not care for Nott's injuries as much as losing that prophecy...Jugson, come back here, we need to organize! We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with Potter until we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary...Bellatrix, Rodolphus, you take the left, Crabbe, Rabastan, go right...Jugson, Dolohov, the door straight ahead...Macnair and Avery, through here...Rookwood, over there...Mulciber, come with me!"

They ran around, finding themselves enduring more and more horrors of the Department of Mysteries and finally running into a few of the others. The only ones still missing were Dean and Seamus. Than they were split up again. Hermione got knocked down and Neville could barely talk and his wand was nothing but ash. They met Ron, Ginny, and Luna again, but they were in bad shape. Ron was giggling and finding everything hilarious while it appeared Ginny had broken her ankle. Neville carrying Hermione and Ginny supported by Luna, Harry did his best to help Ronald. They barely made it into the next room and away from the Death Eaters.

They were in the room with the brains and Ron had to be a fool and summon a brain to himself. He touched its memories and they began to wrap themselves around him. Harry tried to free him as Death Eaters came running their way. Neville and Luna were casting Stunners in all directions trying to stop them while Ginny screamed at Harry to free her brother. Not long after she was stunned unconscious and soon followed by Luna.

Harry started running, hoping to draw the Death Eaters with him, and his plan seemed to work as they gave pursuit. He reached the archway of voices. Here he found Dean and Seamus, both blooded, the former holding his eye and the latter his wand arm. Neither were of any use.

Death Eaters were around him, bloodied as well, and panting.

"Potter, your race is run." Malfoy pulled off his mask. "Now hand me the prophecy like a good boy..."

"Let...let the others go, and I'll give it to you!" Harry said desperately.

Death Eaters laughed and he saw Malfoy's eyes glow with pleasure.

"You are not in a position to bargain, Potter. You see, there are ten of us and only one of you...or hasn't Dumbledore ever taught you how to count?"

"He's dot alone!" Neville shouted from above them. "He's still god be!"

Neville was running towards them with Hermione's wand.

"Neville...no...go back to Ron..." Harry begged.

"STUBEFY!" Neville shouted. "STUBEFY! STUBEFY!"

A large Death Eater grabbed Neville and pinned him with his arms behind his back. As he struggled, the other Death Eaters laughed.

"It's Longbottom, isn't it?" Malfoy sneered. "Well, your grandmother is used to losing family members to our cause...your death will not come as a great shock."

"Longbottom?" Bellatrix grinned. "Why, I had the pleasure of meeting your parents, boy..."

"I DOE YOU HAB!" Neville roared and he started fighting so hard against his captor that the Death Eater asked, "Someone Stun him!"

"No, no, no..." Bellatrix seemed she was in heaven. "No, let's see how long Longbottom lasts before he cracks like his parents...unless Potter wants to give us the prophecy..."

"DON'B GIB ID DO DEM!" Neville continued to roar. "DON'B GIB ID DO DEM, HARRY!"

Seamus and Dean joined in, "Don't give it to them! Don't give it to them!"

"Give it to me, Harry."

The new voice startled everyone, including Harry, into silence and they all turned to see who had spoken.

Theodore Nott was standing there looking ever calm as if him being there was as normal as being at Hogwarts. He looked Harry straight in the eyes, unblinking, and held out his hand.

"Give it to me, Harry." Theodore repeated calmly.

Harry's heart was hammering so loudly in his chest he swore that everyone there could hear it. No one was moving or speaking, not even Neville, who was no doubt stunned that his mentor during D.A. was standing there asking for the prophecy with the same air as Lucius Malfoy.

"You..." Harry licked his lips, but his tongue was dry. "You are on their side, aren't you?"

"Thought otherwise?" Theodore asked, his voice smooth. "Than apparently I have done my job well."

"You're a traitor..." Harry's chest hurt.

"Think, Potter." Theo spoke slightly harsher. "Use your head. Clear your emotions and see logic. If you do not hand over the prophecy, they will torture Longbottom to madness or death."

"They will torture us if I do!" Harry shouted at him.

"May provide mercy if you show your true colors." Theo's eyes were still glued adamantly to Harry's. "Are Slytherin. We all are...and we stick together. Give me the prophecy."

Harry stared at Theodore, unsure, and then, resolve washing over him, he did the unthinkable: he put the prophecy in Theodore's hand amidst the bellows of the three Gryffindors in the room.

Then the Order arrived: Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley. Harry was grabbed suddenly by Theo and yanked out of the way as spells began to fly every which direction. The Neville, Harry, and Theodore found themselves on the ground, crawling and trying to duck around spells.

"You!" Neville dove at and pinned Theodore down, straddling him and trying to strangle him. "Da prophecy!"

"I dropped it!" Theo tried to free himself, but he was much thinner and weaker than the other boy. "It's gone! Is destroyed!"

"Let him go, Neville!" Harry pried off the Gryffindor and quickly asked, "How was Ron?"

"I dink he's all right." Neville was huffing and trying to calm himself. "He was still fighding the brain when I left."

A spell exploded between them and the three scattered away from it. Death Eaters were rushing around, fighting off the Order while the five students did their best to escape the frenzy. Sirius came to Harry's aid, tried to get him to leave, but Bellatrix interrupted them. Harry grabbed Neville, whose legs were flying in every direction from a spell, and tried to get them to safety, but Malfoy was there, latching onto Harry and frisking him as if looking for the prophecy. Apparently no one had seen it be destroyed. Harry got away from him and snagged Neville once more.

Than Dumbledore arrived. Feeling assured of the others' success now, Harry yanked Neville up the steps and into the next room where Hermione was finally coming to, blinking and looking confused, and Luna it seemed had been performing some weak spells in an attempt to heal Ginny's leg. Ron sat dazed and staring off into the distance as if he had no idea where he was.

"Harry!" Dean's voice called from behind and Harry turned to see the boy and Seamus running towards them. "Harry! Dumbledore told me to tell you to get us out of here now!"

"I need help then." Harry motioned to all the others. Hermione and Ron were dazed and Ginny was still unconscious and with a broken ankle.

"Me arm." Seamus motioned to his wounded wand arm. "Can't use it."

"Just see if you can't support one of them with your other side." Harry advised and watched as Dean picked up Ginny while Seamus went to do as he was instructed to Ron. Luna, though seeming every bit exhausted, helped Hermione to her feet. "Follow me."

The troupe started slowly out of the Department of Mysteries and had soon reached the Fountain of Magical Brethren. This was when they came to a halt for standing in their path was Voldemort. Luna gasped and Seamus let out a yelp as if he'd been stung.

"Where is the prophecy, Harry Potter?"

"I don't know." Harry lied, forcing his mind to clear as best he could amidst his panic. It was one thing to meet the Dark Lord alone when he had only himself to worry about, but half his group was being supported by the other half, making none of them of any use. "I lost it."

"I think you do know, Potter." Voldemort spoke in an icy malicious tone. "Tell me where it is before I kill one of your little friends."

"I told you: I don't know." Harry repeated.

"Fine." Voldemort raised his wand. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

If it hadn't been for Dumbledore, there would have been one less person in the D.A. He moved one of the statues to block the spell and then the two greatest wizards of light and dark began to duel. Harry scrambled to get everyone away from the fight as it escalated. He got them to a safe nook before taking off back to the battle. A hand latched onto his own and he spun around to see Theodore standing there, holding onto him tight.

"Don't be getting yourself in the way." Theo tried to pull Harry back, but Harry wrenched from him and glared fiercely.

"Who's side are you on?" Harry demanded and his eyes looked straight to Theodore's robes. "Give me the prophecy."

"This?" Theodore held up the glittering glass sphere, a brow raising. "How badly do you want it?"

Harry's chest was burning as his anger surfaced. "Give it to me, Theo. This isn't a joke."

"How often do I joke?" Theodore asked calmly, his eyes staring right into Harry's. "How badly do you want it, Harry?"

Unable to speak because of the fire in his chest, Harry simply gritted his teeth.

"If I hand this over to him..." Theo murmured, eyes glinting. "Don't you think my father would reward me?"

"You that desperate for your father's love?" Harry spat.

"Well, unlike some, I have the option to earn mine's."

Harry's chest felt like it exploded and the words rushed out of him, "I never had to earn my father's love! He never stopped loving me!"

Theo gave a cold laugh. "Are you so sure? Your godfather doesn't think similarly, does he? Is a lot like your father, isn't he? Black and him were close and the most alike. If Black can't accept who you've become, what makes you so sure your father would?"

"Love isn't conditional." Harry growled. "If your father has stopped loving you than it means he never did."

Theo's brow rose slightly at this. "A word of wisdom from Harry Potter? Will have to make sure everyone learns of it."

"So that's it?" Harry began to quiver with his building rage. "You've been playing me. You've been using me. You've only been trying to get close to me."

"Was me who told the Dark Lord to use Snape." Theodore admitted coolly. "Was me who informed him Snape left his post. Was apart of the plan as much as Malfoy and Kreacher. Was strategic. Was lots of planning. Had to play torn and uncertain. Had to keep my struggle with you real. Even pretended I didn't want you to go. Forced you to check. All to buy time as well, so you arrived when the Ministry was well closed. Didn't go with you, so you were stunned when you saw me. Played you through words to get you to give me the prophecy. Now, I have it."

"You..." Harry started, but Theo interrupted him.

"But..." Theodore held up his other hand to silence Harry. "Haven't run with the prophecy, have I?"

Harry's mouth was open and he clamped it shut after a moment. "Why?"

"Because..." Theodore straightened, his features devoid of emotion and his tone bored. "I love you."

Words didn't come to Harry's mouth as he stared at his friend.

"Couldn't betray you like I had been planning all year." Theodore's voice had become softer. "Had the prophecy finally in hand and, yet, I couldn't take it to him."

"Theo..."

"Stun me." Theodore ordered abruptly. "Now. Do it!"

Harry didn't argue and instantly did as he was told, stunning his friend, who flew several feet away from him. He saw, in the same instance, the prophecy drop and burst.

He discovered a few moments later why: Voldemort possessed him, probably trying to get to the prophecy and then turning to taunt Dumbledore. Fighting off the creature he was surrounded by was worse than Occlumency lessons with Snape. He struggled to hide his memories with Snape and Theodore, not wanting to betray them, as pain erupted through him. He could hear the creature taunting Dumbledore to kill him and Harry felt a surge of emotion as he hoped against all hope that someone, anyone would save him. Memories started to poor through him of Snape rescuing him for the first time from Ronald and his gang, of Hagrid telling him about being a wizard for the first time, of Dumbledore congratulating him on saving the Sorcerer's Stone, and of Theodore becoming his friend through blackmail...and finally the words Theodore had spoken only a few minutes before rang through his head and his chest swelled with emotion.

The pain was gone. He was lying on the ground. All around him was alive with commotion. People were filling the Atrium. Shouts and screams had begun to echo through the air.

Dumbledore had straightened from Harry's side and began to instruct Scrimgeour in the discovery of Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries while Harry oriented himself and then crawled over to a still unconscious Theodore, whom he carefully tried to stir.

Groaning, Theo's eyes opened and he blinked up at Harry, seeming thoroughly confused and in a bit of pain. "What..."

"It's okay." Harry leaned forward and pressed his lips to Theodore's forehead. "We're all right."

"What happened?" Theodore asked.

"I stunned you." The laugh was in Harry's voice before he could contain it. "You asked me to."

"I did?"

"Yeah..." Harry carefully brushed the strands of dark hair out of Theo's face and leaned in to plant another kiss to his friend's forehead. For some reason, all he wanted to do was touch him and hold onto him and kiss him and tell him stupid little sweet things. "Thank you."

"For?"

"Helping me."

A tiny hint of a smile flicked for only a moment onto Theodore's lips. "Sure..."

"Harry, if you are ready?" Dumbledore had apparently finished telling the Minister what to do and Harry looked up to find that the rest of his group was drawing nearer.

"I am ready, sir." Harry nodded and reached out his hand to the Portkey Dumbledore offered while the rest of the D.A. did as well, Theodore sluggishly.

"Three...two...one..."

The world flew around them and they finally landed, at long, last, safely at Hogwarts.

Almost done with Book Five! Yay!