Chapter 12:
Alicia woke up with a gasp, her mind having created an unpleasant dream. She took a deep breath before sitting up and running her hands over her face and through her long black hair.
She sighed before getting up and pulling on her clothes, running a brush through her hair and moving through the door and down the three flights of stairs.
"… and I'll have to tell Dumbledore I can't do night duty tomorrow, I'm just t-t-too tired," Tonks finished, yawning hugely again.
"I know the feeling." Mr and Mrs Weasley, Tonks, Lupin and Sirius all turned to Alicia as she moving in through the doorway. "Morning." she mumbled
"Are you alright Alicia?" Mrs Weasley asked her worriedly
"Didn't sleep well." Alicia admitted as she sat beside Harry while Mrs Weasley stood up and offered her the chair. Alicia nodded thanks to her and told the women what she wanted for breakfast as Harry went back to chewing on his toast. He made a bit of a face as he did so, as though he was forcing himself to do so.
"I'll cover for you," said Mr. Weasley, returning to the conversation Alicia had interrupted. "I'm okay, I've got a report to finish anyway…"
Mr. Weasley was not wearing wizard's robes but a pair of pin-striped trousers and an old bomber jacket. Alicia assumed he would be taking Harry to the Ministry through a Muggle place, otherwise there'd be no need for his disguise.
The red haired man turned from Tonks to Harry at that moment as Mrs Weasley placed a plate in front of the girl. It consisted of waffles, with blueberries, ice-cream and syrup. Alicia felt she needed the sugar to help her eat it.
"How are you feeling?"
Harry shrugged.
"It'll all be over soon," Mr. Weasley said bracingly. "In a few hours' time you'll be cleared."
Harry said nothing and Alicia casted him a glance.
"The hearing's on my floor, in Amelia Bones's office. She's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and she's the one who'll be questioning you."
"Amelia Bones is okay, Harry," said Tonks earnestly. "She's fair, she'll hear you out."
"Fudge is allowing that?" Alicia asked sourly as Harry nodded, still apparently unable to think of anything to say.
"Well it is her job."
"Yeah but I'm sure if he wanted Fudge could change that." Alicia spat before putting some food in her mouth to keep her from continuing. The adults glanced at her and Sirius sighed before turning from the girl to Harry
"Don't lose your temper," said Sirius abruptly. "Be polite and stick to the facts." Harry followed his gaze to Alicia who just simply kept her eyes on her plate.
Harry nodded again.
"The law's on your side," said Lupin quietly. "Even underage wizards are allowed to use magic in life-threatening situations."
Alicia felt water droplets on her cheek and face and turned to find Mrs Weasley attacking Harry's hair with a wet comb, attempting to control it. The girl watched amused at the futile effort and the women's annoyed expression.
"Doesn't it ever lie flat?" she said desperately.
Harry shook his head.
Mr. Weasley checked his watch and looked up at Harry.
"I think we'll go now," he said. "We're a bit early, but I think you'll be better off there than hanging around here."
"What?" Alicia asked surprised and she looked around and Mr Weasley got to his feet.
"Okay," said Harry automatically, dropping his toast and getting to his feet also. Alicia found herself doing the same, not wanting to leave him as his expression was plain and his movements somewhat mechanical.
"You'll be all right, Harry," said Tonks, patting him on the arm.
"Good luck," said Lupin. "I'm sure it will be fine."
"And if it's not," said Sirius grimly, "I'll see to Amelia Bones for you…"
Harry smiled weakly. Mrs. Weasley hugged him.
"We've all got our fingers crossed," she said.
"Right," said Harry. "Well… see you later then." Alicia took his hand and he gave her a look. She nodded and went with him up the stairs after Mr Weasley and along the hall. Sirius's mother was grunting in her sleep behind her curtains and the other portraits were just as quiet. Mr. Weasley unbolted the door and Harry turned to Alicia.
"If this doesn't turn out well, then I'm not going this year either." she said
"No you can't…"
"I'm not leaving you alone." Alicia rolled her eyes. "But you heard them all, everything's on your side." she nodded "You'll be fine. Everything will be alright."
"You believe that?" Harry asked her as Mr Weasley looked around the street.
"What would we do if we didn't?" Alicia shrugged and Harry smiled ever so slightly as he nodded. "Will you come?"
"Yes." Alicia said as though it was a stupid question. "Just because Dumbledore decided I can't be a witness to the trial doesn't mean I can't come for support. Even if it is just in spirit." Harry nodded and Mr Weasley turned to them.
"Alright." he nodded and Harry and Alicia shared a glance before the girl hugged her brother.
"I guess I should wish you good luck." she shrugged and he returned it. "Well… good luck." her mouth twisted weirdly as she sat it but Harry nodded and the two stepped out into the cold, grey dawn without her. Mr Weasley gave Alicia a reassuring look before he closed the door behind them.
Alicia took a deep breath and as she nodded to herself she backed back down the hallway before returning to the kitchen to eat her waffles.
Not long after the staircase was thumped down upon before Hermione, Ron, Ginny and the twins bursted into the kitchen. They looked around and Alicia sighed as she had the Daily Prophet in her hands.
"He's already left." she admitted
"He what?" Ron asked
"Yeah, your dad decided it was better than sitting around here waiting." she mumbled
"When did they leave?" Ginny asked as she sat beside the girl
"Before the sun rose." Alicia admitted looking at her, putting the paper down, which Hermione took.
"That's early." Fred said
"Well, it's better they don't miss the hearing after all." Mrs Weasley said as she began to give her children and Hermione breakfast.
"But isn't a few hours much too early?" Ginny wondered
"They took the train in dear." Mrs Weasley assured
"Meaning they weren't there as early as they would have been if they'd apparated." Hermione nodded
"Come now, eat your breakfast." Mrs Weasley said and the five began to eat. Alicia sat with her nerves climbing slightly as she waited and her eyes were kept on a few of their plates that she didn't notice Hermione constantly glancing at her.
The twins shared a look as Alicia got up and decided to leave the kitchen. Mrs Weasley watched Ginny, Ron, Hermione and the twins as they got up and instantly followed her with a subtle nod at one another. The women narrowed her eyes but moved to collect the plates and cutlery left by the children without saying a word.
Alicia rose an eyebrow as she stopped on the second landing and turned to the five tailing her. The twins grinned as Hermione and Ginny shared a look.
"What?" The black haired girl asked
"Well seeing as you're still here…" Fred began
"Wanna tell us what's happening?" George grinned. Alicia looked at the other three who look at her with anticipation before she rolled her eyes and continued up the stairs.
"You said you wouldn't do it because you wanted to be going with Harry." Fred continued as he and George led the way after her
"But you weren't allowed to go."
"Plus you're going to do it anyway right?" Fred added with a grin
"What wrong with just giving us a play by play?" George offered
"It's extra effort." Alicia grumbled
"How much more?" the twins chorused
"Guys maybe we shouldn't. It might put a dangers strain on Alicia." Hermione thought worriedly.
"She's already done it hasn't she?" Ron wondered
"By accident." Ginny added
"And only once." Hermione said
"Practice makes perfect right?" Fred shrugged as they all entered the green eyed girl's room and huddled around the two beds.
"Come on Hermione," Ron began "Do you really want to be sitting around waiting for Harry to return to find out what happened?" he wondered and everyone looked at her as she bit her lip. Hermione turned to Alicia.
"Well?" she asked "What do you think?" Alicia looked around at them all
"I think you're all going to sit around and watch me whether I say yes or no." she said
"Is that a yes?" the twins grinned. Alicia simply moved and leaned on her headboard. The twins grinned and Ron and Ginny shared a small his five.
"Hermione, do me a favour and grab one of the text books." Alicia pointed to her pile on the desk and the boys all look confused and disappointed. Hermione, confused, did as she was asked before coming to sit on the other bed opposite Alicia. "Pick a random chapter and start reading it to me." The girl leaned back and closed her eyes.
"What?" the Weasley boy's all asked
"Shut up." Alicia said without opening her lids. Hermione looked at the four and Ginny nodded before she began to read. Ron rolled his eyes annoyed and the twins looked disappointed as Alicia listened to her, letting her mind go blank as she did so and allowing her muscles to relax. Chatter filled her ears and Alicia opened her eyes to look at a long and splendid hall before her, there was all highly polished dark wood on the floor and the celling was a peacock blue with inlaid golden gleaming symbols. Alicia looked at them as they moved and changed like an enormous heavenly notice board. The walls of the hall were covered in gilded fireplaces and every few seconds a witch or wizard emerged from the left hand side with a soft whoosh while on the right lines of wizards and witches were queued before each fireplace waiting to depart.
"Why do we have to listen to this?" Fred asked annoyed
"It must help somehow. Stop complaining." Ginny snapped at him
"How do we know if it worked?" Ron wondered. Alicia ignored them as she noticed a fountain halfway down the hall, a group of golden statues stood in the middle of the circular pool. The golden figures were larger than life size and consisted of five figures. The tallest and grandest was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight to the air. With him was a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin and a house-elf. The last three were looking adoringly up at the witch and wizard, something that made Alicia raise an eyebrow.
Glittering jets of water were flying from the ends of the two wands, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat, and each of the house-elf's ears, so that the tinkling hiss of falling water was added to the pops and cracks of Apparators and the clatter of footsteps as hundreds of witches and wizards, most of whom were wearing glum, early-morning looks, strode toward a set
of golden gates at the far end of the hall.
"Have you guys ever been to the Ministry of Magic?" Alicia asked the five around her
"Course, dad took us once." Fred nodded
"Did it work?" Hermione asked cautiously
"Yeah." Alicia replied "They've just arrived."
"What's it like?" Hermione wondered
"There's a giant fountain in the hall and… I think there are elevators at the other end." Alicia described.
"This way," said Mr. Weasley causing Alicia to turn to the two beside her. She reached and grabbed Harry's hand. He turned to her and she smiled
"Hey."
"Where have you been?" Harry questioned as they followed Mr Weasley
"I didn't need to sit on a train with you…" Alicia believed "Plus I was eating breakfast." Harry huffed as they joined the throng of people, wending their way between the ministry workers, some of whom were carrying tottering piles of parchment, others battered briefcases, others reading the Daily Prophet as they walked.
They passed the statue and Harry's attention was drawn to it as Alicia looked at all the ministry wizards around her. All were dressed in robes and were either bristling around looking unhappy or lazing their way across the hall.
Alicia turned as Harry pulled on her arm and turned to him.
"If I'm not expelled from Hogwarts, I'll put in ten Galleons," Harry said desperately, pointing at a sign and Alicia read the small smudged words.
All proceeds from the Fountain of Magical Brethren will be given to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
"You're not going to be expelled so aren't you generous." Alicia smiled before she pulled him on after Mr Weasley.
"Over here, Harry," he said before they stepped out of the stream of Ministry employees heading for the golden gates at the end of the hall, toward a desk on the left, over which hung a sign saying Security. A badly shaven wizard in peacock-blue robes looked up as they approached and put down his Daily Prophet.
"I'm escorting a visitor," said Mr. Weasley, gesturing toward Harry.
"Step over here," said the wizard in a bored voice. Alicia raised an eyebrow at his attitude.
"You'd think the security of the Ministry wouldn't be such a… slob." Harry smirked ever so slightly as he walked closer to him and the wizard held up a long golden rod, thin and flexible as a car aerial, and passed it up and down Harry's front and back.
"Wand," grunted the security wizard at Harry, putting down the golden instrument and holding out his hand.
Harry produced his wand.
"What's happening?" Ron asked Alicia
"They're weighing Harry's wand. He's at security." Alicia answered as the wizard dropped the wand onto a strange brass instrument, which looked something like a set of scales with only one dish. It began to vibrate. A narrow strip of parchment came speeding out of a slit in the base. The wizard tore this off and read the writing upon it.
"Eleven inches, phoenix-feather core, been in use four years. That correct?"
"Yes," said Harry nervously.
"I keep this," said the wizard, impaling the slip of parchment on a small brass spike. "You get this back," he added, thrusting the wand at Harry.
"Thank you."
"Hang on…" said the wizard slowly.
His eyes had darted from the silver visitor's badge on Harry's chest to his forehead.
"Quick." Alicia thought and she began to pull on Harry's arm
"Thank you, Eric," said Mr. Weasley firmly, and grasping Harry by the shoulder and helping Alicia as he steered him away from the desk and back into the stream of wizards and witches walking through the golden gates.
"You know for a second I didn't think he'd give you your wand back." Alicia admitted. Harry said nothing. As the amount of people increased Alicia slipped her arm through Harry's and stayed close to him. Of course Harry was the only person she was capable of physically touching and a few hands and briefcases went through her arm or hip.
They moved after Mr Weasley and through the gates into the smaller hall beyond, where at least twenty lifts stood behind wrought golden grilles. Harry and Mr. Weasley joined the crowd around one of them. A big, bearded wizard holding a large cardboard box stood nearby. The box was emitting rasping noises.
Alicia looked annoyed.
"I'm not going to like this…" she grumbled "Think I can disappear for a bit so I don't have to go in it and be stood on?" she asked. Harry responded by gripping her arm tighter. "Take that as a no."
"We're going in a lift to your dad's office." Alicia said to the five, Ron's leg was bouncing up and down while Hermione was biting her lip. Ginny simply watched Alicia while the twins muttered to one another.
"All right, Arthur?" said the wizard, nodding at Mr. Weasley.
"What've you got there, Bob?" asked Mr. Weasley, looking at the box.
"We're not sure," said the wizard seriously. "We thought it was a bog-standard chicken until it started breathing fire. Looks like a serious breach of the Ban on Experimental Breeding to me."
With a great jangling and clattering a lift descended in front of them; the golden grille slid back and Harry, Alicia and Mr. Weasley moved inside it with the rest of the crowd. Harry found himself jammed against the back wall of the lift before turning to his sister, she was hidden half within another person and her eyes were jammed shut as though not wanting to experience such a sight. He smirked at her ever so slightly.
"We're in a lift going up." Alicia sighed to everyone who was lazing about behind her. "You know the hearing doesn't start for a few hours right, nothing interesting will happen yet." Alicia believed as Ron sighed beside her. Hermione had started to read the book she'd picked up in the beginning to pass the time while Ginny glanced over her shoulder. The twins were sitting waiting.
The grilles slid shut with a crash and the lift ascended slowly, chains rattling all the while, while a cool female voice rang out.
"Level seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club, and Ludicrous Patents Office."
The lift doors opened; Harry glimpsed an untidy-looking corridor, with various posters of Quidditch teams tacked lopsidedly on the walls; one of the wizards in the lift, who was carrying an armful of broomsticks, extricated himself with difficulty and disappeared down the corridor. The doors closed, the lift juddered upward again, and the woman's voice said, "Level six, Department of Magical Transport, incorporating the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office, and Apparation Test Center."
Once again the lift doors opened and four or five witches and wizards got out; at the same time, several paper airplanes swooped into the lift. Harry stared up at them as they flapped idly around above his head; they were a pale violet colour and he could see ministry of magic stamped along the edges of their wings.
"Just Interdepartmental memos," Mr. Weasley muttered to him. "We used to use owls, but the mess was unbelievable… droppings all over the desks…"
"What?" Alicia asked Harry, her eyes still closed
"Flying paper aeroplanes." Harry whispered and she simply nodded.
As they clattered upward again, the memos flapped around the swaying lamp in the lift's ceiling.
"Level five, Department of International Magical Cooperation, incorporating the International Magical Trading Standards Body, the International Magical Office of Law, and the International Confederation of Wizards, British Seats."
When the doors opened, two of the memos zoomed out with a few more witches and wizards, but several more memos zoomed in, so that the light from the lamp in the ceiling flickered and flashed as they darted around it.
"Level four, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, incorporating Beast, Being, and Spirit Divisions, Goblin Liaison Office, and Pest Advisory Bureau."
"'S'cuse," said the wizard carrying the fire-breathing chicken and he left the lift pursued by a little flock of memos. The doors clanged shut yet again.
"Level three, Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, including the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, Obliviator Headquarters, and Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee."
Everybody left the lift on this floor except Mr. Weasley, Harry, and a witch who was reading an extremely long piece of parchment that was trailing on the ground.
"Alicia you can open your eyes now." Harry whispered. She opened one and looked around to find the lift empty before releasing a breath Harry smirked at her and she snapped him a scowl.
"I don't even want to know." she admitted. She looked up at the interdepartmental memos with curiosity as the remaining ones continued to soar around the lamp as the lift juddered upward again, and then the doors opened and the voice said, "Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services."
"This is us, Harry," said Mr. Weasley. The twins shared a look before they and Mr Weasley followed the witch out of the lift into a corridor lined with doors. "My office is on the other side of the floor." Alicia glanced around as she remembered the departments on the floor. Instantly the Auror Headquarters had caught her attention but the Wizengamot, which was the High Court, had reminded her of why Harry was here in the first place.
"Mr. Weasley," said Harry, as they passed a window through which sunlight was streaming, "aren't we underground?"
"Yes, we are," said Mr. Weasley, "those are enchanted windows; Magical Maintenance decide what weather we're getting every day. We had two months of hurricanes last time they were angling for a pay raise… Just round here, Harry."
"Guess that's one way to go on strike." Alicia mumbled
They turned a corner, walked through a pair of heavy oak doors, and emerged in a cluttered, open area divided into cubicles, which were buzzing with talk and laughter. Memos were zooming in and out of cubicles like miniature rockets. A lopsided sign on the nearest cubicle read Auror Headquarters.
Alicia looked at it all somewhat surprised.
"Doesn't this seem much too happy for the Auror department?" she asked
"Why?" Harry mumbled
"Well I guess with thirteen years of peace…" the girl continued.
Harry looked surreptitiously through the doorways as they passed. The Aurors had covered their cubicle walls with everything from pictures of wanted wizards and photographs of their families, to posters of their favourite Quidditch teams and articles from the Daily Prophet. A scarlet-robed man with a ponytail longer than Bill's was sitting with his boots up on his desk, dictating a report to his quill. A little farther along, a witch with a patch over her eye was talking over the top of her cubicle wall to Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Morning, Weasley," said Kingsley carelessly, as they drew nearer. "I've been wanting a word with you, have you got a second?"
"Yes, if it really is a second," said Mr. Weasley, "I'm in rather a hurry."
They were talking to each other as though they hardly knew each other, and when Harry opened his mouth to say hello to Kingsley, Mr. Weasley stood on his foot.
Harry looked at Alicia annoyed.
"Well think about it, they probably wouldn't be all that friendly if not for the order, and the Ministry of Magic aren't supposed to know about that." Alicia thought "Plus Fudge suspects Mr Weasley remember, hence the whole Percy fiasco." she mumbled.
They followed Kingsley along the row and into the very last cubicle. Alicia stopped by the entrance surprised, Sirius's face was blinking down at them from every direction and every wall. Newspaper cuttings and old photographs — even the one of Sirius being best man at the Potters' wedding — papered the walls. The only Sirius-free space was a map of the world in which little red pins were glowing like jewels.
"Well… this is weird…" Alicia decided
"What?" Fred and George asked
"Did I say that out loud?" Alicia mumbled "We're in Kingsley's cubical in the Auror headquarters and Sirius' face is on ever little inch other than the map that pinpoints sightings…" she admitted
"Weird."
"Not really he's in charge of Sirius' hunt." Hermione reminded her
"Still a surprise." Alicia said.
"Here," said Kingsley brusquely to Mr. Weasley, shoving a sheaf of parchment into his hand, drawing Alicia's focus back to the two men. "I need as much information as possible on flying Muggle vehicles sighted in the last twelve months. We've received information that Black might still be using his old motorcycle."
"Doesn't Hagrid have Sirius' motorcycle?" Alicia wondered to Harry, having remembered Hagrid saying Sirius gave him the bike in their third year, but Harry was watching Kingsley as the man tipped him an enormous wink.
"Give him the magazine, he might find it interesting." He whispered. Then he said in normal tones, "And don't take too long, Weasley, the delay on that firelegs report held our investigation up for a month."
"If you had read my report you would know that the term is 'firearms,' " said Mr. Weasley coolly. "And I'm afraid you'll have to wait for information on motorcycles, we're extremely busy at the moment." He dropped his voice and said, "If you can get away before seven, Molly's making meatballs."
"Apparently we're having meatballs for dinner." Alicia told everyone. A few comments were replied.
Mr Weasley then beckoned to Harry and Alicia followed as they were led out of Kingsley's cubicle, through a second set of oak doors, into another passage, turned left, marched along another corridor, turned right into a dimly lit and distinctly shabby corridor, and finally reached a dead end, where a door on the left stood ajar, revealing a broom cupboard, and a door on the right bore a tarnished brass plaque reading Misuse of Muggle Artifacts.
Mr. Weasley's dingy office seemed to be slightly smaller than the broom cupboard. Two desks had been crammed inside it and there was barely room to move around them because of all the overflowing filing cabinets lining the walls, on top of which were tottering piles of files. The little wall space available bore witness to Mr. Weasley's obsessions; there were several posters of cars, including one of a dismantled engine, two illustrations of postboxes he seemed to have cut out of Muggle children's books, and a diagram showing how to wire a plug.
Alicia felt bad for the man, shoved into a small closet like space. Obviously if the Wizard World wanted to keep themselves a secret from Muggles then Mr Weasley's branch was necessary, at least important enough for a proper office.
Sitting on top of Mr. Weasley's overflowing in-tray was an old toaster that was hiccuping in a disconsolate way and a pair of empty leather gloves that were twiddling their thumbs. A photograph of the Weasley family stood beside the in-tray, Percy of which was missing, having appeared to of walked out of it.
"We haven't got a window," said Mr. Weasley apologetically, taking off his bomber jacket and placing it on the back of his chair. "We've asked, but they don't seem to think we need one. Have a seat, Harry, doesn't look as if Perkins is in yet."
"What he needs is clearly a bit more respect and a real room." Alicia grumbled. Harry squeezed himself into the chair behind Perkins's desk, glancing at his sister, while Mr. Weasley rifled through the sheaf of parchment Kingsley Shacklebolt had given him.
"Ah," he said, grinning, as he extracted a copy of a magazine entitled The Quibbler from its midst, "Yes…" He flicked through it. "Yes, he's right, I'm sure Sirius will find that very amusing — oh dear, what's this now?"
A memo had just zoomed in through the open door and fluttered to rest on top of the hiccuping toaster. Mr. Weasley unfolded it and read aloud, "'Third regurgitating public toilet reported in Bethnal Green, kindly investigate immediately.' This is getting ridiculous…"
"Ew…" Alicia mumbled, pulling a scowl.
"A regurgitating toilet?"
"Anti-Muggle pranksters," said Mr. Weasley, frowning. "We had two last week, one in Wimbledon, one in Elephant and Castle. Muggles are pulling the flush and instead of everything disappearing — well, you can imagine. The poor things keep calling in those — those pumbles, I think they're called — you know, the ones who mend pipes and things —"
"Plumbers?"
"— exactly, yes, but of course they're flummoxed. I only hope we can catch whoever's doing it."
"Will it be Aurors who catch them?"
"Oh no, this is too trivial for Aurors, it'll be the ordinary Magical Law Enforcement Patrol — ah, Harry, this is Perkins." A stooped, timid-looking old wizard with fluffy white hair had just entered the room, panting.
"Oh Arthur!" he said desperately, without looking at Harry. "Thank goodness, I didn't know what to do for the best, whether to wait here for you or not, I've just sent an owl to your home but you've obviously missed it — an urgent message came ten minutes ago —"
"I know about the regurgitating toilet," said Mr. Weasley.
"No, no, it's not the toilet, it's the Potter boy's hearing — they've changed the time and venue — it starts at eight o'clock now and it's down in old Courtroom Ten —"
"What?!" Alicia snapped and the five sitting around her suddenly jumped. "They've changed Harry's hearing time and place. It's at eight o'clock in some old courtroom which I doubt is on this floor!" Alicia said to them all. Hermione squeaked as Ron checked his watch and Ginny looked at Alicia with her mouth open.
"Down in old — but they told me — Merlin's beard —" Mr. Weasley looked at his watch, let out a yelp, and leapt from his chair.
"Quick, Harry, we should have been there five minutes ago!" Alicia and Harry shared a look, Harry looking shocked as Perkins flattened himself against the filing cabinets as Mr. Weasley left the office at a run, Harry on his heels, Alicia following quickly.
"But it's already started!" Hermione worried
"Why'd they change it?" Ginny questioned
"Imagine if they hadn't left so early?" Ron mumbled
"Why have they changed the time?" Harry said breathlessly as they hurtled past the Auror cubicles; people poked out their heads and stared as they streaked past.
"I've no idea, but thank goodness we got here so early, if you'd missed it it would have been catastrophic!" Mr. Weasley skidded to a halt beside the lifts and jabbed impatiently at the down button.
"I bet they changed it in hopes you'd miss it and get expelled no matter what." Alicia hissed, both to Harry and the Weasley's and Hermione around her.
"Come ON!" Mr Weasley snapped at the lift angrily. The lift clattered into view and they hurried inside. Every time it stopped Mr. Weasley cursed furiously and pummelled the number nine button.
"Those courtrooms haven't been used in years," said Mr. Weasley angrily. "I can't think why they're doing it down there — unless — but no…"
Harry and Alicia shared a look and Alicia knew exactly what Mr Weasley was thinking as she'd already spoken the idea out loud herself.
A plump witch carrying a smoking goblet entered the lift at that moment, and Mr. Weasley did not elaborate.
"The Atrium," said the cool female voice and the golden grilles slid open, giving a distant glimpse of the golden statues in the fountain. The plump witch got out and a sallow-skinned wizard with a very mournful face got in.
"Morning, Arthur," he said in a sepulchral voice as the lift began to descend. "Don't often see you down here…"
"Urgent business, Bode," said Mr. Weasley, who was bouncing on the balls of his feet and throwing anxious looks over at Harry.
"Ah, yes," said Bode, surveying Harry unblinkingly. "Of course."
"Department of Mysteries," said the cool female voice, and left it at that.
"Quick, Harry," said Mr. Weasley as the lift doors rattled open, and they sped up a corridor that was quite different from those above.
"We're in the Department of Mysteries." Alicia admitted as she sprinted after Harry and Mr Weasley. The walls were bare; there were no windows and no doors apart from a plain black one set at the very end of the corridor. It was almost as if they were to go through it, but instead Mr. Weasley seized Harry by the arm and dragged him to the left, causing Alicia to skid to a halt and follow quickly. She spotted an opening leading to a flight of steps.
"Down here, down here," panted Mr. Weasley, taking two steps at a time. "The lift doesn't even come down this far… why they're doing it there…"
They reached the bottom of the steps and ran along yet another corridor, which bore a great resemblance to that which led to Snape's dungeon at Hogwarts, with rough stone walls and torches in brackets. The doors they passed here were heavy wooden ones with iron bolts and keyholes.
"Courtroom… ten… I think… we're nearly… yes."
Mr. Weasley stumbled to a halt outside a grimy dark door with an immense iron lock and slumped against the wall, clutching at a stitch in his chest.
"We've reached the court room." Alicia mumbled as she panted and everyone began to hold their breath around her.
"Go on," Mr Weasley panted, pointing his thumb at the door. "Get in there."
"Aren't — aren't you coming with — ?"
"No, no, I'm not allowed. Good luck!"
Harry's heart was beating a violent tattoo against his Adam's apple. He looked at Alicia and she took his hand, her heart pounding like she'd actually run the corridors with them. She nodded her head to the door and took a deep breath, Harry swallowed hard and followed suit before turning the heavy iron door handle, and stepping inside the courtroom.