Chapter Thirty-Five
The Trick
Amara gave a horrified gasp as black shapes appeared all around them. There were so many they blocked every exit they may have had - everywhere they looked there were the same black shapes with eyes glinting from the slits in their hoods. All of them held their wands out in front of them - straight at the seven trembling teenagers in the middle.
"To me, Potter," repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up. His skin was pale and was illuminated in the blue glow of the room.
Amara gulped slightly as she saw them all staring at them. They were definitely outnumbered.
"To me," said Lucius Malfoy yet again.
"Where's Sirius?" Harry said.
Several of the Death Eaters laughed and Amara stepped a little closer to Ron and the others without them noticing. On the left, a horrible cackling of a woman's voice spoke out to them in some sort if triumphant voice.
"The Dark Lord always knows!" she cackled.
"Always," echoed Lucius Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."
"I want to know where Sirius is!"
"I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked the woman. They were so close - Amara could have reached out and touched the ends of their alighted wands. This made her the most scared she'd been all day - they actually could get killed in five minutes flat.
"You've got him," said Harry. "He's here. I know he is."
"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo," said the woman in a horrible, mock-baby voice. Ron stirred beside Amara. He'd got his wand out at the ready, and seeing this, Amara slowly put her hand into her robes to fetch her own.
"Don't do anything," Harry muttered. "Not yet —"
The woman who had mimicked him before let out a raucous scream of laughter that vibrated in Amara's head, taunting her.
"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," said Lucius Malfoy softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."
"I know Sirius is here," said Harry. "I know you've got him!"
More of the Death Eaters laughed, though the woman still laughed loudest of all, and it was still the most spiteful. She seemed to have some sort of authority that she believed she could use to cackle at them.
"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," said Malfoy. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."
"Go on, then," said Harry, raising his wand to chest height. Seeing this, Amara, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Luna and Neville followed suit, all pointing their wands at different areas where the Death Eaters were surrounding them. Amara pointed her wand at two jeering Death Eaters and tried not to let the pure terror show on her face. Her heart was hammering again, and this time it threatened to come out her mouth.
The Death Eaters did not strike out at them, instead, they continued to watch.
"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," said Malfoy coolly.
Harry laughed this time.
"Yeah, right!" he said. "I give you this — prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"
The words were hardly out of his mouth when the female Death Eater shrieked, "Accio Proph —"
Harry was too quick.
"Protego!" he shouted out and the orb didn't leave his hands.
"Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter," she said, her mad eyes staring through the slits in her hood. "Very well, then —"
"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius Malfoy roared at the horrible woman. "If you smash it — !"
Amara's mind suddenly wondered why they wanted the sphere in the first place, but then the thoughts of being overpowered in the Ministry of Magic where no one else was frightened her more. They could be killed and left here for weeks before anyone actually found them …
The woman Amara hated now stepped forwards and pulled off her hood. Her face matched the Daily Prophet article and made Amara's stomach give a nasty lurch. It was Bellatrix Lestrange, mad, gaunt and skeletal, but her eyes were burning bright in the light of the shivering blue candles.
"You need more persuasion?" Bellatrix Lestrange said, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Very well — take the smallest one," she ordered the Death Eaters beside her. "Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."
It was either Ginny or Amara she was referencing, and Amara found herself slap bang in the middle of the circle with Ginny trembling beside her. The others had formed a tight circle around them so that the Death Eaters couldn't get through so easily. Amara gulped.
"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us," Harry told Bellatrix. "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?"
From what Amara could vaguely see, Bellatrix Lestrange did not move; she merely stared at him.
"So," said Harry, "what kind of prophecy are we talking about anyway?"
Amara did not know how they would get out of this ridiculous situation. She had a little moment of déjà vu, mere hours before, when the Slytherins had held them captive in Professor Umbridge's office. That felt like ages ago now, and Amara would have rather done that again than go through this without knowing if they were going to survive or not. At least then she had known she wouldn't have been killed.
"What kind of prophecy?" repeated Bellatrix, the grin fading from her face. "You jest, Harry Potter."
"Nope, not jesting," said Harry. Amara hoped he had a plan, because her legs were shaking so much they were about to give way. "How come Voldemort wants it?"
Several of the Death Eaters let out low hisses.
"You dare speak his name?" whispered Bellatrix.
"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol —"
"Shut your mouth!" Bellatrix shrieked. "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?" said Harry. Amara heard Hermione moan slightly at what Harry was doing. Why was he egging her on? She could torture them. "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle — or has he been telling you lot he's pureblood?"
"STUPEF —"
"NO!"
A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix's wand, but Lucius Malfoy had deflected it quickly. His spell made the witch's spell go wayward and hit the shelves next to them. The orbs on them smashed immediately – Amara covered her head so that she wasn't cut by the glass. Peering through her hands she saw two pearly white figures rise up from the broken orbs and begin to speak. But Malfoy and Bellatrix's shouts went over them and Amara only heard parts.
". . . at the Solstice will come a new . . ."
"DO NOT ATTACK! WE NEED THE PROPHECY!"
"He dared — he dares —" shrieked Bellatrix incoherently. "— He stands there — filthy half-blood —"
"WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!" howled Malfoy.
". . . and none will come after . . ."
"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over," Harry said.
"Do not play games with us, Potter," said Malfoy.
"I'm not playing games," said Harry.
"Dumbledore never told you that the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?" said Malfoy sneeringly.
"I — what?" said Harry. "What about my scar?"
"Can this be?" said Malfoy, sounding maliciously delighted; some of the Death Eaters were laughing again, sneering at them all with vicious glares beneath their hoods.
"Dumbledore never told you?" Malfoy repeated. "Well, this explains why you didn't come earlier, Potter, the Dark Lord wondered why you didn't come running when he showed you the place where it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording. . . ."
"Did he?" said Harry. Amara was about to listen more when Hermione turned to her very slightly and passed on a message to her and Ginny.
"Smash the shelves," she hissed so quietly that it was even hard for Amara to hear. "When Harry says so."
Amara gulped. At least they had a plan now. She gripped her wand determinedly and focused back on the conversation, the Reductor Curse playing in her mind.
"Why?" Malfoy was saying, sounding positively delighted by something that Harry had said. "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 wondered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?"
"Someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me?" Harry said quietly. "And he's made me come and get it for him? Why couldn't he come and get it himself?"
"Get it himself?" shrieked Bellatrix on a cackle of mad laughter. "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?"
"So he's got you doing his dirty work for him, has he?" said Harry. "Like he tried to get Sturgis to steal it — and Bode?"
"Very good, Potter, very good . . ." said Malfoy slowly. "But the Dark Lord knows you are not unintell —"
"NOW!" yelled Harry very suddenly.
"REDUCTO!" Amara screamed, and she heard the other five of them doing the same thing. All the curses went different directions and hit different shelves. The glass balls started to rain down like hailstones, smashing on the floor in their hundreds, splattering glass all over the floor and white figures rising up and speaking, but none of the words were caught this time. Wood was now raining on them too as the shelves were torn apart, Amara heard shrieks from her friends and Death Eaters as they tried to protect themselves.
"RUN!" Harry yelled at them, and Amara did not need telling twice. The remaining shelves were swaying precariously as the Death Eaters howled in frustration and anger. Amara turned and grabbed Ginny by the arm, urging her on. She, Ginny, Ron and Luna sprinted after Harry, Hermione and Neville, who were already up ahead.
"Stupefy!" Amara screamed as a Death Eater launched at Ron.
The spell hit the Death Eater, who crumpled to the floor, and they rushed passed him.
"REDUCTO!" Amara heard Ginny's yell, and the smash of more shelves. They sprinted onwards as more glass orbs were smashed – taking this as an advantage, the four of them managed to gain some speed and hurtle past Harry, Hermione and Neville, who were fending off a Death Eater clutching onto Harry. Amara shrieked in pain as something cut her cheek. She tasted the blood and saw it splatter on the floor as they dashed past more shelves. They were coming to the end of the row and Amara willed her legs to go faster.
She saw Ron and Luna turn left up ahead, and her and Ginny sprinted after them, panting heavily and occasionally shooting spells off behind them.
They ran down the alley and through a black door. Amara slowed, expecting to be in the circle room – Ginny ran in after her and Amara was pushed forwards and suddenly found herself floating in the air.
"Where are the others?" cried Ginny as she too got launched into the air.
"They must've gone the right way!" said Amara. "We went the wrong way –"
Amara tried to move forwards and saw Luna and Ron floating eerily before her. They were definitely far away from the circular room. They were in a large rectangular where there was the solar system floating around them.
Amara fell to the ground and promptly fell over. She got to her feet, took two steps forwards and floated up in the air once more.
"What is this place?" said Ron from his place by Jupiter.
"I don't know," said Luna. Her hair was stretched out like she was floating underwater. It was a very strange effect.
"Lock the door –" Amara began, but before she could finish, four Death Eaters burst into the room.
They walked forwards, wands raised before they were launched into the air as well.
One of them, righting himself quickly, shot a spell at Ginny, who dodged it quickly; it shot forwards and hit the model Jupiter – it exploded, causing Ron to shoot off through the air and collapse on the floor. Amara and Ginny screamed, but Ron managed to get to his feet quickly.
"Stupefy!" Amara shrieked at one Death Eater – the spell flew through the air and hit one of the four Death Eaters.
Luna shot a Body Bind Curse at one, and it fell to the floor.
One Death Eater made his was forwards and grabbed Ginny by her ankle.
"Get OFF!" she screamed. She writhed and wriggled with all her might, but the Death Eater clung on determinedly. Luna shot forwards.
"Reducto!" she said and Pluto exploded in the Death Eaters face. Amara was about to congratulate Luna, but there was a sickening crack as the Death Eater fell to the floor – twisting awkwardly and snapping Ginny's ankle.
Amara looked towards Ron, and with a heart jolt, saw a curse heading straight towards him.
"RON!" she screamed at him. Ron looked up and the spell hit him in the face. He shot backwards. Amara screamed again, but had been distracted and forgotten about the last Death Eater – he had turned to her and shot a spell at her before she'd even moved.
Amara was flung backwards through the air – she did six somersaults before she hit the wall hard and crumpled.
She knew her head was bleeding when she fell down, and she sat slumped for a second, blinking back the blinking lights swimming in front of her vision.
She was just about to get up when a rough hand clutched her chin and raised it up. The Death Eater was staring at her through evil eyes, and grinning behind his hood.
"Such a pretty face," he growled. "Such a pity …"
He swiped his wand and Amara cried out in immense pain – it felt like knives had been stabbed in her left arm. Looking down and blinking back tears, Amara saw that it was hanging loosely in its socket, utterly useless.
Amara, with one last stab of strength, because the Death Eater seemed keen of making her have more pain, jerked her wand upwards and breathed: "Impedimenta!"
The Death Eater slowed in his movements, and Amara heard Luna cry "Stupefy!" and he collapsed sideways and lay still.
Amara groaned in pain as she tried to sit up properly. Her head was throbbing and her arm was very sore now. Luna hurried over to her.
"Are you okay?" she said hurriedly.
"Mmpf," groaned Amara in response.
"Can you stand? Ginny's ankle is broken, and Ron's gone all strange …"
Amara nodded, gritting her teeth tightly and stood up with her right hand supporting her. She swayed but stayed firm. A few gulps of oxygen and Amara was able to think more clearly.
She was just about to say something when spell shot over their heads and made a huge crater behind them. Amara and Luna screamed and whipped around. The Death Eater's Body Bind had worn off and his wand was pointing straight at them.
"STUPEFY!" Ginny screamed suddenly from her space on the floor. Her spell flew over the Death Eater's head, but it distracted him in cursing Amara and Luna.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Amara shouted as Luna shot a Stunner at the Death Eater. They hit him at the same time, and he was blasted backwards, hit the wall and was very, very still.
Breathing heavily, Amara turned to Luna.
"Go help Ginny," she said. "I'll get Ron.
Amara shuffled over to where Ron was sitting on the floor next to the model of Uranus.
He was very pale and had a dark liquid coming out of the corner of his mouth. Amara gazed at him as he giggled like he was drunk – he shifted to his knees and shuffled forwards to where Amara was standing.
"Hey … hey … hey Amara," he giggled. "Look – look, it's Uranus, 'Mara, I've seen Uranus, geddit?"
Amara stared at him in horror. What had that Death Eater done to him?
"Ron, we've got to go," said Amara, glancing around and seeing Luna helping up and white Ginny, who was clutching her ankle tightly.
"No – no, let's stay here," said Ron. "It's nice here, isn't it – whoopsie!" he had risen in the air and was now floating around the room.
"Ha ha ha ha," he giggled as he went round. "Let's live here Amara."
"Ron," said Amara, rubbing her good arm on her forehead, trying to clear it. She had a massive headache and her hair was sticky with blood. "We've got to go now, okay? WE can come back later …"
"Promise?" said Ron, bobbing by.
"Yes," said Amara. "But we've got to go see Harry now."
"Let's go see Harry," said Ron and Amara grabbed his arm with her right and let her left dangle stupidly by her side. She dragged him forwards and she and Luna directed them to another black door the other end of the room.
They heard loud footsteps coming from the door, so they rushed for the exit and barged through – all tripping over each other as they fell out the other side.
"Ron! Amara!" croaked Harry's voice from above them, dashing toward them. "Ginny — are you all — ?"
"Harry," said Ron, giggling weakly as they all got to their feet. He lurched forward, seizing the front of Harry's robes and gazing at hi.. "There you are. . . . Ha ha ha . . . You look funny, Harry. . . . You're all messed up. . . ."
Amara got to her feet and swayed slightly, breathing heavily, noticing they were back in the circular room again.
"Amara? Ginny?" Harry said fearfully. "What happened?"
Ginny shook her head and slid down the wall into a sitting position, panting and holding her broken ankle.
"I think her ankle's broken, I heard something crack," whispered Luna, who was bending over her.
"We ran into a room which had loads of planets in them," said Amara. "We floated some of the time – but then four Death Eaters came in –"
"Harry, we saw Uranus up close!" said Ron, still giggling feebly. "Get it, Harry? We saw Uranus — ha ha ha —"
A bubble of blood grew at the corner of Ron's mouth and burst.
"Anyway," said Luna. "One of them grabbed Ginny's foot, I used the Reductor Curse and blew up Pluto in his face, but . . ."
Luna gestured hopelessly at Ginny, who was breathing in a very shallow way, her eyes still closed.
"Then one got Amara – she flung back into a wall," said Luna. "And they did a weird spell that made her arm go all funny."
"And what about Ron?" said Harry frightfully.
"Weird spell," said Amara. "We don't know what – where's Hermione and Neville?"
"Hermione's over there," said Harry, pointing over to where the girl was lying on her side by a wall, Neville near her. "A Death Eater made her unconscious, but we found a pulse."
"Oh god," Amara whispered, looking at her still form.
"We've got to get out of here," said Harry firmly. "Luna, can you help Ginny?"
"Yes," said Luna, sticking her wand behind her ear for safekeeping, putting an arm around Ginny's waist and pulling her up.
"It's only my ankle, I can do it myself!" said Ginny impatiently, but next moment she had collapsed sideways and grabbed Luna for support. Harry pulled Ron's arm over his shoulder. Amara followed them as they hobbled over to a random – they were just about to go through it when another door opened across the room and three Death Eaters and Bellatrix Lestrange hurtled through.
"There they are!" she shrieked, pointing.
There was a shower of Stunning spells that hit everywhere around them – Harry smashed through a door with Ron and Luna and Ginny ran through too. Amara hurried in after them as harry went back to help Neville with an unconscious Hermione.
"Colloportus!" shouted Harry, and there were the noises of three bodies slam into the door on the other side.
"It doesn't matter!" said a man's voice. "There are other ways in — WE'VE GOT THEM, THEY'RE HERE!"
Amara looked around and saw they were in the Bran Room once more. There were loads of doors in this room – easy for Death Eaters to get into. There were more footsteps as Amara glanced at Harry fearfully.
"Amara – Luna — Neville — help me!"
All four of them ran around the room, sealing the doors all around them.
"Colloportus!" Amara said and she heard a thump and a groan on the other side. She ran to the next one and did the same thing. She met Luna on one side and they joined together to lock the last door.
"Collo – aaaaaaaaaaargh!" both Luna and Amara were blasted backwards through the room. She saw Luna hit a desk and become unconscious – she hit the floor with a heavy thump and on her bad arm. She yelled in pain as she saw five Death Eaters enter the room. She rolled over in pain and breathed heavily. Clutching her arm to her chest, she unsteadily got to her feet and pressed a hand against the wall.
She saw Bellatrix Lestrange chase Harry through the room. Amara flicked her wand.
"Stupefy!" Amara shouted and the spell brushed her hair. Bellatrix shrieked and shot a spell at her herself – Amara dived sideways to avoid it.
"Hey!" Ron was saying, staggereing to his feet and tottering drunkenly toward Harry, giggling. "Hey, Harry, there are brains in here, ha ha ha, isn't that weird, Harry?"
"Ron, get out of the way, get down —"
But Ron had already pointed his wand at the tank. Amara hurried forwards – Ron wasn't going to do anything clever.
"Honest, Harry, they're brains — look — Accio Brain!"
The scene seemed momentarily frozen. Amara, Harry, Ginny, and Neville and each of the Death Eaters turned in spite of themselves to watch the top of the tank as a brain burst from the green liquid and straight towards Ron. It's ribbon like tentacles unravelled as it came towards him. Amara was horrified at what was happening.
"RON DON'T TOUCH IT!"
"Ha ha ha, Harry, look at it —" said Ron, watching it.. "Harry, come and touch it, bet it's weird —"
"RON, NO!" Harry yelled.
Amara ran forwards to stop him with Harry but Ron had already touched it with his outstretched, eager hands.