-Chapter 12-
"Hermione!" Brooke hissed as she tripped over the millionth root since they entered the forbidden forest, "Why the bloody hell are we in here?!"
Hermione gave her a warning glare over her shoulder.
"How much further?" Umbridge asked, her wand held out in front of her.
"Not too much." Hermione said, leading the way through the cobwebs, "Dumbledore couldn't put it somewhere where a student might accidently find it."
Brooke rolled her eyes as she tripped once again, mumbling things under her breath about how stupid Umbridge was. "OMPH!" she stumbled as she slammed into Hermione's form, "Sorry."
Hermione turned, her hair looking wild as she looked at Brooke in worry.
Finding her surroundings and looking around, Brooke realized exactly why Hermione had taken them there, and she was bloody brilliant.
"The rope is broken." Hermione spoke, her voice sounding dejected.
"Well?" Umbridge's loud voice signaled, her wand still held out in front of her, "Where is this weapon?"
Hermione bit her lip, while Brooke glared.
Umbridge sighed loudly, watching the two carefully, "There isn't one is there?" she asked, her face taking on a calm feature, "You know, I've always hated children, you are just some sort of twisted, disgusting creatures…."
Hermione stepped closer to Brooke, grabbing onto her arm.
"I tried so hard to bring Order to this castle with all you disgusting creatures and this is what you do to repay me?" Umbridge looked distressed, before the calm feature settled on her face, "Be that as it may, you did me a favor leading me in here, I'm sure the prophet will print a beautiful story of how you two went wondering into the forest never to return…"
"They wouldn't believe you anyways!" Brooke snarled her green eyes like emeralds, "Our friends will tell the truth."
Umbridge dusted an invisible piece of dirt off her outfit, "Doesn't matter, you'll be gone." She did that soft giggle before raising her wand, "AVAND-"
An arrow shot out startling the three. Brooke looked up to see about 50 Centaurs standing guard over head.
Umbridge turned, a nasty smile on her face, "You, Centaurs should not be here, this is Ministry property-"
Brooke grabbed Hermione's arm as she took a step back.
"Lower your weapons at once!" Umbridge demanded, her voice booming around the forest, "I must tell you under the law as creatures near human intelligence that-"
An arrow shot out, causing Brooke to back up even more.
Umbridge easily slashed it away, a smile gracing her face as she pointed her wand at the Creatures, "How dare you! You filthy half breed!" she growled, "Incantarte!"
Ropes went flying as they captured the centaur, throwing it to the ground as it choked.
"Oh no." Brooke moaned under her breath as it rolled down the hill.
"STOP IT PLEASE!" Hermione begged as she fell to her knees to help the creature.
"Stop Professor!" Brooke threw in as she went to the creature's side.
"ENOUGH!" Umbridge yelled as the centaur's descended around them, "I WILL HAVE ORDE-ARRRGGGHHHH!"
"Grawp." Brooke said in relief, a smile coming to her face.
The Centaurs struck, throwing their arrows as they tried to reach Umbridge's screaming form in Grawps hand.
"Stop please, he doesn't understand!" Brooke threw in as the Centaurs continued, before grabbing Hermione's hand and ushering them around the crowd.
"He doesn't know what he is doing!" Hermione kept throwing in.
Grawp let out a whine as one of the arrows hit him in the forehead and quickly let Umbridge drop back down to earth.
The Centaurs descended around her quickly, wrapping her up tightly as they made to take off with her.
"PLEASE, POTTER, GRANGER, YOU MUST TELL THEM I MEAN NO HARM!"
Brooke turned sharply, her eyes twinkling as she took in the scene, "Sorry Professor, but I must not tell lies."
Hermione let out a small giggle as the Centaurs took off with a screaming Umbridge.
"Come on 'Mione, Sirius is in danger!" Brooke growled as she took off in a run towards the school.
"Brooke I don't understand, what are we going to do?" Hermione wheezed as the two made it out.
Brooke shrugged, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she continued to run, "I don't know."
Hermione sighed under her breath, "Is that Ron?"
Brooke stumbled to a halt, "How on earth did you guys get away?" she breathed, as Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna stood grinning before them.
"Puking pastries," Ginny threw in grinning, "It wasn't pretty."
"That's brilliant, whose idea was that?" Hermione asked, regaining her breath.
"Ron did."
Brooke turned sparkling eyes on his figure, "Did you really?"
He nodded that lopsided smile on his face. "I told them I wanted a treat, you know those fat pricks, took 'em for themselves…made a mess."
"That's brilliant Ron!" Brooke exclaimed.
He grinned, his ears flushing red.
"How are we getting to London?" Neville asked as all eyes turned to Brooke.
She bite her lip lightly, "It's not that I don't appreciate your help guys, but this isn't your battle, I've gotten you all in to enough trouble-"
"Brooke I thought it was Dumbledore's Army, doing something real, doing something together, knowing that we have each others backs…" Neville said, his normally pale face slightly red, "That's what you said, was that all a lie to you?"
"No, Neville…" Brooke tried finding words to describe what she wanted to say.
"You don't have to do everything yourself Brooke." Ron argued, his eyes boring into hers.
Brooke sighed, running a hand through her hair, "Fine….then how are we going to get there?"
Luna's giggle startled everyone, "We fly of course."
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"This is the Department of Ministries?" Luna's whimsical voice sounded.
Ron nodded, "Pretty impressive when you see it for the first time."
"Oh, I've seen it before," Luna breathed, "I just wasn't sure if this was a dream or not."
Brooke turned her head sharply to eye her friend before turning back to the long hallway, "Come on, I think it is this way."
The group of six crept down the hallway; the only sound following after them was their own footsteps.
"Brooke are you sure this is the way?" Hermione whispered.
Brooke ignored her as she continued down the hall.
"Your father works here doesn't he Ron?" Neville asked as they made their way down the hall.
Ron nodded, "Yeah, he likes to spend most of his time down near the Muggle Correction Center, it's somewhere on the 4th floor."
"Yeah, Dad loves Muggles for some reason; I reckon he wishes he was one." Ginny added.
Neville chuckled, "My Gran enjoys going to the cinemas in downtown London, we go quite a bit during the summer."
"Really?" Ginny asked, a smile gracing her face, "I've never been there before."
"Maybe we can go this summer?" Neville threw out, his face bright red as the words spilled from his mouth.
Ginny grinned, "I'd like that."
"SHHHH!" Hermione hissed, sending the group a reprimanding glare, "You are being too loud!"
"The Ministry is closed for the night Hermione." Ron reminded her.
Hermione glared, "It doesn't mean that there still aren't people here working late at night Ronald!"
"Here it is." Brooke breathed, stopping in front of the light blue door, "Come on." She whispered as she grabbed the knob.
"WAIT!" Hermione hissed, slapping her hand away.
"What are you doing Hermione?" Brooke growled.
Placing her hands on her hips, Hermione gave her a long stern look, "You don't have a plan Brooke Potter, you were just going to barge in there and save the day?"
Brooke glared herself, "Yes, that was the plan now quiet!" she snapped, giving Hermione a nudge and opening the door.
A sharp intake of breath came from them all as the dark room came into view, thousands upon thousands of globes giving off a little light as they soured all the way to the top of the room.
"The Department of Mysteries." Luna breathed.
Brooke led the way down the long rows, looking around desperately for any sign of Sirius. She counted the rows desperately until she made it to 94 and 95. She stopped short in her tracks, doing a slight circle.
"I don't understand…" she muttered, her voice echoing down the rows, "He was right here…"
Hermione bite her lip as she looked around herself, "Brooke I…..I don't see any sign that he may have been here."
"I saw it Hermione!" she growled out, "He was right here!"
"Brooke."
Neville's voice brought them all to attention.
"This one has your name on it…."
"What?" she whispered as she crept closer, her fingers reaching out to grasp the ball.
"Be careful!" Ginny whispered.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches."
Brooke paled, her breath pausing as the familiar voice washed over the group.
"And the Dark Lord shall mark her as his equal, she will have power the Dark Lord knows not…For neither can live while the other…Survives."
Silences descended around the group as the voice faded away.
"Oh Merlin!" Hermione's voice rocked Brooke back to reality.
She turned to see a dark figure standing 20 feet away from the group of 6. She growled low under her breath as she stepped forward, her wand drawn out in front of her.
"Who are you?" she hissed out bravely, her voice not wavering a bit.
The shadow walked closer, the footsteps sounding as it continued towards them.
Brooke gulped as the light flashed across the masked face.
Death Eater.
"Where is Sirius?" She asked,
The Death Eater continued walking, stopping only 10 feet apart, "Oh Potter." An eerily familiar voice came out, sounding like velvet as he continued, "You really should start learning the difference between dreams and reality."
"Malfoy." She growled, her green eyes narrowed.
A wave of his wand and the mask was gone, "Good job Potter, clearly you aren't as stupid as Draco made you out to be." He taunted, stroking his wand mockingly, "However not smart enough to realize that the Dark Lord sent you that dream to get you here, and give him what he needs."
Hermione's sharp intake of breath sounded, as a firm hand came to rest on Brooke's back.
"Now give me the prophecy."
Brooke growled low under her breath, "Do anything to us, and I'll break it-"
A loud laugh sounded from behind Malfoy, before the face of Bellatrix Lestrange came out.
"Oh Little Potter knows how to play?" she taunted, grinning wickedly at the 6, "Pity, pity, pity…"
Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"Oh look, dear little Weasley is showing his support for little Potter…" she pursed her lips in a mocking kiss, "Poor clueless little dears…bringing your little group here tonight….Brainless Gryffindor's."
"Bellatrix Lestrange." Neville's voice echoed along the halls.
Bellatrix grinned more, her eyes wavering slightly as they took in Neville's form from behind Hermione, "Neville Longbottom isn't it?" she laughed loudly, "How's Mum and Dad doing?"
"Good now that they are about to be avenged!" Neville yelled out.
"Neville!" Brooke gasped as he blatantly pushed through he group.
Ron grabbed him swiftly as Brooke stepped in front again, her wand raised threateningly.
"Now, now, we have no time for this." Malfoy's voice swept through the group smooth as silk, his arms mimicking a surrender sign, "Everybody just calm down." He ordered, "All we came for is that Prophecy."
Brooke glared, "Why did Voldemort need me to come and get it for him?" she asked, her wand still held tightly.
"HOW DARE YOU USE THE DARK LORD'S NAME!" Bellatrix shrieked.
"I'll call him what I please!" she yelled back.
"Now, now Bellatrix, she doesn't know any better, she is just a filthy half blood." He lectured, "Prophecy's can only be retrieved by those it is about."
A shuffling around the group had an uneasy tension filling the air.
Brooke looked around to see that the little group was surrounded by more Death Eaters. Her heart started to pound in her chest, and not even Ron's warm, steady hand on her back could make her feel any better.
"Haven't you always wondered Potter, what was the connection between you and the Dark Lord?" Malfoy asked as he continued to creep forward, and more and more Death Eater's appeared down the halls. "Why he was unable to kill you when you were only just an infant?" he continued, "Don't you want to know the secret about your scar?"
Brooke gave him a questioning look as he stood in front of her, "I can show you all those answers, give you all those answers, if only you just give me that Prophecy in your hand." Malfoy said, his face looking that of mock compassion.
She gulped slightly, her eyes boring into his, "Well, I've waited 14 years Malfoy….I guess I'm going to wait a bit longer-" with a growl she shoved him roughly away from her, "STUPEFY!" she bellowed.
"STUPEFY!" sounded 5 more times as the group made a bolt for an exit.
"Run!" Brooke shouted as they continued to bolt down the rows.
"PETRIFICUS TOTALAS!"
"STUPEFY!"
"DIFFINDO!"
"Come on!" Hermione's desperate yell sounded.
"Find an exit!" Ron bellowed out.
Brooke looked around wildly, "STUPEFY!" she growled out, grinning when she heard a grunt.
"Come on come on!" Ron bellowed out as he continued to throw out spells.
Brooke grimaced as she ran into Luna's small figure as they rounded the corner.
The 6 looked around at each other, breathing heavily as they looked around for more.
The sound of glass shattering swept up the hall, starting off gradual.
Brooke peered down the hall, all 6 raising their wands towards the sound.
"Oh Merlin." Brooke breathed as 5 rows in front of them started to drop to the ground.
"RUN!" Ginny shrieked.
The group turned their bags and ran, trying to outrun the sound of shattering glass.
"THERE GO TO THAT DOOR!" Hermione bellowed out.
Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Brooke, Ron, and then Neville dived into the doorway.
Blackness welcomed them.