a/n: Thanks for the favorites and follows. Thanks to poka for the review! The set up might be a touch slow here but the action should pick up.
Chapter 2: Department of Mysteries
Four hundred miles. That's how far they had to fly. They should have thought through how long that was going to take. Hermione worried that even with the speed of a thestral they might get to London too late to intervene. There were any number of more rational ways to deal with Harry's certainty that his godfather was in grave danger. With Dumbledore gone and Umbridge in charge, their options were limited. And Hermione got the sense that Harry needed someone to believe him. He'd spent the entire year being persecuted by The Daily Prophet, the ministry for magic, and students in his own house. Even Dumbledore had been keeping him at arms length. If Harry thought Sirius was in imminent danger and no one was coming to help him, she'd help him. Whatever the cost. Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna were right there with him too.
Hermione looked back at the others. They might be a group of Hogwarts-aged kids, but she trusted them all. It was hard to tell how long they'd already flown. The cold wind and constant fear of falling made each minute feel like an hour. It was even more nerve wrecking, feeling like she was flying through the air on nothing at all. Being separated from everyone was also less than ideal. They couldn't communicate without shouting.
They were going to land in London, hopefully, and without a plan. She hated that. Getting to the ministry of magic might be the easiest step. With some luck, they'd find a ministry official who would believe them enough to investigate before they kicked them out. Or worse, they might be turned over to some truancy officer and back in the hands of Dolores Umbridge. And then they'd all be expelled. Adjusting her hold on the neck of her thestral, she tried not to think about it. They were there to save Sirius. And Umbridge had gone completely rogue. She'd been ready to use the cruciatus curse on Harry. She'd been the one who authorized the dementor attack the previous summer. Hermione refused to believe there wasn't a process to hold the evil witch accountable.
Finally the invisible steed pitched forward. Hermione heard Ginny cry out in surprise. Hermione tried to check on her friend. Craning her neck she couldn't make out the faces of anyone. She only knew where Harry and Ron were because they'd been out in front of her the entire time. Ron landed right behind Harry. She could hear him voicing his dislike for their mode of travel. She agreed with him. She never wanted to fly that far on a thestral again. They might not have a choice if they were going to get back to the school without the help of some authority. Coming to a gentle landing, Hermione was relieved to be on the ground again. Sliding off as gracefully as she could, she kept her eyes on Harry. Their flight must have been even more miserable for him. She wanted to ask him if he'd seen anything more during their flight. He looked pale but not panicked. It eased some of her anxiety. The feeling was short lived as she realized she had no idea how to get into the ministry. In fact, as she looked around, she couldn't say where the ministry was.
Luna was the first to give words to all their thoughts. "Where do we go from here, then?" she asked. She seemed completely unphased by everything.
Hermione wished she had such a cavalier attitude toward their task. It probably helped to have a completely irrational view of the world.
Harry directed them toward a telephone box next to a dumpster. It would be a tight fit. At least they didn't need to pile into the rubbish next to it. Ron and Ginny stepped into the box right away. Hermione guessed their dad had taken them to the ministry before and they didn't question how silly it seemed. Luna was next, then Neville. Impossibly they all fit with just enough for her and Harry to join them. Hermione resisted the urge to take Harry's hand. She was scared for him. Worried about what would happen if he got a terrible vision of Sirius' death.
"Whoever's nearest the receiver, dial six two four four two," Harry instructed.
Hermione couldn't see who complied, but she heard the voice of the operator. It was either insanity that the phone allowed them entry into the ministry or they were walking into a trap of some kind. Shaking off the worry, it was probably just enchanted to accept the request. They'd get inside and security would stop them.
But security didn't stop them. There was no one. Not a janitor. Not a maintenance worker. Not a receptionist. Normal office hours might be over, but surely there should be some activity. The whole complex didn't shut down. If it did, the telephone box wouldn't have worked. It was Hermione's first time in the ministry. She had no idea where to go or what they were looking for. Under normal circumstances she'd take a moment to study the fountain. To study how magic was implemented in the most ordinary ways. It wasn't the time. Harry was leading them to lifts with golden gates. Their feet echoed off the marble. Hermione pushed herself forward despite the foreboding welling up within her. They were trying to find Voldemort. It didn't look like anyone or anything would stop them. The lift moved downward. Heightening the sinking feeling within her. The DA might have prepared them for their exams. Dueling each other and training dummies… it might get them top marks on their O.W.L.s but she wasn't sure if that meant they were ready to stand up to the dark wizard.
"Department of Mysteries," a voice announced.
They were quickly marching forward toward a point of no return. She wanted to get to their destination as quickly as they could so they would know what they were dealing with. A black door stood ominously at the end of a long corridor. Luna followed Harry looking as if she was on a mildly interesting field trip. Neville was gripping his wand so tightly his knuckles were white. Ginny and Ron were marching obediently to the same spot their father was nearly killed. Hermione was about to speak up to convince them to stay behind.
Harry beat her to it. "Okay, listen. Maybe... maybe a couple of people should stay here as a... as a lookout, and —"
It was clear quickly that the group was over ruling Harry's suggestion and Hermione's unspoken wish. She kept her concerns to herself. Harry needed them to get to Sirius. If she voiced any doubts it might do more harm than good. They walked through the door together into the circle room. The ring of identical doors was certainly a let down from the threat she was anticipating. The blue light on the wall flickered, making the shadows look like they were dancing. The illusion intensified when the room started to spin. Hermione instinctively reached out for Harry to steady herself. She pointed her wand out in front of her with her free hand, wondering if she should cast an immobilizing charm.
The movement stopped. Hermione's mouth went dry. They had no idea what way was out or what way was forward. A security measure. And it may have triggered locks on all the doors like the vaults in Gringotts. At least here they'd have more hope of being found. Ginny was coming to the same conclusion.
Harry straightened and didn't seem to care that they might not have a way out. He wasn't thinking clearly and Hermione was worried about him. He might do something drastic that would get him hurt. Or worse.
"We won't need to get out till we've found Sirius —"
"Don't go calling for him, though," Hermione blurted out. She could tell Harry was annoyed by her words. She didn't care. It was now her mission to make sure Harry didn't get himself killed while he was so focused on making sure Sirius wasn't killed. She grew more uncomfortable when he recited his dreams. Except they weren't dreams. He was having visions and he wasn't a seer. There was no precedent for it. They had to consider whatever was allowing him to experience such vivid glimpses into Voldemort's mind was dangerous. They didn't even know if the connection could work in the opposite direction. For all they knew Voldemort was watching their every move through Harry's perspective.
"I'll know the right way when I see it. C'mon." Harry pushed forward with no hesitation. Everyone followed, not willing to be separated.
The door opened. Hermione didn't think a door this deep inside the ministry should be unlocked. Harry must have had the same thought. She noticed his tense stance as he raised his wand. Peering around him, her tension eased a bit. Desks. It must be an office space. Blinking at the sudden change in light, she didn't think they were looking for an office. The room was empty enough, they'd know if someone else was there. Certainly Sirius wasn't there.
They were all drawn to the large tank in the center of the room. Hermione was instantly repulsed. She remembered taking her parents science books after school before she learned she was a witch. She'd been convinced she wanted to be a doctor and memorized all the bones in the body. The different systems. And the brain. There were pictures of fixed, dissected brains all neatly labeled. The way the brain worked felt like magic. It still did. Luna was suggesting something ridiculous. Annoyance rose up within Hermione. Annoyance and some horror at the thought that someone was studying human brains. "No… they're brains."
At least Harry was quick to discount the idea that the pearly white objects were something called aquarius maggots. "Brains?" he asked, his shoulder brushed hers as he came closer to see what she was looking at.
Hermione swallowed. "Yes. I wonder what they're doing with them?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know. What she'd read about ministry experimentation on beasts and beings in public documents was horrifying. Merlin knew what they were doing in the lowest levels in secret. Likely on muggles.
When Harry suggested they leave that room, Hermione didn't object. She didn't want to be around if the ministry officials responsible for extracting the brains were notified their experiments were compromised. They returned to the circle room. "Wait," she told Luna before the doors started spinning again. "Flagrate," she cast, branding the door with an X. Once the doors started to spin again, she held her breath, hoping the magical mark would last through the magic moving the room.
"Good thinking," Harry told her after the spinning stopped and the cross remained.
The next room was cavernous. Hermione hung back to take it in. This looked nothing like the room Harry had described. So why was he walking down the steps toward the dais at the bottom of the amphitheater? An ominous arch was at the center. It looked like Harry was drawn to it.
"Who's there?" he asked, getting closer to the dais.
"Careful!" Hermione called out, terrified by how fast he was closing in on the arch. A ghostly, tattered veil fluttered despite the lack of air movement. She strained to hear whatever he was hearing. There was nothing. This clearly wasn't the room. They didn't even need to go past the door to see that. But Harry was getting closer to the arch.
"Sirius?" Harry whispered.
She hated how he was looking at the empty space. "Let's go. This isn't right. Harry," she was practically begging. They weren't going to find Sirius there, and whatever Harry was hearing, he was the only one. "Come on, let's go."
Except he didn't join her on the stairs. He got closer. "What are you saying? Someone is whispering."
Hermione took a step toward him. Something told her to get him away from the strange structure. The anxiety ran through her like static under her skin.
"I can hear them too," Luna supplied helpfully. "There are people in there."
Pushing through every instinct Hermione had to run away, she stepped down. "What do you mean 'in there'? There isn't anything 'in there'. Harry, stop it, come away," she pulled on his arm. He didn't budge. Standing closer to the large structure, she thought she saw runes of some kind in the stone. They were old, familiar. But nothing like anything she'd studied at Hogwarts. Maybe she read a book about them. They appeared to be getting brighter now that she was looking. A trick of the light. She didn't like it. "Harry, we're supposed to be here for Sirius."
Harry looked like he was in a trance. "Sirius."
She took his hand. If he tried to go through it she'd stop him.
"Let's go," he finally said with clear eyes.
Annoyance blunted her fear. "That's what I've been trying to… come on then," she said, leading him away. Ginny and Neville also seemed to be interested in the mysterious void. She dropped her hold on Harry and pulled them away too, marching them all away from whatever the stone wanted. And it wanted something.
"What do you think that arch was?" Harry asked her once they were back in the circle room.
"I don't know, but whatever it was, it was dangerous." Hermione didn't know why she was so certain about her conclusion. She just was. She was more than happy to mark the door and never allow any of her friends inside the odd space again. The doors spun, she watched the door to the veil blur into all the others. If they got out of there, she'd have to sketch the marking she saw. Try to find out what they meant. Turning on the spot, Harry was struggling with another unmarked door. "What's wrong?" she asked, shaking off the lingering unease and getting back to the task at hand.
Harry was already trying another door. "It's locked."
The others seemed to think that meant they'd found the door they were looking for. The unlocking charm didn't work. Harry couldn't pry it open with his knife, couldn't break it down. It was all she needed to know. She quickly marked it.
"But what if that's the one?" Ron asked.
Hermione shook her head. Her mind was clear now from whatever influence they experienced in the other room. "It can't be, Harry could get through all the doors in his dream," said Hermione.
Harry tried another door. "This is it," he proclaimed looking within.
They got a look at the room full of clocks and an impressive crystal bell jar. She recognized the wall of time turners immediately. This room should have the highest protections. She knew that from all the forms and training she'd been made to complete in her third year before they allowed her to use the device. They were strictly controlled. The group shouldn't be allowed to walk through that door. Someone should be there to stop them. Hermione swallowed hard. Voldemort must have taken everyone by surprise. There were no signs of struggle. No evidence someone had been injured. The killing curse wouldn't have left a mark though. Then again, she didn't think he'd take the time to hide bodies. The ominous feelings from the arch were returning. This time with good reason. They were walking into something really dangerous. They should have gone to the Burrow.
"It's through here," Harry called out by another door.
They couldn't turn back. They'd come too far and if they wasted that time to get help, Sirius would certainly be dead. Glancing around Harry to get a look at the room he'd seen, it did look very much like what he had described. But why hadn't he seen anything else since they left Hogwarts? The answer was chilling. It was over. Whatever happened in this room was over. Her wand was out, she walked forward with the group. Her mind was now trying to come up with a plan to keep Harry from seeing what happened to his godfather.
~~/~~
Everyone had lost their bloody minds. It wasn't Bogdan's concern. He had watched through a one-way window from his workroom as the atrium security ordered everyone out of the time chamber. It only mattered to him long enough to see that Lucy made it safely out. Some others protested the unorthodox order. Bogdan was certain an imperius curse was used on the most vocal objector. A completely unnecessary escalation to a legitimate challenge. People were going crazy over the rumors that Dumbledore was right and Voldemort was back. What did they think? The dark lord was interested in getting his hands on a time turner? And if that was the case, how much sense was it to remove the people who would stop him. He spent some time working, trying not to bother himself with the nonsense outside. He kept an eye on the view into the time room, waiting for everyone to return. Several security officers returned but they went into the hall of prophecies. Idiots. The dangerous items weren't in there. In fact, there wasn't anything in the department that was more protected than the prophecies. With a sigh, Bogdan knew he had to at least make sure the time devices were secured behind a shield if security was going to go on some wild goose chase. Casting a disillusionment charm on himself, he stepped out of his vault and listened. No one was making a noise near him. Walking across the room to the time turners, he put in place the emergency measures required to keep anyone from taking one without authorization.
It was all entirely irresponsible. Stepping out into the door hub, he considered going up to the atrium to see what the nonsense was. Sending out his charm to identify all the doors, it occurred to him there was another problem. The torch that turned purple in response reminded him they had other problems than just time turners. If all rooms were vacated as hastily as the time room, they'd have plenty of other things to worry about than the dark lord returning. Going through the door with the purple torch, he reminded himself the door with the green torch would also need to be secured. Those bumbling security teams would walk right through the veil if left alone long enough. He'd go there next. Inside the demon chamber, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The protective gear was still neatly organized on hooks next to the exit. Every hook was full. No one was inside to avoid an accidental escape. This wasn't a normal evacuation. Something nefarious was happening.
At the sound of voices on the other side of the door, Bogdan turned around and quickly applied an advanced locking system. He was in over his head. And he just locked himself into a chamber full of creatures that could kill him. Scratching and growls in the distance emphasized the danger. Putting his ear up against the door, he listened. Children. They sounded like children. He guessed the ministry security knocked over the bell jar and reversed their age. They had it coming. Unlocking the door, he cracked it open enough to see who was in the hub. Not ministry personnel. They weren't wearing the required robes. In fact, their clothes appeared to fit appropriately. They weren't adults who fell victim to de-aging. They were actual school children. And they were walking into the room with the veil. The chaos was getting out of control. He slipped out of the demon room, waited for the doors to stop moving and used his charm to find the purple flame again. He took the time to make sure that room was secured with the most powerful locks he could make. Then he found the green flame. Sliding inside quickly, he watched the group follow the call from the veil. Bogdan had decades of practice in resisting the veil. The others were already feeling the effects. They hadn't even noticed the door open and close behind them. He was about to drop his disillusionment charm to scold them for breaking into such a dangerous place when one of them got his attention. The girl who wasn't getting closer. She wasn't succumbing to the call. Strange.
Bogdan got closer, listened to the conversations. She wasn't buying the lies the veil was telling her mind. And she wasn't running from it either. She was actively overcoming the effects and trying to save her friends. When she stepped up near the arch, he followed. He nearly gasped in shock when the runes in the stone appeared in her presence. The Dorian magic had never shown itself for as long as anyone had studied the veil. Yet, there they were. Dorian in origin. Something he suspected but had no evidence. Until now. Soon the boy she was trying to protect also shook off the effects of the call. Now Bogdan recognized Harry Potter. So the chosen one could also resist the veil? Very odd indeed. He followed them out of the room. He needed to know who this girl was and why she had induced the effect on the ancient arch. Completely focused on following without making a sound, they oddly kept the door open, making it easier for him to follow. Then he understood why they kept the door open. She was marking the door. Smart. They were looking for something. Sirius, he repeated in his head. A star? Not likely.
They were trying to unlock the demon room. It was fortunate for all of them that he got their first. The witch tried using a basic unlocking charm. So she wasn't welding exceptional power that would have protected her mind. Odd.
They found the time room. Potter suggested he'd seen it before even though that wasn't possible. He'd know if Harry Potter had been given permission to tour the department. Regardless, Potter was on a mission now. The clever witch was looking at the time turners. She looked worried. As if she knew there was something very wrong. Bogdan agreed. He should stop them all before they touched something that killed them or worse. He wanted to see what else she could awaken. He needed to get her into his vault to see if any of his artifacts would respond like the arch had. They were trying to find the hall of prophecy. It was a foolish risk. The enchantments would kill them if they touched the wrong orb. Nevertheless, they found the door and entered. Bogdan wasn't listening to them chatter while they looked for whatever brought them to the hall. He was keeping an eye on the witch to make sure she didn't touch a prophecy. But as they moved with purpose toward aisle ninety-seven, Bogdan stopped. Several prophecies were glowing. Some very particular prophecies. Many of which he was familiar with. He read the tags to be sure, but he knew this aisle. He knew the section they were in. Persephone and Archimedes were meant to harness the Source. Hera and Dymas would be avenged. Xuthus will be brought to justice centuries after his terrible decisions. The descendants of Dorian and Ionian will meet on the battlefield one last time. Many who knew the prophecies were divided on the meaning. There was no way to know really if they had been fulfilled because the Dorian artifacts couldn't be interpreted. No one knew if their lineage even existed any longer. There have been plenty of wars since the Dorian Invasion came to an end. He needed the witch who awakened the prophecies to come back. There was a chance someone else in the group was inducing this effect, but Bogdan was certain it was the girl who resisted the Dorian trap. The girl who made the runes appear. She was the key to it all.
Where did they go? Absently, he wondered if the ministry security were still in the hall of prophecies. He needed to find the kids before they did. He picked up the pace, looking frantically down each row. Sliding to a halt he could see the wand tips of all six. And beyond them weren't ministry security. Death eaters. There were death eaters in the ministry. Threatening the witch who might hold answers he spent his career searching for. He'd go around. Get the jump on the invaders. He hoped. As he ran, he knew he was in over his head. He didn't do fieldwork. He certainly never had to duel. He could go get help. Leaving school kids to fight off death eaters wasn't a responsible decision. Regardless of who the kids were. His wand was up as he tracked the conversation from a few sections away. The death eaters were focused on Potter. More to the point, some prophecy. None of it interested him. He needed to find out who the witch was.
Things sounded like they were getting heated. Bogdan peered down from the other end of section ninety-seven. Why were these aisles so bloody long? He checked his charm to make sure he was still concealed. The only way he was going to take on Voldemort's soldiers was to take them by surprise. He needed to get closer to figure out which one needed to be taken out first.
"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," the one out in front said.
All of this for a prophecy? The ministry needed to get over itself. He advocated for a publication of all prophecies in the hall. Give access to everyone. Knowledge wasn't currency, it was a commodity. If they took away the imbalance of those who knew and those who didn't, there'd be more trust and less conflict. No one listened to the odd hermit who lived in his vault in the lowest level of the ministry, surrounded by ancient artifacts. It never bothered him before. Maybe it shouldn't bother him now. If not for the death eaters actions that night, he'd never have learned about the witch he sought to protect now.
The restraint and control the leader appeared to be welding took the edge off Bogdan's worry. He was holding the most unstable witch at bay. As long as Potter held the prophecy, he might not need to act. The longer the stand off lasted, the better chance they all had that back up would come. His fellow unspeakables wouldn't sit around indefinitely. As much as they didn't like each other, they respected each other and they wouldn't be entrusted with the responsibilities of the Department of Mysteries without proving their dedication.
Talk of torturing one of the kids had him tensing again. Even if it wasn't the witch he wanted to talk to, he wasn't going to allow the assault of a student. Potter was holding his own. It surprised Bogdan. Perhaps the hype around the boy who lived wasn't utter rubbish as he thought.
"How come Voldemort wants it?" Potter asked.
Bogdan wondered the same thing. He was amused by the death eaters' reaction to the name being spoken. It was a performance. Certainly Voldemort was a terrible wizard. He killed with impunity. Welded the unforgivable curses without regret. Perverted magic. He did all those things, he should want people to fear the deeds not the name.
"Did you know he's a half-blood too?" Potter shot back.
Getting cocky might not have been the best choice. Bogdan shook his head. The stand off lasted for several more minutes. Shamelessly Bogdan listened, suddenly invested in what the prophecy said and why the boy who lived had survived with the lightning-shaped scar. They might go on like that indefinitely. He could have gone back to his vault and signaled a need for support. He was thinking about doing just that when all hell broke loose. Ducking to stay out of the crossfire, he never saw the shelves coming. An entire city block came down on him and his world went black.
