THE HIGH PRICE

by peverell.magic

The ash began to bury his legs, enveloping him in its soft, warm embrace. Harry wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face in them, allowing the world to drift into the distance.

60. CHAPTER 60: SACRIFICES FOR A GLIMPSE OF

CHAPTER 60: SACRIFICES FOR A GLIMPSE OF FATE

The bustling city street was paved with smooth stones, marred by the occasional stubborn chewing gum spot, and haunted by a gang of scabrous, feral pigeons. Amidst this urban scene, a lopsided, crimson phone box stood sentry on the pavement behind a row of chipped, marked bollards, as if holding a long-forgotten secret.

Harry's hand reached beneath his robes, retrieving a cloak that held a wealth of memories. It was a relic from their youth, an artifact of countless escapades, and yet today's mission held a weighty distinction. 'Cloak?' he asked, holding it out.

Sirius' eyes sparkled with mischief as he took the cloak from Harry's outstretched hand and unfurled it, enveloping both of them in its magical shroud. He couldn't help but grin. 'Just like old times,' he said. 'Except this time we're pilfering a highly coveted magical object for the sake of Britain, not sneaking away with McGonagall's fire-whiskey for one of those wild parties.' He chuckled, the memories of their mischievous youth dancing in his eyes. 'This, my friend, is probably a far safer venture. Your mother was a cruelly strict prefect.'

Harry snorted, sharing in the fond reminiscence. 'So, where's the entrance?' he inquired, eager to embark on this daring mission.

'Were you expecting a towering edifice emblazoned with the words "The Ministry of Magic"?' Sirius replied with a sly grin.

'No,' Harry admitted. 'But I did imagine something a bit more... grandiose.'

'It's all part of the Ministry's strategy,' Sirius explained. 'They don't want Muggles prying into their affairs, so the entrance is deliberately understated.'

With a sense of adventure building within him, Harry followed Sirius toward the seemingly ordinary phone box. As Sirius opened the door and gestured for Harry to join him inside, they were met with the musty, red-painted booth's interior, which reeked of stale weed and worse.

'This is what they call the informal visitors' entrance,' Sirius explained. 'Usually, wizards and witches simply use the Floo Network to get here, but that's too risky for us. The Ministry keeps a close watch on the network. This phone box offers us a measure of stealth.' He turned to the phone and, with a quick motion, extended a hand from under the cloak to dial a number. 'Emmeline should be on her way out right about now, which means our window of opportunity is open.'

The stage was set, and the duo found themselves poised for a covert operation that would test their wits and courage like never before. In the heart of the city, concealed within a phone box, they awaited the pivotal moment to carry out their mission for the Ministry of Magic.

'Welcome to the Ministry of Magic,' a calm yet authoritative female voice declared. 'Please state your name and purpose of visit.'

'Sirius Black. And I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,' Sirius replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eye, almost daring the magical world's bureaucracy to challenge his audacity.

Harry shot him an incredulous look. 'Are you sure that's the best response here?'

Sirius chuckled. 'Relax, Harry. It's not an actual person on the other end. The Ministry has used the same recorded voice since before my stint in Azkaban.'

A soft click echoed from the phone, and a badge bearing Sirius's name and his brazen declaration popped out from the phone's change dispenser. Sirius retrieved it with a triumphant grin and pinned it proudly to the front of his robes.

'Sirius Black. Up to no good,' Harry read aloud, a smile spreading across his face. 'That's brilliant.'

Sirius beamed. 'I've always wanted a badge like this. It's the best thing the Ministry has ever given me, which, by the way, isn't saying much since they conveniently forgot to give me a trial.'

As the phone box jolted into motion, the scenery outside the small window shifted, and Harry couldn't help but wonder how many unsuspecting Muggles might have accidentally dialed the mysterious number, finding themselves transported to this secret underworld.

The phone box came to a halt, revealing an empty, marble-paved floor. Overhead, golden runes intertwined, forming ever-changing patterns across a regal blue ceiling.

'This way,' Sirius said, guiding Harry down a corridor lined with dormant fireplaces and an abandoned security desk. 'We're lucky. Either the guard's off duty or Mundungus might have used his silver tongue to bribe them for a timely break. He's always looking for opportunities to slip in and out unnoticed.'

They rushed past the empty desk and a fountain adorned with cheerful statues that playfully spouted water from peculiar places, then passed through the golden gates leading to the Ministry's true entrance.

'In here,' Sirius said, pulling Harry toward the lift and repeatedly tapping the button for the ninth floor. 'Finally.'

'Floor thirteen,' the same female voice announced.

'It's the lowest level,' Sirius explained. 'We're now within the Ministry's protective wards, and the only way out without breaking them is through the Floo Network, which is closely monitored, or retracing our steps through the entrance. Breaching those wards is a formidable challenge.'

Harry nodded, the gravity of the situation settling in. 'So, we need to avoid getting caught down here, or we'll be trapped.'

'Exactly,' Sirius confirmed. 'We can stow away the cloak now. Mundungus will be the only one lurking about.'

Harry carefully folded the cloak and concealed it within his robes as the lift came to a halt. The voice announced their floor once more, 'Floor thirteen.'

'It's just around the corner,' Sirius said, leading Harry toward their destination. 'Voldemort's not expected to make any moves for a while, so we should be in the clear for now.'

'How do you know that?' Harry inquired, his curiosity piqued.

'Snape,' Sirius replied with a scowl. 'He's Dumbledore's spy within the Death Eaters. Not much escapes his notice. He's always been a cunning and clever one, and I believe he can be trusted...'

At the end of the corridor, they encountered a stark, black door, its very metal warped and scarred by the fierce flames that had once raged within.

'Fiendfyre...' Sirius whispered, his voice heavy with the weight of the revelation.

'Not much gets past him,' Harry acknowledged, flicking his wand into his hand. 'We have company.'

Sirius gritted his teeth, realizing the imperfections in his assessment. 'Apparently, he's not as stealthy as I hoped. I'm going to summon the rest of the Order.' He retrieved a battered, bronze phoenix amulet from within his robes. 'Protecting that prophecy is our priority, Harry. We can address any issues with Dumbledore later.'

As Harry and Sirius advanced down the corridor, they stumbled upon ominous signs – a dark, crimson smear staining the floor and the shattered remnants of a wand. 'How long until the others arrive?' Harry inquired.

'They'll be here as soon as they can,' Sirius assured him, his gaze fixed on the shadowy space beyond the scarred door. 'Just a few minutes, I reckon.'

'We can't afford to wait,' Harry said resolutely. 'If they're already inside, we have to stop them. Plus, I need to hear that prophecy.'

Sirius nodded in agreement and brandished his wand. He touched the doorframe, grimacing as he withdrew his hand. 'It's still hot. They can't be more than a few minutes ahead of us.'

'Let's keep moving,' Harry said, stepping past Sirius and into the department.

The corridor extended beyond the damaged door, a lengthy hallway adorned with gleaming black tiles that reflected the torchlight as if they were glass. Harry's footsteps reverberated in the confined space as he continued forward.

However, Sirius abruptly halted him, swearing under his breath. 'It's a circle, Harry. A loop. We've been walking around the same ten feet of corridor. It only appears to be a straight path.' He gestured at the nearest torch.

The white flames extinguished along the corridor, plunging them into darkness. Sirius ran his fingers along the wall. 'Let's try this door.'

Beyond it, they discovered a circular room furnished with benches surrounding a towering, pristine mirror – the Mirror of Erised.

'This isn't what we're looking for,' Harry said, urging them to move on.

Sirius, however, was drawn to the mirror's surface, pressing his fingertips against it. 'We're all together again. I can see us all there: Remus, James, Lily, me, and even Peter.' He rested his forehead on the mirror. 'Peter didn't betray us; he couldn't have become a Death Eater. It's not possible.'

As the weight of their mission hung in the balance, the Mirror of Erised offered a glimpse into Sirius's heart, revealing the enduring bonds of friendship that neither Azkaban nor time could sever.

'Sirius,' Harry pleaded, pulling his godfather away from the captivating illusion of the mirror. 'It's a lie.'

His godfather's voice was faint, filled with yearning. 'A lie, but I can see them, they're there.'

'No, you're just seeing what you want to see,' Harry said with a touch of sorrow.

A deep sigh escaped Sirius, and the torments of Azkaban seemed to etch their scars deeper into his features. 'I thought, I dared to hope that it might be real.'

Harry glanced into the mirror, his reflection smiling back at him. He saw himself with his arm around Fleur, the sun setting in a brilliant display of orange and red.

Perfect. He took a step closer.

A silver-haired girl suddenly leaped into the scene, clutching Fleur's arm.

Gabby? The name welled up in Harry's mind as he gazed at the little girl. Her vivid emerald eyes met his, and his heart plummeted with a mix of joy and sorrow.

Not Gabby. A daughter. Our daughter. Warmth surged through him, and tears of longing filled his eyes. For a moment, he reached out to pull the child from the mirror into reality, but then he realized the cruel truth: 'It's not real. Not yet.'

'It only shows you what you want most,' Harry explained, his voice tinged with sadness as he tore his gaze away from the enchanting scene of his hypothetical family. 'Leave it.'

With determination, he turned and walked away from the mirror, into the dark corridor. His fingers brushed against the wall, trailing over each line between the tiles until he felt something warmer.

'Sirius,' Harry whispered, hope glimmering in his voice. 'I've found another door.'

Sirius nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with a mix of anticipation and apprehension.

Harry cautiously pushed the door open, revealing a cryptic chamber bathed in a dim, eerie light. Worn and weathered stone benches encircled a single arch of stone set upon a raised dais in concentric circles. The gap between the two pillars of the arch rippled and shimmered, evoking a sense of otherworldly magic.

Sirius whispered, 'What is it?'

Harry replied in a hushed tone, 'I'm not sure.'

He moved closer to the arch, running his hand down the left pillar. His fingers brushed over thousands of tiny runes etched across the stone, forming intricate patterns that seemed to stretch and sway. As he touched the stone, the veil within the arch shifted, and a soft, ghostly whisper emanated from the other side, as if a multitude of voices murmured in the distance.

The complexity of this magic surpassed even the formidable wards protecting the prophecy chamber.

Grindelwald's sigil, the same symbol that marked the graves at Godric's Hollow, was etched onto the apex of the arch. Harry traced his finger over the cold stone, feeling the faint impressions of countless runes.

'Sirius,' Harry's godfather urged, 'we need to keep moving.'

Harry withdrew his hand and stepped away from the whispering arch. 'It felt like mere moments,' he muttered, 'but it must have been longer.'

'It was,' Sirius confirmed. 'We don't have time to linger. This place is far more treacherous than I anticipated.'

'Where's the rest of the Order?' Harry asked, anxiety creeping into his voice.

'They're on their way,' Sirius assured him. 'Don't worry about the prophecy; Dumbledore told us that only you can retrieve it from the shelf.'

They proceeded along the corridor, their footsteps echoing in the dark like stones dropped down a deep well.

'I've found another door,' Sirius whispered.

Harry replied with resolve, 'Let's hope this is the one we need.'

As they entered the room beyond the door, they were greeted by towering shelves filled with glowing, swirling white orbs. Blue flames burned at each junction, casting an otherworldly, ethereal light that bathed the cathedral of prophecies.

A small, dark plaque affixed to the wall by the entrance read: The Hall of Prophecies.

Harry glanced around at the multitude of prophecies, his face etched with concern. 'How do we find the right one in this sea of thousands?'

Sirius quickly assessed the nearby shelves. 'They're labeled, these are from this year. We need to go deeper, it must have been made at least sixteen years ago when Dumbledore said that Lily and James needed to go into hiding. Let's start there.' He set off down the rows of shelves, his eyes fixed on the labels.

Harry silently withdrew his wand from his sleeve and followed behind him, gazing at the endless rows of white orbs.

Sirius halted before a particular shelf and examined it closely. 'Here it is. The prophecy addressed to Dumbledore. He's the only one with so many initials, and it's about you and Voldemort. Grab it. I can't touch it; it must be related to you.'

Harry's heart clenched with icy dread. 'Me and Voldemort, no one else?'

'Just the two of you,' Sirius confirmed.

'If it's about Voldemort and me, then he wouldn't have sent Death Eaters to seize it. He would've dispatched them to clear the way,' Harry reasoned.

'Shit,' Sirius muttered.

'Let's get out of here.' Harry carefully plucked the small, luminous orb off the shelf and tucked it into his pocket.

They rushed back through the rows of prophecies toward the door and stepped out into the darkness of the corridor. Faint sounds of brisk footsteps and the clinking of metal on stone drifted through the shadows.

'Where is this room, Lucius?' a soft, feminine voice inquired, giggling. 'I can't see a thing.'

Sirius froze, and Harry tugged him back several steps before pulling him into the nearest open door. Inside the room, hundreds of time-turners adorned the walls, and at the center, an old, blackened table held a bird within a glass bell jar, repeatedly reborn.

Harry's gaze lingered on the time-turners, but he knew that taking one would be impossible given the likely warding. 'The next door,' he whispered.

Lucius Malfoy's voice crept into the room from the corridor. 'If you hadn't been so preoccupied with attempting to breach the sealed door at the far end and then wasted time with the Veil, we'd be finished by now.'

'Shush,' the witch admonished. 'We're not alone.'

'My Lord?' Lucius called out.

Harry nudged Sirius back to awareness. 'They're between us and the exit. There's no space to slip past them under the cloak.'

'Perhaps the Order has an additional guard in the Department of Mysteries,' Lucius Malfoy speculated, 'someone who prefers hiding to his duty.'

'A wise assumption,' the witch giggled. 'Homenum Revelio. Ahead on the left, two of them.'

'We'll have to fight,' Sirius said, a pallor creeping over his face. 'I'll go out first.'

He brandished his wand and ventured out into the corridor, causing white flames to flare in the torches.

Harry desperately scanned the room for another escape route, but there was none. He glanced at the time-turners with a sense of duty. 'I can't leave this entire room of time-turners behind, warded or not. Voldemort would become unstoppable.'

With resolve, Harry conjured a coiling basilisk of fiendfyre, its white-hot form melting the shelves, racks, and tiny golden hourglasses, causing them to trickle down the walls. The room shook and dust drifted from the ceiling.

'Merlin's beard,' Harry muttered, extinguishing the fiendfyre. 'The entire building is enchanted. No more fiendfyre, then.'

'Sirius!' A chorus of cheerful giggles reverberated down the corridor. 'It's a reunion! Let's play a game!'

Harry stepped forward into the dimly lit corridor, determination etched on his face.

'Potter,' Lucius Malfoy's voice emanated from behind the intricate lines carved on a skull-shaped, silver mask. 'The Dark Lord will be quite pleased when we deliver you to him.'

'He's here for the prophecy,' the witch chimed in, her violet eyes shining like rings of flame. 'Have you hidden it? Is this a game of hide and seek?'

'You'll never lay hands on it, Bella,' Sirius retorted. 'It's too late.'

Harry observed Bellatrix Lestrange closely, her pale skin, dark hair, and the wild look in her eyes. She resembled Narcissa Malfoy, only with a darker demeanor and even darker features.

'Give it to us,' Lucius Malfoy demanded. 'It belongs to the Dark Lord.'

'It belongs to me,' Harry asserted, raising his wand defiantly. 'If he wanted it, he should've acted more swiftly.'

Bellatrix erupted in laughter. 'It's one thing to win a round, but another to win the game!' She swiftly brandished her wand, unleashing bright yellow curses that struck the tiles just above Harry's head.

'Protego,' Harry whispered, shielding himself and Sirius from the onslaught. 'We need to get back to the lift and the atrium.'

Sirius nodded. 'We'll have to find a way around them, but we must stay together. Our chances are better if we face them as a united front rather than split up. Bella isn't known for playing well with others.'

'Bella, sweetie,' Bellatrix cooed, her expression sly, as she cast another spell.

A red beam of light splashed against the tiles between Harry and Sirius.

'Papilionis,' Harry incanted, enveloping them in a sphere of butterflies.

'Oooh, pretty!' Bellatrix's voice drifted through the swirling cloud of dark wings. 'Avada Kedavra!'

A single butterfly disintegrated into black smoke.

'Clever, little Potter,' she sang. 'Come play with Bella for a while!'

Lucius Malfoy sighed. 'Bellatrix...'

Harry swiftly flicked his wand, transfiguring one of the butterflies into a sharp steel spike and sending it hurtling toward Lucius Malfoy. In response, Malfoy tore black tiles from the walls with a deft wave of his wand, forming a dense shield. He then transfigured the remaining butterflies and directed them to intercept the steel spike, resulting in a flurry of steel projectiles that collided with the tiles, sending fragments flying down the corridor.

Simultaneously, Sirius hurled bright orange curses at Bellatrix Lestrange. She deftly deflected his attacks, directing them into the walls while giggling and twirling down the corridor.

Harry's wand danced through complex motions as he muttered, 'Reducto,' and blended it into the incantation for the bone-splintering curse. The tiles disintegrated, causing Malfoy to dive behind Bellatrix. His walking cane exploded into splinters, and the silver handle skittered away down the corridor.

Sirius couldn't help but laugh. 'You all right down there, Lucy?'

Bellatrix continued her chaotic assault, unleashing a barrage of bright-colored spells. They ricocheted off each other, pounding into the tiles and the ceiling, filling the corridor with swirling dust. Harry deflected the ones he recognized and deftly avoided the rest. The shattered tile fragments, however, suddenly transformed into a swarm of scorpions and scuttled toward them. In response, Malfoy swept his wand forward, uttering, 'Incendio.'

The scorpions were engulfed in an orange inferno, burning with a series of sharp cracks and pops. Harry then moved in front of Sirius and cast as many spells as he could at Bellatrix, who responded by laughing and returning fire. Her spells clashed with Harry's, creating flashes of bright pink, yellow, and orange amidst the barrage of white and purple curses. Bellatrix huffed and swatted his spells back at him with uncanny dexterity.

The first spell hissed past Harry's ear, leaving deep scorched marks on the floor, and a flash of maroon shot by his ribs. Harry deftly deflected them and evaded the spells Bellatrix skillfully interwove into her attacks.

'Switch!' Sirius cried out, transfiguring the tiles behind Bellatrix into ropes. 'Time out, cousin!'

The ropes swiftly ensnared Bellatrix, winding around her like serpents. However, a faint shimmer of magic coursed over her, causing the ropes to disintegrate into dark wisps of smoke.

'Expulso,' Harry hissed.

The resulting explosion blasted the floor beneath Bellatrix and Malfoy, hurling them down the corridor. Harry seized Sirius's arm and propelled him forward, raining bone-splintering curses over his shoulder as they sprinted toward the lift.

Malfoy recovered, quickly snatching his wand from the floor, and with a flourish, he tore every tile from the wall, sending a barrage of them hurtling across the corridor. Some struck Harry's ribs, eliciting white-hot pain that surged across his chest. He managed to pull Sirius through the first open door and took cover behind the stone benches.

'Lacero,' he whispered, casting purple curses that tore through the wall.

A hissing sound of pain emanated from the other side, and a disheveled Bellatrix stumbled through the door, one hand pressed against a gash on her thigh. 'You've ruined my dress!' She shrieked and a faint shimmer of magic rippled over her, like heat haze. 'It was a gift!'

Malfoy then entered through the hole in the wall, his long blond hair and robes covered in dust.

'Avada Kedavra,' Bellatrix cried out.

A flash of green energy disappeared into the archway behind Harry. In response, he transfigured the nearest bench into a stone serpent and sent it lunging toward Bellatrix and Malfoy.

'Booooooring! Confringo!' Bellatrix shattered the stone serpent with a wave of her wand.

Stone fragments sprayed across the room, and Harry quickly banished them away from himself. Meanwhile, Malfoy doubled over with a low grunt, clutching his injured hand, which was now covered in crimson.

'You never could play well with others,' Sirius taunted. 'No wonder Andi left and never looked back.'

Bellatrix's eyes flickered with purple flames. 'Silly cousin Sirius. I'm going to win our little game, and then the Dark Lord will cleanse our world of all the stupid, useless cattle. The only ones who will remain are the ones who can play with me!'

Sirius swung his wand in a wide arc, casting 'Ardens flagella.' A dark, shimmering line of purple fire sliced through the ceiling, tiles, and benches like boiling water through snow. Bellatrix, nimble as ever, ducked and pirouetted around the violet fire, while the flames seared across Malfoy's left side. His flesh melted like wax, and Malfoy's agonized scream filled the air as he dropped his wand and clutched his disfigured face. The acrid stench of burnt flesh assaulted Harry's senses, and Sirius's spell sent Malfoy crashing back into the ruined wall.

Bellatrix, seemingly undeterred, giggled and continued her assault. She deftly dodged Harry's blasting curses and deflected Sirius's second stunner away. 'Such dark magic,' she chortled. 'I know that spell too! Ardens flagella!'

Vivid pink flames erupted from her wand. Harry instinctively flung himself to the side, while Sirius shielded himself from the heat with his arm. The pink fire splashed against the arch like water, causing the veil to shimmer. Soft whispers rose from the veil like curling smoke.

'Bella,' she exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

'Expelliarmus,' Bellatrix cried out.

Harry's wand slipped from his grasp and tumbled away. He reacted quickly, diving to his left and rolling to his feet. With an outstretched hand, he summoned his wand, which obediently returned to his grip.

But it was too late for Sirius. Bellatrix pointed her wand directly at him, casting 'Crucio.' The red beam of torture shot forth, striking Sirius square in the chest.

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