Harry Potter and Percy Jackson half-blood heroes (Book 5)

Chapter 24

Black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, adozen lit wand tips were pointing directly at their hearts. Ginny gavea gasp of horror

"To me, Potter," said the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as heheld out his hand, palm up

"Plan plan plan." Percy's brain repeatedly said.

"To me," said Malfoy yet again.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry said.

Several of the Death Eaters laughed. A harsh female voice from themidst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, "TheDark Lord always knows!"

"Always," echoed 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 to his left.

She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Harry and the others

"You've got him," said Harry "He's here. I know he is."

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed wastwoo," said the woman in a horrible, mock-baby voice. Percy saw Ronstir beside him.

"Don't do anything," Harry muttered. "Not yet —"

The women laughed.

"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 Malfoy softly."He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands thisabout 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 laughedloudest of all.

"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," said Malfoy. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start usingwands."

"Go on, then," said Harry, raising his own wand to chest height. Ashe did so, the six wands of Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Lunarose on either side of him. Percy uncapped his sword also. Something that made the death eater's eyes widened.

"Interesting..." Malfoy said. "After we're done with Jackson, we can take his sword."

But the Death Eaters did not strike.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," said Malfoycoolly

It was Harry's turn to laugh.

"Yeah, right!" he said. "I give you this — prophecy, is it? And you'lljust let us skip off home, will you?"

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the female DeathEater shrieked, "Accio Proph —"

Harry was just ready for her. He shouted "Protego!" before she hadfinished her spell, and though the glass sphere slipped to the tips of hisfingers he managed to cling on to it.

"Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter," she said, hermad eyes staring through the slits in her hood. "Very well, then —"

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius Malfoy roared at the woman. "If yousmash it — !"

The woman stepped forward, away from her fellows, and pulled offher hood. Azkaban had hollowed Bellatrix Lestrange's face, making itgaunt and skull-like, but it was alive with a feverish, fanatical glow.