After All This Time - Book 2

Forty Four

"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand to be registered at the security desk."

"Fine" Harry grumbled and set off across the large room.

"So what are we supposed to be looking for again?" I whispered to Ginny as we ran after Harry.

"The orb containing his prophecy" Neville replied from the other side of her. "About him and uh well you know who."

The atrium of the Ministry was dead, not a soul in sight at this hour. Only the rush of water and the sound of our feet running across the marbled floor filled the large space. As we neared the lifts the security desk came into view, also abandoned. The Ministry was eerily empty... almost too empty. The golden doors of the lift slid apart with a clank as the seven of us piled inside. Harry punched as the 9 button and we were off, the loud clanking of the lift signaling to any soul within a ten mile radius that we were there. As fast as it started it slid to a stop, the doors opening as a cool female voice came over the intercom.

"Department of Mysteries."

Infront of us was a dimly lit corridor, a single black door at the end.

"Let's go" Harry whispered, leading the way. Just feet away from the door he stopped, turning back to us. "Maybe one or two of us should stay here as looking, and-"

"And how would we let you know if someone was coming?" Ginny asked. "Who knows how large it is."

"We're coming with you" Neville said, wand in hand. "Lets get on with it."

Harry weakly nodded, turned back to the door, and just walked forward. The rest of us stood back, watching in awe as it swung open, welcoming him as if it were expecting him. Seconds later we were inside - a room so dark there was no sure way to tell how large it was. Infront of us stood hundreds, possibly thousands of shelves covered in small glass orbs. Around the outside of the room were the faint outlines of other doors presumably leading to different areas of the Ministry. I knew the others were there the second I entered the room, I could feel them. Without realization I pulled out my wand, holding it infront of me.

"What's wrong Annalise?" Luna asked, everyone's attention going towards me.

"Something just feels... off" I replied slowly. "It's probably just the dark." With a silent Lumos a light appeared at the end of my wand, illuminating the small space around me. "What row did you say it was again, Harry?"

"Ninety-seven" Harry said, turning to look at the shelf nearest him. "We're only at fifty-three."

"I think we need to go to the right" Hermione whispered. "Yes, the next one is fifty-four."

"Alright, stay together" Harry instructed, leading the group carefully down the row, "and keep your wands out."

We crept forward, eyes on every space around us trying to look for whatever might be hiding in the darkness at the far ends of the shelves. With every passing shelf my breath caught in my throat as I waited to be met with the familiar mask of a Death Eater.

"Ninety-seven!" whispered Hermione excitedly.

"He's at the end," said Harry, his voice suddenly becoming hoarse as he moved down the row. "He should be near here!"

I silently prayed that Sirius wasn't there, bound or dead on the floor. "Harry" I whispered desperately as I realized how deep we had gone.

"Somewhere.... Around here" he said.

We soon reached the end of the shelf but Sirius was no where in sight. I let out a bit of a sigh of relief that Harry's dream had been nothing more than a dream.