mirrorball

chapter seventeen

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Clara was ecstatic that exam season was finished, a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Not only did she have plenty of free time, but she had high hopes for summer. Although her father was angry with her, she hoped high scores would be enough to soothe him. 

These last few days were going to be relaxing and free of boys, school, and trouble. Clara needed to stop thinking about Harry, and cast away any feelings she had for him. She approached Luna in the Great Hall before noticing a figure sitting right next to her. Shit. 

Clara turned the other way before hearing her name called. She let the two catch up with her before turning around.

"Yes?"

"I need your help. It's an emergency." Harry said. Confusion overtook Clara's mind and she simply nodded. Her hand was pulled by Luna and she followed Harry through the halls.

Harry was... anxious, to say the least. His hands kept twitching and he looked behind him every second as if to make sure no one was watching them. He led the girls into a first-floor classroom, where Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville sat. 

"Voldemort's got Sirius." 

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, getting up from her sitting position. 

"How do you — ?" 

"Saw it. Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam." 

"But — but where? How?" said Ron, whose face was white. 

"I dunno how," said Harry. "But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety-seven . . . He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from in there. . . . He's torturing him. . . . Says he'll end by killing him . . ." Harry's voice was shaking, as were his knees. He moved over to a desk and sat down on it. 

"How're we going to get there?" he asked them. There was a moment's silence. Then Ron said, "G-get there?" 

"Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue Sirius!" 

"But — Harry . . ." said Ron weakly. 

"What? What?" said Harry. 

"Harry," said Clara, "er . . . how. . . how did Voldemort get into the Ministry of Magic without anybody realizing he was there?" 

"How do I know?" bellowed Harry. "The question is how we're going to get in there!" 

"But . . . Harry, think about this," said Hermione, taking a step toward him, "it's five o'clock in the afternoon. . . . The Ministry of Magic must be full of workers. . . . How would Voldemort and Sirius have got in without being seen? Harry . . . they're probably the two most wanted wizards in the world. . . . You think they could get into a building full of Aurors undetected?" 

"I dunno, Voldemort used an Invisibility Cloak or something!" Harry shouted. "Anyway, the Department of Mysteries has always been completely empty whenever I've been —" 

"You've never been there, Harry," said Hermione quietly. "You've dreamed about the place, that's all." 

"They're not normal dreams!" Harry shouted in her face, standing up and taking a step closer to her in turn. He wanted to shake her. "How d'you explain Ron's dad then, what was all that about, how come I knew what had happened to him?"