Chapter Twenty-Four: The Department Of Mysteries

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May 1996 - The Ministry Of Magic, London

We searched the castle for wherever they may have gone. We ran into them on the bridge.

"How did you get away?" Hermione asked.

"Fever Fudge," I told them. "It wasn't pretty."

"I told them I was hungry. Wanted some sweets. They ate the lot themselves."

"That was clever, Ron," Hermione said.

"It's been known to happen," Ron said under his breath. He was proud of himself.

"It was brilliant," Neville said. "So, how are we getting to London?"

"Look," Harry said. "It's not that I don't appreciate everything you've done, all of you. But I've gotten you into enough trouble as it is." He tried to walk past us, but Neville said something that stopped him.

"Dumbledore's army was supposed to be about doing something real. Or was that just words to you?" Harry turned around and looked at all of us. Ron stepped forward.

"Maybe you don't have to do this all by yourself, mate," he said. Harry took a breath.

"So how are we going to get to London?" Luna smiled.

"We fly, of course."

With the help of Luna and Harry, we gathered the Thestrals and flew into London. On the way there, I rested one hand in my pocket, but I felt something else in the sack my dad had given me. I pulled out a piece of paper.

Use this fever fudge however you see fit to get out of that office. Lucky for you, you're being held hostage by bafoons, even Longbottom should be able to come up with a solution. I've been very clear about this but I feel the need to emphasize it: do not go with Potter. Finish the last week of school and I will be at home when you arrive.

But at the sight of Big Ben, I let the wind carry the note out of my hand. I lived in London for years, but I had never looked at it through a witch's eyes. We broke into the ministry and rushed to the Department of Mysteries. Chills ran down our spines as we walked into the dark room. If Harry's vision was true, Voldemort was right through these doors. The room was filled with shelves, and the shelves were lined from head to toe with misty orbs. The door suddenly slid away from its place to find a new spot somewhere in the room. Harry walked briskly through the halls, counting to find the shelf number he saw.

"Ninety-two, ninety-three, ninety-four...he should be here." The light on Harry's wand showed that Sirius was nowhere to be seen. We were alone in the department of mysteries.

"Harry," Neville said. He was looking up at one of the misty orbs on the shelf. "I-it's got your name on it." Harry slowly walked to where Neville was standing. He stared at the orb as the others stood back. I stood directly behind him, looking over his shoulder. Then we heard the raspy voice of Professor Trelawney.

"The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches. And the dark lord shall mark him as his equal but he shall have power the dark lord knows not. For neither can live while the other survives."

"Harry," Hermione said. We both turned around and walked over to where everyone was gathered. We saw someone walking towards us. Whoever it was wore a long cloak and a terrifying shiny iron mask. They walked slowly toward us and we heard the echoing of their shoes. With the orb in one hand, and his wand in the other, Harry kept me behind him. The only light was coming out of our wands.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked strongly.

"You know, you really should learn to tell the difference," they said. Their voice was deep and muffled. It was like they were talking through a vent. " between dreams," they took out their wand and waved their mask away to dissolve in the air. It was Lucius Malfoy. "And reality," he said. "You saw only what the dark lord wanted you to see." I almost cried at the sight of it. Draco's father was a death eater after all. And still was. And what did that mean for Draco? He's not evil. He knows better. Lucius spotted me hiding behind Harry. "Oh hello, Miss Snape. This is quite a surprise. But now I know why Draco hasn't spoken a word of you in a very long time. What would your father say?"

Then I realized what exactly I was doing.

Dad would never be trusted by Voldemort if Lucius had seen me with Harry. My existence was a constant strain on my dad's duty. He could never know I was here. Voldemort can never know I was here. Lucius Malfoy could never remember I was here.

"You stay away from her," Harry said.

"Oh, I'm not here for her," Lucius said. "Now hand me the prophecy."

"If you do anything to us, I'll break it," Harry threatened. We suddenly heard a cackling in the distance as a woman walked right up to Lucius.

"He knows how to play," she said. It was one of the Azkaban escapees, and you could tell she was a lunatic just by looking at her. "Itsy...bitsy...baby...Potter."

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Neville said.

"Neville Longbottom, is it? How's mum and dad?"

"Better now that they're about to be avenged," Neville said, raising his wand. I quickly held him back and tried to force his wand down. Bellatrix also raised her wand, and she was staring directly into his soul.

"Now let's, everybody, just calm down," Lucius said. "All we want is that prophecy."

"Why did Voldemort need me to come and get this?" Harry said.

"You dare speak his name?" Bellatrix hissed. "You filthy half-blood!"

"It's alright. He's just a curious lad, aren't you?" We noticed that from every angle, a death eater was walking towards us slowly. "Prophecies can only be retrieved by those about whom they were made. Which is lucky for you, really. Haven't you always wondered what was the reason for the connection between you and the dark lord? Hmm? Why he was unable to kill you when you were just an infant? Don't you want to know the secret of your scar? All the answers are there. In your hand. All you have to do...is give it to me. I can show you everything." Death eaters slowly surrounded us at every turn.

I don't want to be here. I want to be anywhere but here. I don't want to fight like I thought I did. This is not what I thought it would be.

"I've waited fourteen years," Harry said.

"I know," Lucius said.

"I guess I can wait a little longer. Now!"

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