Yellow Badger [3]// Harry Potter // Draco Malfoy

Department of Glowing Orbs

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Department of Glowing Orbs

My face was pressed against the glass as we piled into a very small red phone box.
"Type in 62442," Harry said, his voice strained as he forced the door closed.
I heard the keys of the phone click followed by a ding and the phone box started to descend into the Ministry of Magic.
Exiting the phone box at the eighth-floor atrium, it was empty, there was no one at the coffee stands or mail soaring above our heads. Emerald green tiles decorated the walls and floor, with gold fireplace grates adorning the tops of the Floo Network access points.
Not knowing the way, we followed Harry past the stagnant fountain and into the circular room full of empty lifts.
"Anyone know what floor?" Ron asked as we closed the shutter behind us.
"Nine." Luna spoke airily," The higher the number, the deeper we go down."
I pressed the ninth button on the panel, there was a pause before we were jerked backwards and then descended one floor down. As the lift went down, there was darkness with a frequent emergency lamp glow. The birdcage lift stopped moving downwards as we saw the entrance to the ninth floor. Jolting forwards, the frames interlocked themselves, the shutters only opening when it was safe to walk over the joints between them.
"This is it," Harry said as we edged forward.

The corridor was tiled black with white grout in between, above our heads dragon gargoyle watched as we walked cautiously forward not knowing what to expect. At the end of the corridor, a large door with a brass doorknob was the only thing there. In places where the corridor is turned off, it leads to dead ends or large ornate statues. With little options but to go forward, Hermione held the door open as we entered the room. Pulling out my wand and casting Lumos, my eyes darted around watching and waiting as the room went on endlessly without an end in sight - just darkness. I stayed close to Neville as our footsteps echoed on the metal floor. Around us, low rubbing sounds came from the shadowed spaces, I gave Hadleigh and nervous look.
"Can we get out of here?" Hadleigh whispered
Harry shook his head," Not without Sirius."
"He's not here Harry," I whispered," We should be hearing his screams, but where are they?"
He gave me a pointed look," We need to check."
It was dimply lit with a blue hue coming from each of the hundreds upon hundreds of glass balls. Each one had a little label with a loopy name in black warn ink. I stopped to touch one of the labels to read the name, and my head twinged as the globe screamed at me, pulling my hand away, and the screaming stopped. I stepped away from the shelves and looked back into the darkness we had come from as if someone was staring right back.
"Celyn come on," Ginny called from a head.
I looked back once more before running after the group.

Harry had run ahead, stopping between shelves ninety-four and ninety-five.
He stood there for a moment, turning to look down the shelves with a look of desperation.
He looked at us," He should be here."
Hadleigh and I shared a look between us as we both became more alert of our surroundings.
"Harry," Neville said to get his attention as he pointed at a Globe, as Harry walked back to us," It's got your name on it."

I creased my eyebrows, turning to my brother who was looking at a small orb that sat on the corner of the shelf. My eyes widened as my head whipped around to where Harry was walking back to the group and the Prophecy orb high up on the shelf.

Voldemort bared his yellowed cracked teeth to the table of masked death eaters, "If the prophecy is about Harry Potter and myself maybe only, we can take it."
"But my Lord, if you go into the open -" The death eater to his left spoke up.
"I did not say me!" He Voldemort yelled, burning the hand of the man who spoke.
Another masked figure leaned forward," You mean to trick the boy into getting it for you."
"We just have to pursue him to do so." The Snake spoke his pronunciation of his s's lingered in my mind.

How could I be so stupid? The hints were there all along, I just didn't see it.
"We have to go. Now." I said harshly as Harry approached the orb," Sirius is a big boy, he can get himself out of whatever shit he is in. But we need to go now. They are coming."
Harry looked reluctant as he reached out for the globe, he looked back at us and I gestured for us to leave, but he didn't notice. From its dragon-carved stand, he picked it up and it glowed brighter and the mist inside swirled faster.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, "Professor Trelawny's voice echoed from the glass," 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."

My head snapped in the direction of a slow-paced walk, my body trembled as a dark figure emerged from the darkness with an ornamented metal mask over his face.
No.
Panic rose in my body as my mind began to shut down, no, not again.
"Harry," Hermione called as she stood next to me.

As he got closer, the mask became more distinctive with silver markings around the eyes and forehead. I had seen him before, standing on the right side of Voldemort.
Harry stood his ground as the death eater approached," Where's Sirius?"