Never Is Our Always

The Department Of Mysteries. 5

(Minnie pov) (a week later)

I walked down the streets of Diagon Alley with a happy hum before hearing a crack in the sky and then I was yanked into an alleyway.

"Whoa!" I was hushed and my eyes widened to see Professor Dumbledore.

"Listen to me carefully," I nod my head, eyes wide in shock, "Harry is in trouble and I need your help."

"O-OK."

"Take my arm," I shakily took his arm.

CRACK!

We landed somewhere, somewhere familiar...

"Where are we, Dumbledore?" I whispered, I looked around the doorway of the Brain Room.

Dumbledore and I stood there, his wand aloft as well as mine, his face white and furious. I felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of my body.

"Be quiet and stay alert," Dumbledore said quietly. "This way." I nod and follow.

Dumbledore and I sped down the steps, I saw someone and stopped, it was Harry and Neville.

"Alice." Harry said breathlessly.

I remained silent for a moment before smiling, "it's good to see you again," I told him and Neville before chasing after Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realised he was there and yelled to the others. One of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line—

Only one pair was still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. I saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: he was laughing at her.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.

The second jet of light however, hit him squarely on the chest.

The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.

Harry was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand beside me, as Dumbledore, too, turned towards the dais.

"Oh no..." I said as I watched Sirius.

It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch.

I saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place.

Harry and I heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing— Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second...

But Sirius did not reappear.

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "SIRIUS!"

He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius must be just behind the curtain, he, Harry, would pull him back out...

But as he reached the ground and sprinted towards the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back.

"Alice." I nod as I ran in front of Harry and cupped his face.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry—"

"Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!" He shouts in my face, I shake my head.