The Snake| Draco Malfoy

~Year 5~ Department of Mysteries

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger,"Harry said very quickly, 'Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Raelyn Gibson ... we're here to save someone, unless your Ministry can do it first!"

"Thank you," said the cool female voice. "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

Half a dozen badges slid out of the metal chute where returned coins normally appeared. Hermione scooped them up and handed them mutely to Harry over Ginny's head; I glanced at the topmost one, Raelyn Gibson, Rescue Mission.

"Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wands for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

"Fine!" Harry said loudly, "Now can we move?"

The floor of the telephone box shuddered and the pavement rose up past its glass windows; the scavenging Thestrals were sliding out of sight; blackness closed over their heads and with a dull grinding noise they sank down into the depths of the Ministry of Magic. A chink of soft golden light hit their feet and, widening, rose up their bodies.

The light was dimmer than it had been by day; there were no fires burning under the mantelpieces set into the walls, but as the lift slid smoothly to a halt I saw that golden symbols continued to twist sinuously in the dark blue ceiling.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening," said the woman's voice.

The only sound in the Atrium was the steady rush of water from the golden fountain, where jets from the wands of the witch and wizard, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat and the house-elf's ears continued to gush into the surrounding pool.

"Come on," said Harry quietly and the six of them sprinted off down the hall, Harry in the lead, past the fountain. The fact that there seemed to be no security wasn't settling Harry's worry.

We passesd through the golden gates to the lifts. Harry pressed the nearest 'down' button and a lift clattered into sight almost immediately, the golden grilles slid apart with a great, echoing clanking and they headed inside. When the lilt halted, the cool female voice said.

"Department of Mysteries," and the grilles slid open. We stepped out into the corridor where nothing was moving out but the nearest torches, flickering in the rush of air from the lift.

"Let's go," Harry whispered, and he led the way down the corridor, Luna right behind him, gazing around with her mouth slightly open.

"OK, listen," said Harry, stopping again within six feet of the door. "Maybe ... maybe a couple of people should stay here as a—as a lookout, and—"

"And how're we going to let you know something's coming?" asked Ginny, her eyebrows raised. "You could be miles away."

"Get it through your stubborn mind that we're coming with you, Harry," I said.

"Let's get on with it," said Ron firmly.

Harry still did not look like he wanted to take us all with him, but it seemed he had no choice. He turned to face the door and walked forwards.

We were standing in a large, circular room. Everything in here was black including the floor and ceiling; identical, unmarked, handle less black doors were set at intervals all around the black walls, interspersed with branches of candles whose flames burned blue; their cool, shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor made it look as though there was dark water underfoot.