𝐌𝐀𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 → 𝒸. 𝓌𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓁𝑒𝓎

⤷ 23| OUT OF THE FIRE

"Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue Sirius!" Harry said loudly. June nodded, agreeing with him. If Sirius was in danger, she would save him at all costs.

"But — Harry . . ." Ron said weakly.

"What? What?" Harry said.

"Harry," Hermione said in a rather frightened voice, "er . . . how . . . how did Voldemort get into the Ministry of Magic without anybody realizing he was there?"

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

"But . . . Harry, think about this," Hermione said, taking a step towards 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 . . . do you really think Voldemort 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 empty wheneve I've been —"

"You've never been there, Harry," Hermione said 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. "How d'you explain Ron's dad then, what was all that about, how come I knew what had happened to him?"

"He's got a point," Ron said quietly, looking at Hermione.

"But this is just — just so unlikely!" Hermione said desperately. "Why on earth would Voldemort want to use Sirius to get the weapon, or whatever the thing is?"

"I dunno, there could be loads of reasons!" Harry yelled at her. "Maybe Sirius is just someone Voldemort doesn't care about seeing hurt —"

"You know what, I've just thought of something," Ron said in a hushed voice. "Sirius' brother was a Death Eater, wasn't he? Maybe he told Sirius the secret of how to get the weapon!"

Juniper frowned at the mention of her father. "That could be right since he turned good in the end," she carefully said.

"Look, I'm sorry," Hermione cried, but none of you are making sense, and we've got no proof for any of this, no proof Voldemort and Sirius are even there —"

"Hermione, Harry's seen them!" Ron said, rounding on her.

"OK," she said, looking frightened yet determined, "I've just got to say this —"

"What?"

"You . . . this isn't a criticism, Harry! But you do . . . sort of . . . I mean — don't you think you've got a bit of a — a — saving-people thing?" she said.

Harry glared at her while June merely raised an eyebrow.

"And what's that supposed to mean, a 'saving-people thing'?" Harry questioned her.

"Well . . . you . . ." She looked more apprehensive than ever. "I mean . . . last year, for instance . . . in the lake . . . during the Tournament . . . you shouldn't have . . . I mean, you didn't need to save that little Delacour girl . . . you got a bit . . . carried away . . ."

June noticed Harry was getting angrier by the second.

"I mean, it was really great of you and everything," Hermione continued quickly, looking positively petrified at the look on Harry's face, "everyone thought it was a wonderful thing to do —"

"That's funny," Harry said in a trembling voice, "because I definitely remember Ron saying I'd wasted time acting the hero . . . is that what you think this is? You reckon I want to act the hero again?"