In The Shadows² ★ Draco Malfoy

*Department of Mysteries

The trip to London was a long one on the thestrals, and as they flew it got colder as night fell. But eventually they arrived in London and dismounted. Once off, Harry dragged them all to a nearby battered phone box

It was a tight squeeze, but somehow they managed to fit in it and Harry dialled 62442. They were given visitor's badges, before the box began to slowly descend underground until it reached a dimly lit, empty corridor decorated in emerald green brick walls

Harry pushed open the door and they all felt like they could finally breathe after being in such a cramped box

"Where now?" Harry asked Briar

"Follow me," she said and lead them past the centre fountain, into the golden gated lifts

"How do you know this?" Ginny asked her best friend as the lift jolted downwards

"Order stuff," Briar sighed "We've been protecting the department of mysteries this whole time" The lift rattled and hummed until suddenly coming to a stop

"Department of mysteries" the lift speaker said

"This is it," Harry whispered "Let's go" With that he took the lead and they began to follow him down the corridor. He opened a door at the end of it and they found themselves standing in a large, circular room. Everything in there 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 so that it looked as though there was dark water underfoot.

Harry took a step forward, but suddenly there was a loud creaking and the doors surrounding them began to shift and move, until coming to another stop

"What was that about?" whispered Ron 

"I think it was to stop us knowing which door we came in from," said Ginny 

But now they didn't know where to go, so they had to try several of them until Harry finally pushed one open and shouted "This is it!"

So they ran with him through the room, which only contained a bell jar in which there was a bird. At the end of the room was another door so Harry opened it to reveal a room as high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs.

"You said it was row ninety-seven," whispered Hermione. 

"Yeah," breathed Harry "Come on" They all lit up their wands and hurried after Harry, who was scanning each shelf number

"Ninety-seven!" whispered Hermione when they reached it. There was nobody there. 

"He's right down at the end," muttered Harry "You can't see properly from here..." And he led them forward, between the towering rows of glass balls, some of which glowed softly as they passed "He should be near here...Anywhere here...really close..." 

"Harry?" said Hermione 

"Somewhere about...here...He might be...Or maybe..."

"Harry?" she said again

"What?" he asked

"I...I don't think Sirius is here."

Nobody spoke. Briar had a sinking feeling she and Harry had just given themselves over.

"Harry?" Ron called. 

"What?"

"Have you seen this?" said Ron, staring at one of the glass spheres "It's - it's got your name on,"