𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐏 𝟑𝟎

"Come with me," Harry said quickly. "Come on, I've got to tell you something. . . ."

He led them along the first floor corridor, peering through doorways, and at last found an empty classroom into which he dived, closing the door behind Emily, Ron and Hermione the moment they were inside and leaning against it, facing them. He was dreading saying this in front of Emily.

"Voldemort's got Sirius and Eric."
"What?"

"How d'you-"

"Saw it. Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam."

"Harry that's not funny." Emily shook her head.

"Emily i'm not joking! He's got them both. Please believe me!" Harry pleaded.

"No, Harry no!" Emily shouted but Harry knew she believed him seeing tears leave her eyes.

And he clicked, she just didn't want it to be true but she knew it was.

"But-but where? How?" said Hermione, whose face was white.

"I dunno how," said Harry. "But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety seven . . . He's trying to use Sirius and Eric to get whatever it is he wants from in there. . . . He's torturing them . . . . Says he'll end by killing them . . ."

Emily's hands shot up and covered her mouth.

"How're we going to get there?" she asked them.

There was a moment's silence. Then Ron said, "G-get there?"

"Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue Sirius and Eric!" Harry said loudly.

"But-Harry . . ." said Ron weakly.

"What? What?" said Harry.

He could not understand why they were both gaping at him as
though he was asking them something unreasonable.

"Harry," said Hermione 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?" bellowed Harry. "The question is how we're going to get in there!"

"But . . . Harry, think about this," said Hermione, taking a step
toward him, "it's five o'clock in the afternoon. . . . The Ministry of Magic must be full of workers. . . . How would Voldemort, Eric and Sirius have got in without being seen? Harry . . . they're probably the three most wanted wizards in the world. . . . You think they 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 completely empty whenever I've been."

"You've never been there, Harry," said Hermione 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. He wanted to shake her. "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," said Ron quietly, looking at Hermione.

"But this is just- just so unlikely!" said Hermione desperately. "Harry, how on earth could Voldemort have got hold of Eric and Sirius when he's been in Grimmauld Place all the time?"

"Sirius and Eric might've cracked and just wanted some fresh air," said Ron, sounding worried. "They've been desperate to get out of that house for ages-"