Order of the Olympians

Order of the Olympians Chapter 26

Echoed footsteps sounded across the room as the group entered, making their way towards the strange archway. Only a few feet away, Nico put out a hand to stop Harry from getting any closer. "Don't. This is a veil." He warned, his tone suddenly serious.

"A veil?" Harry asked, his brow furrowed.

Nico urged the group to back away. "A veil, Potter. A barrier between here and my Father's domain. I have no idea how a group of wizards got their hands on it, but it's extremely deadly."

Ginny cocked her head in interest, "how so?"

"It's a one-way trip to the Judgement Pavilion. You take one step through, you die."

The group's eyes widened considerably, and everyone took a hurried step back. Harry chewed on the inside of his cheek. "So what are the voices?"

If possible, Hermione looked more nervous than before. "Voices? I don't hear anything. I also don't see any veil..."

Nico raised an eyebrow at her. "The voices are the souls that recognize you. It's similar to being able to see the Thestrals. When you watch someone die, it changes you."

"We should get out of here. Right now." Her voice was more urgent, and Percy couldn't help but agree.

He grabbed Harry and Ginny's shoulders and led them back up towards the door. "You heard the lady, everyone out." Nobody hesitated at the command, and soon they were back in the circular room.

Before it could start spinning again, Hermione pointed her wand towards the door they had just come out of. "Flagrate!" A fiery 'X' appeared on the door. Looking very pleased with herself, she turned around and asked, "Well, where to next?"

Harry moved slowly around the room, as if trying to remember the door from his dreams. Neville followed him, "Maybe we just choose one from random?" He asked, and tried one to his right. Unlike the one before, this door didn't budge. "It's locked..."

"This is it then, isn't it?" said Ron excitedly, joining Harry when he attempted to force the door open. "Bound to be!" (OotP)

"Guys," Will said in an exasperated voice, "move out of the way." The two boys turned to look at him as he pointed his wand at the door. "Alohomora!"

Nothing happened. Will smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck. "Maybe it's not supposed to be that easy."

"Right, we're leaving that room." said Hermione decisively.

"But what if that's the one?" Ron asked, staring at it with a mixture of apprehension and longing. (OotP)

Percy's jaw tightened. "I don't know, Harry was able to get through all of the doors in his dream." (OotP)

The others muttered their agreement, and Hermione marked it was another fiery 'X.'

The wall spun around them again and halted abruptly. Once he got his bearings, Harry tried the next door directly in front of him.

"This is it!" (OotP) He whispered excitedly, turning around to motion the others through.

Percy blinked as he took in the beautiful, dancing, diamond-sparkling light. As his eyes became more accustomed to the brilliant glare, he saw clocks gleaming from every surface, large and small, grandfather and carriage, hanging in spaces between the bookcases or standing on desks ranging the length of the room, so that a busy, relentless ticking filled the place like thousands of miniscule, marching footsteps. The source of the dancing, diamond-bright light was a towering crystal bell jar that stood at the far end of the room. (OotP)