The Dream Trilogy Book Two: Tread On My Dreams (A Harry Potter FanFiction)

Chapter Twenty Nine

Draco shrugged and jabbed the number five button. He couldn't understand why the other two weren't more upset; maybe he was feeling overtly responsible because it had been his plan, or because he'd been living with her for the past few months and she was essentially just a stranger to them, but their apparent lack of panic or worry was making him even more angry. 

The lift opened on the fifth floor, and the three students peered cautiously out. There didn't seem to be anybody moving, but there were a considerable amount of frozen Ministry employees stuck mid way between actions. Some were walking, some mid-conversations, complete with hand gestures. One skinny girl with limp blonde hair and a badge that read 'Temp' had a box of frosted doughnuts in her hands, people eagerly delving in to help themselves.  

"Oh yes," exclaimed Ron, plucking a pink one between the fingers. "I'm starving." He saw that Draco and Hermione were staring incredulously at him. "What?" he asked, shoving a bite in his mouth. "It'll only go stale - you want some?" 

Hermione shook her head, but Draco just curled up his fists and headed down the corridor. Eating was the last thing on his mind. 

"Wait," said Hermione, looking between Ron's half eaten doughnut and a witch across the corridor who had been gesticulating with her wand. 

"What?" said Ron guiltily through a full mouth. But Hermione waved him off. 

"You just gave me an idea," she said. "Although I'm not sure a disaster such as this one gives you licence to steal." 

Ron shrugged as if he couldn't care less now he'd had his doughnut, but Draco was watching Hermione as she moved over to the other witch. "As it is a disaster," she said, walking confidently up to her. "I'm sure some of these people wouldn't mind if we borrowed their wands."  

Draco nodded. "Good thinking," he said as she wrapped her fingers around the wand, but as she pulled nothing happened. 

"It's stuck?" she said, and tried pulling again. Draco frowned as he came to stand by her, but no matter what angle she tried, the wand refused to part from the hand of its owner. 

"Let me try?" said Ron, licking his sticky fingers. Hermione huffed and stepped aside, but Ron had no more luck that she had.  

Draco looked around at the other witches and wizards. "Here," he said, pointing at an elderly gentleman who appeared to be scratching his head with his wand. "Let's try someone else." But the wizard's wand refused to leave his hand just as much as the witch's. Even trying to pull several out of other people's pockets yielded them nothing, and eventually Hermione sighed in defeat.  

"They must be melded to them," she said in disappointment. "As part of the spell." 

Ron patted her on the back. "It was a good idea though," he said kindly. 

Draco was disappointed too, but seeing as they were no worse off than they had been before, he suggested they move on, keep looking for Sarah. 

The hallway had several doors leading off from it, most of which were open so their occupants could be seen. From the signs on the walls it seemed it appeared they were in the International Magical Office of Law. 

As Draco was heading towards the T junction at the end, several of the Ministry people were looking up and towards the junction in surprise. Numerous others were moving from their desks, some leaning out of their doors in concern. 

"What's going on here?" asked Hermione, weaving around several bodies to stand beside Draco.  

He frowned. "I'm not sure. Let's keep going."