ONCE THE SEVEN OF THEM HAD FLOWN TO LONDON VIA THESTRALS, they had managed to infiltrate the the ministry, and find their way to the department of mysteries. "this is it." harry nodded, as they all began to slowly walk towards the blue door at the end of the dark, tiled corridor.
"lumos." everyone whispered, lighting up their wands to brighten up the room.
paris' jaw twitched at the sight of the endless rows and rows of crystal-balls. at least, she thought they were crystal balls. the rows of shelves seemed to go on for ages and ages, until the point when they weren't visible.
harry walked rapidly and breathlessly, searching the signs on each shelf. "ninety-two, ninety-three, ninety-four, ninety-five,"
his eyes scanned the floor exasperatedly, eyebrows turning down when there was no one on the ground. "he should be here."
paris and the others looked around, searching for any sign of sirius, but remaining unsuccessful.
"harry?" neville called out, pointing at one of the balls. "it's got your name on it."
harry carefully reached out to grab it from the dusty shelf, the ball glowing a faint blue light.
"the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches." it spoke, in a harsh, strained voice. it sounded like professor trelwaney's. paris didn't take divination, but she knew of the teacher from all the talk around the school about her, and how she was off her nut. "and the dark lord shall mark him as his equal, but he shall have power the dark lord knows not... for neither can live while the other survives."
"harry!" paris shook his shoulder, as a dark figure wearing a mask began to approach the group slowly.
"where's sirius?" harry demanded.
"you know, you should really learn to tell the difference between dreams..." the man pulled out his wand from its case, and removed his mask, revealing himself to be lucius malfoy. "and reality."
"i knew it." paris mumbled, but ron nudged her to keep her voice down, as not to provoke him.
"you only saw what the dark lord wanted you to see. now hand me the prophecy."
"if you do anything to us, i'll break it." harry threatened.
"he knows how to play," came another voice out of the shadows, belonging to a woman, with dark, wild curly hair, who paris recognised from the paper— bellatrix lestrange. "itty, bitty baby. potter."
"bellatrix lestrange." neville murmured.
"neville longbottom, is it?" the woman smiled evilly, her cheek bones contracting. "how's mum and dad?"
"better now they're about to be avenged—"
harry pulled him back, making him calm down and lower his wand.
"now let's everybody just calm down... shall we?" lucius spoke smoothly. "all we want is that prophecy."
"why did voldemort need me to come and get this?"
"you dare speak his name?" bellatrix shouted. "filthy half-blood!"
paris' stomach turned, and she looked between the death-eaters, questioning their intentions.
"it's alright. he's just a curious lad, aren't you?" malfoy nodded. "prophecies can only be retrieved by those whom they are made about."
paris, hermione, ron, ginny, luna and neville spun around after noticing them being surrounded by more deatheaters.
"lucky for you, really. aren't you curious about the connection between you and the dark lord?" he advertised. "why he was unable to kill you, when you were just an infant? don't you want to know the secret... of your scar? all the answers are there, potter. in your hand. all you have to do... is give it to me. and i can show you everything."
"i've waited fourteen years..." harry began.
"i know."
"i guess i can wait a little longer." he said. "now!" he alerted, and the others, who already had their wands raised all cast the stunning charm.
"stupefy!"
the death eaters went flying back, and the teenagers all began to run as fast as they could, crossing the corners and diving through the aisles.
"petrificus totalus!" paris pointed her wand at a man who was coming straight for her and hermione.
they all met back in the middle, breathless and hearts beating out of their chests.
"reducto!" ginny yelled, casting the powerful spell towards the death eaters.
the others didn't have time to congratulate her though, because the crystal balls that were stacked up began to fall, quickly creating a domino effect and making the others nest to them drop.
"get back to the door!" harry yelled, and they all began to run like their lives depended on it— which they technically did.
"paris, look!" luna shouted, pointing up at one of the falling rows.
"luna, run!" paris warned her, and neville tugged at the blonde's sleeve.
"it said your name— that one..." luna whispered, pointing at one of the crystal balls that was tumbling into the growing pile.
"you what—?"
"paris juno lovelace? that's your name, right?!"
"it is my name, but—"
they leapt through the door, all tumbling down to the ground and yelping.
"department of mysteries... they got that bit right, didn't they?" ron mumbled, as everyone began to pick themselves up and dust down their clothes.
"one of those weird balls— they- they said my name." paris panted.
"are you sure?" hermione frowned.
"i saw it." luna added.
"it could be about my mum—"
"the voices." harry interrupted her, stepping closer towards the empty stone archway that stood in the middle of the room. "can you make out what they're saying?"
"there aren't any voices, harry." hermione shook her head. "let's just get out of here."
the boy ignored her, wandering closer. "get behind me!" he raised his wand, and everyone followed, backing up behind him.
many clouds of black smoke billowed down, similar looking to tornados.
then it was all a blur, and the next thing paris felt was a pair of arms tugging at her violently, and a wand being pressed against her neck. she looked around to see everyone else the same— struggling in the deatheater's grasp— except from harry, who was still stood wearily in the middle of the circle.
"did you actually think— or were you naïve enough to think, that children stood a chance against us?" lucius malfoy smirked. "i'll make things... simple for you, potter. give me the prophecy... or watch your friends die."
"don't give it to him, harry!" neville resisted.
but harry didn't listen. he wasn't going to let his freinds die on his watch, not even if he had to give in or sacrifice himself. he lifted his hand to pass the crystal ball to mr malfoy, who took it quickly and breathed in sharply.
there was a flash of light behind him, and sirius black emerged from next to the archway. "get away from my godson." he ordered, before delivering a great punch to lucius' cheek.
the prophecy ball smashed as he fell, and more members of the order began to appear: including shacklebolt, tonks, lupin, moody
and mercutio.
"uncle?" paris croaked.
they began to enter a fierce battle, the members of the order combatting the deatheaters and freeing the teenagers, who all except from harry, fled to hide behind the rock, onlooking as sirius and harry battled bellatrix and lucius.
"stay back here, okay!" mercutio told his niece, before he ran out from behind the rock, a defending himself against another one of voldemort's followers, who paris didn't know the name of.
"avada kedavra!" bellatrix bellowed, her wand letting out a green flash of light that hit sirius.
paris gasped at this as the man's body dissolved, floating into the air. "no—"
harry stood still for a moment in shock, his eyes wide and jaw slack. his shoulders heaved up and down and he let out a deafening cry, remus quickly hurrying to pull the boy into his arms.
harry wripped himself from lupin's grasp, running towards bellatrix who had fled the room, and was cackling loudly, "i killed sirius black!"
IT WASN'T UNTIL THEY HAD ALL recovered and got to their feet, where they found harry, who was laid on his back on the floor, shaking, with dumbledore crouched down near him.
"you're a fool, harry potter." lord voldemort hissed, before disappearing into thin air.
before he disappeared, the minister of magic appeared through the fireplaces, catching a glimpse of the dark lord before his depart. his mouth dropped open, and he looked as if the rest of his hair would fall out from the shock.
it was the first time paris saw the evil sorcerer in person. his pale skin and chilling slits where his nose should be. she shuddered at the sight of him, and felt hermione grab onto her hand, as they all watched harry wearily.
she wanted to ask hermione if she was okay, but she didn't dare— keeping her head forward and watching as harry writhed about helplessly on the ground, surrounded by shattered glass and foaming at the mouth.
lara speaks and that's the end of act three !! i'm really excited for act four as i have some interesting stuff planned for paris and hermione, and for paris' background and diving more into the prophecy thing and what happened with her mother !! <3