Anna's POV
While the others were confused at Luna's words, already analyzing how many brooms they had and where they were, Luna starred behind Harry and Hermione.
"I don't think she's talking about brooms," I said to the others as I noticed thestrals coming over.
Harry and the others turned around and Harry paled slightly. Neville shivered at the sight, he never did like them much.
"They smelled the blood on you," Luna informed.
"What did?" Ginny asked.
"Thestrals." I approached one and passed my hand on its neck. "They're friendly."
"You also like them?" Harry asked, confusion written all over his face.
"Yeah, Luna and I come see them all the time," I smiled. "Hermione, Ginny, Ron, you guys can't see them right?"
"No." Ginny answered bluntly as Ron shook his head.
"Considering I have yet to see anyone die, no, I can't," Hermione answered and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Was it really necessary to say more than no?
"They should all ride with one of us, since we can see them," I suggested to Harry, Neville and Luna.
"I'm riding with Harry!" Ron immediately exclaimed.
"I'll go with Neville," Ginny said and gave him a smile. Clearly, she knew he wasn't totally comfortable with them and didn't like flying. Neville gave a small smile back, obviously not pleased at the idea of riding a thestral.
"Come on, Granger," I said. "You ride with me."
"Do I have to?"
"Luna likes to fly alone."
I held out my hand towards her and she sighed. "Fine."
I took her hands and placed them on the Thestral's back. She flinched at the cold contact and I waited a bit. "You okay to get on?"
She silently nodded and I put my hand above her waist, counting to three before raising her up. She threw her leg over it and I stabilized her. "Move back a bit," I instructed and she did. I jumped on the thestral's back and patted its neck. "Hold on to me, they fly fast." I turned back to her and grinned. "Wouldn't want you to fall off."
She paled and immediately held on tightly to my waist. "Don't you dare let me fall."
"Yeah, yeah, but euh, I still need to breathe Granger."
"Oh, yeah right." She loosened her death grip. "Sorry."
Luna whispered to her thestral and it went flying, the others following shortly. I gripped on tightly, trying not to die from the arms squeezing my middle hard. Finally, we landed and Granger let go of me. I climbed down from the thestral and held my hand out to help her down. She nodded a thanks and I shrugged.
"So, how do we get in from here?" I asked Harry, watching the street. It was empty and seemed rather clean.
"There," he answered and pointed to a phone cabin. It seemed quite small.
"How are we going to fit in there?" Ron asked, voicing my thoughts.
"We just have to."
I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. We cramped up in the cabin, each stepping over the others feet while Harry pressed in a number, hardly reaching it.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your names and the purpose of your visit," the phone said and made me uncomfortable though that could just be being stuck in the small cabin with six other people. Gosh could any of them breathe?
"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Anna Potter," my brother spilled. "We're here to save someone unless the ministry can do it!"
"Thank you. Visitors are requested to wear badges in view."
Badges came out of the phone and we passed them along with us. 'Anna Potter, rescue mission'. I watched it for a while, hearing the voice say something else as I finally decided to pin it on my chest.
"Fine! Can we move now, please!" Harry exclaimed in annoyance.
The floor moved and we got below ground. As we lost view of the street, the sick feeling in my stomach worsened. I needed to get out, please.
"The ministry of Magic wished you a great visit," the voice said and we tumbled out.
I knew what the ministry looked like so I didn't really care, I just wanted to save Sirius. I thought not being in that small, cramped up space would make the feeling go away, put it only lessened slightly. For fuck's sake, now was not the time. I shook my head and tried to push it down.
"Come on," Harry lowly said and we all followed him.
He guided us to another elevator and I internally groaned. They were just the worst. And loud. We soon got on our level and rushed out of the elevator, Harry immediately walking towards a black door.
"Look guys," he said as it came right in front of us, turning to look at us. "Maybe... Maybe two of us should stay here, you know... to keep watch."
Ginny gave him an unimpressed look. "And how would we warn you? You could be kilometers away from here."
"We're coming with you, Harry," Neville said. I knew how he used to be kind of impressed by him, being 'the-boy-who-lived' and all that, but it had been a while since I heard that tone in his voice.
"Let's go," Ron firmly said.
We walked through the door and walked into a black room. We could make out the doors, their silver doorknob standing out in the dark, the only light coming from a chandelier that threw a cold blue light. Someone closed the door at my brother's request and, immediately, the round wall started to spin on itself. We could barely make out the blue flames until, finally, it stopped.
"What the bloody hell was that?"
"I think it's to make us forget which we came through," Ginny answered her brother.
I looked around, all the doors were the same. That sickly feeling returned and I had to stop myself from throwing up right there and then. What the hell had we just walked in?
"How are we going to leave?" Nev asked in a small voice.
"It doesn't matter for now," Harry answered and I resisted the urge to shake him, make him realize that saving Sirius from Voldemort's hand would be useless if we got lost in this hell. "We won't need to get out until we find Sirius."
"Don't scream his name under any circumstances," Granger pressed as if we all didn't feel the need to be as quiet as possible.
"Where do we go now?"
"I- In my dreams I just walked through the door and walked in the first room, the one in front of me. There were, lights shining. Let's try opening the doors, I'll recognize the place."
I resisted the urge to laugh. How unbelievable could he really get. He opened the door and was met with a strange sight. In the middle of the room was a huge glass filled with a green liquid and things floating in it.
"What are those?"
"Don't know."
"You think those are fishes?" Ginny asked.
"Aquavirius larvae! My dad says the ministry raises-"
"No," Hermione cut Luna.
"They're brains," I said.
"Brains?!"
"I wonder what they do with them," she wondered.
"Let's get out of here," I nearly begged, deeply uncomfortable by the sight.
Just before Luna closed the door, Granger stopped her and traced an X on it, which I was glad for as the room spun again. Once it stopped, they opened another door. The room looked like an ampitheater. My eyes fell on the structure in the middle of the room. Slightly elevated, there was a walkway that held a veil. Harry walked closer, calling for Sirius. Hermione begged him to go.
"What did you say?" he asked, looking at the veil.
"No one said anything Harry!" she hysterically said.
"Is that you Ron?"
"I'm right here, mate."
"You don't hear it?"
"I can hear them too," Luna breathlessly said.
"Yeah, me too."
"There are people, in there."
"What do you mean, in there? It's not big enough to fit someone Harry, let's just go."
We finally left and I marked the door with an X, just like Hermione had done earlier. I didn't like this. Harry tried opening another door but couldn't.
"What's wrong?"
"It's locked."
"That means it's not this one," Neville said and I could hear the edge in his voice, the edge I shared.
"Move," Granger said and pointed at the door with her wand. "Alohomora!"
Nothing happened. Harry took out the knife Sirius had gave him. He tried to open it but nothing happened. Aside from the blade melting.
"Let's keep it aside," Hermione said.
"What if it's the right one?" Ron contradicted.
"It's clearly not. Harry didn't have to force the door open in his dream. Let's just try another door, we're wasting time," I said, growing impatient.
There was around round of the room turning and Harry opened another door, quickly exclaiming that it was this one. I looked at it and felt small. Shelves rose up high and it seemed like there was no end to the room. Screw the department of Mysteries man.
"Come on."
Ginny stopped in front of the crystal and watched as a hummingbird came to life and died, the cycle seemingly repeating.
"Now's not the time!" Harry dryly said.
"Oh because you didn't waste your time in the last room!" She bit back.
He walked us to another door and we all gripped our wands tightly. We were all tense, I could feel it. I was tense too, of course. It wasn't so much the idea of what was about to happen but also how Harry acted. I knew he cared for Sirius but he normally didn't act like that.
Other shelves ran along the room, small glass globes shining duly. It was freezing. I fixed my grip on my wand, terrified of what might happen next, what we might find.
"You said row 97 right?" Hermione asked in a whisper.
"Yeah."
We looked at the numbers and slowly started progressing towards our goal, our wands ready in our hands as we glanced back every few minutes. It was so quiet. My heart clenched about the idea of how Sirius could look right now.
We arrived at row 97 and din't find anything. Harry looked around frantically, moving up and down the few rows. Hermione called Harry's name but he didn't answer, muttering things.
"Harry," she called again.
"What?!"
"I- I don't think Sirius is here."
We all kept quiet. I could see Harry wonder why? He had seen him right? I could feel the other shuffling behind but I kept my eyes on him. He was not about to have a panic attack on us.
"Harry?" Ron called.
"What?" Annoyance dripped from his voice, I could see his flushed cheeks.
"Did you see that?"
"What?" He pressed. I turned to see Ron looking at one of the globes. "What?"
"It- it has your name on it," Ron answered.
"My name?"
We moved closer to see what he was talking about and read the label underneath the globe.
S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D Dark lord and (?) Harry Potter
"What is it?" Ron wondered. "What is your name doing here?"
An unsettling feeling curled in my stomach. This wasn't good.
"I'm not on the others. Nor any of us."
"Harry, I don't think you should be touching it," Hermione wearily mentioned when Harry made a move to grab it.
"Why not? It has my name on it."
"I have a bad feeling about this, Harry," I pressed, grabbing one of his hands.
"Don't do this, Harry," Neville said.
"It has my name on it," he stubbornly said and grabbed the globe.
Nothing happened. We all gawked at the globed, waiting to see what would happen. The bad feeling did not leave my guts. He passed his hand on it to push away the dust. My heart was racing, everything in me screaming to run, to leave and get the hell out of here.
"Very well Potter," a voice drawled behind us and the hair on my arms raised. "Now turn around slowly, nicely, and give me that."
Lucius Malfoy.
Fuck.
So sorry it took so long to update! I was on vacation for a bit and well, writer's block does this to you! I'm going to give the rest of the ministry thing soon enough, hopefully within the next two days maximum! Thanks for the support, big love to y'all <3