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BLACK SHAPES WERE EMERGING OUT OF THIN AIR ALL AROUND THEM, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, and a dozen lit wand tips were pointing directly at their hearts. Ginny gave a gasp of horror. "To me, Potter," repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up. Este's insides plummeted sickeningly. They were trapped and outnumbered two to one. "To me," said Lucius yet again.

"Lucius?!" Lucius looked startled to find Este there, "Where's Sirius, Uncle?" Este continued.

Several of the Death Eaters laughed. A harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Este's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"

"Always," echoed Lucius softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

"Don't even think about it!" Este snapped, "I want to know where Sirius is!" she paused, "Lucius. Tell me where he is."

"I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked the woman to his left. She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Harry and the others, the light from their wands dazzling Este's eyes.

"You've got him," said Harry, "He's here. I know he is."

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo," said the woman in a horrible, mock-baby voice.

Este pulled out her wand, preparing herself for a fight. Harry stopped her, "Don't do anything," he muttered. "Not yet —"

The woman who had mimicked him let out a raucous scream of laughter. "You hear him? Do you hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"

"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Lucius softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."

"Bellatrix?!" Ests gasped.

Bellatrix seemed to finally notice her, "If it isn't mine own niece? Lovely little Estele, what are you doing here? I see the apple has not fallen far from the tree! Filthy——"

"Now, now, Bellatrix. She is one of us," Lucius said, "Perhaps caught up with the wrong crowd."

"I know Sirius is here," said Este, panicking, "I know you've got him!"

More of the Death Eaters laughed, though the woman still laughed loudest of all. "It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, niece," said Lucius. "Now, why don't you give me the prophecy? If you want your friends to live that is."

"Go on, then," said Harry, raising his own wand to chest height. As he did so, the six wands of Ron, Este, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna rose on either side of him. The knot in Este's stomach tightened. If Sirius really was not here, Harry had led them to doom. . . . But the Death Eaters did not strike.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," said Lucius coolly.

It was Harry's turn to laugh. "Yeah, right!" he said. "I give you this — prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the female Death Eater shrieked, "Accio Proph —"

Harry was just ready for her. He shouted "Protego!" before she had finished her spell, and though the glass sphere slipped to the tips of his fingers he managed to cling on to it. "

Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter," she said, her mad eyes staring through the slits in her hood. "Very well, then —"

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius Malfoy roared at the woman. "If you smash it — !"

Este's mind was racing. The Death Eaters wanted this dusty spun-glass sphere. She had no interest in it. The woman stepped forward, away from her fellows, and pulled off her hood. Azkaban had hollowed Bellatrix Lestrange's face, making it gaunt and skull-like, but it was alive with a feverish, fanatical glow.

"You need more persuasion?" she said, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Very well — take my niece," she ordered the Death Eaters beside her. "Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it." Harry felt the others close in around Este. He stepped sideways so that he was right in front of her, the prophecy held up to his chest.

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us," he told Bellatrix. "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?" She did not move; she merely stared at him, the tip of her tongue moistening her thin mouth. "So," said Harry, "what kind of prophecy are we talking about anyway?"

Harry's arm was pressed against hers, and Este was shaking. She could feel one of the other's quickened breath on the back of her head. She was hoping they were all thinking hard about ways to get out of this because her mind was blank. "What kind of prophecy?" repeated Bellatrix, the grin fading from her face. "You jest, Harry Potter."

"Nope, not jesting," said Harry, his eyes flicking from Death Eater to Death Eater, looking for a weak link, a space through which they could escape. "How come Voldemort wants it?" Several of the Death Eaters let out low hisses.

"You dare speak his name?" whispered Bellatrix.

"Yeah," said Harry, maintaining his tight grip on the glass ball, expecting another attempt to bewitch it from him. "Yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol —"

"Shut your mouth!" Bellatrix shrieked. "You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare —"

"Did you know he's a half-blood too?" said Harry recklessly. Este grabbed his arm, telling him to drop the subject "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle — or has he been telling you a lot he's pureblood?"

"STUPEF——"

"NO!"

A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, but Lucius had deflected it. His spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs there shattered. Two figures, pearly white as ghosts, fluid as smoke, unfurled themselves from the fragments of broken glass upon the floor and each began to speak. Their voices vied with each other so that only fragments of what they were saying could be heard over Lucius and Bellatrix's shouts. ". . . at the Solstice will come new . . ." said the figure of an old, bearded man.

"DO NOT ATTACK! WE NEED THE PROPHECY!"

"He dared — he dares —" shrieked Bellatrix incoherently. "— He stands there — filthy half-blood —"

"WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!" bawled Lucius. ". . . and none will come after . . ." said the figure of a young woman. The two figures that had burst from the shattered spheres had melted into thin air. Nothing remained of them or their erstwhile homes but fragments of glass on the floor. They had, however, given Este an idea. The problem was going to be conveying it to the others.

"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over," he said, playing for time. He moved his foot slowly sideways, feeling around for someone else's.

"Do not play games with us, Potter," said Lucius.

"I'm not playing games," said Harry, half his mind on the conversation, half on his wandering foot. And then he found someone's toes and pressed down upon them.

A sharp intake of breath behind him told him they were Este. "What?" she whispered.

"Dumbledore never told you that the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?" said Lucius sneeringly.

"I — what?" said Harry, and for a moment he quite forgot his plan. "What about my scar?"

"What?" whispered Este more urgently behind him.

"Can this be?" said Malfoy, sounding maliciously delighted; some of the Death Eaters were laughing again, and under cover of their laughter, Harry hissed to Este, moving his lips as little as possible.

"Smash shelves —"

"Dumbledore never told you?" Lucius repeated. "Well, this explains why you didn't come earlier, Potter, the Dark Lord wondered why —"

"— When I say go —"

"— you didn't come running when he showed you the place where it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording. . . ."

"Did he?" said Harry. Behind him, Este passed his message to the others and he sought to keep talking, to distract the Death Eaters. "So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? Why?"

"Why?" Lucius sounded incredulously delighted. "Because the only people who are permitted to retrieve a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Potter, are those about whom it was made, as the Dark Lord discovered when he attempted to use others to steal it for him."

"And why did he want to steal a prophecy about me?"

"About both of you, Potter, about both of you . . . Haven't you ever wondered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?"

"Someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me?" he said quietly, gazing at Lucius Malfoy, his fingers tightening over the warm glass sphere in his hand. It was hardly larger than a Snitch and still gritty with dust. "And he's made me come and get it for him? Why couldn't he come and get it himself?"

"Get it himself?" shrieked Bellatrix with a cackle of mad laughter. "The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic when they are so sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to the Aurors when at the moment they are wasting their time on my dear cousin?"

"So he's got you doing his dirty work for him, has he?" said, Harry. "Like he tried to get Sturgis to steal it — and Bode?"

"Very good, Potter, very good . . ." said Lucius slowly. "But the Dark Lord knows you are not unintell——"

"NOW!" yelled Harry.

Six different voices behind him bellowed "REDUCTO!" Five curses flew in five different directions and the shelves opposite them exploded as they hit. The towering structure swayed as a hundred glass spheres burst apart, pearly-white figures unfurled into the air and floated there, their voices echoing from who knew what long-dead past amid the torrent of crashing glass and splintered wood now raining down upon the floor——

"RUN!" Harry yelled, and as the shelves swayed precariously and more glass spheres began to pour from above, he seized a handful of Hermione's robes and dragged her forward, one arm over his head as chunks of shelf and shards of glass thundered down upon them. A Death Eater lunged forward through the cloud of dust and Este elbowed him hard in the masked face. They were all yelling, there were cries of pain, thunderous crashes as the shelves collapsed upon themselves, weirdly echoing fragments of the Seers unleashed from their spheres — Este found the way ahead clear and saw Ron, Ginny, and Luna sprint past her, their arms over their heads.

Something heavy struck her on the side of the face but she merely ducked her head and sprinted onward; a hand caught Harry by the shoulder; and Este shouted "Stupefy!" and the hand released him at once. They were at the end of row ninety-seven; Este and Harry turned right and began to sprint in earnest. They could hear footsteps right behind them and Hermione's voice urging Neville on.

The door through which they had come was ajar straight ahead, Este could see the glittering light of the bell jar, he pelted through it, the prophecy still clutched tight and safe in his hand, and waited for the others to hurtle over the threshold before slamming the door behind them — "Colloportus!" gasped Hermione and the door sealed itself with an odd squelching noise.

"Where — where are the others?" gasped Harry. She had thought that Ron, Luna, and Ginny had been ahead of them, that they would be waiting in this room, but there was nobody there.

"They must have gone the wrong way!" whispered Hermione, terror on her face.

"Listen!" whispered Neville. Footsteps and shouts echoed from behind the door they had just sealed.

Este put her ear close to the door to listen and heard Lucius Malfoy roar: "Leave Nott, leave him, I say, the Dark Lord will not care for Nott's injuries as much as losing that prophecy — Jugson, come back here, we need to organize! We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with Potter until we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary — Bellatrix, Rodolphus, you take the left, Crabbe, Rabastan, go right — Jugson, Dolohov, the door straight ahead — Macnair and Avery, through here — Rookwood, over there — Mulciber, come with me!"

"What do we do?" Hermione asked Harry, trembling from head to foot.

"Well, we don't stand here waiting for them to find us, for a start," said Harry. "Let's get away from this door. . . ."

They ran, quietly as they could, past the shimmering bell jar where the tiny egg was hatching and unhitching, toward the exit into the circular hallway at the far end of the room.

They were almost there when Harry heard something large and heavy collide with the door Hermione had charmed shut. "Stand aside!" said a rough voice. "Alohomora!"

As the door flew open, Este, Harry, Hermione, and Neville dived under desks. They could see the bottom of the two Death Eaters' robes drawing nearer, their feet moving rapidly. "They might've run straight through to the hall," said the rough voice. "Check under the desks," said another. Este saw the knees of the Death Eaters bend. Poking her wand out from under the desk she shouted, "STUPEFY !" A jet of red light hit the nearest Death Eater; he fell backward into a grandfather clock and knocked it over.

The second Death Eater, however, had leaped aside to avoid Este's spell and now pointed his own wand at Hermione, who had crawled out from under the desk to get a better aim. "Avada —" Harry launched himself across the floor and grabbed the Death Eater around the knees, causing him to topple and his aim to go awry.

Neville overturned his desk in his anxiety to help; pointing his wand wildly at the struggling pair he cried, "EXPELLIARMUS!" Both Harry's and the Death Eater's wands flew out of their hands and soared back toward the entrance to the Hall of Prophecy; both scrambled to their feet and charged after them, the Death Eater in front and Harry hot on his heels, Neville bringing up the rear, plainly horrorstruck at what he had done.

"Get out of the way, Harry!" yelled Neville, clearly determined to repair the damage. Harry flung himself sideways as Neville took aim again and shouted, "STUPEFY !"

The jet of red light flew right over the Death Eater's shoulder and hit a glass-fronted cabinet on the wall full of variously shaped hourglasses. The cabinet fell to the floor and burst apart, glass flying everywhere, then sprang back up onto the wall, fully mended, then fell down again, and shattered — The Death Eater had snatched up his wand, which lay on the floor beside the glittering bell jar. Harry ducked down behind another desk as the man turned — his mask had slipped so that he could not see, he ripped it off with his free hand and shouted, "STUP——"

"STUPEFY !" screamed Este, as she and Hermione had just caught up with them. The jet of red light hit the Death Eater in the middle of his chest; he froze, his arm still raised, his wand fell to the floor with a clatter and he collapsed backward toward the bell jar. Este expected to hear a clunk, for the man to hit the solid glass and slide off the jar onto the floor, but instead, his head sank through the surface of the bell jar as though it was nothing but a soap bubble and he came to rest, sprawled on his back on the table, with his head lying inside the jar full of glittering wind.

"Accio Wand!" cried Hermione. Harry's wand flew from a dark corner into her hand and she threw it to him.

"Thanks," he said, "right, let's get out of —"

"Look out!" said Neville, horrified, staring at the Death Eater's head in the bell jar. All three of them raised their wands again, but none of them struck. They were all gazing, openmouthed, appalled, at what was happening to the man's head. It was shrinking very fast, growing balder and balder, the black hair and stubble retracting into his skull, his cheeks smooth, his skull round and covered with a peachlike fuzz. . . . A baby's head now sat grotesquely on top of the thick, muscled neck of the Death Eater as he struggled to get up again. But even as they watched, their mouths open, the head began to swell to its previous proportions again, thick black hair was sprouting from the pate and chin. . . .

"It's time," said Hermione in an awestruck voice. "Time . . ."

The Death Eater shook his ugly head again, trying to clear it, but before he could pull himself together again, it began to shrink back to babyhood once more. . . . There was a shout from a room nearby, then a crash and a scream. "RON?" Harry yelled, turning quickly from the monstrous transformation taking place before them. "GINNY? LUNA?"

"Harry!" Hermione screamed. The Death Eater had pulled his head out of the bell jar. His appearance was utterly bizarre, his tiny baby's head bawling loudly while his thick arms flailed dangerously in all directions, narrowly missing Este, who ducked.

Este raised her wand but to her amazement, Hermione seized her arm. "You can't hurt a baby!"

There was no time to argue the point. Este could hear more footsteps growing louder from the Hall of Prophecy they had just left and knew, too late, that he ought not to have shouted and given away their position. "Come on!" he said again, and leaving the ugly baby-headed Death Eater staggering behind them, they took off for the door that stood ajar at the other end of the room, leading back into the black hallway.

They had run halfway toward it when Este saw through the open door two more Death Eaters running across the black room toward them. Veering left he burst instead into a small, dark, cluttered office and slammed the door behind them.

"Collo —" began Hermione, but before she could complete the spell the door had burst open again and the two Death Eaters had come hurtling inside.

With a cry of triumph, both yelled, "IMPEDIMENTA!" Harry, Este Hermione, and Neville were all knocked backward off their feet. Neville was thrown over the desk and disappeared from view, Hermione smashed into a bookcase and was promptly deluged in a cascade of heavy books; the back of Harry's head slammed into the stone wall behind him, tiny lights burst in front of his eyes, and for a moment he was too dizzy and bewildered to react; and Este fell onto the floor, smashing her face onto the cold hard floor, she could feel her nose oozing.

"WE'VE GOT HIM!" yelled the Death Eater nearest Harry, "IN AN OFFICE OFF —"

"Silencio!" cried Hermione, and the man's voice was extinguished. He continued to mouth through the hole in his mask, but no sound came out; he was thrust aside by his fellow.

"Petrificus Totalus!" shouted Harry, as the second Death Eater raised his wand. His arms and legs snapped together and he fell forward, facedown onto the rug at Harry's feet, stiff as a board and unable to move at all.

"Well done, Ha —" But the Death Eater Hermione had just struck dumb made a sudden slashing movement with his wand from which flew a streak of what looked like a purple flame. It passed right across Hermione's chest; she gave a tiny "oh!" as though of surprise and then crumpled onto the floor where she lay motionless.

"HERMIONE!" Harry fell to his knees beside her as Neville crawled rapidly toward her from under the desk, his wand held up in front of him. The Death Eater kicked out hard at Neville's head as he emerged — his foot broke Neville's wand in two and connected with his face — Neville gave a howl of pain and recoiled, clutching his mouth and nose.

Este twisted around, her own wand held high, and saw that the Death Eater had ripped off his mask and was pointing his wand directly at her, she recognized the long, pale, twisted face from the Daily Prophet: Antonin Dolohov, the wizard who had murdered the Prewetts. Dolohov grinned. With his free hand, he pointed from the prophecy still clutched in Harry's hand, to himself, then at her.

Este scowled, "You wanna dance?"

She silently flung a spell at him, he blocked it and silently, they began to duel. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry shaking Hermione. Though he could no longer speak his meaning could not have been clearer: Give me the prophecy, or you get the same as her. . . .

"Like you won't kill us all the moment I hand it over anyway!" said Harry.

Este flung another spell at Dolohov because of his minor distraction.

"Whaddever you do, Harry," said Neville fiercely from under the desk, lowering his hands to show a clearly broken nose and blood pouring down his mouth and chin, "don'd gib it to him!"

Then there was a crash outside the door, and Dolohov looked over his shoulder — the baby-headed Death Eater had appeared in the doorway, his head bawling, his great fists still flailing uncontrollably at everything around him. Harry took a chance, "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

The spell hit Dolohov before he could block it, and he toppled forward across his comrade, both of them rigid as boards and unable to move an inch. "Hermione," Harry said at once, shaking her as the baby-headed Death Eater blundered out of sight again. "Hermione, wake up. . . ."

"Whaddid he do to her?" said Neville, crawling out from under the desk again to kneel at her other side, blood streaming from his rapidly swelling nose.

"I dunno. . . ."

Este groped for Hermione's wrist. "There's a pulse, Harry, I'm sure it is. . . ."

"She's alive?"

"Yeah, I think so. . . . I'm no healer but, lemme test something out."

Este began to silently wave her wand over Hermione, her heart pounding. She had never tested out her healing skills on a human——She had performed several on animals and creatures, but never a human. She held her breath and wished Atlas was here——He was good at these sorts of things. And as she attempted to heal Hermione, she listened hard for more footsteps, but all she could hear were the whimpers and blunderings of the baby Death Eater in the next room.

"Neville, we're not far from the exit," Harry whispered. "We're right next to that circular room. . . . If we can just get you across it and find the right door before any more Death Eaters come, I'll bet you can get Hermione up the corridor and into the lift. . . . Then you could find someone. . . . Raise the alarm . . ."

"And whad are you going do?" said Neville, mopping his bleeding nose with his sleeve and frowning at Harry.

"I've got to find the others," said Harry. "Well, I'b going do find dem wid you," said Neville firmly.

"But Hermione —"

"I'll stay with her," said Este firmly.

"No, you guys should come along," Neville said, "I'll carry her — you two are bedder at fighding dem dan I ab —"

He stood up and seized one of Hermione's arms, glared at Harry, who hesitated, then grabbed the other and helped hoist Hermione's limp form over Neville's shoulders. "Wait," said Harry, snatching up Hermione's wand from the floor and shoving it into Neville's hand, "you'd better take this. . . ."

Neville kicked aside the broken fragments of his own wand as they walked slowly toward the door. "My gran's going do kill be," said Neville thickly, blood spattering from his nose as he spoke, "dat was by dad's old wand. . . ."

Este stuck her head out of the door and looked around cautiously. The baby-headed Death Eater was screaming and banging into things, toppling grandfather clocks and overturning desks, bawling and confused, while the glass cabinet that Este now suspected had contained Time-Turners continued to fall, shatter, and repair itself on the wall behind them. "He's never going to notice us," she whispered. "C'mon . . . keep close behind me. . . ."

They crept out of the office and back toward the door into the black hallway, which now seemed completely deserted. They walked a few steps forward, Neville tottering slightly due to Hermione's weight. The door of the Time Room swung shut behind them, and the walls began to rotate once more. The recent blow on the back of Este's head seemed to have unsteadied her; she narrowed her eyes, swaying slightly until the walls stopped moving again. With a sinking heart, Este saw that her fiery crosses had faded from the doors.

"So which way d'you reck — ?"

But before they could make a decision as to which way to try, a door to their right sprang open and three people fell out of it. "Ron!" croaked Harry, dashing toward them. "Ginny — are you all — ?"

"Harry," said Ron, giggling weakly, lurching forward, seizing the front of Harry's robes, and gazing at him with unfocused eyes. "There you are. . . . Ha ha ha . . . You look funny, Harry. . . . You're all messed up. . . ." Ron's face was very white and something dark was trickling from the corner of his mouth. Next moment his knees had given way, but he still clutched the front of Harry's robes, so that Harry was pulled into a kind of bow.

"Ginny?" Harry said fearfully. "What happened?"

But Ginny shook her head and slid down the wall into a sitting position, panting and holding her ankle. "I think her ankle's broken, I heard something crack," whispered Luna, who was bending over her and who alone seemed to be unhurt. "Four of them chased us into a dark room full of planets, it was a very odd place, some of the time we were just floating in the dark——"

"Harry, we saw Uranus up close!" said Ron, still giggling feebly. "Get it, Harry? We saw Uranus — ha ha ha —"

A bubble of blood grew at the corner of Ron's mouth and burst. "Anyway, one of them grabbed Ginny's foot, I used the Reductor Curse and blew up Pluto in his face, but . . ." Luna gestured hopelessly at Ginny, who was breathing in a very shallow way, her eyes still closed.

"And what about Ron?" said Harry fearfully, as Ron continued to giggle, still hanging off the front of Harry's robes.

"I don't know what they hit him with," said Luna sadly, "but he's gone a bit funny, I could hardly get him along at all. . . ."

"Harry," said Ron, pulling Harry's ear down to his mouth and still giggling weakly, "you know who this girl is, Harry? She's Loony . . . Loony Lovegood . . . ha ha ha . . ."

"We've got to get out of here," said Harry firmly. "Luna, can you help Ginny?"

"Yes," said Luna, sticking her wand behind her ear for safekeeping, putting an arm around Ginny's waist, and pulling her up.

"It's only my ankle, I can do it myself!" said Ginny impatiently, but the next moment she collapsed sideways and grabbed Luna for support. Harry pulled Ron's arm over his shoulder. Este looked around: They had a one-in-twelve chance of getting the exit right the first time — Este and Neville heaved Hermione toward a door; they were within a few feet of it when another door across the hall burst open and three Death Eaters sped into the hall, led by Bellatrix Lestrange.

"There they are!" she shrieked. Stunning Spells shot across the room: Harry smashed his way through the door ahead, flung Ron unceremoniously from him, and ducked back to help Este and Neville in with Hermione. They were all over the threshold just in time to slam the door against Bellatrix. "Colloportus!" shouted Este, and she heard three bodies slam into the door on the other side.

"It doesn't matter!" said a man's voice. "There are other ways in — WE'VE GOT THEM, THEY'RE HERE!"

Este spun around. They were back in the Brain Room and, sure enough, there were doors all around the walls. She could hear footsteps in the hall behind them as more Death Eaters came running to join the first. "Luna — Neville — help me!" The three of them tore around the room, sealing the doors as they went: Este crashed into a table and rolled over the top of it in her haste to reach the next door. "Colloportus!"

There were footsteps running along behind the doors; every now and then another heavy body would launch itself against one, so it creaked and shuddered. Luna and Neville were bewitching the doors along the opposite wall — then, as Este reached the very top of the room, he heard Luna cry, "Collo — aaaaaaaaargh . . ." She turned in time to see her flying through the air.

Five Death Eaters were surging into the room through the door she had not reached in time; Luna hit a desk, slid over its surface, and onto the floor on the other side where she lay sprawled, as still as Hermione. "Get Potter!" shrieked Bellatrix, and she ran at him. He dodged her and sprinted back up the room; he was safe as long as they thought they might hit the prophecy

"Hey!" said Ron, who had staggered to his feet and was now tottering drunkenly toward Harry, giggling. "Hey, Harry, there are brains in here, ha ha ha, isn't that weird, Harry?"

"Ron, get out of the way, get down —" But Ron had already pointed his wand at the tank. "Honest, Harry, they're brains — look — Accio Brain!" The scene seemed momentarily frozen. Harry, Este, Ginny, Neville, and each of the Death Eaters turned in spite of themselves to watch

the top of the tank as a brain burst from the green liquid like a leaping fish. For a moment it seemed suspended in midair, then it soared toward Ron, spinning as it came, and what looked like ribbons of moving images flew from it, unraveling like rolls of film — "Ha ha ha, Harry, look at it —" said Ron, watching it disgorge its gaudy innards. "Harry, come and touch it, bet it's weird —"

"RON, NO!" Harry yelled.

Este did not know what would happen if Ron touched the tentacles of thought now flying behind the brain, but she was sure it would not be anything good. Harry darted forward but Ron had already caught the brain in his outstretched hands. The moment they made contact with his skin, the tentacles began wrapping themselves around Ron's arms like ropes. "Harry, look what's happened — no — no, I don't like it — no, stop — stop —" But the thin ribbons were spinning around Ron's chest now. He tugged and tore at them as the brain was pulled tight against him like an octopus's body.

"Diffindo!" yelled Harry, trying to sever the feelers wrapping themselves tightly around Ron before his eyes, but they would not break. Ron fell over, still thrashing against his bonds.

"Harry, it'll suffocate him!" screamed Ginny, immobilized by her broken ankle on the floor — then a jet of red light flew from one of the Death Eater's wands and hit her squarely in the face. She keeled over sideways and lay there unconscious.

"STUBEFY !" shouted Neville, wheeling around and waving Hermione's wand at the oncoming Death Eaters. "STUBEFY, STUBEFY !" But nothing happened — one of the Death Eaters shot their own Stunning Spell at Neville; it missed him by inches. Este, Harry, and Neville were now the only two left fighting the five Death Eaters, two of whom sent streams of silver light-like arrows past them that left craters in the wall behind them.

Harry ran for it as Bellatrix Lestrange sprinted right at him. Holding the prophecy high above his head he sprinted back up the room; all he could think of doing was to draw the Death Eaters away from the others. It seemed to have worked. They streaked after him, knocking chairs and tables flying but not daring to bewitch him in case they hurt the prophecy, and he dashed through the only door still open, the one through which the Death Eaters themselves had come. Este, extremely worried for Harry left Neville with the rest and began to run after the group of people.

She ran a few feet into the new room and stopped abruptly the whole room was ringing with the Death Eaters' laughter. Este saw the five who had been in the Brain Room descending toward him, while as many more emerged through other doorways and began leaping from bench to bench toward him. Harry got to his feet though his legs were trembling so badly they barely supported him. The prophecy was still miraculously unbroken in his left hand, his wand clutched tightly in his right. He backed away, looking around, trying to keep all the Death Eaters within his sights. Este silently crept behind the Death Eaters.

The back of his legs hit something solid; he had reached the dais where the archway stood. He climbed back onto it. The Death Eaters all halted, gazing at him. Some were panting as hard as he was. One was bleeding badly; Dolohov, freed of the full Body-Bind, was leering, his wand pointing straight at Harry's face. "Potter, your race is run," drawled Lucius Malfoy, pulling off his mask. "Now hand me the prophecy like a good boy. . . ."

"Let — let the others go, and I'll give it to you!" said Harry desperately.

A few of the Death Eaters laughed.

"You are not in a position to bargain, Potter," said Lucius Malfoy, his pale face flushed with pleasure. "You see, there are ten of us and only one of you . . . or hasn't Dumbledore ever taught you how to count?"

"He's not alone!" shouted Este "He's still got me!"

Harry looked up at her with excitement.

She was scrambling down the stone benches toward them, her wand held fast in her trembling hand. "STUPEFY!" Este shouted, pointing her wand at each Death Eater who flew to the back of the room, "STUPEFY! STUPE —" One of the largest Death Eaters seized Este from behind, pinioning her arms to her sides. She struggled and kicked; several of the Death Eaters laughed.

"Only two of you? How very disappointing," Lucius drawled, "I expected better from you, Estele. I raised you──"

"He's dot alone!" shouted a voice from above them. "He's still god be!" Este's heart sank.

Neville was scrambling down the stone benches toward them, Hermione's wand held fast in his trembling hand. "Neville — no — go back to Ron —"

"STUBEFY !" Neville shouted again, pointing his wand at each Death Eater in turn, "STUBEFY! STUBE —" One of the largest Death Eaters seized Neville from behind, pinioning his arms to his sides. He struggled and kicked; several of the Death Eaters laughed.

"It's Longbottom, isn't it?" sneered Lucius Malfoy. "Well, your grandmother is used to losing family members to our cause. . . . Your death will not come as a great shock. . . ."

"Longbottom?" repeated Bellatrix, and a truly evil smile lit her gaunt face. "Why, I have had the pleasure of meeting your parents, boy. . . ."

"I DOE YOU HAB!" roared Neville, and he fought so hard against his captor's encircling grip that the Death Eater shouted, "Someone Stun him!"

"No, no, no," said Bellatrix. She looked transported, alive with excitement as she glanced at Harry, then back at Neville. "No, let's see how long Longbottom lasts before he cracks like his parents. . . . Unless Potter wants to give us the prophecy —"

"DON'D GIB ID DO DEM!" roared Neville, who seemed beside himself, kicking and writhing as Bellatrix drew nearer to him and his captor, her wand raised. "DON'D GIB ID DO DEM, HARRY!"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HIM, BELLATRIX!" Este screeched.

Bellatrix raised her wand. "Crucio!"

Neville screamed, his legs drawn up to his chest so that the Death Eater holding him was momentarily holding him off the ground. The Death Eater dropped him and he fell to the floor, twitching and screaming in agony. Este gasped, tears now streaming down her face, "That was just a taster!" said Bellatrix, raising her wand so that Neville's screams stopped and he lay sobbing at her feet. She turned and gazed up at Harry. "Now, Potter, either give us the prophecy or watch your little friend die the hard way!"

"HARRY GIVE THEM THE PROPHECY!" Este begged, watching Neville helplessly.

As Harry held it out, Lucius jumped forward to take it. Then, high above them, two more doors burst open and five more people sprinted into the room: Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley. Lucius turned and raised his wand, but Tonks had already sent a Stunning Spell right at him. Este did not wait to see whether it had made contact but dived off the dais out of the way. The Death Eaters were completely distracted by the appearance of the members of the Order, who were now raining spells down upon them as they jumped from step to step toward the sunken floor.

Through the darting bodies and the flashes of light, Este could see Neville crawling along. She dodged another jet of red light and flung herself flat on the ground to reach Neville as Harry joined her. "Are you okay?" Harry yelled as another spell soared inches over their heads.

"Yes," said Neville, trying to pull himself up.

"And Ron?"

"I dink he's all right — he was still fighding the brain when I left —"

The stone floor between them exploded as a spell hit it, leaving a crater right where Neville's hand had been seconds before. Both scrambled away from the spot, then a thick arm came out of nowhere, seized Harry around the neck and pulled him upright so that his toes were barely touching the floor.

"Give it to me," growled a voice in his ear, "give me the prophecy —"

The man was pressing so tightly on Harry's windpipe that he could not breathe — his eyes were watering. Este saw Sirius dueling with a Death Eater some ten feet away. Kingsley was fighting two at once; Tonks, still halfway up the tiered seats, was firing spells down at Bellatrix — nobody seemed to realize that Harry was dying and before Este could do something──

"AARGH!" Neville had come lunging out of nowhere: Unable to articulate a spell, he had jabbed Hermione's wand hard into the eyehole of the Death Eater's mask.

The man relinquished Harry at once with a howl of pain and Este joined in, screaming "STUPEFY !" The Death Eater keeled over backward and his mask slipped off. It was Macnair, Buckbeak's would-be killer, one of his eyes now swollen and bloodshot.

"Thanks!" Harry said to Neville and Este, pulling them aside as Sirius and his Death Eater lurched past, dueling so fiercely that their wands were blurs. Then Harry's foot made contact with something round and hard and he slipped — for a moment she thought Harry had dropped the prophecy, then saw Moody's magic eye spinning away across the floor.

Its owner was lying on his side, bleeding from the head, and his attacker was now bearing down upon Harry and Neville: Dolohov, his long pale face twisted with glee. "Tarantallegra!" he shouted, his wand pointing at Neville, whose legs went immediately into a kind of frenzied tap dance, unbalancing him and causing him to fall to the floor again. "Now, Potter —"

He made the same slashing movement with his wand that he had used on Hermione just as Este yelled, "Protego!" she felt something streak across her face like a blunt knife but the force of it knocked her sideways, and she fell over Neville's jerking legs, but the Shield Charm had stopped the worst of the spell.

Dolohov raised his wand again. "Accio Proph——" Sirius hurtled out of nowhere, rammed Dolohov with his shoulder, and sent him flying out of the way. The prophecy had again flown to the tips of Harry's fingers but he had managed to cling to it. Now Sirius and Dolohov were dueling, their wands flashing like swords, sparks flying from their wand tips — Dolohov drew back his wand to make the same slashing movement he had used on Este and Hermione.

Springing up, Harry yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Once again, Dolohov's arms and legs snapped together and he keeled over backward, landing with a crash on his back.

"Nice one!" shouted Sirius, forcing Harry's head down as a pair of Stunning Spells flew toward them. "Now I want you and Este to get out of —"

They both ducked again. A jet of green light had narrowly missed Sirius; across the room, Harry saw Tonks fall from halfway up the stone steps, her limp form toppling from stone seat to stone seat, and Bellatrix, triumphant, running back toward the fray. "Harry, take the prophecy, grab Neville and Estele, and run!" Sirius yelled, dashing to meet Bellatrix.

Este did not see what happened next: Kingsley swayed across his field of vision, battling with the pockmarked Rookwood, now mask-less; another jet of green light flew over Este and Harry's heads as they launched themselves toward Neville — "Can you stand?" Harry bellowed in Neville's ear, as Neville's legs jerked and twitched uncontrollably. "Put each of your arms around our necks—" Neville did so — Este and Harry heaved — Neville's legs were still flying in every direction, they would not support him and then, out of nowhere, a man lunged at them. Both fell backward, Neville's legs waving wildly like an overturned beetle's, Harry with his left arm held up in the air to try and save the small glass ball from being smashed.

"The prophecy, give me the prophecy, Potter!" snarled Lucius Malfoy, "No — get — off — me . . .Es — catch it!" Harry flung the prophecy across the floor, Este spun herself around on her back and scooped the ball to her chest. Lucius pointed the wand instead at Este, but Harry jabbed his own wand back over his shoulder and yelled, "Impedimenta!" Lucius was blasted off his back.

As Harry pull Eate up, she looked around and saw Malfoy smash into the dais on which Sirius and Bellatrix were now dueling. Malfoy aimed his wand at Harry, Este, and Neville again, but before he could draw breath to strike, Lupin had jumped between them. "Harry, round up the others and GO!"

Harry and Este seized Neville by the shoulder of his robes and lifted him bodily onto the first tier of stone steps. Neville's legs twitched and jerked and would not support his weight. Este heaved again with all the strength she possessed and they climbed another step — A spell hit the stone bench at Este's heel. It crumbled away and he fell back to the step below: Neville sank to the ground, his legs still jerking and thrashing.

"Come on!" said Harry desperately, hauling at Neville's robes. "Just try and push with your legs —" He gave another stupendous heave and Este's finger slipped — the small spun-glass ball dropped from her grasp and before either of them could catch it, one of Neville's floundering feet kicked it. It flew some ten feet to their right and smashed on the step beneath them. As both of them stared at the place where it had broken, appalled at what had happened, a pearly-white figure with hugely magnified eyes rose into the air, unnoticed by any but them. Este could see its mouth moving, but in all the crashes and screams and yells surrounding them, not one word of the prophecy could she hear. The figure stopped speaking and dissolved into nothingness.

"Harry, I'm sorry!" cried Este, her face anguished, "I'm so sorry, Harry, I didn't mean do —"

"It doesn't matter!" Harry shouted, starling her "Neville, Just try and stand, let's get out of —"

"Dubbledore!" said Neville, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over their shoulders.

Este looked at him, "What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Este turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Este felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of her body — they were saved. Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville, Este, and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there.

There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line — Only one couple was still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival.

Este saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: He was laughing at her.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room. The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest. The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.

"DAD!"

Este and Harry released Neville, though he was unaware of doing so. She was jumping down the steps again, pulling out her wand, as Dumbledore turned to the dais too. It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch. . . . And Este saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on her father's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place.

"Dad?"

Este heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing — Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second. . . . But Sirius did not reappear. "DAD!" Este yelled, behind her, she could hear Harry calling out for him too, "DAD!"

She had reached the floor, her breath coming in searing gasps. She stopped as she weakly fell to her knees──The world crumbled around her, She could hear Harry fighting against Lupin's grasp. Sirius was gone──dead. Este knew she was helpless and she was completely useless. And to think when he lived she never got to call him dad. . .