Black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right;
eyes glinted through slits in hoods, 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.

They were trapped and outnumbered two to one. "To me," said Malfoy yet again.

''Where's Sirius?" Harry demanded. Several of the Death Eaters laughed; a harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, ''The Dark Lord always knows!"

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

''I want to know where Sirius is!"

''I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked the woman to his left. She stepped into the light, and Tori heard Neville gasp. It was Bellatrix Lestrange.

She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Tori and the others, the light from their wands dazzling Tori's eyes.

''You've got him," said Harry, ignoring the rising panic in his chest, the dread he had been fighting since they had first entered the ninety-seventh row. "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.

''Don't do anything," Harry muttered. "Not yet—"

The woman who had mimicked him let out a raucous scream of laughter. "You hear him? 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 Malfoy softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."

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

More of the Death Eaters laughed, though the woman laughed loudest of all.

''It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," said Malfoy. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."

''Goon, then," said Harry, raising his own wand to chest height. As he did so, the six wands of Tori, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna rose on either side of him.

But the Death Eaters did not strike.

''Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," said Malfoy coolly. Tori a step in front of Harry, her wand drawn. The Death Eaters only laughed.

"Victoria. Put your wand down." Tori turned immediately, her heart-stopping. She knew that voice. It was her father.

Tori hadn't seen him in what felt like years, but when he stepped into the light Tori couldn't help but hold back a gasp.

Her father looked very different than Tori could remember. A once clean, stern man was now very thin, pale even. His eyes were tired like he hadn't slept in a while. His voice was pained, and he did not raise his wand.

Tori shook herself out of her daze and raised her wand high enough to he pointed right at his face. There was another voice.

"Victoria, you don't know what you're doing," Avalon said slowly, taking a step towards her from out of the shadows. Tori held out her wand defiantly once more. "Stay the hell away from me."

"Now, Victoria. Is that how you speak to family?"

This was a voice that Tori feared she would hear. It man she had the "same eyes" as.

Her Grandfather.

"What a cute little family reunion." Bellatrix Lestrange cackled. "Enough of this! Hand over the prophecy Potter!" yelled Malfoy 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 Bellatrix 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 her. "If you smash it—!"

The Death Eaters wanted this dusty spun-glass sphere? Why?

"You need more persuasion?" Bellatrix asked, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Very well—take the smallest one," She ordered the Death Eaters beside her. "Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."

Almost if on cue, Tori and others close in around Ginny; Harry 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?"

Tori was hoping they were all thinking hard about ways to get out of this because her mind was blank as she stared at her brother, who couldn't meet her eyes.

''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 with 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. "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle—or has he been telling you lot he's pure-blood?"

''STUPEF—"

''NO!"

A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, but Malfoy 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 Malfoy and Bellatrix's shouts.

''... at the solstice will come a 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 Malfoy.

"... 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 upon the floor.

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

"Do not play games with us, Potter," said Malfoy. "I'm not playing games," Harry insisted.

''Dumbledore never told you the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?'' Malfoy sneered.

''I—what?" said Harry. "What about my scar?"

''Can this be?" said Malfoy, sounding maliciously delighted; some of the Death Eaters were laughing again and under cover of their laughter.

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

"—When I say now— "

"—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..."

"Smash the shelves," Hermione whispered. Tori gave a tiny nod.

''Did he?" said Harry. "So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? Why?"

''Why?" Malfoy 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?'' Harry said quietly, gazing at Lucius Malfoy, his fingers tightening over the warm glass sphere in his hand. "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, over 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?"

Tori wanted to cast a spell right then and there but decided to contain her anger.

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

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

''NOW!" yelled Harry.

Six different voices bellowed, ''REDUCTO!" Six curses flew in six 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 screamed, as the shelves swayed precariously and more glass spheres began to fall from above.

Tori raced after the group as chunks of shelf and shards of glass thundered down upon them. A Death Eater lunged forwards through the cloud of dust and Harry elbowed him hard in the masked face; they were all yelling, there were cries of pain, and thunderous crashes as the shelves collapsed upon themselves, weirdly echoing fragments of the Seers unleashed from their spheres—

Tori found the way ahead clear and saw Ron, Ginny, and Luna sprint past her, their arms over their heads; something heavy struck him on the side of the face but she merely ducked her head and sprinted onwards.

They were at the end of row ninety-seven; Tori could hear the others running through the rooms, but she seemed to be separated from them. She dared not to scream out to them.

She heard two doors slam, but she didn't dare run towards a third. She hid herself against a non fallen shelf, closing her eyes and listening.

Footsteps and shouts echoed through the room. Lucius Malfoy roared, "Leave Nott, leave him, I say— his injuries will be nothing to the Dark Lord compared to 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— Silvers, that way— Mulciber, come with me!"

Tori closed her eyes at the sound of footprints coming nearer. She begged they would find her instead of the others. She had a chance of fending them off. If Tori was to die...

They were coming closer and closer. Tori clutched her wand tightly, her mind running through all the spells she could use. "Father... down this way—"

"Stupefy!" Tori swiftly cast her spell down the hall, running shortly towards the door. She could hear her father and brother scream out as they too began to cast their own spells. Tori turned several times, casting a shielding charm around her until she ran through a doorway and cast it shut.

Tori ran through the room, barely glancing at what was inside. She heard the door burst open only to shut herself inside another room. That door burst open too.

"Aguamenti!" Tori cast, letting the water hit the floor in hopes something would trip. She ran into the room after room, being chased by both her brother and father. She finally managed to run lock both of them into a room.

She scurried through a corridor, nearly knocking over Neville.

"There you are! Are you all alright? Ron? Ginny? What's happened?!" Tori spoke quickly. "Ginny's broken her ankle." 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," Ron grinned, 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..."

"What about you Tori?"

"Got chased through a load of room, my bother and father are after me. Is Hermione alright?" She looked to the unconscious girl who was being held by Neville.

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

''Yes," said Luna, sticking her wand behind her ear for safekeeping, then 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 had collapsed sideways and grabbed Luna for support. Harry pulled Ron's arm over his shoulder.

He heaved Ron towards a door; they were within a few feet of it when another door across the hall burst open and three Death Eaters sped in, 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 Neville in with Hermione: they were all over the threshold just in time to slam the door against Bellatrix.

''Colloportus!" shouted Harry, and he 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!"

Tori span 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— Tori— help me!"

The four of them tore around the room, sealing the doors as they went; Harry crashed into a table and rolled over the top of it in his haste to reach the next door:

''Colloportus!" Tori shouted.

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, Tori, and Neville were bewitching the doors along the opposite wall—then, as Tori whipped around she heard Luna cry:

''Collo—aaaaaaaaargh..."

"LUNA!" Tori screamed as she went 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 on to 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. Tori rushed towards the blonde girl, checking her pulse.

''Hey!" Ron yelled, who had staggered to his feet and was now tottering drunkenly towards 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—" Tori screamed at him as she ran towards the group, casting spells left and right of her.

But Ron had already pointed his wand at the tank. "Honest, Harry, they're brains—look—Accio brain!"

The scene seemed momentarily frozen. Tori, Harry, Ginny and 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 towards Ron, spinning as it came, and what looked like ribbons of moving images flew from it, unraveling like rolls of film—

''Haha ha, Harry, look at it—' said Ron, watching it disgorge its gaudy innards, ''Harry, come and touch it; bet it's weird—"

''RON, NO!"

Tori 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. She darted forwards 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 happen—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. Harry, Tori, Neville were now the only two left fighting the five Death Eaters, two of whom sent off streams of silver light like arrows which missed but left craters in the wall behind them. Tori was breathing heavily, her mind racing rapidly.

Tori began casting spells at the brain near Ron. She was screaming, drenched in sweat. She had to free him. Please. Please.

"Tori! Harry!" Neville shouted at her. Tori swore loudly, casting one last spell. The brain stopped its squeeze on Ron but did not withdraw it. Tori prayed it would be good enough and raced after Neville.

They raced down steep stone step after steep stone step, bouncing on every tier until at last, with a crash that knocked all the breath out of his body, he landed flat on his back in the sunken pit where the stone archway stood on its dais. The whole room was ringing with the Death Eater's laughter. Harry was standing against the tattered old arch, surrounded.

The Death Eaters all halted, gazing at him. "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 Neville. "He's still got us!"

Neville was scrambling down the stone benches, Tori right on his trail.

''Neville—Tori— no— go back to Ron—"

''STUBEFY!" Neville shouted again, pointing his wand at each Death Eater in turn. "STUBEFY! STUBE—"

Two of the largest Death Eaters seized Neville and Tori from behind, pinioning their arms to their sides. Neville 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, not making any sense. He fought so hard against his captor's encircling grip that the Death Eater shouted, ''Someone Stun him!"

Tori ferociously kicked around. Unfortunately, even with her wand, she couldn't getaway. The Death Eater was much bigger than Nicolas had been. "DON'T TOUCH HIM! DON'T! DON'T! DON'T—"

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

''DON'T GIVE IT TO THEM!" roared Neville, who seemed beside himself, kicking and writhing as Bellatrix drew nearer to him and his captor, her wand raised.

  ''DON'T DO IT!" Tori bellowed. 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.

"NO! PLEASE! NO! PLEASE STOP IT! DON'T HURT HIM PLEASE!" Tori screamed. She had never screamed so loudly in her life. "PLEASE!"

She looked around panicking, tears falling down her face. She met her brother's eyes, who looked himself to be in pain. "AVALON! DO SOMETHING! PLEASE! PLEASE STOP! DON'T HURT HIM!"

''That was just a taster!" said Bellatrix, raising her wand so that Neville's screams stopped and he lay sobbing at her feet. "You want me to stop?" Bellatrix crooned at Tori, who winches as she came closer.

"Don't hurt him... please!" Tori begged.

Bellatrix now pointed her wand at Tori. "Fine then. I won't hurt him... Crucio!"

Tori had never felt that much pain in her life. She jerked in all kinds of directions, not even sure if it was herself screaming. She felt numb everywhere and her version blurred.

She was still in the Death Eaters grab when Bellatrix stopped. Her breathing was off as she tried to move herself without feeling pain.

"Now, Potter, either give us the prophecy or watch your little friends die the hard way!"

Then, high above them, two more doors burst open and five more people sprinted into the room: Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley.

Malfoy turned, and raised his wand, but Tonks had already sent a Stunning Spell right at him. Tori was immediately dropped next to Neville, who was now slowly crawling away. He turned to see Tori on the ground and grabbed her arm, pulling her after him.

Harry jumped down right after them once they had reached a safe place. "Are you OK?" He yelled as another spell soared inches over their heads.

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

Tori only nodded.

''And Ron?"

''I stopped the brain from tightening its hold, He's alright—" Tori said, forcing herself upwards. She glanced around at Harry and Neville.

The stone floor between them exploded as a spell hit it, leaving a crater right where Neville's hand had been only seconds before; the three 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—"

''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. Harry whirled around to face him and gasped:

''STUPEFY!"

The Death Eater keeled over backward and his mask slipped off: it was Macnair.

''Thanks!" Harry said to Neville, pulling him 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 Tori thought he had dropped the prophecy, but then she saw Moody's magical 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, Tori, 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—"

"Protego!" Tori immediately cast the moment she saw Dolohov raise his wand. The force of the spell had knocked Harry sideways and he 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 had 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 on to it. Now Sirius and Dolohov were dueling, their wands flashing like swords, sparks flying from their wand-tips.

Tori turned just in time to see Avalon rushing nearby, no doubt to help Dolohov. Tori channeled all of the strength she had left and pushed herself towards him. "Stupefy!"

Avalon went funneling backward.

"Tori!" Sirius's voice bellowed to her. "Take Harry and Neville out of here!"

Tori nodded and ran back to the two boys. "Can you stand?" Harry bellowed in Neville's ear, as Neville's legs jerked and twitched uncontrollably. "Put your arm around our neck—" Tori told him.

Neville did so— Harry and Tori heaved—Neville's legs were still lying in every direction, they would not support him, and then, out of nowhere, a man lunged at them: they fell backward, Neville's legs waving wildly like an overturned beetle's, Harry with his left arm held up in the air to try to save the small glass ball from being smashed.

''The prophecy, give me the prophecy, Potter!" snarled Lucus Malfoy's voice.

''No—get—off— me... Neville—catch it!"

Harry flung the prophecy across the floor, Neville span himself around on his back and scooped the ball to his chest. Tori stood before him, casting a shielding charm.

Lupin had jumped between them.

''Tori, Harry, round up the others and GO!"

Harry and Tori seized Neville by the shoulder of his robes and lifted him bodily on to the first tier of stone steps; Neville's legs twitched and jerked and would not support his weight; Tori heaved again with all the strength she possessed and they climbed another step—

A spell hit the stone bench at Harry's heel; it crumbled away and he fell back to the step below

Neville sank to the ground, his legs still jerking and thrashing, and he thrust the prophecy into his pocket. "Come on!" Harry yelled desperately, hauling at Neville's robes. "Just try and push with your legs—"

"Come on Neville, you can do this," Tori said. They gave another stupendous heave and Neville's robes tore all along the left seam—the small spun-glass ball dropped from his pocket 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 the three 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. Tori 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'b sorry!" cried Neville, his face anguished as his legs continued to flounder. "I'b so sorry, Harry, I didn'd bean do—"

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

''Dubbledore!" said Neville, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

''What?" Tori asked.

''DUBBLEDORE!"

Tori 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. Tori felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of her body—they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville, Tori, and Harry, who had no more thoughts of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there and yelled to the others. 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—

There was a green light heading towards them, and Tori pushed Harry down with her until it hit the wall. She saw her father.

Tori covered her mouth to hide her scream. Her father had just tried to kill her! Tori got up swiftly, pointing her wand at him. "Petrificus Totalus!"

Her father immediately froze up, falling onto his back. Only one pair was still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Tori 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.

Harry released Neville, though he was unaware of doing so. Tori quickly caught the boy and placed him down, running after Harry.

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.

Tori 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.

''SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "SIRIUS!"

Tori felt as if the whole world had just stopped. She stood there, staring at where a man she once understood had just stood.

Sirius was gone.

The only thought that followed after that was when Tori tore her eyes away and looked at Harry, who was running to the veil. Tori apparated behind him, stopping him from going any further.

"He's only just gone through!" Harry yelled, trying to pull away, but Tori refused to let go. "No Harry, he's—"

"We can get him out!"

"Harry—"

Lupin ran over now two, helping Tori hold Harry back.

''There's nothing you can do, Harry—"

''Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!"

"It's too late, Harry," Lupin said

''We can still reach him—"'Harry struggled hard and viciously, but Lupin and Tori would not let go.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry... nothing... he's gone."

this chapters so chaotic and idk if i love it, or hate it.

also tori is like everyone's mom