Chapter 39: No Faces

The trip to the Ministry of magic had been immediate. 

Lucy had ordered it, she knew the orb was there and Snape believed her. Because of all the nightmares she'd had, it wasn't hard to believe it was true. Shona, however doubted her at first but then decided that she was right. She'd never really been wrong with her visions. 

Snape had taken them down to Hogsmeade along with Jessica and a few members of the Resistance that had been able to come along to this emergency trip. Snape apparated with Lucy and Jessica apparated with Shona. The Resistance, apparated on their own and they all caught up quickly in the entrance hall of the Ministry of magic. 

"Where is the Department of Mysteries?" One of the members of the Resistance asked, he was a tall man and wore a fine suit that even though was smart did not resemble Zuc's or Kingston's in any way. 

"This way," Lucy murmured after getting a glimpse of the vision again. 

The Ministry of magic was practically empty, only the odd few people walking around who didn't seem too suspicious of a group of people walking around. Lucy just hoped they could find the Department of Mysteries easily so they could find the orb and get out of there; she didn't want to be hanging around here long. 

"Are you sure this is the right way, Lucy?" Jessica asked. 

"Certain," Lucy nodded, she heard the Resistance members voices of disapproval. "Trust me, I know." 

They seemed to walk for miles until they finally made it into the depths of the Ministry and as to where the Department of Mysteries were. Lucy couldn't believe she'd found them so easily as they were supposed to be top secret...or maybe it was the getting inside part which was the hard part. 

A big black door stood in front of them, it looked so menacing as if it were saying 'enter and you're making a big mistake.' Lucy doubted this, however, she knew the orb was inside. She was absolutely positive. 

Lucy stepped forward and opened the door quickly, but all that met them was blackness. All of them gulped.

"We’ll go in first, then the Resistance follow," Lucy ordered to the others. The Resistance nodded and took positions by the many halls entrances. "I’ll go first," Lucy said and took lead position, she walked in slowly, Shona (who was feeling confident) following afterwards.

Snape was about to as well but a cold hand wrapped around his wrist. He turned around hesitantly.

"Be careful," a measly voice told him. Snape looked as Jessica blushed.

"I will, don’t worry," Snape said reassuringly to her. He slowly pulled his hand out of her rasp, Jessica not fighting to keep hold of him. Both looked at each other before looking away, Snape watching her take a position by a doorway.

Lucy, Snape and Shona took out their wands and all chanted ‘lumos’ together. As soon as the words left their mouths the door swung violently and closed itself with terrifying force. The place was dimly lit by the wands. All of them ran to the door and pounded it until their fists went red.

"HELP! HELP!"

"LUCY? SEVERUS?" Jessica’s voice was mute through the blanked wall and door. All three could hear panic on the other side.

"How are we going to get out?" Lucy asked, shaking in the blackness.

"Simple, we keep going forwards," Shona replied from somewhere. "My mum was an auror, she worked here once. She told me the only way to get out of Ministry security was to keep going forwards."

"Right, so lets go," Lucy summoned a little courage to announce this. She scanned her wand around but the light barely went a metre ahead of her. Jessica banged on the door again. Snape stood close to it and yelled.

"We’re going forward! It’s the only way out! Can you hear me?"

"Severus?!" Jessica shouted, deaf to his reply.

"Come on dad, the quicker we find the orb and the exit we can get out," Lucy reassured him. She saw the outline of Snape nod and all looked into the blackness ahead, a strange sense of fear overcoming them.

"I mean, how hard can it be? Its only the Ministry, its not as horrifying as Snape’s closet..." Shona said to them.

"McGuire!" Lucy heard Snape smack Shona round the head. They all stood for a bit before Shona spoke again.

"You first, leader," she told Lucy. 

Lucy went first, Snape behind her and Shona following last. The tiles blended into the air, the cement only giving out were the road lay ahead. It seemed to arch above, their wand lights showing them where the walls were.

"Why am I at the back?" Shona whispered and looked around.

Snape smirked. "What, McGuire? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark..."

"No..." Shona replied quickly. "It always happens in the muggle movies. The three adventurers walk in with minimal light, then...BAM! One at the back dead! Killed off one by one!" Shona spoke very quickly and high-pitched. Snape rolled his eyes.

"Don’t worry, McGuire, I’ll be there for you..." Snape said in such a blank tone it was impossible not to laugh at. Lucy smirked at them secretly.

"Great, that’s really reassuring," Shona quivered and her wand light shook, Lucy letting out a snort. The corridor narrowed and Lucy kept her light dead in front. 

Shona screamed loudly and a loud thump echoed around. Lucy jolted out of her skin as Snape bolted round, Shona rising to her feet.

"What’s wrong?" Lucy asked, fearing for her life.

"Yeah, I tripped over..." Shona said quickly but stopped. There was a silk curtain just in sight of her wand light to the left of her. Lucy raised her wand light, which widened the light source. At once they all jumped out of their skins.  All tried not to scream.

The walls were aligned with what looked like dolls. Their skin was a waxy pink and had no texture and were bounded in white drags, like curtains or a table cloth. They were all chained to the wall, all the same position to the next.

But they had no face. They were waxed off, no mouths, no noses, no nothing. The only thing they acquired was their hair. Snape’s mouth was open as he eerily whispered

"No faces."

"The what?" Lucy trembled and turned to look forward, but she could see them all covering the walls behind and In front of them.

"What are no faces? Please tell me they are likeable creatures that bake cakes or something... anything not involving humans," Shona froze.

"They are the lost souls, the no faces. When a dementor sucks out your soul so badly your body is left behind as a shell less item. But...but people have reported these being made on purpose, to guard particular objects."

"So you’re telling me we’ve been walking in front of…these?” Shona pulled a face as she examined it.

"I know, I thought they were fake campfire stories…but I’ve never seen anything like it..." his voice seemed actually surprised. "Don’t scream. Don’t make any loud noises..."

"Or what?" Shona gulped. Snape pulled a face and continued to walk, pushing the girls in front of him. All just focused forward.

That eerie silence revolved around them again, the lifeless bodies just stayed chained to the walls. Lucy dared not look at one of the heads or waving gowns. No one spoke for some time and the corridor faded one and on. But nobody noticed the wax like heads turn slowly with the light as they passed them, before looking back into blackness.

Shona was becoming more petrified at the second. She kept waving her wand light everywhere and looking at the no faces with wide eyes. Snape was about to tell her off until her feet stopped. This brought the others to a halt.

"McGuire, come, they wont harm us if we don’t harm them," Snape barked and tried to push her on.

"I saw one move," Shona said in a frightened tone. Snape shook his head.

"McGuire, they’re sleeping" Snape told her. But the girl dug her heels into the floor

"No, I’m sure of it," Shona’s voice trembled and walked closer. She put her wand light to its face and forced herself to look. Nothing happened.

"McGuire! Do not wake them!" Snape hissed in hushed tone.

"They would have woken up by now surely, Snape! This light..."

"McGuire!"

"But..."

"No but’s! Come on!"

"Guys the door! I can see it!" Lucy smiled as she spotted the door decorated like the other that had locked them in. Snape’s attention was taken away but Shona was still evident on the no face.

A long, bony hand tightened itself around the throat of Shona McGuire. Shona’s face cried for help but the others were no were to be seen. The skeleton fingers were cutting into her neck, cutting off her blood and air supply and awoke from its sleep. Shona made a chocking noise too faint to hear. The no face started to lift its head and sense its finding. Another hand covered Shona’s mouth and stopped the chocking sound she was about to make. The head arched up and Shona heard something whisper into her ear.

"Don’t...move...a...muscle..." Snape told her firmly into one ear. When Shona’s bloodshot eyes looked down she noticed it was Snape’s hand and both were looking in a squealing silence at the no face. It just looked into them, no eyes, but listened carefully for what it had caught.

Lucy brought her breathing back to normal and the thing went back to a somewhat drowsy position. It limply loosened the grip on Shona’s throat and both humans staggered backwards. A no face behindSnape sensed this movement. It went to grab his shoulders and caused Shona to fall over.

The sound was deafening. 

In a shocked moment all of the gifted wand light went out.  Shona scrambled to her feet and Snape forced the grip of the no face off.

Then a set of lights burst the whole scene into reality. It was blinding, like hospital nights after a dark winters day. The details of the no faces were disturbingly revealed. Panic erupted into Lucy, Snape and Shona’s hearts. In a synchronised fashion all of the no faces heads turned towards them. There was an odd alarm like bell and the petrifying sound of the chains releasing the no faces.

Suddenly the same no face from earlier grabbed Shona by the arm. Shona yelled and tried to pull it off her, but it was no use. Then, through they thought could only be their minds, it spoke to them.

"Give me your soul," it hissed in their brains and tightened its grip. Snape raised his wand.

"Expelliarmus!"

But nothing happened.

"What’s going on?" Lucy shrieked as some of the no faces staggered forward like blind folded zombies.

"The magic’s been stopped!" Snape cursed and ran forward and hit the thing. Their brains rammed with the commands with the commands of other no faces wanting their souls.

They started to run. They dodged the oncoming hands of the no faces, all-aiming for their necks.

"Hurry up!" Snape shouted.

"Give me your soul."

"No you hurry up, Snape!" Shona cried back as she pelted past him at alarming speed.

"Wait up guys!" Lucy cried and just missed a no face hand grabbing for her face.

The trio ran faster and faster, the no faces closing in and letting their hands grab for them like thorns on a bush. They half staggered to them and soon the gifted were struggling to break free. They kept pushing and slowing as all the no faces spoke only one sentence.

"Give me your soul."

The door was edging closer as well as the no faces. Lucy barged past some and then realised there were no faces by the door. But she would have to contend with a wall of them first.

"Run into them! They’re like bowling pins!" Shona replied as she accidently read Lucy’s mind. Lucy did as suggested and ran straight into them and landed on the floor. She quickly bolted up and urged her friend and dad to follow.

Lucy’s hands slammed round the doorknob and with sweaty hands unlocked the door. It swung open easily and Lucy pushed herself through. She looked back to see Snape and Shona closely behind.

"Hurry up!"

"Give me your soul."

"Give me your soul."

"Give me your soul."

In a bizarre moment, Snape started to lag. His panting could be heard as the wave around him grew closer on him.

"Snape! Run!" Shona ordered.

Snape didn’t reply, who had gone into a jog. He was trying desperately to keep up, but he was knackered as several no faces grabbed his arms. Shona was in between the wave and the door; all she had to do was keep running. To her shock the door was starting to close as Lucy struggled against it. Shona stopped. The wave wasn’t following her.  Panting harshly, she heard Snape say:

"Go!"

Before he was lost. The group grasped his arms and hauled him back, their bodies keeping him from sight. The door was closing steadily, but only if she ran for it. Her brain was working too hard and needed oxygen her mouth was desperate to draw in. She looked at the wave, then at the door. Shona stared into the door…then ran at full sprint and ran as hard as she could...

 Towards Snape.

Shona ran into them and felt the no faces brush her. They had grown large talons and were trying to rip Snape’s soul out, like hyenas around a feast. She pushed into the middle and put up with the talons digging into her petrified body. She saw the back of Snape and grabbed his arm. Shona felt him loosely obey. Then she shouted at him in his brain.

"Move your legs."

And Snape did. They forced through the door quickly as it closed, the no faces hitting it straight and crushing each other. The moans could be heard from the other side. Snape, Shona and Lucy, lay on the floor panting. Snape lay against the door, he couldn’t move. Shona gave him a half angry half confused looks before telling him in his brain

‘Do not ever do that again, Severus.’

She then resumed her position, Snape not reacting but taking in this headache. Shona had several gashes on her arms and cheekbones, her forehead acquiring a serious looking gash. Snape had gone incredibly pale, his shirt ripped in several places like a reversed zebra. Lucy had nothing but full-blown confidence. It took a while for all three to get their breaths back, so Lucy took time to scan the next task that lay before then.