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chapter forty nine | the ministry

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KAYA SOON FOUND HERSELF squished inside a telephone box amongst six others, waiting for the Silverstone girl to somehow get them into the Ministry, just as Harry had done before with his little group.

"Right - Jae, you're nearest to the receiver - dial six, four, four, two,"

Jaeden did it, his arm bent bizarrely to reach the dial. As it whirred back into place, a cool female voice sounded inside the box.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Diana Silverstone, Jaeden Ezra, Sadie Vixen," Diana spoke swiftly. "Chad Lynx, Hermione Granger, Jacob Martin and..." she paused, as if she'd forgotten Kaya's name. Kaya shifted uncomfortably. "Kaya Bennett. We're here to do the same as the last group that just came in here,"

"Thank you," said the voice. "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

Badges slid out of the metal chute where returned coins normally appeared. Sadie scooped them up and handed them to everyone, awkwardly stretching her arm over other people's heads in order to do so. Kaya glanced down at her badge, once receiving it - Kaya Bennett, Rescue Mission was presented clearly across the front.

"Cool!" Jaeden said chirpily, pinning on his own.

"Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wands for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

"Yeah, yeah, alright," Diana, rolling her eyes. "We're in a bit of a rush, can you hurry up?"

The floor of the telephone box shuddered and the pavement rose up past its glass windows; the scavenging Thestrals were sliding out of sight; blackness closed over their heads and with a dull grinding noise they sank down into the depths of the Ministry of Magic.

A chink of soft golden light hit their feet and, widening, rose up their bodies. Diana bent her knees and held her wand as ready as she could in such cramped conditions as she peered through the glass to see whether anybody was waiting for them in the Atrium.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening," said the woman's voice.

Once the room was starting to reveal itself, Kaya became pleased see they were reunited with the rest of the group. In fact, they seemed to be the only people in this particular room. The light was dim, there were no fires burning under the mantelpieces set into the walls, but as the lift slid smoothly to a halt, Kaya saw that golden symbols were twisting sinuously in the dark blue ceiling.

The door of the telephone box burst open, and everyone rushed out, already fed up of being squashed amongst others. The only sound present in the Atrium was the steady rush of water from the golden fountain that contained many statues, where jets from the wands of a witch and wizard, the point of a centaur's arrow, the tip of a goblin's hat and a house-elf's ears continued to gush into the surrounding pool.

"We weren't too long, were we?" Sadie asked, and Harry shook his head.

"Come on," he said quietly, and the group sprinted off down the hall, Harry in the lead.

Kaya was beginning to realise just how eerie the Ministry was when deserted. They passed the fountain towards the desk where Kaya assumed the watchwizard who was supposed to weigh their wands was supposed to be sitting - however, it was in fact empty.

The lack of security made Kaya feel even more uneasy, and it was just starting to hit her what she'd actually just gotten herself into.

They passed through the golden gates to the lifts, splitting up into two groups to fit in each one, but pressing the same floor and reuniting at the Department of Mysteries.

"Why would this be operational? I'm confused," said Maddie, referring to the elevators.

Kaya was also wondering the same question.

Not to mention, she was sure the clatter and rattle from the lifts would raise every security person within the building, yet nobody seemed to be around. They stepped out into the corridor where nothing was moving out but the nearest torches, flickering in the rush of air from the lift.

Harry turned towards a plain, black door.

"Let's go," he whispered, and he led the way down the corridor, Sadie right behind him, gazing around.

"OK, listen," said Harry, stopping again within six feet of the door. "Maybe... maybe a couple of people should stay here as a - as a lookout, and-"

"And how're we going to let you know something's coming?" asked Ginny, her eyebrows raised. "You could be miles away."

"We're coming with you, Harry," said Neville.

"Let's get on with it," said Ron firmly.

Harry, defeated, turned to face the door and walked forwards. It swung open and he marched over the threshold, Kaya and others at his heels.

They were standing in a large, circular room. Everything in here was black including the floor and ceiling; identical, unmarked, handleless doors were set at intervals all around the walls, interspersed with branches of candles whose flames burned blue. Their shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor - giving the illusion there was dark water underfoot.

"Someone shut the door," Harry muttered. Neville obeyed, and the room suddenly became a lot darker without the light from the torchlit corridor behind them - for a moment, the only thing they could see were the bunches of shivering blue flames on the walls and their ghostly reflections in the floor.

Kaya did not know how Harry knew where he was going, but she did not question the boy.

And then a rumble sounded and the candles began to move sideways - the circular wall was rotating.

Kaya almost held her arms out as if to keep her balance in case the floor began to move, but it didn't.

For a few seconds, the blue flames around them were blurred to resemble neon lines as the wall sped around; then, quite as suddenly as it had started, the rumbling stopped and everything became stationary once again.

"What was that about?" Ron whispered.

"I think it was to stop us knowing which door we came in through," said Sadie.

Kaya took her word for it - personally, she could no longer identify the exit door or the door through which they needed to proceed could be any one of the dozen surrounding them. Balls.

"We're fucked already." Maddie said bluntly.

"How're we going to get back out?" Neville asked uncomfortably.

"Well, that doesn't matter now," said Harry forcefully. "We won't need to get out till we've found Sirius-"

"Don't go calling for him, though!" Hermione said urgently, however that did not seem to be a technique Harry was about to use, anyway.

"Where do we go, then, Harry?" Ron asked.

"I don't-" Harry began. He swallowed. "In the dreams I went through the door at the end of the corridor from the lifts into a dark room - that's this one - and then I went through another door into a room that kind of... glitters. We should try a few doors," he said hastily, "I'll know the right way when I see it. C'mon."

Kaya didn't question the boy and instead did exactly as she was told.

Everyone headed straight at the door now facing them, and Harry set his left hand against its shining surface. He raised his wand ready to strike the moment it opened, and pushed.

It swung open easily.

After the darkness of the first room, the lamps hanging low on golden chains from this ceiling gave the impression that this long rectangular room was much brighter. The place was quite empty except for a few desks and, in the very middle of the room, an enormous glass tank of deep green liquid, big enough for all of them to swim in; a number of pearly-white objects were drifting around lazily in it.

"What're those things?" whispered Ron.

"Dunno," said Harry.

"Are they fish?" breathed Ginny.

"Aquavirius Maggots!" said Luna excitedly. "Dad said the Ministry were breeding-"

"No," said Diana. She sounded odd. She moved forward to look through the side of the tank. "They're brains."

"Brains?" Sadie repeated with a look of disgust.

"I could do with some of those," said Maddie. "I'm thick as shit,"

Jake stifled a laugh, before saying, "Shut up, Maddie,"

"I wonder what they're doing with them?" Hermione said.

Kaya edged further towards the tank. Glimmering eerily, the brains drifted in and out of sight in the depths of the green liquid.

"This is gross," she said, turning away.

"Let's get out of here," said Harry. "This isn't right, we need to try another door."

"There are doors here, too," said Ron, pointing around the walls.

Kaya's heart sank.

Maddie expressed what everyone else was thinking ("How fucking complicated is this place?").

"In my dream I went through that dark room into the second one," Harry said. "I think we should go back and try from there."

They hurried back into the dark, circular room - the ghostly shapes of the brains were now swimming before their eyes instead of the blue candle flames.

"Wait!" said Hermione sharply, as Luna made to close the door of the brain room behind them. "Flagrate!"

She drew with her wand in midair and a fiery 'X' appeared on the door. No sooner had the door clicked shut behind them than there was a great rumbling, and once again the wall began to revolve very fast, but now there was a great red-gold blur in amongst the faint blue and, when all became still again, the fiery cross still burned, showing the door they had already tried.

"Good thinking," said Harry. "OK, let's try this one-"

Again, he strode directly at the door facing him and pushed it open, his wand still raised, Kaya and the others at his heels.

This room was larger than the last, dimly lit and rectangular, and the centre of it was sunken, forming a great stone pit some twenty feet deep. They were standing on the topmost tier of what seemed to be stone benches running all around the room and descending in steep steps like an amphitheatre. There was a raised stone dais in the centre of the pit, on which stood a stone archway that looked so ancient, cracked and crumbling that Kaya was amazed the thing was still standing. Unsupported by any surrounding wall, the archway was hung with a tattered black curtain or veil which, despite the complete stillness of the cold surrounding air, was fluttering very slightly as though it had just been touched.

"Who's there?" said Harry, jumping down on to the bench below. There was no answering voice, but the veil continued to flutter and sway.

"Careful!" whispered Sadie.

Harry scrambled down the benches one by one until he reached the stone bottom of the sunken pit. His footsteps echoed loudly as he walked slowly towards the dais. Kaya lingered, unsure of where to move to. She had a horrible feeling at the pit of her stomach, like when you're watching a horror film and you know any second now a jumpscare is about to happen, but you still have to wait. Still the veil swayed gently, as though somebody had just passed through it.

"Sirius?" Harry spoke again, but more quietly now that he was nearer.

Gripping his wand very tightly, he edged around the dais, as though looking for something or someone behind it.

"Let's go," called Hermione from halfway up the stone steps. "This isn't right, Harry, come on, let's go."

She sounded scared, much more scared than she had in the room where the brains swam.

"Harry, Hermione's right, let's go," said Jake, more forcefully.

"OK," he said, but did not move.

Kaya and Jaeden exchanged glances, both silently agreeing to stay away from the mysterious archway.

"Erm... Harry?" Jaeden said slowly.

"What are you saying?" he said, very loudly, as though he were talking to the veil.

"Nobody's talking, Harry!" said Hermione, now moving over to him.

"Someone's whispering behind there," he said, moving out of her reach and continuing to frown at the veil. "Is that you, Ron?"

"I'm here, mate," said Ron, from around the side of the archway.

"Can't anyone else hear it?" Harry demanded, before putting his foot on the dais.

"I can hear them too," breathed Luna, joining them around the side of the archway and gazing at the swaying veil. "There are people in there!"

"I dunno, that sounds a bit dodgy," said Maddie.

"What do you mean, in there?" demanded Hermione, jumping down from the bottom step and sounding much angrier than the occasion warranted, "there isn't any in there, it's just an archway, there's no room for anybody to be there. Harry, stop it, come away-"

She grabbed his arm and pulled, but he resisted.

"This is dangerous, Potter," Diana spoke up, much more firmly than Hermione. "Get away, we need to move, come on,"

Harry ignored the white-haired girl.

"Harry, we are supposed to be here for Sirius!" Hermione said in a high-pitched, strained voice.

"Sirius," Harry repeated, still gazing, mesmerised, at the continuously swaying veil. "Yeah..."

"For fucks sake-" Jaeden began, about to head over to the boy, but before he could finish speaking, Harry took several paces back from the dais and wrenched his eyes from the veil.

"Let's go," he said.

"Finally," Kaya muttered.

"That's what I've been trying to - well, come on, then!" said Hermione, and she led the way back around the dais. On the other side, Ginny, Jess, Chad and Neville were staring, apparently entranced, at the veil too. Without speaking, Hermione took hold of Ginny's arm. Jake grabbed Jess and Sadie grabbed Chad, just as Ron seized Neville's arm. They marched them firmly back to the lowest stone bench and clambered all the way back up to the door.

"What d'you reckon that arch was?" Harry asked Hermione as they regained the dark circular room.

"I don't know, but Diana was right - whatever it was, it was dangerous," she said firmly, again inscribing a fiery cross on the door.

Once more, the wall span and became still again. Harry approached another door at random and pushed. It did not move.

"What's wrong?" said Hermione.

"It's... locked..." said Harry, throwing his weight at the door. It didn't budge.

"This is it, then, isn't it?" said Ron excitedly, joining Harry in the attempt to force the door open. "Bound to be!"

"Get out of the way!" said Hermione sharply. She pointed her wand at the place where a lock would have been on an ordinary door and said, "Alohomora!"

Nothing happened.

"Sirius's knife!" said Harry.

"Eh?" Maddie frowned.

Harry pulled out a knife from inside his robes and slid it into the crack between the door and the wall. The others all watched eagerly as he ran it from top to bottom, withdrew it and then flung his shoulder again at the door. It remained as firmly shut as ever. What was more, when Harry looked down at the knife, he saw the blade had melted.

"Right, we're leaving that room," said Hermione decisively.

"But what if that's the one?" said Ron, staring at it with a mixture of apprehension and longing.

"It can't be, Harry could get through all the doors in his dream," said Hermione, marking the door with another fiery cross as Harry replaced the now-useless handle of what was apparently Sirius's knife in his pocket.

Kaya really wanted to know what all of this dreaming business was. She knew he'd had some sort of sightseeing shit with Mr Weasley, but that was it, apart from in St. Mungos when they were on about him seeing into You-Know-Who's mind-

-Oh shit. Yeah, never mind. Kaya understood, now.

"You know what could be in there?" said Luna eagerly, as the wall started to spin yet again.

"I bet there's a nice party going on in there, with cake and presents. I'm sure it'll be lovely," said Maddie, with the most sarcastic tone known to man.

Neville gave a nervous little laugh.

The wall slid to a halt and Harry pushed the next door open.

"This is it!"

"Thank fuck," said Kaya. "I was starting to get a bit impatient, I was almost about to suggest splitting up-"

And suddenly her eyes became blinded by a bright, diamond-sparkling light. She rubbed them a few times before opening them again to see clocks gleaming from every surface, large and small, grandfather and carriage, hanging in spaces between the bookcases or standing on desks ranging the length of the room. Because of this, a busy, relentless ticking filled the place like thousands of minuscule, marching footsteps. The source of the huge glare of light was a towering crystal bell jar that stood at the far end of the room.

"This is some Alice in Wonderland type of shit," said Sadie, receiving confused glances from those of the group that had been brought up in wizarding families. Kaya flashed her a smile and a nod, understanding her reference completely.

"This way!" said Harry.

He led the way down the narrow space between the lines of desks, heading for the source of the light. The crystal bell jar, quite as tall as he was that stood on a desk and appeared to be full of a billowing, glittering wind.

"Oh, look!" said Jake, as they drew nearer, pointing at the very heart of the bell jar.

Drifting along in the sparkling current inside was a tiny, jewel-bright egg. As it rose in the jar, it cracked open and a hummingbird emerged, which was carried to the very top of the jar, but as it fell on the draught its feathers became bedraggled and damp again, and by the time it had been borne back to the bottom of the jar it had been enclosed once more in its egg.

"Keep going!" said Harry sharply, because Ginny, Jess and Maddie showed signs of wanting to stop and watch the egg's progress back into a bird.

"You dawdled enough by that old arch!" Ginny said crossly, but followed him past the bell jar to the only door behind it.

"This is it," Harry said again. "It's through here-"

Kaya held up her wand, a strong anxious feeling suddenly swelling from the pit of her stomach. He looked back at the door and pushed. It swung open.

And it was at this point, Kaya's brain had really processed the situation she was in - and her heart began to pump faster as she exchanged nervous glances with Jaeden - before following Harry and Diana straight through the door.

"I am fucking shitting myself," she muttered to her best friend, who gave her a look that suggested he was, too.