Percival groaned as he came around in the small dark place. Moving his arm elicited a crinkle of paper. A wandless Lumos bought him clarity on the situation as he realised was inside a cupboard. Casting his mind back he remembered walking with Harry down to the kitchens with an order so long that they had needed to write a list. Harry had insisted he needed the exercise rather than calling for Dobby. Then as they reached the bottom of the stairs, a voice had called out stunning him in the back. A female voice. There was ball of dread sitting like concrete in his stomach, and he tried not to think about the similarities between this situation and the last time he had been locked in an enclosed space.

"Harry."

"Alohomora," there was a satisfying click and the door swung open. Percival rolled out of the cupboard onto the floor with a groan.

"Percival!" hissed a voice.

"Harry?"

"No, it's Ron! When you didn't come back, I came looking for you."

"Where's Harry?"

"I don't know. Thought I might use the map."

"What map?"

"You know, Harry's map of Hogwarts. It shows where everyone is in the castle."

"Handy. Where is it?"

"Harry looked at it before you left so it might be on his bed. Here let me help you up."

Percival's foot hit something and slid out from underneath him.

"Hold on a sec," Ron muttered drawing his wand, "Lumos." Ron bent over and snagged something off the floor. "Huh, Hermione must have had it."

The pair scanned the page.

"They're not here," Percival said surely.

"No. But where could she have taken him?"

"The Ministry," Percival suggested. "Let's go tell Snape and try and call Sirius, they might have some ideas."

"Stop that infernal hammering," Snape griped as he opened the door to his rooms.

"Sorry Sir," Ron said respectfully.

"Whatever is the matter Weasley."

"Harry is missing."

"I cannot keep an eye on the blasted boy every moment of the day!"

"You misunderstand, Sir," Percival said. "Harry and I were on the way to the kitchens, when I was stunned from behind. I came round in a cupboard."

"When Harry and Percival didn't come back, I headed out to find them, and found Percival on the ground floor," Ron added.

"Do you recognised who stunned you?"

"No. But they were female."

"How long were you unconscious for?"

Percival turned to Ron, who said, "It would be a guess but maybe an hour and a half, no more than two."

"Well you had best come in I suppose," Snape said grudgingly. "I'll floo the mutt."

Snape called for a house elf to bring tea, while he went and knelt in front of his fireplace.

"Sirius, it seems we have a problem."

Percival and Ron sat quietly while they waited for the whispered conversation to be over. FInally Snape stood up, dusting off his knees.

"You two are to go back up to bed. Sirius and I will deal with this, it will take some …..delicacy."

"But," Ron protested.

"No, all we know is that this is a trap, not who set it or for whom it has been laid."

"I must go with you," Percival insisted seriously enough that it caused Snape to pause.

"Come on we've wasted enough time, Harry needs us," Ron said insistently.

"Ron, just… You need to go back to the common room. They already know Harry is missing. What do think will happen if the twins get it into their heads to go after him? Or Neville? For all we know there will be Death Eaters waiting there, and while you and the twins are very talented, you are not yet ready to take them on. I will take no-one into battle with me who…"

"There will be no battle," Snape said from behind them. "And you, Mr Graves will be returning to the common room as well."

"Ron, go and let everyone know that Professor Snape has the situation under control, he will notify the other Professors so that if back up is required they will assist."

"Alright, just…" Ron turned to his least liked professor. "You're a spy right Sir? You can't go either. If Riddle has not called you to attend and you show up then it will raise further doubts to your loyalties."

"Thank you for that assessment, Mr Weasley. I will ensure that I am not seen."

"Do you think Harry would mind?" Ron asked Percival obtusely.

"I think that …"

"I will be fine. Now go."

Ron left quickly but Percival remained behind.

"I believe I said you were not coming Mr Graves."

"Sir, I need to go. I am his shield. To protect him I need to be near him. There is more but,,,,"

"Show me!"

"I…." There was a whispered acquiescence in Percival's mind. "Ok Sir."

"Legilimens."

In his haste the intrusion was not gentle. Severus was transported a room that was the strangest juxtaposition between bare prison and feasting throne room. Cold stone walls, covered in moss, surrounding a fully laden table. Two other beings were in the room with a much older Percival. One of them made the breath catch in his throat, her red hair and green eyes unmistakable, but there was something wrong about the image and Severus understood that it was not her.

The man spoke, "I have decided that I am giving you as a gift to my favoured. He needs someone that will always be on his side, who will teach him and care for him. It doesn't matter which universe we are talking about; the Headmaster just won't do it. The Godfather might step up but will need a kick in the right direction. And his friends don't have the experience. You, however, will do perfectly."

"And if I don't want to go?" Percival raised an eyebrow, trying to stare down the immortal, as if he were one of the newly graduated Aurors straight from the academy.

"WE. ARE. GODS. CHILD." Death suddenly dropped the charade. His eyes glowed blue with the knowledge of eons, a cold blast of power radiated from him drowning Percival in the smothering sensation.

Even in the memory Severus could feel the emanating power.

Magic's eyes began to glow too. "The Magical World has stagnated. They have lost their way and are losing their connection with me. Already feats of magic that were commonplace in your time are near legend. You. Are. Needed. If I am to survive on this world. And without me the world will fall. Gone will be the wonder of a child, love, hope, happiness, all will be lost," the sound of her voice reverberated in his chest. "Would you give up this second life? This chance to save and change the world, to protect it from harm!"

And that sealed his fate, Percival needed no time to consider the question. He already knew his answer. It was written into the foundations of his very soul. It was, more than anything, the reason he had chosen to become an Auror in the first place. The need to protect. To fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves. "I will protect him," he agreed.

Severus tumbled out of the memory; he could only stare at the boy in front of him.

"You are not named after him, you are him!" he whispered.

"Yes."

"Does the mutt know?"

"No, only Harry and Sera."

"I do not suppose I can convince you to stay?" Snape said sourly.

"No," agreed Percival.

"Be prepared for the mutt to argue."

"Yes Sir."

"The password is Asphodel," Severus said offering Percival the floo powder.

As the Headmaster's floo, spat Hermione out into the foyer of the Ministry of Magic, she lost her grip on Harry and he slid along the floor on his face, coming to rest with his head nearly against the Fountain.

With a sigh, she rolled him over, "Episkey." She fixed his broken nose, feeling grateful that his head had not hit base of the fountain as she did not know any spells to cure concussion.

"Ok," Hermione mumbled, "Where to now?" Levitating Harry once more as she moved towards the lifts she never spared a thought for the Security desk that stood empty.

After reading the little plaque on the wall Hermione pressed the nearest 'down' button and a lift clattered into sight almost immediately, the golden grilles slid apart with a great echoing clanking and she stepped inside. Harry's head rested against the back wall, and feet towards the doors. Hermione quickly pressed the number nine button; the grilles closed with a bang (it was lucky that Harry was short) and the lift began to descend, jangling and rattling. Eventually the lift halted, and a cool female voice said, "Department of Mysteries," the grilles slid open.

Hermione floated Harry out into a corridor where nothing was moving but the nearest torches, flickering in the rush of air from the lift. She wondered if she should re-innervate Harry now. Would he argue, when he was so close to the item, he was curious about? Probably. Best if she left him as he was for the time being then, he just might need a little something to ….encourage him to her way of thinking. Quickly she lowered him to the floor and placed a suggestibility compulsion on him. It was not perfect, but it would be good enough to make him at least listen to her favourably. She elevated Harry once more.

Directly ahead was a plain black door it swung open as she approached.

Hermione stepped over the threshold, into a large circular room. Everything in here was black including the floor and ceiling; identical, unmarked, handle-less black doors were set at intervals all around the black walls, interspersed with branches of candles whose flames burned blue; their cool, shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor made it look as though there was dark water underfoot.

Not knowing which door, she need Hermione began crossing the room. With a slam the door shut behind them, blocking out the light from the hall. There was a great rumbling noise and the candles began to move sideways. The circular room was rotating. For a few seconds, as Hermione's heart beat faster in alarm, the blue flames around them 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 again.

After a pause trying to determine which door was the one, she had come through, Hermione gave up and walked straight towards the door in front of her. It swung open easily.

Following the darkness of the first room, the lamps hanging low on the golden chains from the 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 Hermione to swim in; a number of pearly-white objects were drifting around lazily in it.

Hermione could not help moving over to look, leaving Harry hovering by the door, "Brains!" she muttered. "This isn't right." She backed up towards the door, moving through it first and floating Harry after her.

No sooner had the door clicked shut than there was another great rumbling, and once again the wall began to revolve very fast. When it stopped Hermione cursed the fact that levitating Harry had meant she had her wand free to mark which door they had been through. With no better options she opened the door that was now in front of her.

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. She was 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 cracked and crumbling that it was amazing that it 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. The room held the strange feeling of being watched as though there was someone just out of sight waiting to speak or…..

Hermione backed out of this room too. Once more, the wall spun and became still. This time Hermione pushed a door at random, it was locked. With a groan, she lowered Harry to the floor, pointed her wand at the place where a keyhole should have been and said "Alohomora." When it still failed to open, Hermione moved on.

The next room she tried was filled with a sparkling light. It drew her in. As her eyes became accustomed to the glare, she noticed clocks gleaming from every surface, large and small, grandfather and carriage, hanging in spaces between bookcases or standing on desks ranging the length of the room, so that a busy, relentless ticking filled the place like thousands of minuscule, marching footsteps. The sources of the dancing, diamond-bright light was a towering crystal bell jar that stood at the far end of the room. Fascinated Hermione was enticed further into the room. This had to be the right path.

She paused to peer into the very heart of the bell jar. Drifting along on a sparkling current inside was a tiny, jewel bright egg. As it rose in the jar, it cracked open and a humming-bird emerged. It's tiny shining silver and gold wings beat against the air drifts which carried it 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. It would have been so easy to become lost watching the endless cycles, but Hermione knew she must keep moving, so she turned away and moved to the door at the far end of the room.

It swung open easily. Peering into the room beyond Hermione smiled, this was surely the place. High as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Like those in the circular room behind them, the flames, burnt blue. The room was very cold.

A groan sounded behind her, and Hermione turned to see Harry, opening his eyes as he the stunning spell wore off. With a scowl on his face, he struggled against her levitation charms, which released with a snap, sending him tumbling the few feet to the ground.

"Bloody Hell! Hermione, what in blazes is going on?" He looked around, "Where the hell are we?"

"The Department of Mysteries, this is the room where they keep all the prophecies."

"How do I get out of here?" he demanded as he stood, looking around for the closest exit.

"But you're so close Harry, you may as well just get the prophecy while you are here," Hermione said reasonably.

"Hermione, this is not right. You've broken into the Ministry of Magic, for what?"Harry questioned in agitation. "No reason. Sirius was going to bring me. He had already called the Face of the Unspeakable's and made an appointment," he tried to appeal to her sense of logic. "Let's just go, before we are caught."

Hermione snatched up his hand and dragged him into the shelves, "Look it must be around here somewhere. You may as well get it while you are here now and then we can go. Alright?"

Harry pulled back on her hand, but she gripped him like a barnacle on a whale, leading him past the rows. Stepping between two shelves she said, "They are dated see. The one you want is from 1980. Ah, here we are."

Harry read the yellowish label affixed to the shelf right beneath the dusty glass ball. In spidery writing was written a date some sixteen years previously, and below that:

S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D

Dark Lord

and (?) Harry Potter

Harry stared at it, his hand rising of its own accord to lift it from the shelf. It was an action he immediately regretted.

"Why in Magic's good name, would you bring one of the children with you?" Sirius demanded of Snape the moment they were out of the floo.

"It was necessary."

"Sirius?" a soft feminine voice called from further in the house. "What's all the noise about?"

"It's nothing Marl….Janey. Go back to bed."

"Visitors?" sneered Severus. "I suppose at least you waited to continue your affairs until the boys were at school.

"My affairs? Severus, I…."

"It is no business of mine," Snape sniffed.

"I…haven't it's just…"

"Don't bother, mutt!"

"No," Sirius, reached out and grabbed hold of Severus' forearm. "She is here waiting for Poppy to treat her."

"You do not need to explain anything to me," Snape huffed a little less coldly. "Perhaps we should focus on that damnably wretched boy."

"Severus, don't talk about Harry that way."

"I think she has taken him to the Ministry," Percival said, calmly trying to break through the rising tensions.

"What makes you think that?"

"Hermione cornered him after our last exam. He said she gave him an apology and then she mentioned that there was a prophecy."

"When he called me," Sirius agreed, "he mentioned she seemed very keen for him to go and collect it immediately, though he thought she had accepted it when he said that he would deal with it. I'll send another message to Algernon Croaker and let him know what is going on. At least that way if they are found in there he'll cover for them."

"The question is who wants him to get the prophecy and why? Do we really think that Dumbledore would send her there with him? It just…doesn't seem right. Would he use Harry as bait to draw out Riddle?"

"Mooney!" Sirius called out, after he had sent his Patronus.

The werewolf popped his head round the corner a moment later, as he said "Could you keep the noise down, Marl…Janey is trying to get some sleep." He then noticed who was in the room and entered fully. "All right what is going on?"

"Harry is missing, we believe that Hermione has taken him to the Ministry, to get the prophecy."

"Who is on guard duty tonight?"

There was a quick exchange of glances, "No one. Arthur and Molly came down with the wizarding flu and there was no-one available to take their place."

"No guard on duty and Harry taken to get a prophecy that only he or Riddle can touch. I guess we go prepared for anything then," Percival said.

"You are not coming!" Sirius stared at the boy. "Harry would never forgive me if anything happened to you, he would never forgive himself either. You can stay and here in case Marlene needs anything."

"That was your fiancee?!" Severus growled. "I thought she…"

"Ex-fiancee and she has had amnesia for the last fifteen years. We are supposed to call her Janey," Sirius started to explain.

Again, there was a standoff, of stares.

"Look it's a long story Se…Snape." Sirius sighed. "We will fill you in once Harry is safe. Percival stay."

"No. And you should call more members of the Order," Percival said obstinately.

"Already done," Remus said putting his wand away. "I have sent messages to Tonks, Shack and Hestia. They'll met us here. Have you notified your Godmother?"

With the wave of a hand a message was sent. Moments later the reply came, "Be careful Percival. I trust you to know your limits, I'll advise Amelia."

Sirius stared at the fading silver mist, "We'll wait ten minutes for the others to arrive. Se…Snape, you cannot be seen just in case it is a trap. What are you planning on doing?"

"I will be fine," Snape replied stubbornly.

"Please…I …Like I said to Percival Harry would be very upset if something were to happen to you," Sirius pleaded, not mentioning how he, himself would feel.

"What's going on?" the soft voice was back. This time, she was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, looking vulnerable and worried, a quilted dressing gown over her long night dress, hair loose and long.

It was Remus that responded to reassure her, "There has been a ….small problem, we are going to sort it out. It isn't something you need to worry about. If you need something and we are not here, call for Kreacher."

The dark-haired woman was staring at Snape, "I know you." She walked closer to him, inspecting his face. "Snivellus!" She hissed turning to Sirius, "How can you trust him in your house, you know what he is….what he…."

"Ma…Janey, he is not like that anymore. People grow up and change. I did, and so did Severus."

"You call him by his name? You always called him Sniv…."

"I was wrong to do so," Sirius said sombrely.

"I feel like I don't even know you anymore. I remember things and now …."

"I know, I have changed," Sirius said softly. "Remus, how about you take Janey upstairs. You might need to stay."

The werewolf nodded and lead the dark-haired woman from the room, she kept looking back over her shoulder glaring at Severus. Sirius ran a hand through his hair, and turned to Severus. Whatever he was going to say was pushed aside as the floo flashed green, and Tonks tumbled out in her usual inelegant fashion, followed quickly by Kingsley Shacklebolt, who emerged in a much more dignified fashion.

"Hestia will meet us there," Shacklebolt said. "The alarms in the Ministry foyer were turned off, allegedly for Maintenance at 11. So, we should be able to floo in, if not I can get us in through the muggle entrance. The nightwatch password is 'formidable'."

"Alright, we believe they will be in the Department of Mysteries, hopefully Algernon Croaker will meet us there, though I have not had a reply from him as yet. Be careful, all we know is that this is likely to be a trap."

They each grabbed a pinch of floo powder and left the building. Severus Snape was the last.

He had expected the orb to feel cold, but id did not. On the contrary it felt as though it had been sitting in the sun for hours, as though the glow of light within was warming it. He squeezed it wondering if he should smash it immediately.

And then from right behind him, a drawling voice spoke.

"Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

Harry's stomach sank through the floor as for a moment he wondered if Hermione had become a Death Eater. Her gasp of surprise disabused him of that notion. Whatever she had been expecting to occur it was not to have Lucius Malfoy standing there hand extended demanding the orb.

"Why should I?" Harry demanded.

"Where's Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, somewhat stupidly Harry thought.

Malfoy chuckled and a feminine sing song voice from his left mimicked, "Where's Dumbledore?"

She and their fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were only feet away, the lights of their wands dazzling Harry's eyes.

"The professor said…."

"The professor said…" she mimicked again and then laughed. "The baby mudblood got twickeded, and thought that what the Headmaster said was twoooo," she continued in a horrible, mock baby voice. Harry felt Hermione flinch beside him.

"Don't do anything," Harry muttered to Hermione, "Not yet –"

"You hear him? You hear him? He followed her here, like a little lost lamb and now he's giving her orders as though he thinks of fighting us?"

A flick of his wand behind his back had a patronus sent, low to the ground off to find Sirius. If they could just keep them talking until help arrived, they might stand a chance.

"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 still don't see why I should," Harry threw the small ball up in the air.

"Accio Prophecy!" Malfoy cried.

But with the unerring hands of a seeker, Harry swiped it out of the air as it moved towards the man, "Yeah, your son isn't quick enough to catch the snitch ahead of me either. I still want to know why Riddle wants this little crystal ball?"

"Shut up you're making them angry Harry," Hermione pleaded in a whisper. "Just give them the ball and they'll let us go."

The Death Eaters who were close enough to hear just laughed.

"Help is coming," Harry muttered back surely, to another round of laughs. "Dobby," Harry tried calling the House Elf.

"Ah, Potter, I had heard you needed to open a book, but let me be the one to inform you, the Ministry is one of the few places that is warded against House Elves. It is time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter. No-one is coming to help you. No-one knows you are here. You have no friends here, you're on your own," said Malfoy. "Now give up the prophecy, or we start using wands."

"Go on, then," said Harry, raising his own wand to chest height. As he did so Hermione's wand raised in concert, he was her only chance to get out of there. The knot in Harry's stomach tightened.

But the Death Eaters did not strike.

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

It was Harry's turn to laugh.

"Yeah, right!" he said. "I give you this – prophecy," he held it up between two fingers, "and you'll just let us skip off home, will you? I'm sure that is why you all laughed before when Hermione suggested it. Seems to me you want this little ball more than I do. How about I just smash it?"

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

Harry was just ready for her: he shouted "Protego," before she finished her spell and he managed to hang on it with his two fingers.

"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 –" her wand came up again.

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius Malfoy roared at the woman. "We should have bought Umbridge instead, at least she follows orders. If you smash it - "

Harry's mind was racing, Hermione had been truthful in one thing, Riddle desperately wanted this orb. On top of that Umbridge was most likely a Death Eater, which admittedly was not a great surprise. Smashing the orb was beginning to seem like a better and better idea or tossing it and making the Death Eaters chase after it to give them time to escape, though with the number of them, there were plenty to catch the orb while others prevented Harry and Hermione's escape.

The woman stepped forward away from her fellows and pulled off her hood. Though Azkaban had hollowed Bellatrix Lestrange's face, making it gaunt and skull like, there was still a shocking similarity to Andromeda's, that had Harry gasping.

Eyes alight and feverish with a fanatical glow, chest rising and falling rapidly, she said, "You need more persuasion? Very well, take the girl. Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."

Despite everything that had happened they had been friends once and Harry stepped in front of Hermione, the prophecy held up to his chest.

"You'll have to smash this if you want her," he told Bellatrix. "I don't think your boss would be too pleased if you come back without it, would 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?"

It was not much but it kept Bellatrix talking, and every moment was one more since Sirius had received the message, one moment closer to help arriving.

"What kind of prophecy?" repeated Bellatrix, the grin fading from her face. "You jest, Harry Potter."

"Nope, not jesting. I actually pulled out of Divination, so I've got no idea," Harry said, his eyes flicking from Death Eater to Death Eater, looking for a weak link, a space through which they could escape or possibly the one who was going to fire off the first curse. "How come Voldemort wants it?"

Several Death Eaters let out low hisses.

"You dare speak his name?" whispered Bellatrix.

"Yeah," said Harry elongating the word as if she were slow of understanding. "It would not be much of a name, if you couldn't call him by it, now would it? 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?" Harry said conversationally. Hermione gave a little moan in his ear. "Clearly Voldemort is not his real name. I mean what sort of name is that? It's obviously made up. His real name is Tom Riddle, did you know? I've never heard of a pure-blood family with the surname Riddle, have you? That's because his Dad was a muggle. Oh," Harry looked at her in faux surprise, "has he been telling you lot that he's a pure-blood?"

"STUPEF- " Harry raised the sphere like a shield.

"NO!"

A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, but Malfoy had deflected it (Harry thought that if they got out of this alive, he was going to work on being able to do that); his spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs were 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 a fragment 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.

Harry used the distraction caused by Malfoy and Lestrange's argument, to slide the prophecy into his wand holster. Trusting the anti-summoning charms to keep it safe.

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 Harry an idea. The problem was going to be conveying it to Hermione.

"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over," he said. Transferring his weight onto one leg he moved his other foot slowly backwards feeling for Hermione's.

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

"I'm not playing games. Pulled out of Divination remember," said Harry, half his mind on the conversation, half on his wandering foot. When finally, he found Hermione's toes he pressed down on them eliciting a sharp intake of breath.

"What?" she whispered, trying not to move her lips.

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

"I- what?" said Harry, wondering if this had something to do with the Horcrux. Really with all the secrets that Dumbledore kept, it was hardly surprising that he had not mentioned anything. Not that they had spoken in the past year. "What about my scar?"

"What?" whispered Hermione more urgently from behind him.

"Can this be?" said Malfoy in malicious delight, some of the Death Eaters were laughing again and under the cover of their laughter, Harry hissed, moving his lips as little as possible, "Smash shelves – "

"Dumbledore never told you?" Malfoy repeated. "The Dark Lord wondered why you had not made an attempt to retrieve it earlier – "

"- when I say now – "

"He thought that natural curiosity would have made you want to hear the exact wording…."

"Did he?" said Harry, thinking that twelve months ago, Riddle would have probably been right. "So, he wanted me to come and get it? Did he? Why?" Still stalling for time. Maybe his patronus had not had enough power to make it to Sirius but Percival would have regained consciousness by now and he would have called for help.

"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 would 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?"

Harry stared at the slitted eye-holes through which Malfoy's grey eyes were gleaming. Was the prophecy the reason why Harry's parents had died, the reason he carried his lightning bolt scar?

"Not really, I don't make it a habit of trying to understand Psychopathic mass murderers. So, someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me and instead of sneaking in here to get it himself, something that must have been inherently easy given that you lot are all here and there are no alarms going off as yet, he thought he would arrange to have me tricked into being here?" Harry said gazing at Lucius Malfoy. "Why didn't he come and get it himself?"

"Get it himself?" shrieked Bellatrix. Over a cackle of mad laughter. "The Dark Lord, walk through 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, running around in the dark?"

"So, he's lazy then, and he has got you to do his dirty work for him, has he?" said Harry. "Now!"

He cast a silent Reducto first at the nearest shelves, and then a second at the floor just in front of the nearest Death Eater, causing the floor to burst up into the man's face forcing him to back away. Harry was relieved to hear Hermione scream, "REDUCTO!" and to see her beam of light strike the shelves causing them to explode; the towering structures 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.

Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and ran as the shelves swayed precariously and more spheres began to fall from above. A Death Eater lunged forwards through the cloud of dust and Harry elbowed him hard in the masked face, not blinking his nose made as the mask was pushed into it. 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 -

Harry found the way ahead clear, and threw a few stunning spells back over his shoulder, hoping to hit anything. As he felt a hand grip his shoulder, he sent a quick Diffodio in that direction and the hand released. They had reached the end of the row now, and with Hermione's hand still gripped tightly in his own he began to sprint in earnest. Straight ahead, the door through which they had come was ajar; Harry could see the glittering light of the bell jar; he pelted through the doorway, dragged Hermione through after him and slammed the door shut.

"Colloportus!" gasped Hermione and the door sealed itself with an odd squelching noise.

Footsteps echoed from behind the door they had just sealed; Harry put his ear close to the door to listen and heard Lucius Malfoy roar, "Leave Nott, leave him, I say- his injuries will be nothing to the Dark Lord compared to losing the prophecy. Jugson come back here, we need to organise! We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with Potter until we've got the prophesy, you can kill the Mudblood if necessary – Bellatrix, Rudolphus, 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 as quietly as they could, past the shimmering bell jar where the tiny egg was hatching and unhatching, towards 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, Harry and Hermione dived under desks. They could see the bottom of the two Death Eater's robes drawing nearer, their feet moving rapidly.

"They might have run straight through to the hall," said the rough voice.

"Check under the desks," said another.

Harry saw the knees of the Death Eater bend; poking his wand out from under the desk, he cast another stunning spell.

A jet of red light hit the nearest Death Eater, he fell backwards into a grandfather cloak and knocked it over; the second Death Eater alerted by the light of the spell had leapt aside to avoid Harry's second spell and was pointing his own wand at Hermione, who was crawling out from under the desk to get a better aim.

"Avada…"

"Rictusempra," Harry said without thinking, causing the Death Eater to fall to the floor clutching his sides. "Expelliarmus." Harry caught the wand as it came flying at him, and quickly snapped it across his knee.

"Stupefy," Hermione finally managed to cast as Harry charged out of the room, grabbing her by the hand as he passed. "Let's get out of – "

"Look out," said Hermione as they burst into the round entry room and it spun. There were two Death Eaters already in the room.

"Stupefy!" Hermione shouted.

"Bombarda," Harry said. Both spells struck true, the Death Eater Harry hit, flew through the air, and straight through the door, back into the glittering room and into the Bell jar, where his head began shrinking very fast, growing balder and balder, the black hair and stubble retracting into his skull; his cheeks becoming smooth, his skull round and covered with a peach like 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 sell 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 it began to shrink back to babyhood once more…

Harry flicked his wand shutting the door, causing the room to spin again.

"Which way is out Hermione?" he demanded.

"I don't know," she admitted, sounding close to tears. "When I came in, I wasn't able to mark them."

Harry groaned, marked the door ahead of him with a luminescent cross, and opened it…

Just as a door behind them opened, allowing Lucius Malfoy and Mulciber into the room, Harry ducked through the door. Slamming it closed running across the tops of the seats to the other side. Hermione was not as quick as he was and was still only halfway around when the door burst open.

"We've got him!" yelled the Death Eater. "In the…"

"Silencio," Harry cried out and the man's voice was extinguished as Harry turned his wand on the other, casting another Bombarda, the man hit the wall with a sickening crack. The Death Eater Harry had struck dumb made a slashing movement with his wand; a streak of what looked like purple flame passed, through the shield Harry had hastily thrown up and right across Hermione's chest. She gave a tiny 'Oh!' as though in surprise and crumpled on to the floor where she lay motionless.

"Hermione!"

A stupefy had the man falling as Harry hurried back, falling beside Hermione on his knees. Carefully picking her up Harry wondered if he would have more luck finding an exit if he returned to the round room. He had just made his decision when the door when it opened to reveal three Death Eaters led by Bellatrix Lestrange.

"They are here," she shrieked. And Harry quickly sort the only cover in the room, the plinth supporting an ancient archway.

He tucked Hermione behind it, quickly using his wand to inscribe runes into the plinth, it was not much however it would provide a little protection. A slow step sounded at the doorway, as Lucius Malfoy entered the room, followed by more of the Death Eaters.

"Potter your race is run," drawled Lucius Malfoy, pulling off his mask, "Now hand me the prophecy like a good boy."

"Let Hermione go, and I'll give it to you," Harry pleaded knowing it was a long shot, and not like she could move anyway. If only he had some way of getting her out. The wardbuster! Why hadn't he thought of it before? Relief coursing through him he grabbed hold of Hermione's arm, and put his other hand onto the cuff…that was not there! His stomach dropped like a stone and he nearly sobbed.

"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.."

"Good to see you can count, Malfoy," Harry spat. Hermione gave a moan beside him, trusting to his wards he leant out from the platform slightly and cast blasting spells on either end of the Death Eaters, who had started to try and circle around him, hitting one of them on the arm.

"Crucio," Bellatrix yelled, just clipping his arm as he ducked back behind the arch. He managed to keep moving out of the spells path.

Hermione's eyes were open now.

"That was just a taster," said Bellatrix, raising her wand and stopping the spell, seemingly disappointed by the lack of screaming. "Now Potter either give us the prophecy or watch your little friend die the hard way."

Harry leaned over Hermione to shoot off a couple of spells, hitting the Death Eater on the end with a cutting spell, across the top of his shoulder. Hermione was testing the movement in her limbs groggily. He was considering throwing the orb at them to buy a few more seconds when two doors burst open and six more people burst into the room; Sirius, Percival, Tonks, Kingsley, Moody and Hestia Jones.

Malfoy turned, and raised his wand, but Tonks had already sent a stunning spell right at him. The Death Eaters were completely distracted by the appearance of the Order of the Phoenix, who were now raining spells down upon them as they jumped from step to step towards the sunken floor.

The stone floor between Harry and Hermione had exploded, as Harry's ward was overloaded, leaving behind a crater where Harry's hand been only 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. Through watering eyes he saw Sirius duelling 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 on Bellatrix – nobody seemed to realise that Harry was dying. He turned his wand backwards towards the man's side, but with no breath left had to resort to trying an unpractised spell wordlessly, Relashio. It worked enough that the hand on him released, and he ducked avoiding the following attempt to grab him. Then Percival was there, his spell taking the Death Eater in the face. He froze, and then cracked lines appeared all over his face as if he had been turned to stone.

"I think that improved his looks," Harry gasped out.

"It's not permanent," Percival said pulling Harry aside as Sirius and his Death Eater lurched past, duelling so fiercely that their wands were blurs; then Harry's foot made contact with something round and hard and he slipped. For a moment he thought the prophecy had fallen from his holster but then he saw Moody's magical eye spinning away across the floor, he quickly scooped it up, looking around for its owner.

Moody was lying on his side, bleeding from the head, and his attacker was now bearing down on Harry and Percival: Dolohov, his long pale face twisted in glee.

"Tarantallegra!" he shouted, pointing his wand at Percival not checking to see the boy step out of the way. "Now Potter – "

"He made the same slashing movement that he had used on Hermione just as Harry yelled, "Protego!"

Harry lent back, turning his face to the side and felt something streak across his face like a blunt knife; the force of it still knocked him sideways into Percival, even with his shield blocking some of it.

Dolohov, raised his wand again, "Accio Prophe – "

"Expelliarmus," Percival said. As his wand flew through the air Dolohov merely pulled a spare from out of his sleeve pointing it again at Harry.

Sirius hurtled out of nowhere, rammed Dolohov with his shoulder and sent him flying out of the way. Now Sirius and Dolohov were duelling, 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 Harry and Hermione. Springing up, Harry yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!" Dolohov's arms and legs snapped together, and he keeled over backwards, landing with a crash on his back.

"Nice one!" shouted Sirius, as all three of them ducked to avoid a pair of stunning spells sent towards them. "Now I want you pair to get out of here – "

They ducked again; a jet of green light 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 towards the fray.

"Harry grab Hermione and run. Percival will watch your back," Sirius yelled, dashing to meet Bellatrix. Harry did not see what happened next; Kingsley swayed across his field of vision, battling with the pockmarked and no longer masked Rookwood; another jet of green light flew over Harry's head as he launched himself towards Hermione.

"Can you stand?" he bellowed in her ear. "Put your arm around my neck – " he heaved her to her feet.

"Give me the prophecy, Potter!" sneered Lucius Malfoy's voice near his ear, as he felt the tip of Malfoy's wand pressing hard between his ribs, he wondered where Percival had gone. There was a grunt and Malfoy crumbled Percival's elbow meeting with the side of Malfoy's head.

MacNair, now without an opponent, raised his wand on Harry, but Hestia jumped between them.

"Go, Harry, just go!"

Harry hauled Hermione up the stone steps, making slow progress as spells took the stones out from under their feet.

"I'm sorry Harry," Hermione cried, as her weight dragged him to the floor.

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

"Dumbledore!" said Hermione.

Harry turned to look where Hermione was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face furious.

Dumbledore speed past Harry, Percival and Hermione, who was now pulling against Harry, when the nearest Death Eaters realised Dumbledore 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 –

Only one pair was still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry 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 space.

The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest, the trajectory of his fall would take him straight into the veil.

The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.

Harry released Hermione, though he was unaware of doing so. He pulled his wand preparing to jump to the ground, but Percival, wrapped his arms around him and physically lifted him into the air, carrying him up the steps and away from the fight. As Bellatrix turned and pased them running from the room.

Harry did not see Sirius fall in a gracefully arc, nor the shimmer in the air as someone's invisibility cloak, opened slightly as they sprang towards the man tackling him, their weight carrying both sideways and away from the plinth holding the arch with its ragged veil. He only heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream echoing up the corridor and he pulled free of Percival's arms. Running off, following the hem of Bellatrix's robes as they whipped out of sight, and they were back in the room where the brains were swimming.

She aimed a curse over her shoulder, that split the contents of the tank all over the floor. Harry fired a Bombarda back, which she dodged, cackling insanely. Seemingly delight with the chase.

Finally, they made it back into the round room with all of the doors, but Bellatrix had beat him there and was gone by the time he entered.

Once more, he was surrounded by streaks of blue light from the whirling candelabra.

"Where's the exit?" Harry shouted desperately, as the wall rumbled to a halt again. "Where's the way out?"

The room seemed to have been waiting for him to ask. The door right behind him flew open and the corridor stretched towards the lifts, torch-lit and empty. Harry ran….

He could hear the lift clattering ahead, he sprinted up the passageway swung round the corner and slammed his fist on the button to call a second lift. It jangled and banged lower and lower; the grilles slid open and Harry dashed inside, now hammering the button marked Atrium. Percival slid into the lift as the doors shut.

"Harry," he said softly as he wrapped his arms around Harry, who fought against the comfort. "You need to know…"

"What? Sirius is dead. My only family just died! My dad….."

"No, shush and listen. Severus was there, under an invisibility cloak. I am sure he would have summoned…."

"You can not summon living things!" Harry snapped.

"No but, you can summon their clothes," Percival said pressing a kiss to Harry's forehead as the lift rattled to a stop, "and Severus is awfully clever."

"You think?"

"I do not know, but don't lose yourself to anger just yet."

They stepped from the lift, seeing Bellatrix almost at the telephone lift at the other end of the hall, but she looked back as they moved towards her and aimed another spell at Harry. He dodged behind the Fountain of Magical Brethren: the spell zoomed past him and hit the wrought-gold gates at the other end of the Atrium so that they rang like bells. There were no more footsteps. She had stopped running. Harry and Percival crouched behind the statues, listening.

"Come out, come out, wittle Hawwy!" she called in her mock baby voice, which echoed off the polished wooden floors. "What did you come after me for, then? I thought you were here to avenge my dear cousin!"

"I am!" shouted Harry, in order to keep her talking, and a score of ghostly Harrys seemed to chorus I am! I am! I am! All around the room. Surely with Dumbledore's presence the Order would not be too much longer.

"Aaaah…did you love him, little baby Potter?"

Harry darted around the edge of the fountain, "Bombarda!"

The spell hit her a glancing blow to shoulder. Causing her to spin and fall to the floor, but she was quickly on her feet. Her counter- spell hit the head of the handsome wizard, which was blown off and landed twenty feet away, gouging long scratches into the wooden floor and showering Harry and Percival with shards of masonry.

A footstep sounded on the floor and Percival hurriedly forced Harry to move around the fountain, when she screamed "Crucio!" and Percival pushed his head down again as the centaur's arm, holding its bow, spun off and landed with a crash a short distance from the golden wizard's head.

"Potter, you cannot win against me!" she cried.

They could hear her moving to the right, trying to get a clear shot. She did not seem to register Percival as a threat. He pushed Harry around the statue away from her.

"I was and am the Dark Lords most loyal servant. I learned Dark Arts from…."

Percival had silenced her! Harry's stunning spell caused her to cast a shield, moving so fast that he barely had time to duck out of the way of the rebounding spell. They did not see her dispel herself of the Silencing charm.

"Potter I am going to give you one chance!" shouted Bellatrix.

Suddenly deep in Harry's brain a warning sounded, pain spread from the site, quicker than he would have believed. His hiss of agony distracted Percival who automatically turned to Harry.

"Give me the prophecy – roll it towards me now – and I may spare your life!"

Focussing inwardly on the image of a pearl-white figure rising from the shattered remains of an orb, Harry said "Well you're going to have to kill me, because it's gone!" Pain seared across his forehead; his scar was on fire again, and he felt a surge of fury that was quite unconnected from his own emotions. "And he knows!" Harry gave a mad laugh, struggling against the internal force. "Tom Riddle knows it is gone! He's not going to be happy with you, is he?"

"What? What do you mean?" she cried, and for the first time there was fear in her voice.

"The prophecy was smashed! What do you think Voldemort'll say about that?" he filled his mind with the image of smoke broken glass and mystical voices.

His scar seared and burned…. only Percival's cool hands on his cheeks, grounded his sanity.

"LIAR!" she shrieked, but he could hear the terror behind the anger now. "YOU'VE GOT IT, POTTER, AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME! Accio Prophecy! ACCIO PROPHECY!"

Harry clutched hold of Percival's hands and tried to open his eyes though the tears blinded him. A green jet of light came flying towards them and took the ear off the statue of the goblin.

"No!" she screamed. "It isn't true, you're lying! MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED – DO NOT PUNISH ME –"

"Don't waste your breath," Harry ground out, swiping away his tears, as the warning bells stopped and the pain retreated. "He can't hear you from here!"

"Can't I, Potter?" said a high cold voice.

Harry's breath caught in his throat as he stared fearfully into Percival's eyes, realising the risk they now faced. "What do we do? We can't kill him," he whispered. "We don't have all…"

Percival gave a small nod of acknowledgement.

Tall, thin and black-hooded, his terrible snakelike face white and gaunt, his scarlet, slit-pupiled eyes staring….Lord Voldemort had appeared in the middle of the hall, his wand pointing at Harry who crouched frozen, quite unable to move, Percival at his side.

"So, you smashed my prophecy," said Voldemort softly staring at Harry with those pitiless red eyes, ignoring the second boy. "No Bella, he is not lying…I see the truth looking at me from within his worthless mind…..months of effort and my Death Eaters have let Harry Potter thwart me again…."

"Master I am sorry, I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!" sobbed Bellatrix, flinging herself down at Voldemort's feet as he paced slowly nearer. "Master you should know –"

"Be quiet, Bella," said Voldemort dangerously. "I shall deal with you in a moment. Do you think I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your snivelling apologies?"

"But Master – he is here – he is below –"

Voldemort paid no attention.

"I have nothing more to say to you, Potter," he said quietly. "You have irked me far too often, far too long. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry's mind was blank as if hypnotised, his wand held loosely in his hand, pointing towards the floor, but the Head of the golden wizard flew into the air bursting with the force of the spell.

"What?" cried Voldemort, seeming to notice Percival for the first time as Percival pushed Harry, to the other side of the fountain. "Who are you?"

"Graves," Percival said standing firmly.

"It matters not, worm!" Voldemort sent another spell flying towards Harry. This time the Centaur sprang from the fountain, acting as a shield. The spell ricochetting of the golden chest.

With a swish of his wand, Percival sent the shards of debris from the floor towards the older wizard. Voldemort sent his green jet of light, towards Percival this time, but Percival merely apparated away. He landed behind Voldemort as the statue of the witch ran at Bellatrix, who screamed and sent spells streaming uselessly off its chest, before it dived at her, pinning her to the floor, arms and legs akimbo, wand out of reach. Meanwhile the goblin, the house-elf and the centaur scuttled towards the fireplaces set along the wall and the decapitated wizard ran to shield Harry.

Voldemort turned with a hiss and spat another killing curse towards Percival. He dodged to one side causing it to hit the security-guards desk, which burst into flame. Percival flicked his wand; the force of the spell emanating from it was such that even though Harry was shielded by his headless guard, he felt his hair stand on end as it passed, and this time Voldemort was forced to conjure a shining silver shield out of thin air to deflect it.

"You do not seek to kill me? Just like Dumbledore, are you one of his?" Voldemort asked. "Above such brutality, are you?"

"I would not say that, more I only do what needs to be done," Percival said grimly as with a flourish he with a wave sent another spell towards his opponent, who seemed disorientated for a moment, and took a step backwards, though still maintained his shield. Harry wanted nothing more than to stand beside Percival in the fight, but his headless guard kept shunting him backwards towards the wall, blocking his every attempt to get out from behind it.

Another jet of green light flew from behind the silver shield. This time a block of stone conjured seemingly out of nothing, flew into its path, and shattered into a hundred pieces, but before they had even hit the floor, Percival had drawn back his wand and flicked it again. A long thin flame flew from its tip; wrapped itself around Voldemort shield and all. Voldemort hissed and the flame began to transform into a snake, only to morph back into a rope of light. Snake and Flame merged in a seemingly never-ending cycle, as the two fought.

Pounding feet came from the lifts as those who had been below finally emerged, Albus Dumbledore and Hermione leading the charge.

Finally settling on a rope of flames.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A final jet of green light struck the bound wizard. His body dissolving into black smoke, robe falling to the floor empty.

"Master!" screamed Bellatrix, finally getting fingers to her wand, swinging her arm around, she summoned her master's to her, disintegrated her statue guard and disappeared into the floo.

The there were voices echoing through the hall, more voices than there should have been. The Atrium was full of people; the floor was reflecting the emerald green flames had burst into life in all the fireplaces along one wall; and streams of witches and wizards were emerging from them.

Harry moved around the headless wizard who was now motionless and ran to Percival, who was standing stunned at the midway between the pile of robes on the floor and the place where Hermione still stood with her wand extended.

"He was there!" shouted a scarlet-robed man with a ponytail, who was pointing at the pile of robes. "I saw him Minister Scrimgeour!"

"I know Williamson, I know. I saw him too!" Scrimgeour seemed to pull himself together. "And these marvellous children have bought him to his knees. Apparently the threat was not all that great after all. Eh, Dumbledore? He was beaten by mere children."

"If you proceed downstairs into the Department of Mysteries, Rufus," said Dumbledore walking forwards so that the newcomers realised he was there. "You will find several escaped Death Eaters contained in the Death Chamber, bound by an Anti-Disapparition jinx and awaiting your decision as to what to do with them."

"First you must explain what you and your …..students are doing in the Ministry so late at night?"

"Rufus, I am ready to fight your men," Dumbledore said in a low voice. "A few minutes ago you saw…"

"I saw one of your students fighting a man, and another casting the killing curse…."

"Voldemort…."

"I don't…well.." blustered Scrimgeour, looking around as though hoping somebody was going to tell him what to do. When nobody did, he said, "Very well - Dawlish! Williamson! Go down to the Department of Mysteries and see…. Dumbledore you will need to tell me exactly - the Fountain of the Magical Brethren - what happened?" he added hoarsely staring at the floor, where the remains of the statues now lay scattered.

"Perce," hissed Harry. "We need to get out of here before they can…."

"We'll give our memories to Amelia Bones," Percival agreed, putting a hand over his cuff.

"We can discuss that after I have sent the children…" Dumbledore was saying.

"Home safe."

Percival and Harry both fell to the floor in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

Harry could hold it in no longer and he let out a wounded scream of anguish.

"Harry, hush. Harry every thing will be ok," a third person had joined them on the floor.

"No!" Harry sobbed. "Sirius is gone! It will never be ok again. He….he never knew how I felt like he was my Dad! Now he's gone!"

"You felt like he was your Dad?" the voice asked softly, a firm hand rubbing Harry's back.

"Yeah, I never told him. He…I….we were going to live here. I was going to have a real home? Where will I go now?"

"Shhhh, you'll stay here, just like we planned," the voice reassured.

It made Harry so angry that someone was thinking he could live here, when the whole house would just remind him of Sirius at every turn. It still smelt like him!

"Harry," Percival's voice coaxed, from somewhere near his ear.

Harry just tried to bury his face further into his boyfriends shoulder, sobbing wildly.

"Come on Harry. I need you to wipe away the tears and open your eyes for me," the bastard sounded vaguely amused. There was nothing funny about losing Sirius! "Come on, trust me. It won't seem so bad….."

"How can it not seem so bad," Harry retorted fiercely opening his eyes to glare at Percival.

"Harry," the voice said again.

Green eyes turned in the direction of the voice to glare death upon the speaker. They blinked, and then blinked again registering, who it was that sat beside them on the floor.

"Sirius," Harry screamed and threw himself bodily at the man, arms wrapping tightly around that thin neck.

"I'm here, Harry. I'm ok."

"You nearly weren't, you stupid mutt! Joking with Bellatrix, it would have served you right if I had let you fall through the veil!" a sour voice behind them sniffed, clearly Severus was deeply upset with Sirius.

"I'm sorry, Severus," Sirius said contritely.

Snape did not say another word, and turned away from the undignified group on the floor.

Eventually Harry allowed Sirius to move enough that the group could relocate to the table and Kreacher provided them with tea.

"What happened?" Harry asked quietly.

"Fortunately when Bellatrix stunned him, I …"

"Mooney said you sprang onto the dais and pulled me to safety. My knight in shining armour!" Sirius said, Snape turned away with slightly pink stained cheeks.

"I'm sure the wolf exaggerates."

"I came round lying on the floor besides the arch. The others were still fighting though with Dumbledore," he looked over at Severus curiously. "When did the cloak fall off."

"It got summoned away as you fell," he admitted.

"So they know," Harry whispered. "If any of them escaped then he will know too."

"Yes."

"Do we know who was captured?"

"Not as yet, though there were only five bodies," Sirius said.

"Then at least five escaped," Harry said. "You….. you aren't safe! What will you do?"

"I will go back to Hogwarts," Severus said simply.

"But he will try and make you continue….."

"No. Stay he….." Sirius began to offer.

"I must at least return to the school to finish out the year. Then I am at the mercy of Dumbledore's wishes. He vouched for me after the last war. If he were to remove his support. I could not say what would happen."

"We would get you out of the Country and you could seek asylum in the US," Percival said firmly. "I will talk to Aunt Sera about it. The ICW would surely be able to hold a proper trial for you, with Harry's memories, you at least will be free everywhere outside of Britain."

"We also need to talk to her and Madame Bones about what happened tonight," Harry reminded him.

"When you return to the school, let Dumbledore know that Harry and Percival, will not be back this year. Their exams are done, and I am pulling them out now. I am sure Sera will agree."

Severus nodded and stood ready to move to the fireplace, but Sirius sprang to his feet and stood in his way.

"Severus," his arms raised awkwardly as though he were about to grab hold of the Potions Master, before falling to his side. "I….thank you," he rasped out feeling the inadequacy of the statement.

Harry who had stood to the join him, merely stepped in, pushing Sirius to the side, wrapped his arms around Snape's waist and hugged him firmly. Then he leaned back slightly to look into the black eyes, "Thank you, it means…..everything to me!" he clasped the man again.

Severus stared wide-eyed at Sirius, for a moment, before he placed one arm around the boy's shoulder and the other came to hold Harry's head to his chest. "You are welcome," he said bending over the boy's head.

cut -

The Girl-Who-Conquered

While the ex- President of MACUSA and Current Ambassador for the United States of America's Godson (He-Who-Battled) engaged He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Hermione Granger (The-Girl-Who-Conquered) was securing the Department of Mysteries with her Mentor Albus Dumbledore, against an incursion of alleged Death Eaters. She arrived at the site of the battle in time to cast the spell which lead to the demise of the most evil Wizard since Gellert Grindlewald, saving us all.

Why did these two children find it necessary to fight against the Death Eaters when they hould have been safely tucked up in their beds at Hogwarts? Albus Dumbledore was attending an ICW meeting earlier that evening and advises he arrived at the site as soon as he was notified of the confrontation but, where were the Aurors and UnSpeakables? What was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named searching for in the Department of Mysteries? Does it matter post his demise? We, the public, need these questions answered. Neither the Head of the Auror Department, nor the Minister of Magic has been unavailable for comment, but as soon as Rufus Scrimgeour is available, the Daily Prophet will be pressing for answers.

- Cut -

So that is the end of the first Arc. The next (currently will be called Shield) has about half a chapter written, and should begin to be posted in a week or two. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, favourited and followed.

First chapter of the continuation now posted. 'Shield'