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

"Silencio!" Hermione cried. The Death Eater was cut off mid-sentence. "Stupefy!" The Death Eater, who had recently been silenced, crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry shouted, the other Death Eater falling to the ground, completely immobilized. Neville crawled towards Harry, who was helping Hermione off the ground.

"Neville," Harry whispered, "We're not far from the exit. We're… uh… Oh. Right. We're right next to that circular room, and I think that if we can just get you across it and find the right door before any other Death Eaters find us. Uh… then, um… It would probably be a good idea for you to find an alarm or something…"

"Whad are you doo going do do?" Neville asked, wiping some blood away from his bleeding nose, looking miffed that they were leaving him behind.

"We've got to find the others!" Hermione whispered furiously. Harry nodded in agreement with her.

"Well, I'b going do find dem wid you," Neville stated.

"But maybe the Aurors could help if you rang the…" Harry trailed off as Neville glared at him.

Hermione's resolve crumbled. Seeing this, Harry gave her a look and then acquiesced. "Oh, fine," Harry grumbled, "Let's go. No time to lose, we need to get out of here."

Neville looked down forlornly at his wand. "Alrighd. Yeah, we'd bedder ged going, bud my gran's going do kill me. Id was my dad's old wand, Id reminded her of him a bid, I dink."

Harry walked to the door and looked out, noticing the Death Eater with the baby head screaming and clumsily bumping into a variety of objects, such as grandfather clocks, desks, and even the Time-Turner cabinet. His amusement must have shown on his face, as Hermione startled him out of his watching by slapping his arm, with considerable force, signifying her irritation.

"Harry!" she hissed, "Now is not the time! We need to go!" Harry nodded, albeit reluctantly, still wanting to see more of the Death Eater's antics.

They snuck out of the office and crept through the time room, out of the door into the black hallway, which promptly swung shut after them. Harry's eyes widened as he realized the fiery crosses Hermione had marked the doors that they had already gone through with had disappeared. Before they could decide which door to try, another door opened and three people tumbled out of it.

"Ron!" Harry exclaimed, walking quickly towards them.

"Ginny? Are you all right?" Hermione asked concernedly.

Ron giggled weakly. "Ha-Harry… Ha… Ha ha. Funny… You look real funny… Ha ha ha…" Ron collapsed and fell to the ground, a dull thud echoing through the hallway.

Hermione stared at him in shock, and then regarded Ginny carefully, who appeared to be in pain. But when Ginny noticed her gaze, she just shook her head and slid down to the ground.

Luna looked at Hermione's confused visage. "I think she broke something… Maybe her ankle?" Luna remarked, noticing that Ginny was clutching her ankle awkwardly, "I know that I heard something crack in there."

Ron rolled over on his back and began giggling again. "Harry! We saw Uranus! Up close in there!" Harry shook his head and turned towards the more lucid members of their group.

"We need to go. Luna, Hermione, can you help Ginny? Me and Neville can get Ron." They both nodded.

As they moved to help Ginny up, she looked at them angrily. "I can get up myself, thanks." But when she tried to stand, she stumbled forward and clutched Hermione's shoulder for support, standing on her good leg.

Neville and Harry supported Ron with their shoulders, and they all started moving towards a door, Harry and Neville leading them. They almost got to it when another door swung open and Bellatrix Lestrange followed by three other Death Eaters ran into the hall.

"There they are!" she yelled. Red beams of light flew through the air as everyone in the room lucid enough to do so opened fire.

Harry took the brunt of Ron's weight and slammed through the door, and unceremoniously dropped Ron to the ground, more concerned with saving their lives than considering his friend's comfort. The rest of their party managed to get through before Harry locked it with a quick Colloportus. The Death Eaters slammed into the other side of the door.

They heard a man on the other side of the door. "It doesn't matter, there are other ways in." Then, he raised his voice as if alerting his fellow Death Eaters, "WE'VE GOT THEM TRAPPED HERE!"

Harry spun around and took in his surroundings, noticing that they ended up back in the brain room again. Heeding their associate's call, more Death Eaters ran to the four outside of the door.

Luna, Neville, Harry, and Hermione ran around the room, sealing doors as they went. Every now and then, a thud could be heard as a Death Eater would slam against a recently locked door.

Unfortunately, Luna wasn't quick enough to one of the doors, so when Harry looked over, he noticed her screaming as she flew through the air, hit by a spell from one of the Death Eaters pouring through the door. Luna hit the ground, landing on her right leg which gave a sickening crunch as she fell to the ground, unconscious, and with her leg bent at an odd angle.

Ron, it seemed, had just regained consciousness, as he began giggling again, and looked at one of the tanks containing the brains. "Ha ha…" he giggled, "Look! They're brains! Ha ha… Accio brain!"

Suddenly, the room was deathly silent, apart from Ron, who was giggling like a maniac. The brain Ron had summoned broke out of the tank and flew towards Ron quite quickly, and everyone, in spite of themselves, turned to watch the spectacle.

As the brain's tentacles made contact with Ron's now outstretched hands, they began coiling around his arms. The effect was instantaneous. Ron recoiled and tried, in his semi-conscious state, to get the tentacles off of his arms, failing pathetically.

Ginny tried to sever the tentacles with a Diffindo, but there was no effect. Instead, Ginny was hit straight in the face with a stunner and slumped to the ground. This seemed to bring everyone back to their senses.

Bellatrix Lestrange charged at Harry, intent on getting the prophecy still clutched in his hand, and Harry ran, Hermione close behind. As Harry ran into the next room through the only door open, he looked over his shoulder and saw the red light of a stunner impact Neville in the chest. Unfortunately, because Harry was looking back, he didn't see the approaching stairs and fell. Keeping the fragile orb close to his chest, he tumbled down the stairs, and Hermione followed quickly, luckily not falling as well. He hit the bottom with a crash, landing on his back. Hermione helped him up and gripped his arm painfully.

Wincing, he looked towards the door that he had recently entered through, and saw the five Death Eaters from the brain room dash through.

As the Death Eaters approached Harry and Hermione, they backed up, until Harry felt the back of his legs come into contact with something solid. He glanced back quickly and noticed that he was at the dais, where the archway stood. Harry scrambled to get up on it and pulled Hermione with him. They clutched each other, as if afraid that if they let go, they would be taken from each other.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.

"Accio Granger!" Bellatrix snarled. With a cry, Hermione was yanked from Harry's grasp. Harry reached out desperately for her hand, which was also outstretched, reaching for his, but she was too far away for him to reach.

As Hermione landed at their feet, Lucius Malfoy stepped forward. "Potter, give us the prophecy and your friend lives. Now."

Hermione wrenched her head up and yelled to Harry, "Don't do it, Harry! I'll be fine. The prophecy is more important! Go!"

Harry swallowed nervously, his hands shaking. "If - if you let her go, I'll give it to you," Harry asserted with confidence he didn't really feel. Malfoy must have noticed this because he smirked.

"You aren't really in any position to make demands, Potter, but you sure have loyalty. It sickens me. Crucio!" Malfoy yelled the torture curse and all Harry could do was watch Hermione writhe and scream under its effects. By the time Malfoy lifted it, tears were streaming down Harry's cheeks and Hermione was whimpering, curled up into a ball at Malfoy's feet.

Bellatrix laughed. "Potter! Now you've seen what we can do to your little friend..." The word friend was uttered with such malevolence that Harry flinched "...so hand over the prophecy, or that will seem like a cute little warm-up!" Bellatrix cackled maniacally, and Harry's face took on a horrified expression.

There was no choice. Harry made the decision instantly. There was nothing more important to him right now than Hermione surviving.

No stupid prophecy is more important than Hermione, Harry thought. He didn't get to articulate his decision, though, because from the door that the Death Eaters came through, came several stunning spells. Two Death Eaters that Harry didn't recognize fell to the ground as they were hit with stunners.

Harry looked sharply towards the door and his face broke into a wide grin as he saw Lupin, Sirius, Tonks, Moody, and Kingsley fiercely engage the remaining Death Eaters.

Tonks, however, separated from the group and rushed towards the whimpering Hermione and handed her a potion, which was weakly accepted.

"Drink this," she advised, "this will help with the pain."

Hermione swallowed the solution with the assistance of Tonks, and the change was visible. She stopped whimpering and her shoulders straightened as she collected herself. Tonks held out her hand and Hermione took it, and stood.

Harry was shocked, and it must have shown on his face because Tonks chuckled. "Harry, chuck the prophecy. All that matters now is keeping it out of their hands. I reckon Dumbledore knows what it says already anyway." Harry looked surprised, and Hermione looked angry.

"Dumbledore knew that there was a prophecy about Harry down here?" Hermione whispered angrily.

Harry's eyes snapped to hers. "Hermione, I know you're concerned, and I appreciate it, but there's a fight going on right now," Harry stated firmly. Hermione looked like she wanted to protest but managed to keep her mouth shut. Tonks looked very surprised at Hermione's outburst, but schooled her features into a neutral expression and dashed away to rejoin the fight.

"Right," Harry said, "Time to get rid of this blasted thing." He pitched the prophecy at the ground in front of his feet, and the orb smashed rather loudly at his feet. From the shards, a figure rose. Its mouth opened, and the duo stood transfixed as they heard the prophecy in full:

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…"

The figure faded, and with it, the message. Harry reached out for Hermione's hand and she gripped his tightly. Suddenly, they remembered that a fight was occurring around them as a sickly yellow light soared over their heads. They ducked in unison and turned to face their attacker, Dolohov.

"Tarantallegra!" Harry shouted, to which Dolohov smirked and shielded. Dolohov was about to throw a curse but was stopped when Sirius appeared out of nowhere and slammed into him with his shoulder, sending him flying. There was a crack as he hit the ground.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry intoned, and Dolohov's arms snapped to his side while his legs locked together.

Sirius looked at Harry approvingly and yelled, "Nice one!" The three of them ducked as a jet of green light barely missed Sirius. Cackling could be heard as Tonks fell down the steps in the same matter as Harry, Bellatrix looking triumphant.

Sirius looked grave. The two Death Eaters who were stunned early on were back into the fight. He turned to Harry with a fierce look. "Get yourself and your lady out of here!" Harry nodded and started pulling Hermione away from the fighting. A spell impacted the floor in front of them, leaving a small crater, and creating a small cloud of dust. Harry and Hermione coughed and continued around the new hole.

From behind him, Harry heard Hermione gasp and stop running. "Dumbledore," she whispered. "He's here!" Harry turned and saw the truth to her words.

Dumbledore rushed past the couple and entered the fight. Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, both no longer possessing any intention of leaving. Once the Death Eaters realized he was there, there was a mad scramble to escape.

In fact, only one couple was still fighting. Sirius and Bellatrix were multitasking, exchanging spells and verbally jousting at the same time.

"Come on! You can do better than that!" Sirius taunted, dodging a stunner. Harry and Hermione ran forward with the intent of help. However, it was useless, as Bellatrix's second jet of red light impacted him in the chest.

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

It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arc…

And Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place.

- Page 805-806, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

Bellatrix yelled out triumphantly, announcing to the heavens her great victory, while Harry could only stare in shock, staring at the last place his godfather had stood. Hermione wasn't faring much better.

Harry yelled, "SIRIUS! SIRIUS!"

But there was no answer. Harry ran forward, dodging Lupin, and pulled back the curtain.

"HARRY, NO!" He heard Hermione shout, but he didn't care. He would find his godfather. He jumped through.

As his senses faded, he heard Bellatrix yelling about how her master would reward her for killing not only Black "but Potter too!" The last thing he saw was Hermione jumping through after him. She grabbed his hand as his vision faded to black.