Blinding | Draco Malfoy

ten

They went to the Forbidden Forest where the Thestrals gathered. They couldn't see them, but Luna and Harry could. They all flew to London as quickly as they could. They rushed through the corridors of the Ministry of Magic, taking the elevator up to the floor which was the Department of Mysteries. It was a long, dark hall with a door at the end.

"This is it." Harry confirmed. They made their way up to it and stepped inside. It was even darker in there. They were in the Hall of Prophecies. It seemed Voldemort needed a prophecy, but what did it say? They used Lumos to see ahead of them, but they couldn't see very far. They heard a noise, looking around them to see what it was. The wall had disappeared, leaving only the door. It seemed this place was scary infinite.

Harry began counting the rows, remembering the number he saw in his vision, where Voldemort was torturing Sirius. As he reached row 95, he saw no one there. This didn't make sense. Now Hermione, Aurora, and Ron were beginning to think her original hunch was true. Voldemort made him see what he wanted him to see. Aurora thought back to what Draco said, about it being a trap. She understood his hesitance, but she couldn't not come. If her father was here, she had to come and save him. He looked back at them, breathing heavily.

"He should be here." He told them. Aurora swallowed hard. Maybe Draco was right. Maybe they weren't ready to face the Dark Lord, maybe they wouldn't succeed. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her head. She had to believe they would.

"Harry..." Neville stuttered as he looked up at one of the prophecies. "It's got your name on it."

Harry stepped over, looking up at the clouded globe. He reached out to it, then turned to give them all a questioning look. They were silent, not sure what he should do, either. Finally, he took it into his hands. They heard Professor Trelawny's voice. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. And the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal, but he shall have power on his side the Dark Lord knows not. For neither can live while the other survives."

Aurora didn't have a good idea of what that prophecy spoke exactly. Was she meant to be the power on his side that Voldemort didn't know about? "Harry!"

He directed his attention to Hermione. They all gathered there, looking down the corridor to see a Death Eater approaching them out of the shadows, slowly and sinisterly. "Where's Sirius?"

"You know, you really should learn to tell the difference between dreams..." He pulled out his wand from his cane, which led them to believe this was none other than Lucius Malfoy. They were right when he removed his mask magically. "...and reality. You saw only what the Dark Lord wanted you to see. Now, hand me the prophecy."

"That's Draco's father, Lucius." Hermione whispered to her. So his family really were Death Eaters? It made sense, everything he said, about the impossible standards. She could see now why he was the way he was, he'd been raised to be that way. He was expected to be that way. She knew why he couldn't be here. She understood.

"If you do anything to us, I'll break it." Harry tightened his grip on the globe. They heard a haunting laugh fill the room, which they could only believe belonged to the insane Bellatrix Lestrange.

"He knows how to play!" She laughed, and Lucius gave her an annoyed look as she walked out from the shadows to join them. "Itsy-bitsy... baby Potter!"

"Bellatrix Lestrange..." Neville began, stepping forward to where Harry was standing in front of the group. They all gave him worried looks, and Aurora even tried to pull him back. But, there was nothing she could do now.

"Neville Longbottom, is it? How's mum and dad?" She offered with a sarcastic tone.

"Better now they're about to be avenged." He narrowed his eyes at her. Upon meeting Neville, no one thought he'd turn out this way. But he was brave, courageous, selfless, intelligent. The list goes on. He pointed his wand at her in one swift motion, bringing Aurora out of her thoughts. Harry quickly put his arm out in front of him, stopping him and pushing him back. Bellatrix did the same thing, as did Lucius. But thankfully, neither of them casted a spell.