LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 420: Sirius
The torn metallic mesh of the grille door grinded against the lift's enclosure, sending sparks flying everywhere inside the lift as they descended to the ninth underground level of the Ministry of Magic.
The four girls were too exhausted to talk— too busy catching their breaths to even think.
After a while, the lift grinded to a halt— before abruptly dropping half a foot past where it was supposed to stop, causing Oleandra's heart to somersault inside her chest— and at last, the lift's grilles slowly opened with a metallic squeal, finally allowing Oleandra and company to step onto firm ground.
"We should find Dumbledore as soon as possible," said Daphne. "With the commotion we've caused, Ministry officials are bound to come running soon— and I daresay it will spell no end of trouble for all of us, if I'm seen here with you…"
Oleandra nodded wearily, and the group trudged back to the Room of Doors, whose doors were all conveniently still jammed open.
A nostalgic feeling suddenly washed over Oleandra, as she passed the Room of Death's threshold and beheld the Archway. She could already see the members of the Order of the Phoenix milling around it, securing and unmasking their prisoners, but Oleandra's attention was quickly drawn to the strange trail of twinkling lights floating in midair in the middle of the room.
"What happened here?" Oleandra murmured to herself.
"I had a bit of a mishap," said Daphne, her cheeks flushing pink. "Nothing major, really— a slight misfire with the Pleiades Spell. The hole's not that big, really."
When Daphne had used her Constellation Spell in the Space Room, she had somehow resonated with the magic that was being studied there, which had oomphlified her spell's power to unimaginable levels. She had accidentally blasted an enormous hole into the room's wall, and then she, Astoria, Tracey and Harry had got sucked into the hole, along with the unconscious bodies of Ron, Hermione and Luna, and they had ended up in the Death Room.
"Those are the Space Room's fake stars," Tracey added, pointing at the trail of stardust emerging from the hole in the wall and ending at the Archway. "They got sucked in along with the rest of us."
The four girls were soon noticed by the Order of the Phoenix's members, and Lupin went to greet them.
"You're all safe," Lupin sighed. "I had assumed the worst."
Beyond the relief, Oleandra could also discern a look of profound grief on his gaunt face.
"I— I'm sorry, but we lost Harry," Oleandra spluttered. "There was a masked man, and he took him away— he might still be alive, but…"
"Harry is in safe hands."
Oleandra's head swivelled towards the source of the voice— Dumbledore, who had somehow sneaked up behind them. She studied his facial expressions carefully, accidentally opening her Mystic Eyes in the process.
Dumbledore was outwardly calm, but his emotions towards her were difficult to interpret— there was the sort of love a teacher feels for an excellent student, but there was also relief, fear, deep sorrow, and a faint sense of disappointment…
"Your eyes," Tracey hissed, jabbing Oleandra in the ribs with her elbow.
"That's good to hear," said Astoria in relief— and then her face fell. "Still, I can't imagine what it must feel like for Harry— to lose Sirius so soon, they had barely got to know each other…"
That explained Lupin's expression, Oleandra realized. Sirius had died.
"I don't believe it was Bellatrix's intention to murder her cousin," said Dumbledore quietly. "It was a tragedy that her Stunning Spell caused him to fall through the Veil."
The Archway and the Veil were actually one of Earth's eight Gateways— the stone portals that allowed easy travel between the Nine Realms. It just so happened that this one led to the World of Mists— the World of the Dead, Niflheim.
"In that case, he might not be dead," Oleandra began, but Daphne immediately interrupted her.
"Don't even think about it!" she hissed, seizing Oleandra by the collar. "There's nothing but death on the other side, can't you hear the whispers from here!?"
Oleandra shook her head.
"I've been on the other side before," she said softly, as she brushed her sister's hands away. "Four years ago, already."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with interest, but if he had anything to say, he kept it to himself. Lupin, however, did not miss the curious and slightly hungry look in his eyes.
"Dumbledore, you can't seriously entertain this folly!" Lupin spoke up loudly, drawing everyone's attention. "It's irresponsible, and I won't allow it! It's the last thing Sirius would want!"
Over the past few months, Lupin and Sirius had begun asking themselves some serious questions about Dumbledore's cryptic decision-making. He very clearly had plans concerning Sirius's godson, but he had no intention of sharing them. They knew that Dumbledore didn't mean Harry any harm… but Dumbledore had grown to such an inhuman level of strength that Lupin and Sirius sometimes wondered if he hadn't forgotten that not everybody was like him.
Oleandra strode towards the dais, and she climbed its steps one by one, feeling the hum of runic power building up in her as she approached. The darkened runes engraved in her soul slowly began regaining their power, rejuvenated by the ancient artefact before her…
As if sensing the approach of its rightful mistress, the runes Wunjo, Raidhu, Eihwaz and Dagaz flared to life on the Archway's stone surface, burning with cold light— before Oleandra had even laid a hand on it.
"What in the world…" muttered Mad-Eye.
He'd been moving to intercept Oleandra before she killed herself, but upon seeing runes light up where none had been before, he'd frozen in his tracks. And when Oleandra went to touch the Gateway, nobody stopped her.
"Wunjo, Raidhu, Eihwaz, Dagaz!" Oleandra sang. "Let the Power of the Stars unite under my Standard! In the name of the Tree of Terror, carry me through Time and Space! Let the Gate to the World of Mists be Opened!"
There was a flash of bright light as two great luminous doors groaned open… and then she was gone— it was nothing like what had happened when Sirius had fallen through.
"Does anybody know this bloke?" came Tonks's voice, breaking the tense mood. "I don't recognize him; must be a Death Eater that got missed the first time around, I s'pose."
Tonks had been in the process of moving the captured Death Eaters' bodies into a row next to the dais and identifying them, when she had pulled the hood off an unfamiliar Death Eater…
Daphne's heart lurched.
"That's our father!" shouted Daphne in desperation. "The Imperius Curse! He must have been under its effects, or they must have threatened Mother…"
"That so?" said Moody gruffly, his magical eye rotating rapidly in its socket, before settling itself on the man in question. "Then, let's see what he has to say for himself…"
He pointed his wand at Daphne's and Astoria's father, and he uttered, "Rennervate!" and Maxwell's eyes fluttered open, unfocused.
"I wouldn't make any sudden moves, if I were you," said Moody menacingly, pointing his wand in Maxwell's face.
"Girls…?" Maxwell muttered, his eyes regaining some clarity.
Upon hearing him speak, Daphne and Astoria ignored Moody and jumped into their father's arms, crying warm tears of relief. Daphne wiped her tears, but just as she was about to ask him about their mother's whereabouts, there was a flash of bright light as Oleandra emerged from the Archway with an unconscious Sirius in her arms, in a princess carry.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Oleandra shouted, upon seeing her sisters hugging a man wearing a lie on his face and possessing a heart as cold as ice. "THAT'S NOT OUR FATHER!"
Shocked, not even Moody and Dumbledore could react in time for what was about to happen. Dumbledore hastily pocketed a jar containing something that looked like black mist, and he reached for his wand, but it was far too late.
The man who looked like the girls' father abruptly stood up and began turning on the spot; just as Oleandra dived off the dais, her hands wrapping around his neck…
…and then, Oleandra, Daphne and Astoria were whisked away from the Death Room with a loud popping sound; Disapparating along with the man who had worn their father's face…