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Chapter 684: Battle at the Department of Mysteries
Chapter 684: Battle at the Department of Mysteries
Kai struggled to describe his current state of mind. He had barely slept for ten minutes before being shaken awake.
"Fred, George, you better give me a good explanation," Kai said, sitting up in bed and rubbing his face to clear his mind.
It was incredible that he could see Fred and George in the dormitory.
As for Michael and Ryan, their beds were empty, probably still playing Wizard Chess in the common room. Kai remembered them mentioning a plan to play all night.
"I know you're about to graduate soon, and it's hard to leave Hogwarts behind. You want to make the most of your time here, even if it means sacrificing sleep. But I'll be back next year..."
Kai couldn't help but add, "And this is Hufflepuff's dormitory. How did you even get in here?"
"Cedric let us in, of course," Fred replied with a mischievous smile.
"Never mind that," George said. "You've been to the Headmaster's Office, right?"
Kai nodded, "Yes, what about it?"
"So, has the Order of the Phoenix been up to anything recently?" Fred asked in a lowered voice.
"I haven't heard anything," Kai thought for a moment. "Why do you ask?"
"That's strange," George said, puzzled. "If there's no activity, why would Harry and the others leave school?"
"Leave school? What do you mean?"
"They flew away right in front of us," Fred explained. "We were discussing the Weasley Joke Shop's opening, and when we looked up, we saw Harry flying in the sky."
"Hermione and Ron were there too," George added.
"What?" Kai snapped to attention.
He hadn't expected Dumbledore to be so explicit, yet Harry had believed his dream...
Kai didn't have to think twice; Harry's destination was undoubtedly the Ministry of Magic. After all, Kai had heard him mention this place while outside the Headmaster's Office.
This was clearly a trap. Harry's arrival meant that Death Eaters would be there, or were already waiting for him.
"When did this happen?" Kai exclaimed.
"Probably a couple of hours ago," Fred said after some thought. "We were arguing about the shop's opening activities, and when we night-walked here, we suddenly remembered this. Wait, Kai, where are you going?"
As the Weasley brothers looked on in confusion, Kai jumped out of bed and rushed out of the common room.
Upon reaching the eighth floor, he encountered Dumbledore standing outside the Gryffindor common room.
"Professor..." Kai hurried over and recounted the news he had just heard.
"I already know," Dumbledore said, his face grim. "I just received word that Sirius is safe, and I was about to inform Harry, but it seems I'm too late."
"I guess they left when I destroyed the Horcrux..."
"What should we do now?" Kai asked. "Should we go to the Ministry too?"
"I'll go," Dumbledore said. "You'll be safest staying here at school."
"No," Kai shook his head, insisting, "My mother is in the Department of Mysteries."
Dumbledore hesitated, wanting to reassure Kai about Diana's safety, but the words stuck in his throat.
If he were Kai, he wouldn't be easily convinced by a few words either.
"It's fine, Professor," Kai said quickly. "As long as it's not Voldemort, those Death Eaters are no match for me."
"Death Eaters are not as weak as you think, Kai," Dumbledore said gravely. "They were once the most powerful wizards, having endured the cruelty of war."
Kai remained silent and took out his trunk.
"Um... okay," Dumbledore agreed in an instant.
"Hold my hand," Dumbledore instructed.
Kai immediately grabbed his arm.
In a flash, Fox flew over and perched on Dumbledore's shoulder.
After a familiar dizzying sensation, the corridor with portraits gave way to a dark and mysterious passage.
"Are we at the Ministry?" Kai asked, forcing down the nausea and opening his eyes.
"Yes, this is the entrance to the Department of Mysteries," Dumbledore said, his voice low as he gazed at the black door at the end of the passage. "I believe we're not too late; they should still be inside."
Kai quickly took a few steps forward but turned to find Dumbledore still standing in his original spot, wand in hand, staring coldly at the other side of the passage.
As Dumbledore's words fell, a tall, thin figure wearing a black hood appeared at the end of the passage.
"Ah, Dumbledore..." Voldemort's snake-like red eyes looked eerie in the dark surroundings.
Kai felt a chill run through his body, but there was no time for further thought.
Almost simultaneously, Dumbledore and Voldemort raised their wands, and a blinding flash of red and green light exploded in the narrow passage.
Seizing the moment, Kai pushed open the black door and slipped inside.
As the door closed, the commotion outside ceased instantly, as if nothing had happened.
Kai caught his breath and continued deeper into the Department.
Dumbledore's presence outside was enough; he couldn't help much anyway. The priority now was dealing with the Death Eaters inside the Department of Mysteries.
In stark contrast to the quiet upon his arrival, Kai could faintly hear exclamations and explosions even as he entered.
Meanwhile, in a room resembling a library, filled with crystal orbs, Harry confronted a disheveled-looking woman.
"Where's Sirius?" he demanded, wand in one hand and a crystal orb in the other. "I know you've captured him! He's here!"
"Oh, baby, you woke up and thought your dream was real," Bellatrix croaked, her voice grating like a saw on glass.
"Oh, Bellatrix, you don't know Harry like I do," another Death Eater approached, "He has a big weakness, a personal heroism complex, and the Dark Lord is well aware of it!"
"I know Sirius is here!" Harry asserted, his voice tense. "I saw you capture him!"
The Death Eaters burst into laughter.
"You should learn to distinguish dreams from reality, Potter," Malfoy said. "Now, hand over the crystal orb, and maybe we'll let you see Sirius!"
Harry didn't move.
Based on the Death Eaters' behavior, he gradually became convinced that Sirius was indeed not there, and Dumbledore's words rang true—it was a trap.
Harry felt his hands and feet turn cold, and his stomach seemed to shrink. He had believed in that dream, and now, because of something that didn't exist, he had brought Ron and Hermione to their deaths...
"Harry..." Hermione patted his shoulder and shook her head gently.
"Oh, how touching," Bellatrix cackled. "Look at their serious faces, as if they're ready to fight us."
"How moving," Bellatrix continued, "If you give me the crystal orb, perhaps I'll let you die together."
"Shut up!" Harry couldn't help but shout.
Bellatrix let out a wild laugh.
"Did you hear that? Did you hear that? He's giving me orders..."
But in the next moment, her laughter vanished.
"Who gave you the courage to order me around?" she demanded.
"Crucio!"
Harry stood frozen, not reacting in time, but Hermione's quick response saved him as she pushed him out of the way, narrowly avoiding the Cruciating Curse.
"Are you mad?" Malfoy exclaimed. "What if you break it..."
"No one can give me orders except the Dark Lord," Bellatrix's chest heaved, but thankfully, the reminder brought her back to the task at hand.
"Grab him! I don't believe he'll remain unmoved while his companions are tortured!"
...
"You won't get away with this!" Sirius appeared from nowhere, wand in hand.
"Explosio!"
Bellatrix was thrown backward, crashing into a shelf filled with crystal orbs.
The room began to "rain" as over a hundred crystal orbs fell to the ground, shattering and revealing translucent figures and whispering voices.
However, with so many voices speaking simultaneously, the group couldn't discern what was being said.
"Run!"
Two more individuals burst into the room, with Moody taking the lead while Mr. Weasley guided Harry, Ron, and Hermione toward the nearest exit.
"Mr. Weasley, how did you get here...?" Harry asked, surprised and delighted.
"We received Dumbledore's message and came immediately..." Mr. Weasley explained rapidly, "You shouldn't have come."
"Arthur was right," Sirius caught up from behind, "Even though you came to rescue me, I must say, you were too reckless. Even if I were captured, I wouldn't want to see you here... And most importantly, you shouldn't have brought Hermione and Ron along."
"I'm sorry..." Harry lowered his head in shame.
"We insisted on coming," Ron quickly interjected. "Harry disagreed, but we secretly followed him..."
"Idiots!" Moody joined in, glancing at Sirius. "What have you been teaching them, Dumbledore should've let me teach the lower years."
Sirius remained silent.
"Alright, enough talk," Mr. Weasley intervened. "Let's run, there are about twenty Death Eaters here, and we're outnumbered... Damn, where did they get so many people?
"But Dumbledore should be here soon, we must buy some time."
The group dashed through doors, aimlessly fleeing, with Death Eaters in hot pursuit.
By the time Kai found the Prophecy Hall, guided by the sounds, it was in disarray.
Most of the shelves had toppled, and the floor was littered with shattered crystal orb fragments.
"Aha, I knew there were stragglers."
A figure in a black hood emerged from behind a shelf. "If I capture you, Hogwarts will be threatened to force Potter to surrender the crystal orb."
"Not bad," Kai smiled, feeling no panic but instead asking with interest, "I thought I heard Sirius and Moody's voices... So, are you hiding here because you're afraid to face them?"
"Nonsense, I'm the Dark Lord's most loyal servant. How could I fear them?" The figure's voice was shrill. "I just think more than they do, and now, I've caught you, haven't I?"
"Well, you're certainly lucky." Kyle spread his hands in a gesture of resignation.
"Enough talk," the Death Eater said, raising his wand and advancing towards Kyle. "You're lucky I caught you. I can threaten Potter to hand over the Prophecy Orb that the Dark Lord desires, and claim the greatest glory..."
Perhaps it was because Kyle was unarmed, but the Death Eater seemed even more confident, not noticing the pair of azure eyes fixed on him from behind.
"You'd better stay still and not move..."
"Pfft!"
Before he could finish his sentence, the Death Eater was sent flying uncontrollably.
A massive spear, composed of shards from the crystal ball, materialized out of thin air, piercing through the Death Eater's body and carrying him backward until he was impaled on a rack.
Even Kyle was startled; he hadn't seen where the 'spear' had come from. His wand slid into his hand from his sleeve, and in the box, a yellowish-orange eye flickered into view.
"You should be at Hogwarts right now, not here," a familiar voice said from behind him, causing Kyle to breathe a sigh of relief.
He turned around in pleasant surprise and saw Diana standing not far behind him.
"I received word that Death Eaters and Voldemort might show up at the Department of Mysteries," Kyle explained, still holding his wand tightly. "I brought Dumbledore with me; he should be able to help you."
"Do you think I need help?" Diana shook her head.
Kyle glanced instinctively at the Death Eater pinned to the rack.
"Um... Should I go back now?"
"Forget it," Diana sighed. "It's more dangerous outside the Department of Mysteries at the moment."
She waved her wand again, and the crystal spear transformed into a small crystal figurine, dragging the screaming Death Eater into the darkness, his destination unknown.
"Didn't your father ever tell you?" Diana approached and said, "The Silent Ones are absolutely safe within the Department of Mysteries. Even if Voldemort turns this place upside down, he won't find us."
"No, he never did," Kyle shook his head.
Diana narrowed her eyes, and a cold light flashed briefly.
Kyle realized he might have put Chris in a difficult position and quickly changed the subject with a nervous laugh. "Mom, aren't you worried about the Death Eaters?"
"Why should I be?" Diana asked in return.
"These prophecies must be important," Kyle said, glancing at the chaotic Prophecy Hall, which was almost dismantled, with not a single intact crystal orb remaining.
"Oh, that?" Diana waved her wand, and the racks that had fallen to the ground returned to their original positions, once again filled with prophecy orbs.
"Only those involved in a prophecy can retrieve the corresponding orb in the Department of Mysteries," Diana explained. "Aside from that, the prophecy orbs cannot be destroyed. Even if they are shattered, they can be restored. Moreover, others cannot hear the true content of the prophecies."
"I see," Kyle said, realizing why the Death Eaters had started tearing the place apart while no one from the Department of Mysteries intervened; they simply didn't care.
After a while, Diana noticed Kyle repeatedly looking towards the door across from them.
"Do you want to help?" she asked.
"Yes," Kyle nodded. "Since I'm here, I should do something."
"Are you sure?" Diana said. "Quite a few Death Eaters have arrived, and a Venomous Bag Cat won't be of much help."
"Also, for some reason, I can't assist you myself."
"It's fine," Kyle said, opening his box. "I have more than just the cat."
A dark shadow emerged, excitedly rubbing its head against Kyle's hand.
"A Venomous Bag Cat..." Diana's eyelid twitched.
But there was more. Another large creature struggled to squeeze out of the box—a three-headed dog.
It was Lufu, the Three-Headed Dog that Kyle had borrowed during the Care of Magical Creatures class in the Forbidden Forest. Now, Lufu was even larger, with one of its legs almost taller than Kyle.
Diana also caught a glimpse of a scaly head poking out of the box, but it seemed to dislike the confined space. It blew two streams of fire from its nostrils before retreating back inside.
It appeared to be a Fire Dragon, possibly a Norwegian Ridgeback, judging by its appearance.
"Where did you get all these creatures?" Diana rubbed her forehead and asked.
"I borrowed them," Kyle explained. "Didn't you tell me not to confront the Death Eaters directly and to make use of my advantages? So, I prepared these."
"Oh, and I also have a Basilisk, but its vision doesn't differentiate between friend and foe. It might harm our own people in such a place, so I didn't release it."
Diana rubbed her forehead even harder.
She had indeed advised Kyle not to take action himself, but she hadn't expected him to go to such extremes.
"What's wrong?" Kyle asked, noticing Diana's silence. "Are these not enough?"
"Put the Venomous Bag Cat away," Diana said, slightly annoyed.
Was a Basilisk dangerous, but a Venomous Bag Cat was safe? This creature could wipe out the entire Ministry of Magic much faster than a Basilisk.
"Okay," Kyle obediently held the struggling Venomous Bag Cat and forced it back into the box.
Diana couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine as she watched.
Finally, she stopped talking and simply pointed to a door on the right.
"Go through this door and keep going straight, and you'll see them."
(End of Chapter)
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