Part 7

Harry has seen Sirius in the department of mysteries, being tortured. He, alongside Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna have already escaped from Proffesor Umbridge and her inquisitorial squad. They've broken into the ministry.

We begin in a room, Harry is standing in the middle, all five of his friends are being held at wand point by a deatheater each.

Harry watched Lucius Malfoy determinedly as he pulled his sleeve up revealing a dark snake coiling around a skull, tattooed into his skin. There's no way he would call him. Hermione thought, desperately. He's too scared. And surely enough, as she thought the words, Lucius lowered his two fingers and winced in pain as he touched the dark mark. He grinned as Harry backed away from him. Lord Voldemort appeared in the room. There was a collective gasp from everyone. Even Travers, the deatheater holding Hermione, seemed shocked. Voldemort scanned the room, barely giving Harry a glance, surely saving him for later. His cold, high voice filled everyone's ears, his eyes trained on Neville. "Bellatrix, surely that isn't... a Longbottom!" He and Bellatrix cackled loudly. Neville flinched. Voldemort spoke again. "And Travers, you've got yourself a mudblood... Well done, yes... Very well done." He continued looking around the room. His eyes stopped at Ginny, his lips parted. He looked amused. "Fenrir, you seem to have caught an old friend of mine..." Harry's hand was gripping his wand tightly. He was breathing hard. "Ginny, you've grown up nicely." Ginny looked Voldemort dead in the eyes. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same about you, Tom." Voldemort laughed. "Visited the chamber lately?" He said, mockingly. Ginny snapped at him in parseltongue. Voldemort looked furious and said something back, pulling his wand out. Harry said something to Voldemort also in parseltongue, clearly he understood the conversation. Voldemort whipped around at him. "Harry... I had almost forgotten about you." Voldemort's voice was even again. "I'm afraid I haven't much time, today, though... Before I kill you, Harry..." Voldemort paused. Ginny struggled with Greyback, trying hard to free herself. Harry shook his head at her, she stopped. "You have something I want." He continued. "Give it to me now, and your friends will leave, unharmed. I can't say the same about you, though." His last sentence was a whisper, before he cackled again, and held his hand out, motioning for Harry to give him the prophecy. "Harry, No!" Neville yelled. Bellatrix pushed her wand harder against his cheek. Hermione was sobbing against Travers' hand on her mouth. "No, Harry... Harry NO!!" Her muffled screams filled the room as Harry held out his arm, prophecy in hand, just as 10 order members appeared in the room. Harry dropped the prophecy. Voldemort screamed in agony as it shattered and Dumbledore stepped in front of Harry protectively. Thankful for the distraction, Ginny stomped hard on Greyback's foot, stunned him and sent a well-aimed curse flying over Hermione's head, hitting Travers square in the face. The order members and deatheaters began several heated duels. Dumbledore and Voldemort were locked in battle in the middle of the room, Harry and Sirius dueling Lucius, two on one. Ginny's eyes darted back and forth between their fight and Bellatrix who had let go of Neville and was walking towards Lucius. Just as Harry disarmed him, Ginny saw Bellatrix raise her wand. "SIRIUS, NO!" Ginny shouted but she was a split-second too late. Sirius had left. "Hello, lovely." A voice behind her said. She whipped around and began a duel with Dolohov, trying to concentrate despite Harry's agonized screams in her ears and the tears that were filling her eyes. "Petrificus Totalus" She performed the curse and watched Dolohov's body go rigid and fall to the ground. She turned around just in time to see Harry running into a dark hallway after Bellatrix. Everyone ran to follow him, but Ginny paused at the stone archway in the middle of the room, and picked up Sirius' wand. She ran her fingers over the meticulous carvings in the wood. It was still warm from where Sirius' hand had been only moments before. She stuffed it in her pocket and ran after the group.

In the new room

Harry's friends all cringed... It was hard watching him writhing on the ground, his voice skipping between Voldemort's and his own. Dumbledore crouched next to him, looking as if in physical pain just watching Harry. Voldemort appeared once more by his side. "You're a fool, Harry Potter... And you will lose... Everything." Aurors arrived one by one in the fireplace and Voldemort's figure disappeared.

Later, everyone is leaving the ministry. Harry is walking in silence ahead of the group.

"Ginny was great, though." Neville said, brightly. "Stunned Greyback, Travers and Dolohov!" Ginny smiled weakly as Ron playfully punched her arm. And Remus beamed at her, proudly. "Hey," Ron started. He had been trapped in a separate room than them. He looked at Remus. "Where's Sirius?" Everyone went quiet. Ron seemed to understand. Ginny pulled his wand out of her back pocket and rubbed it gently with her thumb. Everyone looked at it and shared solemn looks with eachother before quickly looking at their shoes. Ginny quickened her pace until she was caught up with Harry. He didn't look at her. Tears were running freely down his face. Ginny took his hand, which was clenched in a fist, and opened it gently, placing Sirius's wand into it. He looked at the wand for a moment, and Ginny rejoined the group behind him. Neville cleared his throat, obviously trying to loosen the tension between everyone. "So, Ginny. What did you say to you-know-who that made him so mad?" The others looked at her curiously. "Oh, nothing much... It was just a friendly suggestion for another place he should stick his wand." They all laughed and Ginny could've sworn she saw Harry crack a smile.