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Chapter 1129: Surrounded
🕑 Added 2024-05-30 14:00:07 +0000 UTC“It's none of your business,” said Malfoy. “Go back; we’re going the wrong way!"
But Harry did not move. He had just heard faint whispering, murmuring noises coming from the other side of the veil on the archway.
"I heard voices, there are people inside!"
"That's the dead talking. If you are interested in the world of the dead, I promise to let you pass at any time without using this archway. Now, go back!" Malfoy looked around angrily and said, "Jugson, Crabbe, Goyle, Rabastan, Macnair, stop staring at that archway like idiots. How many times do you need to learn your lesson?"
Like Harry, they were staring at the veil in trance, obviously fascinated!
"Bellatrix, wake them up," said Malfoy.
Harry saw Bellatrix raise her wand, but he didn't care.
He couldn't explain why, but he was still in a daze, staring straight at the curtain that kept fluttering.
Then, in a flurry of confusion, he was pulled out by a powerful force.
It was the wizard named Thorfinn who pulled Harry first back to the black circular room.
"That arch..." The voices Harry heard faded.
"That's a relic from ancient times, said to lead to the world of the dead."
"Can you see the dead through that door?" Harry thought that the voices might be his parents’.
"No, no one knows how to open that archway. Anyone who passes through the veil dies. The Ministry of Magic keeps it here to study the mysteries of death," Thorfinn bent down, using the other Death Eaters as cover, and whispered quickly to Harry in a very low voice, “Listen, Harry, once we enter the Time Room, stay by my side."
Harry blinked, not understanding what was going on.
He raised his head and looked at Thorfinn. He had blond hair, rough features, and those eyes...
Those eyes were very familiar to him, no doubt about it.
His heart pounded—those were Sirius's eyes.
Goodness, Thorfinn was Sirius in disguise. What was going on?!
Harry wanted to say something but, thinking of Malfoy and the other Death Eaters behind him, quickly shut his mouth.
Whatever was going on, it was not the best time to talk or ask questions now.
He swallowed hard, his heart racing.
Harry could hardly believe it—Sirius among the Death Eaters, how did he do it?!
"Next room," said Malfoy.
When all the Death Eaters returned to the first room, the wall spun and became still again.
Rookwood opened another door, but backed out before entering.
"Not this one!" he muttered.
Harry could see that behind the door was a very dark room with many planets floating in the darkness.
The wall continued to rotate, shaking in a dizzying manner.
"Please, we can't waste the whole night here choosing these stupid doors."
"I can only determine the general direction. It’s always near this position," said Rookwood, pushing another door open.
But that door did not budge, so he tried the one to the left.
"Found it, this is it!"
Under the watchful eyes of several Death Eaters, Harry walked into the new room. He could feel Sirius standing behind him, pointing a wand at him along with Malfoy.
In the new room, there was beautiful, dancing, diamond-sparkling light, and Harry hurriedly closed his eyes.
As Harry’s eyes became more accustomed to the brilliant glare he saw clocks gleaming from every surface, large and small, grandfather and carriage, hanging in spaces between the bookcases or standing on desks ranging the length of the room, so that a busy, relentless ticking filled the place like thousands of minuscule, marching footsteps.
The source of the dancing, diamond-bright light was a towering crystal bell jar that stood at the far end of the room.
"The Time Room!" Harry tensed up.
He remembered what Sirius had just said, and touched his wand with his right hand.
"This way!" Malfoy said, and the group walked forward along the narrow space between the lines of the desks, heading for the source of the light.
Harry slowed down and tried to get as close to Sirius as possible.
The closer he got to the towering crystal bell jar, the clearer he could see it. This crystal bell jar was as tall as Harry. It stood on a desk and appeared to be full of a billowing, glittering wind.
Drifting along in the sparkling current inside was a tiny, jewel-bright egg. As it rose in the jar it cracked open and a hummingbird emerged, which was carried to the very top of the jar, but as it fell on the draft, its feathers became bedraggled and damp again, and by the time it had been borne back to the bottom of the jar it had been enclosed once more in its egg.
Behind the crystal bell jar, there was another door. This was their destination.
"Thorfinn, are you sure you have unlocked the magic on this door?"
"Yes!" Sirius replied, standing next to Harry. "You can have a try!"
"Then why was it open?" said Malfoy suspiciously, feeling a bad premonition.
As far as he knew, the magic on this door should not have been placed by the Ministry of Magic. He had spied a lot of information about the interior of the Department of Mysteries from Fudge and other Ministry officials, and had never heard of any alarm here.
Since it was not the Ministry of Magic, it might be the Order of the Phoenix, then...
“We’re right here. Even if it hasn’t been disarmed, what does it matter if the Ministry finds us? Grab Potter, get the prophecy, then Disapparate from the hall. It’s that simple," said Bellatrix impatiently.
She waved her wand and the door opened.
The next second, Harry was suddenly pulled behind by Sirius, and he saw countless red lights flashing; the sound of curses hitting something, and the screams of Death Eaters.
Behind the door were all the members of the Order of the Phoenix.
"Damn, it's an ambush, get back!"
"We're surrounded!"
"Thorfinn, you damn traitor."
"The real Thorfinn Rowle has been subdued long ago. Now, drop your wand, Malfoy," said Sirius.
Under the combined attack from both front and back, the Death Eaters were quickly overwhelmed. Seven of them fell down, leaving Malfoy, Bellatrix, and five other Death Eaters standing, surrounded by the Order members.
The situation was very unfavorable for them, but obviously, Malfoy and Bellatrix did not intend to surrender...
