Chapter 66: The Witch Shadow Empire

It's been two days since Andrew disappeared, and Hermione has been silent for the past two days. Everyone around knew why, and no one dared to go up and disturb her.

After the .ls exam, Harry did it once and for all he had that weird dream.

"Voldemort captured Sirius. Harry said, grabbing Hermione.

"yes, Andrew is gone. ”

"It's not—"

"I know I'm gone. Hermione said expressionlessly, "But I know he's okay." ”

"Hermione!" said Harry, "Voldemort has captured Sirius!"

"What?" Hermione reacted, "Harry, what did you say?" but—but where? how did you catch it?" Hermione asked, her face pale.

"I don't know how I caught it," Harry said, "but I know exactly where. There's a room full of shelves in the Department of Mysteries, and they're at the end of the 97th row of shelves—there's something he wants, and he's trying to use Sirius to get it—he's torturing Sirius—he's saying he's going to kill Sirius eventually——— and he's fearless when he gets it. ”

Harry noticed his voice trembling, as did his knees. He sat down at a table, trying to calm himself.

"Andrew isn't here, I really don't know what to do," Harry said.

There was silence for a moment, then Hermione spoke. "It's true that we rely on him too much. ”

"I've decided!" Harry said loudly, "I'm going to save Sirius!"

"What?" Hermione asked in surprise, "Are you really going——— I think, in Andrew's absence———"

"No," said Harry firmly, "I can't rely on Andrew anymore, I can't do anything in that way." ”

"That's right," Ron said excitedly, he stood up and stood in front of them, "we don't need to rely on Andrew, we can do something on our own——— Harry, believe in ourselves, only our own words can succeed." ”

"Ron, I think in Andrew's absence ———"

"Don't Andrew," Ron roared, "Your Andrew is no longer here, and may have been ——— by someone from the Ministry of Magic."

"Ron!" Hermione also stood up, looking at him with a look of disgust, "I don't understand, why are you always like this?"

"Do you think Andrew has done Harry any harm? Andrew has forgiven you for your actions a few times? What's wrong with Andrew? Andrew is not something you can compare, is he? Do you know how much he has paid behind his back?"

Ron raised his head, unconvinced, his eyebrows raised, "I think, what he did is simply insignificant, if I am allowed to do it———"

"——— let you do it? I think we've been dead I don't know how many times. Hermione said lightly.

"Alright," Ron walked over to Harry, "then let Harry decide, and see what he wants to say." ”

"I've decided I'm going to check it out!" said Harry firmly, "I'm going to have to check it out!"

"Harry!" Hermione looked at the two of them, "Alright, go ahead——— I thought how sad Andrew would be when he knew that everything he had done had been ruined by the impulsive whims of two people. ”

"That's my godfather!" Harry yelled with red eyes, "my godfather was most likely captured by Voldemort, and he really hasn't heard anything at all!"

Hermione pursed her lips and stopped talking.

"———Harry, Penelope is looking for you outside. Ginny walked in and said.

"Oh, okay. ”

Harry walked out of the common room, and Gulina stood in the doorway, and as soon as she saw Harry, she couldn't wait to say, "Harry, God———" She looked around and said in a low voice, "The mysterious man is going to the Ministry of Magic to get something." ”

"What?" Harry asked in surprise, "How did you ——— and how did you know?"

"Leave it alone," Penelope said, "and if the mystery man does get it, it will be bad, I think ———"

"Let's stop him. Harry said, "Let's stop him together." ”

Penelope didn't expect Harry to say so happily, "Okay for the rest of you, I have a plan......

Harry and Penelope found anyone they could——— Luna, Ginny, Neville, Ron, and although Hermione wasn't too happy, they followed, and in order to avoid Umbridge, they sneaked to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Harry told them what had happened, saying, "If we don't stop it, then I don't think anyone can stop Voldemort......

"Well said, Harry. Ron exclaimed, "I think Harry is right, now only we can stop him!"

"But how do we get there?" Neville asked a key question.

Everyone was silent, looking very worried, and the difficulties they faced seemed insurmountable.

"Well, we're just going to have to fly over, aren't we?" said Luna in a flat tone.

"Okay. Harry turned to her irritably, "First of all, if you were included, this 'we' wouldn't be able to do anything, and second, Ron was the only one of us whose broomstick wasn't guarded by the troll guards, so—"

"I have a broomstick too!" said Ginny.

"That's not enough," Penelope said.

"I think we've solved this problem. Luna exasperated, "Let's fly over!"

"I said," Ron said, "maybe you can fly without a broomstick, but we don't have wings, and whenever we are—"

"There are other ways to fly besides using a broomstick. Luna said calmly.

"Looks like we're going to ride on the back of a crooked snorer, or something?" Ron asked.

"Scimitars can't fly," Luna said majestically, "but they can, Hagrid says they're very good at spotting what the rider is looking for——— we can use that." She pointed behind them.

They turned around and saw two Thestrals standing between the two trees, blinking timidly with their white eyes, watching the secret conversation as if they could understand every word.

"Great!" he whispered, walking toward them. They shook their reptilian heads, their long black manes flicking back, and Harry eagerly reached out a hand and patted the shiny neck of the Thestrals closest to him, wondering how he had thought they were ugly before, "Is this what kind of crazy horse is this?" Ron said incredulously, staring at the left of Thestrals, which Harry was gently patting, "It's something that only those who have seen the dead can see?"

"Yes. Harry said. "How many are there?"

"There are only two horses. ”

"It's six. Ginny said with a frown.

"Very well," Harry said, taking the lead, "then let's go." ”

They flew over the grounds of Hogwarts, over Hogsmeade, over mountains and ravines. As the day began to fade, they flew over village after village.

Twilight falls: The sky gradually takes on a faint, hazy purple color, scattered with small silver stars. Soon, only the lights of Muggle towns could tell them how high and fast they were above the ground.

Hermione followed them without saying a word, Andrew, where are you? Why don't you show up? She looked at Harry the fool anxiously, and at Penelope vigilantly, this woman, there must be something wrong, but she had been on Andrew's side before, could it be that all this was actually what Andrew meant?

By this time they had arrived at the dilapidated telephone booth, Harry picked up the phone, expertly pressed a few numbers, said a few words, and then they picked up the six badges that had slipped out of the metal diagonal sash that was supposed to be used to withdraw coins, and made their way to the main hall of the Ministry of Magic.

Here, the only sound that can be heard is the continuous rush of water from the wands of witches and witches, the arrowheads of centaurs, the tips of fairy hats, and the ears of house-elves, falling into the circular pool.

"Come here. Harry said softly, and the six of them walked through the hall to the Golden Gate and towards the elevator, which they eventually took to the Department of Mysteries.

Harry led the group down the hallway, through the Black Gate, to the same room that Harry had often dreamed of.

The beautiful, diamond-like sparkle of jumping light, the dials of many clocks shimmering. They come in all sizes, from floor-to-ceiling grandfather clocks to travel clocks, hanging from bookshelves to tables the length of a room. Because of this, a rapid, never-ending tick filled the room, like the sound of thousands of tiny footsteps. The diamond-like leap of light came from a bell-shaped glass dome standing tall at the end of the room.

They opened the only door and came inside.

It was as tall as a church, lined with towering shelves and dusty glass balls, and nothing else. More candlesticks were embedded in the shelves at regular intervals, and a faint light shone from them, and the flames were blue, just like those in the black round room. The little glass balls glow faintly in the light. It was cold inside the house.

Harry walked slowly forward, looking down at the dark aisle between the two rows of shelves, he couldn't hear a sound, he couldn't feel any movement, not even the slightest movement.

"It's row 97. Penelope said.

Harry nodded, and the group searched for a long time, and finally found the 97th platoon.

There was only a small glass ball on the shelf, and it was dirty, as if it hadn't been touched in years. But the glimmer inside made it glow a little.

Harry took it off in disbelief to look at it?

"This is it. "That's what he wants." ”

"But why isn't there any?" Neville kept looking around, feeling the eerie, quiet room.

"I don———'t know," Harry could finish his sentence when he found himself pointed at a wand in his back.

"Give it to me, Harry. The voice said.

"What?" Harry turned in disbelief and looked at the wand's owner, "What did you say——— Ron?"

Suddenly, dark shadows appeared around them, blocking their paths, their eyes glistening through the gaps in their hoods, twelve wands with shiny tips aimed at their hearts.

"Give it to me. Ron looked at Harry with a grim face, his palm reaching out.

"Ron, you're ......"

"Give it to me. Ron said it again.

"You know what you're doing?" asked Harry.

A dark figure on the left, a gloomy voice, said, "Go, take it from that kid!"

"Yes. Ron said indistinctly, reaching for what Harry was holding.

"Do you know what you're going to do, Ron!" Harry shouted again, but Ron didn't stop.

"It's useless," Hermione whispered, "I think he's under the Imperius Curse." ”

"You're a little knowledgeable, little girl. ”

A woman's voice said that the Death Eaters were getting closer, just a few feet away from Harry, and the Death Eaters' wands glowed with a dazzling glow.

"When did you do it? Ginny asked, referring to the Imperius spell on Ron, but she could tell that Ginny was restraining herself with a strong hatred.

"You're a little girl from the Weasleys. A voice said, "Don't ask so much, soon, you and your little friends will be like your father and your brother." ”

"I want to know where Sirius is!" Harry said.

The Death Eaters smirked.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked again, "you took him." ”

There were more Death Eaters laughing.

"Don't you understand?" said one of the Death Eaters, "it's a trap, a trap made for you by the great Dark Lord!"

"Alright," said an impatient voice, "what are you talking so much nonsense for? faint—"

"Whew———"

A petite black figure swooped down on the Death Eater who was about to cast the spell, and the Death Eater was pounced on at once.

"What?" Hermione looked to the other side in surprise, and a petite black figure suddenly flashed from behind a shelf, what appeared to be a black cat, and its eyes glowed with a brilliant yellow glow in the darkness.

The black cat wagged her tail and pounced on the other Death Eater beside her again.

"Where's the damn cat, get rid of it!"

"Fool, where there are wild cats here, it must be Animagus, be careful...."

A red light erupted from the tip of one of the Death Eaters' wands, but the black cat quickly jumped onto a shelf, dodging the spell that hit it, and some of the glass balls on it were shattered.

"Be careful, we need the prophecy ball!"

"Leave that cat alone, we're going to get the prophecy ball now!" said a familiar voice——— it was Lucius Malfoy.

"Hurry up——— Dark Lord is impatient to wait ——— faints———"

This time, the black cat jumped out of nowhere and pounced on Malfoy's face, scratching its paws hard.

"Oh——— this damn cat. ”

After putting down Malfoy, the black cat jumped onto a shelf again, and to everyone's surprise, it actually spoke, "Protect yourself, support will be coming soon——— "It dodged a spell and jumped onto the shelf next to it.

"Break the shelf. The cat-girl said, and the voice sounded like that of a little girl.

"Hallie?!" Hermione looked at the black cat quizzically.