Chapter 870 - Giant Attack on the Ministry of Magic Ⅲ

While a fierce battle raged on the front steps of the Ministry of Magic, fledging Auror's consoled the populace and ensured that they safely evacuated the premise via floo located at the main lobby that is level eight of the Atrium. The large gilded fireplaces were separated left and right as one for arrival and one for departure. Both fireplaces were flaring up as Auror's, A.P.D. officers and other Ministry staff including healers were flooing to the lobby as reinforcements.

The tile floor is covered in scuff marks from the panicked civilians, who rushed hurriedly inside. The peacock blue ceiling has golden symbols moving across it as if in a dire warning. A few children quietly sniffle in terror from their parent's arms as they peeked over their parent's shoulders at the glistening Fountain of Magical Brethren that lies halfway down the Atrium. The golden fountain statues depicted a wizard, a witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf spouting water into the surrounding crystalline pool of water. The waters tremble from the force of the attacks on the grounds outside of the Ministry of Magic that can still be felt inside the Ministry of Magic.

None of the fledging's nor those arriving noticed that the locked golden gates to the lifts is devoid of the night guard. Eric Munch, the tired, poorly shaven wizard in peacock blue robes is missing from his post. Now, Eric Munch may doze off on the job, but he never missed a day of work nor scrimped on the job. It was strange considering he had been there before, but perchance he had to rush to the toilet, it had occurred before.

Specks of dark drying crimson droplets can be seen just beyond the golden gates. The trail grows steadily thicker as if a heavy object had been dragged. The trail ends at one of the unused lifts. Inside the empty lift, a cooling corpse can be found slumped against the floor covered in a sticky, drying pool of plasma. The empty eyes of Eric Munch are completely devoid of life, but his face remains scrunched up in pain, horror, and despair a testament to his last moments. His limp hands are cradled around his neck absolutely covered in drying crimson fluid in a desperate attempt to staunch the blood flow. His jugular vein had been slit open and despite his efforts, he had quickly bled to death within the space of minutes.

On the other hand, one of the other lifts showed that it had recently gone down to the second-lowest level of the Ministry of Magic is Level 9 that is only accessible via the lifts. Level 9 contains a stark hall that is far bleaker than the judgment hall. The floor and walls are black along with the floor tiles. The only source of light in the gloomy passageway are torches that burn a cold blue, white color rather than the warm flaming orange glow of a fire. There is not a single window nor door in sight except for a single black door at the end of the corridor that leads into the Department of Mysteries.

Past the black door there lies the entrance chamber, a large, circular room. Much like the outer hall, everything within the chamber is black including the ceiling and floor. There exist 12 handle-less doors that are set to open at intervals only known to the Unspeakables. Beyond the entrance chamber their lies even more curious sights. A long, rectangular room with a tank of brains that swim in green potion solutions that murderously attack anything that attempts to touch them. A dimly lit chamber with stone tiers that lead down into a pit with a dais in the center stands of the chamber stands a very old stone archway with a tattered black curtain hanging over it. The veil, which separates the world of the living and the dead. It is whispered that those who drew closer and truly listened could hear whispers from the great beyond driving many a witch and wizard mad.

There are far more mysteries within these halls including a door that always remains locked except for the sole few that are permitted inside to know its hidden contents. Within the chamber lays an enormous fountain of Amortentia that flows within the room. And for what purpose, well, that is only known to the Unspeakables permitted to enter.

There is a dark room full of planets floating in mid-air that causes Unspeakables to often find themselves floating along to some unseen force. Whether there is a name for that power or not, the Department of Mysteries has yet to share it with the rest of the wizarding world. Although ironically, muggles might have an inkling of what that hidden force might be.

The following chamber is a long, rectangular room filled with dancing lights that glitter like the brightest of gemstones. All manner of time-related devices filled the chamber including clocks of every description and Time-Turners. At the far end of the hall is a large crystal bell jar filled with sparkling lights like fireflies that go in and out. It said that any object that is placed inside the jar grows younger and younger returning to pre-life state only to be reborn and grow older and older. The cycle is never-ending as life and death are perpetually forever intertwined.

At the end of the last chamber is a single door that leads to the most curious chamber of all. A long, cold chamber with impossibly high ceilings like that of a church. The chamber is filled with nothing, but towering shelves occupied by small, dusty, glass orbs. The orbs glimmer dully in the light issued from the dimply lit blue-flamed candles. The room is empty and devoid of all visitors except by the occasional subject of the prophecy. The prophecies may only be touched by the holders without any damage, but the sole exception is the Keeper of the Hall of Prophecies.

Yet the normally empty chamber has four unexpected guests. Leading the way is the youngest member of the group, a shallow-skinned wizard with a very mournful face, Boderick Bode. The unspeakable had been remarkably difficult to keep under the Imperius Curse showing an unusual resistance. Still, inevitable the unspeakable had easily succumbed to the will of the Dark Lord.

The serpent crimson eyes of Lord Voldemort had grown clearer and chilling as of late. A disturbing amount of clarity had returned to the Dark Lord's eyes causing all of his Death Eater's to tread with care. His deathly pale, waxy skin is pulled over his shark cheekbones resembling more skeletal features. His snake-like slit nostrils flare pressing his thin lips into a flat line. Voldemort extends his long, spider-like fingers from his dark robes. His nails are sharp, and blue-tinged, distinctively unnatural. It was as if a spider or rather a snaked had become embodied into the body of a living human if said existence could even still be called, "Human."