Chapter 248 - The Trap

There were two people on the floor, a fair-haired, big-bellied man and a woman with light brown hair, kind and big eyes her overall appearance was very much alike Bellatrix.

Harry didn't wait, he quickly reached the man and froze.

"Chris," he called weakly.

Chris came back to herself then kneeled beside Harry and touched the man's body. His body was stone cold, he wasn't breathing. He was already dead and it was his blood all over the room, Chris realized, his hands were covered in blood. Chris quickly reached for the woman.

She was alive.

Chris looked at Harry and nodded, who looked sickened.

"We have to get out of here," said Chris urgently looking around. She didn't want to say that the man, who is probably Mr. Tonks, is dead.

As the order sink in, everyone hastily looked around planning to retreat their steps. 

"Hey! Harry," Colin paused looking at a dusty glass spheres on the shelves. "Look, your name is written here."

"My name?" said Harry blankly and got up.

Chris' brain wasn't paying attention to it at first, she felt numb after seeing a dead person but then suddenly something clicked.

A thing, named for Harry, here in the Department of Mysteries? Especially where the Tonks family is and where is Tonks, herself? She should be here too according to Harry's theory. Something is wrong. Something terrible. Department of Mysteries. . . Harry. . . Voldemort. . . Think. . . The Prophecy!

"Harry! Don't touch it," Chris shot up. "It's the Prophe—"

"Too late, darling," said a voice behind them. "He has to touch it, now."

Chris whirled around and saw a familiar face holding Luna, tightly. Ethan, Malgino's loyal servant's wand was pointing at Luna's chest.

"Luna!" Colin almost ran towards her. Ron held him back.

"Leave her alone," roared Chris glaring at Ethan.

"Oh, like ordering us will help," said another harsh female voice from the other side.

Chris turned again and saw Bellatrix Lestrange holding a wiggling Hermione. Her wand pressed on Hermione's neck.

Black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, a dozen lit wand-tips were pointing directly at their hearts. They were cornered.

Chris looked back at Ginny, who was looking shocked, Neville and Jason, who were holding their wand out, Colin who was still held back by Ron; and Harry, who's hand was frozen inches away from the glass sphere.

"Go on, pick it, Potter," said Ethan.

"Harry, no!" screamed Hermione.

"Harry, no," mimicked Bellatrix in a high-pitched tone. "Then what? You die, Mudblood?"

"Don't you dare!" Neville snapped.

"Oh, look, Ethan," said Bellatrix, trying to sound friendly but her tone made it clear she wasn't friendly at all. "A Longbottom. Have I told about the story about them?"

"Many times, Bellatrix," said Ethan, in the same not-so-friendly tone. 

"Just finish the work, will you?" said Lucius Malfoy coming forward. "Potter, give us the Prophecy and your friends live."

A knot had formed inside Chris' stomach. Her friends were in danger because she didn't realize it was a trap, till now. She started to analyse the situation as Harry's hand hovered over the Prophecy. 

He can't give them that.

"Chris, what's the Prophecy?" said Luna suddenly in Chris' mind.

"Luna, it's something Voldemort shouldn't get," replied Chris in her mind. "But don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."

"I am not worried," smiled Luna.

But Chris was worried. If these people had killed Mr. Tonks, then killing two teenage girls wasn't very hard for them.

"We don't have an entire day," said Ethan grabbing Luna more harshly.

"We need a plan," murmured Harry.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," said Malfoy coolly.

"Yeah, right!" Harry said recklessly. "I give you this prophecy and you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"

"What other options do we have?" Colin said suddenly. "They will kill Luna and Hermione if you don't give them that thing — prophecy or whatever it is."

Almost everyone in the room stared at Colin for a moment, the death eaters looked impressed and Chris and the rest of their friends looked shocked.

"Colin, what are you —" Chris began in her mind.

"Chris, Ginny, trust me on this," replied Colin in mind. "That thing is made with glass so that means its —"

"— Breakable," Chris finished in her mind.

Everything made sense as Chris looked around. Maybe Colin's idea was just to break the prophecy but they could break the other prophecies too, for cover.

"Fine, do it," said Ginny loudly looking at Malfoy. "But you will leave Luna and Hermione then."

"Of course," smirked Malfoy.

"Just don't break that Prophecy," said Chris in her mind. "Break all the prophecies."

Harry, Ron, Neville and Jason were still looking lost. Harry was staring at Chris. Chris met his eyes, then looked at the prophecies, then at the floor and looked up at Harry again. For a few seconds, Harry looked confused then he understood. 

"I will pick it up," declared Harry. "But only if you let them go, I will give you this."

"Sure," said Ethan idly. "Now do it."

As Harry closed his fingers around the glass sphere, the death eaters concentrated on him, Ginny and Colin quickly explained Ron and Neville about their plan.

"Break the spheres when I say," Chris murmured to Jason.

He nodded.

Harry picked the prophecy up and stepped forward. Ethan outstretched his hand.

"First, release them," said Harry.

"Release them?" laughed Bellatrix. "Do you think we can't take it from you, now? Accio Proph —"

Harry was just ready for her. He shouted "Protego!" before she had finished her spell.

"Gin, surprise Ethan," said Chris in her mind and then said a little loudly, "now."

Five different voices behind her bellowed "REDUCTO!" Five curses flew in five different directions and the shelves opposite them exploded as they hit. Chris threw two jinxes at Bellatrix, Ginny attacked Ethan. 

The towering structure swayed as a hundred glass spheres burst apart, pearly-white figures unfurled into the air and floated there, their voices echoing from who knew what long-dead past amid the torrent of crashing glass and splintered wood now raining down upon the floor —

Bellatrix was surprised but dodged at right moment, Ethan wasn't that much prepared but blocked the second jinx by Ginny. But they had to leave Luna and Hermione to avoid the attack. Ginny grabbed Luna, Chris grabbed Hermione's robes and dragged her away from Bellatrix.

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To be continued. . .