"A brain, look, a brain's coming!"
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Harry, Ginny, Neville, and even the Death Eaters stopped fighting and looked toward the top of the glass tank. A brain had leapt out of the green liquid like a playful fish; it hovered briefly in midair, then flew toward Ron, trailing long, silvery tendrils like reels of living film.
"Ha ha, Harry, look, " Ron said, his eyes wide with fascination as the brain unspooled glistening strands of thought. "Come touch it, feels weird, I bet, "
"Ron, don't!" Harry shouted.
He didn't know exactly what would happen if Ron touched those tendrils, but he was sure it wouldn't be good. He lunged forward, but Ron had already grabbed the brain with both hands.
As soon as the tendrils touched his skin, they began wrapping tightly around his arms like ropes.
"Harry, what's it doing, no, no, I don't like this, make it stop, " Ron struggled as the strands looped around his chest like an octopus, binding him.
"Reducto!" Harry yelled, trying to blast the tendrils before they reached Ron's face, but they didn't break. Ron collapsed, writhing in pain, trying to tear the brain off.
"He's going to suffocate!" Ginny screamed. Her ankle was injured, and she couldn't move from the floor. A flash of red light from a Death Eater's wand struck her across the face, and she slumped to the ground, unconscious.
"Stupefy!" Neville bellowed, waving Hermione's wand as he spun around to face the Death Eaters. "Stupefy! Stupefy!"
But nothing happened.
A Death Eater fired a Stunning Spell at Neville, missing him by inches. Now only Harry and Neville remained to face five Death Eaters. Silver bolts of magic zipped past them, missing their targets but gouging the walls.
Harry took off running, Bellatrix close behind. He raised the Prophecy high above his head as he sprinted toward the other side of the room, trying to draw them away from his friends.
It seemed to work. The Death Eaters gave chase, careful not to jinx Harry in fear of breaking the glass orb. The door they'd entered from was still open, and Harry bolted through it, praying Neville would stay with Ron and find a way to help.
He ran a few paces into the next room, and the floor vanished beneath him. He tumbled down steep stone steps, bouncing painfully until he landed winded in a sunken pit. A stone archway stood tall on a dais. The chamber echoed with mocking laughter as the five Death Eaters descended the steps toward him, more of them entering through other doors.
Harry's legs trembled as he stood. Somehow, he was still holding the Prophecy orb in his left hand and his wand in his right. He backed toward the dais, trying to keep them all in view.
He bumped into something solid, the dais with the archway. He scrambled up onto it.
The Death Eaters stopped, eyes fixed on him. Some were panting; one was bleeding. Dolohov had freed himself from his binds and aimed his wand at Harry's face.
"You're finished, Potter," Lucius Malfoy said smoothly, removing his mask. "Now be a good boy and hand over the Prophecy."
"Let, let them go, and I'll give it to you!" Harry shouted, desperate.
Laughter erupted among the Death Eaters.
"You don't get to bargain, Potter," Malfoy said, his pale face flushed with triumph. "There are ten of us and only one of you. Didn't Dumbledore teach you to count?"
"He's not alone!" a voice shouted behind them. "He's still got five, me!"
Harry's heart sank. Neville was clambering down the stone benches, still holding Hermione's wand with trembling hands.
"Neville, no, go back to Ron, "
"Stupefy!" Neville shouted again, wildly pointing the wand. "Stupefy! Stup—"
A huge Death Eater grabbed Neville from behind, pinning his arms. Neville kicked and struggled as the others laughed.
"Longbottom, is it?" Malfoy sneered. "Your grandmother's given enough to our cause already, one more won't surprise her."
"Longbottom?" Bellatrix repeated, her gaunt face curling into a wicked grin. "Oh, wonderful. I had the pleasure of meeting your parents, little boy."
"I'll get you!" Neville roared, thrashing so hard the Death Eater holding him yelled, "Stun him!"
"No, no, no," Bellatrix said, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Let's see how long the Longbottom boy can last before he cracks, unless Potter hands us the Prophecy."
"D-don't give it to them!" Neville cried as she advanced with her wand raised, kicking and struggling even harder. "Don't, Harry!"
Bellatrix raised her wand. "Crucio!"
Neville screamed. His legs curled up as if trying to shield himself, and the Death Eater holding him dropped him. He writhed on the floor, screaming in agony.
"Just a little taste!" Bellatrix said cheerfully, lifting the curse. Neville lay sobbing at her feet. She turned to Harry. "So, Potter, give us the Prophecy, or watch your friends die in agony!"
Harry had no choice.
The Prophecy orb, warm from his hand, was still intact. He stepped forward to hand it over. Malfoy lunged—
—but at that moment, two more doors burst open. Five figures raced into the chamber: Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley.
Malfoy turned, raising his wand, but Tonks hit him with a Stunning Spell. Harry ducked behind the dais as spells exploded around him. The arrival of the Order of the Phoenix shifted the fight. The Death Eaters turned to battle them.
Through the chaos, Harry saw Neville crawling on the floor. He ducked a red flash and lunged to help him.
"You okay?" Harry shouted as another spell zipped overhead.
"Fine," Neville gasped, trying to stand.
"What about Ron?"
"Think he's okay, still fighting that brain when I left, "
A spell blasted the floor between them, forcing them to scramble apart. A massive arm reached out, grabbing Harry by the throat and lifting him off the ground.
"Give it to me!" the man snarled. "Give me the Prophecy, "
Harry choked, unable to breathe. Through tear-filled eyes, he saw Sirius dueling a Death Eater nearby. No one else noticed he was in danger.
He fumbled for his wand, but couldn't speak. The man's other hand groped for the Prophecy,
"Argh!"
Neville appeared, jabbing Hermione's wand through the man's mask into his eye. The man screamed and dropped Harry.
"Stupefy!" Harry gasped, pointing his wand.
The Death Eater crumpled to the floor, Macnair, the one who nearly executed Buckbeak, his eye red and swollen.
"Thanks!" Harry panted, dragging Neville aside. Sirius staggered past, locked in a fierce duel. Harry's foot hit something hard and round. For a moment, he thought he'd dropped the Prophecy, but it was Moody's magical eye, rolling across the floor.
Moody lay nearby, unconscious and bleeding. Dolohov turned on Harry and Neville, his twisted smile gleaming.
"Tarantallegra!" he yelled, hitting Neville, who began flailing wildly, his legs dancing uncontrollably.
"Now, Potter, "
Dolohov raised his wand. "Silencio, "
"Protego!" Harry shouted.
The spell hit his Shield Charm like a sledgehammer, knocking him sideways onto Neville's kicking legs. The spell was weakened but still painful.
"Accio Proph—"
Sirius crashed into Dolohov, knocking him away. Harry barely caught the Prophecy orb again. The two men fought, wands slashing like blades.
Dolohov raised his wand again, but Harry shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!"
Dolohov's limbs snapped together; he toppled backward.
"Nice one!" Sirius yelled, pulling Harry down as more spells zoomed overhead. "Now get out, "
A flash of green light, Avada Kedavra, just missed Sirius. Harry saw Tonks falling down the steps. Bellatrix turned and fled into the fray.
"Harry, take Neville and run!" Sirius shouted, charging after her.
Harry didn't wait to see what happened next. Kingsley dashed past, dueling the scarred Death Eater Rookwood. Another green curse flew over Harry's head.
"You stand?" Harry yelled to Neville, who was still kicking uncontrollably. "Put your arm over my neck, "
Neville obeyed, and Harry hoisted him up. His legs flailed like a frantic beetle. Then, out of nowhere, someone tackled them.
They fell backward. Neville's legs kicked wildly, and Harry kept the Prophecy orb raised above him to protect it.
"Give it to me, Potter!" Malfoy shouted in his ear, jabbing his wand into Harry's ribs.
"Neville, catch!"
Harry rolled the orb across the floor. Neville twisted, clutching it to his chest. Malfoy turned his wand on Neville.
"Impedimenta!" Harry shouted over his shoulder.
Malfoy was blasted backward. As Harry rose, he saw Malfoy hit the dais, above him, Sirius and Bellatrix were still dueling.
Malfoy took aim at them again, but Lupin appeared between them.
"Harry, get the others. Go!"
Harry grabbed Neville's robes and dragged him up the steps. Neville's legs still twitched wildly. Harry pulled with all his strength, another curse struck the step behind them, spraying rock shards. Harry fell, Neville tumbled, the Prophecy orb slipped from his pocket,
It rolled, and Neville's jerking foot kicked it.
"No!" they both shouted.
The orb shattered.
They stared at the spot where it had broken. A pearly figure rose, its mouth moving soundlessly amid the chaos. No one else seemed to notice. The ghostly figure finished speaking and vanished.
"I'm sorry, Harry!" Neville cried. "I didn't mean, "
"It's okay!" Harry shouted. "Just get up, we've got to, "
"Dumbledore!" Neville gasped, pointing.
"What?"
"Dumbledore!"
Harry looked up. At the top of the stairs stood Albus Dumbledore, wand raised, face pale and furious.
A surge of hope jolted through Harry. They were saved.
Dumbledore descended rapidly, passing them. A Death Eater spotted him and yelled. Another tried to flee, climbing the stone benches, but Dumbledore's spell dragged him back effortlessly.
Only two were still fighting, unaware of his arrival.
Harry saw Sirius dodge a red light and laugh.
"Come on, you can do better than that!"
The next spell hit him square in the chest.
The laughter hadn't faded from his face. But his eyes widened in shock. Harry let go of Neville.
He leapt forward, wand out, Dumbledore also turned, but Sirius was already falling. His body arched backward gracefully and passed through the tattered veil hanging in the ancient stone archway.
Harry saw the look on his godfather's face, fear and surprise, as he disappeared behind the veil.
The curtain swayed... then fell still.
Bellatrix shrieked with delight, but Harry couldn't believe it.
Sirius had just fallen behind the veil. He'd come out the other side, any second now...
But he didn't.
"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "SIRIUS!"
He scrambled toward the dais, breath ragged. Sirius would come out, he'd pull him back,
But Lupin tackled him, dragging him away.
"There's nothing we can do, Harry, "
"Get him! He just fell through, "
"It's too late, he's gone."
"No, we can still reach, "
"He's gone, Harry. He's gone."