"MINISTRY"

MINISTRY: government department; Lorelei Black got off the thestrals as soon as it landed, giving her sister a hand to do the same, the kids looked around at each other. This was certainly not how she'd intended to spend her last day of NEWTs yet here she is. They were all about to cram themselves into the phone booth, but Lorelei stopped them, "We can't all go in, Birdie, Hope and I will go in first, test the waters and then you guys come in."

"I'm coming with you three" Harry said as he stepped forward and Birdie was about to say something when Lorelei intervened.

"Did you hear me say your name, Harry?" she said sharply, she then stepped into the phone booth and dialed the numbers, she heard the familiar voice say 'Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, please state your name and business'

"Birdie Potter, Hope Lupin and Lorelei Black" Birdie said, she thought of an excuse that didn't raise much suspicion, "Here to report the misuse of magical objects by a teacher."

The passes came out, Lorelei looked down at hers — Lorelei Black in bold and under that 'crime report' written in small letters.

The three of them looked around waiting for the voice to speak up again, "Visitor of the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk which is located at the far end of the Atrium" Lorelei released an annoyed sigh.

"Come on, move, you stupid thing, we haven't got all day!" Hope said annoyedly kicking the door of the telephone booth, and right then the booth started sinking underground, the thestrals and the kids far away from their sight as they went deeper, Lorelei got out of the booth first — her wand out in her hand as she looked around cautiously, paranoid about someone being there.

The three girls waited for the others to arrive and sure enough they did, Lorelei noticed their badges, "Rescue mission, subtle" she rolled her eyes.

"Forgive me for not waiting for fabricate a story like yours, crime reporter" Harry snapped, Lorelei gave Birdie a look.

"Alright, sassball, guide the way now" Birdie told him and Harry moved forward, he let his memory of that vision guide him to where he had seen Sirius, they reached an elevator and all of them crammed inside once again, the noise almost burst Lorelei's eardrums, she had forgotten how long these elevators were, the last time she got here was when she'd come with her uncle Andrew to pick up a very wounded Aunt Sirene, not a lot of good memories associated with this place.

The female voice announced, "Department of Mysteries" before the gates clang open.

The group of kids were faced with the plain black door, Lorelei felt an ache in her head, "Don't" Regulus's voice said, but Lorelei couldn't find it in herself to listen, so maybe she was being stupid, and maybe she was being stubborn, but she would rather take her chances than run away and find out that her father wasn't going to be there with her anymore once again.

"Lorelei, listen to me — don't, run."

"Let's go" Harry said, Lorelei nodded at the boy, but then Harry turned around once more, "Listen, maybe it's better if a couple people stay here as lookout—"

"Yes, that's a great idea" Birdie said, "Lorelei, Hope and I can go in, and the rest of you can stay out here"

"How would you even know where Sirius is?" Harry spoke annoyed, he turned to look at his sister.

"We've got legs and two eyes, we'll make it," Birdie responded.

"No, you need me" Harry said, "The rest of you—"

"Are also coming" Regan said.

"Besides how would we even reach you inside from here? You could be miles away from us..." Ginny agreed with the brunette standing besides her.

"We're coming with you, Harry" Neville told them, Lorelei felt another flash of pain in her head, but she was way too determined — she was not walking out of here without knowing her father's safe.

So the kids walked.

If only they knew what it would cost them.

🫐

LORELEI PAUSED. She heard a voice call out to her — a voice that was eerie, she was shocked — it sounded familiar, it was familiar, she knew it. She knew it did. She felt drawn to the voice, she kept walking towards it in a trance until she felt a hand grasp hers and pull her back, "What are you doing?" Regan pulled her back.

"Can anyone else hear it? That voice?" Lorelei asked, "It's there, I can hear it"

"I can— I hear it too" Harry told her.

"I do too" Birdie said.

"Same with me" Hope said.

"I can hear those voices too" Luna agreed.

"We should go, let's go, please" Hermione told them, she had an uneasy feeling expression on her face.

They tried the door until they finally found the one, Harry looked at it completely sure that it was that door, "This way" he said and all of them continued to follow him to the shining bell and then after it, they walked inside the room with the tall aisles full of orbs that looked like shiny glass orbs.

Birdie wordlessly grabbed Lorelei's hand and the two of them walked together.

They looked and they looked and they kept looking, but they did not find Sirius, and everyone had started to grow restless but Harry and Lorelei did not want to give up? How could they? Sirius was the first ray of hope in a long time for them.

"Harry?" Ron called out.

"What?" Harry turned around sharply.

"It's got your name on it" Ron pointed to the orb, everyone turned around to take a look at the orb he was talking about.

"You know what? You guys figure this out I'm gonna branch out and try to cover more of the area" Lorelei said almost irritatedly, she had no intentions of looking at a snow globe just because it had Harry's name on it.

"I'll come with you," Birdie told her, "I don't think it'll be safe for you to walk alone"

"I'll come too" Hope joined them.

The three girls walked around looking at every corner for Sirius Black, but they found no sign of him — Lorelei was happy, maybe it was just a nightmare after all, "Run" Regulus said again.

"I got the other one!" A high pitched voice said from behind them before Lorelei turned around, and then she came face to face with her — Bellatrix Lestrange, "Ooh, baby Lupin and my dear niece, how good to see you again? How are my cousins?"

"Miserable that you're not dead and rotting in a cell" Lorelei retorted back, but instead of being upset, Bellatrix smiled and Lorelei was sure her scowl would've been better — her smile was worst, she would have to spend hours watching disturbing things to get that image out of her head.

"Just like them, aren't you?" Bellatrix grinned, "They too went around insulting the superior kind, and look where it got them." Lorelei smiled mockingly, she wasn't sure where all that courage came from — maybe her legs were shaking and she just didn't know it, "The older Potter, and baby Lupin, how was the visit from Greyback years back? Must've left a mark on you."

Lorelei felt sick.

"Well, that's enough catching up for now, let's bring you back to your friends" And with a wand behind their backs the three girls walked back to the kids.

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what he dweamed was twoo" Lorelei tried to free herself from Bellatrix's grip, but it didn't work so with a clenched jaw she stopped herself. It was fine. Her dad was safe.

"Hand me the prophecy and no one gets hurt," said Lucius, Lorelei almost scoffed — she could not believe that man was trying to bargain as if they were naive enough to believe him.

"Right, and if we do hand it off to you, you expect me to believe what? You'll just let us skip home, will you?" Harry asked coolly.

"Accio—"

"Protego!"

"Oh" Bellatrix dug her nails into Lorelei's hand, "He knows how to play, little bitty baby potter, very well, then—"

"I TOLD YOU NO!" Lucius screamed at Bellatrix, she still had her face hidden, but Lorelei knew it was her — she just did, "If you smash it—"

"You need more persuasion?" Bellatrix sneered, "Fine, take the smallest one, let him watch while we torture the little girl"

Lorelei tried to move forward and in front of Ginny but she was still being held by her aunt.

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us" Harry stepped right in front of Ginny who was being pushed back by Regan, "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you go without it"

Lorelei felt someone say something in her ear, "When Harry says go, you need to run, do anything you have to, smash shelves, throw orbs at people, just do what you have to do" she knew it was her uncle speaking.

Lucius and Harry talked, Harry warned everyone about it with everyone in a low voice, all Lorelei had to do was share a look with Birdie and Hope and that was it — she didn't know how they knew but they did, and she waited for Harry's word.

"NOW" he yelled out, Lorelei immediately freed her hands, pushing the curly haired woman back and taking her wand out, she could hear spells flying out from all the different directions, "RUN!"

"Holy shit, you just pushed Bellatrix Lestrange!" Birdie yelled out as the girls pushed the shelves down, some of them slammed on to the deatheaters.

"Correction!" Hope yelled out, "You just pushed Bellatrix Lestrange into a shelf full of collector's edition snow globes!"

"Let's hope I don't have to do it again!"

anyway, stream the two new abba songs.