Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 99

"When do you think you'll be back?" Sirius asked quietly as the two of them tiptoed through the dark corridors of Grimmauld Place until they reached the entrance door.

     "I'm not sure," Jenna said earnestly, shrugging. "My duty will start after Arthur. And then I have to stay there until early tomorrow, and give my shift to Kingsley. I have to leave before other workers come to the Ministry, though. So I'll probably be back here sometime before sunrise."

     "Just... be careful," Sirius whispered, watching her with concern.

     Jenna gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

     With a little playful wink at his direction, Jenna opened the door's many locks with her wand before walking outside and closing the it behind her once more.

     The moment she stepped outside the house, Jenna transformed and took the form of another person, drawing her cloak's hood over her head as she walked away, so she could Disapparate in a safe distance from Grinmauld Place and in the park nearby.

     The sun had just set and the sky was growing darker and darker by the time Jenna Apparated to London, on her way to the the Ministry of Magic. She had taken the form of an Undpeakable — a person who worked at the Department of Mysteries.

Jenna had seen the wizard's picture in an old copy of the Daily Prophet. Moody had let her know that the wizard, whose name was Broderick Bode, had a day off on Fridays, so this was the perfect opportunity for Jenna to imitate him.

Although she knew that she wasn't supposed to speak with anyone unless absolutely necessary, because she had no idea what Broderick Bode's voice sounded like in reality, having never met him in person.

So as the night carried on, Jenna Apparated in the alleyway near the Ministry's entrance in Broderick's form. He was a sallow-skinned wizard with a very mournful face and a sharp gaze, though he wore expensive robes.

Jenna had come to the Ministry only once before with her parents and James when they were kids, so their parents could show them their office. Although back then they had used the visitors' entrance, which was a red telephone box.

But this time, as Moody had instructed Jenna, she had to take a different entrance to the Ministry.

Jenna stepped out of the quiet alleyway. Fifty yards along the crowded pavement there were spiked black railings flanking two flights of steps, one labeled gentlemen, the other ladies.

She almost walked toward the ladies' bathroom, but then quickly reminded herself that she was impersonating a wizard. So with that, Jenna walked into the men's underground public toilet, tiled in grimy black and white. It wasn't as crowded as it was in the mornings, because it was near the Ministry's closing time.

As Moody had explained to her, Jenna walked into one of the adjoining cubicles.
Feeling disgusted, she then clambered into the toilet. But even though her feet appeared to be in the water, her shoes and robes remained quite dry.

With one last deep breath, she reached up, pulled the chain, and next moment she suddenly zoomed down a short chute, emerging out of a fireplace into the Ministry of Magic.

Jenna soon recollected herself and started to walk out of the fireplace. Looking around her, she saw that the Ministry was just as she remembered it.

There was very long and splendid hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. Although the employees were all leaving one by one, emptying the hall. The peacock-blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that were continually moving and changing like some enormous heavenly notice board.

Jenna felt taller than she ever was, seeing as Broderick Bode was rather a stout man, which was making her feel uncomfortable. Although she was accustomed to acting normal in another person's body, and so kept on walking between the walls on each side of her, which were paneled in shiny dark wood and had many gilded fireplaces set into them.

Halfway down the hall was a fountain. Jenna smiled to herself, remembering how her mother had given her a sickle to both her and James to throw in it, so they could make a wish.

Around the fountain, a group of golden statues, larger than life-size, stood in the middle of a circular pool. Tallest of them all was a wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air. Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf.

But as Jenna was lost in her thoughts and was staring at the beautiful fountain with a light smile on her face, she was suddenly snapped back to reality when someone waved at her from afar, walking toward her.

"Hello, Bode!" said the short wizard, reaching Jenna. "What are you doing here? Isn't Friday your day off? Besides, the Ministry's closing up in half an hour."

Jenna, who had been prepared for a moment like this, answered quickly in a deep voice, "You know how it is with the Department of Mysteries. Everyday there's a new thing coming up. But as always I can't speak of it."

"Course not! That's why they call you lot The Unspeakables, eh?" The wizard laughed, patting Jenna on the shoulder before bidding her goodbye and walking off.

With a sigh of relief, Jenna walked inside the elevator and went down. Once the elevator came to a stop and its gates opened up once more, a witches voice announced, "Department of Mysteries."

After a single moment of hesitation, Jenna took out her wand and stepped outside the empty elevator and walked into the dark and quiet hall.

Everything was black including the floor and ceiling, with identical, unmarked, handle-less black doors were set at intervals all around the black walls, interspersed with branches of candles whose flames burned blue, their cool, shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor so that it looked as though there was dark water underfoot.

Everyone had already left this department for the day, although as Jenna walked toward the door which she was supposed to guard for the whole night, she came upon Arthur Weasley.

Without exchanging a single word, they both gave each other a very slight nod, and so Arthur walked away, leaving his shift to Jenna.