When Demigods Mix with Magic

31. Yay, A Surprise Prophecy Hunt!

{-} Harry {-}

  "This is it," Harry whispered to himself, needing to feel the words on his lips to believe them.

  Harry could recognise the place from his dreams. Clocks gleamed from every surface, any type of clock you could think of was present in the room. A relentless ticking filled the place like thousands of marching footsteps. The light was breath taking, too. It was glorious to lay eyes on it, glowing like a million diamonds were shedding their light on them. The source of it all was a towering crystal bell jar that stood at the far end of the room.

  However, they couldn't admire the scenery much longer. Harry tore his eyes away from the bell jar and tried to focus on the reason why they were here: to find Sirius. "This way!"

  The others broke from their trance and followed Harry, looking suddenly serious and focused, Ginny, Luna, Neville, Hermione and Ron all had their wands out while Percy, Jason, Annabeth and Frank were all armed.

  Harry's head cleared with a fresh rush of hope. They were close- he would finally make it after all of those dreams showing him glimpses of the Department of Mysteries. He wouldn't be in the place he sought only in his dreams now, he would be there in real life with his friends.

  "Oh look!" said Ginny, as they drew nearer, pointing at the heart of the bell jar.

  Drifting along in the sparkling currents inside was a tiny, jewel egg. As it rose in the jar, it cracked open and a humming bird emerged, which was carried to the very top of the jar, but as it fell on the draught, its feathers became damp again, and by the time it had been borne back to the bottom of the jar it had been enclosed once more in its egg to be born again- a continuous life cycle.

  "It's beautiful," Jason said breathlessly, staring at the egg.

  "Keep going!" said Harry sharply, gritting his teeth. They couldn't lose more time.

  "You dawdled enough in the entrance!" Ginny grumbled, but she still followed him past the bell jar to the only door behind it.

  "This is it," Harry repeated, his heart was now pumping so hard and fast that he could feel it hammering against his body, "it' through here-" Harry pushed the door, sucking in a breath. It swung open like any normal door.

  They were there, they had found the place: high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candles- brackets sat at intervals along the shelves. Like those in the circular room behind them, the candles occupied a blue flame. When entering the room Harry could feel the temperature drop, leaving him shivering with the cold.

  Harry edged forward and peered down one of the shadowy aisles between two rows of shelves. Nothing moved- nor made a sound.

  "You said it was row ninety-seven," Frank reminded him.

  "Yeah," breathed Harry, looking up at the end of the closest row.

  "This is row fifty-three," Annabeth informed him, beating him in reading the sign.

  "We need to go right, I think," whispered Hermione, squinting to the next row. "Yes... that's fifty-four."

  "Keep your wands and weapons ready," Harry said softly, although he didn't have to say that to the others.

  They crept forward, glancing behind them as they went down the long alley of shelves, the further ends of which were in nearly total darkness. Tiny, yellowing labels had been stuck beneath each glass orb on the shelves. Some of them had a weird, liquid glow; others were as dull and dark within as blown light bulbs.