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"THIS is it!"
Harry pushed the door open and gestured for us to follow him in. Safe to say, it was the right one.
The ticking was what I heard first. It was the unmistakable sound of a clock, though it appeared as if there were hundreds of them ticking all at once. When my eyes adjusted to the sparkling lights, I saw clocks of different sizes and types littered all around the room in corners, desks and even wedged inbetween books.
We didn't stay to dwindle for long. Harry immediately beckoned us towards the end of the room where we were faced with another door.
I took out my wand and gripped it tightly, nodding at Harry to go on. Behind him, the door swung open.
I had to refrain from gasping in amazement. The room was almost as vast as a cathedral, with a ceiling that melted into the gloom above. Towering shelves made rows upon rows, all of them holding orbs that looked like it had swirling mist trapped inside.
Goosebumps formed across my arms despite the fact I was wearing my robes.
"Harry," I whispered, staring at one of the shelves that had the number fifty-two, "row ninety-seven?"
"Yeah."
"We need to go right, I think," Hermione whispered. "Yes. . .thats fifty-four. . ."
"Keep your wands out," replied Harry.
We crept forwards and continued to do so until we reached the eightieth row. Every time we passed an intersection I didn't dare squint into the darkness. Who knows what might just pop out from nowhere.
I gripped my wand firmly, listening for any sounds of what might be Sirius, but all I heard was nothing. Just our quiet footsteps and pounding heartbeats.
"Everyone okay?" I whispered.
I got quiet replies in return. Though all of them had murmured assurances, the way all of their voices quivered told me otherwise.
"Harry?" I relayed to him in concern.
He nodded absentmindedly, still staring at the rows ahead. I didn't need to ask him to know what he was thinking.
"Ninety-seven!" Hermione hissed.
Our group stopped at another intersection, staring forward at an alley ahead that was void of anyone. My heart skipped two beats as I realized the endless possibilities that could have happened.
"He's right down at the end. You can't see him properly from here. . ." Harry said, a little distracted. "He should be near here. Anywhere here. . .really close. . ."
"Harry?" Hermione spoke timidly.
"Somewhere about. . .here. . ."
"I've got a really bad feeling about this," I muttered to Ron and Hermione.
