Wish Upon A Star

And Fight Again

Black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, a dozen lit wand tips were pointing directly at their hearts. Ginny gave a gasp of horror.

"To me, Potter," repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up.

"To me," said Malfoy yet again.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry said.

Several of the Death Eaters laughed. A harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"

"Always," echoed Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I want to know where Sirius is!" Harry said

"I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked the woman to his left. Bellatrix Lestrange.

"You've got him," said Harry. "He's here. I know he is."

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo," said Bellatrix in a horrible, mock-baby voice.

"Don't do anything," Harry muttered to Ron who had shuffled beside him. "Not yet —"

Bellatrix Lestrange let out a raucous scream of laughter.

"You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"

"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Malfoy softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I know Sirius is here," said Harry. "I know you've got him!"

More of the Death Eaters laughed.

"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," said Malfoy. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."

"Go on, then," said Harry, raising his own wand to chest height. 

But the Death Eaters did not strike.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," said Malfoy coolly.

It was Harry's turn to laugh.

"Yeah, right!" he said. "I give you this — prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"

 "Accio Proph —" Bellatrix shrieked

"Protego!" Ashlyn cried.

"Very well, then —" Bellatrix said madly.

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius Malfoy roared at the woman. "If you smash it — !"

"You need more persuasion?" Bellatrix said, her chest rising and falling rapidly, as she came out of the shadows.

"Very well — take the smallest one," she ordered the Death Eaters beside her. "Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."

Harry stepped sideways so that he was right in front of Ginny, the prophecy held up to his chest.

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us," he told Bellatrix.

"I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?"

She did not move; she merely stared at him, the tip of her tongue moistening her thin mouth.

"So," said Harry, "what kind of prophecy are we talking about anyway?"

"What kind of prophecy?" repeated Bellatrix, the grin fading from her face. "You jest, Harry Potter."