"Harry! Hermione! No... no one came with us! What do we do? It's my fault... because I let go...!"
"No, it's not your fault. Potter was the one who let go. And Sirius Black's timing was terrible too..."
Outside the Ministry, Edith was panicking.
They'd left Harry and the others right in the middle of the Death Eaters!
And she was the one holding Harry's hand.
The mistake stemmed from maintaining only light contact, fearing the Death Eaters would notice.
If only she'd gripped Harry's hand more firmly... if only she'd ignored the risk of detection and held on tight, this wouldn't have happened.
"L-let's go back! We have to help Harry and the others!"
"Calm down, Reinagel. That place is already a battlefield between the intruders and the Death Eaters. Charging in carelessly now would be far too dangerous."
"But, but! We have to do something!"
Mirabel gripped the shoulders of the teary-eyed, flustered Edith.
The grip was strong enough for fingers to dig in, and that very strength conveyed her concern.
"Don't be arrogant! What could you accomplish by going there!?"
"—!"
"Listen carefully... for just a moment, I saw the faces of those who entered. Besides Sirius Black, there was the Auror Mad-Eye Moody and his famous protégé, Nymphadora Tonks. I also spotted Remus Lupin, who taught us in third year, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Every one of them is a first-rate wizard... with experience and ability surpassing yours."
They couldn't see what was happening in the Department of Mysteries from here.
But it was certainly a chaotic battle.
Mirabel couldn't believe that throwing Edith—no matter how trained, still just a student—into that maelstrom would end well.
That's why she didn't want to let Edith go.
"But... Hermione and the others are in that kind of place!? If something happens to everyone, I..."
"They won't kill Potter yet. And Granger is a capable girl... she has the means to survive."
"What about Ginny and Cedric? What about Ron, Luna, and Neville?"
At Edith's tearful voice, Mirabel answered mercilessly.
She didn't want to lie for comfort, and it would probably be exposed immediately anyway.
So she spoke only the cruel truth.
"Who knows... they might die."
"Then—!"
"I'll say it again...! 'What could you accomplish by going back'?"
It was harshly realistic, yet a certain logic.
Someone who couldn't adequately protect themselves worrying about others—and moreover, diving into the heart of danger—was far too recklessly brave.
No, it wasn't even reckless bravery anymore, just plain foolishness.
Edith should understand that.
Yet even understanding, the light in her eyes didn't change.
"...I don't know. Maybe I can't do anything."
"..."
"But if I abandon them here, and Hermione and the others die, I'll definitely regret it for the rest of my life. So I..."
Mirabel bit her lip and looked at Edith.
She considered drastic measures—should she just knock her out?
But she also knew that doing so would leave scars and regret in Edith's heart.
Then what? What was the right move?
"..."
"...Mirabel?"
As Mirabel remained still with closed eyes, Edith called out curiously.
Then Mirabel slowly opened her eyes and looked her friend straight on.
"...It's a dangerous place... even with me there, I can't guarantee I'll definitely protect you."
"...Yeah."
"You might die. If captured, you might be tortured. You'll still go?"
"...Yeah."
This is hopeless, Mirabel thought.
This girl was genuinely, extraordinarily good-natured.
No Slytherin elements except blood purity. Actually, she'd abandoned even blood purity in second year, so now it was truly unclear why she was in Slytherin.
Facing this friend with unnecessarily pure eyes despite being a Slytherin, Mirabel sighed theatrically.
Then she hid the prophecy she'd been holding in nearby bushes and cast concealment charms.
Taking something like this to a battlefield would only be a hindrance.
"...You fool."
"Y-yeah..."
"Bottomlessly good-natured simpleton. Complete idiot who doesn't value herself. Blockhead, dummy, klutz, utter fool, Merlin's beard."
She casually voiced whatever insults came to mind, venting her frustration.
Edith looked ready to cry, but who cared?
This bottomlessly stupid girl needed to be told this much.
"...Don't ever leave my side."
"!"
"Well, you know, um... it's a promise... I'll protect you."
At Mirabel blushing bashfully, Edith's expression visibly transformed.
She threw her arms around that slender waist, expressing joy and gratitude.
"Thank you, Mirabel! I love you!"
"...—"
Mirabel's eyes widened in surprise, but she firmly caught Edith and smiled.
'Friend.' That word had always been foreign to her.
She hadn't even understood what it meant and thought it had nothing to do with her.
But now she understood. I see—so this is—
"Hey, Reinagel..."
"Mm?"
"Who do you like... the 'me' from first year onward? Or the me now?"
It was a strange question.
As if the past self and present self were different people.
But Edith answered without hesitation, smiling:
"Well... Mirabel suddenly became kinder this year, and sometimes I think you might be a different person."
"I-I see?"
"But you know... even if you were a different person—both are precious friends."
"..."
Mirabel narrowed her eyes at that answer.
She showed a tearful smile as if looking at something dazzling, then stroked Edith's head.
And whispered "thank you" so softly Edith couldn't hear.
"Hey, Reinagel..."
"Mm?"
"I'm... hiding something from you. After we return from the Department of Mysteries. Will you listen?"
"Huh? Yeah, sure, but..."
Mirabel responded with a pleased "I see" and took Edith's hand.
The place they were heading was an extremely dangerous death trap.
But she wouldn't let her die. Wouldn't let her be hurt.
Here she swore, for the first time in her life making a resolution for the sake of a 'friend.'
"Let's go... Edith."
"Yeah... wait, what!? Mirabel, did you just call me by my first name...?"
At Edith's wide-eyed surprise, Mirabel smiled.
That face was gentler than any smile she'd shown before, and girlishly lovely.
As Edith almost found herself mesmerized, Mirabel spoke with a buoyant voice:
"Friends call each other by name, don't they?"
Edith stood dumbfounded for just a second—then smiled broadly and nodded emphatically.
With Edith and Mirabel's departure, the stalemate shattered.
With Mirabel holding the prophecy gone, the Death Eaters no longer needed to hesitate attacking, and everyone except Harry became targets for elimination.
But Harry moved quickly too.
He immediately blasted magic at the prophecy shelves, using countless prophecies as cover as he ran.
He grabbed Hermione's arm and returned to the prophecy room entrance, confirming all members and Sirius passed through the door before closing it.
Outside the door were Lupin, Mad-Eye, and others—just their presence was reassuring.
"Sirius! You fool, rushing ahead like that!"
Mad-Eye shouted angrily, but now wasn't the time.
Harry opened his mouth to convey the current situation as briefly and quickly as possible.
"Death Eaters are coming! We have to escape now!"
"We know! You lot head for the exit—we Order members will hold them here!"
Harry tried to object to leaving Sirius and the others behind.
But Cedric gripped his shoulder, meeting him with a stern gaze.
Unless they escaped first, Sirius and the others couldn't withdraw.
Faced with Cedric's reproachful eyes, Harry clenched his fist in frustration.
"Alohomora!"
The door burst open and Death Eaters poured through.
The Order met them head-on, and the Department of Mysteries instantly transformed into a battlefield with multiple beams of light crisscrossing.
Harry and the others headed for the exit with this at their backs, but a problem arose.
This circular hall room had multiple doors around it and rotated with each entry or exit.
Meaning—they didn't know which door led back the way they came.
"Wh-what do we do, Harry?"
"Standing around won't help! We're going through any door!"
Harry, Hermione, and Cedric jumped into a random room and locked it.
But without prior coordination, Ginny, Neville, Ron, and Luna entered a different room.
Of course there was no time to go back. They'd have to think of it as splitting up to search for the exit.
But the room Harry's group entered... unfortunately wasn't the way they'd come.
Around them were desks and chairs, bell jars with repeatedly hatching small eggs, and glass cabinets containing various shaped hourglasses.
"Time-Turners!"
"So this is where they're kept..."
After brief hesitation, Harry reached into the cabinet and removed one Time-Turner.
He knew this was theft.
But they were long past caring about such things.
Besides, this Time-Turner could be a trump card.
It might overturn a hopeless situation.
Though Hermione gave him a reproachful look, she said nothing—apparently thinking it unavoidable given the emergency.
Almost simultaneously, something crashed against the door, and they hurriedly hid under a table.
"Potter! Where are you!"
Three Death Eaters burst into the room, searching for them.
Had the Order been broken through? Was Sirius safe?
With such anxieties, Harry gripped his wand and cast from under the desk.
"Stupefy!"
One down first!
It hit the Death Eater in front, stunning him.
Simultaneously, the remaining two Death Eaters aimed their wands at Harry, but Cedric and Hermione were faster.
As expected of the second-best student and a Triwizard champion.
With swift wandwork they cast spells, blasting both Death Eaters away.
One fell backward and tumbled into a bell jar.
But the man's head penetrated the bell jar as if passing through a bubble and he collapsed spread-eagled.
And the strangeness continued—the man's head rapidly shrank, hair and beard receding, becoming a baby's head.
"T-time... time reversed."
At the deeply unsettling sight, they all paled, and Cedric immediately aimed his wand and fired a finishing Body-Bind.
Hermione gasped, but the baby-headed Death Eater was blown away and finally lost consciousness.
"Hurting a baby!"
"Be rational, Granger. That's not a baby."
This was where Hermione couldn't abandon her goodness.
Cedric calmly admonished her and immediately stayed alert to their surroundings.
No second wave of Death Eaters appeared yet, but they could come anytime.
And if they weren't here, that meant they were with someone else.
Either way, they couldn't let their guard down.
"Let's go back. This isn't the exit."
"Yeah..."
Returning was dangerous, but staying here was pointless.
The three advanced cautiously and opened the door back to the circular room.
Then they locked eyes with two Death Eaters, who gleefully headed their way.
The Order... seemed quite disadvantaged.
They could see Tonks tumbling down stairs, with Bellatrix's triumphant laughter echoing.
Mad-Eye also lay on the floor, with only Sirius, Lupin, and Kingsley desperately fighting back.
"Silencio! Quiet!"
Hermione's spell hit one Death Eater, sealing his voice.
The man opened and closed his mouth, then mockingly laughed and flicked his wand.
Purple flames crossed and struck Hermione's chest, and she collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
"Hermione!"
Harry frantically caught her body.
She was... breathing.
But completely unconscious, not moving a muscle.
As the man tried to wave his wand again, Cedric aimed and released light.
It brought down one Death Eater, but only grazed the one who'd struck Hermione.
His mask flew off, revealing his face.
Antonin Dolohov... Harry had seen him in the newspaper before.
The wizard who'd murdered the Prewett family.
When he waved his wand, this time Cedric fell, and he laughed triumphantly.
But then the door behind him opened and Luna burst out.
Luna slammed a Stunner into Antonin's head, knocking him out.
Just in time... he never expected to be saved by her.
"Harry, are you okay?"
"Luna!"
Stepping on the fallen Death Eater's face to ensure he stayed unconscious, Luna rushed over.
Behind her followed Neville and Ginny, but they all looked strange.
Ginny was hopping along, and Neville was giggling at something.
Ron was nowhere to be seen.
Apparently only Luna was uninjured.
"Luna, what happened to them?"
"Well... Neville got hit by some spell and became like this, and Ginny got caught in the backwash of my Reductor Curse. A Death Eater grabbed Ginny's ankle, so I used the Reductor right in front of him... Ron managed to take him down, but our side took heavy damage too."
"I see... by the way, where's Ron?"
"Still fighting a Death Eater."
They'd reunited... but the damage was severe.
Hermione and Cedric unconscious, Ginny and Neville unable to fight.
Only himself and Luna remained, but honestly it was a depressingly unreliable lineup.
Could they really escape here alive...?
Fear unlike any before covered Harry's heart.
***
In front of the Ministry.
Someone's slender arm grasped the prophecy orb hidden in the bushes.
A small figure clad in crimson robes.
Golden hair peeked from the robe's edge, golden eyes gleaming.
The figure tucked the prophecy inside their robes and looked up at the Ministry.
Then with lips curling upward—began walking toward the Ministry.
***
Death Eaters: "" ×10
Death Eater A: "Blast it, still haven't found Romando!?"
Death Eater B: "Yeah, just ten corpses! Are there more!?"
Death Eater A: "If he's alive, there should be more bodies."
***
(Author's Note) And so we bring you the Department of Mysteries battle with various schemes in motion. The Death Eaters are getting pretty well scattered, but there are plenty of nameless Death Eaters so no problem. They spawn infinitely like the ninjas in Higanjima. See you again tomorrow.
...Seriously though, where do those ninjas keep coming from?