A Lonely Child

Nobody's Listening

Hermione watched as Harry, Neville, Cedric and Luna have no problems finding and mounting their Thestrals but she, Ginny, and Ron continue to have trouble.

"How do we get on if we can't see them?" Ginny asked.

"I will help you." Luna said hopping off of her Thestral.

"Sure." Ginny replied.

After Luna got off her Thestral she walked over to where Hermione was standing.

"This is the head." She said patting what looked like air. Luna grabbed at something on the Thestral. "This is the mane and what you need to hold on to while you ride it." Luna said before she helped Hermione get on to the horse like beast.

After helping Hermione Luna went to help Ron and Ginny on to theirs. Ron it turned out had been trying to get on the wrong way and had his face near the Thestrals backside instead of the head.

Hermione notices Harry say something to his Thestral just before the Thestrals took off. Hermione had assumed that the Thestrals would take them to the ministry of magic. The flying experience was one Hermione would rather not experience again. She preferred to fly where she couldn't see the ground like in a muggle airplane.

It took them a few hours but they finally reached downtown London and the ministry of magic. It looked like a normal muggle building. Just like the wizarding hospital St. Mungo's did except it didn't look like an old abandon building.

"I am never riding one of those things again." Ron bellowed when he got off his. "Not being able to see what you are flying on is kind of creepy." He added.

"Follow me." Harry said leading them to a red telephone box. He gestured for them to all come in with him.

Harry dialed a number that Hermione couldn't see but knew it was too short to be a telephone number.

"Ministry of Magic what is the purpose of your visit?" an automated voice asked.

"To rescue someone!" Harry bellowed.

"Thank you for visiting the Ministry of Magic please have your wand checked at the security desk." The voices said as six ID badges with 'Rescue mission' written on them fell out of the coin return. Each one of the students took a badge as the phone booth descended into the atrium.

"Where is everybody?" Ginny asked.

"Something doesn't feel right." Cedric said.

"A little too eerie for me." Hermione voiced.

"There's no security." Ron said.

"We are still going." Harry said. "He has to be here."

"Come on if he's in the Department of Mysteries then we have to take a lift down to it." Cedric said leading the group to the bank of lifts at one end of the atrium.