The Last Riddle

77. You have to choose

My hands feel frozen to the stick of my broom, for hours I have been flying from Scotland down to London. The landscape besides me has shifted from the rolling hills of the highlands to the sparseness of the midlands to now the bright lights of the city.

I fly high but not so high that the air has grown thin, thankfully it is now dark and I'm able to fly lower than I usually would.

I look down at the magical compass that Nott had strapped to my broom and notice the red arrow pointing directly straight. Looking beneath me I match up the landmarks that the two boys had described to me eyeing around for the building I needed.

As I spot the large green roof I point my broomstick downwards to the now empty backstreets. I land clumsily my feet numb and my legs stiff, I quickly breathe hot air onto my hands in the hope of getting some feeling back into them.

"Look at the large brown building with the red windows, look to the left of it and walk inside the green wooden door" I mutter to myself the directions as I walk forwards quickly.

By now Sirius could be dead for Merlins sake, if only I could apparate I would have made it here in seconds not bloody hours.

I run forwards my heart beating heavily in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I burst through the wooden door and into the public toilet. No workers are around which is hardly surprising considering the time I suppose.

I reach one of the cubicles and hold my breath as I follow Nott's last instructions, I mean at first I surely thought he was joking but after Xavier agreed with him I had no choice but to believe him.

"Oh fuck" I step up into the toilet bowl my feet sinking into the murky brown water. Why the fuck is the water brown? Holding my broom in one hand and reaching up with the other I pull down hard on the metal chain waiting for the water to flush.

I feel myself beginning to spin, spinning and spinning as I slide downwards. My feet hit steady ground and my eyesight comes back to me slowly, feeling disgustingly dizzy I stagger forwards.

Green tiled floors and walls surround me, the vast empty space is very obviously my intended destination. The Ministry of Magic. Even empty the power and grandeur is obvious, feeling intimated I drop my broom where it is. It's if no use to me now, especially considering I don't know where I'm going.

I force myself to begin running, I sprint past the large ornate statue ignoring it and instead head over to the lifts. Besides them are a helpful guide indicating what is where, I drag my finger up and down the board desperately.

Nowhere on this board is there anything that states the Department of Mysteries. Racking my brain I try to think back, I'm sure that is what Harry had said. That Sirius was being tortured in the Department of Mysteries.

I scan the board once more reading the different headings out loud "Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Improper Use of Magic Office, Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office." I stop reading as my eyes land one the ninth floor.

The ninth floor instead of having any department written besides it simply has several upside down question marks.

Smirking at this stupid gesture of secrecy I turn from the board and forcefully open one of the lift doors smashing repeatedly at the number nine key.

The lift jolts backwards instead of up like I had expected it to, stumbling slightly I grasp onto the golden handle inside the lift. Before I have time to regain my balance the lift has come to a halt inside of a dark red corridor. Stepping out of the lift I raise my wand lighting the space with the end of it.

Where the hell am I supposed to go now? I close my eyes and trust every instinct in my body as I open them again eyeing the large dark door at the end of the hall. Running forwards I open it quickly running into the room, the door slams shut behind me and now I'm front of me stand twelve, identical, black, handleless doors.