Chapter 234 - Records of the Prophecy Hall (1/2)
On the second-lowest level of the Ministry of Magic is, Level 9, only accessible via the lifts from the Ministry Atrium. Unlike the rest of the Ministry, this level is even starker than the judgment hall. Black-titled walls are bare with no windows, no door either apart from a single black door at the end of the corridor that leads into the Department of Mysteries. The only source of light in the gloomy passageway are torches that coldly burn blue white rather than the warm glow of fire. Beyond the door is the entrance chamber a large, circular room. Everything in the room is black including the floor and ceiling. The only way back out is through twelve handle-less doors set to open at intervals only known to members of the Department.
Beyond there lies many curious sights, a long, rectangular room with a tank of brains that swim in green solutions and attack anything that attempts to touch them. A dimly lit chamber with stone tiers that lead down into a pit, whereupon a dais in the center stand a very old stone archway with a tattered black curtain hanging over it. The veil, which separates the world of the living and the dead.
But that is only the first of many, there is another door that remains locked at all times except to those that are permitted inside. A large fountain of Amortentia runs in the room, but for what purpose? Only known to those permitted inside.
There is a dark room full of planets floating in mid-air. Often times one finds themselves floating along to some unseen force. Whether there is a name for that power or not, the department has yet to share it with the rest of the wizarding world.
The next chamber is a long, rectangular room filled with beautiful, dancing lights that sparkle like gemstones. All sorts of time-related devices completely fill the chamber, clocks of every description, and Time-Turners. At the far end of the hall is a large crystal bell jar filled with sparkling light that goes in and out. Anything inside the jar grows younger and younger returning to pre-life state only to be reborn and grow older. The cycle is endless as life and death are forever intertwined.
At the end of the last chamber is a single door that leads to the most curious chamber of all. A long, cold chamber with high ceilings like that of a church full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. The orbs glimmer dully in the light issued from the lit blue-flamed candles. The room is largely empty most of the time as only the subjects of the prophecy can touch said orb except for a singular exception the Keeper of the Hall of Prophecies.
In a heavy fur coat, a tired dark-haired man with dark eyeshadows and even more gaunt cheeks loudly coughed. Alphard Black wearily coughed into an already red-spotted handkerchief, before wiping his red flecked lips clean. Striding forward the tired wizard makes his way down the rows and suddenly stops at row forty-five. A soft like whisper can be heard as he frowns and turns to make his way down the aisle.
Down the long alley of shelves are tiny yellowing labels under each glass orb on the shelf. Some of them have a weird, liquid glow; others are dull and dark about to blow out like a candle in the wind. Alphard's heavy robes trailed against the ground as he frowned at not hearing anything again. Suddenly, he heard the soft whisper again just behind him.
Alphard whirls around and glances up to see a glowing like orb on the shelf above him. The faded old card reads, ”Tom Marvolo Riddle (?) and the Prince (?).”
”Prince?” Alphard frowned instantly thinking of a certain child. Carefully reaching for the orb with his right gloved hand, he removes his left glove. Barely pressing the tip of his finger to the orb, he suddenly hears the voice of Cassandra Trelawany, the famous witch and seer.
”Two stars have fallen, both equal in might... Both filled with darkness and despair…. But neither can live for the Hydra hides in the shadows... Long forgotten, long thought gone, but not all things that are forgotten are ever truly gone...The Hydra will consume them both….and the world shall finally perish and fall away into utter darkness...”
There is a pause as if Cassandra Trelawny is utterly, bewildered. ”-Yet life and death will clasp hands in solemn accord, the Hydra must perish...”
Alphard blinks as the prophecy orb returns to its original liquid glow. Furrowing his brows, he returns the orb into place, before moving away lost in thought.
Was that an incomplete prophecy? No, it was complete simply Cassandra Trelawny did not know the ending. ”Two stars have fallen, both equal in might,” Alphard muttered to himself, easily pegging Riddle and the child. But what of the Hydra? The one that will consume them both-?
”But the Hydra must perish,” Alphard loudly thought to himself as he pursed his lips.
The other unspeakables nod their heads at him, before returning to fiddling with the Time-Turners. He was rather distracted as he wandered out of the Department of Mystery that he didn't hear anyone calling him until he had left the lifts and was on his way out.
”Merlin to Black,” a voice loudly said in his ear, causing Alphard to jump.