Destruction

As if a dam had burst, an immense volume of water gleaming with a dark, murky sheen surged from a breach in the metal wall. Several uniformed wizard corpses were swept along the cresting waves and smashed heavily against the opposite wall.

The sudden turn of events stunned Sirius. Before he could say anything, Amelia grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the fireplace they had come through.

Over the thunderous roar, Sirius shouted,

"What's going on, Amelia? Isn't this where you keep prisoners? Why is there so much water?"

"That isn't water!"

Pale-faced, Amelia glanced back at the waves flooding into the maze of passages. The silvery metal walls on either side immediately lost their luster after being washed over, turning pitch-black at a visible speed.

"It's Potions—highly poisonous Potions!"

Amelia's voice was shrill.

"The Department of Security uses it for executions. They make condemned wizards fall into hallucinations, then sink them into the water prison. You saw those bodies. Those poisons can take a wizard's life in seconds!"

"Your Department of Security is seriously twisted!"

With a splash, Sirius broke out in a cold sweat. Still held by Amelia, he leaped forward, transformed into his Animagus form in midair, and whined several times at her.

Amelia understood at once. Gritting her teeth, she jumped onto Sirius's back, flattened herself against him, and clutched the mane around his neck tightly.

The Potions pouring out of the execution chamber seemed endless. Like Fiendfyre, they appeared to possess a mind of their own, instinctively seeking to obliterate all life. Sensing Sirius and Amelia, the Potions churned up roaring waves and pursued them madly.

There was no need to ponder who had broken the barrier around the execution chamber. What puzzled Amelia was why the Vampire impersonating Graves would do something so