The hall of the Department of Mysteries was as vast and dim as ever. Under normal circumstances, the Silencers would have stopped any intruders the moment they entered.
But not tonight. The hall was quieter than ever, so silent that even heartbeats could be heard clearly.
Dumbledore led the way, with Vincent behind him. Before long, they spotted several figures lying on the floor.
Six—no, there was another in the corner. Seven Silencers lay sprawled across the ground in various positions, some facedown, some on their backs, like discarded dolls.
There was no smell of blood in the air, nor were there any obvious wounds on them.
"It was Tom." Dumbledore bent down to inspect the nearest Silencer. "They're still alive, but I'm afraid they'll suffer serious aftereffects. He was in a hurry and had no time to deal with them."
Vincent's gaze swept across the hall. The black doors were tightly shut, and nothing seemed unusual from the outside.
Dumbledore straightened. "This seems to be a tra—"
Before he could finish, five black shadows rose from the floor like ghosts, followed by rapid yet incredibly precise incantations:
"Confundus!"
"Cruciatus!"
"Obstacle Course!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
"Diffindo!"
Faced with the sudden attack, Dumbledore did not even turn around. He gave the Elder Wand in his hand a slight flick, and a translucent silver barrier enveloped both him and Vincent.
The Confundus Charm and Cruciatus Curse struck it first, erupting in blinding sparks, yet they could not penetrate the barrier.
The next three spells, however, exploded eerily in midair, as though something had struck them.
Dumbledore looked at Vincent—or rather, at the invisible Type-A Spheres surrounding him. "Striking without warning, leaving others defenseless. A very practical little invention."
The attack had been neutralized in an instant, and the black shadows visibly froze.
Bellatrix