The giant fountain in the Ministry of Magic atrium splashed cold water. Streams from the golden wizard statues' wand tips glittered beneath the gloomy skylight dome. The air smelled of disinfectant, parchment, and a stifling metallic scent. Hermione stayed close at Lynn's side, her fingers unconsciously hooking around the tassels of his dark blue scarf as though they were her only anchor. She wore her most formal dark green wool dress, her hair meticulously combed, trying to look like a professional "supervisor" rather than a worried girlfriend.
"Department of Mysteries, Level Nine underground." The elevator gears groaned dully as a cold mechanical female voice announced their stop. The metal gate slid open, revealing an entirely different world.
There were no bright lights, only faint blue points embedded in the walls and dome, flickering slowly like living stars and outlining the contours of the vast, profound space. The air was cold and dry, filled with the scent of dust and ancient magic. Beneath their feet were mirror-smooth black stone tiles reflecting the flowing starlight overhead. The entire floor was terrifyingly silent, with only their footsteps echoing through the emptiness.
An expressionless Obliviator in deep purple robes appeared ahead like a ghost, the hem of his robes gliding soundlessly across the floor. "Lynn Stone? Hermione Granger? This way." His voice was flat and uninflected, as though he were reading instructions.
They were led into an enormous circular room. Floating in its center was an incredibly complex instrument made of countless bronze gears and transparent crystal pipes. Liquid silver light flowed within it like a trapped Milky Way, turning slowly with an extremely low hum. A massive, mysterious map of star tracks was engraved into the floor around the instrument.
Two people were already in the room. One was Aurora Hopkins, whom they