Things really had not unfolded quite as Harry and the others had expected.
Just as they had said before, they had underestimated Voldemort and his Death Eaters a little too much.
Harry had learned Draco and the Death Eaters' plan through dream-entry magic. Leaving aside whether that was truly Voldemort and the Death Eaters' plan, his intrusion had already been detected when he entered the other party's dream.
That was why someone of unknown identity had previously invaded Harry's mind as well.
But because whoever invaded him was clearly not a Death Eater, Harry had actually overlooked the matter. The result was that the Death Eaters had known early on that Hogwarts had learned of their plan, and had taken corresponding measures to counter their preparations.
On this very night, when they were certain Dumbledore was not at Hogwarts, the Death Eaters made their move.
Only, contrary to what Harry and the members of the Order of the Phoenix had expected, the Death Eaters did not attack Hogwarts directly. Instead, they first launched a feint against the Ministry of Magic.
Whether it was actually a feint, however, remained debatable.
By the time Harry and the others reviewed and analyzed events afterward, they had received word: the door of unknown purpose in the Death Chamber of the Department of Mysteries, beneath the Ministry of Magic, had been stolen. Not many people knew about this, but Harry and the others did.
The theft had also caused a tremendous commotion, severely damaging London's underground railway facilities.
Although no Muggles had witnessed what happened, one thing was certain: whoever stole the door had left through there. A massive tunnel had been opened outside the Department of Mysteries, connecting all the way to the Underground above.
To deal with the aftermath, more than a dozen