"Professor Lupin?"
A familiar face appeared before them.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"I can't just stay unemployed, can I? My new job is Auror. I should have told you all a long time ago, but I asked you to keep it a secret."
Lupin paused for a moment.
His task over the past few days had been to stand guard at the Ministry of Magic. As an Auror, he didn't spend all his time out capturing Dark Wizards.
"Also... long time no see."
Lupin smiled and waved at them.
"This isn't the time for reminiscing, Professor Lupin. I have something very important to discuss with Dumbledore..."
Harry spoke anxiously.
"Oh, and Professor McGonagall?"
Lupin's attention was diverted again. His gaze shifted to the back of the group, and he stood up from his seat and nodded in acknowledgment.
"Professor McGonagall?"
The group turned their heads stiffly and saw the old witch standing there with a serious expression. There also seemed to be several other people behind her.
"We're doomed."
The Weasley twins exchanged glances. They leaned back slightly in unison, shrugged at the same time, and rolled their eyes.
But Professor McGonagall didn't immediately reprimand them. Instead, she asked a question.
"Remus, I'm asking you—where is Dumbledore?"
Professor McGonagall cut straight to the point and questioned Lupin directly.
"He's dueling with Grindelwald, and it might have already started! It's dangerous!"
Harry shouted, answering first.
"Sigh, I don't know why this has become so widely known. I remember there shouldn't be many people who knew about it. It was supposed to be top secret."
Lupin shook his head.
"Yes. At the very bottom of the Ministry of Magic—the Department of Mysteries. It should have started by now."
Lupin then confirmed the information.
Professor McGonagall's expression changed slightly, and her lips tightened.
Now that the duel had been confirmed as genuine, Harry's earlier statement seemed even more plausible.
Her stern gaze even made Snape somewhat wary.
"Not only Grindelwald, but also..."
Harry spoke anxiously, but Hermione kicked him in the shin.
Harry then noticed that Snape was there too, his unfathomable black eyes staring at him.
Like a venomous snake choosing its prey.
"Come on. Keep up."
Professor McGonagall deftly swept her black robes behind her and strode toward the golden gates.
Several other professors and students naturally followed.
"Why is she here?"
Ron whispered to Harry.
Trelawney was clearly not much of a fighting force in their eyes.
"I don't think we need to worry so much," Lupin said as he followed them. "Grindelwald has been imprisoned for so many years. He certainly can't have recovered much of his strength."
"Dumbledore defeated him decades ago."
Lupin seemed extremely confident in Dumbledore and followed closely behind them.
They soon arrived at the elevator.
Professor McGonagall extended her somewhat rough fingers and pressed the nearest downward button.
The elevator appeared almost instantly with a click. Its golden railings slid from the middle toward both sides with a deafening metallic clang that echoed through the hall.
They rushed inside and pressed button number nine.
The Department of Mysteries was located at the very bottom of the Ministry of Magic. It was said to have been constructed using the strongest and most magic-resistant materials.
Then, as the elevator descended, a certain sound began growing louder and louder, constantly drilling into their ears.
Professor McGonagall's expression grew increasingly grim.
Trelawney stood cowering in the corner of the elevator, anxiously looking around.
With a loud thud, the elevator shook violently for a moment before quickly returning to normal.
The illuminated ninth-floor button went out.
They had arrived.
The group quickly stepped out into a dark corridor.
Not far ahead, a dark marble door stood tightly closed, with two eerie blue torches hanging above it and illuminating their path.
Several medieval-style oil paintings also hung on the nearby walls.
They hurried down the corridor, the air currents created by their movements causing the flames to flicker and dance.
However, the journey, which should have been very short, seemed to stretch endlessly, with no end in sight.
They walked for quite some time before realizing something was wrong.
"They've probably set up a magical device to prevent the duel from being interrupted."
Professor McGonagall spoke decisively before exchanging a glance with Flitwick.
Flitwick raised his wand high and chanted loudly.
After a series of perceptible fluctuations and distortions, they noticed something strange happening to the corridor ahead.
The corridor began to tremble before revealing a new passageway.
Only then did everyone realize that they had been walking in circles.
After dispelling the magic, they finally arrived at the simple stone doorway.
"Alohomora."
Professor McGonagall raised her hand and pushed the door open.
In that instant, a scorching wave of air erupted from within, accompanied by clattering sounds and dazzling, chaotic flashes of light.
They immediately rushed inside.
However, the group did not see the protagonists of the duel at first.
What appeared before them was an enormous circular room filled with scattered bricks and stones.
The Brain Room, the Death Chamber, the Time Room, the Hall of Prophecy, the offices, the Planet Room—the rooms that should have been separated by walls had now been completely destroyed and were no longer distinguishable.
The ground was littered with broken and tattered objects.
Countless wooden frames and fragments of crystal balls lay scattered across the floor, the latter reflecting a cold gleam in the flickering light.
These must have come from the Hall of Prophecy.
A few dirty tables and chairs lay crookedly on the ground.
They might have been office furnishings.
A large grandfather clock lay overturned to one side, surrounded by a dense array of miniature clocks hanging haphazardly over it.
Perhaps they had come from the Time Room.
In short, the deepest part of the underground Ministry now presented an utterly chaotic scene.
Only then did they come to their senses and notice two figures.
The two men also noticed someone pushing open the door and looked back.
Their eyes met.
Both were extremely tall.
One was bald, with dark skin that was clearly not the result of tanning, and wore a pair of gold earrings.
The other had narrow shoulders, a handsome face, and piercing eyes.
They were Kingsley Shacklebolt and Sirius Black.
The witnesses to the duel.
"Harry? Go back right now!"
Sirius stood behind a huge rock, staring at Harry in astonishment as he approached. His face was filled with concern.
"This duel has been kept almost entirely secret. How did you get here?"
Sirius then asked.
Harry's face stiffened. He was about to explain when, the moment he opened his mouth, a chaotic current of air rushed toward him, making it almost impossible to speak.
Flashing lights and shifting shadows made everyone's heads spin.
Luna subconsciously closed her eyes, while the other students raised their arms to shield their faces.
They all instinctively wanted to help, but they couldn't even distinguish friend from foe.
Moreover, they lacked the ability to intervene in a duel of this level.
Now, all that remained was a battle between true masters of magic.