This story was once posted under my old username Corrupted-politician393 but that account was canceled, so I'm reposting it.
At the heart lies…
Chapter one: Prophecies
James grabbed Sirius's arm. "I think I see something." Sirius looked at him with an expression of pure relief. James was pointing towards a wide stalagmite that looked to be almost as tall him.
"Good." He sighed, " I want to go home and take a bath. A nice, hot, bubble bath." He rubbed His dirty palm against his eyes. "Lets get the crystal and go."
The two, as partners for the ministry, were searching for a prophecy, foretold by a gypsy during the Holocaust that revealed a mystery that would be the downfall of the dark era that they were now in. Even though they knew what the prophecy was about no one knew exactly what it said and the only person who witnessed it was burned before he or she could relay it to anyone. It was rumored that it was placed in the runes of Rome but after not finding it above the land they were now searching below it in the caves of the catacombs.
James led his friend around the stalagmite to a large rock with crystals engraved in it. Around them were several more large rocks with the crystals and each rock, on them was a pattern carved out from a knife. This was the only area in the caves with no dead bodies lying around. James walked towards the largest rock, which had to be at least twice his size and him being 6 foot 3 made the stone pretty large. He leaned his face close to it to inspect the crystals.
"I'm pretty sure this it." He said once he leaned back. "The magic centering around this place is very powerful, yet elusive. If this place wasn't so different you wouldn't even have felt it."
" Felt what?" Sirius asked confused. He looked at James funny. "These crystals look like regular old cave crystals, there's cave moth growing on the stones, and I do believe this place stinks worse then the time you decided to take all your showers at the beginning of the month.." He smiled at the memory. "Ok maybe not worse."
"I was three, get over it." He blushed remembering. His parents had refused to take him anywhere unless he showered regularly because anywhere he went the dogs always barked.
"Three? You were fifteen. That was what less then five years ago," Sirius broke into laughter as James blushed more but his smile faded.
"Sirius," He hissed. Then in a more quiet voice he said, " Shut up, your loud laughter is shaking the ceiling."
His friend stopped laughing but the smile was still on his face. "Sorry." He lied. "Ok, what are we looking for?"
"A crystal that seems different in anyway and any how." He turned back to inspecting the rock when He felt his eyes close and a serene feeling fall upon him. His eyes fluttered at the sound of Screaming and grunting the darkness his eyelids provided did not help in finding out who was making the noise. The sounds stopped and a woman sighing was now heard with the sound of a baby crying. These sounds were echoing in his mind and he knew Sirius could not hear them. It was the baby's crying that disturbed him. It wasn't exactly human. The noise seemed raspier. The air around him seemed to grow colder and it seemed all the magic was focusing on one point. He opened his eyes and looked to the point. It was a crystal. It was this crystal that had made the noises. He walked over to it. Behind him he could hear Sirius follow him. The Crystal was now glowing pink then it turned blue. Every five seconds or so it would alternate.
"I- I-," He stuttered.
"What is it James?" Sirius asked, showing concern for his friend. He watched him inspect the crystal. Inspecting turned into staring then starring turned into disconnecting with his tongue sticking. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
James ignored him instead he walked over to the crystal, which was now blue and touched it. The most wonderful feeling overcame him. He felt he was on ecstasy and his body was floating. He couldn't see shapes or anything sharp and there was no bright colors anything that could harm his eyes. Instead he was seeing purples, browns, and blues and all of it were meshed together to form one super color.
His eyes were much more relaxed then they had ever felt. After a few moments of bliss the feeling began to spread all over except for the tight muscle area in his right arm. He felt it touch something hard and cold before he realized he was rubbing the crystal. Though he noticed this, his euphoria was not interrupted.
Sirius watched his friend in confusion. James was acting funny again. After starring at the crystal from afar, he now moved closer to watch the crystal from a closer perception, but this time he was touching it. "James, Buddy, Partner for two years, now I don't know if you're on drugs or need drugs but do 'something'." He exaggerated.
James ignored him. The crystal had stopped on blue when something happened. The carvings on the stones began to glow. It was an aqua color and the effect the glow had on the crystal was that it made you think you were underwater. Sirius gaped.
"James, what in God's name did you do?" He let out. James didn't answer. He was about to shove him back to reality when the rock to his left, which held a pattern of fancy gates carved into it, began to open. Sirius stepped back, "Jesus," He mumbled.
It was as soon as it opened a full blast of what James felt earlier attacked his senses. It felt like the air was toxic gases and the magic from the open gates was burning his skin.
He looked over to James who, once again, wasn't moving. He let out a breath and stepped into the room. Inside it was nothing fancy. Plain, rock walls were anything but interesting. There were no crystals, no carvings, and there was nothing smooth about the walls.
He tried to make his way to the center of the room but the magical power was too much for him to move. He fell to his knees and crawled his way through the force towards the center of the room where he finally collapsed. He could literally see the waves of magic now and it was giving him a big headache. Bringing his head back as he felt a spasm in his back he squinted his eyes to see the ceiling, which had to be at least 3 stories high. It was beautiful. The ceiling was made of individual pieces of stain glass fitted together like a puzzle. Looking up at it, he could make out the stars, the moon, and what he guessed was the planet Mars that was exceptionally bright.
The zenith of the glass was a sphere. Sirius felt himself fall transfixed in staring at it. The silver smoke inside of it swirled in a left to right direction. He outstretched his hand to touch it. Because it was too far to reach it, the sphere only appeared to be smaller than the nail on his index finger. His headache began to get worst and his eyes began to water, obscuring his vision. If he could see properly he would've noticed that the sphere itself was also turning, unscrewing itself from the glass.
James, still staring at the stone could hear the sound of twisting. The noise was metallic and as it went it was accompanied by a rusty squeaking. It was this sound that jerked him from his comatose state. He looked around himself and saw that he was alone until he noticed the gateway. Through that he could make out Sirius, who was on his knees with his hands reaching upwards.
Confused, James walked over to him. "Padfoot? What are you doing?" He asked carefully.
"J-James?" He asked in a quiet voice. "Help m-me." He moaned. James face shone panic. He briskly walked over to his friend and grabbed his arm to help give him support.
"What is wro- what are you d-Where are we?" He asked as helped the carping Sirius to his feet as he looked around.
"My head." He got out, "Can't you feel it?"
"No I-" He never finished his sentence. In that moment a snap from above diverted their attention. James looked up to see the sphere, which had drawn attention from Sirius in the early seconds from before. It had separated from the stain-glass and was falling. James instantly let go of Sirius, who without his friend's support fell to the ground, to catch it.
Sirius, from the ground, looked up to where it had fallen from to see in its place was pure darkness. Gazing up at the hole he noticed he did not feel any severe head pain or any intense throbbing to his senses anymore.
"Sirius," James said as he gazed at the fallen object, "This is it! This is the prophecy. This is it. We can go home now."
"Yay." He sighed, "God I hope Longbottom doesn't set us on any more prophecy hunts EVER again."
"Be nice. You know his wife, Allis, just gave birth." James said as he wrapped the sphere in his robes.
"Really? Or are you just saying that so I'll cover for you when Lily goes into labor." Sirius asked, now was standing up and dusting off his robes.
"No, I'm not joking and you covering for me would be nice." He said the latter with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Don't get cocky. You don't have a kid yet."
"Whatever. Lets go." James gestured towards the exit and Sirius gratefully led the way out.
James and Sirius walked, loudly into the Ministry of warfare department that had been put up as a corresponding department towards the Department of Mysteries. The department of mysteries dealt with prophecies and unidentified objects or weapons the ministry doesn't want the press to know about. Or basically anything the people have yet to understand.
The warfare department dealt with anything that could help the light side get head in the war. Prophecies and secret weapons from the previous were always being brought back and fourth between the two. This place was basically the auror hang out.
"Were back! You happy to see us?" Sirius sang. Everyone in the room stopped to stare at them. A few people stopped to greet them and express the relief to see them but the dominate mood was any thing but cheerful. "Christ! I know you guys don't like us that much because were the new guys but don't you think you are overdoing it?"
This was true. Them being the new guys meant the veterans got to poke fun of them and pick on them, which their friends thought they deserved for their reign of terror at Hogwarts. Everyone in the room had bags under their eyes and some had tear-stained cheeks where their make up had run.
"Do you have the prophecy?" Moody's strong, grizzly voice said above the silence. Even his voice was graver then usual. James nodded and pulled from his robes the fist size ball.
He led them over to Frank Longbottom's office. Sirius instantly took a seat on the old, hard couch in the corner of the room. "Can we get this over with so I can shower?"
Moody gave him a glare. He walked over to the shelf where the only other prophecy that might be of use to the war was located. They all had been unsuccessful in opening it. "Hopefully we'll have more luck with this one."
"Moody what's going on? Why's everyone so. . . so morose?" James asked. "And where's Frank?"
"Haven't you heard?" He asked quietly. "Frank and Allis are mad."
"Yes we no that." Sirius said in an exasperated voice, "I lost his wedding ring when he fell a sleep the other day."
"You what?" James cried. His right hand automatically went to his wedding ring. Sirius gave a sheepish shrug.
"Not that." Moody cut in. "I mean they went crazy. Were lucky they didn't touch the boy. He's with his grandmother at present."
"What happened?" Sirius's anxious tone took one of pure horror. "They'll be ok, right?"
Moody didn't answer for a moment. He walked over to Franks office chair and sat down. "They were hit by a powerful crucio in their home. They're in St. Mungos for right now but we're not sure they'll make a full recovery."
Sirius got up from his seat and walked over to Moody, "Was it Voldemort?" He asked.
The veteran aura shook his head, "Bellatrix Lestrange." He whispered. Sirius went death pale and James felt like he was going to be sick.
"Belletrix? My cousin?" he whispered. "I didn't know. I swear."
"We know you had nothing to do with so relax." Moody said. He stood up and began to leave.
"Wait!" James called, "Where's Lily? She and Allis were partners. Is she ok?"
"Lily's fine. Remember she's not aloud to do field work." Moody answered before leaving.
The two were left in silence. "I can't believe this. They, besides Moody, were the best on the team." James whispered he walked over to the couch and sat down where Sirius had earlier. "I mean imagine what could happen to us."
Sirius nodded. "We should, I don't know, maybe we should visit them."
James nodded, "I'm gonna go find Lily. I'll see you later."
James walked out of the office and out of the premises. About a block away in the streets of London he found an empty ally way where he apparated to his apartment.