"He was there!" shouted a scarlet-robed man with a ponytail, who was pointing at a pile of golden rubble on the other side of the hall, where Bellatrix had lain trapped moments before. "I saw him, Mr. Fudge, I swear, it was You-Know-Who, he grabbed a woman and disapparated!... and... and... That's Sirius Black! Sirius Black was fighting him... and... and―"
"I know, Williamson, I know. I saw him too!" gibbered Fudge, who was wearing pyjamas under his pinstriped cloak and was gasping as though he had just run miles. "Merlin's beard! ― here!... Here, in the Ministry of Magic! Great heavens above... it doesn't seem possible... my word... how can this be?
After giving yet another start, he suddenly barked, "Aurors! Go get a dementor. Sirius Black is to be kissed, immediately!"
"No... he bloody well... is not!" snapped a solid looking woman, who wore short greying reddish-blonde hair and had a monocle dangling from a chain at her breast. As Fudge stood there, gaping, she walked to Sirius and firmly stated, "Mister Black; if you hand over your wand I give you my word as the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and as Regent of the Noble and Ancient House of Bones that no harm will befall you while in my custody and until the conclusion of your trial." "N-now... see here, Amelia!" Fudge spluttered. "Black is the subject of an official Ministerial order that if he is captured he is to be―"
"Shut your fool mouth, Cornelius," she snarled back. "I am taking him into custody and questioning him... as to how it is we all just witnessed him duelling Voldemort in what was clearly a lethal duel! If he is the supposed right-hand man of the Dark Lord, that should not have been possible... and you know it!"
As Bones turned back to Sirius, he was already holding his wand out to her, wand grip first. She immediately accepted it and attached magic-inhibiting manacles to his wrists. Sirius didn't even put up a fuss.
"If you proceed downstairs into the Department of Mysteries, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, walking further forward so that the newcomers realised he was there. The man truly did not like to be ignored. For the first time a few of them raised their wands, whileothers simply looked amazed. "You will find several escaped Death Eaters contained in the Death Chamber, bound by ropes and an Anti-Disapparation Jinx, awaiting your decision as to what to do with them."
"Dumbledore!" gasped Fudge, apparently beside himself with amazement.
"You... here... I... I―"
"I'll be taking custody of them, Dumbledore," snapped Bones after taking Sirius's wand and affixing the manacles. "I am... after all... the Director of the DMLE."
She then turned behind her and sought out a couple of the more... calmer... aurors. "Preedy, Proudfoot, Hammer and Munson! Go down to the Department of Mysteries and take into custody the Death Eaters, whether they claim to be such or not, and take them back to the holding cells." As the four immediately ran off, Fudge looked wildly around at the aurors he had brought with him, and it could not have been clearer that he was in half a mind when he cried, "Seize them! Both Dumbledore and Black first!"
"Cornelius, I am ready to fight your men ― and win again!" said Dumbledore in a thunderous voice.
"MY men... and women," Bones cut in.
"But a few minutes ago you saw proof, with your own eyes, that I have been telling you the truth for a year," Dumbledore continued, ignoring Bones. "Lord Voldemort has returned. You have been chasing the wrong men for twelve months and it is time you listened to sense!"
"Fudge; don't!" barked Bones. "Any auror that even so much as thinks to obey your orders will be fired on the spot!" "I don't... well―" blustered Fudge, also ignoring Bones and looking around as though hoping somebody else wasgoing to tell him what to do. When nobody did, he said, "Very well ― Dawlish! Williamson! Go down to the Department of Mysteries and see ... Dumbledore, you ― you will need to tell me exactly ― the Fountain of Magical Brethren ― what happened?" he added in a kind of whimper, staring around at the floor, where the remains of the statues of the witch, wizard, and centaur now lay scattered.
As the two aurors began to hurry towards the lifts they'd only gone five feet before Bones barked, "Dawlish and Williamson!"
When both aurors suddenly stopped and turned to her, she snapped, "You're fired! I just got through telling you that anyone who obeyed the Minister's orders would be fired... you just did that! Go directly to the DMLE and surrender your badges and robes!" "Now... Amelia!―" spluttered Fudge.
"Not a word, Cornelius," she growled at him. "One further word out of your mouth to try and overrule my authority and you'll be in one of those holding cells, yourself!"
"We can discuss that after I have sent my students, downstairs, back to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore.
"Oh, we will be discussing matters, Dumbledore," said Bones. "However, I take it these students were involved in what happened here, tonight?"
"He-here?" said Fudge. "Why ― what's all this about?"
"I shall explain everything," repeated Dumbledore, "Once my students are back at school." "They're not going anywhere until I and my people have spoken with them, Dumbledore," snapped Bones.
"I'm afraid I cannot allow that, Amelia," said Dumbledore. "They are injured and require medical attention."
"Then they'll be going―" she began when Dumbledore chose to ignore her once again and turned to Fudge. "You will give the order to remove Dolores Umbridge from Hogwarts," said Dumbledore. "You will tell your aurors to stop searching for my Care of Magical Creatures teacher so that he can return to work." He then looked back at Bones and said, "If you need more help from me you are, of course, more than welcome to contact me at Hogwarts. Letters addressed to the headmaster will find me." And, suddenly, the old man was gone with a light crack of apparation.
"Damn it!" Bones snapped. An unknown time later, the young fifteen year old boy-wizard, Harry Potter, snapped awake.
As soon as his head cleared enough for him to remember what he was last doing, he sprang to his feet with his wand held tightly and quickly spun about, trying to figure out where he now was. And if there was any immediate threat.
As soon as he realised he couldn't see any danger, he began to better look about. All he saw was arid land as far as the eye could see. However, given the nature of the terrain, that wasn't that far. The almost immediate points he noticed, though, was that he was both outside and it was day. When he went through the veil and its circle/arch thing he was inside and it was late at night.