They had reached the end of

They had reached the end of the row and emerged into more dim candlelight, There was nobody there. All was echoing, dusty silence.

‘He might be ...’ Harry whispered hoarsely, peering down the next alley. ‘Or maybe ...’ He hurried to look down the one beyond that.

‘Harry?’ said Hermione again.

‘What?’ he snarled.

‘I ... I don't think Sirius is here.’

Nobody spoke. Harry did not want to look at any of them. He felt sick. He did not understand why Sirius was not here. He had to be here. This was where he, Harry, had seen him ...

He ran up the space at the end of the rows, staring down them. Empty aisle after empty aisle flickered past. He ran the other way, back past his staring companions. There was no sign of Sirius anywhere, nor any hint of a struggle.

‘Harry?’ Ron called.

‘What?’

He did not want to hear what Ron had to say; did not want to hear Ron tell him he had been stupid or suggest that they ought to go back to Hogwarts, but the heat was rising in his face and he felt as though he would like to skulk down here in the darkness for a long while before facing the brightness of the Atrium above and the others’ accusing stares ...

‘Have you seen this?’ said Ron.

‘What?’ said Harry, but eagerly this time—it had to be a sign that Sirius had been there, a clue. He strode back to where they were all standing, a little way down row ninety-seven, but found nothing except Ron staring at one of the dusty glass spheres on the shelf.

‘What?’ Harry repeated glumly.

‘It's—it's got your name on,’ said Ron.

Harry moved a little closer. Ron was pointing at one of the small glass spheres that glowed with a dull inner light, though it was very dusty and appeared not to have been touched for many years.

‘My name?’ said Harry blankly.

He stepped forwards. Not as tall as Ron, he had to crane his neck to read the yellowish label affixed to the shelf right beneath the dusty glass ball. In spidery writing was written a date of some sixteen years previously, and below that:

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.

Dark Lord

and (?)Harry Potter

Harry stared at it.