They were there, they had found the place

They were there, they had found the place: high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle-brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Like those in the circular room behind them, their flames were burning blue. The room was very cold.

Harry edged forward and peered down one of the shadowy aisles between two rows of shelves. He could not hear anything or see the slightest sign of movement.

‘You said it was row ninety-seven,’ whispered Hermione.

‘Yeah,’ breathed Harry, looking up at the end of the closest row. Beneath the branch of blue-glowing candles protruding from it glimmered the silver figure fifty-three.

‘We need to go right, I think,’ whispered Hermione, squinting to the next row. ‘Yes ... that's fifty-four ...’

‘Keep your wands ready,’ Harry said softly.

They crept forward, glancing behind them as they went on down the long alleys of shelves, the further ends of which were in near-total darkness. Tiny, yellowing labels had been stuck beneath each glass orb on the shelves. Some of them had a weird, liquid glow; others were as dull and dark within as blown light bulbs.

They passed row eighty-four ... eighty-five ... Harry was listening hard for the slightest sound of movement, but Sirius might be gagged now, or else unconscious ... or, said an unbidden voice inside his head, he might already be dead ...

I'd have felt it, he told himself, his heart now hammering against his Adam's apple, I'd already know ...

‘Ninety-seven!’ whispered Hermione.

They stood grouped around the end of the row, gazing down the alley beside it. There was nobody there.

‘He's right down at the end,’ said Harry, whose mouth had become slightly dry. ‘You can't see properly from here.’

And he led them between the towering rows of glass balls, some of which glowed softly as they passed ...

‘He should be near here,’ whispered Harry, convinced that every step was going to bring the ragged form of Sirius into view on the darkened floor. ‘Anywhere here ... really close ...’

‘Harry?’ said Hermione tentatively, but he did not want to respond. His mouth was very dry.

‘Somewhere about ... here ...’ he said.