.and.once.again.the.wall.began.to.revolve.very.fast,.but.now.there.was.a.great.red‐gold.blur.in.amongst.the.faint.blue.and,.when.all.became.still.again,.the.fiery.cross.still.burned,.showing.the.door.they.had.already.tried..
.Good.thinking,..said.Harry...OK,.let.s.try.this.one.‐..
Again,.he.strode.directly.at.the.door.facing.him.and.pushed.it.open,.his.wand.still.raised,.the.others.at.his.heels..
This.room.was.larger.than.the.last,.dimly.lit.and.rectangular,.and.the.centre.of.it.was.sunken,.forming.a.great.stone.pit.some.twenty.feet.deep..They.were.standing.on.the.topmost.tier.of.what.seemed.to.be.stone.benches.running.all.around.the.room.and.descending.in.steep.teps.like.an.amphitheatre,.or.the.courtroom.in.which.Harry.had.been.tried.by.the.Wizengamot..Instead.of.a.chained.chair,.however,.there.was.a.raised.stone.dais.in.the.centre.of.the.pit,.on.which.stood.a.stone.archway.that.looked.so.ancient,.cracked.and.crumbling.that.Harry.was.amazed.the.thing.was.still.standing..Unsupported.by.any.surrounding.wall,.the.archway.was.hung.with.a.tattered.black.curtain.or.veil.which,.despite.the.complete.stillness.of.the.cold.surrounding.air,.was.fluttering.very.slightly.as.though.it.had.just.been.touched..
.Who.s.there?..said.Harry,.jumping.down.on.to.the.bench.below..There.was.no.answering.voice,.but.the.veil.continued.to.flutter.and.sway..
.Careful!..whispered.Hermione..
Harry.scrambled.down.the.benches.one.by.one.until.he.reached.the.stone.bottom.of.the.sunken.pit..His.footsteps.echoed.loudly.as.he.walked.slowly.towards.the.dais..The.pointed.archway.looked.much.taller.from.where.he.now.stood.than.it.had.when.he.d.been.looking.down.on.it.from.above..Still.the.veil.swayed.gently,
.as.though.somebody.had.just.passed.through.it..
.Sirius?..Harry.spoke.again,.but.more.quietly.now.that.he.was.nearer..
He.had.the.strangest.feeling.that.there.was.someone.standing.right.behind.the.veil.on.the.other.side.of.the.archway..Gripping.his.wand.very.tightly,.he.edged.around.the.dais,.but.there.was.nobody.there;.all.that.could.be.seen.was.the.other.side.of.the.tattered.black.veil..
.Let.s.go,..called.Hermione.from.halfway.up.the.stone.steps..This.isn.t.right,
.Harry,.come.on,.let.s.go...
She.sounded.scared,.much.more.scared.than.she.had.in.the.room.where.the.brains.swam,.yet.Harry.thought.the.archway.had.a.kind.of.beauty.about.it,.old.though.it.was..The.gently.rippling.veil.intrigued.him;.he.felt.a.very.strong.inclination.to.climb.up.on.the.dais.and.walk.through.it..
.Harry,.let.s.go,.OK?..said.Hermione.more.forcefully..
.OK,..he.said,.but.did.not.move..He.had.just.heard.something..There.were.faint.whispering,.murmuring.noises.coming.from.the.other.side.of.the.veil..
.What.are.you.saying?..he.said,.very.loudly,.so.that.his.words.echoed.all.around.the.stone.benches..
.Nobody.s.talking,.Harry!..said.Hermione,.now.moving.over.to.him..
.Someone.s.whispering.behind.there,..he.said,.moving.out.of.her.reach.and.continuing.to.frown.at.the.veil...Is.that.you,.Ron?..