Dobby breaks ranks and tells Severus the truth: Harry and his friends are at the Ministry, in the Department of Mysteries, and the Death Eaters are already in play. While Snape calls in Shacklebolt and the Order, Harry faces Voldemort himself in the Hall of Prophecies, shielding his friends from fire, fighting back with every spell he knows, and hanging on as Voldemort tries to rip through his mind in front of terrified Ministry witnesses. When the Death Eaters are rounded up and the students are sent home by Portkey, a furious Severus strips house points, Dumbledore finally confirms to the press that Voldemort is back, and Harry is summoned to the Headmaster’s office. There he hears the full prophecy, learns that either he must kill Voldemort or die himself, and discovers he is being sent back to Snape’s house for the summer, while Severus quietly decides that the only answer now is harder, more brutal training that will keep Harry alive.
