Under normal circumstances, Lily would have been very excited to accept a post at the Ministry. However, the growing war around her had stifled all her enthusiasm. Dumbledore’s letter of recommendation had secured her a prestigious job at the Ministry; Lily had been surprised they had taken her with no (official) work experience. She could hardly list “Member of the Order of the Phoenix” on her resume, after all. Unfortunately, there was a snag. She wasn’t entirely sure what the position was, and, as a Muggle-born, she knew very few facts about the Ministry of Magic other than what she had read in books. She hadn’t wanted the job; in fact, it had been suggested to her by Dumbledore. She had wanted to continue fighting in the Order with James, but with her pregnancy it had been decided that she should take a desk job instead. Lily hated to be excluded from the fight, but she couldn’t deny that her belly grew daily. Besides, Dumbledore had suggested that her new job would be very valuable to the Order.
As Lily’s innocent young eyes cast around the Atrium, she wondered where her place would be in a government struggling to keep Voldemort at bay. She slipped into the elevator with a few other solemn-looking witches. No one spoke as the gates snapped shut. They descended in silence. A cool voice declared, “Level Nine: Department of Mysteries.” Lily exited the elevator and stepped into a dimly lit stone hallway. Undaunted by the coldness of the atmosphere, she pushed open the simple black door located at the end of the hallway.
To Lily’s surprise, as soon as she shut the door behind her, the room started spinning. When the room had finished, and she had re-oriented herself, a man dressed in simple midnight black robes greeted her. “Welcome to the Department of Mysteries, Mrs. Potter.”
“Did the room just…” Lily started, but was interrupted by the man.
“Yes. Don’t worry; it’s just one of our little quirks.”
Lily nodded and thanked him for the greeting as she cast her eyes about the room. Candles illuminated the circular space with a cold blue light, and she glanced bellow her feet to see a polished floor, which in the flickering candlelight resembled rippling water.
“I think it would be better to continue this conversation inside. My name is Solomon Fisher, by the way.” With that, Mr. Fisher removed a compass from his pocket. After consulting it briefly, he opened a seemingly random door (or so it seemed to Lily) and walked through it. Lily followed him inside.
“Your credentials are very impressive, Mrs. Potter. Head Girl at Hogwarts, perfect N.E.W.T.s, and a recommendation from Albus Dumbledore himself. He mentioned in his letter that you have a very inquisitive mind, which I think will be very helpful in regards to your assignment,” he said as they entered a large chamber.
“I was wondering about that, actually. I only received notice that I was accepted for a position at the Department of Mysteries, but not which position,” Lily inquired.
In response, Mr. Fisher simply gestured her into a small office located next to the entrance. She just barely glanced at the giant rows of bookcases filling the room before taking a seat in front of his desk. Mr. Fisher smiled broadly at her before he began.
He started, “First, Mrs. Potter, we have to issue you a Complector.” He removed from a locked drawer in his desk an instrument identical to the compass he had used earlier. “This will allow you determine which door to choose once you enter the Department of Mysteries. Now, if you will please place your thumb on the front of the Complector…” As she placed her finger in the appropriate place, he explained, “The Complector will register your fingerprint, and yours only. That way, should the device be stolen or misplaced, it will be unusable.” Lily removed her thumb and watched the print glow periwinkle blue as it appeared to dissolve into the device. She cradled the Complector in her hands and examined it. A single hand pointed to a cross.
“Now, Mrs. Potter, I must also administer an oath of secrecy. You must agree to never discuss your work here. Can you promise that?” Mr. Fisher asked solemnly. Lily wasn’t surprised. She knew that it wasn’t called the Department of Mysteries for nothing. Still, her curiosity was aroused. “I understand sir. Can I, however, ask why?”
Mr. Fisher’s face broke into a smile, but his steely dark eyes remained serious. “Mrs. Potter, you will encounter many things here that will lead you to very mind-boggling conclusions. The things you will discover here will also have the possibility of altering human existence itself. Naturally, the information that you will soon be privy to is of a very delicate nature. We cannot afford to allow these ideas to run amock throughout general society. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that is the best I can explain it, at least for right now. Now, please sign this parchment.”
Questions whirred through Lily’s head at lightning speed. What was she getting herself into? Surely he must be exaggerating. However, the security she had already encountered and Dumbledore’s association with the department told her that there must be truth in Mr. Fisher’s statement. She reluctantly signed the parchment with the golden quill he handed her, now more curious than ever. The quill promptly dissolved after she had finished. Mr. Fisher prepared to address her again.
“Do you believe in God, Mrs. Potter?”
Lily hadn’t thought anything could surprise her at this point, but evidently she had been proven wrong. “Yes,” she answered, her inquisitiveness skyrocketing.
Mr. Fisher continued, “Not many wizards and witches do. With all of their powers, they see no need for God. Yes, we all know about ghosts. There must be some kind of afterlife, but is it governed by God? Most magical people can’t be bothered with a higher power. No, they leave piety to Muggles. Not all of us are complacent with this idea, though. In fact, the Ministry has taken a direct interest in the divine. You see, now we need Him more than ever. I think you will agree, based on the war that looms over our heads.”
Lily interrupted him, “Am I to understand that you are in fact on a quest to find God?”
“Not just myself, Mrs. Potter. We have a whole department dedicated to our quest. It isn’t a simple one. Here, you will be asked to replace magic with philosophy, reason with faith, and above all, keep an open mind. I trust that now you understand our need for secrecy. We can’t have our discovery falling into the wrong hands.”
“You mean you want to get to Him first, before You-Know-Who has a chance?” Lily asked glibly.
“In those simple words, yes. Now, I believe a tour is in order,” answered Mr. Fisher.
Lily, still mystified, followed him out of the office into the greater chamber.
“Welcome to Eden.”
Lily could not help but smile at the name. Mr. Fisher gestured to a grand hall, with high stone walls and ceilings. Towering bookcases seemed to reach towards heaven itself. In front of the shelves, desks covered with shining instruments stood sentinel. Might as well be the pearly gates, Lily mused to herself.
“Our primary source of data comes from these books. On these shelves, you will discover every religious and scientific text known to wizard or Muggle.” He walked over to a shelf and pointed at the covers. “We have the Bible, the Torah, the Qur’an, and the Bhagavad-Gita, The Origin of Species, Summa Theologica, and The Odyssey. These shelves hold the thoughts of some of the greatest minds in history, from wizards such as Nicholas Flamel to Muggles like Newton and Einstein.”
Lily had never seen so many texts in her life, not even in the Hogwarts library. Mr. Fisher led her to a small area encircled by more bookcases, which contained a long oak desk. Six other wizards and witches in jet-black robes occupied the seats. She watched them eagerly flip through pages and scribble notes on parchment.
“Everyone, this is Lily Potter. Mrs. Potter, these are your co-workers. Please welcome her and answer all the questions she may ask.” With that, Mr. Fisher departed.
Lily’s eyes lit upon the small group of witches and wizards. Though their faces were obscured by the hoods of their dark robes, she could tell that they were all middle-aged or elderly. However, one woman of about thirty did not make use of her hood. She was also the only person to greet her. She waved at Lily and began, “Nice to meet you, Lily. I’m Ruth Harrison. I’ll answer any questions you have.”
Lily nodded. “Yes, I’m not really sure what to think. I mean, finding God…” her voice trailed off.
Lily expected one of her co-workers to answer her, or at least acknowledge her presence. The wizards and witches mumbled to themselves as they frantically flipped through ancient texts. She was quite annoyed that none volunteered. Ruth sensed her frustration. “Here, Lily, I’ll show you around a bit.” Lily nodded as Ruth took her by the arm and led her out of the conclave.
“Sorry about them. They’ve been here a long time, I’ve heard.”
“You don’t actually know?” asked Lily with raised eyebrows.
“No, I don’t really know anything about them; they keep to themselves. Their minds are too busy contemplating the mysteries of the universe to come down for a normal conversation. I’m too young for all that nonsense, I suppose. I was only hired on a recommendation from my husband, he’s an Unspeakable too.” Ruth suddenly paused. “So, are you religious?”
Lily nodded.
“Any particular flavour?”
“Er, non-denominational, I suppose,” Lily answered sheepishly.
Ruth answered, with a pained smile upon her face, “That’s fine. I’m an atheist myself. We won’t really know till the end anyway, so what’s the point? Personally I think all this is a load of shit, but it pays the bills.”
Lily was again annoyed, “Oh, I think it’s fascinating. I’m very excited to begin work.”
Ruth took the hint from her tone and changed the subject. “When are you due?” she asked kindly, noticing her rounded stomach.
“End of July,” replied Lily automatically. “Can I ask what you lot were doing back there, by the way?”
“Just taking notes,” Ruth answered. “I know it must seem strange. Where does one begin when contemplating the divine?” she added sarcastically. “We’re supposed to be finding the answers.” Before Lily could ask what the questions were, Ruth continued, “Can a heavenly entity co-exist with magic? And why would one relinquish so much power to mortals?” she said with a flat, robotic tone.
“So, you’re searching for the answers in these texts,” Lily replied slowly.
Ruth seemed to grow bored with the subject. “Why don’t you walk around a little, get to know the place a bit?” she suggested. Lily nodded curtly and turned on her heels, leaving Ruth behind.
Blue candlelight greeted them at every turn. She gazed up, down, and sideways. Books filled her vision in every direction. She pulled out an especially large leather-bound book at random. As she opened it, dust particles filled the air. Divine Presence: A History of God in the Wizarding World by Victoria Valdersnare. Lily opened the pages to reveal elegant script.
“Our Lord hath wrought his fury upon us, his judgement raining down on us in the form of persecution. These trials doth represent the rage of Our Lord God…”
Lily flipped through the pages to discover that the text was a religious argument behind the witch trials in the sixteenth century. It fascinated her. As she continued reading, her curiosity continued to blossom. Gradually, she felt even more excited for the task ahead of her, despite her co-workers indifference to her and Ruth’s cynicism. It was like nothing that had ever existed before. Imagine, finding God! The idea thrilled her. Quite at ease, she returned to the small cloistered area.
“Find anything interesting?” Ruth asked.
“Yes, actually,” replied Lily, showing him the book. She simply nodded in return. “So, you really don’t believe? You’re surrounded by all these religious volumes, but you still refuse to consider the possibility?”
“What’s the point? If God exists, then where is He? There’s a war brewing. A little help would be appreciated. Trust me; this is probably a waste of time.” Ruth shrugged nonchalantly.
“If it’s such a waste of time, then why don’t you quit?” Lily asked coolly.
Ruth gathered herself. “Sorry, I’m not attacking you personally. I’ve just gone a bit crazy from lack of real conversation.” Lily again expected the others to make some kind of protest, but they were too absorbed with their work. Ruth considered Lily’s answer. “Like I said, the money’s good. And fine, it isn’t a waste of time. Maybe we’ll be doing the world a favour. If we prove there is no God, think of how many problems we’ve solved. How many wars have been started in the name of religion? The Crusades, the Holocaust…religion is more destructive than good. History”facts”prove that.”
Lily protested, “What about all the facts that can’t be proven? How can we explain all the mysterious workings of the universe? The existence of magic, which occurs without scientific reason? Not to mention all the good deeds done in the name of religion. Religious groups have organised the largest charities in the world. Would you give up all that?”
Ruth stared down her nose at Lily. “I’d like to think that humans have an innate goodness. I choose to do the best I can in the world, and I am not motivated by religion of any kind. Ghosts tell us that there is an afterlife, but is there a God? There is no concrete proof of divine intervention in human life. Maybe heaven just exists, just as the sea and sky exist.”
Lily absorbed this information, preparing to answer. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the elderly co-worker sitting next to her. He chanted quietly in Latin and waved his palms over the book in front of him. Ruth apologised again, “I’m sorry, it’s just been frustrating lately.” She turned her head towards to the chanting, wizened old man. “Mr. Brooks? Would you like to show Lily what you’ve been working on?” she asked sweetly.
Lily was disappointed to have the discussion discontinued, but her curiosity peaked as a silent Brooks gestured for her to follow him. She followed him through an endless labyrinth of bookshelves. She would have lost him once, if it weren’t for the dancing of the blue candlelight upon his black robes (he was surprisingly agile for his age). Finally, Mr. Brooks arrived at a small doorway. He pushed open the door to reveal a tiny, dungeon-like room. To Lily, it seemed as if she was re-entering Professor Slughorn’s Potions classroom. Various test tubes covered the shiny black desks. A loud centrifuge whirred in a corner. As Mr. Brooks led her past bubbling cauldrons and fizzing experiments, she was astonished by what she saw. At the front, encased in a two-foot high glass box, were glowing beams of…she didn’t know what. They sparkled and shone in front of her like the faeries she had read about in her children’s stories.
“What is it?” Lily breathed as she took in the glowing light.
“We call it Dark Matter,” replied Mr. Brooks softly, “and the Muggles haven’t found it yet. Nor has anyone else in the Wizarding World.” Lily lowered her head to observe the balls of light closely.
“What is its purpose?”
“We cannot be sure. Our best calculations show that it appears to hold the seams of the universe together. But that is purely hypothetical. We also cannot find a scientific or magical reason for its existence”it seems to have been divinely created.”
Lily was in awe. Her mind was working faster than it ever had before. So many possibilities! Her fingers itched to grab a vile and experiment. Mr. Brooks glanced at his watch. “It’s about time to be going.” He seemed to have exhausted his capacity for conversation. Lily nodded reverently in response.
They returned to find the others packing up, ready to head home for the day. Lily was amazed at this simple fact”after everything she had learned today, it was strange to be returning to something as simple as her daily life. As the lot of them quietly shuffled out the door, Mr. Fisher grabbed her arm. “Mrs. Potter, I have your uniform.” He handed her a few sets of the simple black robes, same as the others were wearing. She stepped out into the circular room for a second time, with its shining floor and glimmering blue light. Ruth consulted her Complector, and after a short pause, the others followed her back into the simple dark hallway.
“Well, I hope you had a good first day, Lily,” Ruth remarked dryly as they entered the elevator.
Lily nodded, thoughts swirling about in her head.
To Separate Light From Darkness by Simply Being
Story Notes:
This story contains religious symbolism/imagery, all done in a very respectful way. It is not my intent to offend anyone. If you feel you will be offended in the slightest, please do not read.
Chapter Notes: "To Separate Light from Darkness" comes from Genesis.
Chapter Endnotes: Chapter 2 will focus on Lily's religious background. Also, reviews make me happy.