The Death Chamber is a vast, circular room located within the Department of Mysteries. It is described as a stone amphitheatre or a sunken pit, with stone tiers of benches rising around a central, lowered area. The room is cold and dimly lit, creating an eerie and solemn atmosphere. In the centre of the pit stands a raised stone dais, upon which rests the chamber's most significant and mysterious feature: an ancient, craggy stone archway. A tattered, black veil hangs from this arch, fluttering slightly as if stirred by an invisible breeze, despite the still and silent air within the chamber. The veil appears opaque from one side, but those who approach it can see that it seems translucent from the other. A key magical property of the archway is that it emanates the faint sound of whispering and murmuring voices. These voices can only be heard by those who have witnessed death firsthand, such as Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood. Other individuals, including Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, are unable to hear anything. This suggests the veil is a true gateway or barrier between the world of the living and the realm of the dead. The archway is described as ancient, and its study is one of the core functions of the Unspeakables who work in the Department of Mysteries. It predates the Ministry of Magic itself and is considered a permanent, unremovable fixture.
The Death Chamber is the setting for the tragic climax of the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It is here that Harry Potter and his friends are cornered by Death Eaters in their attempt to retrieve the Prophecy concerning Harry and Lord Voldemort. During the ensuing duel between members of the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters, Sirius Black fights his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix strikes Sirius with a spell (an unspecified red jet of light in the book), which causes him to topple backward with a look of shock and fear on his face. He falls directly through the veiled archway and vanishes instantly. Remus Lupin must physically restrain a devastated Harry from following Sirius, explaining that he is gone and cannot be brought back. This event marks one of the most significant losses in Harry's life, fuelling his grief and his intense hatred for Bellatrix. The mysterious nature of Sirius's death through the veil, rather than a more conventional killing, leaves Harry in a state of denial and confusion until he is forced to accept the finality of the loss. The chamber and the veil serve as a powerful and physical representation of the finality of death in the wizarding world, distinct from other post-mortem states like that of Ghosts.
While the Death Chamber is a single room, its distinct features can be considered separate areas: