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Chapter 470: A Familiar Face
Chapter 470: A Familiar Face
The past hour had been difficult for Cedric, locked in the box with the Hungarian Horntail. But that ordeal paled in comparison to what Crouch Jr. was experiencing.
He never imagined that a simple trip to fetch water would result in the disappearance of everyone from the tent. To make matters worse, a battle had erupted in the camp, with dangerous curses flying everywhere.
The Killing Curse, in particular, nearly scared the poor little elf to death.
It wasn't that he particularly cared about Connor; it was just that Regulus still needed Snape's help.
To ensure that Regulus appeared more human and less like a monster, nothing could happen to Connor, not even a scratch.
Thus, the terrified elf began to cry and search for Connor.
Over the past hour, he had inspected almost every tent, fought off over a dozen wizards who blocked his path, and practically turned the entire camp upside down.
Just as he was about to despair, he finally heard Connor's voice again.
To prevent a similar incident from happening, Crouched Jr. immediately entered the tent and, without hesitation, took Connor away using Disapparating.
The whole process was swift and decisive, leaving Connor no opportunity to exchange words with the others.
"Well..." The others exchanged bewildered glances.
"I guess we should head back too," Mr. Weasley said. "The Dark Mark has appeared over the camp, and news of this incident will spread soon. It's best to return quickly to avoid worrying your parents."
As he spoke, Mr. Weasley stood up and left the tent. "I'll see if I can get an early gate key. You all stay here and don't wander off."
...
"The Dark Mark?" Harry asked curiously after Mr. Weasley left. "Is that the skull symbol in the sky? What is it?"
"It's the mark of the Death Eaters," Bill answered. "It was also the most feared symbol from over a decade ago. Wherever the Dark Mark appeared, it meant that the Death Eaters had been there."
"But the Death Eaters are gone, aren't they?" Harry said.
"Voldemort may be gone, but his followers remain," Bill said, thinking of Malfoy and the others. "The ones we encountered tonight are likely stragglers... somehow, they managed to escape and were never sent to Azkaban."
"But that's where they're headed now," Charlie said with a laugh. "They were caught red-handed, with ample evidence, and Maxime as a witness. Ha!"
Charlie took a cheerful sip of water, wishing he had something stronger to drink, but hot cocoa would have to do.
"It's a good thing you weren't in the woods then."
Bill adjusted his already loose ponytail and said, "Death Eaters are cruel and merciless. If you had been nearby when they cast the Dark Mark, it would've been disastrous."
"But... why would the Death Eaters cast the Dark Mark?" Hermione asked slowly. "I mean, what's the point? Just to scare people?"
"Who knows?" Bill shrugged. "Maybe they had one too many drinks and felt like throwing a little party... They used to do that often before Voldemort's downfall." A look of disgust crossed his face.
Harry had stopped listening, his mind spinning. He wandered out of the tent and stared up at the skull symbol in the sky, lost in thought.
Half an hour later, Mr. Weasley returned, accompanied by Fudge, Crouch, Bagman, and several other Ministry officials.
They hurried into the tent and fussed over Harry, asking him how he felt and if he needed anything.
Mr. Weasley had let it slip that Harry had almost been killed, and the news had left Fudge pale with shock. Even the appearance of the Dark Mark hadn't frightened him as much as this revelation.
"Where is the person who tried to kill you?" he demanded.
"In the woods," Harry replied.
"Can you recognize the spot?" Crouch asked.
"Yes," Harry answered.
"Good, then lead us there..."
Soon, they arrived at the woods where they had been earlier.
The Ministry official in charge of registrations, whom Kyle had knocked out, was still lying underneath a tree.
Upon seeing him, Crouch seemed to relax a bit, his face regaining some of its color, and he returned to his usual meticulous demeanor.
Scrimgeour, the Head of the Auror Office, stepped forward to examine the man and then doused his face with a potion.
"It's not Polyjuice Potion," he informed Fudge and Crouch. "It looks like he was hit with an Impostor Charm."
"We can't jump to conclusions yet," Crouch said coldly. "Wake him up and take him back to the Ministry for interrogation."
Several Hit Wizards came forward and took the man away.
"Minister," Mr. Weasley said at that moment, "it's too dangerous for Harry to remain here. If possible, I'd like to take him back immediately."
"No," Crouch said sternly. "We need to know more details. He can't leave yet."
"Barty, I believe this can wait until we get back to the Ministry. There's no need to insist on doing it here," said a witch wearing a woolen morning robe. "The boy has been through a trauma. Let him calm down first; he might even remember more details."
"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right," Fudge said, fiddling with his hat.
The people around him immediately took the hint and produced an old tire.
Fudge took it and handed it to Mr. Weasley. Then, turning to Harry, he said, "Remember to come by the Ministry tomorrow, if possible. In the meantime, think hard about what happened and try to recall as many details as you can."
Harry, not understanding what was going on, glanced at Mr. Weasley, and seeing that he didn't object, nodded.
Crouch was displeased, but as Fudge had made the decision, he couldn't argue further and stalked off, his face cold.
The others left as well, leaving only a few Aurors guarding the area.
Before leaving, Fudge reminded Mr. Weasley not to forget to bring Harry to the Ministry the next day.
Mr. Weasley agreed, and they gathered around the tire, ready to return to White Stoat Valley.
As they waited, Kyle looked up at the gate key distribution point in the distance.
The line was even longer than before, with people still rushing over to join it.
Everyone wanted to leave as soon as possible. If they queued normally, they might not even get their turn by noon.
"Ten seconds, everyone, get ready," Mr. Weasley said.
They all placed their hands on the tire.
Kyle turned his head one last time to look at the campsite.
Now that the crisis had passed, more and more people were returning to check on their tents, and the air was filled with angry shouts as they discovered any damage.
Suddenly, Kyle caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the crowd—golden hair, a vibrant peacock-blue robe, and teeth that gleamed even in the darkness.
Gilderoy Lockhart?!
Kyle rubbed his eyes, trying to get a clearer look, but in that moment of distraction, the figure disappeared from view.
...
(End of Chapter)
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