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Chapter 470: Familiar Faces
Chapter 470: Familiar Faces
For over an hour, Cedric and his companions had endured the company of the dragon in the crate, a trying experience to say the least.
But compared to Kreacher's current predicament, their ordeal seemed trivial.
Kreacher never imagined that after fetching a bucket of water, he would return to find the tent empty. The camp was now filled with wizards casting dangerous spells, and the situation escalated when the Killing Curse appeared.
The poor house-elf almost died of fright at the sight of the deadly curse. It wasn't that he cared much about Cona, but Regulus still needed Snape's help...
To ensure Regulus appeared more human than monster, Cona's safety was paramount. Even a minor scratch was unacceptable.
The terrified house-elf began to cry and search for Cona.
Over the past hour, he had inspected nearly every tent, dispatched several obstructing wizards, and nearly turned the entire camp upside down.
Just as he was about to give up, he finally heard Cona's voice again.
To prevent a repeat of the previous incident, Kreacher immediately took Cona and Apparated away as soon as they entered the tent.
The entire process was swift and decisive, leaving no time for Cona to exchange words with anyone else.
"This..." The others exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of the situation.
"Well, we should head back too," Mr. Weasley said. "The Dark Mark appeared above the camp, and news of this incident will likely spread soon. It's best to return quickly to ease your parents' worries."
As he spoke, Mr. Weasley left the tent, saying, "I'll see if I can get an early key to the tent. Stay here and don't wander off."
...
"The Dark Mark?" Harry asked curiously after Mr. Weasley left. "The skull pattern in the sky? What's that all about?"
"It's the Death Eaters' mark," Bill explained. "Over a decade ago, it was the most feared symbol. Wherever the Dark Mark appeared, it meant the Death Eaters had been there."
"But Voldemort is dead," Harry pointed out.
"The Death Eaters are still out there," Bill added, thinking of Malfoy and his gang. "The ones we saw tonight are probably remnants of those who escaped and weren't captured and sent to Azkaban."
"But that's as far as they got," Charlie said with a laugh. "They were caught red-handed, with Maxim as a witness. Ha!"
Charlie took a satisfied sip of water, wishing it were something stronger like alcohol, but he had to settle for water as there wasn't even hot cocoa available.
"Good thing you weren't in the woods then."
Bill adjusted his loose ponytail and said, "The Death Eaters are ruthless and merciless. If they had cast the Dark Mark while you were nearby, it would've been bad."
"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 a few too many drinks and felt like having a little fun... They used to do this often before Voldemort's downfall." He grimaced.
Harry didn't catch the rest of the conversation as his mind was buzzing. Unconsciously, he stepped out of the tent, gazing up at the skull pattern in the sky, lost in thought.
Half an hour later, Mr. Weasley finally returned.
He wasn't alone; he was accompanied by Fudge, Crouch, Bagman, and many other Ministry officials.
They hurried into the tent, pulling Harry aside for a quick chat.
Mr. Weasley had let slip about Harry Potter's near-fatal encounter, and Fudge had been so shocked that he turned pale, even more so than when he saw the Dark Mark."
If Harry had really been killed by the Death Eaters right under the nose of the Ministry of Magic, he would have been overwhelmed by Howlers.
After Fudge, Crouch approached, grabbing Harry's shoulder. His face was deathly pale, and both his hands and his toothbrush-like mustache were trembling!
"Where is the one who tried to kill you!" he demanded.
"In the forest," Harry said.
"Do you still remember the way?" Crouch asked.
"Yes, I do."
"Good, lead us there..."
They then arrived at the forest where they had been before.
The Ministry employee who had been knocked out by Kyle was still lying under a tree.
Upon seeing that person, Crouch seemed to relax a bit, his face returning to its usual composed state.
Auror Office Director Scrimgeour stepped forward to examine the man and then splashed a potion on his face.
"It’s not Polyjuice Potion," he said to Fudge and Crouch. "It feels like he was under the Imperius Curse."
"We can’t jump to conclusions so soon," Crouch said coldly. "Wake him up and take him back to the Ministry for a proper interrogation."
A few Aurors came over and took the man away.
"Minister," Mr. Weasley said at this point, "it's too dangerous for Harry to stay here. If possible, I’d like to take him back immediately."
"No," Crouch said sternly, "we need more details. He can’t leave yet."
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"Barty, I think this can wait until we get to the Ministry. There’s no need to do it here," a witch in a woolen dressing gown said. "The boy is terrified. Letting him calm down might help him remember more details."
"Ah, yes, you’re right," Fudge fiddled with his hat.
Those nearby immediately understood and brought over an old tire.
Fudge took it and handed it to Mr. Weasley, then looked at Harry and said, "Boy, remember to come to the Ministry later. How about tomorrow? In the meantime, you can think about what happened in as much detail as possible."
Harry, not quite understanding, glanced at Mr. Weasley. Seeing that he didn’t object, Harry nodded.
Although Crouch was unhappy, Fudge had made his decision, and there was nothing more he could say. He turned and left, his face still cold.
The others also left, leaving a few Aurors to guard the area.
Before leaving, Fudge reminded Mr. Weasley to make sure not to forget bringing Harry to the Ministry the next day.
Mr. Weasley agreed, and they gathered around the tire, preparing to return to the Burrow.
While waiting, Kyle looked up at the nearby Portkey distribution point.
The queue was longer than before, and more people were continuously joining it.
Everyone wanted to leave as soon as possible. If they waited in line normally, they might not be able to leave until noon.
"Ten seconds, everyone, get ready," Mr. Weasley said.
Everyone placed their hands on the tire.
Kyle turned his head and looked back at the campsite one last time.
Now that the crisis was over, more and more people were returning to the campsite to check if their tents had been damaged. For a moment, curses and complaints filled the air.
Suddenly, Kyle caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the crowd.
Golden hair, a bright peacock blue robe, and that still gleaming in the dark...
Gilderoy Lockhart?
Kyle rubbed his eyes, trying to see more clearly, but in that moment, the person had already disappeared.
...
(End of Chapter)
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