Hermione, Ron, and Harry exchanged glances as everyone left except
for them.
They started to walk back to their tents when Harry spoke up, "Let's follow the teachers. Something is going on, and we really should find out what it is!"
Ron nodded, "Good idea. Let's go."
Hermione however, objected, "NO! It really is none of our business. We should just let them handle it."
Ron sighed, "Honestly, Hermione, I think that the three of us can handle this situation better than anyone else."
Harry backed him up, "Ron's right. If you don't want to investigate then go back to the tents."
Hermione replied quite quickly, "I can't leave the two of you here, you don't know anything about the area."
Harry sighed, "We'll be fine, now just-"
Harry stopped short with surprise when a loud scream broke the calm, peaceful, mystical, and almost frightening silence of the darkened, moonlit field.
Harry gestured towards the foreboding woods where Xela and Snape had disappeared into earlier. "Let's go," he said quietly in a no-nonsense voice.
The others agreed, even Hermione. They hurried towards the woods, and as they got closer to the source of the scream, Harry's scar began to burn.
~*~
Xela had never been much of a screamer, but she had not been able to stop the sound from escaping.
Snape tossed her a sideways glance, as if he had not expected her to scream, either.
The Death Eaters had taken a step back when they had seen that Snape was not alone, but Voldemorte hadn't. He had just smirked and said, "Taking a walk with your girlfriend, Snape?"
Snape and Xela had both blushed, but Snape looked down at the Dark Mark on his arm and wondered why it had not glowed black at all as they had neared Voldemorte. In fact, to his surprise and shock, it was not even glowing now.
~*~
Harry, Hermione, and Ron stopped running when the scene before them came into view. Snape and Xela were surrounded by Death Eaters, and were face-to-face with Harry's old pal Voldemorte.
That was why his scar was burning, Harry realized. But he wasn't really in that much pain. It hurt, but not as much as it should. Was Voldemorte's power weakening, or did he have some way of blocking his power from warning Harry?
~*~
Snape glanced at his arm again. The Dark Mark should have been as black as anything right now. But it barely even showed up. Could Lord Voldemorte have found some way to disable the Dark Marks of those who no longer followed him?
Voldemorte raised his wand and pointed it at Snape, shouting, "Crucio!"
Xela grabbed Snape's arm and pulled him out of the way. But she wasn't fast enough. The spell connected with his arm, but to Xela and Severus's surprise, it went right through his arm, hung in the air just beyond it for a moment and then disappeared. The spell seemed to be only a shadow of Voldemorte's powers.
What had happened?
They started to walk back to their tents when Harry spoke up, "Let's follow the teachers. Something is going on, and we really should find out what it is!"
Ron nodded, "Good idea. Let's go."
Hermione however, objected, "NO! It really is none of our business. We should just let them handle it."
Ron sighed, "Honestly, Hermione, I think that the three of us can handle this situation better than anyone else."
Harry backed him up, "Ron's right. If you don't want to investigate then go back to the tents."
Hermione replied quite quickly, "I can't leave the two of you here, you don't know anything about the area."
Harry sighed, "We'll be fine, now just-"
Harry stopped short with surprise when a loud scream broke the calm, peaceful, mystical, and almost frightening silence of the darkened, moonlit field.
Harry gestured towards the foreboding woods where Xela and Snape had disappeared into earlier. "Let's go," he said quietly in a no-nonsense voice.
The others agreed, even Hermione. They hurried towards the woods, and as they got closer to the source of the scream, Harry's scar began to burn.
~*~
Xela had never been much of a screamer, but she had not been able to stop the sound from escaping.
Snape tossed her a sideways glance, as if he had not expected her to scream, either.
The Death Eaters had taken a step back when they had seen that Snape was not alone, but Voldemorte hadn't. He had just smirked and said, "Taking a walk with your girlfriend, Snape?"
Snape and Xela had both blushed, but Snape looked down at the Dark Mark on his arm and wondered why it had not glowed black at all as they had neared Voldemorte. In fact, to his surprise and shock, it was not even glowing now.
~*~
Harry, Hermione, and Ron stopped running when the scene before them came into view. Snape and Xela were surrounded by Death Eaters, and were face-to-face with Harry's old pal Voldemorte.
That was why his scar was burning, Harry realized. But he wasn't really in that much pain. It hurt, but not as much as it should. Was Voldemorte's power weakening, or did he have some way of blocking his power from warning Harry?
~*~
Snape glanced at his arm again. The Dark Mark should have been as black as anything right now. But it barely even showed up. Could Lord Voldemorte have found some way to disable the Dark Marks of those who no longer followed him?
Voldemorte raised his wand and pointed it at Snape, shouting, "Crucio!"
Xela grabbed Snape's arm and pulled him out of the way. But she wasn't fast enough. The spell connected with his arm, but to Xela and Severus's surprise, it went right through his arm, hung in the air just beyond it for a moment and then disappeared. The spell seemed to be only a shadow of Voldemorte's powers.
What had happened?
