The atmosphere inside the tent was jubilant. Although none of their group had been particularly passionate about supporting one team or the other, the brilliance of the game and it's exciting twists had everyone delighted. The walk back to their tent had been even more challenging than the way to the stadium, with occasional hugs from random strangers clad in green, as well as having to plow through hordes of drinking, happy fans. Still, the atmosphere of delight was contagious, and smiles abounded. Butterbeer in a large flask was being passed around, Harry sitting back and laughing as Ron composed an ode to Krum, apparently having fallen head over heels in love with the seeker throughout the game.
Then in an instant the air changed. The bangs and screams coming from outside turned from the joyous sounds of fireworks and fans celebrating, to violent explosions and cries of genuine terror. Harry froze. Mr. Weasley darted towards the tent door, looking outside. With a grim look carved on his face, he spoke curtly to the group.
"Bill, Charlie, with me. It doesn't look like the aurors have managed to get things under control, we're going to help. Percy, Fred, George. You three take care of Ginny. Don't let her out of your sight. Try not to get split up, all of you. Get out as fast as you can."
The man turned, and swept out of the tent. After a moment's hesitation, the eldest brothers followed him. As Bill walked out, he turned back, shouting back to the group.
"Come on! You have to go!"
In an instant the tent was a flurry of movement, shouting, grabbing some bare items. Panic was etched on every face, and there was a scramble to get to the door. Harry, Ron and Hermione somehow managed to stay together, filing out of the tent in order, emerging into chaos.
Night had fallen, but where it once was lit brightly with cheerful lanterns, smoke filled the air, and blazing fires cast eerie shadows across the ground. Panicked crowds running to flee the campgrounds stampeded like cattle, splitting apart the group. Harry grabbed Ron's arm, gesturing for him to do the same for Hermione.
"We'll be crushed there! Over here, to the side!"
Holding tightly to Ron's arm, Harry backed up through the horde of people, reversing back into the maze of tents. Breathing heavily, the trio came to a halt, ducking down behind the smoking remnants of a table.
"Harry… Hermione."
Ron gasped out, shakily.
"You alright?"
Harry nodded, glancing over at Hermione. Their bushy-haired friend looked unsettled, dust covering her hair and robes, but she also gave a small nod back.
"You good Ron?"
Ron nodded, gasping for breath.
"What the blazes is going on. What in Merlin do -"
Ron was cut off, as a voice roared behind him.
"Incendio!"
Footsteps marching sounded close to where the trio hid, prompting them to hug the ground, trying to conceal their presence even further.
"Harry!"
Hermione whispered to Harry from her position on the ground.
"Invisibility cloak?"
Harry shook his head, whispering back.
"In my luggage. Didn't think I'd need it, but I'm never leaving it behind again."
Cruel laughter and the footsteps crept closer. Harry peeked his head around the side of the table, hoping for a glimpse of whoever it was causing the destruction.
Through the smoke, they came into view. It was a group of perhaps 30 cloaked wizards, hoods covering their heads. Their faces were all covered in simple, but terrifying masks. Most of them looked to be made of wrought iron, thinly beaten into a simple face covering. But dotted among their ranks were a few donning pure white masks, standing in stark contrast to their black garb. Each mask was blank, void of any emotion, a cold face that spoke only cruelty. Their bearers, laughing gleefully as they carelessly razed the once cheerful campsite to the ground. Above them, limp bodies were being dragged through the air, like puppets with their strings cut. Harry knew that this was an image that would haunt him for years to come.
Harry heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him. Looking back, he saw Ron and Hermione, also peering over the edge of their shelter, watching the masked figures march off into the distance. The moon glinted off of Hermione's eyes, tears filling them, as her shoulders shook. Without a word, Ron put a shoulder over her, drawing her closer to him. He looked directly at Harry, meeting his eyes.
"Death Eaters."
Harry echoed the unfamiliar words.
"Death Eaters?"
Ron swallowed nervously, looking over his shoulder, as he leaned closer to Harry.
"My dad told me about them. They were … You-Know-Who's followers in the last war. His soldiers. They haven't been active since, well, when you defeated him but…"
He trailed off, one hand gesturing helplessly at the wake of destruction that the Death Eaters had left. Harry nodded slowly.
Slow, sarcastic clapping rang out from behind them.
"You know, Weasel. I'm almost impressed. I wouldn't have thought that you could even remember your own name."
The three spun around. There, standing casually behind them, was Draco Malfoy. His silver belt glimmered in the firelight, cloak clean of any dirt despite the smoke surrounding him.
"Shouldn't you be out there, Malfoy? Having some fun."
Ron's words dripped with distaste, but Malfoy merely smiled back at him.
"I just might after this Weasel. But you should be more careful when talking to your betters. I see a little mudblood hiding there with you… now wouldn't it be a shame if someone discovered that she was here."
Ron paled.
"You wouldn't dare."
Malfoy's smile turned a shade grimmer, teeth showing.
"Wouldn't I?"
The blonde boy opened his mouth again, as if to shout, when he suddenly turned around, as if hearing something the three friends could not. Grimacing slightly, Malfoy sighed, turning back to them.
"I suppose I'll be seeing you at school, Weasel, Mudblood, Potter."
He turned around, walking casually back into the heart of the campsite, vanishing slowly into the haze.
"I just know Lucius was in that group…"
Hermione whispered to herself, quietly.
"You remember, right Harry? What he said to me before."
Harry winced.
"I wouldn't put it past that man to be a Death Eater…"
For a moment, silence filled the air. Ron spoke up again.
"You don't think… that You Know Who might be -"
Harry clamped his hand over Ron's mouth, as another figure appeared from the dust and rubble. A tall, lanky man dressed in a long coat, speaking feverishly to himself, glaring with ferocity at the path that the Death Eaters had taken.
"They dare… frivolous enjoyment… while their Lord lies in need of help. They dare label themselves his followers! To place those masks on their cowardly faces!"
Spittle came flying out of the man's mouth as he raged. Chest heaving, he came to a stop at the center of a small clearing.
"Let me remind them… of what the Dark Lord's power truly means."
The man pointed his wand to the sky, and growled.
"Morsmordre!"
Sickly green light burst from his wand, rocketing up to the sky. It started forming itself into a shape. Slowly but surely a massive green skull emerged in the night sky, brighter than any star. From its mouth erupted a massive snake, like a horrifically long tongue, writhing its way around the skull. Behind him, Harry could hear Ron and Hermione gasp in unison. His own heart was immediately filled with dread, as he looked up to the mark emblazoned in the sky. Suddenly, there was a cacophony of cracks, as dozens of figures clad in dark brown robes reminiscent of muggle trench coats apparated into the area. Surrounded, the trio could do little to hide as beams of lights fell upon them.
"Stupefy!"
The incantation was shouted, close to 30 witches and wizards sending the stunning spell flying at them. Harry dove to the ground again, Ron and Hermione also dropping to the floor.
"Stop! That's my son!"
Harry blinked in relief as he heard Ron's father's voice, bellowing over the crowd gathered around them. The man sprinted towards them, wrapping Ron up in a hug. The circle closed closer, most with their wands lowered. A well dressed man in a fitted muggle business suit strode up to Harry, wand at the ready, leveled at his face.
"Was it you?"
The man shouted at Harry.
"Wha- what of course not."
Harry stumbled in his answer, as the man shouted at him again.
"Did you cast the Dark Mark, boy?"
The crowd shifted, as one member called out to their clearly furious leader.
"Barty, that's Harry Potter. You can't be serious, accusing him of that."
The stern man glared at Harry once more, before spitting off to the side.
"Did you see who cast that then, boy?"
Harry nodded.
"A man, he was just there. He said something about the Dark Lord, then shouted a spell."
Trembling slightly, he pointed to where the figure from before had been.
With a last look, the man turned away from Harry.
"If we hurry we may yet catch the bastard. Find him!"
The group hurried off, leaving behind a slightly disheveled Mr. Weasley, with Bill and Charlie at his side. Charlie came over to Harry's side, giving him a hand, and pulling him off the ground, as Mr. Weasley and Bill did the same with Hermione and Ron respectively.
"The others managed to get to the portkey site, they're waiting for us there. I know you three must be tired, but Molly will be terrified for us… so just a little more effort."
Leaning slightly on Charlie, Harry and the group began the walk through the still smoking wreckage and debris.
"You're Harry right?"
Charlie looked down at Harry, meeting his eyes. He chuckled.
"So you were the one with the dragon problem huh. Helped smuggle that Ridgeback out of Hogwarts didn't you… quite an adventure for first years."
Harry perked up slightly, remembering one of the trio's first disastrous adventures together, culminating in that awful detention in the Forbidden Forest.
"Is Norbert doing well?"
Charlie smiled.
"Norberta, actually. A dragon that large, that vicious, no way it could be a male. She's given me quite a few nips since we brought her in… but I think she's getting used to our sanctuary."
In a small voice, Hermione spoke up.
"I think Hagrid would love to visit Norberta, don't you think?"
From next to Ron, Bill gave Charlie a conspiratorial look, before replying.
"I think Hagrid will be getting quite the show much sooner than he might think."
Before Harry could ask what the two brothers were talking about, they had reached the others. Hugs, huge sighs of relief, and shouts of joy flooded over the group, everyone who they had started with had made it out safely, if a tad worse for the wear. Fred and George took one look at each other, and opened their mouths, trying to ask their dad something. But before they could, Mr. Weasley stopped them short.
"I'll explain things back at the Burrow. We need to get home. Come on now, let's get to the Portkey."
-line break-
With a crash, the group hit the ground in front of the Burrow. The town around the tall house was dark, but light still blazed from the windows of the Burrow. The front door banged open, revealing a teary-eyed Mrs. Weasley.
"Oh Arthur!"
She flung herself into Mr. Weasley's arms, sobbing.
"I thought… I thought… Oh, Arthur… it was all over the radio, they sent out emergency newspapers...I thought the worst had happened!"
Mrs. Weasley looked at her children, and tears once again welled up in her eyes.
"It was so awfully quiet here… and that clock…"
Harry remembered seeing the distinct grandfather clock when entering the kitchen of the Burrow, hands for each member of the Weasley family, and where the hours should have been, statements ranging from at home, travelling, to the most ominous, and clearly where all the hands had been stuck for a time, mortal peril.
Ginny, Ron and all of the brothers rushed towards their mother and father, encircling the two in a messy, tearful hug, all reassuring Mrs. Weasley that they were alright.
To the side, Harry, Hermione, Luna and her father looked on. With a slight cough, and a hint of moisture in his eyes, Xenophilius quietly spoke.
"We must be getting home now Luna, say goodbye. Mr. Potter, if you could convey my thanks to the Weasley family, I would be most grateful."
With that, the taller man walked off to the edge of the hedges surrounding the Burrow, protecting it from prying eyes. Luna turned to the pair. With a sudden burst of movement, she ran towards Hermione, hugging her. Hermione seemed staggered for a moment, but gently wrapped her arms around the younger girl.
"Don't worry Luna, we'll see you on the Hogwarts Express!"
Luna turned to Harry. He smiled, bringing out the bottle cork she had given him earlier.
"Kept me safe tonight, thank you Luna. See you on the train!"
Luna nodded, looking content even after the events of the evening. Taking a breath, she started over to where her father was waiting, a slight skip in her step.
"See you later, Harry, Hermione!"
Harry and Hermione both waved as the small family of two walked out of view, into the night.
AN: Chapter 6! I'm going to be a bit busy in the coming weeks so I might be slightly slower with updates, sorry. But hopefully you enjoy! The one review I've gotten is so much motivation already, so I'd love to hear more of your thoughts! Thanks for reading, and hope you like it!
