The World Cup: Aftermath

Arthur Weasly never experienced nor had been in a situation that was both impressive and terrifying at the same time. The way the faceless Death Eater had said his name sent a cold shiver down his spine. The man's voice was cold and metallic, not to mention, distorted. The Faceless Eater… it wasn't exactly a rumor, nor was it actual reliable information. Hearing the scarce stories of the Death Eater in the Ministry building wasn't uncommon. Stories about Death Eaters were always being told whenever people were on break; or if they were bored - which tend to happen a lot - and decided to talk instead of work.

Death Eaters. Loyal subjects of the Dark Lord Voldemort; or as people say, he-who-shall-not-be-named; had always been a thorn in the Ministry's side. They tried their best to hide it from the public, but it only gets harder and harder as Harry Potter, a boy he considers as his own child, continues to grow. Throughout his time at Hogwarts, the boy, his son, and their friend; had accomplished many things. Things that were controversial, debatable, dangerous, and amazing.

He looked down at his frozen legs. There wasn't anything wrong aesthetically; they were only stuck, that's all. The weird sensation of not having control of your legs was frightening, to say the least, especially if this was your first time. Breathing calmly, he grunted as he strained to unlock the joker charm, as he called them. Typically spells like these would only last for a few minutes, and true to his words it did. Dusting himself off, he scanned the wreckage of the abandoned campsite.

Tents were… inhabitable. They were all beyond repair, just sitting there as proof of the huge battle that enslaved the night. But what followed next was the cherry on the top. The lifeless bodies of Ministry agents, Aurors, and brave civilians littered the ashen floor. A cold chill ran through him. This was his first time seeing something of this magnitude; the Ministry hadn't gotten involved in huge fights like these except for a major raid that had taken place a month ago. So seeing all these bodies made him feel sick. His mind did wander to where the Death Eaters were but he knew that they were very vigilant with taking care of their dead; which was probably what was going on seeing the lack of dead bodies - none at all - belonging to that of the dark order.

"Weasly!" a high-pitched voice yelled. He turned and came face to face with Barty Crouch Sr. The man's black robes - just like his - had multiple tears in them. He noticed that even though the battle that ensued a few minutes ago had ended, he was still aware and ready for anything that may come after. The wand clutched between his white hands was proof of that.

"Barty," he acknowledged the man as he dusted himself off.

"Come with us, quickly," the man ushered him along as their small party of seven - which he had just noticed - wizards went searching through the ruins.

"Bloody Death Eaters, striking when there's a public event," the peppered haired-man hissed.

"We had a theory they would strike today, glad to see we were right but… the outcome is not what we were expecting."

"They're Death Eaters, what did you expect?" he snarled before a look of hurt crossed his face. "Halfred and Danel are dead, luckily Jolen survived," there was a moment of silence in the group before it was broken by the Auror to his right.

"Yes yes, Death Eaters are strong, that is agreeable. But right now we need to find any remnants of the Dark Lord's minions."

~O~

Harry had ran. The entire campsite was slowly being digested by the flames from the arrival of the Death Eaters. One moment they were celebrating, the twins jumping around like mad lads with poor Ron in the middle. He and Hermione just watched with amusement when they were all shushed by Mr. Weasly. It was strange, but somehow he could feel something wasn't right.

"Get back to the portkey and stick together!" he watched Mr. Weasly yell before running out towards the bright raging clouds; opposite from where they were supposed to be going.

No one moved for a second until the screams finally caught onto them. Immediately Hermione, Ron, and he ran. Following the twins as they navigated through the crowd. Everything was lit with fire and the dark blue sky was replaced by a red and orange fiery inferno. Bodies bumped against each other as everyone desperately tried to get away. They all had the same goal, and that was to run.

Bodies slammed into him making him stumble, he couldn't fall, not now. He had to get back to the portkey with Hermione and Ron. Hermione was just a few feet away from him but he could only barely make out her figure as they began to separate even more. It was only a few seconds later that he found himself following the crowd; Ron and Hermione were gone from his sight.

"Excuse me! Please!" he muttered under his breath. A large weight came crashing into him and soon enough he found himself on the ground. They trampled over him with no remorse. All he could do was cover his head and curl up in a ball in hopes of surviving.

The smell of burnt wood came strongly at him, but it was the wreckage of the once cheerful, and colorful campsite that made his breath hitch. His head was pounding slightly, the sudden movement of sitting up only making it worse. It was thick, the campsite was littered with it; the smell of Timberwood and strong fumes.

"Ron? Hermione?" he whispered.

The whole place was a mess; the remnants of the structural base of each tent laying waste in the blackened floor. He walked slowly, careful not to step into the open. He stopped for a minute and looked around. It wasn't as if there was anything to really look out for, but you could never be too safe. Respectively, there wasn't anyone in sight. Sighing, he continued on his way just wandering around. The portkey, he had to get back but he didn't know which direction he had to go too. Everything was just the same, there weren't any landmarks he could use or signs.

"Morsmordre!" The instant those words reached his ears he quickly crouched down.

Taking a peek he saw a man dressed in black. His hand was clutched close to his chest while his wand stood up towards the sky. A green wisp was flowing out and into the air where it began to morph into a sickening scene. It showed a giant skull with a snake weaving out of its mouth and around. Although terrifying, it also gave off an alluring vibe… It was almost like it was calling to him.

He took a tentative step forward when he felt something snap. The sound made him jump, as he was knocked out from the allure. Gasping, he went to look for the man only to be met with his intense gaze, but just like that in a blink of an eye, he disappeared. At that exact moment, Ron and Hermione arrived both wearing worried looks.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled as she hugged him.

"Where were you mate?" Ron asked worriedly behind them.

"T-there was someone there," He pointed to the spot where the man was. They just stood there staring at the spot as if the man would return. It was only when Ron spoke up that their thoughts were averted somewhere else.

"Come on, we need to get back to the portkey," he whispered.

Nodding, they were about to turn when the sound of a dozen wizards apparating out of nowhere scared them. A barrage of spells went their way to which he and Ron quickly ducked, bringing Hermione with them.

"Stop! STOP!" They heard someone yell. "That's my son!"

Slowly standing up they watched as Mr. Weasly ran towards them. The Aurors, he assumed, stopped and followed a man in a black trench coat, a top hat planted on his head.

"Ron, Hermione, Harry. What are you guys doing here?" he asked them in a low tone.

"Who are they?" the man with the top hat asked.

"Barty, this is my son Ron and his friends Hermione and Harry," the man watched them intently before stiffly nodding and swirling around to leave. "You three need to get back now," Mr. Weasly spoke before leaving as well.

"Wait!," he cried out, "There was a man… over there," he pointed to the exact spot he last saw the man.

The man nodded and called out to his fellow wizards before disappearing into the hazy morning sun.

~O~

"Perseus!" an oof came out from him as May crashed into his open arms.

"Aunt May! What are you doing here?" he asked before returning the hug. He relished in her warm hug, a small distraction from what had occurred a few hours ago; that was until he got whacked across the back of the head.

"You idiot! I came here because I heard you were injured," she chastised him. Her hands roamed his body, tugging at his arms and even going as far as to twirl him around as her eyes fervently searched for any injuries on his body.

"I'm alright, I swear! The medics here know how to do their job," he smiled before wincing slightly as his hand instinctively went up to clutch his bandaged left eye.

"You stupid stupid boy. Look at what you got yourself into," she whispered angrily as she reached up to cup his cheek.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but you know me."

She sighed, "Yes, yes I do."

After a few minutes, she retreated her hand and gave him her signature wolf glare. "I still hate it… why do you always have to charge into danger?!" she suddenly cried as she continuously whacked him across the chest. Finally, after a bit, she relented and watched him steadily. He didn't know how to respond but instead chose to resort to scratching his neck in embarrassment. "Well? I'm waiting!"

"As I said, you know me and you know I don't regret it," he whispered, "My family was in danger and I retaliated, it's as simple as that."

They stared at each other for what felt like a minute before she let out a small sigh, "Loyal just like your father," she shook her head. He smiled at the comment. He hardly knew anything about his father, but if there was one thing he knew, it was that they both shared a common attribute and that was loyalty. His aunt always mentioned it, and sometimes his grandfather did as well.

"Do you want me to escort you back? I know you don't particularly enjoy the atmosphere around here."

She narrowed her eyes at him as if to say 'continue speaking and let's see what'll happen' He could feel a bead of sweat slide down from his brow as he began to fiddle with the ring on his finger whilst waiting for his punishment.

"Are you serious?"

Not wanting to get whacked yet again, or even worse, killed; he held his hands up. "I'm not trying to get rid of you! I swear it upon Merlin's beard!"

"Dummy, relax," she shook her head, "Maybe it's the concussion you received but just to remind you, I'm here because of my monthly visits. Surely you remember that?" at that he 'oh' in realization.

"Heh… guess I forgot. But hey, I'm glad you're here!" He hugged her tightly, returning the crushing hug she had mercilessly brought upon him.

"Yes yes, I know. Now come on, we need to get you some food. I've got my famous broth brewing and Margaret just finished baking her blue chocolate chip cookies."

"Well come on then, lead the way!" he shouted gleefully, his mouth drooling at the thought of his aunt's cooking and his blue sweats.

"Right this way then!" nodding, he happily let her guide their way to a semi-crowded dining room.

Lilian stood off to the side with a bandaged shoulder, a bowl of steaming hot broth sitting beside her on a small desk. She wore a loose tank top, her Death Eater attire gone. Bion, unlike Lilian, was diving into his own personal bowl. Knowing the man, he was probably on his fifth serving. His mask lay bare in front of him on the table, while his robe was draped across his chair.

Taking a seat, a house-elf brought him his hot bowl of stew to which he happily dug in. The effect of the warm broth instantly kicked in as he felt his body warm up. The broth had a generous serving of both high-quality meat and vegetables that his aunt herself grew; the meat itself probably came from Gevron, their own private meat distributor.

"That hits the spot," someone sighed happily. Gibbon, along with Belmont and Clay sat down. The trio looked clean, their robes having been fixed and already taken care of, but all three had injuries of their own.

"Another scar Belmont?" he smirked at the big man. His brown hair was a mess but other than that he looked like his usual self.

"Hmm," the man grunted.

I guess even the great Rook isn't as indestructible as we thought," Clay laughed.

"Oh shut up twig. But yes, another scar which means another woman," the huge man bellowed loudly, causing Lilian to look at them wryly.

They all laughed except for Clay who had an irritated look. Eventually, their bowls were refilled and they all dug in once again. Bion, upon finishing his eleventh serving - bloody hell that guy can eat - stood up and left with a bow. On instinct, he dismissed the man with a wave before rolling his eyes. He hated formalities, especially when it was supposed to be bonding time. Not like this was the ideal time or situation, to begin with…

"I think that's all for me boys," he grunted. Shoving his chair in, he walked inside the kitchen and placed the glass dish in the sink.

"You boys can eat, did you know that?" his aunt called from the stove.

"Heh, who can blame us? Your cooking is as delicious as always," this brought a small smile on the older woman's face.

Walking behind her he sighed sadly and hugged his aunt. "I'm sorry I did something reckless. But I won't hesitate to do it again. You know me, Aunt May, I won't hesitate to help those a part of our family."

It took her a minute to respond but when she did he smiled. "Of course you clutz. Just remember to be more careful; please," she stressed, "I don't ever want to see you this hurt ever again."

"Your wish is my command!" he saluted before breaking into a grin, "No promises though."

"Gah! I knew you would say that. Now get out before I decide to punish you," laughing he skipped out of the room before wincing which he replaced with a smile. Margaret had probably said something about him, seeing as he heard laughter from the kitchen as he walked away.

~O~

"Salicia, I'm ba~ck!" he sang as he poked his head into the room.

"My Prince!" he heard the familiar hiss of his companion who was slithering at top speed towards him.

The gigantic Burmese Python slid across the wooden boards and up around his leg. He could feel the excess weight on his body but still managed to hold himself up. Salicia wasn't as large as her mother, but she was still quite heavy. The only reason he didn't have any difficulty carrying her weight was because of how long they had been together.

When they first met, Salicia was as large as his hand; which wasn't much considering he was only five at the time, but slowly and surely she grew. It was only then that when she had begun to follow him that he suggested just riding around his neck. At first, it was a good idea, until they fell down the stairs… After that let's just say everything was trial and error until finally, they stood together united like one like how they were at the moment.

"Were you worried?" he chuckled as he slid his hand along her smooth pearly scaled skin.

She made a sound similar to a scoff to which he just laughed. "Admit it, you were."

"If that is your command then yes I was."

"Aww, thanks Salicia," he teased the big bundle of snow as he sat down at his desk. He began to strip himself of his undershirt, taking off the silver bracelet that hid its true form.

"How is your injury?"

He shrugged, "Doesn't hurt, I can still move," he lied. In fact, the wound tended to sting whenever he performed a few actions. He hadn't noticed it at first but the spell that he had miraculously cut in half had backfired; not totally, but it still did.

"You're lying," he groaned, of course, she would know.

"It's fine! I can deal with the pain, Salicia, so don't worry about it," it came out harsh but he knew that she understood. "After all… it doesn't look too bad," true to his word, the scar that now decorated his chest actually complimented his features quite nicely. It started from his left shoulder around his collarbone, running diagonally across his chest to his right rib cage where it settled just above the first bone.

"Hmm, I guess it doesn't look too bad," he grinned, "but what about thy eye?"

A soft gust of air ruffled his hair before the messy strands died down. He reached up and grabbed the medical tape and began to slowly peel it off. One strand done, one more to go. Using his other hand he held the bandage in place as he peeled the last tape off. Slowly he pulled the white fabric away to reveal whatever was hidden underneath.

A gasp left him as he remembered the blinding white light. It was just a few inches away, and it could've easily ended him right there… but no. He survived and now he's going to continue to live with the consequences of his mistakes. "My Prince…" Salicia hissed softly.

He couldn't help but follow as he stared at the red line that now marked his left eye. A thick jagged red line ran vertically from the top of his eyebrow to the bottom of his eye. He could see which was a relief. But even if he couldn't he would still live on as if nothing had happened. This was just a perk. A perk that reminded him of the shocking reality of life as well as something that made him look irresistible.

"Hahaha! Holy shit, I-I damn what can you say," he shook his head admiring the two new scars that were now a part of his body.

"You're sure taking this quite nicely," Salicia hissed in amusement.

"Well, what can you do? I survived and that's that," taking a few more seconds to admire the newly acquired perks he placed his hand on the desk and watched as Salicia slid down.

"Might I suggest you rebandage it, my Prince? It looks fairly healed at the moment but it is still quite reddish and tender," Salicia, correct as always was right. He could see through his eye and the scar did look healed and menacing but if studied closely you would see the still shallow skin covering the previously open skin.

Heeding her advice he took out a spare bandage roll along with some medical tape from his dresser. It would've been better to ask Margaret or even his aunt to help him but it would be quite a hassle going down and he was feeling pretty lazy at the moment. So, with the mirror in front of him and a cheer which Salicia had somehow moved from his desk; he sat down and began to do his best to cover his eye.

"What shall you do now?"

"Hmm? Well, seeing as Grandfather's not back yet and the others are still resting. I think I'll go take a nice early peaceful stroll around the garden," he shrugged as he cautiously slid on a plain dark green sweater, making sure he didn't move in a manner that would send pain coursing through his body.

"Don't you think you're forgetting something?"

"Huh?" he sent her a curious look as he finished tying the laces of his shoe.

"Idiot…" he heard her murmur as she motioned pointedly at the mirror in the corner of his room.

"What do you…" it took him a minute until realization dawned on his face. "Shit!"

"Don't think I didn't see her," he heard the sneaky python snicker in a snake-like way.

"Dammit, I totally forgot, this is bad," he quickly began to tap the edges of the mirror, a familiar set of runes lighting up with each touch. "Don't rat me out alright!" he yelled as the mirror shimmered before revealing a familiar sight.

"Wai-" Salicia's voice disappeared instantly, as his feet planted themselves firmly inside the black and green tent, the sight of his bedroom disappearing as the mirror morphed back into its dormant form.

"Percy?" a tiny voice squeaked out from the back room.

"Céline?" he walked towards the voice, a black curtain separating both of them from each other. With a whoosh, he pushed the fabric away and stopped immediately as a wand pushed itself onto his forehead.

He couldn't help but smirk, "That's not exactly how you hold someone hostage you know," he chuckled as he knocked the wand away with his own.

"Holy shit! Percy!" the blonde girl threw herself onto him, her arms flying around his neck as weak sobs filled the room. "Oh gods, where were you? I thought you ran off without me, o-or…"

"Relax," he whispered in a soothing tone. "I'm alright see," he stretched his arms wide open allowing the girl to see what she had gotten that night.

"Thank Merlin- Wait… what happened to your eye?!" she screamed as her hand quickly cupped his cheeks.

"I…I joined the fight," he gushed out. It wasn't a lie, he did join the fight, but not in the way she thought. He couldn't tell her the truth, it was to be expected but at least this would provide some comfort to what had happened.

"Oh Percy," she hugged him even tighter before whispering something barely audible, "At least you're ok."

"Yeah."

Thoughts of returning to the manor had disappeared as he found them chatting animatedly. A cup of steaming hot cocoa sat in front of them as he listened to her side of the story. Luckily she hadn't woken early enough to see the chaos that surged just a few minutes from the initial confrontation. Unlike her, he felt guilty just lying even if it wasn't a total lie. It wasn't easy but it wasn't hard as well.

"I should escort you back to your tent," he spoke up as he returned from cleaning the cups and stocking them away.

"Yeah… they're probably really worried right now," he could sense a mixture of agreement but also sadness in her voice as she slipped on her red cotton sweater.

"Hey, I'll write to you if you agree to write back," he shook her out of her thoughts as he settled beside her, throwing her a small grin.

Her eyes twinkled and her face brightened up as she rapidly nodded her head. "Deal! Don't you forget it ok?"

"Don't worry, I won't," he chuckled as her hand clasped onto his. The walk to the Bulgaria cheerleading tent wasn't fair since they were in the same campsite, but he made sure it took a while and he was pretty sure Céline did too as they walked slowly across the grass. It was pure luck that their campsite wasn't burnt to shreds as he passed by his aunt's tent. Where was she anyway?

"Well, here we are," she sighed.

"Yup…" a small silence settled between them before his voice hitched as her lips softly planted themselves on his.

"Percy…"

"Céline…" he held her by her waist, their bodies locked tightly against each other.

"I'll see you again right?"

"I swear it upon the Blackstone that you will."

"You are so weird," she smiled before giving him one last kiss as she disappeared into the large tent.

"I swear it upon the Blackstone," he whispered once again before smiling. There wasn't anything else in his mind for all he needed was right in front of him.

~O~

"Are they inside?"

"Your Grandfather yes, along with Dolohov, Oscar, and a few others."

"Thank you."

Shoving open the twin dark oak doors, the chatter that once resonated from within grew louder. He watched as members of the order gushed on and on about the events that had occurred. It was only when he announced his presence with a cough that all chatter stopped.

"Perseus!" my grandfather's raucous voice called from the head chair.

"Grandfather," I nodded in acknowledgment before allowing his arms to wrap around me in a warm hug.

"I am so glad you are alright," he spoke softly.

"What can I say? I'm invincible just like the great Achilles."

"I dare say you might be right, but judging from that scar your answer is debatable," A monotonous voice joined in. He looked down and could barely see the edge of his scar from under his shirt collar which had been stretched…

"Uncle Severus," he greeted the man. "This is nothing, it's just another battle scar, but I do see your point," he shrugged.

"Yes, it appears so," the corner of his lip quirking just a tiny bit.

"Everyone, please, let's all take our seats shall we?"

He left his grandfather's side, pulling a chair up beside Joker. It appeared that the meeting seemed to be all over the place as everyone was scattered in smaller groups chatting silently. A small mass of footsteps and chairs scraping filled the room for a bit before a small silence settled down the now calmed down crowd.

"Starting off, I dare say that you have all done well. You've all done your task and as I can see, you did it to the best of your abilities," a nod of agreement circled the table. "Now we must take care of the matter at hand. I know we lost one of our targets but we still managed to secure the two. It's a pity but what's done is done. I now ask that both team captains and their right hands recount what transpired. Everyone else is dismissed."

He made a move to stand only to be stopped, "Not you Perseus," he looked at his grandfather curiously.

"Is there anything you need?"

"Yes and that is to remind you of our promise," his eyes threatened to shoot out only for him to slap himself on the forehead.

"I'm an idiot," he muttered before looking wistfully at the door.

He wished his footsteps were also a part of those making their way to the door. But no, he had to stay and see what the verdict of his actions would be. Although, the scurrying of footsteps leaving left a small moment of ease as he regretfully directed his attention to those still present. Dolohov sat across from him, his combat attire gone and replaced with a clean set of robes. Oscar was the same, the man sat patiently whilst talking to the bearded man beside him, Rhaine.

"Dolohov, why don't you start first."

"Gladly my Lord."

The great hall was silent with the only Dolohov calmly explaining what had happened on their end and how the first and second encounters went before the third unfortunately failed. Along with this Mathias provided his own tiny little details from time to time. No one interrupted the duo except for Severus who would occasionally question the duo. He on the other hand - much to his surprise and that of his uncle - actually listened in, although the sound of wood crackling from the fireplace often made his mind drift away. It was peaceful as the bright embers illuminated the dimly lit room.

Morning would be coming soon and the horizon would eventually indicate when the sun has risen. He judged that the meeting wouldn't take as long as an hour at most if his grandfather and uncle decided to discuss the matter at hand privately. He hoped that was the plan, but there was also him, who decided to break his promise. Eventually, Dolohov finished his retelling of the story, now it was Oscar's turn. The older man had a blank face, he was probably thinking hard on what had conspired from what Dolohov had explained.

"Oscar, let us hear your side," his grandfather turned towards the Death Eater. In an instant, his head snapped up and his attitude did an extreme 180 as he began to recall what happened in his perspective. Roland sat beside his companion and like Mathias, voiced in his own experiences. Both men acted with integrity as they spoke with confidence. Their voices were strong and firm, there was no pity or worries found within. Everyone was disciplined, no one made any unnecessary actions or disrespectfully interrupted without first giving a sign, which his uncle did quite professionally.

"Thank you all of you. You may leave and rest."

"Good luck lad," he heard Mathias whisper with a chuckle. In return, he stared daggers at the man who only kept his smirk as he disappeared from the room. He sighed, what did he expect? The guy was called Joker for a reason.

"Perseus," a deep groan escaped him as he slowly turned towards the other last two members in the room. His grandfather had a look of mischief in his eyes while his uncle held a small smirk. No one else would've caught it, but after growing up around the man he would confidently say that he's mastered his uncle's poker face.

"What's my punishment?" he grumbled. Might as well get to the point he thought, after all, if it's just a short task he'll be able to complete it, if not well at least he's able to leave and finally get a day's worth of sleep.

"Straight to the point," his uncle appraised.

"And grumpy," his grandfather added with a small chuckle.

"Well?.."

"Slow down Perseus, are you really that anxious to get your punishment?"

"I. Want. To. Sleep," he emphasized each word making sure that they got the memo.

"You and your sleep, fine let's see, Severus, what do you purpose would be the best punishment for Perseus here?"

"Hmm, well seeing as he's going to be attending Hogwarts as a sixth year, I purpose that he studies potions with me for his O. potions test."

"Smart as always Severus. You do remember our other deal right Perseus? The deal where you're going to attend Hogwarts this coming school year?"

"Yes…"

"Then good! You shall study with Severus about potions and review everything you may have forgotten," his grandfather was giddily laughing at this point, to which he held no amusement.

"If that is your wish."

"Good, now go and get some sleep, you're going to need it!"

"I hate my life," He groaned and with one final pat on the back from his grandfather, he went on his way, dreading what was soon to come.

Q/A

Pairings: I don't intend for Percy to have a harem nor did I have it in mind when I first began this fanfic. Although, I am quite curious about your thoughts. Should Percy have a harem? There's a small chance I might do this. Now, regarding those curious about the main pairing (my pairing plan at the moment). I do have one in mind but I want Percy's love life to be realistic or at least 'not straight' if you get what I am saying. Percy isn't just going to find true love and pursue it; I want him to experience the ups and downs and the grey areas. On another note, Percy's as charismatic as his grandfather in the past.

Thanks for the read, I hope y'all liked it!