The Dark Mark
by sienna

What this author imagines ensued during that fateful Monday night of the Quidditch World Cup Finals, Ireland vs. Bulgaria, during the summer of Year Four.

"MORSMORDRE!"

Hermione jumped up from where she, Harry, and Ron, were sitting at the foot of a tree, pressing a hand to her pounding heart. Her head whipped around, and she watched, fascinated, as out of the darkness, a gigantic, glittering green jet of light shot into the air. It flew into the sky, over the treetops, and hovered there, twisting, forming-

Hermione's jaw dropped.
It was the Dark Mark.
An enormous skull compromised of bright green stars, with a serpent tongue.
Voldemort's symbol, sent into the air by himself and the Death Eaters whenever they killed. It hadn't been seen for thirteen years; the terror and fear it caused…
She knew all about it, of course, she'd read all about them in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts in second year.

"What the - ?" gasped Ron, leaping to his feet. Harry was standing right in the middle of the clearing, squinting at the sky.

Screams penetrated the previously silent woods. Harry and Ron were about five feet in front of her, watching the skies in; Hermione couldn't decide what, shock? Fear? Didn't they know what it was? And Ron was pureblood! Not to mention his father worked at the Ministry! She felt like smacking the both of them. Maybe they'd get some common sense!

Suddenly, something grabbed hold of her elbow, and a hand covered her mouth, silencing her scream. Hermione opened her mouth, intending to bite down on the hand as hard as she could, then -

"Get out of here!" a voice hissed in her ear. Malfoy? Hermione thought in amazement. But it wasn't his usual slow, drawling voice. He was speaking in low, urgent tones, and tugged on her arm. "Gr- Hermione! Why can't you just listen to what people tell you! GET! OUT! OF! HERE! NOW!" He spun her around. His face was in shadows, but from the eerie green glow of the Dark Mark, she could make out his eyes, silvery grey and open wide, staring straight into hers. He took his hand away from her mouth. "Just get out of here, Hermione! Do you know what that is?" He jerked his head towards the sky. Hermione nodded frantically.What on earth? Merlin's beard! Was Malfoy helping them? Her? "Do you hear me? Run!"

Still too shocked to say or do anything, Hermione nodded again, and she felt one last squeeze on her arm. And then he was gone.

"Who's there?" Harry called. Idiot boy! Hermione thought hysterically. Brilliant way to draw attention to us!

Hermione hurried forward, grabbing hold of Ron's wrist and Harry's jacket collar.

"Harry, come on, move!" The idiot of a boy wasn't moving, he was still staring at the Dark Mark, transfixed.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked, looking confused. His eyes darted from her face to the Dark Mark.

She yanked him again. "It's the Dark Mark, Harry!" She tugged at him. Move, God damn it, Potter! "You-Know-Who's sign!"

Harry was still not moving. Hermione let go of Ron's wrist, he seemed to be responsive enough.

"Voldemort's -?" Harry was still asking questions, not moving. Hermione felt like tearing her hair out in frustration. This was an emergency! She wasn't strong enough to drag him, so she pulled, one last time, at his collar, hard.

"Harry, come on!"

Ron quickly scooped up his miniature Krum from the ground, where he had been playing with it earlier, and finally, finally, the three of them hurried across the clearing.

A/N: I don't know if this has been done before (probably has, you know, the amount of fanfics there are out there these days, it's really hard trying to write something that no one's done before, but anyway..) but I thought of it just before I was going to bed. Ideas suddenly come out of my mind right before I go to sleep, and I have to walk back across the, um, six feet of cold wooden floor to get to my desk, turn on my laptop, and start writing. The things I do for you people.

Just kidding.
You know I love you.

So, this is different from what I usually write. No lovey-dovey, funny business. Hope you guys like it. I still think that it could have happened, you know, because in the book, Hermione wasn't saying anything for a while. I don't know.

Read and review guys! I love you for it.

xx
sienna