"I am so glad I'm not on duty," Mr Weasley muttered sleepily. "I wouldn't fancy having to go and tell the Irish they've got to stop celebrating."
Rebekah was sharing the next tent over with Hermione and Ginny, both of whom were still a little grumpy with her for staying with the Malfoys during the match. Rebekah shrugged them off as she laid in the top bunk, curled around a small Emperor who played with her left hand.
After a good hour of peace and quiet, with the occasional celebratory sheer from outside, Mr Weasley came into the girls' tent and made them get out.
"What's wrong? What's happening?" Rebekah quickly yelled before stepping in front of the frantic Mr Weasley. "Why are we leaving? Who's out there?"
"Death Eaters!" Mr Wealsey said as he waved the three oldest Weasleys to follow him as he ran out.
Rebekah's first reaction was to say, "Shit!" then she waved for Ginny and Hermione to move faster, "Come on. Ginny, stay with the twins. You can't protect yourself properly yet."
She looked outraged at first but as soon as they were outside, she meekly said, "Okay," and ran straight to Fred and George who huddled her under their arms.
"That's what I thought," Rebekah muttered as she summoned Emperor to stand by her as she very quickly transfigured her slippers into boots. She already wore a hoodie and shorts since she slept in them. The air was cold against her legs but she didn't allow it to stop her running.
The Death Eaters were Wizards and Witches robed in complete black with a single metal mask covering their faces. Ominous chanting came from them as they lifted the Roberts family into the air. The Wizards and Witches stayed closely together, creating a wave of black cloaks as members of the Ministry tried to stop them.
When they were a few metres to Rebekah's left, she sent out a whispered, "Sectumsempra!" and aimed for their calves to stop their footsteps. They faltered but regained their formation after a cry of enraged spells.
Hermione had to nudge Rebekah to move, her eyes had been locked with the moving group of Death Eaters. They began running to the forest, avoiding people as they also ran. Getting to it, Ron tripped with a small yelp.
"Ron, what happened?" Hermione said and stopped Rebekah from carrying on. "LUMOS!"
The youngest Weasley son was lying on the floor as he tried to dislodge his foot from under a root. "Just tripped over a tree root."
"With feet that size, hard not to," Rebekah turned sharply to face Draco as he leaned against a tree trunk. "Rebekah, you okay?"
"Yeah," She said and brought a hand to her hairline, before rubbing it down the side of her face.
"Why should you care, Malfoy?" Ron said before saying something that Mrs Weasley would have slapped him silly for.
"Language, Weasley," Draco said before gesturing to Hermione with a sneer. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like her spotted, would you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione raised her chin and scrunched her nose, disgusted,
"Granger, they're after Muggles," Draco said as if it was obvious. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? They're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."
To one side of the campsite, several people screamed and it made Draco chuckle. Rebekah wanted to laugh too but she couldn't show her cruel side to Hermione and Ron.
Not yet at least.
Rebekah stepped forward until they stood shoulder to shoulder. She lifted her chin to whisper in his ear. "Where are your parents? Are they safe?"
"Mother is back at the tent, she sent me to get you,"
"And your father? Don't lie to me, Draco. Is he in the black robes?" When he hesitated, Rebekah allowed a cold tone to her voice to show. His eyes flickered to hers and he shook his head the smallest bit, "Okay, good, he wasn't hit. Now sneer like I've threatened you, I need those two to trust me,"
The sneer that appeared across his face was so convincing that Ron hurled himself forward but Hermione stopped him. Draco then said, "You'd best get her out before they catch you, I rather not see your knickers midair."
Draco disappeared into the shoulders as Ron patted his pockets.
"What did you say to him?" Hermione tried to see the truth in Rebekah's eyes as she interrogated the Slytherin Witch. She brought her hand to make Rebekah look at her proper which made Rebekah snap her teeth.
Rebekah shoved her hand off of her shoulder. "I reminded him of the last time he offended me, that scared him enough to leave."
"Guys, I've lost my wand!" Ron shrieked as he patted his pockets again.
"I swear you lose everything," Hermione said after they spent a good minute looking around for it. "Just leave it, we'll find it after."
After trekking deeper into the forest, and having Ron grumbled about losing his wand, they were in the heart of the forest where it was perfectly silent. They had passed a small group of men fawning over a pretty Veela that the girls had to pull Ron away from, and then Ludo Bagman came from behind a tree, talked, and the Appariated away to the riot in the campsite.
"…Mad, though, to do something like that when the whole Ministry of Magic's out here tonight!" Hermione said. "I mean, how do they expect to get away with it? Do you think they've been drinking, or are they just…"
Rebekah ignored Hermione as she closed her eyes and allowed a partial shift of her eyes, ears, and nose. It wasn't enough for Ron and Hermione to see the brilliant green eyes or the sudden black feline nose on Rebekah's face.
There was someone not far from them. Their footsteps seemed like they staggered back a few times, almost like they were looking over their shoulder every so often. For a full minute, Rebekah listened to the uneven footsteps until they came to an abrupt stop only a dozen metres from where the three stood.
When she called out, it got no reply. She listened again and felt the hiss of Magic in the air as the person, a man by his voice, yelled out, "MORSMORDRE!"
Shivers prickled her skin as her hair stood on end. The sky lit up with green stars that formed a full skull, opening its mouth to allow a nondescript serpent slither out of it and curl over itself. It rose higher and higher and made the sky turn a slightly green hue compared to the past black colour.
Screams erupted from the campsite and from everywhere around them in the dark. None of them could see the people screaming but they knew it was because of this new presence of the Dark Mark. it hung loosely in the sky as Hermione tugged Ron's sleeve before shoving both of them to run.
They hadn't even taken a dozen steps before they were surrounded by twenty or so Wizards and Witches. They all held their wands firmly in their hands as Rebekah realised they were about to shout.
There wasn't enough time to tell them to duck so Rebekah swept Hermione's and Ron's feet from under them. They collapsed as Emperor flattened Rebekah to the ground. They all watched as the fiery red jets of Magic flourished above them and hit a shield if they got too close to the three teens.
"STOP! That's my son!"
Ron and Hermione quickly jumped up from the ground, Rebekah would have done the same but Emperor stayed put on her chest as the adults surrounded them.
"Ron! Hermione!" Mr Weasley's voice shook with fear and relief as he saw all of them. "Where's Rebekah?"
"Right here," Rebekah gasped and waved a hand as Emperor finally decided to sit in her lap instead of her chest.
"Out of the way, Arthur," A voice said curtly and when Rebekah got to her feet, Mr Crouch's angry but scared face was in hers. "Which of you did it? Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"
"Do you really think one of us would do this?"
"You were found at the scene of the crime,"
"If I remember correctly, Mr Crouch," Rebekah said and hardened her anger to stay down, "Only a Death Eater could cast his mark? Do we look like Death Eaters to you, sir?"
Since his eyes mainly stayed on Rebekah, she took a step back and pulled the collar of the hoodie down aggressively. His mad gaze calmed and he also stepped back.
"Where did it come from then?"
Rebekah gestured to the area where the man had been. "Somewhere over there, male by his voice, and paranoid by his footsteps."
"How do you know he was paranoid?"
"Look, wouldn't you be if you could be caught at any moment?" Rebekah said before gripping her wand in her hand as she rubbed her hands clean.
"You're not allowed to do Magic out of school!"
"They—" Rebekah gestured to the Dark Mark, "—are followers of Voldemort, the man who tried to kill me. I'll very well protect myself if there is a need. I just want to go home."
There was a small conversation to the side as a House-Elf was dropped at Crouch's feet.
"Winky? Conjure the Dark Mark? She wouldn't know how! She'd need a wand, for a start!"
"And she had one," Diggory mentioned. "I found her holding one, Ludo. If it's alright with you, Mr Crouch, I think we should hear what she's got to say for herself."
Ron jumped forward as the House-Elf, Winky had his wand. "That's mine!"
Rebekah made a sound of irritation and lifted Emperor to her chest as she quickly produced a Patronus, her Dragon made most of the adults gasp as it took up most of the forest area. "Inform Mrs Malfoy that I am in the middle of the forest and that I want to take the Malfoys' offer of staying the rest of the summer at the Manor."
"You can't, Rebekah!" Ron said and then lowered his voice. "They're Death Eaters!"
"After the defeat of Voldemort over a decade ago, was Lucius Malfoy convicted of being a Death Eater by choice?" Rebekah sidestepped his hand and looked to Crouch. "Well?"
"He pleaded innocent and was not convicted,"
"That's enough for me, thank you,"
"Miss Potter, are you alright?" Mrs Malfoy's voice echoed as her form quickly came into the spell lit area. She placed her hand on Rebekah's shoulder. "I received your Patronus and came straight away. Draco and Lucius are at the manor already. Have you got all of your belongings?"
"Yes," Rebekah patted the clutch.
"If you will excuse us, ladies and gentlemen," Mrs Malfoy said and took her wand from her night robe, then laced her arm between one of Rebekah's. "I trust you don't need Miss Potter anymore."
It wasn't a question.
"At least you weren't there," Rebekah sighed as she sat in the parlour room chair. Emperor jumped onto her lap as she brought her knees up and cuddled him properly.
Mrs Malfoy had Apparated both of them into the room straight away and Rebekah almost collapsed with how awful it made her feel. Mr Malfoy sat in his dark green night robe with Draco in his plain black one on the couches, both looking startled and slightly exhausted.
Mr Malfoy's eyes narrowed for a moment and his eyebrow raised as he said, "What do you mean by that?"
"You used to be a Death Eater, I'm not stupid," Rebekah rubbed her eyes awake with a yawn. "I've heard the rumours, been told tall tales about you. Truthfully, I don't care, and the only reason I don't resent all Death Eaters is because I know of the want, of the need to survive."
"I-I don't know to say, Miss Potter,"
"There's nothing to say, sir," Rebekah said and stood up as Mrs Malfoy said it was time for a well-earned amount of sleep. Draco summoned Corvus to escort Hedwig to the Owlery in the Manor before he followed Rebekah up the stairs.
"I'll have to send a few letters out to the group. Draco, do you know who's parents would have participated tonight?" Rebekah suddenly asked, halfway up the stairs as Draco walked beside her.
"Why do you need to know?" He went tense as she asked.
"I sent a Sectumsempra at their legs, they'll bleed out soon enough and I doubt anyone in the group knows Vulnera Sanentur; it doesn't get taught at Hogwarts," Rebekah inclined her head, glancing at him before looking back up the stairs as they reached the top. "I doubt Mrs Zabini would be, but I presume Nott would be one along with Parkinson. Is Greengrass too or is that it?"
"I know I shouldn't be telling you this but Nott, Parkinson, Greengrass, Crabbe, Goyle and Bulstrode used to be Death Eaters,"
"That means I need to send out three letters, the other three don't matter to me. Night, Draco," Rebekah said and walked into her room of the Malfoy Manor with Emperor towing after her.
Tom Riddle sighed.
He looked older than last year, perhaps recently turned sixteen instead of the normal fourteen Rebekah was legally. It was a dream of sorts so laws really couldn't be applied to him. He was quite Darker than he was when he was thirteen, already holding an air of indifference and anger around himself. It reminded Rebekah of Voldemort so much more now.
"Who were there?" He said after grazing a knuckle over his bottom lip in thought.
"Theodore said his dad definitely was, as did Pansy. Daphne didn't reply so I don't know but I sent her the healing spell anyway," Rebekah said, crossing her arms as she sat in the chair across from him. "This start to the year just makes me question how worse it will get. The Dark Mark was sent up, telling everyone that even if Voldemort is dead, his legacy is there. His followers, the ones that remained loyal at least, are doing something."
"Why would you think that?"
"Because you wouldn't instil fear and paranoia unless you were going to act on it. The Dark Mark was a setup for it, telling everyone that Death Eaters are still there and ready to go."
He watched her features as an almost sadness came over them. "Yet you aren't scared of them. Why?"
"Because, like you, I have my own group," Rebekah stared at him, watching his tiny fidget as he shifted in his seat the smallest bit. "I have a feeling that some of my friends would betray me if Voldemort came back. I need to create a bond between us before they can. I don't want something like the Dark Mark, which was stupid by the way, I'll have to go through some books to find some sort of pact we can make."
"I suggest looking into Blood Pacts and such things,"
"Blood Pacts, aren't they two way though? I want something that would keep them from spilling secrets if forced to. I want to be able to confide in them but I can't afford to be betrayed in the upcoming years."
"The Fidelius Charm then,"
"The Fidelius Charm? I've heard of that, I'll see what I can find out before school starts…"