As luck would have it- and the twins usually had luck on their side- Ireland won even though Krum had caught the snitch. It was truly remarkable.

"Shouldn't have doubted us for a second." The twins had said together.

If there was one thing I'd have liked to change about the match it was how Fred gawked at the Bulgarian mascots. Veela were notorious for ensnaring men, but watching Fred look at them was very irritating. He had apologized, after I yanked him back into his seat, of course.

We were now laughing uncontrollably as Fred and George taunted Ron about his man-crush on the seeker, Viktor Krum.

"Victor, I love you-"

"-Victor, I do-"

"When we're apart my heart beats only for you!" we all sang as the twins flapped around the tent wearing Irish flags. Fred danced over to me with an excited look on his face as Mr. Weasley stepped out to check on some loud noises going off outside.

"Well, having a good night?" he sing-songed.

"Of course." I said beaming at him.

"And you are my-?"

"Girlfriend." I answered happily.

"You are whose girlfriend?" he asked nuzzling my nose.

"I am Fred Weasley's girlfriend. So you should stop that before he comes back." I added jokingly.

"Sounds like the Irish are getting carried away!" exclaimed George as another bang sounded around the camp.

"We need to get out of here! It's not the Irish!" exclaimed Mr. Weasley. Panicked looks spread across the tent as we heard more screams. "Bill, Charlie, Percy, come with me. The rest of you hide in the woods!"

Fred grabbed my hand and ran as George grabbed Ginny. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were right behind us as we ran out of the tent. It was pandemonium all around us. Tents were being set on fire. The muggle caretakers were being levitated into the air. People were screaming and running everywhere. And then…I saw them. Death Eaters. Many of them, all hooded and chanting as they tore through camp. All I knew was that we all had to get out of here, we all had to keep running, and we all had to stay together. Fred kept a firm grip on my hand as we ran through the crowd and finally made it into the woods. We finally stopped after we reached a small clearing. My lungs felt as they were about to explode. Each intake of breath felt like an obstacle. Suddenly, it hit me, what I should have been thinking of all along. Harry. I looked around us, but in the moonlight all I saw were Fred, George, and Ginny. Panic shot through me.

"Fred…Fred where are they? Where- where is Harry?" I asked him terrified. His eyes widened when he looked around.

"Oi! Ron! Ron!" called George.

"Harry!" I shouted as loud as I could. "Harry!" I called again and again as Ginny and George called out to Ron and Hermione. Fred ran back the way we came. About ten minutes later he came back alone.

"I don't know where they are. I can't find them." He said quietly. I felt sick. My stomach lurched in knots. Suddenly a green light shot up into the sky and covered the moon. A cloudlike, emerald skull with a snake protruding like a tongue from its mouth. The Dark Mark was in the sky. My stomach gave way as I fell to my knees and vomited behind a tree. Ginny held my hair back as Fred held my clammy hand and rubbed my back.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god." I repeated when I stopped vomiting. I started to shake. What if Harry- what if that mark was for him? What if he was captured, or hurt, or…worse?

"Sh sh sh. Don't worry, love," Fred soothed, "It's alright. He's fine. I'm sure they're all fine." I wasn't sure who Fred was trying to convince- me or him.

"I see more lights," said Ginny, "Maybe we should go and find Dad. It's gotten quiet." We made our way through the trees slowly, each of us quiet and pale. There was a morbid air around us with death literally looming over our heads. Fred supported some of my weight as I found that my legs didn't have much strength left in them. The scene outside of the woods was horrid. Most of the tents were somewhat scorched, if not completely burned. There was no one in sight through the silent evening chill.

"Maybe they're back at the tent." Suggested George. When we got there we met Bill, Charlie, and one bloody-nosed Percy.

"There you are!" cried Charlie.

"We were worried," said Bill, "Is it just you then? Where are the other three?"

"We lost them in the dark." Said Ginny. A few minutes of silence later and Mr. Weasley walked through the tent with the missing trio.

"Harry!" I exclaimed rushing to give him a hug, "Are you alright? I saw the mark and I thought the worst."

"And followed up on that thought. After her spewing that poor tree will never be the same." Joked Fred now that the mood was lighter.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Some stuff just happened. We got through the woods alright though." Said Harry. The tone he used made me think something was on his mind.

"Nearly got our heads blown off by stunners though." Muttered Ron. Mr. Weasley proceeded to explain how Mr. Crouch's house elf had been found unconscious with Harry's wand, lying where the dark mark had been conjured. Hermione, however focused less on that and more on Mr. Crouch's treatment of the elf, putting Percy and his bloody nose in his place when he tried to defend his boss.

"It wasn't right!" cried Hermione, "It wasn't her fault! That horrid man! She should be happy to receive clothes, but she acted as if it was the most awful thing in the world. And Mr. Diggory referring to her as 'Elf'!"

"You have to understand, Hermione, to them it is the worst thing in the world," I exclaimed, "It's their culture. It's how they're raised. All they know is servitude. To be freed is to fail."

"Did you have a house elf?" asked Ron.

"No. But my erm…ex boyfriend did." I muttered. Fred grew a little stiff beside me. I knew he was sensitive about his family's economic standing. Septimus' wealth was another thing he didn't like about the bloke, aside from his treatment of me the last time we spoke.

"Anyway, you're sure you saw a man there? A man conjuring the mark?" asked Mr. Weasley again.

"As clearly as we hear you," Said Harry, "But I still don't understand what the panic with the mark was all about."

"It's his mark, Harry." Answered Hermione.

"To them it was like seeing You-Know-Who again." Added Bill.

"But…I don't understand how the mark-"

"Voldemort and his followers would cast the dark mark over a home when they'd murdered everyone inside." I answered, ignoring the winces at the sound of the name.

"So, those were his people too then?" asked Harry.

"Death Eaters," Muttered Charlie in a disgusted tone, "Nasty lot."

"Probably got drunk and decided to have some fun of their own." Muttered George.

"Let's all get a couple more hours of sleep. Your mother is likely to have heard already, so it's best we be back home early." Said Mr. Weasley. I smiled at Harry before he walked into his side of the tent. I'd never been so scared in all my life as I'd been when I thought he could have been lying dead beneath that mark. Having him safe and with me was reassuring.

"Do you want to just stay on the couch with me?" I asked Fred, "I don't really want to be alone." He gave me a sweet smile and pulled me down next to him, pulling the blanket over us as we talked and dreamed of happier things.

Sure enough, Mrs. Weasley had indeed read all about the attack on the world cup in the Daily Prophet. She ran out of the house in her nightgown and slippers frantically waving her arms.

"Arthur! Arthur I've been so worried!" she cried. To everyone's shock she threw her arms first around the twins.

"Mum, you're strangling us." They said together.

"Oh shush! I am so sorry! To think if you'd been killed and the last thing I'd have said to you was to behave!" she cried. Mr. Weasley softly released his wife's grasp on the twins; soothing her and leading us all back into the house. After we'd all sat and had some breakfast an owl that I recognized swooped in.

"Phantom!" I exclaimed as I rushed over to the ghostly grey owl. I stroked her head as she hooted merrily. A letter was attached to her left leg in familiar handwriting, "Gwen must be freaking out."

"You should go write to her. Not knowing is just awful." Said Mrs. Weasley as she turned to George and stroked his head, much to his dismay. I sat down at Ginny's desk and opened up the letter, Phantom all the while nibbling on a treat by the window, nuzzling my own owl. Sure enough, the frantic handwriting was evident:

Catherine,

Answer this letter as soon as possible! What was supposed to be a happy 'how's your summer' type of letter turned into an 'are you alive' type when I read the paper this morning! Please write as soon as you get this and let me know that you, Harry, and the Weasleys are all alright! I cannot stress this enough!

All my love,

Gwen

I wrote my response as quickly and fluidly as I could:

Gwen,

We're all fine. Had a bit of a scare though, as you can imagine. Harry and I got separated in the midst of the chaos. That was frightening. But it all turned out alright. However, the dark mark that was conjured was made by someone who stole Harry's wand. The only person they found in the area was a house elf. So nobody really knows who did it. They're not ruling out the Death Eaters or anything, so I guess we'll find out sooner or later. On a happier not I've been promoted to the sixth year!

Things at the Burrow are great! I've made many new friends and the Weasleys are all lovely. Fred and I have grown especially fond of each other, if you know what I mean. He's one of the twins and I'm sure you'll meet him soon enough. He's really very sweet. Speaking of l'amore, why didn't you ever tell me about you and Sirius Black? After all these years you never once mentioned him or that he was my dad's best mate. I'm fairly sure he was the one who found me that night. But really, is he the one you blasted out of all those photos? I expect an answer! Give Claudius and Constantine my love! And tell that stupid son of yours to answer one of my letters!

Love Always,

Rin

After sealing the envelope and bidding Phantom goodbye I went back downstairs to enjoy the rest of the day with the Weasleys, who by now, were practically family.