Everyone watched with jaws dropped; the silence, unnatural for such a vast crowd, was almost anguishing, and the weight of that distress fell solely upon one man: Bartô Crouch Jr.
Locating him was not exactly difficult; one only had to follow the gaze of the masses. Thin, with pale skin, furious black eyes, and dressed in the standard Auror uniform, he was only a few meters away from Narcisa and the rest of the court.
Realizing that all eyes were fixed on him, he knew he was doomed; yet, if it were to fall in the name of his Lord, that wouldn't be entirely bad. "No, this is an opportunity," he thought.
He fixed his gaze on Narcisa while everything around seemed to vanish, and in that instant, he was certain. He raised his wand, drawing a symbol in the air that resembled a Norse rune, namely the sowilo, or the shape of an "S" from Romanesque script.
Then he shouted: "Die, you blood traitor whore. Avada Kedavra!"
Narcisa only noticed the desperate act when it was already too late. An unstoppable green bolt came to snatch her life; in that moment, extreme sadness overwhelmed her, for there was no way to avert her gaze or conjure protection. She felt she was going to die, and a deep melancholy took hold of her, not only for herself but also for her young children, Draco Malfoy and Élise Rigel Malfoy.
"No, this cannot be!" she thought.
At that instant, she felt the beating of a wing and noticed the subtle movement of a dark body in the air. Less than thirty centimeters away, the crow positioned itself between Narcisa and the spell, absorbing for itself all the power of the killing curse.
Everyone watched in disbelief; some, slower, hadn't even noticed the crow's actions. As the green flash filled the room and the light's intensity became bearable, Narcisa remained unharmed, with only a yellowish tint to her skin, and no other crow could be seen before the spell.
In fact, there were now two crows. One shone with crimson flames, while the other glowed with icy blue flames. Both flew toward Bartô Jr. at maximum speed.
The wizard, realizing what had happened and the imminent threat, did not hesitate to summon a magical shield.
"Protego!" he conjured swiftly. An immaterial, transparent dome formed, protecting him.
The first crow struck the shield, and cracks began to appear on its surface, resembling shattering glass. The second crow, which shone with icy blue flames, passed through the spell as if it did not exist, gliding between the young man's chest like a ghost, although far from harmless.
Icy flames engulfed the body of that Death Eater. Bartô Jr. screamed; tears streamed from his eyes as he writhed on the ground, yet the fire did not consume his body or his clothes. Only his soul was devoured.
When his soul finally vanished, the other crow attacked him with crimson flames that consumed the body already devoid of soul. Thus, the young man received a true death, in both body and soul.
Dumbledore, who was only a few meters away and already wielding his wand in anticipation of fighting and subduing the young man, could not help but sigh in horror and sorrow for the death of his young student. Killing was not the solution, he pondered.
At first, he thought that poor Narcisa would die, but he had not expected such an outcome. Watching the flames consume the young man, he felt that it was so wrong, so vile, worse than any dark magic he had ever witnessed.
After the spell ended, the two crows merged and alighted on Narcisa's right shoulder. Their eyes shone with an unnatural purple hue, as if they were watching intently and waiting for the next move.
"The crow that whispers secrets!" someone exclaimed.
"Aurors, get in formation!" another shouted.
The initial movements of the Aurors were aimed at securing the Minister and other influential members of the court, forming a circle around the threat and isolating Narcisa.
The rest of the court members and the guests became lost in hysteria and confusion; the most fearful raised their wands to move away. The chaotic noise of people trying to understand what was about to happen, whether there was danger or if they could stay to watch the outcome, was deafening.
Narcisa remained seated, visibly more relaxed, her face now showing color. Her patron was mysterious; she truly knew nothing about him, who he was or what he desired. He was the kind of company that her Slytherin instincts instinctively warned her to avoid.
On the other hand, he was powerful, and each of his actions kept her safe, both during her escape with Draco and when he saved Élise, and once again, he protected her from a killing curse that incinerated everything. She was learning to feel secure under his shadow.
While lost in her thoughts, the crow, perched on Narcisa's shoulder, looked disdainfully at the commotion of the Aurors approaching, wands in hand.
"Lady Narcisa, we order you to remain silent, keep your hands visible, and make no sudden movements," said one of the Aurors.
"Not as if I moved a muscle, did I?" she replied, turning her head slightly to the side and caressing her own cheek on the bird. Then, in an ironic tone, she continued: "Besides, my little friend, you only protected me from that wicked Death Eater!"
As the Aurors approached Narcisa, a solitary cry of agony echoed: "My son, my Barty… why?" Bartô Crouch Senior, who was amidst the ashes of his son, gathered a handful and pressed it to his face; his teary eyes betrayed his pain.
At one point, he simply collapsed onto the ground and wept like a child, while his hands rubbed the remnants of the body against his face. This moment affected him more deeply than any challenge or threat he had faced during Voldemort's magical war.
The Aurors themselves were moved by their chief's sorrow, yet they could not deny his actions, that is, the fact that he had attempted to kill Narcisa. Everything pointed to one verdict: he was a Death Eater, exactly as she had claimed.
"Lower your wands, boys!" ordered the leader. Shortly thereafter, the Aurors lowered their wands, holding them firmly on their laps and making cautious small movements.
"Excuse me, Lady Narcisa. We hope you understand the urgency of the situation; could you please restrain your pet and ensure that no accidents occur?"
She paused for a moment. "Can you guarantee our safety?"
The Auror in question nodded. "We will do everything to ensure your safety."
They provided a space for the lady and escorted her to another building within the Ministry. In one of the rooms, a young woman cradled a small, fussy, crying baby, Draco Malfoy. Narcisa embraced him, visibly easing the tension between them.
"Wait here; an officer will come as soon as possible," the Auror said as he left, leaving only Narcisa, Draco, and the crow in the room.
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