Chapter 179
Hermione had started arguing with Albert!
But Mr. Weasley quickly told her, "He's the one who helped us find out who was behind this whole attack!"
Everyone turned their eyes back to the sky, where that terrible sign still shimmered faintly a bright green light cutting through the darkness, rising high above the treetops.
For a moment, Harry thought it was one of those enchanted lanterns used to light the campgrounds… until he noticed the shape it was forming. A skull.
And from its mouth dangled a long serpent, twisting and writhing as if it were alive like the skull's tongue.
As they all stared, the skull rose higher and higher, and from the sky came terrified screams. Harry didn't understand why at first.
Mr. Crouch barked sharp orders to the Ministry wizards around him, telling them to search the area again. Mr. Weasley, meanwhile, ordered his sons to head out of the forest and go home immediately.
Harry had no idea what was going on, but Hermione grabbed his arm, pulling him back frantically.
"Harry come on!"
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, seeing the color drain from her face.
"It's the Dark Mark, Harry! The sign of you know who!"
"Voldemort?!"
"Yes! Come on run!"
They spun around, sprinting through the trees, Ron right beside them. But before they could get far, the sound of pounding footsteps surrounded them twenty wizards, at least, had appeared out of nowhere, wands raised and ready.
George seized Ginny and pulled her close, while motioning for Fred and Ron to run toward the edge of the forest as fast as they could.
Albert, meanwhile, stayed near Harry, Ron, and Hermione, ready to defend them if anything happened.
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Some time later…
They all finally made it back safely to The Burrow, the Weasley home.
Everyone sat in tense silence, nerves frayed from the chaos they had witnessed.
Ron broke the quiet first.
"I don't get it… I mean it was just an image in the sky!"
Mr. Weasley turned to him, face grave.
"Ron… You-Know-Who and his followers used to conjure that mark whenever they killed someone. It's their signature. You can't imagine the terror it brings. Just picture coming home and seeing that symbol hanging above your house… Imagine what you'd find inside afterward. It's the most horrifying thing anyone could see."
The room fell silent for a while. Then Bill spoke up.
"Well… we didn't manage to catch them tonight. The Dark Mark scared the Death Eaters off. The moment they saw it, they Disapparated before we could unmask even one of them. But at least we managed to save the Roberts family before they hit the ground. We wiped their memories of everything that happened."
"Death Eaters?" Harry repeated. "Who are the Death Eaters?"
Bill sighed. "That's what You-Know-Who's followers call themselves. We saw a few of them tonight the ones who managed to stay out of Azkaban."
Mr. Weasley added, "We can't prove they were truly Death Eaters, Bill, though it's likely."
Ron spoke quickly. "No, I'm sure of it! We ran into Draco Malfoy in the forest while you were gone. He basically told us that his father was among the masked ones. Everyone knows the Malfoys were on You-Know-Who's side!"
Albert sat quietly on Ron's bed, his back against the wall, turning his wand slowly in his fingers. He wasn't even listening to their conversation—he was lost in thought.
Harry turned to Ron, frowning. "But were Voldemort's supporters "
Everyone in the room flinched at the name. The Weasleys always avoided saying it aloud.
"Sorry," Harry corrected himself quickly. "I mean, were You-Know-Who's supporters trying to scare people for a reason? Was there some plan behind it?"
Mr. Weasley let out a short, humorless laugh.
"No real plan, Harry. That's just what they do. Half the murders committed during You-Know-Who's rise to power were for fun. I imagine they had too much to drink tonight and couldn't resist showing off. What happened was their way of celebrating of reminding everyone they're still out there."
Ron frowned. "But if they were Death Eaters, why run away when the Dark Mark appeared? Shouldn't they have been happy to see it?"
Bill gave a dry chuckle. "Use your head, Ron. The Death Eaters tried to escape justice when You-Know-Who lost his power. They spread lies, denied everything, pretended they'd been under his control. I bet they're more afraid of his return than anyone else. They've built quiet lives since then his return would ruin all of that. Of course they'd run."
Hermione spoke softly, thinking aloud.
"So whoever cast the Dark Mark… were they trying to help the Death Eaters or scare them away?"
Mr. Weasley nodded. "Good question, Hermione. Only a Death Eater could cast that mark. I'd be surprised if it wasn't one of them. But according to Albert's report when we found him, it was Barty Crouch Jr., Mr. Crouch's son, who cast the first mark. Albert said he was dueling him when we arrived."
Everyone turned to look at Albert again.
He was still deep in thought, staring at the floor, absently spinning his wand between his fingers completely lost in his own world, unaware of the weight of every gaze fixed upon him.
To be continued...