Status: I am a terrible human being who went on hiatus without telling anybody! But I'm back now and writing more for you wonderful people!

In Her Eyes Lies Her Heart

The Dark Mark

Harry's heart was pounding. Screams sounded from all around him as people attempted to move out of the way of the hooded men, bumping into him as he took in the chaos. The revelry and happiness left over from the Quidditch World Cup evaporated with the appearance of these men, burning the tents and holding Muggles in the air. Harry, Ron and Hermione ran to the woods, struggling to keep together for all the people and the darkness. They ran and ran and ran, until Ron tripped and fell flat on his face. He started cussing the ground.

"Fell over a tree root," he explained.
"Well with feet that size, hard not to," Draco Malfoy was leaning against a tree, looking completeley at ease. He was facing partially away from them, at just the right angle to see the commotion in the campsite through the trees.
Ron brushed himself off and glared at Malfoy, then called him something that would make Mrs. Weasley cringe.
"Language, Weasley," said Malfoy, eyes glinting, "hadn't you better be hurrying along now? Wouldn't want her spotted would you?" He gestured to Hermione.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione lifted her chin defiantly.
"Granger, they're after muggles. D'you want to be showing off your knickers in mid air? If so hang around....they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."
"Hermione's a witch," Harry snarled.
"Have it your way, Potter," Malfoy grinned maliciously. "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay--"
"I've heard enough." A new voice called out and before Malfoy could pinpoint the direction, a blue light, seeming to come straight from the ground beneath him, blasted him off his feet, and then back onto the ground. A slim figure appeared from Malfoy's right, completely hooded, but distinctly female. She walked towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione, hardly rustling the leaves. Her face was hidden in the cowl of her cloak, but her voice was urgent, "Get moving! They'll be here soon, go!"
The trio didn't move, they just stood stunned. "How--?" Ron stuttered, looking at Malfoy.
"Are you a wizard or what? It's called magic you dolt! Come on!" This time she took hold of Ron and Hermione's arm and started dragging them in the opposite direction of the camp. "Are you coming, Potter? Or do you enjoy the Rat's presence?" She called back over her shoulder.
Harry hastened to catch up as they all jogged through the trees.
"Oh, where have the others got to?" Hermione fretted, finally moving of her own volition.
Fred, George and Ginny were nowhere to be seen in the throng of people along the path, all looking over their shoulders towards the campsite. A group of teenagers in their pajamas were arguing frantically among themselves a little ways along the path. When they saw Harry, Ron and Hermione, a girl with thick, curly, brown hair turned and said "Où est Madame Maxime? Nous l'avons perdue--"
"Er-- what?" Ron said, confused.
"Oh...'Ogwarts. " The girl turned dejectedly.
The hooded stranger stopped her and said quickly "Elle est là-bas, dans le virage suivant."
"Merci! Merci!"
Harry turned to the stranger, "Do you know them?"
"No. I know their Headmistress, though. Madame Maxime." She said, hurrying them onward once more.
"Headmistress? You mean they're from another school?"
"Beauxbatons, Harry," said Hermione. "I read about it in An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic."
"Oh...Yeah...Right," said Harry.
They continued walking, and after tripping for the fourth time, Harry reached exasperatedly for his wand to light, but it wasn't there. "Ah, no, I don't beleive it...I've lost my wand.."
"You're kidding!"
Ron and Hermione raised their wands, attempting to spread the light farther to search for his wand.
"Maybe its back at the tent," said Ron.
"Maybe it fell out of your pocket while we were running?" Hermione suggested anxiously.
"Yeah, maybe...." Harry felt sick.
"Come on you three," the stranger appeared by Harry's shoulder. The trio hadn't realized she had left. "Lets keep moving. I'll summon your wand once we're safe, it'll be fine." She placed a gloved hand on Harry's shoulder, comfortingly.
Winky the house elf suddenly came bursting out of the bushes, running akwardly, as if being held back.
"There is bad wizards about!" she squeaked. "People high- high in the air! Winky is getting out of the way!" She continued running, still held back by invisible bonds.
"What's up with her?" said Ron, peering after Winky, who had finally made it to the other clump of bushes and disappeared. "Why can't she run properly?"
"Bet she didn't ask permission to hide," said Harry.
Hermione began raving about the injustices of servitude.
"Hermione!" The stranger snapped.
Hermione stopped mid-rant and stared at the woman, dumbfounded.
"We need to keep moving, the Death Eaters will be here soon, and you are at the most risk. Now is not the time to discuss elf rights." She trotted ahead, pretending not to hear Hermione whisper "How does she know my name?"
They continued jogging through the forest until there weren't any more people, leaving the path in the process.
Harry began to doubt whether it was smart to follow a complete stranger through the woods. A stranger whose face he could not see. Just as Harry decided to stop the group and demand answers, they came upon a clearing.
"We can stop here. We'll hear if anyone's coming from a mile off." The woman walked to the center and plopped to the ground, seeming as tired as the trio. The teens watched her for a second, then started up their own conversation.
"Those poor muggles," Hermione said, face scrunched up with worry. "I hope they get them down..."
"They will, don't worry," Said Ron reassuringly.
"Mad, though, to do something like that with the whole Ministry out here. Do you think they've been drinking, or are they just--" Hermione's head whipped around. It sounded as though someone was staggering toward their clearing. they waited and listened, but the footsteps came to a sudden halt.
"Hello?" called Harry.
No one answered, but Harry could sense someone just beyond his vision.
"Who's there?" he said.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a man's voice, but instead of a panicked shout, he yelled what sounded like a spell.
"MORSMORDRE!"
And something large and green burst from the treetops into the sky. It was the size of a quidditch field, glowing and shimmering, shaped like a skull eating a snake.
"Well, damn."
Harry looked behind him at the stranger. She was standing, and staring straight up at the skull, as if transfixed. Her hood had fallen back to reveal a mess of dark hair and a young girl's face. She couldn't have been much older than him, 15 or 16 perhaps.
"I forgot the thing was sparkly..."
Screams began to erupt around them, and the girl stopped staring at the skull and began searching around for the trio.
"You three, get away from the trees. Come here!"
"Harry, come on, move!" Hermione seized the collar of his jacket and pulled him toward the center.
"What's the matter?" Harry said, startled to see her face so terrified.
"It's the Dark Mark, Harry! It's you-know-who's sign!"
"Voldemort's--?"
"Move Harry!"
Harry quickened his pace to the center and the young girl. She was gazing into the trees, facing away from them. Just as they reached her, a series of popping noises announced the arrival of 20 Ministry Wizards, appearing around them.
"Ah, fuck me..." the girl's shoulder's slumped.
Before Harry could fully process what was happening, the girl dropped to the ground and swept her leg in an arc, knocking Ron and Hermione down. Then she tackled Harry, who had been out of reach, just as 20 "stupifies" came at them. The spells went over them, rippling the air, and the girl attempted futilely to squish her self farther down. Harry and the girl were awfully close, close enough to see her face properly. She was young, pale, and had sparkling red eyes.
"Stop! Thats my son!"
The four teens cautiously stood up, relieved to see the wizards lower their wands. Mr. Weasley rushed over, his face white and panicked.
"Ron--Harry--Hermione--- Are you allright?" His voice was shaking.
"Out of the way, Arthur," said a cold, curt voice. Mr. Crouch and the other Ministry wizards were closing in on them. Mr. Crouch's face was taut with rage.
"Which of you did it?" he snapped, his eyes darting between them. "Which of you conjoured the Dark Mark?"
"We didn't do anything!" Ron said indignantly. "What did you want to attack us for?"
"Do not lie, sir!" Shouted Mr. Crouch, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. "You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"
"What crime?" Harry asked.
"Barty," a witch in a long nightgown whispered, "they're kids, Barty, they'd never have been able to--"

"Where did the mark come from, you three?" said Mr. Weasley quickly.
"Over there," the girl spoke up. Everyone jumped, as if they hadn't seen her standing right next to Harry. "There was someone in the trees, they shouted an Incantation."
Harry looked at her, suddenly aware, yet again, how close they were. Her collar bone brushed his arm every once and a while through her robes. Harry sidestepped a little as Crouch advanced on her. Her face was relaxed, but her eyes were wary. Harry wondered if anyone else noticed the scarlet gleam in them. In the darkness, they seemed dark brown.
"Oh stood over there did they?" said Mr. Crouch, raising his wand, disbelief etched all over his face. "Said an incantation did they? You seem very well informed about how the Mark is summoned missy--"
"Well how else is it supposed to be summoned?" She said, exasperated. "Dancing naked and howling at the moon? I heard a voice, I saw the Mark. I actually use my brain, sir." She said, sarcastically. Harry saw her eyes shine a little brighter in anger.
None of the other Ministry wizards continued to watch her, rather they went in search of the person in the trees. Eventually, Mr. Diggory returned with Winky in his arms. They all debated whether or not she could have conjoured the Mark. She had Harry's wand, but all four teens accounted that the voice was deep and human. A man's voice. Finally, Crouch ended the dispute, saying that whether she was guilty or not, she had disobeyed him in leaving the tent, and then he dismissed her on the spot. Mr. Weasley took the four teens away from the sight of the bawling elf and led them back towards the campsite.
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