Darkest Hours (A Cedric Diggory Fanfic)

Chapter 2: Return

Harry looked like he had seen a ghost, barely talking or responding. Molly rushed the trio upstairs to clean up while everyone waited for Arthur for an explanation to what happened. He informed them about the Dark Mark in the sky and how Harry saw a Death Eater cast it. They were held up by the Ministry officials who were there and wanted to question Harry since he was a witness.

"Did he recognize who it was?" Kiara asked her uncle.

Arthur shook his head, "He said he never saw him before."

"It's not the fact that there are so many Death Eaters, there's always been a lot of Death Eaters, it's that they're bold enough to come out of hiding right now," Mr. Diggory stated, shaking his head.

"Why now?" Cedric asked, frowning.

"They sure do know how to make their return known," Fred rolled his eyes.

"There's talk about Voldemort's return," Arthur let them in on the information he knew, "The Ministry is trying to keep it hushed but something big is coming."

Amos Diggory told Arthur to send an owl if they needed anything and after Arthur thanked him and Cedric for waiting with the family, the two of them took their leave. Once Arthur closed the door behind them, he turned to the kids as Ron, Hermione, and Harry rejoined them.

"There's something you kids need to know," Arthur told them, "the parade of Death Eaters wasn't by chance. There was a mass breakout in Azkaban a few days ago."

"What are you saying?" Fred frowned, as George said, "We have some of the most dangerous Death Eaters on the loose?"

Arthur didn't say anything more, and that lead to a commotion among the kids. However, Arthur glanced at Kiara giving her a cautious look before excusing himself to his study. Kiara frowned and thought about asking him what that was about, but she decided it was best to not disturb him that night. Everyone had gone through enough already.

The day before they had to leave for Hogwarts, the Weasleys brought everyone to the Leaky Cauldron. It had been a month since the World Cup Final and the news about the mass breakout in Azkaban had reached the press as the Ministry worked with them to try to round up the escapees. Kiara had not had the chance to talk to Arthur about what happened and she was dying to speak with him. It was just hard to catch him alone when they were always surrounded by family and friends.

Everyone got rooms at the Leaky Cauldron for two days because it was just convenient, instead of going back home after shopping and coming back to go to the station the next day.

Kiara tied the laces of her boots when there was a knock on her room door. She stood up to pen it, half expecting to see the Twins, but to her surprise, it was not anyone she expected. It was Remus Lupin, an old, old friend of her father's. Arthur was with him too.