Clair de Lune - Harry Potter (ON HOLD)

Chapter Seven - Back at the Tent

"What's going to happen to Winky?" Satomi heard Hermione say, the moment they had left the clearing.

"I don't know," said Mr. Weasley.

"The way they were treating her!" said Hermione furiously. "Mr. Diggory, calling her 'elf' all the time...and Mr. Crouch! He knows she didn't do it and he's still going to sack her! He didn't care how frightened she'd been, or how upset she was - it was like she wasn't even human!"

"Well, she's not," said Ron.

Hermione rounded on him.

"That doesn't mean she hasn't got feelings, Ron. It's disgusting the way -"

"Hermione, I agree with you," said Yua quickly, beckoning her on from behind, "but now is not the time to discuss elf rights. I want to get back to the tent as fast as we can. What happened to the other twins and Ginny?"

"We lost them in the dark," said Ron. "Dad, Haruto, why was everyone so uptight about that skull thing?"

"I'll explain everything back at the tent," said Mr. Weasley tensely. "You all should come to our tent for the time being," he added, turning to face the Nakamuras, "we have more than enough space for all of us, and I'd rather we all stick together." Yua and Haruto nodding in agreement.

But when they reached the edge of the wood, their progress was impeded. A large crowd of frightened-looking witches and wizards was congregated there, and when they saw Mr. Weasley, Yua and Haruto coming toward them, many of them surged forward.

"What's going on in there?"

"Who conjured it?"

"Haruto - it's not - Him?"

"Of course it's not Him," said Haruto impatiently. "We don't know who it was; it looks like they Disapparated. Now excuse me, please, I want to get to bed."

Mr. Weasley led the party, consisting of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the Nakamuras through the crowd and back into the campsite. All was quiet now; there was no sign of the masked wizards, though several ruined tents were still smoking.

Charlie's head was poking out of the boys' tent.

"Dad, what's going on?" he called through the dark. "Fred, George, and Ginny got back okay, but the others -"

"I've got them here," said Mr. Weasley, bending down and entering the tent. The rest of the party following behind him.

Bill was sitting at the small kitchen table, holding a bedsheet to his arm, which was bleeding profusely. Charlie had a large rip in his shirt, and Percy was sporting a bloody nose. Fred, George, and Ginny looked unhurt, though shaken.

"Did you get them, Dad?" said Bill sharply. "The person who conjured the Mark?"

"No," said Mr. Weasley. "We found Barry Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, but we're none the wiser about who actually conured the Mark."

"What?" said Bill, Charlie, and Percy together.

"Harry's wand?" said Fred.

"Mr. Crouch's elf?" said Percy, sounding thunderstruck.

With some assistance from the golden quartet, Mr. Weasley and Haruto explained what had happened in the woods. When they had finished their story, Satomi was leaning on her Mother's shoulder, as Percy swelled indignantly.

"Well, Mr. Crouch is quite right to get rid of an elf like that!" he said. "Running away when he'd expressly told her not to...embarrassing him in front of the whole Ministry...how would that have looked, if she'd been brought up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control -"