Those eyes || Harry J. Potter

the dark mark || XVII

Chapter seventeen
"the dark mark"
XVII

☆:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✯☆:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✯☆:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✯☆

The twins were loudly dancing, the Irish flag draping over their shoulders. "Theres no one like Krum!" Said Ron.

"Krum," George said.
"Dumb Krum," Fred squawked.

"He's like a bird, the way he rides the wind." Ron stood on the table. Ara put her face in her hand, laughing at the ginger.

"Krum!" The twins laughed comically.
"He's more than an athlete," Ron told them. "He's an artist."

"I think you're in love, Ron." Said Ginny.

"Victor I love you!" Fred sang.
"Victor I do," George coursed.
"When we're apart my heart beats only for you!" Everyone but Percy chimed in.

There was a loud crash outside.

"Sounds like the Irish have got their pride on." Fred danced around Ron, who was still on the table. George was frantically hitting Ron with a pillow in attempt to get him to chime down.

"Stop. Stop it." Mr. Weasley ran into the tent, pulling Ron down from the table.No one had noticed he'd left. "It's not the Irish. We've got to get out of here."

They could hear screams, and the sound of people running as they exited the tent. By the light of the few fires that were still burning, Ara could see people running away into the woods, fleeing something that was moving across the field toward them, something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire.

Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells were drifting toward them; then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene.

A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field. Ara squinted at them. . . . They didn't seem to have faces. . . . Then he realized that their heads were hooded and their faces masked.

High above them, floating along in midair, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes. It was as though the masked wizards on the ground were puppeteers, and the people above them were marionettes operated by invisible strings that rose from the wands into the air. Two of the figures were very small.

More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies. Tents crumpled and fell as the marching crowd swelled. The screaming grew louder.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley shouted over all the noise, rolling up his own sleeves. "You lot — get into the woods, and stick together. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

Bill, Charlie, and Percy were already sprinting away toward the oncoming marchers; Mr. Weasley tore after them. Ministry wizards were dashing from every direction toward the source of the trouble.

"C'mon," said Fred, grabbing Ginny's hand and starting to pull her toward the woods. Harry, Ara, Ron, Hermione, and George followed.

The colored lanterns that had lit the path to the stadium had been extinguished. Dark figures were blundering through the trees; children were crying; anxious shouts and panicked voices were reverberating around them in the cold night air.

Then she heard Ron yell with pain.

"What happened?" said Hermione anxiously, stopping so abruptly that Ara and Harry both walked into her. "Ron, where are you? Oh this is stupid — lumos!"