Anchor~ Harry James Potter

4.5-The Dark Mark-

Don't tell your mother you've been gambling," Mr. Weasley implored Fred and George as they all made their way slowly down the purple-carpeted stairs.

"Don't worry, Dad," said Fred gleefully, "we've got big plans for this money. We don't want it confiscated."

Celeste knew what the twins were going to do with that money, she was just surprised that Bagman even paid up. There was something didn't about that. She knew from her mother that Ludo was not an honest man, so the fact he paid up to the twins was surprising.

Mr. Weasley looked for a moment as though he was going to ask what these big plans were, but seemed to decide, upon reflection, that he didn't want to know.

They were soon caught up in the crowds now flooding out of the stadium and back to their campsites. Raucous singing was borne toward them on the night air as they retraced their steps along the lantern-lit path, and leprechauns kept shooting over their heads, cackling and waving their lanterns.

When they finally reached the tents, nobody felt like sleeping at all, and given the level of noise around them, Mr. Weasley agreed that they could all have one last cup of cocoa together before turning in.

They were soon arguing enjoyably about the match; Mr. Weasley got drawn into a disagreement about cobbing with Charlie, and it was only when Ginny fell asleep right at the tiny table and spilled hot chocolate all over the floor that Mr.

Weasley called a halt to the verbal replays and insisted that everyone go to bed. Celeste, Hermione and Ginny went into the next tent, and Harry and the rest of the Weasleys changed into pajamas and clambered into their bunks. From the other side of the campsite they could still hear much singing and the odd echoing bang.

"I'm excited for the celebrations tomorrow." Ginny mumbled as she dozed off.

"Me too." Hermione next said.

"Me three." Celeste spoke as she let out a yawn.

The three girls were exhausted from their day and all fell asleep instantly. They hadn't even considered the celebrations going on outside. Just dozed off as soon as they could.

"Get up! Celeste come on now, get up, this is urgent!" She sat up quickly.

" 'S' matter?" She said.

Dimly, she could tell that something was wrong. The noises in
the campsite had changed. The singing had stopped. She could hear screams, and the sound of people running. She slipped down from the bunk and reached for her clothes, but Ginny, who had pulled on her jeans over her own pajamas, said, "Dad said no time, Celeste — just grab a jacket and get outside — quickly!"

She did as she was told and hurried out of the tent, Hermione at her heels.

By the light of the few fires that were still burning, she 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. Celeste squinted at them. . . . They didn't seem to have faces. . . .

Then she 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.