For the Love of the Game: Viktor Krum

Chapter Five: The Dark Mark

We cleared out of the stadium by 3 PM only to immediately be carried away to the pub. I didn't drink so I let my brother, who did, stay and enjoy himself while Freya and I went back to the tent with Willa. Despite not drinking, we wanted to enjoyed ourselves so we went out to the camp site. One family was having an evening dinner around a campfire when they saw us and waved us over. We spent that evening signing autographs and eating Irish shortbread I'd had in a while. 

"You don't know how long its been since I had a homemade meal," I told the woman, Mrs. Kelly, as I dug into a second helping of champ. 

"Well I'm glad. We al' owe yer somethin' after dat win," she said. I was glad she spoke slowly. Her accent was so thick I was dreading the possibility of misunderstanding her. 

"That was nothing," I said, "we just did our jobs." 

"So were de Bulgarians deary. Don't try ter be 'umble. Sixteen teams came 'ere lookin' for dat trophy. Yer were de only ones dat got it." 

I smiled. "I guess you have a point." 

And Mrs. Kelly must've been very grateful. She sent us back to our tent with a dozen Tupperware containers full of food. Willa, who had spent the whole time with Mrs. Kelly's children, told us excitedly about her new friends, Cassidy and Ella, and how they were twins just a years older than her. When we entered the tent Freya told me to bring out "that Muggle music thing". I laughed and retrieved by record player, which was sitting in charmed duffle bag, and brought it to the living room. 

Freya was already rummaging through my CD collection which I had sent out earlier in the week, finally coming up with the News of the World album by Queen. "This one's my favorite!" she exclaimed as she went over to my recorder and put it on. 

It didn't take long for me to end up laughing hysterically as Freya sober from alcohol but drunk off of life, danced around the tent with Willa while singing "We Will Rock You". A few minutes later, around six, Aiden, Griffin, Troy, Sean, Callum, and a collection of Irish fans came stumbling in, rather hammered. "Cal, dance with me!" 

I grinned as I switched News of the World out of the record player and Jazz in. Callum's cheeks were flushed as he spun Freya around to "Fat Bottomed Girls". It was a comical sight. By the end of the night everyone was a mess. Mullet and his wife joined Troy and his wife wife to sing "We Are the Champions" later that evening while Aiden, who was mostly back to normal after seeing the mediwizards after the game, did an Irish dance with a beer in his hand while Adrian shook her head. Still, I could see the smile on her face as he leaned over add gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Sean was making out with some girl I didn't know. I really didn't care what my brother was doing but the loud statement from Willa: "It looks distrusting!" put an end to that as Aiden, who was carrying bother World Cup Trophy and the Euro Cups in his arms, drunkenly yelled that Sean was "eating the poor lass's face off." 

It was a wonderful night. I was pulled onto the dance floor several times and actually enjoyed it it. I spun Willa around and screamed and laughed. As 10 PM approached I found that I didn't want the night to end. 

One piercing scream put an end to that. 

"Someone help!" a voice screamed so loudly that everyone's voice quieted, leaving only the sound of "Walks Like a Lady" from Journey's Departure album echoing around the room. 

People started to file out of then tent to see what was wrong as I searched desperately for my siblings in the crowd. "Willa! Sean! Willa! Where are you?" 

"Desi!" my younger sister cried out as she ran over to me. 

Pickering her up, I looked around for Sean, but the room was empty except for us, a few people too scared to go outside, and a frozen Freya. The screaming was greeting louder and louder and as I walked slowly towards the entrance of the tent I smelled something peculiar. Smoke...? I thought hesitantly.