Tonks | Harry Potter | Ron Weasley

Chapter Six- The Culprit

The sounds of spells flying past stopped, and they looked up to see a figure striding towards them. It was Mr. Weasley "Ron, Harry—are you alright?"

"Out of the way, Arthur," said a cold voice.

Before them stepped Mr. Crouch. His face was taut with rage.

"Which one of you did it?" He snapped, glaring at the kids.

"We didn't do that!" Harry argued, gesturing into the sky.

"We didn't do anything!" Ron added. "What did you want to attack us for?"

"Do not lie!" Mr. Crouch yelled, his wand pointed at Ron's chest. "You have been discovered at the scene of the crime."

"Barty," an old witch stepped forward. "They're kids, Barty, they'd never have been able to–"

"Where did the mark come from?" Barty asked.

Hermione pointed over in the clearing. "Over there," she said, her hand shaking. "There was someone behind the trees... they shouted words, an incantation–"

"Oh stood over there," Mr. Crouch said. "Said an incantation, hmm?" He then turned on Circe. "What about you, Black?"

Circe's brows furrowed. "I am not a part of that family."

"Your blood says otherwise," Mr. Crouch spat. "For all I know you could've conspired with that cousin, Sirius Black!"

"Sirius did not support Vold–"

"Barty!" one of the ministry officials interrupted. "We're too late. The real culprit will have disapparated."

"I don't think so," said a wizard with a scrubby brown beard. It was Amos Diggory, Cedric's father. "Our Stunners went right through those trees. . . . There's a good chance we got them. . . ."

"Amos, be careful!" said a few of the wizards warningly as Mr. Diggory squared his shoulders, raised his wand, marched across the clearing, and disappeared into the darkness.

They watched in silence for a few moments until he finally called out.

"Yes! We got them!" his voice rang out. "There's someone here, but... blimey–"

"You got someone?" Mr. Crouch asked. "Who? Who is it?"

There was rustling and then Amos appeared in the tree line. He came forward carrying... a house elf? Harry seemed to recognize it.

"This cannot be–" Mr. Crouch growled at the unconscious house elf that Amos Diggery had placed at his feet.

Mr. Crouch stomped forward, crossing out into the trees where the house elf had been found.

"Bit embarrassing, eh?" Amos muttered. "Barty's own house elf–"

"Lay off it, Amos," Mr. Weasley warned. "You can't seriously think it was the elf. The Dark Mark is a wizards spell, it requires a wand–"

"And she had a wand," Amos said. "Here look." He said, holding up a wand for Mr. Weasley to see. "Had it in her hand."

There was another pop, and Ludo Bagman appeared before them, spinning and looking around the group.

"The Dark Mark!" He announced. "Who did it? Did you get them? Barty! What's going on?"

Barty Crouch had returned from the woods, empty handed.

"Where have you been, Barty?" Ludo Bagman asked. "Why weren't you at the match?" He had just noticed the house elf on the ground. "What happened to her?"