The Years of Blue [2]

Chapter 33: The Dark Mark

I felt Malfoy's eyes on my back as I ran from him and further into the forest, flanked by Harry and Ron. Hermione led the way with her wand illuminating the path ahead of us, dodging tree roots and ditches on the path.

"I'll bet you anything his dad is one of that masked lot," Ron said hotly as he walked past me and stepped in line with Hermione.

"Well, with any luck, the ministry will catch him..."

"If he's not already with the Ministry," I added, causing Harry to pause in his step next to me.

"What do you mean?"

"Fudge invited my parents and the Malfoys to an after-event party. It's only been two hours since the game ended, so I honestly don't think they could ditch just to join whatever hell is going on here," I explained rationally.

"Sounds like a perfect cover story to me," Ron responded in a tone that made my annoyance flicker up. "And it's not like Malfoy didn't know what was going on. Did you see how he didn't flinch at the blast?"

"Never mind him, we've got to catch up to your brothers and Ginny," Hermione chided, as she switched onto a path filling up with more people rushing in either direction. "Oh, where could they be?" The boys and I searched amongst the heads of people but no red hair spiked out to us that matched Ron's.

Another blast echoed into the trees, causing some people nearby to scream and a child to cry further down the walkway. Harry fell into a quick step with me as Ron matched Hermione. While none of us admitted it allowed, Malfoy's words about sensing a mudblood started to creep back into our heads. There was a chance that Hermione was indeed in more danger than us.

"You don't think they're tracking blood status, do you?" I questioned nervously as I looked behind us at the light coming off of the flares of spells cascading through the woods.

"Is that even possible?" Harry asked, but none of us had an answer.

"Probably another question Malfoy would have an answer to," Ron said. "I'm shocked you don't know yourself, Ava, seeing as you were with him."

"Ron," Hermione warned, but Ron didn't apologize and by the way Harry kept quiet, I could guess he thought something similar.

"Look, I didn't know what was going to happen. Malfoy told me that our fathers heard something at the Ministry about something happening tonight but not what."

"And you believed him?" Ron said disbelieving.

"Well, yes. My father was acting strangely after the match about curfew and..."

"What did your father hear exactly?" Harry asked making me stop my rambles.

"I never heard. He wouldn't tell us. Malfoy was the only one who knew. But all he told me was there being something interesting. But not this," I said waving my hands around the crowd of people be we walked past.

"Well whatever he said, it's obvious he knew more than he let on," said Harry.

"And if he Malfoy knew then it only makes sense that his father, and your father would too," Ron added with a tone that did not sit right with me. I paused in my step as we came across a group of teenagers talking in a huddle.

"What are you implying, Ron?" Ron stopped to turn my way but halted when some of the students in the huddle in front of us turned; their faces caught my attention.

They were Beauxbatons students.

"Où est Madame Maxime? Nous l'avons perdue-" said a brown hair student who I knew very well. Isabeau Jérôme. One of the few girls at Beauxbatons whom I could not stand.