Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin

Chapter 11: The Quidditch World Cup (pt 4)

22 August 1994, Day 13
The Weasley Tent
10:00 a.m.

After Jim's return—in raven form, no less—to the Weasley tent the night before, he'd had a brief but fraught conversation with Ginny Weasley before a panicked Charlie and Ron burst into the tent looking for him. He explained that he'd escorted Padma Patil back to her tent without incident before seeing two Death Eaters at the boundary between the Australian and Luxembourg sectors. He'd impulsively followed them only to be stunned and then robbed of his wand. To his surprise, Ron scowled at him in obvious anger before storming off to their room for bed. They hardly spoke for the rest of the night.

After the attack and robbery, the story Jim gave the Weasleys and later the DMLE investigators became a bit hazy. He told them that he was disoriented by the Stunning Hex and got lost but soon found the Weasley tent. Ginny confirmed that he'd entered the tent around midnight looking confused, but he soon recovered before her brothers arrived. Privately, Jim marveled at how effortlessly his best friend's little sister could lie not only to her own family but to seasoned law enforcement wizards. But in this instance, he was grateful for her Slytherin wiles.

After the Hit Wizards took their statements for the official report and departed, Jim, Bill and Arthur returned to the scene of the attack to confirm that Jim's wand was truly gone. Morose, Jim returned with the Weasleys for the night while Arthur sent word to the boy's parents.

The next morning, Lily and James Potter showed up at the Weasley tent full of both concern for their son's safety and anger at how his impetuousness had cost him his wand and could have cost him his life. Arthur Weasley was full of apologies, but Jim interrupted him.

"Please don't blame the Weasleys for this," he said to both his parents. "It was all my fault. If I'd just done what I was supposed to and gone straight back to meet Charlie and Ron, I'd have been fine. I was an idiot to go after those two Death Eaters myself."

Before anyone else could respond, a new voice was heard from the entrance to the tent, one that made James stiffen in apprehension.

"That's a bold claim, Mr. Potter," said Corban Yaxley, the DMLE Director and James's boss. Standing behind him were Auror Victoria Savage and two Hit Wizards. "And I would appreciate it very much if you would refrain from spreading such rumors around until an investigation has been conducted."

"I know what I saw," Jim said angrily. "They were Death Eaters."

"I've read the Hit Wizards' report, Mr. Potter." Yaxley paused and smiled at the boy. "May I call you Jim? It might get confusing what with there being two Mr. Potters in the room, don't you agree?"

Jim nodded but said nothing.

"Now then, Jim, before we hear anything more about Death Eaters, let's take a look at your memories of the attack."

At that point, Yaxley gestured to one of the Hit Wizards who was carrying a Ministry Pensieve, which he placed on a table in the center of the tent.

"Since you are currently wandless, Jim, I'm sure your father won't mind transferring the memory. All you need to do is think back and try to remember everything that happened last night pertaining to the incident."

Jim froze. "Everything that happened" included him revealing himself as an unregistered Animagus! The boy took a deep breath and tried his best to focus on just the memory of pursuing the Death Eaters without thinking about anything that happened after he was stunned. James transferred the memory to the Pensieve while Lily moved behind Jim and put her hands gently on his shoulders as Yaxley, Savage, and James entered the memory. After barely a minute, they emerged.