Marauders' Godson Book 4: The Goblet of Fire

Chapter Eight

The whole wood erupted into screams. Edward pulled Hermione and Harry to his side, and George quickly did the same for Ruby and Ron.

"What is that?" Harry frowned.

"The Dark Mark," said Edward quietly. "You-Know-Who's sign.... Remus told me."

Before he could explain more, there was a series of loud cracks, and several Ministry officials Apparated out of nowhere. Edward dragged Hermione and Harry to the ground and George, seeing what was about to happen, pulled Ruby and Ron to the dirt.

"STUPEFY!" roared several voices. The air above them filled with bright red flashes that barely missed Edward and his friends and rebounded off tree trunks.

"Stop!" yelled Mr. Weasley's voice. "STOP! Those are my sons!"

The flashes stopped, and Edward looked up. Mr. Weasley was striding through the group of Ministry wizards toward them, looking white.

"Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ruby, George, Edward-" he sounded shaky "-are you all right?"

"Out of the way, Arthur," said a cold voice. Mr. Crouch was marching toward them, looking furious. "Which of you did it?" he asked. "Which of you conjoured the Dark Mark?"

"Firstly, Mr. Crouch," said Edward very coldly, making all the Ministry wizards take a step back, including Crouch, "we're all underage; we couldn't have the power to conjour that-" he pointed up at the glowing skull "-anyway. Secondly, most of us were between half a year and three years old when You-Know-Who died; how could he have taught us the spell? Thirdly -- do you think Harry Potter, or any of his friends, would be willing to perform the spell of the Dark Mark?"

The Ministry wizards fell silent. Most of them looked awed and wary of Edward.

"Where did the Mark come from, Edward?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Edward pointed to where the voice had come from. "A man, I think. He shouted some sort of incantation." He wasn't going to tell them that he'd accidentally memorized the spell -- he had a habit of doing so when he heard any charm or jinx. "Your Stunning spells went into those trees; you might have caught them before they Disapparated."

Instantly, a wizard broke off from the group. It was Amos Diggory, Cedric's father. He marched into the trees where Edward had pointed.

"Yes! We've got them! There's someone here, unconscious! It's -- but -- blimey..." He walked out of the trees, carrying a familiar form.

"Winky?" Ruby looked alarmed.

"You know my elf?" Crouch frowned at her.

"She was sitting in the Top Box with us," said Edward with a sigh.

Diggory glanced at Ruby and Edward, then put the elf on the ground in front of Crouch. Mr. Crouch barely glanced at her before going back out into the wood.

Wait, Edward thought, staring after him. Is it possible that someone was keeping Winky from going into the woods? Someone with an Invisibility Cloak, or an invisibility spell?

"Bit embarrassing," said Diggory, looking down at Winky. "Barty Crouch's house-elf... I mean to say..."

"Come off it, Amos," said Mr. Weasley. "You don't seriously think it was the elf? The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand."

"Yeah," said Diggory, "and she had a wand."

"Is it by any chance eleven inches and made of holly?" Edward asked curiously.

"It is!" said Diggory with surprise, pulling out Harry's wand. "How did you know?"

"Harry lost his wand," said Edward, glancing at Harry, who looked shocked and confused. "Probably before we left the Top Box."