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Realizing that the situation was about to explode — and that Sirius could, in fact, lunge at Fudge at any moment — Dumbledore intervened, shifting the focus of the conversation.
He then turned to his old friends and mentors, who held their wands and some magical equipment in their hands.
"Nick, Penny, did you find anything?" he asked gravely.
"No, Albus," Nick shook his head with a sigh, "Wherever they are, that place is very well protected against tracking or locating spells."
"I see..." the Headmaster nodded, already having anticipated such an answer.
Still, unlike the others, he did not seem so worried or panicked. He knew that the nightly departure of his familiar could only mean that things would soon be resolved.
And, as if to confirm his thoughts, a magical song echoed through the air, reverberating across the entire Quidditch Pitch.
Hearing that magnificent song once again, everyone turned to look toward the source of the sound — whether the distressed relatives, or the teachers, students, and guests in the stands.
*FWOOOSH!*
With a warm, vibrant brilliance, a great ball of golden flames burst at the entrance of the maze.
Cries of astonishment and admiration echoed from the stands. The golden glow reflected in everyone's wide eyes, which barely managed to blink, enthralled by that magical phenomenon.
The families of the missing champions, though awestruck, could not hide their nervousness. Their faces were a mix of hope and fear — because, instinctively, they knew those flames were connected to their children.
The flames began to lose their intensity, turning into embers and small flickering sparks that floated through the air like shimmering dust.
And then, within the fire, the silhouette of two people began to emerge — until, little by little, they became clear to every anxious eye.
"Man, that was one of the craziest adventures I've had so far..." a young, male voice commented, sounding relaxed and slightly amused.
The owner of that voice then stepped forward, emerging from the fire, revealing that it was, in fact, a boy who had spoken.
That boy had black hair and amber eyes, wore combat clothes, and was strangely carrying a large flaming scarlet bird on his shoulder.
Obviously, that person was me, who had just returned from the graveyard along with Harry.
'Aaah... It feels so good to breathe fresh air without that unbearable stench of death and decay,' I thought, taking a deep breath.
Knowing that all the tension and danger had passed, I felt quite relaxed and relieved. Finally, I could lower my guard, without needing to keep my instincts, senses and other abilities at their maximum capabilities
"ETHAN!" "HARRY!"
The moment realization struck the families on the field and they noticed that those who had appeared were Harry and me, they immediately ignored everything and everyone else and came running toward us.
Expressions of worry, relief, and overwhelming joy were clearly written on their faces. My mom, and surprisingly Penny — or perhaps not so surprisingly — had tears in their eyes.
"My baby!" my mom was the first to reach me, instantly wrapping me in a desperate, tight hug, "I was so, so worried... Thank goodness you're back!"
My mom, who had always been a strong, firm woman, was now crying against my chest, clinging to me as if afraid I might vanish like an illusion.
"Thank you... Thank you for returning safely to us," my dad, who reached me just moments after my mom, also embraced me.
He wasn't crying like she was, but I could see the slight wetness in his eyes and feel his emotions of happiness and affection.
And to complete this warm reunion, Nick and Penny also joined the family hug.
Looking at the four people surrounding me, I felt deeply happy and warm inside, truly loved. Yet, at the same time, I also felt a tremendous guilt consuming me.
I knew that all the distress and anguish I had caused them with my disappearance was mainly my fault.
I could have stopped Voldemort's and Barty Junior's plan at any moment, long before the fanatical Death Eater infiltrated Hogwarts.
However, I didn't. I let everything unfold as in the canon, and even deliberately put myself in danger just to continue with my own plans.
But it didn't matter whether it was for my plans or not. In the end, I caused them suffering because of my selfishness and arrogance.
'Sigh... I'm truly a terrible son, brother, and grandson,' I thought in bitter self-criticism.
And even with that thought, there was a painful certainty in my mind... If I had to choose, I would do it all again.
In fact, I knew that in the future I would involve myself in even more dangerous and deadly situations — inevitably bringing even more stress, worry, and suffering to my family.
'I just hope that, by then, they'll be used to it... or at least calmer with my deadly missions. Which, let's be honest, is very unlikely...'
Shaking my head, I decided to push those thoughts away, wanting only to focus on the emotional reunion with my family.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Harry also surrounded by his family, being firmly hugged by Sirius.
"Ethan!"
It was at that moment that I heard a soft, happy female voice, which made me look ahead.
What I saw was Luna, running toward me with a wide smile, along with my other friends.
Beside them came Harry's two best friends, who seemed just as anxious and relieved as the rest.
However, before they could reach us, they all suddenly stopped. Shock and horror spread across their faces.
"By Merlin's beard!"
At the same time, a horrified scream echoed across the field, shattering the joyful, affectionate atmosphere we had been immersed in.
And that scream was only the first: after it, more and more frightened, shocked screams erupted in succession, accompanied by flashes of light and the clicking of cameras.
Confused and uneasy, the two families who had just reunited with their children broke their embrace.
They then looked around at the people nearby, noticing their wide, horrified eyes, all fixed on something behind us.
And it wasn't just the guests and students wearing those expressions.
The Ministry officials, the Hogwarts teachers, and the Headmasters of the two schools (it would have been three, had Karkaroff not already fled), all stared at that something with grim, dark expressions.
"What's going on?" Andy asked, bewildered.
She, and everyone else in the group, turned to look in the direction everyone else was staring.
And the moment they did, they immediately understood what had triggered this wave of collective panic.
What they saw was something deeply disturbing, grotesque, and bloody... Something they hadn't noticed before, too focused only on Harry's and my safety and well-being.
"Is that... is that a dead body?" my mom asked in shock, bringing her hands to her mouth.
"Yeah... and it's not just a body," my dad said, grimacing as he looked at the severed parts near the corpse.
And it wasn't just him. Everyone in that large group wore uncomfortable looks and grim frowns.
But, compared to the people around them, they weren't nearly as terrified or panicked.
Not long ago they had seen the destroyed body of Barty Junior up close, so they were already somewhat numbed to these bloody situations.
Still, even used to such scenes, they couldn't help but feel sickened and distressed, for the state of this corpse was dozens of times worse.
It was then that the more observant among them looked closely at the decomposed body, noticing that it seemed strangely familiar.
"Padfoot, is that...?" Remus turned to his friend, a questioning and stunned look on his face.
"Yes, Moony... That's Pettigrew," Sirius nodded firmly, sure of it.
He, like the werewolf, was very surprised by this development. But beyond surprise, Lord Black also felt an overwhelming sense of relief and grim satisfaction
The villain. The traitor. The despicable being who had caused his friends' deaths and ruined his life — and that of his godson — was now dead. And, by the looks of it, he had not met a quick and painless death.
End.
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