"Do not talk to her like that," Harry said quietly but his voice echoed in the entire surrounding.
Barty Crouch Sr. tried to muster a few words, but he was unable. The words coming out of his throat were incoherent. The pressure and the fear which the phantom or more accurately Harry had induced was so intense that he was barely able to form a few sentences.
It was the sudden rustling of the trees that broke the tense silence in the clearing. Everyone turned to see a middle aged man walking into the clearing. He was Arthur Weasley.
As soon as he arrived, the phantom behind Harry vanished, and the suffocating atmosphere too dissipated. The enormous magical pressure that had been pressing down on Barty Crouch, Ron Weasley, and the others also vanished and things returned to normalcy. They could feel life returning to their bodies.
Arthur's eyes widened in shock seeing the scene in front of him. He was deeply astonished to see everyone on their knees, and he immediately rushed, first toward Ron.
"Ron?" he said, panic evident in his voice. "Ron… what happened? Are you alright?"
Ron struggled to stand as he stammered, "Dad… I am fine… Harry…"
But Arthur did not hear him completely. He immediately rushed toward Barty after helping Ron on his feet.
"Mr. Crouch?" he said, helping the man to his feet. "Are you alright?"
Barty Crouch stayed silent as he stood but his legs were still wobbling. Large beads of sweat were covering his forehead, and his back was drenched in cold sweat. The chill in his spine had yet not calmed and his body was trembling slightly in fear.
The other wizards behind him slowly rose to their feet as well, while Arthur looked around with a frown on his face.
Hermione, now free of Harry's arms, also looked confused. From the conversation, she understood something had happened, but with her eyes closed the entire time, she had not seen anything.
"Ron, what happened?" Arthur asked, his eyes shifting between Harry and Hermione.
"Dad," Ron replied, "me and Hermione were running from the campsite, like you told us, but suddenly someone fired that mark."
"He was very close to us, and we were frightened…" Ron shivered as the memory came back.
"And then suddenly, they arrived," he continued, pointing toward Barty and his group, "and started blaming and questioning us for the Dark Mark."
"Hermione explained it was not us and that someone from that direction had used the incantation," he continued pointing away from the clearing, "but they did not believe us."
"And then Harry arrived… and after that, I do not really know," he muttered. He was not able to really explain anything.
Arthur looked suspiciously toward Harry only to see an innocent expression on the boy's face.
After a moment of silence, Arthur turned toward Crouch.
"Mr. Crouch," he said, "I believe it was an accidental magical outburst from Harry."
"Maybe seeing his friends in trouble triggered something emotional."
"We all know Harry is a powerful wizard," he added, flashing a smile at Harry.
Harry had to resist the urge to roll his eyes but kept up his innocent facade. Barty nodded stiffly, but his body language remained rigid.
Even if he accepted and believed the explanation, the terror was still lingering in his eyes. For if it was not an accidental magic but a manifestation of what was about to come, then he knew that a lot of people would be in trouble. Those things were not something to be taken lightly.
"Gentlemen," Arthur addressed the rest of the group, "they are children, my son and his friends, and I do not think they even know what a Dark Mark is."
"I suggest you look in the direction they are pointing to," he said, somewhat awkwardly.
After some hesitation, Barty gave a nod, and three of the wizards moved toward the area Ron had indicated.
"Dad," Ron asked, "what about the attackers? Have they been caught?"
Arthur's expression darkened at the question. He had just come from a scene of utter carnage and monstrosity. He had witnessed everything from his own eyes. Even recalling it made him nauseous.
"Dad?" Ron nudged again.
"Yes, Ron, they have been…" he paused, then added slowly, "dealt with."
Ron let out a relieved sigh and his body relaxed. "Thank Merlin!"
He was about to walk toward Harry when the rustling of trees stopped him.
The three wizards who had gone ahead were returning and following behind them was a small elf. Winky.
"No…" Barty almost shrieked. "It cannot be."
One of the wizards stepped forward. It was Amos Diggory, father of Cedric Diggory.
"I believe she is your house elf, Mr. Crouch," he said firmly and his eyes fixed on Barty.
"Yes…" Crouch rushed toward Winky.
"She was found at the site," Amos said, raising a wand in his left hand. "And we found this wand with her."
"Priori Incantato," he muttered. A miniature serpent erupted from the wand, a shrunken version of the Dark Mark.
"The spell was cast from this wand," he stated the obvious.
Winky, who had been trembling the whole time, squeaked in fright.
"I did not do it! Winky did not do it! I do not know how to do it!"
"Elf," Amos said with a sharp tone, "then what were you doing at the scene? And with this wand?"
"Winky did not do it," she stammered, tears forming in her eyes. "I was running… I was frightened…"
Hermione could not bear it anymore and stepped forward.
"She is telling the truth," she said.
"I heard the incantation. It was not her. It was a deep male voice, nothing like her squeak."
"And I do not think she could even use a wand," Arthur added from the sidelines.
Amos stayed quiet and looked toward Barty.
Crouch, already in a foul mood, loomed over Winky. Only he knew how much effort it took to restrain himself from slapping her or casting a painful spell.
"I ordered you to stay in the tent," he roared. "Why did you run away?"
"Master… I was afraid… I was afraid…" she cried, slapping herself in panic.
"You disobeyed my order… clothes," he barked, throwing a handkerchief at her.
Winky fell to her knees, sobbing in desperation.
"Master… please… Winky was afraid…"
Barty ignored her and turned toward Amos. "Perhaps we can find something in the wand…"
Amos shook his head.
"It was probably stolen in the chaos," he said, "or maybe it fell from someone, and she picked it up."
Discussing their next steps, the group of wizards walked away, leaving Arthur, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and a crying house elf behind in the clearing.
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