Inside the Weasleys' tent, the conversation was still centered on the Quidditch World Cup.
Ron was enthusiastically describing Ireland's teamwork for what must have been the fifth time, while Fred and George kept interrupting with exaggerated reenactments of Krum's Wronski Feint.
Harry listened with a smile, and even Hermione couldn't help joining in now and then.
The tent flap was suddenly pulled open. Arthur stepped inside, his expression unusually grave.
"Everyone, pack your things. We're leaving immediately."
The cheerful atmosphere disappeared at once. Harry stood up. "What happened?"
Arthur had already begun gathering their belongings. "Something's happened at the campsite."
"What kind of something?" Hermione asked.
He glanced toward the entrance and lowered his voice. "The Death Eaters."
Ron's expression hardened. "Are they causing trouble?"
"They tried to." Everyone stared at him. "But before the Ministry could fully respond, someone got there first."
Harry exchanged a glance with Hermione. "Who?"
"Nobody knows. Every witness gives the same description. A masked wizard wearing a hood, flying through the air without a broom."
The tent fell silent.
"That alone caused quite a panic among some of the older witches and wizards. The last time anyone heard reports of a wizard flying without a broom, it was associated with You-Know-Who."
Hermione's face turned serious. "What happened to the Death Eaters?"
"They never managed to carry out their attack. According to the officials who reached the scene, the masked wizard used Fiendfyre during the confrontation. By the time they arrived, the Death Eaters had already been defeated."
Ron blinked. "Defeated?"
"They found masked wizards scattered across the area, unconscious. None of them were in any condition to continue fighting."
Fred let out a low whistle. "One wizard did all that?"
"That's what the witnesses are claiming," Arthur said. "No one has been able to identify him."
George looked thoughtful. "So a mysterious masked wizard appears out of nowhere, defeats an entire group of Death Eaters, and disappears before the Ministry arrives."
"That's the current story."
"Did anyone see his face?" Harry asked.
"No. Whoever he was, he made certain nobody could identify him." Arthur picked up the last of their luggage.
"The Ministry has already started securing the area, but they're expecting a great deal of confusion tonight. We'll leave before things get even more chaotic."
Nobody objected. The excitement of the World Cup had vanished.
As they stepped out of the tent, the atmosphere throughout the campsite had completely changed.
The celebration after the Final had disappeared — witches and wizards hurriedly packing their belongings while Ministry officials directed crowds toward the Portkeys.
Everywhere they looked, people were discussing the same thing: the masked wizard and the defeated Death Eaters.
Hermione glanced toward the distant rows of tents before turning to Arthur. "Don't you think we should go and check on Victor?"
Arthur shook his head without breaking stride. "No need. The Malfoys' tent was pitched well away from the Muggle campsite. They should have left by now."
***
The following morning, the British wizarding world was in an uproar. News of the previous night's events had spread far faster than the Ministry could contain it.
Copies of the Daily Prophet disappeared from newsstands within hours as witches and wizards searched for answers.
The front page was dominated by the attack at the Quidditch World Cup.
DEATH EATERS STRIKE WORLD CUP CAMPSITE
Beneath the headline was the story everyone was actually talking about. Witnesses claimed an unidentified masked wizard had appeared during the attack and confronted the Death Eaters.
According to multiple accounts, the figure had flown without the aid of a broom before disappearing without revealing his identity.
The report immediately ignited speculation across Britain. Only a handful of magical achievements inspired more fear than unaided flight, and many older witches and wizards still remembered the First Wizarding War.
To them, stories of a wizard flying through the night brought back memories they had hoped never to relive.
The Ministry attempted to calm the public. Cornelius Fudge assured reporters there was no evidence Lord Voldemort had returned and insisted the situation was under investigation.
His statement did little to reassure anyone — if anything, it raised more questions.
Why were the identities of the captured Death Eaters being withheld? Who had defeated them before the Ministry arrived? And perhaps the biggest question of all — who was the masked wizard?
No witnesses had seen a face. No one knew a name. The only consistent description was a hooded figure who flew without a broom before vanishing into the darkness.
Across Britain, wizarding households debated the mystery over breakfast. Diagon Alley buzzed with rumors.
The Leaky Cauldron filled with competing theories. Even the Ministry struggled to separate eyewitness accounts from wild speculation.
For the first time since the end of the First Wizarding War, one unknown wizard had become the most discussed person in magical Britain.
*****
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