"Ron—Harry—" Mr. Weasley strode towards them, his expression terrified, his voice a little shaky, "Hermione, are you all alright?" ”

"Get out of the way, Arthur." A cold, emotionless voice said.

It was Mr. Crouch, who was surrounded by him and the other wizarding officials in the Ministry.

"Which of you did this?" Mr. Crouch grimaced in anger and asked them sharply, his sharp eyes sweeping between the three of them, "Which of you has conjured the Dark Mark?" ”

"We don't!" Harry said, pointing to the skeleton above.

"We didn't do anything!" Ron said, rubbing his elbow and looking at his father angrily, "Why are you attacking us?" ”

"Don't lie, sir!" Mr. Crouch said. He was still pointing his wand at Ron, his eyes were bursting out, and he looked a little crazy. "You were found at the scene of the crime!"

"Barty," whispered a witch in a long woolen dressing gown, "they're still children, Barty, they can't"

"You three, where did this mark come from?" Mr. Weasley asked anxiously.

"Over there," Hermione said in a trembling voice, pointing to where they had just heard the voice, "there were people behind the trees, and they were talking loudly—chanting a spell"

"Oh, they're standing there, aren't they?" Mr. Crouch said, turning his bulging eyes back to Hermione, suspicion written on his face, "They also chanted a spell, did they?" You seem to know how to conjure up markers, miss."

But with the exception of Mr. Crouch, the wizarding officials in the ministry seemed to think that it was absolutely impossible for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to conjure skeletons. They listened to Hermione, and one by one raised their wands again, pointed them in the direction she was pointing back, and squinted into the dark bushes.

"We're late," said the witch in the woollen dressing gown, shaking her head, "they've been apparitions for a long time. ”

"I don't think so," said Cedric's father, Amos Diggory, suddenly, "our terrifying masters must have gotten into the bushes, and we have a good chance of catching them... ”

"Amos, be careful!" Several wizards reminded, only to see Mr. Diggory puff out his chest, raise his wand, and stride through the clearing, disappearing into the darkness. Hermione nervously covered her mouth with her hands, looking at his hidden back.

Seconds later, they heard Mr. Diggory shouting.

"It's done! Caught it! There's someone here! Unconscious! Yes - ouch - oh my God"

"You caught someone?" Mr. Crouch shouted, in a tone of utter disbelief, "Who? Who is it? ”

They heard the snapping of branches, the rustle of fallen leaves, and then the crunching of footsteps, and Mr. Diggory came out from behind the bushes. He held a small, limp body in his arms - it was Crouch's house-elf Twinkle.

Mr. Crouch watched as Mr. Diggory put his house-elf at his feet, and he did not move or speak. The other officials of the Ministry of Magic were staring at Mr. Crouch. For several seconds, Crouch stood motionless, as if frozen, the fire-breathing eyes on his pale face staring fiercely at the sparkle on the ground. Then, he seemed to come back to his senses.

"It's—can't be—can't be," he said in pause, "impossible"

He sped around Mr. Diggory and strode towards the spot where Sparkle had been found.

"It's useless, Mr. Crouch," shouted Mr. Diggory at his back, "there's no one else there." ”

But Mr. Crouch did not seem to want to pay attention to his words. They heard him walking up and down there, and heard him rustle the leaves as he pushed through the bushes to look for them.

"It's a little embarrassing," said Mr. Diggory sternly, looking down at the sparkling delirious figure, "Barty Crouch's house-elf, I mean... ”

"Don't talk nonsense, Amos," Mr. Weasley whispered, "do you really think the elves did it?" The Dark Mark is a wizard symbol. A wand is required. ”

"Yes," said Mr. Diggory, "she has a wand. ”

"What?" Mr. Weasley said.

"Here, you see," Mr. Diggory said, holding up a wand and handing it to Mr. Weasley, "she has one in her hand. This is a violation of Article 3 of the Guidelines for the Use of Wands, which prohibits any non-human creature from carrying or using a wand. ”

Just then, with another pop, Mr. Ludo Bagman apparitions appeared next to Mr. Weasley.

"Dark Mark of the Devil!" He gasped and turned to look at his colleague inquiringly, who was so frightened by the green skeleton in the sky that he almost stepped on Shining.

Mr. Crouch returned empty-handed. His face was still horribly white, and his hands and mustache were twitching.

"Where have you been, Barty?" Bagman asked, "Why didn't you come to watch the game?" Your house-elf has even taken a seat for you! OMG! Bagman then noticed Twilight lying at his feet, "What's wrong with her?" ”

"I've been busy, Ludo," said Mr. Crouch, still with barely moving his lips, "my house-elf has been cast a stun spell. ”

"Someone put a stun spell? You mean, by you people? Why-"

Bagman's shiny round face suddenly showed a look of sudden realization. He looked up at the skeleton, then down at Twinkle, and finally at Mr. Crouch.

"Impossible!" He said, "Twinkle? Conjured up the Dark Mark mark? She doesn't know how to change! First of all, she needs a wand! ”

"She does need a wand," said Mr. Diggory, "and I find her holding one, Ludo. If you have no opinion, Mr. Crouch, I think we should hear how she defends herself. ”

Mr. Crouch was unresponsive, as if he had not heard Mr. Diggory, who seemed to take his silence as acquiescence. He raised his wand, pointed at Twinkle and said, "Recover!" ”

Twinkle moved weakly. The bronze bell-like brown eyes opened, and she blinked her eyelids vigorously with a blank expression. Under the silent gaze of the wizards, she sat up with a shudder. She saw Mr. Diggory's feet, and then she lifted her gaze slowly, tremblingly, into his face, and then, more slowly, cast her gaze toward the night sky above.

When her two big dull eyes saw the shadow of a skeleton floating in the night sky, she immediately gasped, looked at the people gathered in the clearing in confusion, and then suddenly cried in fear.

"Elf!" Mr. Diggory asked sternly, "Do you know who I am?" I'm a member of the Magical Beasts Management Control Division! ”

Twinkle began to rock back and forth on the ground, her breathing interrupted by intense sobs from time to time.

"You saw it, goblin, just now, someone conjured the Dark Mark here." Mr. Diggory said, "A moment later, you were spotted by us, just below the mark!" Please give us an explanation! ”

"I-I-I didn't, sir!" Flashing gasped and said, "I don't know how to change, sir!" ”

"You were found with a wand in your hand!" Mister Diggory roared, waving his wand in front of Shining. When the green light of the skeleton shooting into the clearing shone on the wand, Harry recognized it.

"Ahh He said.

The people in the clearing all turned their faces to look at him.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Mr. Diggory asked incredulously.

"That's my wand!" Harry said, "I threw it away!" ”

"You threw it away?" Mr. Diggory repeated suspiciously, "Are you confessing?" After you conjured the marker, you threw away your wand? ”

"Amos, think about who you're talking to!" Mr. Weasley was very angry and said, "Harry? Will Potter conjure up the Dark Mark mark? ”

"Oh—of course not," Mr. Diggory muttered muttered, "I'm sorry, I'm a little dizzy"

"I didn't throw it there," Harry pointed with his thumb to the bushes beneath the skeleton, "and as soon as we walked into the woods, my wand was gone. ”

"So," said Mr. Diggory, his gaze turning back to the glare curled up at his feet, "goblin, you found this wand, didn't you?" You pick it up and think you can have some fun with it, don't you? ”

"I didn't use it for magic, sir!" Sparkle shrieked, tears streaming down the sides of her flattened bulbous nose like a stream, "I-I-I just picked it up, sir!" I didn't conjure the Dark Mark of the Dark Devil, sir, I don't know how! ”

"It's not her!" Hermione said, she looked nervous speaking in front of the Ministry of Magic officials, but she didn't flinch-

"Twinkle spoke in a shrill voice, and the voice of the incantation we just heard was much lower!" She turned her face to look at Harry and Ron, asking for their approval, "It's not like a sparkling voice at all, is it?" ”

"Yes," Harry nodded, "that voice is definitely not that of an elf. ”

"yes, that's a human voice." Ron said.

"Well, we'll find out soon," Mr. Diggory roared, as if not listening to them, "there's an easy way to spot the last spell cast by the wand, elf, you know?" ”

Twinkle shivered and shook her head desperately, her ears fluttering. Mr. Diggory raised his wand and docked it with Harry's.

"Flashback Spell!" Mr. Diggory yelled.

Harry heard Hermione gasp as he saw a terrifying skeleton spitting a snake cringeth coming out of where the two wands met, but it was just the shadow of the green skeleton above their heads. It seemed to be made of thick gray smoke: a magical ghost.

"Disappear!" Mr. Diggory shouted, and the skeletal of the smoke dissolved into a wisp of smoke and vanished.

"What do you say?" Mr. Diggory put on a cruel smug look, and looked at the shimmer at his feet, which was still trembling violently.

"It's not me!" She screamed, her eyes rolling in horror, "It's not me, it's not me, I don't know how!" I'm a good elf, I didn't fiddle with my wand, I don't know how! ”

"You've been caught red-handed, goblin!" Mr. Diggory yelled, "Caught with this wand of crime!" ”

"That's the end of the joke, Mr. Diggory!" Maple suddenly stepped out of the darkness, and Mr. Diggory and they warily pointed their wands at the place where Maple sounded, "We came here together with a portkey, remember, Mr. Diggory?" ”

"Of course." Mister Diggory lowered his wand, and the other Ministry of Magic officials let their guard down.

"Offense, Mr. Diggory, do you know the spell of the Dark Mark?" Maple continued calmly.

"Of course not," Mr. Diggory reacted, and said, "You mean"

"Since the Dark Mark is Voltaic," those present couldn't help but shudder again, and Maple paused, "Oh, sorry, I mean the Dark Mark was invented by the Mystery Man, so its spells should only be used by the Mystery Man and his followers." ”

"This is supposed to be some absconding criminal demonstrating to us, and Twinkle is just a coincidence that he is being used as a scapegoat." "But his kung fu isn't quite right, and if he uses magic to modify his sparkling memories, it will be seamless." Maybe you came too fast and he didn't have a chance to finish, maybe he did it on purpose. ”

"Sirius Black!" Mr. Diggory suddenly shouted, and Maple was speechless, what is this?

Well, Sirius Black, who is still unaccounted for at the moment, is indeed a most suspicious object.

"After disappearing for a year and suddenly coming out to make waves, what is Blake's intentions?" Mr. Diggory hasn't confirmed it yet, and Barty Crouch has directly closed the coffin, and he did it.

"I will explain to Fudge that I must intensify the search and arrest Blake as soon as possible." Mr. Crouch roared.

"Mr. Crouch, although it is likely that Blake did this, according to the rules," said Mr. Diggory cautiously.

"Amos," said Mr. Crouch, stiffly, "I am fully aware that, according to normal procedure, you are to bring Twinkle to your division for questioning, and nevertheless, I ask your permission for me to dispose of her. ”

Mr. Diggory did not seem to approve of this suggestion, but he did not reject Mr. Crouch's capital.

"Don't worry, she'll be punished." Mr. Crouch added coldly.

"Lord-Lord-Master," Sparkle stammered, looking up at Mr. Crouch with tears in her eyes, "Lord-Lord-Master, please-please-please!" ”

Mr. Crouch glared at her, his face stiffened, every line stood out, and there was no pity in his gaze.

"I was shocked by Twilight's behavior tonight," he said slowly, "and I told her to stay in the tent. I told her to stay there, and I went to settle the riots. I found out that she defied me. And that means – clothes! ”

"No!" Twinkle screamed and threw herself at Mr. Crouch's feet, "No, master! No clothes, no clothes! ”

The only way to free a house-elf is to give him decent clothes. Twinkle clutched her tea-towel tightly and lay at Mr. Crouch's feet and wept, which was pitiful.

"She was terrified!" Hermione glared fiercely at Mr. Crouch and said indignantly.

"Your house-elves have a fear of heights, and those masked wizards hang people in the air! It's also understandable that she wants to escape them, and you can't blame her! ”

Mr. Crouch took a step back, free from the elf's entanglement. He looked down at Shimmer, as if she were some filthy rot thing that was staining his polished shoes.

"I don't need house-elves who disobey my orders," he said coldly, looking at Hermione, "I don't need a servant who forgets to obey his master's will and protect his master's reputation. ”

Twinkle cried heartbreakingly, her cries echoing through the clearing. There was another awkward silence, and at last Mr. Weasley whispered, "Well, if no one objects, I'll take my men back to the tent." Amos, the wand has told us everything it knows, and if you can give it back to Harry, please—"

Mr. Diggory handed the wand to Harry, who pocketed it.

"Let's go, you four." Mr. Weasley whispered. But Hermione didn't seem to move, and her eyes still fell on the weeping elf.

"Hermione!" Mr. Weasley said, his tone was more urgent. Hermione turned and walked out of the clearing with Maple, Harry, and Ron and walked through the woods.

"What will happen to Twilight?" As soon as they left the clearing, Hermione asked.

"I don't know." Mr. Weasley said.

"How did they treat her like that!" Hermione said angrily, "Mr. Diggory has always called her 'Leprechaun'!" And Mr. Crouch, who knew she wasn't the one who did it, but he was going to fire her! He didn't care how scared she was, how sad she was! He doesn't treat her like a human being at all! ”

"Ahem, she's not human." Ron said.

Hermione immediately turned to attack him.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings, Ron. It's disgusting that they're like that—"

"Hermione, I agree with you," Mr. Weasley said quickly, motioning for her to move on, "but now is not the time to discuss elven rights. I hope we get back to the tent as soon as possible. What happened to the others? ”

"We were separated from them in the dark." Ron said, "Daddy, why is everyone so nervous about that skeleton?" ”

"I'll explain it to you when I get back to the tent." Mr. Weasley said anxiously.

But when they reached the edge of the woods, they ran into obstacles. A large group of terrified-looking wizards gathered there, and when they saw Mr. Weasley walking towards them, many of them pushed forward.

"What's going on over there?"

"Who made the mark?"

"Arthur—could it be—he?"

"Of course it's not him," Mr. Weasley said impatiently, "we don't know who it is, but it looks like they're apparitioned." Alright, please get out of the way, please, I want to go back to sleep. ”

He led Maple, Harry, Ron, and Hermione through the crowd and back to the camp. Now everywhere is quiet, there is no more shadow of the masked wizards, only a few destroyed tents are still smoking.

When they returned to the tent, the Weasley brothers and Ginny, who had been separated from them, returned to the tent safely.

Bill, Charlie, and Percy are all back, and their clothes still have a lot of mud on them. However, thanks to the ease with which Maple dealt with everyone, they were rescued without hurting the hostages.

Originally, they had the heart to track down who the man who had brought them all down, but it was so important after the appearance of the Dark Mark.

Mr. Weasley and Harry told Bill what had just happened, and Percy gasped for breath—

"If you want me to say, Mr. Crouch should get rid of such a house-elf! The master explicitly told her to stay still, and she ran away - and embarrassed her master in front of so many Ministry of Magic officials - if she was taken to the Department of Magical Beasts Management and Control for interrogation, it would be too much-"

"She didn't do anything - she just shouldn't have been in that place at that time!" Percy's words immediately angered Hermione, who was sympathetic to the house-elf's plight, and she unceremoniously retorted to Percy.

Ever since Malfoy said 'mudblood' to Hermione, the sensitive Hermione knew the attitude of these wizarding families towards them Muggle-born wizards, and she felt empathy for the domestic elves, which is why Hermione was so obsessed with the slave status of the house-elves.

Percy, who admired Mr. Crouch, was stunned for a moment, and then unceremoniously-for-tat, and then it was Ron who asked them to take a break from the fighting.

"Alright, alright, can anyone explain what that skeleton is?" Ron said impatiently, "It didn't hurt anyone, why is everyone making such a fuss?" ”

"Let me tell you, it's a mystery man's symbol, Ron," Hermione replied before anyone else, "I read about it in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. ”

"I haven't seen it in thirteen years," Mr. Weasley whispered, "and people are naturally nervous, it's like seeing the mystery man again." ”

"I don't understand," Ron said, frowning, "I mean—after all, it's just a shadow in mid-air"

"Ron, every time the Mystic Man and his followers kill someone, they have to show the Dark Mark in the air." Mr. Weasley said, "The fear it brings — you don't know, you're too young." You imagine that you come home and find the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and you know what you're going to see when you go in" Mr. Weasley shuddered, "It's everyone's worst fear—the most terrifying—"

Book Reading House