Chapter 468: The Dark Mark

The voices of the Aurors outside reached them in the tent. Charlie let out a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and couldn’t resist lifting his foot to give Malfoy a swift kick.

“A rare opportunity…” Charlie said to Kyle with a grin. “This guy was laughing the hardest just now, and he was also the first to use the Cruciatus Curse. I’ve been wanting to do that for ages.”

“Cruciatus Curse?” Kyle’s expression darkened. “So you all…?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Dad handled it. Malfoy was lucky he got away with it… twice,” Charlie muttered, growing angry again as he raised his foot once more and delivered another kick to Malfoy’s stomach.

Malfoy stirred, showing faint signs of waking up, but Charlie quickly hit him with a Stunning Spell and continued his kicks for good measure. Kyle approached, holding a potion bottle in his hand.

The commotion outside began to quiet down, and the flashes in the sky faded, the chaos settling as the night grew still.

About an hour later, Mr. Weasley returned with a group of stern-faced Aurors. As they stepped into the tent, their gazes fell on the bound figures in the corner.

“By Merlin’s beard!” one of the Aurors exclaimed, clearly recognizing the captives. “They’re all from prominent pure-blood families… Arthur, are you sure there’s been no mistake?”

“Absolutely certain, Dawlish,” Mr. Weasley replied, pointing to the pile of hoods and masks nearby. “These were all on them. Madam Olympe Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy, can testify to this.”

“Maxime?” Dawlish looked surprised.

Olympe Maxime was highly respected and influential in France. It was unexpected to find her entangled in this situation, especially involving foreign students.

“These men tried to capture the Beauxbatons students earlier,” Mr. Weasley explained. “It seems they intended to use them to coerce Maxime into some kind of compliance.”

“Despicable tactics,” Dawlish sneered, waving his wand to levitate the tied-up wizards and drag them from the tent. “Thank you for your hard work, Arthur.”

Once they were led out, Dawlish chuckled, turning to Mr. Weasley. “You took down seven of them? I never knew you had it in you… You ought to consider becoming an Auror.”

“Oh, no, it wasn’t just me…” Mr. Weasley began to explain, then hesitated as he recalled the questionable legality of the Chomping Cabbages, deciding to hold his tongue. “The kids helped a great deal.”

“Four against seven, and you managed to catch them all unharmed. That’s impressive,” Dawlish said approvingly. “Really, you should consider the Auror path. It’s got to be better than that little office they’ve tucked you into.”

“It really wasn’t my doing,” Mr. Weasley said, flustered, but as he glanced at the Cabbages, he realized any explanation would lead straight back to them. His face reddened as he fumbled for words.

“Alright, alright, I understand. It seems you’re quite committed to your work,” Dawlish replied with a smile. “But we’ve got to get going. Still plenty to handle tonight. I’ll see you at the Ministry, Arthur.”

“Alright,” Mr. Weasley replied, nodding helplessly.

After the Aurors had left, Mr. Weasley wiped the sweat and mud from his face with his sleeve. He looked at Kyle and, after a moment of hesitation, said, “That Chomping Cabbage…”

“I got it from the school greenhouse,” Kyle explained. “For brewing potions.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second,” Mr. Weasley replied, shaking his head, “but it’s against the rules, and if anyone holds a grudge, this could come back to bite you.”

“It’s alright, Dad,” Bill said, stepping over and patting his chest. “Just say I gave Kyle the Chomping Cabbage. As a Curse-Breaker, it’s normal to carry some magical plants for defense—especially when working somewhere as dangerous as the pyramids.”

“No, it makes more sense to blame me,” Charlie added, stepping forward as well. “Chomping Cabbage is one of the Chinese Fireball’s favorite treats. Since I work at the Romanian Dragon Reserve, it’s only logical I’d keep some dragon snacks around, right?”

“Thanks, but I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Kyle replied with a grin, shaking his head. “The wounds from the Chomping Cabbage are easy to treat. I’ve already applied a special potion and healing charms. By now, they should be almost completely healed.”

“That’s good,” Mr. Weasley said with relief. “If that’s the case, it’ll save us a lot of trouble.”

Bill raised an eyebrow, a thought dawning on him. Earlier, he’d been too tense to think about it, but now… Disillusionment Charms to sneak up on dark wizards, a potion to erase bite marks from Chomping Cabbages… Kyle’s plan had been flawless. What exactly had he been learning at school these past few years?

But Mr. Weasley didn’t dwell on that. He was about to ask Kyle if he’d seen Harry or Ron when a new round of gasps erupted outside the tent.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, is it not over yet?” Mr. Weasley muttered, running outside. But as soon as he stepped out, he froze, captivated by a strange sight in the sky.

It was an enormous green skull with a serpent slithering from its mouth.

Mr. Weasley’s eyes widened in shock. He knew that symbol well—as did any older wizard.

“By Merlin’s beard…” he breathed, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Why is the Dark Mark here? Malfoy’s already been captured, hasn’t he?”

He had been so sure Lucius Malfoy was the mastermind behind the night’s chaos, but now it seemed clear that others were involved—perhaps even more brazen and dangerous than Malfoy himself. In the wizarding world, casting the Dark Mark was no small act. Ever since Voldemort’s fall, even a reckless display of it was a crime nearly on par with using an Unforgivable Curse.

Bill and Charlie, who had followed him outside, looked up and saw the ominous Mark flashing against the dark sky.

“Seems there are still some Death Eaters on the loose,” Charlie said grimly.

“Dad, should we go take a look?”

Mr. Weasley wanted to go. The Dark Mark hadn’t appeared in over a decade, and he was deeply curious about what—or who—could be behind it. But before he could make a decision, a series of loud pops echoed all around them.

The Anti-Apparition wards on the camp had apparently been lifted, and as soon as they saw the Dark Mark, nearly half of the Aurors and Hit Wizards rushed in the direction of the Mark—almost fifty of them.

“Forget it…” Mr. Weasley shook his head, glancing back at Bill and Charlie. “There are plenty of people on it already. Even if we went, we couldn’t do much more than what they’re already handling.”