The group, already packed, burst out of the tent at Mr. Weasley's command. The once jubilant camp was now filled with panicked screams and utter chaos. The sky seemed darker than before, as if a thick, oppressive fog had swallowed the stars.
In the distance, people were fleeing toward the forest, chased by a group moving slowly but menacingly behind them. Each of these figures wore a hood and a mask, concealing their faces entirely. There was no mistaking their intent—anyone who prowled around in the middle of the night wearing a mask and torching tents was clearly up to no good. Anything in their path was destroyed without hesitation.
"You—into the forest!" Mr. Weasley shouted. "Bill, keep an eye on them, don't let them get separated—"
But before he could finish, he noticed Bill, Charlie, and Percy running toward the approaching mob, wands drawn.
Mr. Weasley hurried after them, calling over his shoulder, "Go into the forest! The Aurors cleared it; it's safe there. And remember, stay together!"
Nodding, the group dashed into the woods. Once they ducked under the cover of trees, they looked back to see the mob had grown even larger. It wasn't just the hooded figures now; other spectators, including foreign wizards, had joined in, paying no heed to the Ministry's warnings. Many of these new rioters didn't even bother hiding their faces, brazenly looting and causing mayhem.
The mob was so overwhelming that the small number of Ministry staff on-site couldn't keep up. Soon, the riot spiraled out of control, with people storming into empty tents, looting what they found, or dragging the tents away altogether.
"No, we have to help Dad!" Fred and George exclaimed, staring at the growing mob with mounting anxiety. They tried to rush back, but Ginny held them back firmly.
"No way!" she said fiercely. "They're all adult wizards; you'll only get in the way!"
"Who says?" Fred struggled to free himself. "We may not be fully trained, but we've got Dungbombs and Bulbadox powder!"
George nodded in agreement. "Trust us—sometimes these things work better than magic!"
"Oh, there you are!"
Their argument was interrupted as a figure stumbled toward them from the shadows. Kyle and Cedric immediately raised their wands, ready to defend themselves.
"It's me—Arthur sent me to look after you all."
The man stepped out of the shadows, wearing a tweed suit and rubber boots.
"You're that Ministry official, aren't you? Basil, right?" Cedric asked, recognizing the man from when they'd arrived.
"Yes, that's right," the man replied. "I ran into Arthur; he told me those people are after Harry Potter and asked me to look after you all."
"What? After me?" Harry said, baffled. He had done nothing but watch the Quidditch match—why would anyone be after him?
"They're Death Eaters," the man replied, a sense of urgency in his voice. "They're here to avenge the Dark Lord's downfall." He reached out his hand. "The Aurors need to see you, Harry. Come with me—I'll take you to Scrimgeour."
Hearing "Dark Lord" made Harry involuntarily shudder as memories of the face on the back of Quirrell's head flashed through his mind. Unthinkingly, he took a step forward.
Then, in a blur—
"Stupefy!"
"Avada—"
A brilliant light exploded, and the man was blasted ten feet into the air, landing on the ground with a dull thud, unmoving. The green light that had just started to form at his wand's tip flickered out.
The entire group froze, stunned. It had all happened so quickly that no one had had time to react.
"What just happened…" Harry took a few stunned steps back.
"Obviously, someone wants you dead," Kyle said, lowering his wand and scanning the area intently.
"But wasn't he Ministry staff?" Harry asked, his voice filled with confusion.
"Let's just say he was," Kyle replied. "Polyjuice Potion, Imperius Curse… it wouldn't be difficult for someone to borrow his identity."
"How'd you know he was a threat?" Cedric asked, stepping forward and picking up the fallen wand. Truthfully, he hadn't suspected a thing until the man cast the Killing Curse.
"It's simple," Kyle explained. "If people were really after Harry, Mr. Weasley would have come himself, not sent a low-ranking Ministry employee we've only met once. And this guy isn't even an Auror—sending him to protect such a dangerous target doesn't make sense."
Cedric opened his mouth to reply, but found himself at a loss, and the others looked equally stunned. No one else had thought of that.
"Thank you…" Harry said, still shaken. "You saved my life."
"Don't mention it," Kyle said, shaking his head. "Right now, the priority is to get out of here—"
Before he could finish, a blinding green flash lit up the night, illuminating half the camp. Everyone froze; they recognized the light immediately. It was the Killing Curse, the same one that had nearly hit Harry moments before… but this time, it was directed somewhere back in the camp.
They turned to look, and the once-chaotic crowd suddenly fell silent. Then, as if ignited, the camp erupted in bedlam. The cries of panic and pain were deafening, and magic shot in every direction as spells flew wildly across the grounds.
In the distance, a few distinct shouts could be heard over the uproar:
"Damn you, Ministry of Magic! Using the Killing Curse on us!"
The riot became a frenzy. Some tried to flee, while others, overwhelmed by fear or anger, began attacking blindly. A barrage of colored spells now lit up the camp like fireworks.
Fred and George instinctively moved to run toward the fray, but this time both Ginny and Cedric grabbed their arms, pulling them back.
Kyle stared at the chaos, a sinking feeling growing within him. A Ministry official had tried to assassinate Harry, and now the Killing Curse had appeared again, supposedly cast by the Ministry against the rioters. Something was very wrong.
"This is deliberate—someone's framing the Ministry!" Kyle muttered, his mind racing. Whoever was behind this clearly intended to incite a massive conflict, and it seemed they'd succeeded.
"Boom!"
A Summoning Charm exploded nearby, sending dirt and debris spraying across the forest. Bits of rock and soil rained down on them.
"Are the Death Eaters preparing to attack the Ministry?" Kyle's heart pounded. If this was more than just an attempt to cause chaos, and people were using deadly curses, even someone like Fudge wouldn't let it slide. If the Ministry didn't respond decisively, it would be disastrous.
"Boom!" Another spell exploded closer to them.
Without hesitation, Kyle reached into his Mokeskin pouch, pulled out his enchanted suitcase, and pressed his fingers against the latch.
"You, all of you, get in!" he ordered, opening the suitcase.
"What?" Ron looked at the small opening skeptically. "Kyle, you're joking, right? How are we supposed to fit into a suitcase?"
"Don't waste time!" Kyle barked. He grabbed Ron's shoulders and gave him a shove, causing Ron to stumble forward and fall into the open suitcase.
"What the—" Ron's protest was cut off as he vanished, followed by a metallic clang and a groan, as if he'd hit something.
"Hurry, next!" Kyle shouted.
Hermione, quicker to understand, remembered that Kyle had used this very suitcase to pull out a Devil's Snare and capture Professor Lupin when he'd transformed into a werewolf. He'd mentioned then that the suitcase was a bit "roomier than it looked."
Still, she hadn't imagined it could fit an entire person.