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Something was wrong.

Very Wrong.

She could feel it. They had gotten back to their tent from the match just minutes before but, already, Iris could feel something in the atmosphere. And it wasn't good.

The other kids were singing and dancing around the main area of the tent, yelling along to the upbeat rhythm of the Irish music playing throughout the living area. Iris sat on the sofa, staring off into space, entrapped within the worried thoughts of her own mind.

She closed her eyes, leaning back into the squishy cushions in an attempt to relax. Her eyebrows furrowed as she began to hear odd sounds coming from outside the tent... screams.

Run!

Death Eaters --

Run...

Run!

RUN!

Her eyes shot open as she took in a gasp of breath. She couldn't hear much from outside as the boys were being exceptionally loud, joking around as Ron fawned over Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker.

Iris stood, making her way briskly over to the entrance to the tent without much notice. She slowly pulled the doorway flaps back, scared for what she might witness outside the shelter of the canvas walls. Her lips parted and her eyes grew wide with horror. A sudden booming sound made her flinch, an explosion of fire lighting up the sky from across the sea of tents. People ran by, screaming, carrying their children as they hurried away from the imminent danger spreading closer.

Not taking her eyes off of the growing flames, Iris called out to behind her, "Mr Weasley..."

The man walked over with furrowed eyebrows, beginning to ask what was wrong before he, too, looked outside. Her brother and friends were still goofing off behind them, now singing a song about Ron's love for Krum.

Another boom sounded throughout the field. Hundreds of people were running in all directions, yelling and pushing people out of their way. Iris could hear a faint chanting sound coming from the direction of the fire. The young girl pushed past the flaps of the tent, hearing the voices of the Weasley twins fading as she walked forward.

Iris pushed through the hoard of people racing by, not sparing anyone a glance as she focused on the chanting. Finally breaking through the crowd Iris stood in the opening between two tents, gazing out over the landscape in front of her.

By the light of the few fires that were still burning, she could see people running away into the woods, fleeing something that was moving across the field toward them, something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire. Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells were drifting toward her; then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene.

A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field. Iris squinted at them....They didn't seem to have faces....Then she realized that their heads were hooded and their faces masked.

More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing at the fleeing bodies. Tents crumpled and fell as the marching crowd swelled. Once or twice Iris saw one of the marchers blast a tent out of his way with his wand. Several caught fire. The screaming grew louder.

"Iris!"

The witch's head whirled around, her brown hair, highlighted from spending days outside in the sun, glowed orange from the flames that were licking behind her. Iris found Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys standing outside their tent, expressions full of fear just like her own.

"Get out! It's the Death Eaters!" A man screamed from somewhere in the rushing crowd.

Iris' face paled, and she briskly started pushing through people once again, trying to reach her group. She was being run into by witches and wizards going both directions and just when she was almost out a hand reached through and grabbed her arm, pulling her into them. Iris melted into her twin's arms before pulling away from Harry as Mr Weasley told them what to do.

"Get back to the portkey everybody, and stick together." He turned to the Weasley twins, "Fred, George... Ginny is your responsibility. GO!"

Mr Weasley then rushed off, wand in hand, toward the marching group. Fred, George, and Ginny took off with Iris, Ron, and Hermione following close behind. Iris got a few steps before noticing Harry was staring, terrified, at the Death Eaters.

"Harry!"

He jumped into action, running after her. They all didn't get far as more people began running by, pushing the teenagers in opposite directions.

Iris tried to grab for Hermione, her fingertips just grazing her jacket before someone else barreled through, Iris getting yanked backwards.

Her breathing was erratic, and her eyes were wide, "Hermione! Harry!"

She fell out of the crowd and onto the solid ground with a thump. Not seeing any of her friends anywhere, Iris began running toward the direction where she thought they were going. Stumbling through the burning campsite, Iris quickly came to the realization that she had no idea where so was going.

Iris then made the mistake of stopping in place to look around for any hints of recognition as to where she was. Next thing she knew there was a Death Eater standing before her. The masked wizard had their wand pointed at Iris, and though she couldn't see the face of the person below, the mask had enough of a sinister grin painted onto it to give off fright-inducing vibes.

Iris immediately pulled her wand out of her back pocket only for the man to hiss, "Expelliarmus!"

Iris slowly stepped backwards, the wizard's wand trained on her as they started chuckling darkly. She didn't know what to do. She had no wand, no help, and it's not like she could do any real wandless magic yet and Iris was pretty sure the lumos charm would not do much good against an attack.

Iris was backed up against the side of a tent now, completely defenceless as she stared up into the dark, hollow eyes of the Death Eater. His arm raised and Iris heard the beginning of a spell, one which Iris was sure would be undoubtedly harmful, begin to leave his mouth before another voice shouted faster;

"Stupefy!"

Iris watched aghast as the cloaked man went flying back unconscious. She turned toward her savior to thank them only to let out a loud groan when she saw who it was. Rolling her eyes she walked past them, scooping her wand off of the ground and shoving it into her back pocket before promptly walking in the opposite direction.

"What, no thank you?" The person asked, following her, the smirk on their face evident even though Iris could not see it.

Iris rolled her eyes once more, growling quietly before speaking over her shoulder, "Piss off, Malfoy."

"I'm just saying, Potter, usually when someone saves your life you thank them -- I will, however, accept your eternal servitude --"

"Oh, is that all?"

"-- Of course, I'm not sure I'd want someone like you hanging around --"

"Someone like me?"

"Someone so unbearably annoying."

Iris stopped in her tracks, turning to face him with an expression of disbelieving confusion, "Why are you still following me?"

He smirked smugly, "I'm still waiting for that thank you."

Iris huffed, turning back around and walking between two tents.

"Well, it looks like you're going to be waiting for a long time."

She continued walking away from the boy, this time without him following. The screams had stopped for the most part, and the fires were slowly flickering out on the other side of the campsite making it look like the remains of a battlefield full of smoke and ashes.

There was an eerie feeling that lingered throughout the abandoned field as Iris slowly wandered through it alone. The scent of smoke invaded her senses no matter where she was and small fires burned and smoldered every few yards.

Iris was only walking around for another minute before a ball of fiery green light went shooting up into the sky, lighting up the burnt campsite with a haunting glow. Then she realized that it was a colossal skull, comprised of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. As she watched, it rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky like a new constellation. Iris recognized the symbol immediately, it was the dark mark, Voldemort's mark.

She staggered backwards, suddenly terrified, not only for her own sake, but for Harry's.

Just a moment later she heard the echoes of voices calling out from not far away,

"Iris! Harry!"

"Where are you guys!?"

Iris took off running, easily finding clarity in her friends' mind's. She turned a corner, not looking where she was going until she collided into the body of her best friend.

"Oh, Hermione," Iris said, breathing heavily in relief, "It's just you... This way."

She led Hermione and Ron, weaving through ashy tents until they came up behind the hiding form of her brother. Iris pulled him into a tight hug as Ron spoke.

"Been looking for you for ages." He clapped Harry on the arm reassuringly, "Thought we lost you."

They all looked up at the monstrous glowing mark in the sky Harry asking, "What is that?" Before he grabbed his forehead in pain, groaning as an expression of agony rippled across his face.

Iris held him upright, looking at him worried.

Suddenly, many witches and wizards apparated, surrounding the four teens in a circle as they yelled, "Stupefy!"

They immediately ducked, the red beams of light shooting over their heads and off into the distance as the Ministry Aurors dodged them. Iris' eyes were as wide as the full moon hanging dauntingly above in the night sky. All four of them were breathing heavily, waiting for the next onslaught of spells to come when a yell broke through the otherwise silent grounds,

"STOP! That's my son!"

Mr Weasley barreled through the wizards, running to them in panic. He helped them up off the ground, checking them all over.

"Ron! Harry, Iris, Hermione, are you alright?"

An older wizard nudged him out of the way, wand drawn in their faces as he stared them down with wide accusatory eyes, "Which of you conjured it?"

"Crouch, you can't possibly --" Mr Weasley tried.

"It is a lie! You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!" He bellowed at the fourteen year-olds, waving his wand menacingly in their faces.

He brought it closer to Harry's forehead, using the tip to sweep his hair out of the way, exposing his scar. Crouch then shifted to Iris, moving to do the same before she raised her hand, carefully using a finger to push the tip of the wand away from her with narrowed eyes.

"Crime?" Harry questioned, not understanding.

Typical. Their biggest enemy and he doesn't even know his symbol or followers. Iris almost had the urge to face palm.

"Barty, they're just kids," Mr Weasley tried to reason with the man.

"What crime?" Harry pushed.

Iris looked up at the glowing green animation before turning her head back to her brother, "It's the dark mark Harry. Voldemort's mark."

Harry was bewildered, "Those people tonight, in the masks... they're his too aren't they? They're his followers."

Mr Weasley nodded in confirmation, "Death Eaters."

Barty Crouch took a step back, commanding the other Aurors to follow him as he began to lead in one direction. Harry stuttered for a moment before stepping after them and calling out;

"There was a man. Before. There." He pointed.

The old wizard hesitated, staring at the Potter boy before turning back to the others and calling, "All of you, this way." And changing directions to where Harry pointed.

"A man Harry?" Mr Weasley questioned, "Who?"

Harry turned back to them, looking perplexed, "I dunno. I didn't see his face."

Iris turned, hugging her arms around herself so as to draw some kind of comfort to distract herself from the raging emblem in the sky. Her eyes slowly rose to it, observing the skull and snake carefully. She drew her arms in tighter, a shiver going down her spine.

The only thing that relieved her worried thoughts even a little was the idea that they would soon be back at Hogwarts. Safe and sound within the castle walls. After all, if Voldemort or his followers really were returning, they wouldn't dare try and get to her and her brother where Dumbledore was protecting them.

Yes, they would be safe at Hogwarts.

Well, that's what they thought.

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Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy warty Hogwarts

next chapter we'll be back and better than ever

then all the real fun begins

hahaha