Harry hadn’t even taken a breath to answer the nearest Auror’s latest question when a familiar voice cut sharply through the clearing.
“Harry!”Mr. Weasley pushed past two cloaked figures, worry and relief mixing across his face. “That’s enough questioning. The boy has had quite a night.”
The Auror opened his mouth to argue, but Mr. Weasley fixed him with a stern, surprisingly authoritative look. “He’s under my supervision. I’ll give a statement on his behalf.”
Harry exhaled slowly—he hadn’t realized how tightly he’d been holding his breath. The System’s warning still hovered faintly in his mind like a phantom notification:
⚠ UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE DETECTEDRevealing System Information Will Trigger Penalty.Please Refrain. Have a Pleasant Evening! 😊
He swallowed. Pleasant evening, his foot.
Mr. Weasley turned to him. “Are you hurt?”
“No. Just… shaken,” Harry replied.
Mr. Weasley nodded. “Then tell me exactly what happened. Briefly.”
Harry did just that—briefly being the key word.He explained finding the cloaked men torturing the woman.He explained charging them because he had no wand.He explained knocking one down, disarming another, and then… everything exploding in white.
He left out the System, the bracer, the inventory, and the fact he’d basically been guided through first-aid by a snarky, glowing-words-in-the-air game interface.
Ron and Hermione finally reached them, breathless and wide-eyed.
“Harry! We’ve been looking everywhere!” Hermione gasped, brushing leaves and twigs out of her hair. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Harry said, giving a weak smile. “I just—everything happened so fast.”
“Of course it did,” Ron muttered. “This is you we’re talking about.”
But Hermione wasn’t smiling. She glanced past Harry, gaze climbing the treeline as if searching for something. Ron followed her stare.
Harry turned—and froze.
Up in the sky, twisting in unnatural emerald light, the Dark Mark burned like a living flame. The skull, the serpent, the sinister glow—it all throbbed like a malicious heartbeat.
Harry’s stomach dropped.How had he not realized it was there?He’d been so focused on the fight… on the woman… on the System—
Hermione swallowed hard. “We were at the campsite when it appeared. Everyone started panicking. Mr. Crouch’s elf—Winky—she was found with your wand, Harry. The one you lost.”
Ron jumped in, “And she supposedly fired the spell that created that thing—”
“But she didn’t,” Hermione said quickly. “She couldn’t have. She’s terrified of Dark Magic.”
Mr. Weasley raised a calming hand. “Enough. Harry has been cleared of wrongdoing. I’ve spoken with the Aurors. They’re dealing with the larger situation.”
A pair of mediwizards were kneeling over the mysterious woman Harry had saved. The fiery healing draught—Ember Resin Tonic—had done its work well. Her skin had regained color, her breathing even and steady.
But now… they were levitating her onto a stretcher.
“Wait,” Harry said, taking half a step toward them. “I—can I know who she is?”
One of the mediwizards shook his head. “She’s in no state for questioning. And her identification is… inconclusive. We’ll take her to St. Mungo’s.”
Before Harry could protest, they moved her away, swallowed by the rushing movements of ministry responders and magical chaos.
His only clue—gone.
And his System? Silent. As if deliberately refusing to offer answers.
Mr. Weasley placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “You did the right thing tonight, Harry. And you’ve done enough. Let’s get all of you out of here.”
“But—my wand—” Harry began.
“I’ve already spoken to the investigators. They’ll return it once they finalize their logs,” Mr. Weasley assured him. “For the moment, I’ve smoothed over your involvement. You won’t be questioned again.”
Harry blinked. “Really?”
“Yes. You’re safe, son.”The warmth in Arthur Weasley’s voice hit harder than any spell.
Harry nodded silently.
The clearing was still filled with frantic movement—Aurors sealing the perimeter, mediwizards tending to shaken victims, the Dark Mark still glowing ominously overhead like a cruel reminder of what the night had become.
Hermione and Ron flanked him on either side as Mr. Weasley guided them away from the chaos.
“Come along,” Mr. Weasley urged. “We’re heading back to the Burrow. You all need rest.”
Harry followed, one last glance cast back at the place where the woman had been.The place where the world had flashed white.The place where everything had changed.
The System hummed faintly in his mind again.
🎉 Tutorial Complete – Pending Reward AvailableWould You Like to Redeem Now?
Not tonight, Harry thought.
▶ Reward Saved for Later! Good call, Player. Suspense is important for pacing.
Harry nearly tripped.
Snarky idiot.
But maybe… helpful.
As they left the clearing behind, the Dark Mark slowly faded from view—but not from Harry’s memory.
Not by a long shot.