Hogwarts: I will not become the Dark Lord

“Mr. Bagman is really too irresponsible,” Hermione said, frowning. “How was he elected Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports?”

“I remember he used to be a really amazing Quidditch player,” Ron said, scratching his head and plopping down on the grass. “Bagman led the Wimbourne Wasps to three consecutive championships!”

Harry, however, was preoccupied. He prayed that the riot in the campsite would end soon and that Mr. Weasley and the others would round up those evil wizards!

“Oh, the Roberts family is so pitiful,” Hermione said, sitting next to Jerry, her eyes filled with worry and unease. “What if the Ministry people can’t safely rescue them from the air?”

“Actually, there’s no need to worry,” Jerry said, shaking his head slightly. “Even if Mr. Roberts and his family are unfortunately injured, St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries will heal them and ensure they recover.”

“I just think everything tonight is too unbelievable, that something like this could happen, especially when almost all the Ministry officials are here tonight!” Hermione sighed. “Were the security personnel drunk? Or… … ”

Before Hermione could finish speaking, Jerry suddenly frowned, stood up, and gripped his wand tightly, his eyes becoming alert and serious.

Hermione quickly turned her head, her eyes darting towards the depths of the bushes. Clearly, she had also caught the faint sound of footsteps. However, the footsteps suddenly stopped as if they were ghosts, and the surroundings returned to silence.

Harry and Ron jumped up, their bodies tense, and looked back warily at the dark bushes.

The night was as dark as ink, and everything within sight was swallowed by darkness, but Harry could vaguely feel an invisible presence lurking at the edge of his vision, watching silently.

“Who’s there?” Harry shouted.

But after waiting for a while, there was no movement. A hint of doubt flashed in Harry’s eyes. “Nothing, Jerry, are we too nervous?”

No, Jerry confirmed inwardly. His gaze pierced through the darkness behind the trees. Although it was difficult to capture with the naked eye, he sensed magical fluctuations. Barty Crouch Jr. was hidden in that shadow using the Disillusionment Charm. Barty Crouch Jr. seemed to know that Jerry had discovered him, but he didn’t care that his movements had been exposed, and even waved at Jerry.

“Morsmordre!” In the darkness, a sinister and terrifying incantation was whispered, and then, a dazzling green light cut through the night sky, shining like the eye of death. The green light leapt onto the treetops, spiraled upwards, and transformed into a cloud of green fluorescent smoke, shooting straight into the sky. Barty Crouch Jr. successfully summoned the Dark Mark with Harry’s wand and Apparated away from the forest.

“What the hell is that?” Ron’s voice was full of tension. He jumped up suddenly, his eyes locked on the strange sight that had just appeared in the sky.

At first, Harry thought it was just another prank by the leprechauns, but then his pupils shrank—it was a huge skull made up of countless emerald green stars, extremely terrifying. Even more chilling was that a huge serpent writhed out of the skull’s hollow mouth, like the poisonous tongue of death, drawing an ominous trajectory in the night sky.

As they stared, the skull was wrapped in circles of green, glowing smoke, slowly rising, tearing a shocking wound in the dark night sky. It was like a newborn constellation, full of the aura of death, hanging high in the sky.

At this moment, perhaps because of the appearance of the Dark Mark, screams, terrified and desperate, erupted from the surrounding woods.

At this moment, the Dark Mark had transformed into a chilling neon sign, shrouding the entire forest in an ominous light.

“Quick! Jerry, we have to leave immediately!” Hermione’s voice trembled with fear. She grabbed Jerry’s wrist tightly, dragging him back desperately. “That’s the Dark Mark, Voldemort’s evil symbol! We can’t stay here!”

Just as Jerry and the others were about to retreat, a series of rapid “pops” suddenly sounded around them, and twenty Ministry Aurors descended like divine soldiers, instantly surrounding them.

“Stupefy!” The twenty Aurors shouted in unison, and accompanied by a deafening roar, dazzling rays of light intertwined like lightning, attempting to stun them on the spot.

Jerry reacted quickly. He raised his wand above his head and drew an elegant arc in the air. A strong defensive spell was instantly cast, like an indestructible shield, blocking all the Aurors’ Stunning Spells.

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes as sharp as an eagle’s, piercing through the haze of the night. The tip of the leading Auror’s wand spewed out a fiery red light, burning the air like flames. Obviously, he wanted to use the Disarming Charm to strip Jerry of the wand he held tightly in his hand.

At this moment, Jerry was unusually calm. His wand pointed directly at the leading Auror, and the same Disarming Charm burst from the tip of his wand, but it contained even more surging power. A more intense red light cut through the night sky, colliding head-on with the opponent’s spell. Instantly, the opponent’s Disarming Charm was extinguished like a candle flame encountering a hurricane. The wand in the Auror’s hand lost control and was knocked away by an invisible force, landing steadily in Jerry’s palm.

“This… how is this possible!” The leading Auror’s eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief as he looked at Jerry, who was calm and collected in front of him. His voice trembled slightly with shock. He never expected that he would be disarmed by Jerry, and his wand would be taken away by the other party.

“Stop!” A familiar and anxious voice shouted. Mr. Weasley rushed into the crowd as fast as he could. “Stop! That’s my son!”

“Ron, Harry,” Mr. Weasley’s eyes darted quickly between the few of them, his voice slightly trembling with tension. “Jerry, Hermione, are you all right?”

“Everyone, stand back,” a cold and emotionless voice interrupted Mr. Weasley’s words coldly. Barty Crouch Sr. spoke indifferently, as he and the other wizard officials from the Ministry of Magic gathered around, making the atmosphere even more tense.

“How… could it be you?” Barty Crouch Sr.’s sharp eyes swept over the four people surrounded by the Aurors, his voice revealing deep suspicion, but even more so, he was shocked by the amazing strength displayed by Jerry. Under the siege of twenty well-trained Aurors, Jerry was able to disarm the leading Auror so easily. This exaggerated strength… was really unbelievable.

"Over there," Jerry said, returning the stolen wand to the Auror, and decisively pointed into the depths of the bushes, where Barty Crouch Jr. had just hidden. "Over there, behind the trees. He just said a spell, and then this mark appeared."

Upon hearing this, the Aurors and Ministry of Magic officials raised their wands again, like falcons poised to strike, their eyes fixed on the dark bushes Jerry indicated.

"It seems we arrived a step too late," the witch in the wool dressing gown sighed softly, shaking her head helplessly. "I suspect he has already escaped using Apparition."

"I don't think so," a confident voice broke the silence. Amos Diggory, Cedric's father, with his neatly trimmed brown beard, stated, "I'm sure he's hiding in some corner of those bushes!"

"Amos, be careful!" The surrounding wizards warned, but Mr. Diggory was clearly determined. He puffed out his chest, gripped his wand tightly, strode across the open space, and resolutely stepped into the darkness.

Soon, a hurried shout came from behind the bushes, filled with victorious joy, "Found him! I caught him! There's someone here! Unconscious!"

Barty Crouch Sr.'s voice was filled with disbelief, "You actually... caught the culprit? Who is it? Who is it?"

Then, there was the sound of twigs snapping, leaves rustling, and heavy footsteps gradually approaching. Mr. Diggory emerged from the bushes, carrying a small, thin figure in his arms. Harry stared in shock, realizing that the suspect Mr. Diggory had caught was none other than the house-elf, Winky.

Barty Crouch Sr., witnessing Diggory placing his house-elf Winky at his feet, seemed petrified, motionless and speechless. His face was as pale as paper, only his eyes, like burning embers, were fixed on Winky on the ground.

The other Ministry of Magic officials turned their gazes to Barty Crouch Sr., focusing on him, and the entire scene fell into a brief silence. The few seconds seemed to stretch on endlessly, as Mr. Crouch remained in the same position, unmoving.

"Winky is Mr. Crouch's house-elf," Jerry whispered to Hermione and the others, turning around.

"This... this is impossible," Barty Crouch Sr. finally spoke, his voice low and trembling. He almost mechanically bypassed Mr. Diggory and hurried towards the spot where Winky had been found, as if to personally verify the absurdity of it all.

"Mr. Crouch, please calm down," Mr. Diggory called out to Crouch's back, "There's no one else there."

Barty Crouch Sr. seemed not to hear Diggory's words, continuing to walk quickly towards the place where Winky was discovered.

"This is indeed a bit awkward," Mr. Diggory shook his head helplessly, his gaze falling on Winky's unconscious figure, a hint of seriousness in his tone.

"Amos, how could Mr. Crouch's house-elf have done this?" Mr. Weasley said in a low voice, "Do you really believe a house-elf could create such chaos? And to summon the Dark Mark, you need a wand."

"Look here," Diggory said, raising a wand and solemnly handing it to Mr. Weasley, "It's her, she was holding this wand."

At that moment, Ludo Bagman Apparated next to Mr. Weasley. He was breathing rapidly, looking completely disoriented.

"The Dark Mark!" Bagman gasped, his voice filled with disbelief, then turned and looked around, searching for answers, nearly stepping on Winky's frail body.

Mr. Crouch returned to the group empty-handed, his face still ashen, his hands clenched into fists, even his tiny toothbrush mustache seemed to be trembling slightly.

"Barty?" Mr. Bagman asked with concern and confusion, "Where have you been all night? Why did you miss such an important match? Your house-elf even saved you a good seat! Good heavens!" Only then did he notice Winky lying on the ground, "What happened to her?"

Mr. Crouch forced a weak explanation, "I've been busy with official duties, Ludo," his voice still low and mechanical, as if each word weighed a ton, "My house-elf, she..."

"Winky? You don't think she summoned the Dark Mark, do you?" Bagman shook his head upon hearing this. "Don't be ridiculous, she doesn't even know how to summon the Dark Mark, and besides, she doesn't have a wand!"

"No, Mr. Bagman, allow me to correct you," Diggory said, looking at Barty Crouch Sr. and raising the wand in his hand as proof, "She was indeed holding a wand, I saw it with my own eyes."

"Mr. Crouch, I believe we need to give her a chance to defend herself," Diggory continued.

However, Barty Crouch Sr. seemed to be in another world, ignoring Mr. Diggory's words. Mr. Diggory could only take this silence as tacit consent. He quickly raised his wand, aimed it at Winky, and whispered, "Ennervate!"

As the spell took effect, Winky's weak body gradually reacted.