Chapter 528: Chapter 528: Separated (Edited)
Tom heard a noise behind him: it was Mr. Weasley. He had also been awakened by the noise and came out of the tent.
He thought the source of the noise was the Irish procession, but upon exiting the tent, he realized he was completely wrong.
"Merlin!" Mr. Weasley gripped his hair tightly to wake up a bit more and, in passing, remind himself that this wasn't a nightmare he had created. He went back into the tent and shouted, "Get up quickly!"
As Mr. Weasley yelled, he pulled the drowsy children out of bed. "Get up! Fred, wake up, George!"
"What...?" Fred sat up abruptly, his hair disheveled, and banged his head against the upper bunk bed.
"Put on your clothes and get out!" Mr. Weasley ordered.
The pain in his forehead quickly woke Fred up. He listened carefully to the noise outside and realized something was wrong because he heard shouts and the sound of people running in panic. This didn't seem like a celebration at all! He randomly grabbed a jacket and put it on over his head, then followed his father to wake up the rest of the people in the tent. Once everyone was awake, Fred grabbed his money bag and wand and rushed out of the tent.
Outside the tent, the people in the two neighboring tents were also awakened. Percy, Bill, and Charlie were already dressed and standing outside the tent with serious expressions. Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs. Granger had just come out of their tent.
"Oh my God," Mrs. Granger exclaimed when she clearly saw the four floating objects.
"What...?" Mr. Granger heard his wife's cry and ran out, only to be stunned by the scene before his eyes.
He stared at the camp in chaos, the procession, and the defenseless Roberts family. Based on the knowledge gained in previous conversations, he understood everything. He knew that wizards had a peculiar view of Muggles, but he didn't expect it to be so extreme.
The scene was hopeless.
The Death Eaters destroyed in a matter of minutes the good impression Mr. Granger had of the magical world. They shamelessly displayed wizards' contempt for Muggles, without any pretense.
Mr. Granger looked at Tom and, with a trembling voice, said, "How is this any different from the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)?"
Tom remained silent, like a stone statue.
There was no difference; the Death Eaters and the KKK were synonymous with decadence and disgust, one discriminated against people of color, and the other against Muggles.
At that moment, a protester used his wand to flip Mrs. Roberts, leaving her hanging upside down, with her nightgown falling and revealing some flashy underwear. The crowd below rejoiced at Mrs. Roberts' efforts to free herself.
Vile words were carried by the wind, constant and relentless.
"It's disgusting," Ron muttered.
Perhaps gathering in a group and not moving drew too much attention because the Weasley family was noticed by the Death Eaters in the procession, who cast curses at them.
"Protego!" The present boys invoked the Shield Charm to repel the curses coming at them.
Seeing that the spells were ineffective, shouts came from the procession, which began to approach the Weasley camp.
Everyone paled.
"Let's help the Ministry maintain order," Mr. Weasley said, rolling up his sleeves and speaking loudly. "You all enter the forest together, don't separate! I'll come find you once this is resolved!"
After speaking, he took Bill and the others, running toward the approaching procession. By this time, the Ministry of Magic finally reacted, and Ministry staff hurried from all directions to the scene, attempting to rescue the Roberts family.
All the adult wizards from their small group had already left.
"So, they'll be rescued for sure?" Mr. Granger asked anxiously, approaching Tom.
Tom nodded.
"And will these thugs be punished?"
To the second question from Mr. Granger, Tom didn't respond. No one would be punished, and the Ministry of Magic wouldn't compensate the affected family.
Seeing Tom in silence, Mr. Granger understood. He sighed, helped his wife, whose legs were weak, and prepared to leave with the others. Fred took Ginny's hand and dragged her into the forest, Harry and Ron followed, while George, Hermione, and the Granger couple looked at Tom, who had been silent since the incident.
"Tom, it's time to go," Hermione said anxiously.
In response to Hermione's voice, Tom slowly shook his head.
"Hermione, take care of... our parents. I have something to take care of," Tom said calmly.
Hermione: !!!
A bad feeling surged within her, "What are you planning, Tom? Why aren't you running away?"
But before Hermione could say anything, George had already left in the direction of the forest with the Granger couple. Resigned, Hermione followed them, but just after taking two steps, she stopped and summoned her Patronus.
"Take him with you, please, come back safe!" Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes. At that moment, she wanted to stay with Tom, but reason told her that her parents needed her more.
"Yes, I promise," Tom said as he held the three-headed dog Patronus.
Hermione held a wand in one hand and clenched her fist with the other, but she eventually relaxed and let go. She bit her lip, turned around, and ran into the forest.
Tom watched as she slowly disappeared into the forest's shadow, while the three-headed dog Patronus lazily rolled in his arms.
"People, fear the strong and harass the weak," Tom whispered as he stroked the soft and docile fur of the three-headed dog. He looked toward the approaching procession. "If you don't harm them, they won't change their behavior."
Today, he couldn't run away. Running alone would only fuel the Death Eaters' arrogant behavior. Only by staying and giving them a beating would they realize.
Tom looked at the Roberts family hanging from the Death Eaters in the sky and felt a burning fire ignite in his chest.
This family would receive no compensation, they wouldn't even have a memory of this event, and the culprits of all this would go unpunished.
"Burglary, kidnapping, arson. They will be punished for all their crimes," Tom pronounced to the present Death Eaters.
If the Ministry of Magic can't handle it, then I will!
Tom turned and went back into the tent, retrieving something from his luggage.
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