Chapter 179 — Riot
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"Draco! Where did you run off to just now?"
Pansy questioned Malfoy angrily. She had only realized that he had disappeared after the match ended. It was not until the award ceremony was almost over that Malfoy finally returned to his seat.
"I wandered around a bit. It's too noisy here," Malfoy replied insincerely.
"Anyway, I'm not the one who missed the wonderful match. You'll definitely regret it later," Pansy said sourly.
"Yes, I'm already regretting it now. I actually missed such an exciting match." Malfoy made a pained expression, as if he truly regretted it.
"Just keep pretending. I know you're not interested," Pansy said, tilting her head to the side, clearly showing she did not believe him.
"Then why ask if you already know?" Malfoy sighed. "It's time to go. They've been waiting too long. They're probably worried."
"Wasn't I the one you kidnapped here?" Pansy muttered softly, feeling a little embarrassed.
At that moment, a commotion suddenly erupted in the stadium.
The orderly crowd that had been leaving through the exits instantly became chaotic, as if something terrible had happened. The dense flow of people began pushing and surging uncontrollably.
"Draco!"
Pansy shouted his name, but her voice was quickly drowned out by the frightened cries of the crowd. The deafening noise of hundreds of thousands of people echoed through the stadium.
The two of them were separated by the rushing crowd.
Just a moment ago they had been standing side by side, yet in the blink of an eye they could no longer even see each other.
High above the stadium, a gigantic skull suddenly appeared.
It was formed from countless emerald-green sparks. From the skull's mouth emerged a giant serpent, hanging down like a tongue.
Although it was daytime and the symbol was less obvious, most people still recognized it instantly.
The Dark Mark.
"Looks like he moved pretty quickly," Malfoy muttered as the crowd pushed him away.
He did not look alarmed at all.
In fact, he had already expected this outcome. Barty Crouch Jr. had cast the spell to summon the Dark Mark, causing the riot.
Malfoy knew that if his father discovered he had disappeared, the entire stadium would immediately be sealed off.
The house-elf Winky had also been taken away by Malfoy. What he had said earlier made her realize that the Memory Charm was not as reliable as people believed.
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"By the way, how did you learn about me?"
Barty Crouch Jr. asked as their earlier conversation neared its end.
"You mean Bertha Jorkins? My self-righteous father placed a Memory Charm on her."
Barty Crouch Jr. looked at Malfoy suspiciously.
"Then you should thank your father for his poor skill in dark magic," Malfoy replied calmly.
"After the charm was cast, that woman didn't just lose her memory. She often went mad and babbled nonsense. But those ramblings proved she hadn't completely forgotten everything."
"Of course, no one believed her. When she claimed you were still alive, everyone treated it like a joke."
"That was when the flaw in your father's spell showed itself. She could say fragments of the truth, but she couldn't explain how or why."
"Then how did you find out?" Barty Crouch Jr. pressed.
"If I told you I inherited part of Salazar Slytherin's legacy, would you believe it?" Malfoy said calmly.
"I happened to need a test subject. She was perfect. No one would question her abnormal behavior, because she was already known to be like that."
Malfoy delivered the explanation he had prepared long ago.
"What happened next surprised even me."
"When I tortured her to the brink of death, her mind suddenly became clear for a short time. But she forgot I was the one torturing her. She thought I was a young Auror and begged me for help, telling me everything."
"I thought it was absurd, but I decided to believe it just in case. I planned to question your father indirectly."
"But he was always busy with work, so I never found the opportunity."
"This Quidditch World Cup was my chance."
Malfoy smiled faintly.
"But it seems I gained something even better — a partner."
"As for that woman… she has now been dismissed from the Ministry of Magic for frequently forgetting important matters."
"You can interpret that dismissal however you like."
"Oh?" Barty Crouch Jr.'s lips twitched.
"And I'm curious about something else," Malfoy continued.
"How exactly did you escape from Azkaban?"
Malfoy already knew the answer, but asking the question made his story sound more believable.
"You should thank my father for that," Barty Crouch Jr. sneered.
"That man killed my mother for me…"
"That's unfortunate," Malfoy said quietly.
"That's his retribution," Barty Crouch Jr. replied coldly.
A cruel smile appeared on his face, though his clenched fists betrayed the turmoil inside him.
"There's no time left," Barty Crouch Jr. said suddenly.
"My father will return soon. I refuse to remain his puppet any longer."
For Barty, the days spent under the Imperius Curse had been miserable—almost as bad as Azkaban itself.
What happened afterward was simple.
In order to escape—and to celebrate his regained freedom—Barty Crouch Jr. chose a spell that would demonstrate his loyalty.
He summoned the Dark Mark, throwing the entire stadium into chaos.
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"Maintain order! Maintain order!"
Ludo Bagman shouted desperately from the pitch.
Even though he used a Sonorus Charm to amplify his voice, most of the crowd ignored him. People only cared about fleeing.
There were also language barriers.
Although English was widely spoken, the spectators had come from all over the world. Many people simply followed the panic of the crowd without understanding what the Dark Mark meant.
"Please leave in an orderly manner!" Bagman shouted hoarsely.
His expression was grim. As the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, he would certainly be held responsible for the disaster at the Quidditch World Cup.
But his efforts were useless.
As Malfoy was pushed deeper into the chaotic mass of people, he suddenly felt someone grab the corner of his shirt.