Secrets and mafia...
There was a loud thud as both Harry and Cedric fell to the floor in heap. The music started instantly till Harry scrambled up with Cedric supporting him. People were cheering and yelling with glee, and Cedric bellowed: “SHUT UP!”
Silence ensued and Dumbledore blinked.
”Cedric, are you-”
”Professor!” Harry yelled. “The Cup- the Triwizard Cup- a portkey! Skull and Reborn are still stuck there! We have to go help!”
”Slow down,” Dumbledore said, his twinkling blue eyes taking a serious undertone. “What’s wrong?”
Harry and Cedric began to talk over each other, till Cedric slapped a hand over the younger boy’s mouth.
”The Cup was a portkey,” he said. “Reborn and Skull figures it out. They arrived just as Harry and I grabbed the Cup. They grabbed the Cup too before it took off. There was... someone there. Death Eaters! Right, this creepy bloke got revived or something-”
”Voldemort!” Harry cried, pushing Cedric’s hand away. “Voldemort rose!”
”Oh... that makes a lot of sense as to why the Death Eaters were there, then,”. Enrich mumbled, then continued speaking. “Skull... he... he... told me and Harry to go and get the portkey when he gave the signal. But Professor, Professor, Skull and Reborn are still there!”
Dumbledore looked grim as he picked up the Cup.
”Its not longer a portkey. Do you know where you were?”
”A graveyard,” Harry offered. “It... it had a gravestone marked as Tom Riddle.”
Dumbledore nodded.
”That’s all I needed to know. Harry, Cedric, please get to the infirmary. I’ll deal with this,” he said.
The two boys began to protest, until the Weasley’s, Hermione and Diggory’s hurried over, their faces worried. Bill helped Harry to walk, who protested loudly.
”But Skull and Reborn-”
”Will be fine,” Mrs. Weasley said firmly. “They’re professors, aren’t they?”
”But Reborn’s a muggle!” Cedric cried.
But the two families were having none of it, and took the boys to the infirmary. As they walked, Harry saw Moody out of the corner of his eye, and he whipped out his wand. Beside him, Cedric did the same.
”Stupefy!” they both cried. Moody had no time to react, and was knocked unconscious.
”Harry!”
”Cedric!”
”Blood hell mate! Why’d you attack Moody?” Ron cried. Harry shook his head.
”He’s not Moody.”
”What do you mean he’s not Moody?!” Mrs. Weasley cried.
”Reborn whispered that into our ears before we left,” Cedric said grimly. “He said to ‘check Moody’s trunk’, and that he ‘wasn’t who we think he is’.
Mr. Diggory pursed his lips and levitated Moody up.
”Infirmary,” he said shortly, and the two nodded meekly.
WITH THE MAFIA AND A FAR BIT LATER...
Skull groaned as his eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing right.
”Reborn?” he asked weakly, and the hitman’s head jolted up.
”Skull,” he breathed in relief, getting up to pass the stuntman a drink. “How are you feeling?”
”Feel like shit,” Skull groaned.
”Well, that’s what happens when you get an injury that stops your Flames from healing them, you little brat,” Lal said as she woke up too.
”You really scared us, Kora,” Colonello said, frowning.
”Sorry, sorry,” Skull mumbled. “But you try dodging a sectumsempra, it’s impossible- that’s what it is. You can’t dodge wind.”
”We’re glad you’re alright, Skull,” Fon said gently. Skull nodded, looking around at his friends, then frowning at Lal.
”Hey... are you... bigger?” Skull asked, squinting his eyes.
”Mou,” Viper said. “She’s pregnant.”
There was silence, and then Skull shrieked loudly, and everyone winced.
”Since when?! And why wasn’t I told?!” he wailed.
Lal raised an eyebrow, and scoffed, patting her stomach.
”We told you a few months back. I think you were drunk though. I mean, probably. With all the weird messages you sent in response,” she said. Skull groaned, face-palming.
”I knew I shouldn’t have drunk all that fire-whiskey,” he said, and the winced, his hand twitching towards his torso. Everyone was on alert instantly.
”Whats wrong?” Verde asked, his eyes narrowing. “The operation went perfectly. I oversaw it myself. It shouldn’t hurt. I administered painkillers of my own invention.”
”It’s nothing, nothing,” Skull said, waving a hand, but still grimacing. “It just tingles a little.” He quickly changed the subject. “What about Pettigrew?”
Reborn pursed his lips, but didn’t push it.
”...the rat is in a holding cell. We’ve got eyes watching him 24/7,” he said.
”Ah... how long have I been out?”
”About an entire two day,” Fon informed him. Skull’s eyes widened.
”That long?” he asked. Skull huffed a breath.
”Wow. Uh... Ren, any word from Hogwarts?” he asked.
”Ren?” Colonello asked, his jaw dropping.
”An owl,” Reborn said, ignoring the soldier. “I told them we were fine.”
”That’s good,” Skull said, nodding. “When can we go back?”
”Not until you’re fully healed,” Verde snapped. “You’re not going anywhere till that injury is healed. And it’ll heal at the rate of a normal person without any Flames.”
Skull groaned loudly.
”But I’m fine!” he whined.
”You feel fine now,” Verde said irritably, “but wait till the painkillers wear off. You’ll be screaming in pain.”
Skull closed his mouth with an audible click. Verde nodded. “I thought so.”