Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 9 Summary.
The Dark Mark
Chapter 9 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, titled “The Dark Mark”, deals with the aftermath of the Quidditch World Cup, and marks the beginning of something dark.
Chaos at the Campsite
The group returns to the campsite after thoroughly enjoying the World Cup Final. Fred and George happily walk with the money they have won from Ludo Bagman.
Harry lies on a top bunk above Ron and replays the match in his head. He falls asleep imagining himself in Krum’s shoes but is woken up by Arthur soon after.
Arthur tells him to quickly grab a jacket and get outside. The atmosphere of the place seems to have changed as well. The air that was full of song and celebration not long ago was now full of screams.
Harry does what he is told and leaves the tent. In the dim lighting, he can make out a group of wizards marching across the field with their wands pointing straight up. Above them were four struggling figures, being contorted into grotesque shapes.
The group continues to get bigger, as more wizards join them. A few blast the nearby tents, setting fires in the process. A burning tent sheds light on the figures, and Harry recognizes one of them as Mr Roberts. The other three look like his wife and children.
Arthur instructs Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins to stick together and head to the woods. He declares that he along with Percy, Bill and Charlie are going to help the Ministry, and will fetch them once everything sorts.
Escape into the Wood
Following Arthur’s orders, the group heads into the woods. They run into Malfoy, who sneers at them and asks them to hurry along. According to him, ‘they’re’ after Muggles, and would not spare Muggleborns either. He insults Hermione, but she asks the others to hurry up and leave the place.
Ignoring Malfoy, the trio resumes walking but soon realizes that Ginny and the Twins are not around anymore.
The pathway is filled with plenty of other people though, including a teenager from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
Harry looks for his wand in his pockets but realizes it is missing. He looks around but is unable to find it. Being wandless in a situation like this one leaves him feeling highly vulnerable.
All of a sudden, Winky the House Elf appears from a bush. She moves strangely, almost as if someone is holding on to her. Harry suggests that perhaps she does not have permission to escape, which makes Hermione feel for House-Elf Rights. She leaves, and a huge bang nearby reminds them to keep walking.
Morsmorde!
The trio looks for the twins and Ginny, but they are nowhere to be found. They do, however, run into a white and strained-looking Ludo Bagman. He has no idea about the riot at the campsite and disapparates heads there immediately when Ron informs him.
They sit down on the ground for a bit. Ron plays with his miniature Krum figure, as the others discuss the riot. Suddenly, there is a disturbance nearby, as if someone was staggering towards them. Harry gets up to check when there is another sound; not a groan or shout, but the spell Morsmorde!
Something huge and green emerges from the patch of darkness and into the sky. It is a colossal skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. The wood fills with screams instantly, but Harry has no idea why.
Out of nowhere, the trio is attacked by a group of over 20 wizards. The trio ducks to dodge, and a familiar voice asks the group to stop. It is Arthur Weasley, and he is with other members of the Ministry.
Caster of the Dark Mark
From the group emerges an enraged Barty Crouch, demanding the castor of the Dark Mark. He seems to think it was the trio who did it, but none in the group shares his opinion. Arthur asks where the mark came from, and Hermione points him towards the place.
Amos Diggory heads towards the location and finds an unconscious body. The stunning spells shot by the Ministry hadn’t gone to waste, and had subdued the castor- Winky the House Elf.
Barty cannot believe it is his House Elf and goes to check the patch for more bodies. He cannot find any, and returns empty-handed. Arthur offers that the Dark Mark is a wizard’s sign; meaning Winky couldn’t have cast it without a wand. In response, Amos announces she did have a wand, and produces it in front of the group.
A moment later, there is a loud pop as Ludo Bagman apparates to the spot. He inquires about the Dark Mark and notices Winky lying on the floor. Barty explains that she has been stunned. Ludo doesn’t believe the insinuation and argues the Dark Mark can only be conjured with a wand. Amos presents the proof to him, and wakes Winky up using Rennervate!
He introduces himself as a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and demands an explanation about the Dark Mark. Winky pleads innocent, and Amos shows the wand he found near her. Out of nowhere, Harry recognizes the wand as his own. For a second, Amos suspects Harry of conjuring the Dark Mark, but Arthur has him realize that Harry Potter of all people would never do it.
Amos grills Winky further, but the trio backs her up. Hermione argues that the voice they heard was far deeper than Winky’s, and the boys agree. Arthur offers further support and says she couldn’t have known how to perform the spell since only a select few wizards know how to.
The Anger of Barty Crouch
Barty announces that perhaps Amos is suggesting he himself taught his House Elf the spell. Amos falls silent and denies the implication, but Barty has taken offense.
He asks Winky where she picked Harry’s wand from, and she points to the trees. Barty requests Amos to let him deal with her, even though under normal circumstances she would have been questioned under his Department. Amos does not want to oblige, but he cannot refuse a senior member of the Ministry.
Barty then turns to Winky and reprimands her. He threatens her with clothes, which makes her cry loudly. Hermione rushes to Winky’s defense, but Barty says he does not need a servant who cannot obey him. Arthur quickly gets Harry’s wand back and asks to take his lot back to the tent. Hermione argues further, but Arthur tells her it is not the time.
They head back to the tents, where everyone else is already present. Gathering around the table, the party gets into a discussion. Bill has a bleeding arm, Charlie has a ripped shirt and Percy sports a bloody nose. The twins and Ginny are unharmed but shaken.
Arthur and the trio explain the ordeal with the Dark Mark and Winky, which shocks the others. Ron impatiently asks what the deal with the Dark Mark is, and Hermione explains it to be the symbol of Voldemort. It is conjured whenever Voldemort or his followers, whom he calls Death Eaters, commit murder.
Aftermath of the Mark
It was the Death Eater that started the riot. According to Arthur, torturing Muggles was their idea of fun. However, the Dark Mark scared them all away.
Ron questions why the Death Eaters ran away after seeing the Dark Mark. Bill explains that the Death Eaters who were present today did their best to stay out of Azkaban. They probably denied any involvement with Voldemort and went back to their lives after his fall. Had Voldemort really come back, they would be the first ones to greet his wrath.
Hermione wonders why the Dark Mark had been conjured. Was it to show support to Voldemort, or to scare the Death eaters away? Arthur explains that while they can only guess, it is certain that the Dark Mark was conjured by a Death Eater. Nobody else knew how to, after all.
The chapter ends as the group heads to bed. Harry is worried about the connection between his hurting scar and Voldemort’s mark. He wonders if Sirius has gotten his owl yet, and dozes off in some time.
