The crowd was thinning as most made their way to Hogsmeade for the public festival celebrating the Tri-Wizard Tournament's conclusion. The VIPs and champions' parents went with the students up to Hogwarts for the school's celebration banquet and to officially award Fleur as the Tri-Wizard Champion.
Harry was glad the French witch had won. After getting to know her over the winter holidays, he'd come to realize the French Veela had a massive insecurity complex because of the way she looked. She expected people to not take her seriously because of her looks… and feared they were right that she wasn't a real witch. Maybe this would give her a confidence boast.
Most of the third task had been a trick of some sort. The eels were transfigured Selkies. Selkies resembled large seals but had human-level intelligence and often lived in conjunction with Mer-colonies. Selkies did however retain the seals' sense of mischievous humour and were more than happy to help out. The Acromantulas were quite real but had been paid off in whole cows before the contest ever began. The Banshees and their cousins were illusions coupled with WWW product that created a Confundus-type effect.
The 'Dementors were a single Bogart trapped in the Dementor shape by a spell they had found in the Black Library. The Pit had been something like a Muggle treadmill. Each Champion continued down their own "path" until it was their turn to face the 'Dementor'. The platform shrank with each encounter. Viktor failed to get past the first one. He was the last of the Champions to encounter the 'first' dementor and came too close to it. The creature grabbed him and made to kiss him when his portkey activated. Cedric got past the second trial but couldn't bring himself to face the third dementor. He tried but the fear was too great.
Now Fleur was receiving her accolades as she deserved. The students from all three schools were celebrating. Fleur looked relieved it was over but the glare she gave Harry said there would be paybacks sometime in the future.
"Ya handled yon Malfoy brat too kindly, boy," a rough voice interrupted Harry's thoughts. "Should have let the eels 'ave'em! But the thing with the giant spiders was a treat too in my book." Harry turned to see Filch standing behind him with an evil smile on his face.
"Should've tortured the little shit some more if you asked me. Deserves it… 'im and his worthless father."
Harry merely nodded and said, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now if you'll excuse me, I am needed at the castle." Harry turned to continue of his way to the castle. He could see Padma and the rest of his friends ahead waiting for him.
"Afraid you're not going to make that party, Potter." A hand suddenly grabbed Harry's right bicep. "The master has need of you."
Harry felt the sudden jerking of an activated portkey and then nothing.
....
The scene at Hogwarts was panicked with Harry's disappearance. Padma and Ron both saw Filch walk up to Harry and activate a portkey. Padma screamed "Harry!" instantly calling attention to her and drawing people in. Ron turned and ran towards where the stage for the Third Task stood. Sirius and Remus were there and would be the best people to help.
The Aurors already had a heavy presence and in minutes the area was blocked off and Ministry officials shouted orders and professors tried to calm their students.
Fudge could only see a public relations nightmare. Those blasted mirrors were relaying the entire event all over Britain and the rest of Europe. It was bad enough that his peers from the French, German, Bulgarian, and the ICW were present to see the loss of one of Britain's icons, but one of those new-fangled crystals caught the whole thing! However was controlling the mirrors was replaying it over and over again! It was maddening! He had to get control over this before his image was ruined!
Almost immediately after that thought, a squad of Aurors arrived. Floating behind them was a black bag that had been sealed up.
"It's Filch," the lead Auror reported. "He's been dead for some time but it took the old bastard some to do it. He must have been tortured for months before giving in. Died at least a month ago - definitely not our kidnapper." The Auror sounded respectful talking about what the old squib had endured.
"Are you sure?" Fudge asked. "It had to be him. Potter's girlfriend saw him take Potter away." The Auror's glower made Fudge cringe away. Fudge actually felt relieved when he saw Amelia Bones approaching followed by Black with his half-breed wife and werewolf friend.
"Amelia, what have you found?" Fudge asked.
The Head of the DMLE looked grim. "No sign of Potter. We couldn't get a trace on the portkey used by our suspect. The school wards were contracted to just cover the school due to the portkeys given to protect the champions. It made sense to do that but it is a bloody hindrance on us now. We have teams out on brooms now sweeping the immediate area in case it was a short range transport."
A sudden pop interrupted Bone's report. An elf dressing in an odd looing uniform stood now between Fudge and Bones.
"Dobby sends Broom Elves out to look for Harry Potter Sir too. Harry Potter Sir is alive but Dobby can't find him." The elf glared up at the witches and wizards. "Harry Potter Sir is in danger. He must be found NOW!" Fudge had never before seen an elf looking that angry or be that assertive before. And he wasn't the only one looking shocked. Amelia and the other Aurors look just as surprised as Fudge himself felt.
"Dobby is Harry's friend and personal elf," Sirius supplied. Even Dobby's appearance failed to lighten his mood with his godson missing.
"I've never seen such devotion in an elf before," Amelia muttered. "Do you think the elves can really find Potter?"
Fudge was made even more uncomfortable by the glitter in Black's eyes than he was by the wizard's answer. "Even if they have to take the whole island down to the bedrock to do it."