Ethan's Tears

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As Barty Crouch Jr. gazed at the terrifying curtain, a flicker of despair clouded his eyes. He had always believed he feared nothing, especially not death.

He would face it happily and without fear if he were to die in service of his master. But now, paralyzed and facing a secret execution, genuine fear gripped him for the first time.

Ethan read aloud the death sentence for Barty Crouch Jr., and all the Aurors, including Ethan, signed the document. This act marked them as witnesses to the execution.

Ethan unfastened the restraints, binding Barty Crouch Jr. to the bed. Realizing his fate, Barty's chest heaved with panicked breaths. Unaffected, Ethan waved his wand, causing Barty Crouch Jr.'s body to float towards the ominous curtain. As he neared, Barty's breathing grew more frantic.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Barty Crouch Jr.'s body slowly passed through the curtain. Voldemort's most loyal servant disappeared entirely from the world. The moment he entered, the levitation spell Ethan used was abruptly severed. Normally, Barty's body should have emerged from the other side, but it vanished instead, swallowed by the veil.

Ethan felt a chill run down his spine. The accompanying Aurors exchanged uneasy glances, the bizarre scene unsettling them all.

Driven by curiosity, Ethan kept his witcher senses locked on Barty Crouch Jr. as he passed through the veil. For a fleeting moment, Ethan sensed a vague human figure within the veil. He pondered what he had just witnessed.

An Auror's trembling voice broke his reverie. "Mr. Ethan, your eyes are bleeding!"

Startled, Ethan wiped his face, his hand coming away smeared with blood. He quickly retrieved a mirror from his bag and saw bloody tears streaming down his cheeks, dripping onto the black stone floor. The sight was dreadful.

Without hesitation, Ethan drank a swallow potion. The bleeding stopped immediately, and he examined himself thoroughly, finding no other anomalies. The tears of blood were inexplicable.

"Mr. Ethan, should we call for emergency help?" the trembling Auror asked.

"No, it's okay. I'm fine now," Ethan replied, wiping his face clean.

"We should leave," he told the Aurors. They nodded eagerly, eager to escape the unsettling chamber.

After finishing their tasks, everyone packed up and hurried out. Ethan, the last to leave, used a spell to clean the bloodstains. Before closing the door, he looked at the eerie veil, its mysteries lingering in his mind.

Ethan felt in his heart that he would see this veil again for some reason. But Ethan didn't see it as a good omen, knowing the veil's grim purpose for executions.

In contrast to the recent tumult at the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts remained calm. The Ministry's turmoil hadn't touched the school, and the students were enjoying a period of happiness now that the Dementors had been entirely driven away. Life at Hogwarts had returned to a relaxed and comfortable routine.

The only regret among the students was that Professor Ethan had taken an extended leave of absence. Professor Flitwick had stepped in to teach the Signs class in Ethan's stead. Fortunately, Professor Flitwick's knowledge of the subject made him more than capable of handling the class.

Speculation about Ethan's whereabouts ran rampant at Hogwarts. The prevailing theory was that he was on his honeymoon, as his girlfriend, Tonks, had been seen at the school shortly before his departure. Many students felt a pang of regret for missing out on his wedding, a sentiment that weighed heavily on Hermione.

Hermione struggled with the rumors. Though she found the idea absurd, she couldn't ignore that Tonks seemed to outshine her in every way, leaving Hermione feeling utterly inadequate.

Harry and Ron, clueless about Hermione's distress, attributed her misery to her recent failure in trying to help the house-elves. Hermione had painstakingly sewn scarves, gloves, and sweaters for the house elves, intending to surprise them with holiday gifts. She enlisted Harry and Ron to deliver the clothes to the Hogwarts kitchen.

However, Hermione's well-meaning gesture backfired spectacularly. The house elves were terrified by the sight of the clothes, associating them with being freed and thus forced to leave Hogwarts. They ran and cried, avoiding Harry, Hermione, and Ron and causing chaos in the kitchen.

Desperately, Hermione tried to calm the frightened elves while Harry and Ron explained that they had no intention of driving them away. But the house-elves, panicked and screaming, paid no heed.

Eventually, the commotion in the kitchen drew the attention of Professor McGonagall. After listening to Hermione's explanation, McGonagall realized it wasn't another wild prank by the students. However, despite understanding Hermione's intentions, she reluctantly deducted 20 points from Gryffindor and assigned Harry, Ron, and Hermione to clean the kitchen thoroughly.

Ethan, meanwhile, finished cleaning up the execution chamber, his mind still lingering on the eerie veil. He couldn't shake the feeling that it held more secrets than anyone realized. As he closed the door, he took one last look at the sinister drapery, feeling its mysteries were far from over.