Hey there! I know most of you guys are eager for Chapter 10, so I'll keep this relatively short.

Essentially, it's easy to guess which characters will die in this story- since they don't show up in Fifth Year- and some people have characters that they like. I will never, ever, ever do this again, so listen up.

I'm creating a poll that I'm going to put on my profile page. There's going to be a list of every character that hasn't died yet in Fourth Year but that I'm planning to kill off. Each person can vote for one character. When the time comes, I will spare that one character and make them come back in a later story. But only one! If there is a tie, I will put a tiebreaker poll on my profile and the winner will survive.

I wasn't planning to do this and I won't ever again, so don't miss this chance!

And if you don't want to know what characters die because you've only read Fourth Year and not Fifth Year, just don't vote or get someone else to do it for you. It's as simple as that.

Okay, on with the story!

Slowly, I turned to face the people in the Great Hall. The full force of how many people were watching me hit me like a Killing Curse, and I found myself quaking in my robes. What was I thinking? I wasn't some great public speaker or hero. I was just a girl trying to save herself and some of her friends.

I lifted my chin anyway. Headmaster Damien expected to hear a speech, so a speech he would hear.

"Students of Hogwarts!" I bellowed. I made eye contact with Lanie, and then Zach. "I know you are scared. I know you are angry. I know that you may have known Carter Ryall, Sophie Jordan or Lindsey Frowseloure." I looked at Lisa Ryall, who was sitting very near the front of the Gryffindor table, her eyes puffy and her cheeks wet with tears. She'd very narrowly escaped a complete meltdown when her brother's body had been brought out. "You may have been their sibling." I glanced over at Kira and Jessie, both of whom were weeping silently. "Or maybe their friend." I took a deep breath. "But either way, don't let yourself throw your life away because they are dead!

"There is no saving Lindsey, Sophie, or Carter," I continued. "They are gone. But we can save you." I found Oscar sitting in the very front of the Ravenclaw table and held his intelligent dark brown gaze. "If you are rebelling against Commander Damien, you do not have to turn yourself in."

"Alyssa-" Headmaster Damien started from behind me, his voice low and dangerous.

I ignored him. "You do not have to turn yourself in!" I repeated, louder this time. "All you must do is stop defying our Commander! Sophie, Carter, and Lindsey would not want you to throw your lives away because of them. They are-" I stopped myself. "They were good people, until they joined the rebellion and got themselves killed." I gestured widely with my arms. "You are all intelligent enough to know that following Commander Damien is the only way to survive!"

I turned around and faced the high table. "If you won't think of your own lives, think of your families," I said in a quieter voice. I hated making everyone sad, but it would do the trick. "Think of how much the families of Carter, Sophie and Lindsey will cry. Think of how their hearts will break. Now imagine your own families doing the same thing. Would you really want to put them through that?"

Professor Fourier, on the left side between Professor Brocklehurst and Professor Descoteaux, caught my eye. Gently, he gave me a small but long nod. Relief flooded me. He knows. He understands that I'm not really on Headmaster Damien's side.

Thank Rowena.

I turned back around and let my eyes roam over the crowd. Almost immediately, my eyes snagged on the one person I really needed to talk to. The one person I really needed to understand that I wasn't really on Damien's side.

Ducking under the table and climbing down the few steps so I was on the same level as the rest of the students, I turned my eyes once more to Brooklyn and poured all the power, all the emotion I could into my next words.

"I'm not saying you have to wholeheartedly accept and worship the Commander, as some of us have done- although should you choose to do that, it'll end up better for you in the long run. All I'm saying is that you don't need to rebel against him. He's a good teacher. We all know that- we've all been through his class, except for you first-years. He's an even better leader." I took a deep breath, hoping my next sentence wouldn't get me killed. "He might seem a little mad-" I dared not look at him- "but wouldn't you be, if you were attempting to peacefully and helpfully govern a school and people kept disrupting your Headmastership? I know I would be." I let a smile cross my face, a moment of pure honesty. "Please. We don't want to hurt you, we really don't. Hogwarts would be so much more fun if you accepted the fact that Commander Damien is Headmaster now." I turned back around, ducking under the table and into my seat.

There was a moment of stunned silence and then the Damien-followers burst out in cheers. The Great Hall clapped politely, although I saw a few people- like Lanie- applauding enthusiastically and others- like Nathan, my ex-boyfriend from the previous year- not clapping at all.

I turned around, not daring to glance at any teacher besides Headmaster Damien. He was grinning and his eyes were sparkling. For a moment, he looked like the old Damien, the one I'd known for three years. And then he nodded and his smile seemed more like he was baring his teeth. I shuddered- hopefully not visibly- and turned back around.

It seemed that I had pleased most everyone, for the time being.

Really quick, one last thing: if anyone feels the urge to leave anonymous reviews hating on how heroic Aly is, I've already noticed that and am addressing it. Thanks!

(And I know it's short. I didn't have much time to write this one and I wanted to get it done. It's a change from long chapters, eh?)

Okay, I lied! For all fans who would love to see Fifth Year published, please go to my profile page! It's super important! Thank you!

~atrfla