"And again," instructed the Professor.

The class got back into their starting positions and restarted their defensive and offensive movements with their daggers.

Their movements in the exercises were still a bit slow and still a bit clumsy, but they had gotten better in the weeks leading up to Hallowe'en.

At first the Combat class had only been getting them to feel comfortable with their weapons, and to learn how to hold, and how to perform certain movements. Now, they were learning how to combine certain movements into a sort of dance. Of course this was taking awhile to do, as they had other tasks to perform in the time period.

They started the class by stretching, and then they ran around the lake twice. They would stretch again, and once a week they would be using muggle weights to exercise. The rest of the class would be dedicated to doling out punishments, going over various exercises, and at the end of class the teacher would choose two students randomly from the class and would have them duel. These duels were always the fun part of the lesson, and when the duel was over the class would stretch again and change into their regular clothing.

This would then be followed by two periods of Delving into the Dark Arts, and then lunch or supper.

It would be truthful to say that the class had fallen into the uneasy routine of a class such as this. The class was rather demanding- both physically and mentally. What the students had to get used to was that they were learning this to kill what the Ministry hoped would be Death Eaters. None of the students were so naïve to think that this would be true. At least a quarter of the class would be opposing the Ministry.

Ginny couldn't pause to wipe the sweat off of her forehead. They had been running through these exercises for the past half-hour. Once defending against your partner, once attacking, and then over again. They really only had an hour and twenty minutes for the class, and the first twenty-five were spent on things other than practice.

Usually twenty were spent on warm-up, and then the other five were devoted to punishment for doing something wrong. Most of the class had learned not to do anything befitting of punishment, but Crabbe and Goyle were usually dumb enough to break one of the teachers Rules. Sometimes, you could see Zacharius Smith out there too running around the grounds twice.

Of course, if the teacher got impatient and started to instruct the other students on what they were doing, the offenders wouldn't be told what they were doing, and would have to try to figure it out from what the rest of the students were doing. Unfortunately, not everyone did the movements right, and if the new comers were seen imitating one of the students, then they would have to run around the grounds again the next day.

Another fifteen minutes had passed before the teacher was satisfied with their exercises for the day. They only had another ten minutes before the class was to be over. It didn't matter though, the teacher would extend the class if she thought what was happening was beneficial to progress.

The class stood in their lines to await the instructions of the teacher. It was always fun to watch two classmates duelling, especially when they were two that didn't like each other- or even better when they did. The one who lost would always be upset. That had happened with Hermione and Ron. Hermione quickly took advantage of Ron's unwillingness to attack her, and won within minutes. The mock-duel between Malfoy and Harry had been the longest one. Instead of it being purely physical there had also been a battle of words. In the end Harry had won- just barely- by insinuating that his father had slept with the Dark Lord.

Harry of course, knew that this statement was fake, but he had said it anyways. It had had the desired effect and he had been victorious. Of course, Malfoy had been making comments about Harry's mother for the past few weeks, so he didn't feel too guilty.

The duel between Aubrey and Braeleigh had also been quite spectacular. Especially only since Ginny, themselves, and the Teacher knew that they were actually quite good friends. It seemed that they had been taught a bit of fighting at their old school- or at least, that was what they had told Ginny. She wasn't sure if she believed them, but there really was nothing she could do about it.

"Okay class. The duel today will be between Ms. Weasley, and Mr. Finnegan."

Ginny groaned inwardly, this wasn't something that she was looking forward to. But, if she didn't, she would fail the class- and this wasn't something that she could afford to fail. There was a war going on, and it was of utmost importance that they could defend themselves.

Ginny started to stretch and loosen up her muscles. She knew that Seamus, opposite her was doing the same. She was almost ready to start when she heard her idiot brother start to speak.

"Professor. You can't be serious. She's half his size, he'll kill her!"

The teacher didn't have any time to respond to this statement, because Ginny had already taken care of it.

"If I didn't know better Ronald I would think that you were trying to make me fail this class. And I think that you're forgetting that Hermione is half your size, and she beat you within a minute. Now, if you don't mind, I think I'd like to get back to what I'm supposed to be doing. Just let me tell you one thing: when I want your help, I will tell you. But for now piss off!"

With that said and done Ginny went over to the area marked off for duelling, and stepped in. Seamus did the same, entering on the other side. Moving in closer to the middle of the ring, they bowed to each other and got into the starting position.

At the teacher's signal they started. Slowly at first- lazily blocking each other's attempted attacks. Blocking sometimes, ducking out of the way at other times. Slowly they built up a rhythm at which they attacked and defended.

Suddenly Ginny remembered that he had tried to back out of a promise. She slowly added something more to her attacks, making Seamus run into a defensive streak. But one of her movements had been wrong, and Seamus had spotted it. Ginny cursed again inwardly, and quickly switched into blocking the attacks she had levelled against him.

Fortunately, growing up with so many brothers taught her to be fast, and sometimes that cheating was sometimes the best way to proceed. But, also fortunately for her, she was smaller and faster. So when Seamus lunged forwards again, she unobtrusively stuck her foot out so when he tried to back out he would fall. When he did she stood above him and pointed one of her daggers at his throat.

She stopped to catch her breath. "Do you surrender?" she enquired coolly.

He too had to catch his breath. In response he merely dropped the daggers that he still held firmly in his hands.

Like always, the teacher didn't praise or comment at all. She merely bade them to go take a shower and change for the next class. They all hurried, not wanting to be punished for being late.


As Ginny hurriedly wiped her daggers down, and inserted them into their respective sheaths one Blaise Zambini watched her. None really knew anything about Zambini, not even his housemates. He was the most dangerous embodiment of a Slytherin. Cunning and sly, he was proud, but never spewed his opinions out to the masses.

He watched people, and that's how he knew so much. What he had just seen had thrown him off balance. He knew not to judge people by house names, and by their families, but all that he had observed of the youngest Weasley was standard to her family's reputation. Brave and chivalrous, helpful, loyal, and a little mischievous. But what he had seen had floored him.

It had been so unobtrusive that even Draco Malfoy wouldn't have seen it. He wasn't sure himself, but he could have sworn he saw Weasley trip Finnegan when he had sent an attack her way. Maybe if he was right he would just have to re-evaluate his ideas of her, and Weasleys in general.

She was hurrying off to the showers. "Weasley, wait!"

She stopped and looked at him. "What do you want Zambini?" she asked witheringly.

"Just to talk," he smirked as he said this, "you've certainly got some interesting moves. Certainly interesting enough to trip some one up if they're not expecting it."

"Look Zambini," she hissed, "I know you heard what I told my brother, and so you know I don't feel like justifying myself to you- or anyone for that matter. Besides, you don't expect Death Eaters to play fairly, do you?" She came out ahead this time.

She walked ahead, putting on a burst of speed to get to the female change room.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he called out after her.

He recollected himself, and walked calmly into the change room marked 'Men'. He was just about to go to the shower, when he heard voices behind him. Not the normal voices of Malfoy and Nott, but rather of Gryffindors.

He turned to see Finnegan, the male Weasley, and Thomas all looking at him with various degrees of contempt. Behind them were the rest of the students, save Potter, watching to see what would happen. Of course, the Slytherins smirked, hoping that someone would be bleeding by the end of this. The Hufflepuffs looked a bit worried, and the lone Ravenclaw watched with a semblance of boredom.

"What did you want with my sister?" demanded male-Weasley. This wasn't a good thing for Weasley, considering that this would get back to his sister. It seemed that female-Weasley had a bigger temper than they were giving her credit for.

Blaise took his time in answering. He looked the three over, directing a rather piercing look over at Seamus, before scanning the entire crowd.

"Nothing that you'd be interested in. I was just asking her something about one of the techniques she used in her duel." He looked again at Seamus, "It seemed quite effective but then again, you'd know that, wouldn't you Finnegan?" He directed a look over at Seamus.

The other two Gryffindors turned to look at their aforementioned housemate. He stammered. "It's not what you think. I'm not involved with her at all." This situation didn't look like it would turn out well for Finnegan, but Zambini didn't particularly care. He had saved his own hide.

Chuckling silently to himself, he slipped through the throng, and to the shower.


Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk. Well, leaned on his desk would probably be a more apt description. Ever since Severus had come back, or rather had been floated back, his condition deteriorated. It had started first with a cough, and then with a worsened cough. Now it was at its third stage- the destruction of the body from the inside.

The third stage had started just today. He had started to cough up blood. So, after his body had been racked with a particularly powerful round of coughs and hacks, he was trying to regain his breath. It wouldn't do for Minerva to come in here and see him- top half of his body lying on the desk gasping for precious oxygen.

He knew this spell well. He had seen it happen to many of his students- Aurors, Members of the Order, and even civilians. It was like a curse, except it was carried on the dead, until someone was unfortunate enough to touch the corpse, and contract the disease. None knew the cure, perhaps not even Voldemort.

Dumbledore knew that this spell would only be found in the tomes of the deepest Dark Arts. Only ever used by the darkest of wizards. Not even Grindelwald had used spells these dark, and he had been the worst in a couple of centuries.

Each day he had began to get weaker. Just little increments at a time. There would be no wandless magic soon. And then the high magic would be gone, withering away his power until he could barely perform first-year level spells. This of course, would be over a series of months. He would have lost most of his power by around Easter.

He knew that it was imperative to not to let anyone know that he had been affected by the curse. As all leaders knew, they had to seem invincible to their followers. If they failed at this task of being invincible, their underlings would do either of two things: revolt, or lose hope.

This curse was the subject of many nightmares- after a time it became impossible to hide from people, and then everything would fall. He knew how it would start- first Minerva, and then it would have been Severus, who would have hidden it underneath his mask of bitter sarcasm. Lucky for the both of them that he were dead. Then after the two would be Harry, and then the Weasleys. It would fan out from them to the rest of the Order. And that's how they all would die, fallen and broken because their figurehead had fallen.

With despairing thoughts of his mortality, and fears of an agonizing death the White Bumblebee put his head back on his desk and began to sob.


Voldemort, the biggest threat for hundreds of years secretly laughed in the delight of the horrors he would soon inflict upon the whole of the Wizarding World.

This was the most fun he'd had since the beginning of his first reign of power. Plans were in motion that would uproot the entire stability that the Ministry had been trying to keep. Of course, that was the intention, so the Dark Lord chuckled with the mere thought of the plans.

With Bellatrix at his side, and his Death Eaters behind him he could not fail. The Wizarding World would fall and it would start on Hallowe'en!


A.N.: Haha! Chapter 14. I know the last chapter must have been a bit dull (okay, a lot dull.) But like I said, it was important.

Ifeel that this needs to be said: I know nothing of sword fighting, or dagger fighting, or anything of the sort. I will try to keep it vague as to not offend any knowledgeable people who might be reading this… (waves to anyone who might know anything about fighting).

I didn't knowingly take the O'Rourke clan from any stories, and if I have stolen your name I apologize profusely.

The link of where I found the length of a dagger didn't seem to appear on the last chapter. I seem to have lost is, but it said that daggers were usually between ten and fifteen inches long. But, on another site, it said that there had been daggers up to eighteen inches. Corrections will be made if anyone can offer proof of wrongness on my part.

This is intended to be the last plot-building chapter, but there might be another, I'm not sure. My story plan is a bit vague.

Next Chapter: Hallowe'en. This is when the deaths will start. Not many (or so I hope), the original list has been greatly trimmed. More of the O'Rourkes, and maybe even more Blaise.

Ta.

Eireann