A/N: Sorry the last chapter took meso long. I wasn't inspired enough. Then I re-read the Goblet of Fire...

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Skyler." Skyler walked up to Oliver. "This is Amos Diggory." He shook the man's hand.

"Pleased to meet you."

"Mr. Diggory... this is Skyler Diggory." Amos raised an eyebrow and released the young man's hand.

"He..."

"Looks like Cedric, yes," Oliver finished. "Do you know an Emos Diggory?" Amos nodded his head.

"My twin brother."

"And there you have it. You're related to him," Oliver said. Skyler glanced at Amos.

"He doesn't look like my dad."

"That's because the last time you saw him was ten years ago, and then some," Oliver explained. Skyler eyed Amos a bit more.

"That makes you my uncle. Oliver's told me a lot about Cedric. Sorry for your loss."

"That's all right, it's been two years and a bit," Amos said with a small glint in his eyes. Oliver looked at Lupin.

"When you said you saw Lucifer Riddle and a couple of D.E's, you meant about fifteen, right?" he asked. Lupin glared at him.

"You know, there's supposed to be a full moon next week. Would you like me to kill you in your sleep? There were a couple of Death Eaters with him, but obviously, he's got more."

"And the party just gets better and better," Bill Weasley muttered as he stared out the window. Oliver stood next to him and held his breath when he saw who had just joined the D.E Clan.

"That's just the Berry's."

"The what?"

"The Berry's... fucking brilliant."

"Oh, sure.I thought you weren't swering anymore?Hey, Perce! Fred! George!" The three red-heads walked over to their eldest brother. "You guys can join the Potter Squad over there."

"Yes sir," George said and saluted him. Fred squeaked, as did Percy. Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley came out of the fire and began talking rapidly to Dumbledore. Charlie sat beside Ginny, soothing her down. Dumbledore's Army stood in a group, huddled together. Oliver picked up the magical microphone from Dumbledore's desk.

"Professor McGonagall, please report to Dumbledore's office. All students, please return to your respective Common Rooms. Hufflepuff's and Gryffindor's Prefects are not going to be there. Do not panic." Oliver threw the microphone down onto the table again and ushered the D.A outside.

"We'll wait here first," Charlie said as he held onto Ginny's shoulders.

"What if they break in?" Ernie Macmillan asked fearfully.

"Then use everything Potter's taught you," Oliver said matter-of-factly as he stepped outside with Bill, Marcus and Harry. "And who remember's Moody's lessons? About the Unforgivables?" All the hands went up. "Good."

"You'll be needing to use the three Unforgiables," Bill said with his arms crossed. "Don't hold back; I'm pretty sure the Death Eater's won't."

"Marcus, Charlie, can you two come with me? I need to do hall patrol," Oliver said. The two nodded and walked with Oliver; Charlie left Ginny with Bill. "Send any kid you find in the corridors back to their Common Room." As they left, Minerva McGonagall entered.

"Abercrombie, did you not hear the announcement? Back to your Common Room," Marcus said. Euan Abercrombie, a second-year Gryffindor, nodded his head and turned tail back to his Common Room.

"Professors!" Oliver and Marcus turned around. Charlie realized that the girl was talking to his two friends, so he turned around as well. "Malfoy's missing."

"Yeah, we know. Anyone else from Slytherin missing?" Oliver asked, irritated that the girl was telling him things he already knew.

"Yes. half of the seventh years and sixth years. Some of the fifth."

"Ah. Good. Whickers, you need to go back to your Dorm or Common Room. You can't be in the corridors right now, all right?" Oliver asked as he bent down. The first-year Slytherin nodded her head and ran down to the dungeons. "First-year Slytherins don't know anything," Oliver muttered. Charlie and Marcus laughed and they made their way up to Dumbledore's office.

"Half of the Slytherins are missing," Charlie said as he entered the room. "Most likely D.E's, they're the older grades."

"Skyler, what's wrong?" Oliver asked urgently. Skyler's face was screwed up in pain and concentration.

"It's burning." Skyler glanced at Snape, who had the same look on his face. After all, he bore the Dark Mark as well.

"The Dark Lord is happy," Snape said quietly. Skyler nodded his head.

"How do you live through this?" he asked.

"You get used to it," Snape replied cooly and began yelling at a portrait. Oliver slung his arm around Skyler's shoulder.

"And that's what happens when you have the Dark Mark for more than twenty years," Oliver said, gesturing to Snape. Skyler gave a small, quiet laugh.

"He is a traitor!" Amos shrieked, pointing at Skyler.

"Whoa," Oliver said and stood in front of him. "Don't freak out like you did at the World Cup a couple years ago, Mr. Diggory."

"He bears the Dark Mark!"

"Not willingly! Look at Snape, he's got the Dark Mark. Sure, he's a greasy, slimy little git but, hey, can you blame him? The thing's been burning his ugly, pale skin for twenty years, and then some, but he's no traitor, now is he?"

"That's enough, Wood," Snape hissed.

"Sure, he'sa Snake-Hugging, Gryffindor-Hating lunatic-"

"Wood..."

"And sure, he was in Voldemort's inner-circle."

"WOOD..."

"But he's still a trustworthy person who is just as important in the Order as you or me, Mr. Diggory," Oliver finished smugly.

"They're moving again, closer to the Castle," Marcus informed as he looked over the window pane.

"Order!" Dumbledore called. All the adults, sans Bill, Charlie, Marcus, Oliver, Percy, Fred and George looked at Dumbledore. "It is time." The younger people watched on as their elders walked through the corridors.

"All right," Oliver said, breaking the silence. "In about five to ten minutes, one of those people will come back and get us. While we wait..." Oliver rolled up his sleeves and pulled out his wand. "Let's practice some spells. Accio mouse!" A mouse came flying at Oliver and he caught it in his left hand. "Fred, please come here."

"What do you want me to do?" Fred asked, sounding strangely like a chipmunk now.

"Cruciatus curse, please, just to refresh these students memories." Fred pulled out his wand and pointed at the mouse.

"Crucio!" Almost immediately, the mouse began to squeal horribly. Oliver almost felt sorry for the creature.

"Fred." Fred pulled his wand away from the force. "That is basically what it's going to look like if you preform the Cruciatus curse on someone, only worse. Potter, Moody tells me that you've expierienced this before. Step up, please."

"Is this the-"

"Imperio!" Slap Luna's arse.

"Stop, Wood - stop... no! STOP!" Oliver laughed and let him go.

"All right, that's the Imperious curse; you can take control of anybody's body. If it is used on you... do your best to fend it off."

"I want to do this one," Marcus said. "Wood, come here. Now, kids, listen closely. This one is the Killing Curse. Avada Kedavra."

"FLINT!" Oliver dove out of the way as a green beam shot out of Marcus' wand, which was pocketed. "Shit, you could have killed me!"

"Sorry," Marcus said sheepishly. Oliver sighed, stood up and turned back to the students.

"Avada Kedavra. When you hear those two words, it's best you get out of the way. Really fast. It's unblockable." As Oliver spoke, everyone was quiet. "Potter's the only one that has been able to fend it off."

"Bill!" Bill, Charlie, Harry, Oliver, Percy, Fred and George turned around and saw Mr. Weasley.

"Time to go?" Bill asked. Mr. Weasley nodded his head. "Any casualites?"

"Just Death Eaters. Come when you're ready." And with that, Arthur Weasley ran back where he came from.

"Fred, George," Oliver said as he watched Mr. Weasley's retreating back.

"Gred and Forge," George started.

"At your service," Fred said in his normal voice.

"You two have to stop that stupid introduction. Do you know anyway to sneak behind?"

"Well, unless it's through the woods, no," George said.

"And we wouldn't take you through there. It could be crawling with D.E's," Fred finished. "Perce, your voice should be back to normal. Time to give your little pep talk to these kids."

"Right," Percy said, trying out his voice. He cleared his throat. "Now, most of you must be nervous, scared, frightened... completely oblivious of what might happen to you. Well, that's okay. I think it's safe to say that Oliver here..." Percy slapped Oliver upside the head. "Is scared as well."

"Yeah, actually, I am," Oliver said while rubbing his head. "And it's really okay to have all these emotions. To use any of the Unforgivable curses, you ahve to mean it. Think of the top thing in your life that makes you angry and fire away. It's like that with many of the spells as well. Percival Ignatious Weasley, would you like to continue?"

"Certainly, Oliver Anthony Wood."

"Damn it."

"What Oliver's trying to say is that we are all feeling what you guys are feeling. You have the choice of going back to your Common Rooms and being safe; my advice to you is to take that chance if you are really scared of what is going to happen." Percy waited for a couple seconds. Nobody moved. "All right, let's go. Fred, George, into the forest." Oliver hung back so he could take on the back of the group.

"Chris, are you okay?" he asked softly. Christina nodded her head. "It's okay," Oliver said soothingly and held her hand in his. He kissed her cheek gently as they walked on.

"Walk through here," George instructed. He helped Fred go through first, then Marcus and Bill. Charlie and Percy were in the middle.

"Oliver?" Christina whispered. Oliver looked down at her. "Are you scared?"

"Yes," Oliver replied truthfully and looked straight ahead again. Christina gave his hand a squeeze. He looked at her again. "Yep?"

"I'm sorry." Oliver shook his head.

"No. It's my fault. I should've known it wasn't you when... she... uh, yeah." They squeezed each other's hands once moreand walked out of the Castle together.