Chapter Twenty-Eight

Bill stood at the head of the Weasley Children with his sleeves rolled up, wand out and with his ponytail flying around in the wind. Fred and George were behind him, also with their wands out. Fred's in his left and George's in his right. Percy, Ron and Ginny were behind them, making it a complete three-level pyramid.

"Where's your waste-of-a-wizard father, Weasley?" Lucius asked calmly.

"Off kicking D.E arse," Bill replied smoothly. "Now-" Fred grabbed Bill and pulled him down with him. A red stream of light flew over the Weasley's heads and hit Draco. Bill turned around. "Charlie, what the hell is your problem?"

"Sorry, I've got an injured kid with me!" Charlie shouted back, lugging Dean Thomas with him. "Oh, shit," Charlie said, catching sight of a crying Draco, an enraged Lucius and a smirking Narcissa. "It's the Malfoys... Perce, here." Charlie handed Dean to Percy and went up beside Bill with his wand out. Percy placed Dean onto levelled ground. Out of no where...

"CRUCIO!" Charlie went down just as he got into line. Bill got down onto his knees to help his brother and looked around wildly, trying to find out where it came from.

"GO!" he yelled at his brothers and sister.

"Stupefy!" Ginny shouted at Draco, who had gotten back uo.

"Protego! Flipendo!"

"Protego!" George yelled, covering his sister from harm. "Densaugeo!" Draco dropped his wand and clutched his mouth, meanwhile, Percy and Fred were having a duel with Lucius.

"Expelliarmus!" Fred exclaimed. A bright green jet came out from the tip of his wand and hit Lucius while he was trying to stun Percy.

"Reducto!" the same person who had fired the Cruciatus Curse shouted.

"In the bushes," Charlie groaned as he got onto one knee. Bill was hit with the Reducto curse and went sprawling to the floor. Draco had bailed on his mother and father.

"Waddiwasi, leaves!" Ron shouted. Leaves came up from all around and blurred the Weasley's from the Malfoy's view. Bill and Charlie helped each other up.

"Let's get back to Oliver, he needs more help," Charlie said, his face still twisted in pain. The seven siblings ran back from where they came with Bill carrying Dean.

"What happened to him, anyway?" Ron asked as he ran beside George.

"Stunner to the head," Charlie replied. "Duck! It was Karkaroff."

"Karkaroff is here? As in the ex-D.E, ex-Durmstrang Headmaster?" Ginny asked.

"One and the same," Charlie said bitterly. "Turn here."

"STOP IT, BLAISE! STOP!" Christina shouted. Blaise continued with his Cruciatus Curse on Oliver. "DAMN IT, BLAISE! STOP!"

"Stupefy!" Percy shouted, hitting Blaise around his spinal cord. Oliver picked himself off the ground with whatever pride he had left and muttered something about the Zabini family again.

"The fricken' son, the fricken' brother, the fricken' uncle... my God..."

"You okay?" Charlie asked Oliver. He nodded his head soundlessly and picked up his wand.

"Can I kill him?" Oliver nodded his head at Blaise as he spoke.

"No," Bill said as Dean stirred awake. "Where are the others?"

"I'm not sure. I only followed Chris and Zabini," Oliver replied, looking around.

Oliver rubbed his butt. "Damn, that hurt." He then whistled and a dog came bounding up. "Ron, I believe you know Snuffles."

"Sirius?" Ron asked in disbelief. "I thought he died..."

"Well, looks like he's back. From what I understand, he can't change into his human form anymore. This is him now. I'll keep him in my office. Point me." Oliver held out his wand in his palm and it spun around. He pointed to where Sirius came from. "That way. Snuffles, you can lead the way." Sirius shook his head and started barking at something behind them. The air grew cold and they could see their own breath.

"Oliver," Percy said and turned around to face the Dementors. Oliver nodded his head and left Christina's side to help Percy.

"Three Dementors... could be worse," Oliver said. "Bill, follow Sirius to the others." Bill nodded his head and ran off with Sirius and everyone else (Ron, Fred, George, Charlie, Ginny, Dean, Christina).

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" both Percy and Oliver bellowed at the top of their lungs at the same time. Out of Percy's wand, a silvery form of an owl flew out and out of Oliver's, his usual hawk.

"Keep it steady," Oliver said calmly, but through gritted teeth as the force of the patronus vibrated the wand. Finally, all the Dementors shrieked and flew away. Oliver and Percy took their wands back, the silver patronuses fading away.

"What do we do with him?" Percy asked, nodding at Zabini.

"Leave him there, first. Someone'll stumble past him."

"Dude, his face is so fucking messed up..." Oliver stared at Percy.

"Perce, since when did you talk like that?" he inquired suspciously. Percy shrugged.

"Dunno. Just seemed like a good thing to say," he replied. Oliver burst out laughing and wouldn't stop for about five minutes, when Sirius came back, barking at them.

"Okay, we're coming!' Oliver snapped. Percy and Oliver ran after Sirius through the forest, seeing the occasional body of a Death Eater. "We kicked their arse," Oliver commented.

"Yeah," Percy agreed.

"Oliver! Perce! Over here!" Marcus called, jumping up and down, waving frantically with both his hands. Sirius, Percy and Oliver ran to him.

"Where's everyone else? The students?" Oliver asked, looking around.

"They're out with Potter now. The Weasleys just left. Dolohov's hanging on a tree branch, if you wanted to know." Oliver looked up and saw Dolohov hanging by his underwear.

"Who did that?" Oliver questioned curiously.

"I believe that would be Seamus."

"Nice move. Let's leave him there. Where's his wand?" Marcus pointed to the floor by the tree. Oliver went, picked it up and pocketed it. "You won't be needed this, will you?" Dolohov cursed madly at him as he turned his back and walked out to the battlefield with Marcus, Percy and Sirius.

"We left Zabini in the woods, passed out," Percy said to Marcus as they dodged several Stunning spells that weren't even aimed at them. "Stupid Longbottom..."

"Ennervate," Oliver muttered to Ron, who was sprawled on the ground. Ron immediately got up.

"Thanks," he said and ran off.

"Count any dead students?" Marcus asked.

"Bones is breathing. So's Finnigan and Smith, so..."

"None? Wow. Adults?"

"Nope. They're all still up," a gruff voice behind them said. The three boys jumped.

"Hagrid! Don't scare us like that!" Oliver scolded. He grinned sheepishly and jumped in the way of a Stunning spell, which bounced off of him.

"Being half giant is always good for something," Hagrid grunted.

"Thanks, Hagrid," Oliver said before dashing away.

"Oi, where're you going?" Marcus shouted after him.

"Finding Chris!" Oliver yelled over his shoulder. "Chris! CHRIS!" A troll stopped in front of him and they screamed at each other. "AAAAH! STUPEFY!" The troll went down on top of Oliver's ankle. He then saw Skyler trying to battle off a Dementor.

"Expecto Patronum! Damn it, what the hell? EXPECTO-FREAKIN' PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

"Happy thoughts, Skyler!" Oliver yelled at him, straining to reach his wand.

"I have none!" Skyler screamed back, backing away from the Dementor.

"Think of..." Oliver looked around, still trying to reach his wand. "CHRISTINA! THINK OF CHRISTINA!"

"WHY?" Skyler asked, swatting at the Dementor now. "That isn't a happy thought, that's a BAD THOUGHT!"

"Er..." Then Oliver smirked. "Kissing Hannah!"

"YOU SAW?" Skyler screeched, throwing rocks at the on-coming hooded creature.

"JUST DO IT!"

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" The silvery form of a bear roared at the Dementor, scaring it away.

"Great. Levitate this thing off me, please?"

"Wingardium leviosa," Skyler said. The troll flew off of Oliver. He looked down.

"Aw, shit. It's bloody broken."

"...You don't seem to be in pain," Skyler said, jogging up to him, completely oblivious to all the Death Eaters falling around him.

"Do you know how many times I've broken my leg? More than five. Come on, pick up my wand."