The next morning was heartbreaking for everyone.

The deaths of Albus Dumbledore and Tobias Fowler were all over the papers. No one was surprised, as news in the Wizarding world tended to spread rather fast. It was all anyone talked about, seeing their bodies on the ground, with their wands raised to the sky, even for Tobias. While he was on the wrong side of things, he was still human, as well as Mary's brother.

His body was claimed by his parents the night before, planning to have him buried in America. It made sense, according to Eliza, with him being born there. The five group of friends wondered if Mary even knew he was dead.

Oliver thought about Mary up until Dumbledore's funeral. He didn't see her anywhere last night, which he thought was odd. Then again, Draco Malfoy wasn't around, either, but that didn't surprise him, with the way he talked about Dumbledore through his snarky comments. But during the service, neither one of them showed up.

It was odd and suspicious, but there was no time to worry about that. Instead, remembering Dumbledore was on his mind. He let the words of Professor McGonagall stick into his brain, each word lingering in the air as she went on. He wondered if everything she was saying about the former headmaster stuck with the other students, too.

Once the service was over, everyone was heading back to the castle. However, Oliver remained by the shore of the Black Lake, simply standing there, looking down at his feet. He huffed a sigh, remembering how the beginning of this year was so different and how for once a normal year was all he wanted. With Harry Potter at Hogwarts, there was already a small flame, with more ready to be ignited.

Then, Mary Fowler showed up. To Oliver, she was gasoline that added fuel to the fire.

"Hey," Eliza greeted him from behind.

He turned around and gave her a nod. "Hey."

"We're leaving for the train soon, you know," she told him.

"I know," he simply replied. "Liza, my parents are moving back to Scotland."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

He nodded his head. "They also suggested that I move with them."

Eliza moved some hair behind her ear, clearing her throat. "Are you going to do it?"

Oliver scoffed in response, looking at Eliza. "How can I, especially with this war on the way? Besides, as Muggle-borns, we wouldn't be safe anywhere, and since the school is in Scotland, maybe staying in England is what's best for us."

The girl crossed her arms and nodded in agreement. "You're right, which is why the Hamiltons are offering us to go stay with them. You know, we need protection, and our parents need to be safe from all of this before it gets any worse."

The thought of their blood status making them a bigger target to You-Know-Who and Death Eaters made Oliver's blood boil and curdle at the same time. If anything, his parents became more of a concern the more he thought about it.

"If only there was a way we could protect our parents from all of this," he admitted.

"Yeah, if only..." Eliza agreed.

The two took a moment to stare out at the glistening water ahead of them. They remained quiet, taking in the beautiful day for a sad occasion. Oliver looked down and was tempted to take Eliza's hand, his fingers close to her own. The longer they stood there, the more comforting Eliza was to Oliver.

"Oliver? Eliza?"

They turned around and saw Hermione was the one to call out their names. She was walking along the shore, still in her dress from the funeral.

"Hi, Hermione," Oliver greeted her.

"I wanted to talk to you two about something," she said, crossing her arms. "It's no secret that we're in more danger than ever due to our blood status."

"Yeah, we were just discussing that," Eliza told her. "And about our parents as well."

Hermione nodded. "That's why I wanted to talk to you two." She paused, sighing. "We need to keep them safe from all of this. As in, make sure they're far away before it gets bad."

"Well, got any ideas?" Oliver asked.

There was a small shake in Hermione's lips and hands that she was fidgeting with. "Actually, I do have one, but I don't think either of you will like it."

*******

While on the way to the train, Oliver thought more and more about Hermione's suggestion, and he didn't like it one bit.

Tampering with his parents' memories in order for them to forget everything about their old lives, including Oliver and him being a wizard was mad, completely mad.

Eliza was unsure about the idea as well, feeling just as worried as Oliver, but still open to the idea. Hermione did her best to convince the two that the idea was the only way to guarantee their safety from the war. After all, if their parents got in the hands of Death Eaters or You-Know-Who...

The more he played with Hermione's suggestion in his head, the more he knew that she was, once again, right about the whole thing. Maybe he could also take away the pain of losing Fiona. Maybe his parents, for a short while, would be at peace with their lives.

Oliver was heading for the train with the other students when Jacob and Violet appeared beside him.

"Where did you go after the funeral?" Violet asked.

"Just by the Black Lake," he replied.

"And Eliza was there as well?" Jacob spoke up, smirking at his friend.

Oliver playfully rolled his eyes. "We're just friends, Jake, and you know that."

The blonde let out a scoff in response. "Yeah, okay."

Andrew jumped in front of them, walking backwards as he clutched one bag over his shoulder and let the other trunk swing by his side. "I don't know about you, but that's the best news I've heard all day, especially after the gloomy one we had."

"Thanks for the support," Jacob responded sarcastically, shoving him a little.

"It was just a joke, don't worry. I'd be happy this time around if they got together." Andrew tripped, but quickly regained his balance. "I need to be a better best friend."

"You're already a great best friend," Violet assured him, smiling. "Don't you worry about not being one."

Andrew smiled back. "Thanks, Vi."

So while Jacob and Violet grinned at their Gryffindor friend and joked around more, Oliver spotted Eliza, who was standing by the train. Her arms were crossed with her trunks by her feet. A sad expression fell over her, which caused a tug in Oliver's chest. He hated to see one of his best friends hurting.

"Liza!" Andrew called out to her, to which she turned and gave a sad smile. "Ready to go, I see."

She nodded. "Yeah, I think we all are."

So Andrew, Jacob, and Violet piled in the train with their things, but Oliver remained behind, motioning the others to go on without them. "You okay?"

She looked up at him and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she admitted.

He raised his eyebrows. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Eliza grinned some more after him mocking her from the day before. "I know," she replied back.

Oliver smiled, helping her get on the train. He turned around one last time, seeing the castle in the distance, with the colors of the sunset hovering around. It was the way he wanted to remember the place, because he wasn't sure if he would come back for his last year, if things were to get bad.

But if he did come back, he had a feeling that fire was all he would see, and the last thing he wanted was to be caught in the flames.

Yet, Oliver already felt like he was stuck in the blaze now, and it was only going to get more grim.

END OF PART I

~~~~~~~

A/N: Well, here is the end of PART I!

I'm so happy that we're pretty much halfway done with this story, and I cannot wait for you all to see what I have planned for everyone.

Song above is I See Fire by Ed Sheeran.

Comment, vote, stick around for PART II!

-A