The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

Splendid

Oliver was sitting in the ice cream parlor with Kevin, Michael, Nate, and Eli, waiting while Meg finished getting ready and Jasper was getting the ice creams all into the case behind the counter when there was a loud, frantic banging on the door. "We aren't open for another five minutes," Jasper muttered, "Oi, who is in such a frenzy over ice cream?" he walked 'round the counter and when he spotted the door, he said, "Oh." 

The door jangled as it opened and Oliver was nearly thrown from his chair as Wally Grant came speeding in and threw himself at Oliver rather dramatically. "YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" Wally shouted at the top of his voice. "I was so scared! You have got NO IDEA! When we saw it on the Daily Prophet I nearly threw up! I'm so bloody sorry for all the shit I said the other day. You're my best mate, I'm so sorry I was mean to you. I thought for sure you were dead and the last thing I ever did was walk off on you like that. Please forgive me and don't you bloody dare ever, ever, ever die!" Wally was attached to Oliver and crushing his mate within a ferocious hug.

Oliver gasped. "It's alright, Wally, I'm alright."

"I was such an arsehole!"

"It's alright!"

Eli reached over and tapped Wally on the shoulder.

Wally looked at him.

"Who are you?" Eli asked.

"I'm Wally," Wally said.

Eli stared at Wally, then held up his turtle. "This is Yertle."

Wally looked at Oliver in confusion.

"That's Eli," Oliver said. He paused, then, pointing in turn, "And Michael, and Nate, and that's Kevin." He waved his palm at Wally, "This is my... my mate. From school."

"Hi," Wally said, looking 'round at them each in turn. 

"Hi," the other four boys chorused in near perfect unison.

"Well, there you are. You wanted to meet them. Now you have." Oliver paused. "You... didn't miss much by not meeting Mrs. Jennings."

"Is she really..." Wally hesitated, glancing at the smallness of Eli, then looked back at Oliver, who's face answered the unfinished question.

"Is she really what?" Eli asked.

"Alright," Jasper said, cutting into the conversation from across the room, "I have more fantastic fudge ripple than will fit into the case, whatever will I do with these five extra scoops of it I've got?"

"I'LL HELP WITH THAT!" Nate shouted, leaping up from the table and running over to the counter, followed by Eli. Michael hesitated, looking at the older kids and trying to decide whether he wanted to pair with the elder or the younger and finally decided the younger was getting fantastic fudge ripple ice cream and he slid off his seat and went with them across the room.

Kevin leaned forward. "She's really dead?" His voice was a whisper.

"That's what the Dark Mark symbolizes," Oliver whispered back, "That a kill's been made."

"Blimey," whispered Kevin.

"Made by a Death Eater," Wally said.

"What's a Death Eater?" Kevin asked. 

"Dark Lord's followers," Wally whispered.

"Who's that?" Kevin asked.

Oliver gave Wally a frustrated look, then said, "Nothin' you need to worry about Kev, not really."

"Not worry about? Course he should be worried about him!"

"No, he needn't worry about him," Oliver hissed. "He's a muggle."