Oliver slammed to the ground with a hard thud. Immediately, the triumphant music played, and the crowd erupted in cheers as they caught sight of him.
"Our brave champions have returned!" Dumbledore's voice boomed through the intercom, igniting even more jubilation among the crowd.
Yet, in that moment, Oliver didn't feel brave or like a champion. His tear-filled eyes were fixed on his deceased brother's face.
The cheers and music continued for a few more moments until, gradually, people began to notice that Henry lay motionless.
"Oliver!" Dumbledore exclaimed as he made his way toward him. He attempted to pry Oliver away from Henry's lifeless body.
"NO! GET OFF ME!" Oliver's voice filled with anguish as he fought against Dumbledore, unwilling to let go of his brother.
He flung his body over Henry's.
"What happened?" Dumbledore inquired, concern etched deeply in his voice.
"He... He..." Oliver struggled to speak, his trembling voice mixed with choked sobs. Tears streamed down his face, falling like a torrential waterfall.
Hermione hurriedly rushed over, but her steps halted abruptly as she caught sight of Henry's lifeless form. A gasp escaped her lips, and she instinctively covered her mouth in shock.
"What's going on? What happened?" Cornelius Fudge questioned as he approached Oliver, his expression quickly turning pallid upon seeing Henry's motionless body. "Dear God!" he uttered.
Hermione swiftly noticed a large blood trail surrounding Oliver. "Oliver, is that your blood?" she asked, dropping down to her knees to examine him closely.
"Tell me what happened," Dumbledore repeated, his voice filled with both urgency and concern.
Oliver remained silent, his gaze fixed on Henry's lifeless face as he trembled uncontrollably.
Reacting with compassion, Hermione wrapped her arms tightly around Oliver, drawing him into a comforting embrace. "It's okay. You're safe now. You're home," she whispered softly into his ear, her voice filled with reassurance.
"He's back," Oliver finally managed to utter, his voice filled with raw anguish. "Voldemort is back. He... he killed him!" His words hung heavy in the air, driving home the gravity of the situation and the weight of the loss they all now faced.
A collective gasp escaped the spectators in the stands upon hearing Oliver's chilling revelation.
"Keep everyone in their seats," Cornelius Fudge firmly instructed Snape and Hagrid, concern etched across his face as he surveyed the crowd.
"We have to move the body, Dumbledore! There are too many people here," Fudge urgently asserted, his voice laced with a sense of impending danger.
"NO, DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Oliver's voice cracked with pure rage, his expression contorted with a mixture of grief and fury. He vehemently barked at Fudge, fiercely protecting the memory of his fallen brother. The intensity of his emotions reverberated through the air, leaving an uncomfortable silence in its wake.
"There's nothing we can do for him now," Dumbledore said solemnly, shattering the heavy silence that enveloped them.
In the stands, Cho's sobs grew increasingly loud and inconsolable, echoing through the arena.
"LET ME THROUGH!" A familiar voice cried out, piercing through the heart-wrenching scene. It was Oliver's mother, desperately rushing towards them with anguish etched onto her face. Oliver couldn't bear the thought of meeting his mother's gaze, overwhelmed with guilt and devastation.
"THAT'S MY SON!" She yelled, her voice straining with a mix of anguish and desperation. "THAT'S MY BOY!"
She collapsed to her knees beside them, her cries blending with Oliver's as she clutched onto her dear son. "HENRY!" she wailed, the pain of the devastating loss consuming her.
Tears streamed down Oliver's face as he whispered, barely audible to anyone except Hermione, who still held him tightly in her comforting embrace. "I'm so sorry."
Trembling, Hermione tightened her grip and whispered back, her voice filled with compassion. "This isn't your fault, Ollie. We'll get through this together."
Isabella swiftly followed her mother's lead, dropping to her knees beside them. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tightly embraced her mother, their grief merging into one shared pain.
Suddenly, Oliver felt arms wrapping around him, lifting him up with a surprising strength. It was Moody.
"Come on, boy. You're hurt," Moody said firmly, his grip unwavering as he held on to Oliver.
"NO, LET GO OF ME!" Oliver's voice cracked with a mixture of anguish and resistance. He fought against Moody's grasp, fueled by the overwhelming emotions that consumed him.
Moody's tone softened as he leaned closer to Oliver, whispering into his ear, his voice laced with a surprising tenderness. "This is not where you want to be right now," he murmured.
Oliver strained against Moody's firm grip once more, his attempts at resistance futile. "Easy. EASY!" Moody's voice remained steady as he maintained his hold. "We need to get you patched up, or you'll be joining him there."
"I'm coming too," Hermione insisted.
"No, stay here."
"She's coming!" Oliver asserted as he finally managed to break free from Moody's grip.
"Fine, have it your way. Follow me," Moody relented, his tone begrudgingly accepting their decision. He turned away, leading the way with a determined stride.
Oliver took a single step forward, only to collapse to his knees, the intensity of the pain in his side overwhelming him.
"It's alright, I've got you," Hermione reassured him, swiftly coming to his aid. She carefully placed Oliver's arm over her shoulder, supporting his weight. "Easy now," she whispered, her voice filled with tenderness and concern.
As they moved forward, Oliver's blood stained Hermione's pink hoodie, the color of the fabric transforming into a grisly red reminder of the danger Oliver faced.
***
Hermione practically had to drag Oliver into Moody's office, his feeble state worsening by the minute.
"Now, tell me exactly what happened," Moody ordered, his voice firm and commanding.
"Cup... Portkey," Oliver managed to say, his words slurring as dizziness overcame him.
"What was it like? What was he like?" Moody pressed, his curiosity tinged with a hint of something darker.
Oliver remained silent, barely present in the conversation, his mind clouded by pain and confusion.
"Were there others? In the graveyard?" Moody inquired, his tone filled with anticipation and a thirst for information.
Oliver's face suddenly changed, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes. "I... never mentioned... a graveyard," he stammered, the gravity of the situation sinking in.
"WERE THERE OTHERS?! DID HE PUNISH THOSE TREACHEROUS DEATH EATERS WHO ABANDONED HIM?!" Moody's voice exploded, his rage manifesting as he invaded Oliver's personal space.
Hermione's eyes widened as a sudden realization struck her. "It was you! You put Oliver's name into the Goblet," she accused, her voice laced with both shock and betrayal.
Moody's expression twisted into a sadistic smile, his true intentions finally revealed.
"Do you think Oliver would have won without my help? He only won because I made it so. He ended up in that graveyard tonight because it was meant to be," Moody said menacingly.
Moody lifted up Oliver's shirt and jammed his thumb into Oliver's wound, causing him to scream in agony.
"Get off of him!" Hermione exclaimed, forcefully attempting to push Moody away from Oliver.
"The blood that runs in these veins now runs within the Dark Lord," Moody stated, his voice dripping with a macabre delight, as he licked Oliver's blood off his thumb.
Hermione's mind raced, a mixture of disgust and horror filling her. She knew she had to act quickly to save Oliver.
Hermione quickly attempted to draw her wand, but Moody snatched it away and forcefully pushed her to the ground, causing her to gasp in pain. "Stupid girl!" he spat, his voice filled with contempt.
Refocusing his attention on Oliver, who was barely conscious, Moody smirked wickedly. "Imagine the reward that awaits me when the Dark Lord discovers that I have finally silenced Oliver Montclair."
Just as Moody raised his wand, the door suddenly burst open, revealing Dumbledore, his eyes ablaze with determination. "EXPELLIARMUS!" he bellowed, releasing a powerful spell that disarmed Moody and sent his wand flying across the room.
Taking advantage of the moment, Snape charged at Moody and forcefully shoved him down into a nearby chair
Unable to endure the pain any longer, Oliver collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.
"OLIVER!" Hermione cried out in anguish, scrambling to her feet and rushing toward him, her heart filled with desperate concern.
At the sound of the commotion, McGonagall swiftly entered the room, her eyes widening in alarm.
"What happened here?" McGonagall demanded, her voice laced with worry and urgency.
Hermione, tears streaming down her face, pleaded with McGonagall, her voice choked with emotion. "Please, help me. He's badly injured. We need to do something quickly."