The four house tables had been set with a magnificent Halloween feast but there was a sinister feeling in the air as all the students filed in from their individual houses. Most of the students seemed oblivious to the strange atmosphere, but Hermione could feel the cold chill of betrayal as she sat with Ron and Harry at the Gryffindor house table.
Hermione POV
I knew there was really something wrong the moment I saw Dumbledore. As he rose from the table to make his usual speech I could clearly see the sadness etched onto his face. Dumbledore had never looked like this in front of the whole school before but it was unmistakable grief that dominated his features. When he reached his podium he cleared his throat and the hall fell silent. He stared at the students and spoke.
"Students as you well know there have been many new changes. Minister Snow has now received control of much of what happens here at Hogwarts. That being said I am now forced to announce that Hogwarts will be hosting the first annual "hunger" games. These games are meant to test your skill, bravery, resourcefulness, and strength. They will require cunning, wit and valor. I will call 16 tributes to fight. There can be only one victor. The rest will be dead."
The hall was silent for a few moments but it was only the calm before the storm. When the students had recovered from their shock there was an almighty uproar as they shouted from every direction. This was so much worse than the Triwizard tournament. With that there had been only a chance we could die, with this 15 of us had to. This was so wrong, why would Dumbledore allow his students to slaughter one another. Of course I knew it was no longer in his control to stop it. Everything had begun to change since our trip to the Ministry a few months ago. Voldemort had been sighted, Fudge had been sacked and strange things had been happening all across the country. There had been disappearances all through Britain and a cold fog that drew all happiness out of wherever it reached. The entire wizarding world knew what was happening although the Muggles did not. Voldemort had returned just as Harry and Dumbledore had been trying to convince everyone last year. Since then the Order had found out that he had taken hold of the ministry and the new Minister for Magic was one of his death eaters. Minister Coriolanus Snow had enacted new laws and had seized control of nearly every wizarding facility. Dumbledore had no control over these so called games, the best we could all hope for was that it wouldn't be our name that was drawn or that we would be the one to survive if it had.
Dumbledore was still speaking when I had pulled away from my thoughts. He had begun to explain how the tributes would be chosen. It was very much like the Triwizard tournament had been but the students would not electively place their names in the goblet. Each student would have their name written on a slip of parchment for each year that they had attended Hogwarts. This meant that Harry, Ron and I would each have six chances to be picked, It was better than the seventh years but the odds had never been in our favor. I felt scared for Harry, Voldemort was behind this and we all knew he wanted Harry dead, but would he go so far as to let someone else kill him?
The names were set to be drawn the following week but no one was able to focus on classes. We knew there was no way to predict who would be chosen but that fact only made everything more terrifying. On the seventh of November we all were summoned to the Great Hall to watch as 15 of our friends and classmates were sent to their imminent death.