We manage to find seats at the crowded table. It looked like they'd found the schools of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. So there were more people than usual, making the room totally crowded. The Durmstrang kids sat mostly with the Slytherins, there were a few who sat at Gryffindor. Beaubatons was mostly girls, and they sat at the Ravenclaw table. The few boys sat at Gryffindor as well.
"Hey, why's the Sorting hat out? We've already been Sorted." Ginny said. I looked up to the table at the front.
"Okay, everyone, listen up! In a few days, we will be entering you all in a little drawing. It is called the Reaping. All the kids here in Panem have to attend, so it's only fair that you do as well. It is on Friday. It is for something we call The Hunger Games. We will draw one boy and one girl from each house . Since not all of you are from Hogwarts, and so are not in a "House", we will be sorting you right now. Krum, Victor " said a man at the podium. A burly boy from Durmstrang got up.
"That's Victor Krum, Seeker on the Bulgarian team!" said Ron excitedly. Krum was quickly sorted into Slytherin.
"Delacour, Gabrielle!" said the man. A little girl from Beauxbatons walked up to the stage. She couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve.
"Ravenclaw!" the hat decides. She goes over and sits by an older girl who looked like her sister.
Delacour, Fleur!" said the man again. She was also sorted into Ravenclaw. This continued on and on and on. At last, "Vaggio, Leon!" was sored into Gryffindor. Then we were told to do whatever we wanted to until Friday.
That Friday, I am jolted awake by Hermione.
"Get up, Hazel, I don't think we want to be late to the dining hall," she said. So I got up and began to get ready. I put on a decent dress and straigtened my annoying curly black hair. Then Hermione and I went down to the dining hall. We found seats next to Harry and Ron. I think Ron was relieved that Ginny didn't have to participate, sine she had not yet had her eleventh birthday, and they'd told us that only eleven thru eighteen year olds have to enter.
"Okay! It's time for the reaping!" said the same man."I said QUIET!" The hall became silent. I think you could've heard a pin hit the floor." Okay, this is Savan Ginger. She will be calling the winners and escorting you to the capitol. Savan?"
"Oh, thank you. I love this! Now, Gryffindor first!" says Savan. I think she looks so ridiculous. Her hair is dyed a garrish shade of red. She walks over to the glass sphere that I assume has the girls names. She grabs one, and walks back to the podium. She reads the name.
"Hermione Granger!"
I see Hermione get up from her seat near me, her bushy brown hair slowly moving along the aisle, and I can't stand it. There's no way Hermione would survive these Games, whatever they are. She's just a second year. So are you, I think stubbornly. But I grip my wand in my pocket tightly as I jump up out of my seat.
"NO! I volunteer! I volunteer!" I shout. I head up the aisle as fast as my twelve year old legs would let me and shove Hermione back to the Gryffindor table. Then I mount the stage instead, still gripping my wand for dear life, which it most likely is now.
"And what might your name be?" Savan asked me.
"Hazel Potter. I'm 12," I said. "Hermione is my best friend."
"What a lovely name! And so young! Please congratulate our female tribute, Hazel Potter!"
No one claps. No one says a word. I spot Harry and Ron at Gryffindor. Hermione hasn't moved at all. Harry looks like he wants to kill someone, and I'm not sure if it's me or Savan. "Okay, now for the boy tribute of Gryffindor!" she says and strides over to the other sphere. She says the name, "Marcus Darwin!" A boy gets up from the table. I think he was one of the Durmstrang boys. From Hufflepuff, they called Vanessa Randall and Jacob Kepler. Ravenclaw comes up. Savan reads the girl name.
"Luna Lovegood."
How could it be possible that a mere eleven year old gets chosen? She had her name only once. She had everything in her favor. Oh, please someone volunteer for her! I deperately think. But no one does. No one does anything at all. They just sit and watch.
Suddenly, I hear, "Please, I'd like to volunteer for her. Please?" the voice is quiet, and at first I think I'd just imagined it. But I see another little girl get up from the Ravenclaw table. It is the little girl who we watched be sorted, Gabrielle Delacour. She goes up to the stage and stands beside me.
"And what is your name?" Savan asks her.
"I'm Gabrielle Delacour. I'm eleven." she says. Savan continues with the boy. It's a third year, Kyle Mackey. Slytherin's tributes are Genevieve Harper and Owen Partner. Genevieve's a fourth year, and Owen is a big sixth year.
"Our tributes from Hogwarts; Hazel Potter, Marcus Darwin, Vanessa Randall, Jacob Kepler, Gabrielle Delacour, Kyle Mackey, Genevieve Harper, and Owen Partner!" Savan says. No one says a word. Just like they haven't the entire time.
Savan makes us all shake hands, and them we are led to a different room, where we can say goodbye before we leave. The first people I get are Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
"Hazel, why did you do that! You know I' capable! Hermione says.
"Did you just expect me to sit there and watch you go to your death?" I said icredulously. "No way, Hermione!"
"I just didn't want you to sacrifice yourself for me. You need to help Harry with Voldemort, especially since Dobby told you about bad things at Hogwarts, who's to say they won't do that here!" she says.
Hang on. Dobby. Harry seemed to catch on just as I did.
"You think Dobby had something to do with this?" Harry asks
"It's definitely possible. I mean, he dumped pudding all over the Masons just to keep you from Hogwarts. Who knows if he'd go so far as to get you away from the country completely." Ron said. But something wasn't quite right about that idea.
"I hope he didn't hurt himself too badly for telling you!" I said. When Dobby had come, every time he'd almost said somethig that could've really helped, he had hit himself. It was so cruel.
"Time's up!" said a voice at the door. The three of them left. Then Luna and Ginny entered. They looked like they had been crying.
"Oh, Hazel, why did you do that! You know Hermione could've handled herself!" Ginny cried. Luna sort of hung back.
"Hey, Luna, did you know that girl who volunteered for you?" I asked her.
"Yes, she's from Beauxbatons. She rooms with me. We were talking when they called you, and then we agreed that if one of us was chosen, we'd volunteer for the other. So when I was chosen, she volunteered. Just like she said she would. And I almost wish she hadn't." Luna said.
"Hey, Hazel, I have something for you, as well as some advice." Ginny says. She pulls out a small package and it is a pack of peanut butter cookies, and a silver locket. I open it to find a picture of Harry and me on one side, and Hermione, Ron, and Ginny in the other. All the people I care about in one place. "Okay, so Dumbledore said that we use our magic in our hands, so pretend your wand is a lucky stick or something. At least they won't know. I think they'd confisate it. Okay, Hazel?"
"Thanks, Ginny. Thanks, Luna," I say as they have to leave. "Keep safe!"
The final visitor I get is a total stranger: Fleur Delacour, Gabrielle's older sister.
"You are Hazel Potter, non?" she asks.(BTW, for all you out there who don't speak French or are not good with context clues, non means no in French).
"Yes, I am. You're Fleur Delacour." I say.
"I 'ave come to ask a ...favor. Could you please...would you...keep Gabrielle safe? Please?" she asks. I am so taken aback, I say,"O-ok. I will."
"Thank you. And...good luck, Hazel," she says, and exits. Then the hour is up. We are again escorted to the trains, where we will meet our mentors. This time, I don't think I will survive what is to come. I hope they are not as crazy as Savan! I do not think I could handle it if that was the case. I watched out the train window as it took me away from all I knew.
