Chapter 11

Ron

Lucius Malfoy eyed me before turning to Tracey, "Go. Now." Davis nodded before scurrying from the room to the shared room. I wished I could follow. I was left alone with Lucius Malfoy. He was going to kill me.

"I am no more pleased with this…arrangement than you are Weasley. However. You're in luck. I will try and tell you how to survive. Longer than you would without me."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed, "Right, a whole two seconds, right?"

The man's eyes narrowed at me before he continued, "Luckily for you, boy, mentors are encouraged to keep their tributes alive. And they will be rewarded for their performances. While I know you won't win, as my son is going to kill you far before the end, I will keep you alive longer than other participants."

I was entirely appalled. Lucius Malfoy was going to reap rewards for keeping me alive! All of the mentors would! At the same time, I couldn't argue that it was a good tactic, as several of the mentors and escorts had children in the tournament. How else did they suppose they would help?

Malfoy and I glared sternly at each other for a moment before he continued, "You can choose to listen to me, or not. The choice is yours."

"And, just how do I know you won't just be trying to get me killed anyway?"

He smirked, "You. Don't." And that was it, wasn't it? I had no idea. My 'mentor' was probably going to try and kill me.

The smirk disappeared before Malfoy directed me towards a line of weapons, "Choose wisely boy. You only get to choose once."

I walked slowly past each of the weapons. I had heard of some, like swords and bows, but then there were others that must have been entirely Muggle. Such as these things that looked to fit on your hand, brimmed in metal.

I finally found a slingshot and picked it up. It felt odd in my hand, but also familiar. I remembered the twins had used similar instruments to pester everyone else when we were all younger. I looked towards Malfoy before nodding.

"How pathetic. But if that is as you wish. Have you ever used one of those before Weasley?" I nodded, lying. Hopefully it wouldn't be too obvious. "Good. Show me."

I took a gulp before placing a pebble in the sling and pulling it back. I managed to hit a target sat up across the room. A miracle if there ever was one!

"Hm. I suppose you have. Interesting." Malfoy made me shoot the slingshot for what seemed like forever. I shot at simple target, each getting slightly smaller. Finally, he stopped me and changed the target. The target, instead of being a simple circle, now resembled a person's outline.

"Now, aim for the head."

I gulped again before nodding. I pulled the sling back before firing. I shot the target on the ear and Mafoy began laughing.

"Do you really suppose that hitting someone in the ear is going to kill them?"

I shook my head, "I won't be killing anyone Malfoy."

"Oh, but you will Weasley. Or you'll die. First."

Unfortunately, I had a feeling that, for once, Lucius Malfoy had a point.

Harry

I was finally face to face with Albert Runcorn. I had never really interacted with the man. I'd just knocked him out to steal his hair for polyjuice potion. But hey, no hard feelings, right?

Runcorn looked very irritated at me. But, then again, he always looked irritated. I really had no idea how to feel about him. He had been a member of the Ministry during Voldemort's reign, so he was probably a Death Eater, but I didn't have any proof. He just kind of seemed like a ponce.

He looked back and forth between Parkinson and I, "In normal situations, I'd say there is power in numbers. However, in this case, that is not acceptable. I would sooner hope you two fight to kill each other simply so I don't have to deal with you. But, I'm not allowed to let anything happen to you before the tournament. Unfortunately. Luckily, if one of you wins, which I think you both stand a chance of doing if you listen to me, I'll be earning a reward. The longer you live, the bigger my payout."

Parkinson and I, for the only time in our lives, both looked astounded. He was using us as a paycheck! She immediately started letting him know about the situation, and the wrongness of it. She also made sure to throw out who her family was and the consequences of Runcorn using her.

I glared over at her, "Parkinson, shut it! He doesn't care! And neither does your family! You ARE being used as a paycheck! And a lesson! And entertainment! Your family won't fight the damn Ministry for your arse!"

Her jaw dropped, completely dumbfounded. I don't think I had ever rendered the pug speechless before. I smirked in delight.

Runcorn rolled his eyes, "Leave Pansy. I wish to train Mr. Potter first."

She glared sternly at the man before mumbling, "Of course you do. Saint Potter is always first."

I rolled my eyes, she was the most annoying creature I had ever had the displeasure of encountering!

"Come here Potter." I walked over to where he stood. "Take out your wand."

"Aren't we supposed to be training with Muggle weapons," I added, to stay in his good favor, "sir?"

He nodded, "Indeed. However, you're going to have plenty of sponsors to have a wand in the arena. I have no worries in that regard. You are the Boy Who Lived after all." I could hear a bit of snark behind the comment. "What spells do you use most often Potter?"

I furrowed my brows in thought, "Well, I suppose that'd be expelliarmus and stupefy."

Runcorn took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, a strong sigh. "Of course they are."

"Why? What's the matter with those spells?"

"They won't harm anyone. Or anything."

"I'm not going to hurt anyone."

"You will. And you'll do it willingly. Because if you don't, you're going to die boy."

I let out a sigh. He was right. And I knew what the answer to my next question would be, "What spells do you suppose I improve then?"

"The killing curse."

"But, that's against the law."

"I really don't think they'll care in this instance."

I took a deep breath and nodded, he was right. For the next half hour, Runcorn instructed me on honing in on anger and hate to focus on casting the killing curse. When I finally shot the spell from the tip of my wand, the green light was blinding. And even more so, horrifying. I had never imagined myself casting the horrible spell, and legitimately meaning it.

Luna

I had heard little of the man in front of me known as Yaxley. He had just worked with Crabbe, and they both enjoyed it. That was enough to tell me what kind of person this man was. He was not a kind person.

"What are your skills girl?"

I looked up at him, "I'm not working with any weapons, if that's what you mean."

His beady eyes blazed with anger, "You'll do as I tell you!"

I shook my head, "No, I won't." I had faced Deatheaters before. This man was no different from them. "I will leave this life with my dignity and persona. As I see fit."

He blinked, baffled by my words. "You will what?"

"I know I'm going to die, sir. So, I wish to do it my way. Which means I will harm nobody. I know you get a reward if I survive long enough, I heard others talking about it at dinner, but you can still get that reward with your faith in Crabbe. Obviously you don't want to help me anyway. Am I correct?"

He stammered for a moment before I cut him off, "Exactly. If you wish for me to survive longer, so you get a bigger reward, you may only teach me non-harmful potions which may be used in the arena. Other than that, I shall not act in these games. I will survive, not murder."

Yaxley nodded to me before leading me towards a table with potion ingredients. We spent the remainder of the evening mixing ingredients to concoct potions to cure poisons, heal wounds, and others of the sort. There was nothing dangerous about them.

Neville

Mr. Cattermole smiled at me. I couldn't decide if this disturbed me, or made me happy. I was very uneasy about the gesture. "May I ask why you're smiling at me?"

"Well, Mr. Longbottom, I've heard you're very good with a sword."

My brows furrowed as I eyed the man, "Um, I'm not quite sure where you heard that."

"Everywhere. After the Battle of Hogwarts, several people spoke of YOU being the one to kill You-Know-Who's snake! With a sword! The Sword of Gryffindor!"

"Um, that was just dumb luck sir."

"No, I don't believe it was Neville. If you were able to protect others, and yourself, with a sword then, you can do it now. You're going to be using a sword in the arena."

I shrugged, I suppose he had a point.

Mr. Cattermole directed me towards a sword and dummy near a wall. He had me practice lunging at the dummy for awhile, and eventually, we even worked up to stabbing at it. The evening was slow. I was happy to be learning how to properly use swords, but I was not at all happy due to the circumstances. Was that really how the rest of my life was going to go? Justna daze?

Ginny

I eyed all of the weapons in front of me, but I already knew which one I wanted. So did my father. He chuckled and smiled at me, "You on, go get it."

I smiled back before running to grab the slingshot. The twins had taught me much over the years. Many of those things, not good at all. Including how to use a slingshot.

"Dad, do you remember how Fred and George got their first slingshot?"

He sighed heavily, "Unfortunately." We both started laughing. It had been all his fault. Dad had been at work, working with Muggle artifacts, and found the slingshot. After he discovered how it worked, he decided to bring it home to play with. Unfortunately, the twins found it. They instantly learned the uses for it, including but not limited to shooting the rest of us in the heads. They, of course, taught me how to use it.

I practiced shooting at the targets, each one being very close to bullseyes. I was beyond proud of myself when dad conjured up a moving target. I found it slightly challenging to shoot the target at first, especially when it kept changing sizes, but, with time, I adapted and got very, very good with the slingshot.

"Dad?"

"Yes Ginny?"

"How do you think everyone else is doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone else. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville, everyone."

"I'm not sure."

"Dad?"

He let out a sigh, slightly exasperated, "Yes, Ginny?"

"Who do you think is going to win this tournament?"

His shoulders slumped and he looked to the ground, "I'm trying not to think about it. Because, any way it goes, I will be losing a child. And then some."

I suddenly felt horrible for asking.

Hermione

"Malfoy, leave us. Now." Draco left the room swiftly as Alecto Carrow instructed him to do. I was so glad I had never had to deal with the woman. And now I had to. She was a horrid person! She and her brother made students practice curses on eleven year olds! I could find little crueler than that!

"Girl, what is it that you're skilled with?"

I glared sternly at the woman, "I have a name."

"You do, don't you? Mudblood. That's it, isn't it?"

My glare darkened, "You are a vile creature. Do you understand that?"

"And, do you realize how little I care?"

"How did you get this position anyway?"

"I was assigned. I want nothing more than to watch you die Mudblood. No worries, I have no intentions of making you last long. I will have you hit where you least expect it, before you know it."

"Why do you hate me so much?"

"I lost a positioned I rather favored. All thanks to you and your little friends."

"If you mean Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, you were hardly a professor."

Her voice rose to a shrill screech, "You have no idea what kind of professors my brother and I were!"

Before the yelling could continue, Mrs. Weasley entered the room. "Hermione, I strongly encourage you to retire to your room for the night. So that Ms. Carrow and I can talk." Mrs. Weasley was not happy. At all.

I did as I was asked without question.

Draco

The Carrow sister, Alecto, I believe, called for me after nearly a quarter hour. I hadn't spent much time around the woman before, but I had been around her enough in the previous year to learn how she was. She and her brother were both cruel. I had seen many things, many cruel people, but the two of them were among the highest ranks of cruelty. Well, the Carrows and my aunt.

She glared at me hard before looking around. She spoke in a harsh whisper, "Teaching you is an insult to the Dark Lord. You defective traitor! You and your lot!"

I rolled my eyes at her and spoke in a normal voice, "Says the one who claims to have been cursed."

She pointed her wand at me sternly, a dark gleam in her eyes, "I'd watch your tongue if I were you Malfoy. Maybe you won't have to die in that area after all." She smirked at me, eyes still twinkling.

I took a deep breath, I had to listen to her. Or risk dying. And I wasn't ready for that.

"What do you suppose I do Carrow?"

"Start by killing that Mudblood Granger girl the first chance you get!"

I looked up at her, "Why?"

"Do you dare question me? I am your mentor and you will listen to me, as I tell you!"

"It was a simple question."

Alecto's eyes darkened further. I saw a flick of her wand and found myself on the floor, overwhelmed with pain. I couldn't move and couldn't speak. All I heard were screams as my vision faded. I was unsure whose screams I heard.

Author's Note! I want to apologize for the fact that there are some characters who aren't seen very much. This is because these are the characters I really like, and really want to keep canon, and don't want to ruin. These characters include Luna and Neville. I also apologize when character POV's get really short, that sually means I'm out of ideas and sick of writing in various POV's. I look forward to doing it when it actually matters. Right now, it's just a ot of the same stuff and really boring to write