Word Count: 1,005
Letter: I
Character: Igor Karkaroff
Summary: Karkaroff's panic to Snape the night of the last challenge. He has a wild adventure escaping; my mind got out of hand- sorry. Extremely OOC, and a very poor attempt at slight comedy at parts. (And sorry for my lack of update yesterday!!)
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I suddenly felt a burning sensation on my left forearm. Turning towards the stadium, I thought I knew just where to head. But really, who could think when their mind was foggy with pain and illusions and dread…dread of what would happen if they didn't reply to the Dark Lord's summon.
I squeezed through the crowd, past Dumbledore, the old fool who thought that we were all loyal to him of all people, beyond the giant oaf who was so obviously openly flirting with Maxine, and over the puny half-creature "dueling genius" Flitwick.
Finally I made my way to Severus. He was standing in the corner, muffling a scream. If you ignored the Dark Lord's summons, they only became much less bearable.
His greasy hair was disheveled and strewn about his head. His eyes were watering, almost on the verge of tears. His hook-like nose was covered in sweat, and he was clutching the wall for support.
The only reason I had been able to walk was because I, unlike Severus, the ignorant fool, had acknowledged the fact that I was needed. Immediately.
"We need to go." I whispered hoarsely.
"No. It would…eh…look suspicious if I left now. During an …eek…important time for the…" he took a deep breath in, and released it with a tiny squeak, "school. For the school. Dumbledore would reevaluate his allies."
"The Dark Lord will know that you bailed on him. That you found an enemy's acquaintance more important. That you overlooked him in his time of need, his rebirth, Severus. Into a new body. A new life."
"You make it seem as though…he…he…won't trust me. I do his bidding. I find out where Potter is, what Potter's doing, how he's to manage to try and kill Potter. I'm 'allies' with the best friend of his worst enemy. Do you really think he'll let me go, Igor?"
"Grant the Dark Lord's wishes, Severus. Do as he says."
"And what about you, the one who 'does all he asks?' Are you going to go? Are you going to fess up to your wonderful little 'prank?' The one where you…oh…" he pretended to think for a moment. "gave the names of his most loyal servants to Azkaban?"
"What to do? What to do?"
"Better make your decision quick, Karkaroff. He'll be here any second looking for his most loyal slave."
I tried to keep the fear out of my voice, but I am sure the chance of it actually being withheld is slim. "The Dark Lord is coming here?"
"If you don't make a run for it, sure."
"I…what about you?"
"I told you, I have my pretenses to worry about. He shall understand."
I simply nodded my head before sprinting down the hill of Hogwarts in complete panic. Without any coherent thoughts manageable, I jumped over the fence and into a forest that my mind found suspiciously familiar.
Although only unfamiliar noises filled my ears. Clip clopping of muggle horses. Whinnying, from what I suspected to be a horse as well. Stomping. Scratching. Conversing in foreign languages.
I took a step forward. "Who's here?"
"No one."
Oh, okay, I thought to myself.
I turned around and left the forest, pleased that nothing had happened to me. I was so happy I could skip. But instead I knew that I had to run. And I had to do so fast. Faster than Severus confronted with a bottle of clarifying shampoo.
And I did. For a moment or too.
My foot caught on a rock. I slid. Into a lake.
I held my breath and swam as fast as I could to the closest shore. I was running out of air. And just as I went to take a gulp of smelly lake air, something grabbed onto my ankle.
Oh, what an unfortunate day I was having.
I ripped my robe to pieces digging for my wand, until my hand finally clasped around it. Great. Permitto Anhelo! The Bubble Head charm was always a favorite of mine for some reason.
I swam as fast as I could, kicking harder each time, hoping to get that thing off my leg. Finally I reached the shore, and lost what had turned out to be a merman with exceptionally longhair.
I reached the surface and pulled myself out of the smelly water. I used a series of spells that I had never used, in that order, before. Exunda! No more Bubble Head charm. Nidor Commodo! Off with the horrible smell. Siccus! The water droplets vanished in mid-drip and my robes were completely dry.
I ran yet again and stared back at the now confused Severus. It seems he was keeping an eye on me.
I knew the Dark Lord was getting angry. My arm told me that much. Apparently I wasn't the only late one. I sped up my pace.
And crashed right into a tree. That moved.
It picked me up and tossed me around. It juggled me with its many prickly branches. It was absolutely horrifying. Would He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named accept my excuses? A juggling tree, a swampy lake, and a lost journey to the forest didn't seem too believable to me.
Queasy, dizzy, and in dreadful pain, I attempted to run again. Finding no use in that, I decided it would be easier to walk, rather than run, fall, get up, and run again, only to fall again, and get up, and make a suspicious show out of my escape.
Finally I reached the gates. I stepped outside and apparated to the place that the Dark Lord needed followers to arrive at.
I saw two of the champions from the Triwizard task.
Man, this long night just got longer.
