XXV.
Myrtle Warren, of District 2, failed to meet the standards of a Career. So she was transferred from the Academy to the Peacekeeper School. She honestly was a bit glad that she failed. For one thing, she cheerfully got to see Bellatrix Black die. And of course, last year, she saw Olive Hornby die after her head got chopped off by the District 4 Tribute with an actual axe. Now that was something hilarious. She had always thought Olive's head was too big on her neck.
She liked Tom. He was one of the few who didn't make fun of her back in the Academy. He was patient, and he knew her name.
Of course, she was also someone who knew that he killed his uncle, Morfin. She wasn't quite certain if he knew she knew, but she wasn't stupid when she saw his eyes glazed over in sheer awe an hour after Morfin died three years ago.
That was when she was twelve, a year before she transferred.
She didn't know how he killed his uncle, but she considered Morfin good practice for when Tom would actually go into the Arena. They had said the first death was always the hardest.
They were probably right. Gellert was not a wizard known to be wrong.
When the Peacekeepers came to investigate his death, she was the person who gave Tom his alibi. That he was in the library. Which was true, but she claimed she saw him in there two hours longer than he actually was.
"Cadet Warren," greeted the lead Peacekeeper, Mad-Eyed Moody. His staff thumped loudly, and despite his appearance inviting ridicule, his reputation preceded him.
She wished she had some of that reputation. "Sir."
He glanced at the screen, currently showing Tribute 4 Female and Tribute 9 Male battling in a small skirmish. He was surprisingly nimble, especially with that broom of his. Myrtle thought he would at least survive this small battle, so long he wasn't too reckless.
"How is our tribute doing?"
She lied, "He is doing just fine."
But she wasn't sure of that. One of the first things Gellert taught them all was to always eliminate a threat.
And Tom failed.