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September 1, 1996 -- 3:47 p.m.
Petunia Dursley hummed to herself as she vacuumed the living room floor. It wasn't so much that it needed a good vacuuming, but she thought she saw a smudge of dirt. It might have been a shadow, but she didn't want to take that risk. If company came over and it was dirt, what would they think? So she vacuumed, just in case.
She still had another hour and a half before Vernon was to come home and she was to start dinner. She didn't want to admit it -- and if you asked, she would vehemently deny it -- but she was bored. Dudley had left for Smeltings earlier in the day. The boy had left as well, which was just as well, because she knew the neighbors were talking about her, wondering where she went wrong to raise a boy so hopelessly delinquent that he would have to go to a reform school for criminals. It was better that they think that, though, than if they knew the truth.
She could never admit to anyone that her sister's kid was one of those freaks. It just wasn't normal. She could never understand why her sister had actually gone to that freak school. Hadn't she warned her that it was dangerous? There were dangerous people out there who were more than willing to trick someone as naive as her. But Lily never listened.
Petunia had once been close to her sister. But that was long ago, long before Lily had ever gotten her letter. Back then, Lily was always getting into trouble with something or another. Climbing trees she wasn't supposed to climb. Running across the street without bothering to look for cars. Insulting the mean girls down the street. But when it came right down to it, Petunia was always there to protect her baby sister. And once the letter came, she realized that she was no longer needed. Lily went off into her own world, full of everything one could imagine, and more.
Petunia knew the truth, though. There was a dark side to everything. There were bad people out there, just like the mean girls down the street. And if Lily left for her own world, Petunia could no longer protect her. So she did everything she could to convince Lily not to go. But her little sister always was stubborn.
Sometimes, she wondered how things might have been different if that letter had never come. Lily would still be alive, and the two might never have grown apart as they had. Petunia supposed it was her own fault. She should have been happy for her sister, but just couldn't be. Maybe it was because of the feelings of abandonment. Maybe it was because a small part of her wished that she could have been part of that world as well at one point of time.
But that time was long gone. One dark night, he had come. Obviously one of those freaks, because no sane person would dress up like that, except maybe on Halloween. Petunia hid herself in the other room as he demanded that her parents tell him where Lily was. When they refused to tell him anything, he used his freakish powers to torture them. After satisfied that they knew nothing, he killed them. Two streaks of light, and it was over. It took all of her strength to keep herself from making a sound. Finally he left, but not before forming some sort of symbol in the sky above their house.
She never could quite forgive her sister for what happened. It was all because of her that their parents had died. No. It was all because of that letter.
And so she grew to hate magic.
Then one morning, just after she had begun to get on with her life, with a family to call her own, she found the boy on the doorstep, and her carefully constructed world crashed down. Things would never be the same. The boy was sure to become one of them, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Just like she couldn't protect Lily, she wouldn't be able to protect him, either. So she refused to allow herself to grow too attached. She didn't want to be hurt again. The first few years, things were all right. No signs of abnormality. Occasionally, she felt her defenses weakening, but then strange things began occurring, and she knew it was only a matter of time. Vernon seemed to think that the magic could be beaten out of the boy, but she knew better. It was inevitable. Just as Lily was destined to receive her letter, he was destined to receive his when he grew old enough. And just as Lily had done, he too would enter a dark world thinking it held nothing but sunshine and rainbows.
The dirt (or was it a shadow?) was being particularly stubborn as she vacuumed over it. She concentrated compulsively on the spot, trying to will it to become clean. It was silly, but maybe by sheer will alone, the spot would come off.
The doorbell rang a second time. She'd been lost in thought when it rang the first time. Turning off the vacuum, she walked over and opened the door. An official looking man in a suit stood on the doorstep, hand poised to ring the bell a third time. He lowered it as the door opened and gave a friendly nod.
"Mrs. Dursley, I presume?"
Petunia nodded. "That's correct. How may I help you?"
The man sighed, "This is always very difficult. Your nephew, I believe he is? His class has been chosen to take part in this year's program, to be held effective as of..." he glanced at his watch. "Well, I'm not sure of the exact time, but they will be leaving very shortly."
Petunia stared at him blankly. "What's this all about? I have no--"
The man waved his hand. "Now, now. We're both grown ups here. There's no need to pretend. It is simply my duty to inform you that he will be taking part of International Education Reform Program Number 12. If he survives--"
Petunia's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean, 'if he survives'?"
The man chuckled. "The hardest part of my job is informing the parents and guardians. Shall we wait for your husband to return, or will you explain things to him?"
"Tell me now."
The man nodded. "Very well. He and his classmates will be stranded on an island until only one is left. It's quite possible that he will be the ultimate... victor. I have heard that he is quite resilient. But it's quite possible that one of his classmates will want it more. Kill or be killed. That's the rule." Leaving Petunia standing shocked at the door, the man nodded once more and walked away.
Without even thinking about it, Petunia closed the door and went over to the vacuum cleaner. Through the tears forming in her eyes, she could see another spot had joined the first on the floor.
40 students remaining
September 2 -- 2:13 a.m.
When Harry Potter (Boy 15, Gryffindor) came to, he was sitting in a strange classroom, along with all of his fellow sixth year classmates. Most of them were awake, glancing around at their surroundings, or fingering something around their necks. He brought his hand to his own neck, feeling cold metal. Eyes widening, he looked around. They were all wearing metal collars. What on earth was going on?
Up at the front of the classroom, the strange wizard from the Great Hall sat in a chair, watching them. Harry made eye contact with him for a moment, but broke it when one of his classmates shrieked. Looking towards the girl (Megan Jones, Girl 10, Hufflepuff), he noticed that the window by her was completely covered over with what appeared to be sheet metal and black plastic tarp. A dark feeling rose in his stomach. Something was very, very wrong here.
The rest of the students now awake, the man in the front of the classroom stood up and cleared his throat. Most of the students looked over toward him, although some that had just awakened were still looking around, mystified. The man glared at them, and spoke. "Do not make me attempt to gather your attention a third time, for that might be rather... lethal... for some of you." Now the entire class was paying attention to the man, who smiled. "I am your new supervisor, Mr. Montgomery. Not that it will matter for long, that is. All of your parents or guardians have been notified, so everything is in order. I'm sure you're all wondering what you're doing here, so I'll cut to the chase. Every year, one class if chosen from amongst all the magic schools in the world to participate in our little... program."
Harry sneaked a glance at his friends to see if they understood what was happening. Hermione Granger (Girl 8, Gryffindor) had her hand covering her mouth, and was looking at the wizard with utmost horror. Ron Weasley (Boy 19, Gryffindor) had gone extremely pale, and seemed to be almost shaking. Harry looked back to the supervisor, who was still wearing that twisted smile.
"Yes, I see some of you know exactly what I'm speaking of. For those of you who don't, I shall explain. Due to the increasing disrespectfulness of the world's youth, the Ministry of Magic passed a new law in the year 1984." He turned to the blackboard in the front, and started writing on it. "International Education Reform Program Number 12. Also known as Program 12 for short." He turned back to the class. "40 students enter, only one survives. Yes, my pets, you heard me right. A fight to the death." He turned back to the board, and drew a lop-sided oval shape on it, followed by grid lines. "You are on an island. The previous occupants have been evacuated, so there's no worry about any innocents getting involved." He turned back to the class. "Any questions yet?"
The students looked back and forth between one another, hoping someone else would ask the questions they wanted answers to so that they wouldn't have to draw attention to themselves.
Mr. Montgomery shrugged, and continued. "Maybe later, then. Now where was I? Ah, yes. Each of you will be supplied with a pack that contains food, water, a map, a watch, and a random weapon. Some of you will get better weapons than others. I notice some of you pulling on your collars. I suggest you stop, lest they blow up." Everyone immediately brought their hands to their sides. "Right now we are in a school located near the center of the island. 10 minutes after the last of you leaves, it will become a forbidden zone. If you are caught in a forbidden zone, your collar will blow up. Every two hours, a new zone will become forbidden. I will be making announcements ahead of time so you'll know. I suggest you pay attention. Your lives depend on it."
Nobody moved or made a sound. Harry didn't even have to look around to know that his classmates felt the same sort of shock and disbelief that he did. Was this for real?
"Your wands have been confiscated. The survivor will of course be given his or her wand back after the game is over. Until then you will simply have to make due with the weapons you are given. As I mentioned earlier, some of you will get better weapons than others. If you find yourself stuck with a dud, I suggest you try to take the weapon of another student." A pause. "Questions?"
The students glanced around at one another for a few seconds, until Hermione shakily raised her hand. The supervisor smiled, and nodded at her.
"What if we simply refuse to do this?" her voice was shaking with fear. Harry admired her bravery for even being able to speak in the first place.
Mr. Montgomery smiled. "So glad you asked that. If 24 hours passes without a death, then all of the collars are detonated. Everybody dies. Nobody wins. And before anyone asks, we can detonate the collars of anyone foolish enough to attempt escape. Anything else?"
Hermione shook her head, looking crestfallen.
"This is so stupid!" Draco Malfoy (Boy 13, Slytherin) stood up, shaking. "Do you have any idea who my father is? If he knew what was going on, he would never stand for this! I can't be part of this!"
A chuckle from Mr. Montgomery. "Malfoy, is it? Yes, I've heard of you. Think you're above everyone else, do you? You were born, and so the world must bow down and worship you, yes?" His eyes flashed dangerously. "Equality. Nobody gets special treatment. It doesn't matter if you're rich and influential, or poor and downtrodden. You might be a top student, or you might be a delinquent. Nobody is better than anyone else in the eyes of the program. Yes, Mr. Malfoy. I know who your father is. He was one of the easier parents to deal with, by the way. Said that this would be a good test to see what you're really made of." He smiled. "He sent his blessing."
Malfoy sat back down, eyes unfocused. Harry couldn't even begin to imagine what must have been going through his mind. He almost felt a bit of sympathy toward his nemesis. Almost.
Mr. Montgomery walked around the room, placing a sheet of paper and a pencil on each desk. "Before we leave, I want everyone to do a little assignment for me. I want you to write down the words 'I will kill' followed by a classmate's name. Do that until all of your classmates are named. If you do not know someone's name, just ask. Are we clear? Good. Get to work." He walked towards the door, and opened it ever so slightly and gestured at someone out in the hallway. A group of the three men who had accompanied Mr. Montgomery in the Great Hall entered, pushing a cart that had what appeared to be the packs on it.
Harry stared at his paper, sick to his stomach. He couldn't do this. It was just... wrong. Apparently he wasn't the only one who felt that way, for quite a number of his classmates hadn't even picked up their pencils yet. However, some of them had, and were already writing down their lines.
The supervisor walked back to the front of the classroom, looking over the students. "I see very few of you are writing. I really don't want to have to force anyone."
Harry was still staring at his paper, hand trembling as he reached to pick up his pencil. He couldn't...
"I'm not doing this!" Seamus Finnegan (Boy 7, Gryffindor) proclaimed. "You can't make us! Come on, everyone! If we all stick together, we can take him down!" He stood up from his seat. A few other students reluctantly started to get up as well, but stopped when they saw the shiny object in Mr. Montgomery's hand.
There was a loud bang, and Seamus fell to the floor. A girl screamed, and students began to panic.
Mr. Montgomery sighed. "I really didn't want to do that. Really. But sometimes it's the only way they'll learn. I hope that no one else will get any bright ideas." He put the gun back into its holster, and resumed to watch over the students. "On the bright side, there's one less name you'll have to write down."
Now there were very few students who weren't writing anything. One by one, though, they began to write. Harry's hand trembled as he picked up his pencil. He was the last one to start writing.
After what seemed to be an eternity of torture, everybody was finally finished with his or her 'kill lists'. The mood was somber as they waited for the supervisor to address them.
"Before I dismiss everyone, I would like to give you the opportunity to ask any questions that might be lingering in your fresh young minds. Remember, ten minutes after the last student leaves, the zone that the school is in becomes forbidden, so you won't be able to ask anything later."
A few students glanced warily at one another, too afraid to speak up and earn the wizard's wrath. The death of one of their classmates was still fresh in their minds.
Michael Corner (Boy 2, Ravenclaw) shakily raised his hand. "When is this supposed to begin? I mean... When do we, uh..."
Mr. Montgomery smiled. "As soon as you step outside of the building. Anything else?" Silence. "Then I suppose I shall dismiss you. Every minute I will call one of your names, and you will choose a bag and leave. Simple as that. Who are we starting with this year?" He looked to one of the men who had brought in the packs, and was handed an envelope. "Boy 7..." He checked the number against the class list on his desk. "Oh, well, he's dead, so I guess we'll start with Girl 7 instead. Frobisher, Victoria!"
Vicky Frobisher (Girl 7, Gryffindor) stood up, trembling. She cast a tearful look at her classmates before she gingerly picked up a pack and ran crying out of the classroom.
There was a hollow feeling in Harry's stomach as he finally came to the realization that it was all real. All of his friends and classmates -- they were meant to kill each other. This sort of thing was only supposed to happen in really bad nightmares. So why was it real?
"Goldstein, Anthony!"
The next student would be Hermione. Harry tried to catch her eye, wanting to silently plead with her to wait for him and Ron. If they all worked together, maybe they could find a way to break free of the collars and escape. But as her name was called, and she stood up shakily, she didn't even glance at him.
One by one, names were called, and students marched to the front and chose their packs before disappearing into the unknown. Some were crying, some in shock. But there was no one who seemed to be unaffected. Harry tried to catch the eye of the Gryffindors called before him, hoping that they would get the message and wait.
Finally, his name was called. Slowly making his way to the front of the class, he picked up his pack and looked back at the rest of his classmates for one last time. Silently pleading with them, hoping that they would understand, he walked out into the dark hallway. It was completely deserted. Carefully clinging to the walls just in case (in case of what?) he somehow made it to the door and stepped outside.
Nobody. Nobody had bothered to wait for him. There was nothing but the sound of the wind blowing. He walked further out onto the grounds. And then...
Harry felt something graze his arm, and he jumped to the side. Looking around him, he finally spotted Ernie MacMillan (Boy 12, Hufflepuff) standing on the roof of the school, holding a crossbow in his hands.
Harry froze, not knowing what exactly to do. He was under attack. By one of his classmates.
"I won't miss next time," Ernie warned as he loaded another bolt into the crossbow.
Harry took the time to quickly duck back to the school, pressing up against the wall. He heard Ernie growl from above him and walk to some other part of the roof. It was possible that there was a ladder or a branch or something there. Harry wasn't sure if he should risk making a run for it or not. If he went out into the open, he'd be open season to anyone actually playing. He backed slowly along the wall, not really watching where he was going. And then he tripped.
"Ow, my butt," he stood up, rubbing his backside on which he had landed. Looking down to see what he had tripped over, he saw the body of Diana Moon (Girl 14, Gryffindor). She had been shot in the forehead with a crossbolt.
"Oh, god..." he muttered as he made his way back to the entrance. If he stayed here, he'd be killed. Or someone else would be. And any second now, the next student would be exiting the school. He had to warn them.
"Don't move." Ernie aimed the crossbow at Harry's head, finger hovering over the trigger.
Harry swallowed, and tried pleading with the other boy. "Ernie, wait. You don't have to do this. Please hear me out. If we all stick together we can beat this. Just please, put down the crossbow. We're all friends here, right?"
"Friends? They don't stick around. I just wanted to show them what I got, and they ran. Just ran. Wouldn't even hear me out." Ernie's eyes had a crazed look in them. "They all scattered, just like... just like... Well, just like something. She didn't run fast enough." He gestured to the corpse around the corner. "Had to kill her. Kill or be killed. I don't want to die." He readied his finger on the trigger. "I don't want to die!"
It was rather fortunate for Harry that the door of the school opened when it did, distracting Ernie long enough for Harry to tackle him. The most important thing right now was to get the crossbow away from the other boy.
While the boys were struggling over the weapon, Pansy Parkinson (Girl 15, Slytherin) ran away as fast as she could once she saw what was going on. She didn't get very far before blinding pain tore through her left leg. The crossbow must have gone off. Even so, she would rather brave the woods injured than stick around. So she limped on.
He was losing the battle. Harry knew that Ernie was bigger than he was -- most of his classmates were -- so the longer this went on, the higher the chance that Harry would be killed. So with one last burst of strength, he was able to wrench the crossbow enough to hit the side of Ernie's head, knocking him out cold. Not bothering to stick around for the other boy to recover and start firing again, Harry fled into the forest.
38 students remaining