Vincent Crabbe (Boy 4, Slytherin) was nowhere near as stupid as most people believed him to be. True, he wasn't a genius, but he did have a brain in his head, which was more credit than most people gave him. Most people thought he ranked somewhere between a pile of dirt and a vegetable on the intelligence scale. Nothing could be further from the truth.
He just preferred people to underestimate him. That gave him an advantage when it came right down to it. If they thought he was stupid, they were more likely to say things in front of him that they normally wouldn't in front of someone they perceived to have a brain. So he could learn things. Study people. Act like the mindless brute, and nobody would know any different. If subtlety was an art, it was one he'd mastered long ago.
So when he got the note from Draco asking him to meet up at the northern point, he decided not to go. Having known young Malfoy all of his life, Crabbe knew that Draco would just as soon shoot him when his back was turned. The other boy didn't care about anyone except for himself. Besides, he would most likely become a popular target to other students that he had alienated or bullied over the years. Malfoy didn't care about anyone, and nobody cared about him.
So Crabbe was on his own. He knew the other Slytherin boys would be no help at all. Goyle was too blindly loyal to Malfoy, there was just something downright frightening about Nott, and Zabini kept mostly to himself. Come to think of it, Crabbe didn't think he knew the other boy all that well, despite being roommates for the last five years.
Currently, Crabbe was traveling southwest through zone G-4. He hadn't any real destination in mind, and wasn't quite sure what he would do if he encountered anyone. His chosen weapon turned out to be a small automatic pistol (Walther PPK 9mm). After carefully reading the instructions on how to use it, he loaded it, and held it at his side. It was heavier than he had expected, but nothing he couldn't handle. He was one of the strongest boys in his class, after all.
So far he had been lucky and hadn't encountered anyone, but he was worried about what he would do if he encountered whoever had fired those shots earlier. As good as his gun might be, they apparently had a gun capable of firing far more rapidly. He wouldn't stand a chance, unless he was a lot faster than the other guy. Crabbe was convinced the shooter was a guy, because he couldn't imagine any of the girls of his class being cold enough to take part in this. He could, however, imagine a number of boys who might be the shooter.
That wouldn't do him any good, though. If he started to suspect everyone and anyone of playing, he was sure to grow paranoid and lose his mind. And to survive, he needed to keep his wits about him.
35 students remaining
September 2 -- 3:59 a.m.
Hannah Abbott (Girl 1, Hufflepuff) was the type of girl everyone believed to be sweet and innocent. If she was careful in how she said it, she could say anything she wanted -- no matter how sick or perverted -- and people would forgive her for it, believing that it was either inadvertent, or an innocent question or comment said by someone naïve. That suited her just fine. It gave her a cover to work with, discovering new things that she wouldn't be able to find out if people knew the real her. And people trusted her with their secrets. That was the best part. She had blackmail material on almost all of her fellow students, and even some of the teachers. She lost count long ago on how many people she 'owned'.
There were a couple of people who knew her secret, but she had so much material on them that if they dared utter even one syllable she could destroy them completely before they closed their mouths. She had no idea where Vicky Frobisher (Girl 7, Gryffindor) had gone off to, nor did she really care. She had contemplated waiting for Mandy Brocklehurst (Girl 3, Ravenclaw), but decided against it. This was something she had to do alone, and it was better to not have to deal with the other girl trailing behind her in tears. And she knew that's exactly what would happen if she had allowed the other girl to join her. She always had been weak.
Hannah checked her map, trying to determine her exact location. She was somewhere in the residential district, but not entirely sure of where. She had been attracted by the sound of rapid gunfire. Even though there was a chance that the perpetrator was still loitering around somewhere, she was willing to take her chances. If they were smart, they would be long gone, because Hannah knew she couldn't be the only one who came here. And that was what she was hoping on. She was the type of girl who played to win.
She carried her pack in one hand, and sickle in the other. She wasn't sure how useful her weapon might be yet, but she planned on upgrading soon, so it didn't really matter. She looked at each house as she passed by, hoping to find one that was occupied. Act innocent, plaster on the fake tears, and no one would be the wiser until it was far too late.
Bingo! She found a house with a broken window. A good place to start. Carefully putting on a tearfully afraid face, she gingerly opened the unlocked door and stepped inside. "H-hello?" she called out, willing her voice to break. "Is-is someone th-there? I just... I-I'm so sc-scared. P-please."
Tentatively, a boy stepped out from under the kitchen table where he had been hiding. It was Troy Summerby (Boy 17, Hufflepuff), their Quidditch team's seeker. Hannah never really liked him, anyway. Too whiny. He squinted in the darkness, then smiled as he recognized her. "Oh, thank god it's you. I was afraid that whoever had the gun returned."
Hannah nodded and went over to him, clinging onto him as if for dear life. "You'll protect me, won't you?"
Troy nodded. "I'll try. All I got was a fork, though, so I don't know how much good it will do."
"That's all? That's not much." It looked like she wouldn't be able to get a better weapon here after all. Oh, well.
Troy looked out the window. "Maybe not, but it's all I--" He was unable to finish his sentence due to the sickle embedded in his throat.
Hannah smiled sweetly, and yanked hard on the sickle, tearing out a chunk of flesh with it as it dislodged from the boy's throat. Troy was dead before he hit the ground.
"It's your own fault for believing me," she said as she used his robes to wipe the sickle clean.
34 students remaining
September 2 -- 4:05 a.m.
Harry Potter (Boy 15, Gryffindor) sat leaning against the tree, trying to sort through his thoughts. People were playing, and people were dying. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. He could only hope that all of his friends were still alive.
The not knowing was the hard part. He was worried about his friends. He should have waited just a little bit longer. Maybe if he and Ron joined forces, they could find Hermione and then they could all figure a way off the island. There was no sense in swelling on what-ifs, though. Right now he had to find them.
There was a rustling in the bushes to his left. Clutching his hunting knife, the weapon he'd been supplied, he looked toward the sound, although he didn't bother to move. Seconds later, Vincent Crabbe emerged, clutching a gun. He locked eyes with Harry, then saw the knife in his hand.
Neither boy spoke a word, not sure whether to trust the other or not. Harry was tempted to ask where Malfoy and Goyle were -- he rarely saw the other boy out of the presence of the other two -- but kept quiet, lest he irritate the boy with the gun.
Finally, Crabbe took a few steps back. "I didn't see you, and you didn't see me. Right?"
Harry blinked, momentarily stunned. "Uh, right."
Crabbe nodded, took a few more steps back, then turned around and broke into a run.
Harry sat there with a perplexed expression on his face. What was that all about? It took him a few times of replaying the scene in his mind before he came to a conclusion that seemed to fit. Crabbe wasn't playing, but was unsure as to whether Harry was or not. Having the advantage, Crabbe backed off, but didn't want to turn his back just in case.
Harry wanted to call after him, but didn't think that would be a good idea. He couldn't know for certain whether his theory was correct, and even if it was, there might be someone else lurking about. In any case, it wasn't safe to stay here any longer.
Standing up, Harry gathered his things. Instead of just sitting around feeling sorry for himself, it was time to take the initiative and find his friends.
34 students remaining
September 2 -- 4:15 a.m.
It had taken all of her inner strength not to scream out in pain as she removed the crossbolt protruding from the back of her leg. But Pansy Parkinson (Girl 15, Slytherin) had finally been successful, and was now able to sit. She'd been forced to rip a part of her expensive robes off so that she could wrap it around her leg to help stop the bleeding, but she had done it. She cursed herself for being so careless. If she had just hung back for a few seconds longer she wouldn't be in this position. It was too late now, though.
She tried not to move too quickly as she drew out her map, checking her location. F-5. She hadn't traveled very far away from the school due to the pain. It was better now, but she still wasn't in any shape to travel much. There was a clinic in sector G-9, but that was too far away. She'd probably end up passing out before she got there. She was feeling rather light-headed due to the blood loss.
Maybe she could try to go there anyway, stopping every now and then to rest. She checked her watch. In less than two hours, the first batch of forbidden zones would be announced. And if the clinic became a forbidden zone before she could get there...
She was worried that F-5 would become a forbidden zone as well. That's why she wanted to conserve her strength just in case she had to leave. And if she moved around, there was always the risk of encountering someone. All she had to protect herself with was some strange muggle device called a stun gun that was supposed to do just that. Stun someone. Just like the 'Stupefy' spell, only you had to be close to the person to use it. In her condition, she didn't think she'd be able to get close enough.
So this was where she would be put to the test. She knew how to survive in the wilderness -- a talent that most people would be shocked to know she possessed -- so that's how she would view it. She was lost, injured, and there wasn't anyone around who could help her. Normally, the best thing to do would be to stay put and she'd be found. But in this case, she didn't want to be found. Not yet, anyway. The best thing for her to do would be to keep moving. It would hurt like hell, but she'd have to. So the best thing to do would be to head toward the clinic.
She slowly got up, trying to keep her weight off of her injured leg. It wasn't easy, but she made it. Standing on her undamaged leg, she carefully bent down and picked up her pack. And with that, she headed north toward E-5.
34 students remaining
September 2 -- 4:23 a.m.
Daphne Greengrass (Girl 9, Slytherin) had been wandering around aimlessly for the past hour, looking for a good place to hide out. Unlike many of her classmates, she hadn't bothered to stick around the school to wait for anyone. She found most of the other students to be a bunch of asinine nitwits. Especially her housemates. All they could go on about was a bunch of nonsense on the purity of their blood, and why they should purge the world of those less pure then they. However, for all they went on about it, they showed absolutely no refinement or elegance. If they wished to be treated as nobility, they should act noble.
Commoners were necessary for the system of nobility to remain intact, after all. If there weren't any commoners around to do the dirty work, then the nobles would have to do it themselves, and that would be rather less than noble. Daphne had tried to get the others to understand, but like the boors they were, they either wouldn't or couldn't listen to reason. Their loss, then.
She was currently wandered sector I-7, due south of where the earlier gunfire had been. As such, she figured that she'd be safe. Most of the students would be hiding in the forest or in the residential district. Here there was nothing but beach and rocks. It was rather dangerous to be wandering around in the open, but Daphne didn't care. From a young age, she had been trained how to fight with swords. That was how nobles of days long past had fought. It was honorable, and it took actual skill to accomplish. These days, though, most people favored weapons that did all the work for them. Such as the gun used to kill that commoner back in the classroom. That took no skill. Even a monkey could fire a gun.
The moonlight glinted off of the blade of Daphne's katana. She wasn't overly familiar with fighting with a katana, but couldn't really have hoped for a better weapon under the circumstances. So long as she kept her senses sharp, she'd be able to detect someone approaching before they could spot her. She would hide, bide her time, and strike before they knew what hit them. It wouldn't even matter if they were holding a gun or not. She would be ready.
Carefully trying to avoid slipping on the wet rocks, she headed west to a cluster of small boulders that would make the perfect hiding spot. She thought about trying to sneak in a little sleep, but with the announcement less than two hours away, she didn't dare. If she slept through it, she would have no way of knowing what zones were forbidden. Besides, someone might try to kill her in her sleep, the cravenly barbarians.
She settled down between two rocks that gave her the ability to know of others' approach, yet remain hidden from view. She almost yawned, but was able to catch herself in time. Mustn't sleep. Must stay alert.
She was sure she couldn't have nodded off for too long, because it was still dark out. But when she opened her eyes again, she could see someone approaching. She couldn't quite make out who they were because of the darkness. She quickly ducked behind the boulder, hoping that she hadn't been spotted.
Careless! She silently cursed herself as she held her sword ready for battle. Carefully, she tried to peer around the boulder, to determine the other person's position. Strange, there was no one there.
That didn't mean the coast was clear, though. They could be hiding amongst the rocks as well. She hadn't sensed them do so, which meant that they were good at sneaking. If so, then fighting amongst the rocks would be dangerous. She'd have to lure them out into the open.
She sprinted out, quickly turning around and facing the rocks. "Show yourself!" she shouted, ready to strike.
From behind the rocks emerged Neville Longbottom (Boy 11, Gryffindor), a boy who never could seem to do anything right. He had taken his robes off, and had them draped over his arms, which were folded awkwardly across his chest.
Daphne scoffed at the opponent before her, and lowered her sword ever so slightly. "You? And here I was worried. What are you doing, sneaking around like that?"
"Just looking for someone. I figured it was better than being in the open like you." He glanced at her katana briefly, then smirked slightly as he looked back up. "You won't last long with that."
Daphne's eyes narrowed. How dare he insult her like that? "Like you're one to talk. You're not even carrying a weapon."
Neville smiled as though greatly amused. It occurred to Daphne that she couldn't see if he was carrying anything in his hands or not. Before she could react, he had removed his robe with one hand, while aiming his Ingram at her with the other.
Daphne's eyes widened with realization. "It was you!" she proclaimed, seconds before her body was sprayed with bullets.
Neville smiled as she fell. "Yeah. It was me."
33 students remaining
September 2 -- 4:51 a.m.
Just mere minutes ago, the awful sound of rapid gunfire had gone off again, sending shivers down the spine of Hermione Granger (Girl 8, Gryffindor). She wasn't sure whether to be grateful or not that the assailant was no longer next door, because it meant that someone else had fallen. They were still horribly close, but at least they weren't next door.
Trying to keep as close to the floor as possible, Hermione inched her way to the door. She knew that if she stayed where she was, it would be only a matter of time before someone killed her. She wanted to see her friends one last time before she died, but first she had to find them. After studying the map carefully, she had determined that heading west would be the best course of action. To the north was the school, which was a forbidden zone now. Even if she went around it, she would still have to choose between west and east. There was far too much open space eastward, and the south was completely out of the question.
She held her pepper spray in one hand as she opened the door with the other. After taking a few moments to make sure no one was going to burst inside, she picked up her pack with her free hand and ran as fast as she could outside. She had never been much of a religious person, but right then all she could do was pray to God that she wouldn't encounter anyone before she could get to the forest in the west.
33 students remaining
September 2 -- 5:07 a.m.
There was a cliff that ran down the eastern shore of E-9. A pair of students sat on the edge of said cliff, dangling their legs over the edge. They were Dean Thomas (Boy 18, Gryffindor) and Lisa Turpin (Girl 20, Ravenclaw). Like many teenagers before them, they believed themselves to be in love. Never mind the fact that they had only been dating for the past four months. They knew it was true love. One just knew.
They sat there in silence as they watched the sun rise. Although sunsets were usually more romantic, sunrises had a certain breathtaking quality to them as well. Usually only adults could truly appreciate said quality, but those who were in love could do so as well.
Dean had waited for her outside the school, even though it was quite possible that the unconscious Ernie MacMillan would come to and attack. He kept himself out of sight of the others, lest someone approach him and rob him of his chance to meet up with her. He couldn't bear the thought of living without her by his side, but didn't want her fragile spirit tainted with the stain of death. She felt them same way. So after they met up with one another, they decided that if they were to die, they should die together, and do so beautifully and romantically. After the sun rose, they would leap off the cliff and let the sea carry away their remains. They wouldn't die the ugly deaths that their classmates would.
As the sun discovered its place in the morning sky, they looked to one another one last time and jumped. They knew they would find another in the next lifetime, or whatever else was waiting. It was meant to be.
It was destiny.
31 students remaining
September 2 -- 5:16 a.m.
Harry had been rather surprised to find the supply store where he had. One minute, he had been running through the forest, and the next he had come across a clearing with a road. By that road he had found the store. It was good to know that he was out of the woods, at least.
Not wanting to expose himself for too long, he dashed to the building, hoping to use it for cover just in case. He couldn't see inside the shop to check if anyone else was in there or not, due to how dirty the windows were. But he would take what he could get. Making sure to look around him for people, he tested the doorknob, which was miraculously unlocked. Sighing with relief, he opened the door and hurried inside.
It looked like the residents had been evacuated long before. Most of the items on the shelves were gathering dust. He could smell that something had gone rotten. He doubted he would find anything edible. Nevertheless, it looked like a good place to hide out for the time being.
Checking to make sure that he was alone, he went behind the counter and sat. There was a door not quite directly behind him. If anyone entered, all he would have to do was reach up and open it, and he could slip out before they realized he was there. Perfect.
31 students remaining
September 2 -- 5:26 a.m.
Draco Malfoy (Boy 13, Slytherin) and Gregory Goyle (Boy 9, Slytherin) were currently in D-9, heading ever so closer to their destination. The area was far too open for Goyle's tastes, but Draco was constantly reassuring him that he didn't see any students near them on his tracking device. Goyle wasn't sure he entirely trusted that assessment, though. Draco hadn't mentioned two students who had been in E-9 until their dots faded out. Who knew how many others could be up ahead?
Earlier, Draco had mentioned that whoever had fired the shots earlier in the night was heading west. But when there were more gunshots not even an hour ago, they sounded like they were coming more from the east. It was quite possible that the shooter was heading in the same direction as they were. With only a flare gun to protect them, they wouldn't stand a chance.
As if sensing the other boy's unease, Draco turned around to face Goyle. "Would you relax? There's no one around. I checked." He showed Goyle the tracker's screen, which showed that the two of them were nowhere near another student.
That didn't ease Goyle's worry. "But what about the shooter? You said he was headed west!"
Draco checked the tracker and frowned. "He must have doubled back. I guess I wasn't paying attention..." He smiled apologetically at the worried Goyle. "But we'll know if someone's coming or not, so just relax."
Goyle still looked doubtful, but relented enough for the two of them to continue on with their journey. To be perfectly honest, Draco wasn't even sure which dot was the shooter's anymore. He had lost track about an hour ago. When more gunfire rang out, he tried frantically to find out which dot was responsible, but by then it was too late. He would just have to keep his guard up until then.
31 students remaining
September 2 -- 5:34 a.m.
Hermione had drastically underestimated the distance it would take for her to get to the forest cover in the west. She didn't like traveling in the light, but there was no other choice. She couldn't stay in the open for long.
She wondered just how long she had been running for. So far her prayers had been answered: She hadn't encountered anyone else, although it was only a matter of time before that would change. Her body was starting to ache. It simply wasn't used to running long distances at top speed. She had been forced to stop a few times to catch her breath, and let her body rest for a short while. But she couldn't stay for long. Not while there was all that openness.
Right now her goal was the building she saw ahead of her. She wasn't quite sure what it was exactly, but it looked like a good place to rest properly, so it hardly made a difference. She broke into one last sprint, hoping she could make it there before her body collapsed with exhaustion.
With every step she took, the building seemed to be further and further away. Her body was reaching its breaking point. But finally, she made it. She paused only briefly to throw open the door and enter.
Once inside, she closed the door and slid down onto the floor, panting heavily. She hadn't even bothered to check what kind of building she was in, but she didn't really care. After she took a few seconds to settle in, she took her water bottle out of her pack and was about to take a much needed drink when she heard the sound of someone moving up ahead.
Panicked, she stood up, ready to bolt if need be. "Who's there?" she asked breathlessly. She didn't think she'd make it very far if she had to start running again.
From behind the counter, Harry stood up, recognizing the voice as belonging to his friend. "Hermione?"
"Harry?" Hermione smiled with relief.
Harry jumped over the counter, and the two of them ran to one another and hugged, glad to see a friendly face at long last.
31 students remaining