Oh no! What have I done? Hermione thought as she raced through the pine trees, hair flying behind her. It would be very hard to miss a flying jacket and bag and the red sparks that stunned that tribute. No doubt the entire country of Panem has already seen it. Hermione slowed down to a walking pace. She had already been running for an hour but she didn't dare stop.

After what felt like several hours, Hermione collapsed on the ground. Her heart was pounding hard in her rib cage as she tried to catch her breath. After her struggle to breath was over, she realized how thirsty she was and how dry her tongue felt. Hermione decided to go over what she had. There was the jacket and the bag. The jacket seemed a little too heavy though. Hermione looked closely. Inside the jacket, there were several knives in different kinds and sizes. It should be useful somehow. Hermione wore the jacket and inspected the bag. It was a small drawstring bag that held only a few items: a small pack of crackers, a larger packet of beef strips, a jar of pickles, and night vision glasses. It wasn't really much but at least there was food. Unfortunately, there was no water.

Aguamenti. She pointed to her mouth. A smooth trickle of water quenched her thirst and she felt better after each sip. She thought that since everyone knows anyway, what more harm can it do? Besides, she thought. This is a life-threatening situation.

It was already getting dark — maybe around five in the afternoon. Since the night is near and her legs were feeling like jelly, Hermione decided it would be best to retire for the night. She stood up and circled the area where she planned to sleep and muttered some protective enchantments. No one will be disturbing her for the rest of the night. Sort of.

Hermione woke with a start. The anthem of the Capitol was already playing. Then the faces of the dead tributes will be shown. Hermione sat up from her sleeping position. The cold of the night was penetrating through the two jackets she was wearing and onto her skin. She could really use a blanket or a sleeping bag right now. She braced herself as she prepared to know the ones who died in the blood bath. The anthem ended rather too quickly and the faces appeared. Hermione counted the fallen on her fingers. Eleven. Terry managed to survive. So did Katniss, Peeta, and the girl from District 1. Glimmer, was it? Hermione sighed. So many dead in one day. How does the Capitol even manage to watch this? Hermione lay back down on a pile of leaves that was her bed and went back to her fruitless attempt at catching sleep.

Hermione woke up at dawn. She could barely get any sleep last night and she woke up many times in the middle of the night. The air was so cold and even though she was already wearing two jackets, it still wasn't enough. She sat up and rubbed her still sleepy eyes and had two pickles and a beef strip. She forgot to eat last night because of her exhaustion and it was only until now that she realized she was hungry. But she decided not to eat too much since she would have to save that for later. It doesn't seem like her days in the arena would be ending anytime soon. Hermione wondered if she could've escaped already if she knew how to apparate. But where would she go from there? She still had no idea where she was, but judging from the technology that the Capitol has, it was possible that she was sent to the future. The watch that man was holding must've been a more advanced time turner.

As Hermione was lifting the protective enchantments from the area she was staying after scattering the leaves from her bed to remove any evidences that someone had just been there, she heard a little scuffling behind the trees. She immediately ducked behind a clump of bushes just in time as the couple came walking right on the spot where she had been standing earlier.

"Hmm… I hope we find another tribute to take down soon. I'm getting bored of walking in these trees, Cato." the girl from District 2 said.

"We can't expect to find one so soon, Clove. This forest is bigger than I thought," Cato replied. "By the way, why had you spared that District 3 boy's life?"

"I already told you. He said he could create some sort of security; reprogramming the mines and stuff."

"I just don't like the idea of having an alliance with District 3."

"Don't worry. He's not much of a threat. When the time comes to it, we'll just send a knife through his back."

Hermione gasped in her head. So that's Terry's strategy in staying alive — having an alliance with the careers. She didn't have much time to think about it as Cato was going on about something.

"Yes. And Loverboy. We'd better get rid of him as soon as he leads us to Katniss."

"Of course. How gullible, these people are. Especially that Katniss girl; falling for the lie Loverboy made up." They laughed.

Hermione tensed. She didn't know why but she felt anger as soon as they started insulting Katniss. Then she reminded herself that Katniss was not her friend but an enemy. She made as little noise as she can until she felt a sharp pain on her left hand. A thorn on the ground had pricked her while she was crouching down and caused her to emit a tiny squeal. Cato's head moved a small fraction.

"Who's there?" he said staring at the bushes where Hermione was currently hiding. Clove started to smile happily as she armed herself with two knives. Cato aimed his spear at the bushes. Hermione froze. Keeping quiet won't help. They now know her location so there was nothing left to do but fight.

Clove threw one of her knives and swiftly replaced it with another one on her hand. Hermione dodged and in the process stood up in clear view of her enemy and poised to attack with her wand.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the witch." Cato said it with so much hatred in his voice Hermione thought he was probably trying to insult her.

"That would be a hollow insult since I am a witch." Hermione said glaring at the boy feeling much anger at the two careers. The two flinched at what she said.

"Liar," Clove said.

Stupefy. Hermione sent red sparks at her. Clove dodged and Cato attacked. Hermione transfigured the spear into a snake. Fear spread on Cato's face as he saw the snake slither on the ground. He grabbed Clove's hand and they ran from a shower of red sparks Hermione sent after them.

Hermione paused in thought. She would need some really powerful memory charm to fix all this but this world felt so unreal, she almost thought she was dreaming.