Chapter 7- Showdown

Hermione

My shift was dark and depressing. Sitting there with only my thoughts to keep me company really wasn't the greatest thing. The battle had made me begin to think there was no hope or faith at all. It was almost as if there were swarms of soul sucking Dementors around me. I wasn't even able to keep time, but before I knew it, the morning had come and that's when I realized I was the last shift.

Everyone groggily awoke and stretched. "Morning." Seamus yawned as if we were all still casually at home.

We muttered our various responses and broke out bits of the food we had managed to collect. "Check the snares." Claire reminded us.

Kim and I went out to the snare, set up just where the suburbs began. "Kim… Are you all right?" I asked cautiously. The small thirteen year old's face was set hard as we walked.

She stopped and turned to face me. "No actually, I'm not. Five of us are already dead. I know we should consider it a good thing because it's not even half of us, but I can't be grateful for anything that happens in this bloody arena." She spit out the words like venom.

Looking at her, I realized the arena had already begun to change her. For most, if they get out of the arena or even during they go through a change. They mature; harden; now I only truly understood why Chaff and Haymitch began drinking. To forget. The horrors of the arena were something I'd really be willing to drink for if I could forget. But even I know that's not possible.

"I'm sorry Kim. I know this is rough but-" I began before she sharply cut me off.

"It's worse than rough Hermione." She paused, and looked like she wanted to say more before she just frowned and looked away. "There's the snare." She muttered and began to walk to where we saw a small rabbit caught in it. A lucky catch. Fumbling with the snare, she finally detached the rabbit and took the snare. Without another word she handed the rabbit to me and began to walk back. I decided to remain silent as well and followed.

When we got back Seamus and Claire had arranged small amounts of roots, berries, and dried fruit, along with the water we had already managed to get from the creek nearby. There was running water and it looked clear as ever, but we decided to stay on the safe side. The gamemakers would be just waiting for someone to fall into that trap and begin to get sick from contaminated water.

"So when should we move places?" Seamus asked.

We all thought for a few seconds before Kim spoke up. "Probably soon in a more rural area. Some others may be remaining there while the real danger like the Durmstrangs will look back in the city for any survivors before going back to the rural areas." Now that was impressive. Either she studied the Hunger Games very well or she was just becoming wiser and wiser. But what came with all that wisdom in her case was a cold hard exterior.

We agreed that in an hour we'd move locations. That hour came quickly and we packed up all our things in the backpacks before heading out. "Be careful." Seamus warned. "You never know who's hiding out here, just lying in wait." His eyes narrowed at the thought, looking around suspiciously.

The main roads would attract attention to us so we hiked through the forest along the edge to look for another place. Suddenly we heard the snap of a dry twig being stepped on and all our minds went into red alert. We hid where we could, Seamus, Claire, and I behind trees and bushes, while Kim was able to quickly scurry up a tree out of sight, with her bow at the ready.

Out of the forest came Alpin, the Durmstrang that killed Emily. I looked over at Claire and saw her knuckles go white as she gripped her spear, ready to throw. "Should we kill him?" I mouthed at Seamus.

He looked wearily unsure and shrugged, then pointed to Claire who was just about ready to throw. I looked up and saw Kim through the branches, also unsure as of whether to shoot or not. We all turned our attention back to Alpin before we heard a shout. "Alpin?" He wasn't alone. Just then, out of the bushes came Ernie from Hufflepuff house at Hogwarts. When he saw how quiet Alpin was he slowed to a walk and shut up.

"Ernie." I heard him say quietly. "There's someone else here." He hissed, twisted the wicked looking scythe he held in his hands. Ernie instantly took out two curved daggers and looked around cautiously.

We had no choice but to attack or be attacked, but Claire was way ahead of us. Before I knew it, a spear soared straight towards Alpin, catching him in leg. He howled in pain before ripping it out as Claire revealed herself. "Oh, another Beauxbatons girl." He grinned a wicked grin as he tried to stand straight with the wound in his leg. "Break it." He told Ernie, handing him the spear.

He snatched it and instantly snapped it on his leg without a second thought. Claire hissed in anger. Kim made a move and shot an arrow straight for Ernie, which unfortunately narrowly missed as it whizzed by his ear. Seamus decides to step out, his sword gleaming in the sunlight and I did as well. Four against two.

"So there are more of you. Granger. Finnigan." Ernie acknowledged us like Slytherins would.

"Ernie." Seamus hissed through gritted teeth.

This was a showdown. No one knew who would make the right move, how it would play out. Claire would get killed if she had nothing to defend herself, so I tossed her a knife that stuck in the ground at her feet. Just as she bent down to pick it up, Alpin came swinging at her with his scythe. Seamus had already moved to stop it and took a swing at him with his sword. The two of them began fighting and Kim was trying to take aim. "Stop wasting time and shoot him!" I growled at her.

"I don't have a clear sight! I might hit Seamus!" She snapped in frustration.

"He needs help!" Claire hissed, and then charged into the fight with just one knife.

"Take a shot when you can, Ernie's about to join in. I have to distract him!" I almost shouted before charging in and tackling Ernie down, as he was about to stab Seamus in the back.

He leapt up and snarled at me like a rabid animal. "I'm going to kill you!" he shouted, before coming at me with his curved daggers. He swung one like half an X, narrowly missing my chest. He tried again and I jumped back. Tackling him down before was a spur of the moment thing because I was scared for Seamus and Kim. Now I'm scared for them AND myself. I was hesitant to take a swing back, but realized I'd have to eventually. I turned my back to him and ran, knowing he would try to throw one at me. I heard a scream of pain, but had no time to look for the source.

I was right, and when he threw it I made sure to dive down so it flew over my head and landed in the ground. He hissed in annoyance as I picked it up. Then he came at me again with just the one, and this time I didn't hesitate. As he took a swing I met the dagger I picked up with his own, both of us fighting to knock it out of each other's hand. He grunted with the effort and used his free hand to punch me in the face and then kick me in the stomach, knocking me on my back. I touched my fingers to my temple and felt the sticky blood. Ernie sneered triumphantly above me, ready to plunge the dagger into my chest, but a voice stopped him, arm still raised.

"Ernie!" We both turned our heads to see Seamus and Claire on the ground with Alpin's long scythe across both their necks. But Kim had a clear shot now.

"Kill any of them and I will personally kill both of you." She warned the two.

Alpin seemed to consider doing it anyways but decided against it. "Fine. We'll leave your precious friends and you alone… For now. But if we cross paths again neither of us will hesitate to kill you." He paused. "All of you." He added, an insane grin spreading across his face. "Come Ernie." He commanded, removing the scythe and jogging off into the forest, Ernie hot on his heels.

We were all too scared to move, but after a few seconds we all leaped up and grouped together again. "Hermione, you're bleeding." Kim told me. I nodded and looked at Seamus and Claire. Claire's lip was cut and her shirt was bloody, while Seamus' arm was cut in many places.

"What happened?" I asked, gesturing at Seamus and Claire.

"Many close calls with the scythe." She answered; hissing in pain as she touched whatever wound was on her stomach. "You?"

"Ernie punched me in the face but we need to look at you. I think you got the worst." I answered, as she sat down with a moan.

Ron

The 'Mudblood Battles' continued. I didn't bother to watch, just told my friends to let me know whenever Hermione was shown. She was shown once earlier with Kim, but just now Harry called me over.

I looked at the screen to see Alpin, Ernie, Hermione, Seamus, Kim, and Claire standing in the forest, having a showdown. Alpin made the first move and went for Claire with a wicked looking scythe before Seamus cut in and they began their fight. Claire also leaped in and soon Hermione followed, but fighting Ernie. Ernie and her began fighting with knifes and daggers and then the scene cut to Kim, trying to sight a shot. The camera switched to Alpin, Seamus, and Claire where Alpin knocked Seamus over with the butt of the scythe handle, then did the same to Claire, swinging it down to slice her in half. She screamed in pain as it made contact, trying to grab the ends with her hands to push it up. She was stronger than she looked; she was actually keeping it from slicing her into pieces by using just her hands. Next you saw Seamus leap up and tackle Alpin down, landing beside him but cutting his arm up on the blade of the scythe.

Alpin held him down with his foot on his chest as Claire limped over to him, trying to take a knife and stab him before she was knocked over. Alpin's leg was wounded, but he was still fighting strong. Next you saw Ernie punch Hermione in the face and then kick her in the stomach, successfully knocking her on her back. Just as he was about to stab her he was stopped and I let out a huff of relief.

"Ernie!" Alpin shouted. Everyone stopped and froze. They settled a deal that no one got killed, seeing as if Alpin or Ernie killed them than Kim would shoot one or both of them.

It cut to another scene and that's when I stopped watching. Hermione was a real fighter, more than I thought, and still going strong.

"Good…" I muttered under my breath.

Author's Note- Hey! Long chapter! Ha-ha, and I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I've been trying to come up with more and more ideas for this story and my others.

Anyways, thanks for reading! Review!