November
Helena really wanted Katie to come with her so that she wouldn't be alone to watch the First Task unfold. She knew that she wouldn't be able to and that Katie wouldn't want to go anyway.
"It's only for like a day, Helena, seriously," Katie told her.
"I know, it's just," she sighed. "I have to spend it with him,"
"You can handle it, Helena, I know you can."
"But he killed my parents," she murmured.
"And I'm sorry that he did, I really am, it's just nothing that you can do can bring them back."
"I know, I'm just being stupid."
"Look on the bright side, if you get harmed or killed you won't be pestered by him any more."
Helena laughed half heartedly.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right."
Katie gave her a strong and long hug and Helena's heart became warm. She felt safe in her arms.
"Have fun," Katie said.
"I won't."
And she reluctantly left her to travel the grounds to find the point where they'd be taking the Portkey from.
She looked around the beauty of the grounds, the grass frosted and condensed. The leaves on the trees full of oranges, yellows, and deep reds. Some of the leaves had been frosted over to give them a kind of glassy effect. She was sad to be gone from this for a whole day. But she knew that time worked in mysterious ways, so she tried to not worry. The more she worried, the longer the time would pass by. Besides, she also enjoyed the grounds of Durmstrang, where she was pretty sure that they would all be covered in deep, white snow by now. Some of it fluffy, some of it icy and slippery. Though, she did not enjoy the coldness of snow and the bitterness of cold wind.
She reached the small group around a boot, Voldemort around them.
"Hello, Helena," said Voldemort politely.
"Why is she here?" asked Camille Avery.
Helena gazed at her dangerously. Then she realised something.
"Oh," Helena stated. "I thought that 'Avery' sounded familiar."
Voldemort looked fairly amused.
"The Portey is about to leave -"
"I'm not getting on the same Portkey as her," said Camille firmly.
"Okay, bye," said Helena, turning to leave. Voldemort grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"I'll torture both of you," said Voldemort.
"Like you haven't done that before," Helena muttered to herself.
Camille silenced immediately and kept her distance as far away from Helena as possible.
Helena didn't know what Camille's problem was. All she knew was why she had a problem with her.
They all touched the Portkey and it transported them to Durmstrang.
x
The First Task
Helena was right to think that the grounds would be covered in snow by this time of year. It was about 4 inches high. She tried to walk on it but it made her feet immediately numb. She made her clothes waterproof and her shoes warm. She could've sworn that she heard Camille mutter something. Helena decided to leave it, as it was her doing the Task, so she should be grateful that she's going to freeze to death instead of herself. She secretly wished that Camille's father, a Death Eater, would do something to displease Lord Voldemort and so Camille would have to suffer for it.
The thought lingered for a second, then vanished, making Helena wonder if she had thought it at all.
They went into the giant hall where the Durmstrang students and some Beauxbatons students were gathered in a neat semi circle, the middle floor completely cleared.
Helena immediately thought that it was in a strange formation but she had to join onto it anyway.
"Welcome, everyone, to the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. As some of you might guess from the very obvious clue -"
Helena smirked.
"You have to obey to a direct command. Not, it's not under the Imperius Curse, but of your own free will. You have at least five minutes to decide whether or not you act upon your given task, if you don't then you shall fail. But I must warn you, your task will not be a light matter. Good luck."
When he finished talking, everyone broke into chatter that was inevitable.
I wonder how cruel the tasks are, Helena thought bitterly. I guess we're about to find out.
"First up, Maurice Bouvard from Beauxbatons. Your task is to poison this Mudblood."
He brought out a young girl, no more than eleven, her blue eyes bright with fear and her hair a mousey brown. Maurice's face went pale white. They laid out a table with potion ingredients on it and he proceeded to make a potion that would be brewed for an incorrect amount of time. Then, he forced it down her throat.
She was crying, then her body went into spasms. She went into deep distress, then it stopped, her body went rigid. Helena suspected of her to be dead.
It was silent for quite a while. Helena was disgusted that they were using Muggle-borns for the tasks to be inflicted upon them.
It was still silent when Headmaster Soren announced for the next Champion to come up and face their task.
"Next up, Margot Letzel from Durmstrang!" he announced. The mass amounts of clapping came from Durmstrang students.
"Your task is to kill this Mudblood." And out comes an innocent, fairly young, black haired boy with dark, brown eyes.
Helena went pale white.
Margot shot a flash of green light at him without question. Lord Voldemort seemed to be having the most fun, sneering at feeble attempts of killing.
The corners of Helena's mouth twitched. She was outraged.
She held herself back from launching herself directly at Voldemort.
"Finally, we have Camille Avery from Hogwarts."
Claps came from their small group, yet Helena did not. Her face was grave. She was lost in thought and Voldemort nudged her. She suddenly came out of her trance, alarmed and startled.
"Your task is to torture this Mudblood."
Out came the final, unfortunate victim. He had auburn hair, very much like Katie's, but his eyes were a dull grey, though they were filled with emotion. Camille stepped forward her wand drawn. Helena was frozen. Every muscle in her body had stopped, though her blood continued to run throughout her body.
"Crucio!"
The boy fell to the ground, screaming in agony as the Cruciatus Curse hit him very intensely. He thrashed and withered under her wand.
Helena practically tried not to force herself at Camille, who was only going to do what she was told to. But she was infuriated that none of them did a protest. Thought, the probably weren't allowed to.
Then, she stopped. The Muggle-born shaking with pain and fear.
Headmaster Soren finally spoke as the shrieks died down.
"Well done to all Champions, who have passed into the next task. All Champions are free to stay here or go back to their own schools. The next Task clue will be given out to each Champion soon. Don't threat, as the Task may be either harder for yourself or harder for others."
The crowd dispersed out of the hall. Helena followed Voldemort to the Portkey without any conscious thought.