Chapter 6: The First Task
Once the champions disappeared behind the side door, the Hall gossiped about what had just happened. They did not have just three champions, but five. Holly turned her attention to Mallory and Alicia, who were sitting there confused with a hint of fear washed over their faces. She turned around to see Hallie sitting there frozen, paled to the face. Dumbledore stepped forward as no other adult was able to speak, "With our champions now chosen, everyone may return to their common rooms. Goodnight." With that, the adults rushed through the side door leaving the students to leave the Hall on their own.
Fred caught a glimpse of the numbness of Hallie, "I will be there soon," he told the table moving quickly to the Ravenclaw table taking Hallie in his arms as she cried into him.
Holly made her way through the crowd to Mallory and Alicia, "Will Peri be ok?" Mallory asked, hugging her.
She wrapped her arms around her sister, "I hope so."
They walked to the Gryffindor common room, "You said people can die in these tournaments."
She sucked in a breath biting her lip, "It will be alright…" She was unsure what to truly tell the eleven and ten-year-old girls. Their sister had a high chance of being killed in this tournament.
They entered the common room with the rest of the Gryffindors, "I cannot believe he did that," Ron spoke angrily as he sat on the plush red sofa in front of the crackling fire.
"I doubt he did it," Holly attempted to chime in.
He snapped his head up at her moving to a stand, "This is your family's fault!"
"I'm sorry…"
He glared daggers into her, "Your family came here to bring this tournament. Your mother probably did it…wait you do not have one. You have a godmother, a Slytherin at that."
The common room gasped hearing Ron's words, this took Holly in shock, "Ron!" George snapped at him as Fred entered the common room alone.
"What just happened?" Fred asked.
Ron did not speak, he just stormed off, "Ron spoke…"
Holly turned to the room, "Mallory. Alicia. Go to Mallory's dorm room."
They exchanged looks and then made their way to the current first-year girls' dorms whispering to one another.
"He spoke what I am sure everyone is thinking," she said to the room. Everyone whispered to one another, some agreeing with Ron's thought that Cassie had submitted the names, "Did no one look at Cassie? She was in distress over knowing her child was in this competition. Why would she purposely add someone's name without their consent? Did no one see Peri's face or Harry's? They were both terrified."
The common room fell silent, some of the students agreeing with her, "Let's go to bed," Hermione suggested as she and Ginny approached her, taking her arm, and leading her slowly to the dorm she shared with Hermione.
"They would never enter on purpose," she said as her friends sat her on the bed.
The two girls exchanged looks with one another, "I'm sorry for…" Ginny began.
She shook her head, she began to pull her sweater over her head and unbutton her white blouse underneath, "He is right though. I have no mother or father. I have Cassie, who is my godmother. Richard, who is my guardian. But I have no parents. I have a sister and girls who act as sisters to me…" she accioed her pajamas to come to her pulling her nightshirt on, "Peri is my sister. Not by blood but by the way our family dynamic works. We are not all related by blood but we are related by love."
"He was still wrong to speak that way to you."
She shrugged, "He is angry. I am not going to let it eat me up…now I need to check on my sisters and send word to Cassie that Alicia will sleep on a cot in Mallory's dorm tonight."
She pushed past them exiting the room, stopping to lean her back against the wall and closing her eyes. She was scared. Her sister could die. Her friend could die…if Harry was truly her friend. She wanted to go back to America. Draco played a game with her, they had to hide their relationship for the next couple of months then it would probably end. He would never risk his reputation for her. He was risking it enough to be with Peri, but step-daughter to American Royalty probably changed things. Random goddaughter to the wife of American Royalty, different story.
She reopened her eyes making her way to the first year dorm sections, it was only a couple of rooms for the girls. She knocks before entering, "Alicia, you will sleep here tonight," she conjured up a cot for her.
Alicia gave a small nod, "Will mom and dad wonder where I am?"
"I will send a letter."
She gave a small nod.
A week passed, and Holly was walking the corridors to potion reading a letter she had received from Draco with a smile painted on her face. She is pulled from her thoughts to hear Alicia calling as she came to her as she was making her way to her classes for the day, "Holly!"
She turned to face her, "Yes? I have potions."
Alicia shook her head, "No. They are doing interviews with the families of the champions although mom and dad said Mallory and I could not."
Holly groaned then was pulled to a large open room, there in the room were Cassie and Richard who looked at her when she entered., "Holly…wonderful. This will be quick, Ms. Skeeter here," she turned to the blonde-haired woman whose hair was set in elaborate curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jeweled spectacles studded with rhinestones and had thick fingers ending in two-inch nails, painted crimson.
Rita Skeeter approached her, "Holly Porter," she breathed taking her hand and shaking it, "Come! Let's have a little chat."
She was pulled into a small broom cupboard, "Could we not have had a conversation in front of my parents?"
Rita Skeeter ignored her questions, but her eyes lit up at the mention of parents, "Is a quick quill alright?" She asked, sitting them both on upside-down buckets. Holly did not have a chance to say no before the questions began. "Parents? You consider your adopted family your own family?"
"I'm sorry…"
"Answer the question."
Her emerald eyes switched from the quick quill to her, "Blood does not determine your family. Marriage is when you choose your family. Adoption is a choice, you are not forced to pick your child. I lost my birth parents, yes, but in return, I received my godmother and guardian. They did not have to raise me or my sister, but Cassie took that chance welcoming me and Hallie into her family…the small one she was creating with Peri. There we set sail for America to escape the war occurring here. There we met Richard, our first day. He met us outside our apartment building provided to the staff members who worked for the Magical Congress, especially those who transferred internationally. Like Cassie, he did not have to be in our family but he chose us. He was the most eligible young bachelor in North America. He could have pointed and picked anyone, but he picked the single mother of three who had been disowned by her family here."
Rita Skeeter pursed her lips, clearly not getting the answer she was digging for this please Holly. She had been dealing with reporters since they became publicly attached to the Banks family, although they mostly ignored her as she was not Mallory or Alicia. Peri had more attention being the primary cause of Cassie being disowned by her parents. Hallie had a small amount of her attention from the press due to her creative abilities with her voice, art, and talent for designing clothes. Holly though was ignored, she might have had an amazing gift of having a photographic memory but not many seemed to care. This pleased her personally, she did not like attention.
Rita Skeeter stood up with a huff, "That is all," she pulled her out of the broom closet pushing then spotted Hallie, where her eyes lit up like a Christmas Tree. "Hallie! Come dear!"
Cassie approached Holly brushing the dust from the closet off of her, "I am sorry."
She looked at her godmother's kind blue eyes, "What?"
"For the attention, this is going to bring to you."
She shrugged, "not as much as Peri."
The Sunday Morning exclusive issue of the Daily Prophet was released announcing the Champions publicly and giving introductions to them as well as to their families. It was supposed to be a sweet piece about family and culture, the paper in a few weeks would dive deeper into the actual champions' interviews. Holly sat at the Gryffindor table reading her copy of the paper while Fred and Hallie sat directly across from her being that sickly cute. He was tickling her, making her laugh, "Shouldn't you be at your table?" Holly asked, skimming over the words written discussing Harry and how his parents were just proud of the man he was becoming, that was probably true but probably was not proud he entered into a dangerous competition. Most of the information though extremely false, but who would know that unless they knew him. This was going to make most of England or even the world.
Hallie nuzzled into Fred looking across at her, "You are just bitter because I have a boyfriend."
"Ooo, being naughty," Fred teased her, making Hallie laugh again as he went back to tickling her sides. Holly rolled her eyes, skipping to the piece on Peri.
Periwinkle King the Ilvermorny Champion! You may recognize this name as the one who disgraced the Rice Family name until the American Prince rescued the poor damsel in distress, Casandra Rice. Mr. Richard Banks found his bride upon his arrival in New York City. Alone with three starving toddlers, two of which she had adopted after the deaths of her closest friend, Ann and Patrick Porter. The two quickly married the following Spring after their arrival, she secured her golden baby. Heiress to the Banks Family fortune. We were unable to receive word from the Banks Heiress to speak on their half-sister, but the Porter Twins spoke about their blended family.
Holly seems to have forgotten all attachments to her birth family, considering the Banks family her family.
"Blood does not make family" ~ Holly Porter
Holly stared at the paper in her hands, her mouth must have been hanging open because Hermione placed a hand under her mouth to close it, "What is it?"
"The lies! How she twisted my words!"
Hermione took the paper with Ginny reading over her shoulder, they gasped together becoming angry with the words written, "You love your parents…both sets. Your adopted ones and blood ones. She makes it sound like you do not."
Hallie pulled herself from Fred as he was beginning to kiss behind her ear, she shooed him off. "What? She seemed so kind."
"Really? She used a quick quill to change words to make the stories more interesting for the readers which in the result is usually lying."
Hallie frowned, "Seems she listened to you more. She mostly asked me about my talent as a singer and designer. I think she tried to mention I am a clueless Ravenclaw with the only thing in my brain being my hormones and creative ability. You inherited the brains where I inherited the creativeness…although that is not false. You are a talented singer, but nowhere near as talented as I am."
"You are professionally trained in music, so of course, you are better. We both inherited our musical abilities from our mother."
Hallie gave a small nod, "Fred, let's go. I think we should go take a walk or go flying today."
Weeks passed after Rita Skeeter's disgrace of introducing the champions' families to the world, she followed it up with a segment about the champions themselves right before the First Task. Peri's piece was titled The Truth Behind Peri King.
"She already ruined Harry, what has she written about Peri?" Hermione asked as she began to read over her copy as she also reached the piece on Peri.
She cleared her throat and then read it aloud to their small group,
Periwinkle King or better known as Peri, comes from the daughter of Cassandra Banks, or as many may know her, Cassandra Rice. Cassandra became a single mother to Peri at the young age of sixteen.
"She was seventeen," Holly muttered under her breath, but to begin the article was not completely wrong. Just got Cassie's age wrong.
Hermione continued.
She whisked herself off to America, where she married Mr. Richard Banks. A wealthy American wizard, considered to be almost royalty. She married him simply for his money as her parents had disowned her for having a child out of wedlock.
Holly gasped, "Lies! Cassie and Richard are very much in love."
Hermione looked at her, "We know that, but she likes spice though."
"Drama it sounds like more," Ginny commented as she was listening in.
Much like her mother, she is finding herself in the arms of a wealthy pureblood wizard. Draco Malfoy is a fourth-year student in Slytherin house at Hogwarts. The young lovebirds are beginning to blossom between the two.
There was a picture to the side of this portion of Draco and Peri wrapped in one another's arms and their eyes looking into one another's. Hermione paused her reading, giving a side-eye look at Holly, who looked to be in tears. No one said anything, as Hermione continued reading on.
Cassandra claims to never have known the father of Peri, but Peri's birth certificate says a different story.
The picture below showed a copy of Peri's birth certificate
Name: Periwinkle Elizabeth King Sex: Female
Maiden Name of Mother: Cassandra Rice Name of Father: Severus Snape
Date of Birth: 24 March 1979
"Oh, my Merlin!" Fred and George gasped looking towards the Slytherin table at Peri, who at this moment was currently sitting down to read her paper.
"I knew she looked like him, but she is also related to Parkinson. She has just as dark hair, as does her mother…well Cassie's hair is lighter in color so maybe browner. But…Holly, did you know?"
Holly looked up at everyone from the paper in shock, "It was supposed to be a secret."
Everyone started gossiping about this news as Holly exited the Great Hall. She walked around the Hall that morning listening to everyone gossip about her family, knowing that Draco and Peri had betrayed her. Rita Skeeter might write lies, but you cannot hide the way a picture looks. She rounded a corner, tears in her eyes, bumping into Peri knocking her to the ground. Peri began to speak "I'm…" she stood up before continuing, "Holly…I can explain."
Holly's emerald eyes sparkled with tears, "How could you?"
"Holly, please. Allow me…"
"No! I trusted you! My sister…or should I even call you that now," she cried wiping tears from her eyes, "I love him!"
Peri closed her eyes, "It was a misunderstanding. You know…"
"Stop making excuses! I never want to speak to you again! Just go live with your dad, you are enough like him."
That made Peri take a step back, "I am going to let you calm down before you regret any other words you might speak." With that said, she stepped around Holly exiting the school.
Holly wiped more tears making her way to a random classroom, she was in there crying when the door creaked open. A white paper dove floated across the room landing in front of her, "Go away."
The door shut and leather shoe footsteps made their way to her, "Holly…" Draco began kneeling next to her.
"No!" Her anger stumbled him backward.
He stood up from the ground, "No?" He questioned her honestly, confused by her anger.
She stood up facing him with her tear-stained face, "The picture!"
"Nothing happened. She bumped into me running away from her interview with Rita Skeeter."
"A picture is worth a thousand words."
"You believe a picture over the words I'm telling you about?"
"The words could be lies, but the picture does not."
He rolled his eyes, "For being someone that is supposed to be very smart you are being very stupid right now." She scowled at him and then pushed past him exiting the classroom.
Holly rounded a corner to return to the main portion of the school when Mad-Eye approached her, "Miss. Porter?"
She stopped in her tracks, "Yes, Professor?"
"I have some books here you might be interested in reading. I hear you like to read?"
"I do," he handed her a stack of books, "Um…sure." She looked at the book on top, "Dragons?"
"Yes. I was doing some reading on a topic that might be of interest to the students…perhaps Miss. King would be interested."
She turned her attention back to him, "Is this related to the first task?"
"You should know we are not allowed to offer assistance to the champions, but they are allowed to still research potential topics."
She looked back at the books, "Yes, sir."
He gave a nod of his head and then continued his way to class, Holly spotted Hallie making her way down the stairs with Fred and Lee, "Hallie!"
Her twin looked in her direction, "Yes?"
Holly pushed the stack of books into her hands, "Give these to Peri."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
She raised a brow in confusion, but shrugged, pushing them over to Fred as they continued their way to their classes.
The day of the First Task arrived, and everyone was making their way to the arena after breakfast had concluded. "You do not think Peri or Harry will die do you?" Mallory asked.
Holly looked at her younger sister giving a small smile, "No…she is brave. Plus Hallie designed her outfit for today.
"A beautiful work of art," Hallie smiled then turned her head to look behind them as Fred and George approached them calling to everyone to place their bets.
"Who will win? Slytherin Princess? Courageous Hufflepuff? Place your bets!"
The two reached the group, "Hello, love." Fred placed a kiss on Hallie's cheek, "Do not worry I placed a bet for you already. Towards Peri of course."
"I do not like this."
"What?"
"They could die and you are placing bets on who will win. I thought Harry was your friend?"
Fred looked at Holly who stood just behind her sister, "Love, it is just a way to earn some easy money. Everyone is enjoying…" he stopped as Draco approached them.
"Trouble in paradise, Weasley?"
Fred and George scowled at Draco, "What do you want, Malfoy? Your girlfriend is inside the tent preparing for her task."
Draco scoffed, placing a galleon into the tray, Fred was holding before grabbing the piece of chalk, "Placing a bet. I believe Krum will win," he tossed the piece of chalk back at the tray and grabbed his ticket with Viktor's name on it, turning his grey eyes towards Holly, "I do not have a girlfriend. Nor do I care to have one." He then pushed past the group of Gryffindors and Hallie with his friends right behind him.
"What did you ever see in him?" Hermione hissed watching Draco make his way to the stands.
Holly watched him, "He was different at the World Cup I told you. We are here and he is a stranger."
They continued their way to the stands as Richard approached them, "Girls, you are to sit in the main stands with me and Cassie."
"See you after," Hermione told them then went to find another entrance to the stands with Ginny, Fred, and George.
Hallie, Holly, and Mallory followed Richard to the main stands where the judges and professors were along with anyone of importance. Holly noticed Ida and Remy were seated in the main stands with Alicia, Remus, and a woman who appeared to be Cassie's age. Richard led them over to where Ida and Remy were. There was a large black dog sitting between Remy and the woman, "Lady Emilie," he bowed, "These are my daughters: Mallory, Hallie, and Holly."
The brunette looked at them, "Hello," she greeted them, despite being fully French her accent was not very thick. She sounded almost like English instead of French. "Do you know my children?"
Ida spoke up, "They know us mother, we met briefly when we arrived with Uncle Remus."
Emilie gave a soft nod, "Yes…we are blessed to have a man like Remus around," she twisted a black gemstone ring around her finger that was attached to a silver band.
Remus leaned into her whispering into her ear, she stopped looking down into her hands as the large black dog between her and Remy placed his head in her lap. She gave a small smile to the dog petting it, "Please have a seat," he indicated to the free seats around them. The main stand had physical chairs instead of benches like the other stands.
They all took seats, "I am sorry about your sister," Ida spoke looking at the three girls next to her.
"She is strong…she will do well," Holly spoke then leaned into her as Dumbledore spoke behind them, "I am glad to hear your father escaped. He was wrongfully accused."
Ida's grey eyes looked at her, "He is here," she whispered, moving her eyes to the large dog at her brother's side, "It is risky, but he wanted to be near our mother. And support Harry."
Holly turned her eyes to Sirius in his animagus form as a whistle blew as Cedric entered and began his fight against the "Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow." … "He's taking risks, this!" … "Clever move — pity it didn't work!" Bagman's voice called out from behind them
Nearly fifteen minutes later, there was a defeating roar that signified Cedric capturing the golden egg as the stands erupted into cheers.
"Very good indeed!" Bagman shouted.
The stands remained silent waiting excitedly as they waited for the next champion, "One down, four to go!" Bagman called out as a whistle blew. "Ms. King, if you please!"
Peri exited the tunnel with the cheers of the crowd as she entered the arena. Everyone stared at her watching as she unbuckled her cloak and let it slip over her in an almost seductive manner.
"Hallie!" Richard scolded, "That is not school appropriate."
"You never said it had to be. I was simply showing off her beauty."
"A body does not define beauty."
She shrugged regardless, pleased with her design.
The men around the stands whistled seeing the form-fitting bodysuit. The scales resembling dragon scales shone against the autumn sun, and the Ukrainian Ironbelly erupted in an ear-piercing roar, sending a flame of fire towards Peri. She let the fire hit her, allowing the bodysuit to light on fire. It was a spell cast on it, to make her appear on fire when it got hot enough.
"And everyone says I am stupid," Hallie smirked leaning into her chair happily, "I did that! I placed a charm on the outfit protecting her from any dangers. No cuts or burns will harm her."
The crowd gasped and then oohed knowing the truth of what was happening as Peri began running directly towards the dragon. It continued to blow rings of fire towards her, still, the more it hit her the brighter she burned.
"Look at that! The Girl on Fire!" Bagman called out.
They watched as she jumped onto a boulder as the dragon whipped around to swing its tail at her, but as it whipped around with its back to her. She bounced off the boulder as if it were a trampoline doing a flip through the air landing on the back of the dragon. It erupted with another ear-piercing roar, she slipped down the opposite side landing in the nest of eggs and grabbing one of them and lifting it in the air as the crowd cheered her for her success and performance.
"Way to go Peri!" Holly could hear Draco's voice over the crowd. She scanned the crowd, finding his blonde hair in the crowd.
The dragon roared defeat as Peri was brought to a seat to retrieve her score, "Our quickest to get the egg yet."
Holly turned to the judges' stand watching as Mr. Crouch raised his wand into the air giving an eight. Dumbledore gave a ten, and the crowd cheered louder. Bagman gave a ten as well.
Karkaroff raised his wand giving a two.
Bagman stood up again, "That places, Ms. King in the first place position!"
"Mother couldn't be a judge for being a parent of a champion but they can have two headmasters from the schools as champions…probably because they are men," Alicia hissed, crossing her arms annoyed over this.
Richard hushed her, "Alicia, that is not a topic to discuss in public."
"It is true though. It is not fair."
"I know, but we have to know our audiences."
The rest of the task continued, everyone receiving their eggs, including Harry. His was more dangerous as his dragon broke loose from its chains, and they flew around the entire grounds before Harry nose-dived for his egg. He ended up with the quickest time of all of them.
With the First Task over Hallie and Holly left the stands leaving Mallory and Alicia with their parents.