Chapter 45: Declaration

Senna's POV

Senna slowly opened her eyes, her gaze taking in the familiar surroundings of her dormitory. She lay there for a moment, trying to piece together how she had ended up in her bed.

As she sat up, she couldn't recall any specific memory of going to sleep the night before. The last thing she remembered was sulking on the dirty stone floor of the gym.

She rubbed her eyes and shook her head, hoping to clear her foggy mind. When that didn't help, she hopped into the shower.

A knock on her door startled her, and though she was dressed in just a towel, she rushed to answer it, hoping it was news about Clyde or Viola.

But disappointment rushed through her when she answered. It was just one of her peers whose name she never bothered to remember.

"Headmaster Roberts wants you to meet him in his office... when you have a moment." The girl said nervously. Then she turned and scampered off.

Senna got dressed and headed to his office, curious to know what he wanted from her.

She was surprised to see many adults in his office, Professor Snape, Albus Dumbledore, Rufus Scrimgeour, and some others she did not recognize.

Senna ignored the other occupants in the room. Something was off about her Headmaster. His usually red and cheerful face was pale.

"I need you to forfeit the next match, Senna." He said in a final tone.

Senna's jaw dropped. She was not expecting this. Headmaster Roberts was on her side since the matches started. She knew her Headmaster didn't truly care for her safety, why else would he send her into the arena without magic?

According to Struan's definition of trustworthiness, you could only trust someone if their best interest is the same as yours. And Senna knew they had the same best interest… Winning. No matter the cost. So why would he change his mind now?

"What?" Senna stumbled, "Why?"

"It's too dangerous."

Senna laughed a cold and sarcastic laugh. "That is not true. That's never stopped you before."

His pale cheeks flooded with color, but it was the wrong kind of color, he was getting angry.

"Snape, don't talk to me like that. I am your Headmaster."

Senna bit her lip, glaring at him. She wasn't going to get anywhere by making him angry. "I'm sorry Headmaster, but what made you change your mind?"

"I believe the next match may be too dangerous. You are a marvelous athlete, Senna, but I'm afraid it won't be enough."

She knew he was talking about the dragons. She wasn't supposed to know about them, but she did, thanks to Clyde.

"That's okay, Headmaster, I'm not afraid."

Her Headmaster's eyebrows drew together. "This is not up for debate. You are to forfeit the next match."

An awkward silence filled the room. Senna looked around. No one dared to look at her, except for Albus Dumbledore, who stared at her with kind yet pitiful eyes. This made her angrier. She did not want their pity.

"And if I don't?" Senna asked in a low voice.

Roberts' face grew even redder. He met her challenge with an equally low and dangerous voice. "Then, if you survive, this will be your last year at Brownwell. You will be expelled."

Senna's stomach dropped for a moment, but she recovered quickly. "Oh, right!" Senna exclaimed, "You can't expel me now because of the Goblet's contract. How convenient." Senna mused.

Headmaster Roberts glared at her. "It's not worth it, Senna." It sounded like a plea.

"Of course not." Senna spat, suddenly feeling the heat rise to the surface, "The orphans aren't worth anything to anyone."

Headmaster Roberts leaned back in his chair, taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to win." Senna pressed her palms against his desk and leaned over to him. "And then I'm going to use the prize money to rebuild the orphanage."

Her Headmaster's eyes grew so wide, that his glasses slid down his nose. "That is not your responsibility, Senna. The Clearcil district will–"

"Will do nothing!" Senna interrupted him, "They never have, and never will. Children have died at their hands, I've watched them do it. Over and over again. They beat a message, deep into your skin, that we are not worth rescuing, not worth fighting for, and I have the scars to prove it." Senna's voice was loud and obnoxious, just as she intended. Roberts continued to stare at her with a shocked expression, for having dared to speak to him this way. But Senna didn't care anymore. Senna took a step back from his desk. "You can expel me, I don't care. No one will. But I am going to compete. Even if you think it won't be enough, that's fine, I've made do with less. You don't win battles with magic, you win them with power. Struan thinks they are the same thing, but I'm here to prove that they're not."

Senna spun around and left the office. She looked at their feet as she passed them. After her embarrassing and long-winded rant, she avoided making eye contact with anyone.

The air in the corridor was cool. Senna felt oddly numb and lighter at the same time.

Senna couldn't stop reliving the outburst. It kept playing over and over in her mind, causing her to feel overwhelmed with anger and guilt. A part of her wished she could go back in time and handle the situation less dramatically.

But another part of her was grateful for it, as it had relit her fire of determination. She spent far too long wallowing in sorrow and it was time to get a grip.

She remembered Clyde's disappointed gaze, and his words 'The Sen I knew never wallowed in pity, feeling sorry for herself. Being a witch has made you soft.'

She opened the Parseltounge book, Guardians of Ophidian, and read until she was so overwhelmed with knowledge she fell asleep at her desk.

She made a point to leave no book unopened, pushing herself to learn more and expand her understanding.

Her hate for Struan, shame of being too 'soft', and the duty she felt to the other orphans were the powerful forces that drove Senna forward, propelling her.

Each day, Senna devoted herself to her training with a fierce determination that left her completely drained by the end of each session. She pushed herself past exhaustion, relentlessly perfecting her form and combat skills. Her movements were precise and calculated, every muscle in her body working in unison to execute each strike flawlessly.

But even as her body screamed for rest, Senna refused to give up. She would not stop until she had achieved her goal, no matter how exhausted she became.

Senna wasn't sure how much time passed, weeks or days. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the upcoming match and her declaration to rebuild the orphanage.

She knew it was a risky move, but she couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling that it was the right thing to do.

As she walked through the halls of Hogwarts, she noticed that her peers were avoiding her, as usual. Even her newfound admirers didn't dare speak to her. Students whispered behind her back as she passed by. It didn't bother her much, she was used to being an outsider. But it did make her feel more alone than ever before.

She tried to focus on her training, but the fire that fueled her before was starting to weaken. The dragons were a formidable opponent, and she knew that even if she somehow got Malos to give back her magic, she would barely stand a chance.

She spent hours practicing empty spells and refining her techniques, pushing herself to the limit.

Despite her efforts, doubts still lingered in the back of her mind. What if Headmaster Roberts was right? What if she wasn't good enough? What if she failed?

But then she would think of the orphans and their desperate need for help. She thought of disappointing Clyde and Viola. She had to try, even if it meant risking everything.

As the day of the match drew closer, Senna felt a mix of excitement and dread. She knew that this would be her biggest challenge yet, and she wasn't sure she would succeed.

Senna was in the middle of studying when another messenger knocked at her door. A Brownwell student told her that Ludo Bagman was asking her and the other Champions to come to the Great Hall for an announcement. She made her way there.

When she arrived, she saw that the other champions were already there, along with the judges and a large crowd of students, teachers, and employees of the Department of Magical Games. Ludo Bagman stood at the front of the room, looking excited.

"Good evening, everyone!" he said, beaming. "I have some exciting news for you all. As you know, the next task is only a day away, and we wanted to give the tournament a new exciting twist. So, we've decided to let each champion choose a partner for the next round!"

The crowd erupted into cheers.

Bagman continued, "Each of you will be allowed to choose a witch or wizard who will help you compete in the next task!"

As Bagman finished his speech, the other champions began to chatter excitedly and pair up. An athletic girl with almond-shaped eyes and long straight black hair joined Cedric Digory. An excited-looking Beauxbaton boy joined Fluer Delacour. A large and brooding Durmstrang boy approached Krum, and they nodded in unison.

The noise began to fade as the pairings were completed. Soon, they realized Senna was the only one left who hadn't chosen a partner, and silent eyes settled on her.

Senna was lost in thought. Then she turned to Bagman.

"They could be… anyone?"

"Yes, any person of your choosing. They would have to consent, though."

Senna mulled this over. If she could have anyone in the ring with her and a dragon, who would it be?

"Do they need to be a student of the same school?" Senna asked.

Bagman looked a bit nervous. This wasn't supposed to be such a complex decision. The champions were supposed to just pick their favorite peer, which all the rest had already done. They didn't give it as much thought as she did. She could pick someone she liked to share the glory with… or someone she hated to be killed by a dragon. She smiled a mischievous smile.

"No, it can be anyone inside or outside of Brownwell." The gamemaker said in a nervous voice, unsure what Senna's smile meant.

"Anyone in the world? And they would have to be allowed to come to Hogwarts and compete?"

"Ummm," the gamemaker looked at the staff, and then looked back at her. The other staff looked very wary now. "Yes, that's right." His voice was a nervous whisper now.

Senna's smile grew wider…

Author's Note: I didn't get any responses regarding the Christmas special so I will stick to the regular release schedule. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

xxsorenxx