There was a white chair in the middle of the Great Hall, clear pieces of glass floating above it in a circle. Lena took note of this and the layout of the large stands around the edges of the expanded Great Hall with the judges' table up at the very front where the white chair was facing. Walking through the tables of people, she followed Fluer and the others up to stand in the space next to the white chair.
"Hello everyone!" Ludo Bagman, with his usual wide toothy smile, stepped down from the platform at the head of the Hall with his wand amplifying his voice. "Today is the day of the second task, a task of mental and emotional ability!"
Viktor elbowed her and she raised an eyebrow at him, unamused, as the other champions smiling at her teasingly.
Sure. Make fun of the emotionally handicapped.
"Light teasing darling. I am sure if you really felt offended they would be living on spare time."
Lena snorted softly, but she couldn't really find a good response to Riddle's faith in her unrelenting wrath.
Bagman continued. "Each champion, in the order of their riddle, will be given a potion that will then put them in a dreamscape! This dream will contain four elements, four emotions that are the answer to the clues given. Champions?"
They had talked over the riddles extensively before finally coming to the solid conclusion that they were emotions, though how that would translate to the actual task none of them had any idea.
Fleur spoke up, her voice soft yet echoing through the hall. "Sadness, fear, love, and happiness."
Nodding excitedly, Bagman clapped slightly. "Exactly! You will have to face your worst and be able to leave your best! But I assure you, should you need to get out of the dreamscape, there will be a red button in the dream that if pressed will immediately have our healers administering the antidote! If pressed, you will lose points, same with staying in a room longer than ten minutes. The glass panels, of course, will also show us the dreamscape from an outside perspective and project any sound made so we can see what you're going through! Now first up is Viktor Krum!"
This should be fun…
Riddle snorted. "Should I be worried?"
Depends. Probably not.
"Color me worried then."
Viktor's first room was a child's bedroom made up of pinks and purples, and Fleur leaned over to softly tell her that the boy's younger sister had died when they were young because of dragon pox. The second room was of a man (assumedly his father) yelling at him that he would never amount to anything because of his grades, the third of a woman that he called 'baba' and the fourth... was the Slytherin Common Room with her, Fleur, Cedric, the Court, and the Durmstang boys all sitting around the fire with butterbeer and wide smiles as they talked aimlessly.
She could almost understand why he passed his time limit by five minutes before his mental version of herself turned to him with a small but fond smile and told him that he knew that he had to go and that they'd be there when he opened up his eyes.
When he did, well Viktor had himself to blame when they all gave him long hugs.
If Lena had expected something out of Cedric's dreams, she was not expecting his first room to be of her in the silvery dress and crown with sad eyes, telling him gently that they were nothing more than friends.
Well... it was a fresh rejection.
"Weak."
Dear, what did I say about insulting my friends?
"...Not to." Riddle sighed. "He... has a point. I too would be distraught should I not have you by my side."
Good thing you will never have to know that feeling.
She smiled at the Locket's pulse of fondness, tuning back into where Cedric was confronting his father's unrealistic expectations, talking with his mother that she knew had died when he was young, and... yet again she and the other champions were on the screen but this time they were all in what she assumed was the Hufflepuff Common Room, as Charlie and his friends were also there, along with most of the Court. The other version of her was leaning against Cedric, smiling widely as she laughed at stupid jokes she wouldn't usually.
Cedric got hugs from the other two and a small smile from her before Fluer reached over to squeeze Lena's hand, laying down in the chair and taking the potion that would put her under.
The French girl found immense sadness in her parents demanding she finds an eligible suitor to form a marriage contract with by the time she graduated, she held a large amount of fear of something happening to her sister, and (unsurprisingly) her room for 'love' was a table with her family sitting around a table- only by the older girl's side was the small figure of Luna Lovegood.
Cute.
"I reluctantly have to agree. They would be a good marriage match."
Lena let her lips quirk up slightly at the awkward phrasing, but let it go, watching as Fleur danced with Luna under falling cherry petals for longer than the time limit.
They were all young, but she had faith in them.
Lena was the last to go up, laying back in the chair that reminded her of the dentist's chair that Matron was obligated to get them in at least once a year and hoping that after this her friends would be able to look at her.
The rules were simple.
She just had to get through all four rooms without hitting the button or staying too long.
Taking the offered glass of purple liquid, she looked to where Dumbledore gave her a small nod and then knocked the potion back like a shot of Jack's whiskey, feeling something strange come over her body as she laid back and closed her eyes.
Feeling as if she'd just woken up, she blinked, seeing a familiar low-hanging ceiling and slightly dirty walls encasing her. She was in a small cot with a ratty blanket thrown over her that was pressed into a small alcove in a single room shack that was so very familiar.
Lena knew every single piece of furniture in this cottage, every crack in the brick walls, the proper place for every item.
Her voice was a whisper. "Jack..." Looking over to where the older man's bed was across the room, she suddenly got a strong sense of deja vu, swinging her legs over the side of the cot and getting up. "Jack?"
Forcing herself to move one step at a time, she saw that the kitchen had been upended and that the figure on the bed had a pillow over its head. Stopping short when she recognized the scene, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Her voice was soft in the silent night. "Just- it's just in your mind Lena. You know this and you already- you saw it anyway… it can't be any worse the second time…" Clutching at her dog tags around her neck, she took one shaky step after another, taking hold of the pillow that she now saw had a hole in it and forced herself to count down so she would actually do it. "3… 2…"
"I wouldn't do that."
Lena jolted, looking over at where Riddle was sitting lazily on the only chair that hadn't been knocked over, watching her intently with dark brown eyes. He raised her hand and waved his fingers mockingly as she hissed lowly as if a startled cat. "What the hell? Why are you here?"
The boy shrugged fluidly. "You tell me. This is your mind or dream or whatever."
"Just- just be quiet then and I'll ignore you like usual."
The boy huffed. "Rude."
Ignoring him, she pulled off the pillow and closed her eyes, turning away almost immediately, trying not to throw up.
Jack was laying there- probably having been asleep- and someone had come in, pressed a pillow to his head, and shot him.
All for some food and a few pounds.
And they'd completely missed Lena sleeping in the far nook of the room.
The smell of blood hit her and she let the pillow drop to her side limply. "He said he wouldn't die until I turned eleven. He promised." Her voice was hollow as she stumbled back from the sight to sit on the small cot heavily, staring at the bloody figure.
"That wasn't a promise he could keep, dearest, and you know that." But even still, the boy put a hand on her shoulder, lightly squeezing. "Now you should move on."
Nodding sort of numbly, she laid back on the cot...
Lena found herself laying on a familiar pier.
Trying to push herself up, she found her hands and legs had been tied, breath coming out faster as she tried to get out or make her magic surge up or something. Then her eyes landed on a red button and a figure who was leaning against a tree with a dark frown.
Oh… Right.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she laid back and looked up at the sky, voice soft. "It's not real. It's a dream… They're not real." But she could still hear the footsteps coming down the pier and glared at where three looming boys stood over her. "Untie me."
"Look boys, the freak wants out!" The leader, Greg sneered, spitting at her and she flinched back. "You know what happens to monsters like you, freak?"
"We get the best jobs?" She sneered at them.
A hand hit her across the face, leaving her blinking away a slight daze, ears ringing. Samuel scoffed, looking at her in utter disgust. "Like you'd be able to do anything right. I heard Matron- she said it would have been better if you died instead of that old man!"
Lena looked over to where Tom was, her eyes pleading. "Tom- Tom, come on- Please-"
But the boy just grimaced as if in pain, looking away, his lips moving to shape a single word. Sorry.
"Awww is the freak afraid of a little water ?"
Another of the boys laughed. "She's a witch anyway and witches get drowned. "
"Tom..." Her voice was a pained whisper by now, sinking back into a panicked state of acceptance, her head full of white noise and her heart beating out of her chest as she struggled to breathe.
This was it.
She was going to drown here.
There was no one coming for her this time.
Clenching her eyes shut as she felt herself be lifted, she gasped in a breath of air and felt hot tears in her eyes. "No-!"
Then with the malicious laughs ringing in the background, she was enveloped by dark water, eyes opening as she tried to see the surface that was a rippling white light in the distance so far away.
Nothing.
Nothing but the inevitability of death.
Something glinted before her eyes, a familiar ring, but when she tried to reach for it there was nothing there, like some illusion. Then a locket fell through the water and she let out a sob- air bubbles escaping her- at seeing the diadem and familiar diary also slip through her fingers.
She had nothing.
Nothing left.
Closing her eyes, she breathed out all her air, letting the silence surround her.
"Lena- kiddo- you gotta get up or the old hag is gonna try to get at you for more than she already has."
Blinking, she looked over, feeling her heart stop beating.
Jack was sitting on a chair, wrinkled face pulled in his signature frown, a cup of what was surely sludge-like coffee in his hands.
Lena sat up slowly. "Jack? How-" She cut herself off, seeing that the room was rearranged. Instead of a door where she knew there should have been, there was a pedestal with a red button and instead of a bookshelf, there was a door.
Standing, she moved to the out-of-place door.
"Don't you want to talk to him?" Riddle was leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed, looking at her with an unreadable expression.
Reaching out for the door handle, she paused and pulled her hand back, looking to where the man was reading the newspaper with an empty seat across him. "Jack?" Her voice was small and she felt like a child calling out for their parent.
"What is it now kid? Didn't I say to sit and eat before that hag gets her paws on you? You really caused a scene this time and she'll want to take you to the cellar an' lock you up again- I don't know for how long this time." The man lowered his newspaper just a bit to look at her over the top with stern eyes. "Eat before you can't and I'll see if I can sneak you some food and a blanket, that is if I don't just kill that bint for treating you like this."
Moving, she sat down at the rickety table, staring at the toast and runny jam. "Can I ask you a question?"
Jack huffed. "If you eat something. I'm afraid the next time I get to see you, you'll be a skeleton, what with your determination to trade all your food for books." His eyes were amused, but his voice gruff. "'S not healthy kiddo."
"Can you-... can you forgive me? For who I became?" Closing her eyes, she tried not to cry, waiting for his usual response where he told her that he didn't know what she was talking about and then shooed her away.
There was a pause. "You don't start the fights, Lena, you just end them. I taught you that way so why would I need to forgive you in the first place? You know that I care for you, no matter how many people don't kiddo."
Her eyes opened, feeling something settle in her throat. "Thanks, Jack." Then with a moment of just taking in the small room, she smiled somewhat sadly. "I don't think I'll see you again. Not like this at least. I- I think I might forgive you too, for dying on me like that, even though it was incredibly rude."
She turned for the door, her hand almost touching it.
"What did she do to you- after I died?"
Lena's laugh was soft but held no humor. "She blamed me, I blamed myself, then she did her best to kill me… and I never tried to stop her."
Then without waiting for a response, she pulled open the door and stepped through.
A white room met her, a fireplace on the far wall with two chairs and a small table sitting there. A familiar boy with styled hair and deep brown eyes was sitting in one chair, two mugs on the table. "Seems like it's just us now... Come, sit with me."
"Why? You probably poisoned my hot chocolate, you psycho." She still sat though, after a second, chest easing from its tightness at being in the somewhat normal territory.
"And yet you'll still drink it." The boy smirked, slow and somewhat smug. "Though I'm sure you'll think up a thousand ways to poison me back by the time you realize that it's not actually poisoned." He huffed as if put out by this.
Lena found herself chuckling despite herself, shrugging. "It's a talent, sweetheart."
Rolling his eyes, the boy crossed one leg over the other in the picture of grace. "You say everything bad about yourself is a talent."
"Then maybe all I have are bad talents." She smirked, taking a sip of the hot chocolate- only to find he'd given her coffee and she spit it out on the white floor, sputtering as the boy burst into unrestrained laughter. Laughing slightly in surprise as she wiped her mouth, she glared at him teasingly and took a pillow on her chair, throwing it at him. "You- you arse! I trusted you to give me hot chocolate! This is coffee! Treason against the Queen!"
Still laughing, Riddle grinned at her with gleaming white teeth, having blocked the pillow easily. "That's the job description, isn't it lovely?" He sipped his own drink that she couldn't tell what it was. "I'm the Court Riddler." His amusement at his pun was tangible.
"That was absolutely horrible."
He pouted slightly, looking strangely like a kicked puppy.
"Okay! It was fine!" She giggled slightly and waved her hand. "Stop it with those eyes- You look ridiculous!"
Riddle just smirked, taking a long drink of his brown liquid.
In a moment of childish inspiration, she climbed over the table, moving to grab for his cup. "Give me that! You owe me!" She must have surprised him into jolting because they ended up soaking his suit with what she could now tell smelled a lot like coffee. She laughed at his stunned face, slumping into the chair on top of him as she giggled madly. "You- haha- you look so offended- hahaha-"
"This is my favorite suit, Lena!" He shoved her out of his space, huffing when she laid on the floor, still giggling. "Insufferable... Why do I put up with you?"
She shrugged, looking up at the white ceiling and letting her smile slowly fade. "Tom?"
The boy hummed, trying to clean up his suit with a handkerchief.
"Why didn't you save me from those boys?"
He looked at her, lips tightening slightly. "You should know that I'm not actually meant to be here. I'm just a figment of your imagination. I wouldn't have been able to stop them." Then he smiled at her teasingly. "Though I'm amused that your place of happiness is a fireplace and some hot chocolate."
Lena snorted, standing up and moving to lean on the wall next to the fireplace, looking at the white walls of the room. "Well you're here, aren't you? For now at least... But I was so scared Tom- I almost lost you..."
"I promise, you'll see me at least one more time." His eyes were intense and yet fond, smiling at her slightly crookedly. "One way or another I'll get back to you eventually, dear one."
"Right." Lena swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "One more time." Her eyes found his as she moved to stand in front of him, cupping his warm cheek lightly before giving him a crooked smile. "And after that, I'll just get a cat that meows a lot and has issues with authority and name him Tom. I bet I won't even notice a difference."
"Don't make me bite you, Lena. You'll never replace me with some feline." The dark eyes glinted, but his lips were curving slightly with a smile. He moved to press a kiss to her wrist, smirking at her as he did. "Plus, you'll never find one as good-looking as me."
She snorted. "I'll add vain to the list of requirements." Then she kissed her hand and slapped him lightly with it, dancing out of the way of his hands when he tried to grab her, giggling at his offended noises. "I gotta go, but I'll be sure to start looking for that cat!"
"Don't you dare!"
Stopping at a door in the corner of the room, she looked back to where he had his arms crossed and a pout on his lips, smiling fondly at him. "Don't worry, Tom… I still owe you that dance, remember?"
Opening her eyes to the ceiling of the Great Hall, she felt the smile on her face fade to a neutral expression with a light sigh.
You're ridiculous.
"Excuse me, I am perfect."
She knew Riddle was smirking. She could hear it.
"Miss Farland, you were the second most successful in getting through your rooms in a timely manner so your points are-"
Sitting up, she cast a glare at the judges. "Didn't I tell you I don't care?"
"You seemed to react strongly to the potion, as your dreams were certainly much more… vibrant." Dumbledore smiled at her softly. "Though I'm sorry you had to go through that with Jack, I must say I am most surprised by the other companion in your dreamscape."
"Whoever that was- he wasn't allowed to interfere!" Barty Crouch had stood, scowling.
Swinging her legs over the side of the chair, she stood, frowning slightly at the man. "He is a figment of my imagination, Mr. Crouch. Unless you wish to ban me from using my unique coping strategies to having to live through what you just saw and so much more, you don't have a say in what my brain does and therefore I don't give a single fuck what you think."
The man turned red, turning to the healers that had administered the potion and were watching her vitals. "Is this true?!"
"Mr. Crouch…" One of the women stepped forward, glancing at her. "The boy- he seemed to be part of her, if not a memory then some type of- of imaginary friend."
"I am insulted."
Covering her small chuckle, she smoothed her expression out and then looked to where Dumbledore was smiling at her. The old wizard winked. "Tom, right?"
"Don't you dare-"
Lena licked her lips to hide her mirth. "Yeah. Tom. He's such a sweetheart. "
"I will fight you."
Do it, darling.
Barty Crouch cleared his throat, glaring at her harder if it was possible. "Yes, well as that concludes the last of the second task, Champions, please head to Madame Pomfrey to make sure that no one has any lingering side effects from the potion."
Spotting Pomfrey, she saluted Crouch mockingly before stalking towards the exit of the Great Hall, eyes catching on where she thought she saw Riddle sitting in the crowd with that self-satisfied smirk on his face. Shaking her head, she moved out of the hall quickly.
I'm going insane.
"Perhaps. Would you like some help with that?"
Lena avoided questions up until getting to the Common Room, and even then she usually didn't answer the questions with a straight answer.
How could she? None of them would understand.
"Lena."
Except maybe one of them...
Turning to face Ginny Weasley, she grimaced. "Hey, redhead."
But there was only an amused smile on the girl's face. "You and Tom. You're strangely cute together."
Lena sputtered for a second, feeling her cheeks heat a bit, before composing herself. "It's not like that. We're… acquaintances. Friends depending on the day." Taking hold of the locket, she looked away from the girl. "Plus I don't have the time for things like that."
"You could if you tried~"
Quiet.
"I understand. But still. Cute." The girl grinned and left with a wink over her shoulder.
Don't listen to her. I hate you.
"You love me."
Piss off.
"Maybe 'piss off' can be our always?"
Laughing slightly, she shook her head and went to get ready for bed early, utterly exhausted.
TRIWIZARD LOVE TRIANGLE!
By Rita Skeeter
As we've all probably heard, the fourth champion in the Triwizard Tournament- Helena Potter AKA Lena Farland- seems to be made of stone and ice… but is that really true?
Miss Potter's date to the Yule Ball was one Cedric Diggory, the handsome Hogwarts Champion, who has reportedly been cozying up to Helena for quite some time.
Cute right?
Well, there's more.
Miss Potter was seen ice skating on the Black Lake after the Yule Ball with the older Hufflepuff, something that she and her other Slytherin friends are known to do in the winter, but after a confrontation in the entrance hall, the two split up for the rest of the night and Potter danced away the rest of the night with Hermione Granger, resident bookworm.
Now you could take this as just some normal teenage drama, but after this latest task, I have some doubts.
The second task was one of mental capacity, putting the champions through four 'rooms' in a type of dreamscape where they would have to pass through four emotions: Sadness, fear, love, and happiness.
Miss Potter's dreams were definitely enlightening, the first two showing a tormented childhood in which she was not only harassed by the other kids her age but had to see the man that raised her die in front of her because of a muggle thief. Her third dream was a heartwarming scene between her and Jack Farland- who had adopted her- but still, the underlying suffering of her childhood held weight in the conversation, and the fourth dream room was (supposed to be) an empty room with hot chocolate and a fireplace.
However an interesting figure appeared in her dreams, showing up as a boy about eighteen or nineteen years old with dark hair that Helena called 'Tom' and that the Healers on duty had to admit was probably a part of her memory. But this leaves a question- who is that memory of?
This mystery boy is just that, a mystery.
Not a single 'Tom' that fits the picture of the boy has been at Hogwarts for the last twenty years.
So is Helena choosing a muggle boy over the charming Cedric Diggory? And what's with her abnormally close friendship with both Blaise Zabini and Viktor Krum?
This reporter intends to find out.
More on the Yule Ball, page 4.