Competition/Challenge Block
Written For: Monthly Challenges for All (Year 7); Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 2.0 (Term 3); Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition (Season 11); The Houses Competition (Year 11)

Hogwarts: Slytherin; A4 - Funny Bunny History Task #3 (Write about an unexpected turn of events.)

Houses: Slytherin Part Time Student R2; Ancient Runes; Drabble (Weather: Sunny Day)

MC4A: Hunt (Native/Indigenous; Marsh/Swamp; Fish; Necklace; Sand)

Beta: Ash Juillet; Ash; GreenGecko; Gwen

Word Count: 935

Warning Tag: References Past Character Death; Animal Injury/Death; Blood

Author's Note: This story is about Kendra Dumbledore, using the throwaway reference from the books about how Harry thought Kendra looked Native American to him. I have her living in Southern America in what is known as modern day Alabama/Louisiana Bayou area.

The story takes place after a hurricane and is inspired by a Choctaw story about an alligator teaching a hunter how to hunt. But instead I have this alligator foretell Kendra's future.

Enjoy.

Girl and the Gator

It wasn't the first big storm that eight-year-old Kendra had endured with her tribe, but it was the first that she would fully remember. The tempest winds howled, and waves rushed over the land, shaking the earth and the trees. It was a terrifying experience.

In every shadow, there's a glimmer of light.

The storm had passed, and her tribe had survived. Everyone was already gathering to restock reserves on the bright, sunny day that graced the otherwise disrupted landscape. After storms, there was always an abundance of food and materials, and it was crucial to collect everything before it spoiled or washed back out to sea.

Kendra was allowed to come on the journey to the wetlands this time. She was now old enough to avoid the deceptive sinkholes that littered the marshy swamplands that had taken her mother. Her father had taught her how to identify solid ground amidst the tangle of roots and moss that floated on the water, ready to consume anyone who took a wrong step. He also taught her to be mindful of the creatures that lived there, as it was their home, and they would do what they could to protect it, just like her tribe protected theirs.

She found the changed environment beautiful in its own murky way. Its distinct smell of salt, moss, and earth was thick in the air. Before she left, her father pointed out where she could wander and explore safely alone, assuring her that she would be watched from a distance. The ground started to squelch under her sandals from oversaturated dirt and grass. Sand was gradually mixing in, causing her feet to sink. The heat of the sun bore down from above, making her sweat.

Kendra's efforts were quickly rewarded when she discovered some large fish still squirming on the land, futilely attempting to return to the water. Kendra pulled her bone-made dagger from the pouch at her side and did what her father had taught her. Silently offering her gratitude, she swiftly put the pair of fish out of their misery. She then wrapped them in cloth and tucked them into her bag. They were already fairly heavy, but she was determined to find at least three b,efore returning to her father.

The tree roots soon tangled with the loosening earth and sand, prompting Kendra to use the low-hanging branches above for support. Wary of serpents, she hopscotched onto the thicker knots of roots until she reached a solid patch of land near the cloudy water.

She sat down to take a break, drinking from her small water pouch and wiping her brow. No luck finding fish or strong uprooted vines and roots here. She would have to accept the two fish and head back…

Until she heard a soft voice from a cluster of branches.

"Help…"

Kendra got up and, ever curious, investigated. She carefully pulled a branch away, revealing a small-scaled creature tangled in roots, a cut bleeding near its leg. She recognized the creature as a gator, the same reptile that had provided the teeth for the necklace she currently wore.

She hesitated, knowing that animals normally don't speak her language, so she looked around for someone else who may have cried for help. Seeing no one, Kendra went to leave, letting the branch go.

"Please, help…"

Kendra turned back around, adjusting the branches again. "Y-you can talk?"

Gator let out a breath, closing its eyes before looking back at her. "Help…"

"I cannot, Gator. It is too dangerous," Kendra reasoned, knowing that the ground was unstable and the animal was a threat. "And you are a predator."

"I am hurt, little one," Gator said. "I have no means to harm you. Yet, you wear the teeth of my kind proudly and say I am the dangerous one? I will die from the sun drying my skin."

Kendra brushed a hand over the necklace. Perhaps this creature did mean no harm. Maybe it was a test. She was not prepared to handle a talking animal; the stories about animals she'd heard had mixed outcomes. She could kill it, but something inside her told her no.

"Okay. But be still so I don't accidentally injure you."

Despite her doubts, she drew her dagger and carefully approached Gator. Grabbing a thin, tangled vine, she struck it as hard as she could, taking a few swings to break it free. The roots proved challenging, but she persisted, gradually freeing enough of Gator to allow it to wiggle out and climb further up the bank, escaping nature's trap.

"Here," Kendra said, rubbing her palms together before hovering them over the wound. "I have been practicing this."

A soft white glow emitted from her hands, slowly settling over the wound. It was still a dark pink when she pulled her hands away, but it was sealed and no longer bleeding. She offered Gator a fish, which Gator swiftly swallowed.

"The water is safer here," Kendra said, pointing nearby. "I hope you live a long life and that the storms are kinder to you."

"Thank you, little one. I owe you my life," Gator said gratefully. "In some time to come, you will encounter a new tribe. But they won't emerge from meadows, mountains, or deserts; rather, they'll arrive from the sea. Large ships guided by clouds will find you, and you'll be whisked away by a magic-wielding man with fire for hair."

Kendra was perplexed by Gator's words. "What do you mean?"

But Gator had already gone, slipping under the gentle dark waters with nothing but a ripple on its surface.