After the Lights Go Out

Part 2 - The Rabbit

The first task arrived before the first snowfall, and you had little time to process the dangers you were in before your time had arrived. All you knew in advance was the fact that the tasks were all designed to test your magical abilities, intelligence and courage – and that the little safety measures that were there, could not protect you from harm or even death if you weren't adequately prepared.

The thing was however, just as everyone around you had been sure to let you know – you weren't a strong contestant at all, you were the weakest link. You were putting shame to your school's name, how had you dared put your name forward in the first place? It was supposed to be Celeste Bombelles, not you. The relentless taunting only made sure you spent more time in the library than usual, reading up on every dangerous magical creature and beast you could think of, and every spell and potion that could possibly ward you from them.

While Ilvermorny's champion, Terrence Stokes seemed to get most of his preparations from the duelling club, you often caught a sight of the Hogwarts champion, Tom Riddle in the library. This made you feel a little better, as perhaps brains were more important in the tasks than muscle.

Tom was a strange fellow, you only ever caught him alone there by the towering bookshelves. Outside in the halls and in the school grounds he was always surrounded by a particularly nasty looking gang of Slytherins, who you could only suppose were his friends. This did not make him any more approachable when he was alone however, and you had not spoken a word with him since the three of you had gathered in the trophy room.

Sometimes, when you found yourself there in the library late in the evening you'd feel like someone was watching you, and while you could never find anyone there but yourself you had a feeling you knew who it was. At nights you often dreamt of him, following after him from a distance through a dark and dense forest. Then, as a branch would snap in half under your bare feet, he'd turn around and stare at you with dark eyes. Before you could say a word, or even explain why on earth you were following him a large creature would crawl out of the bushes towards you, it's eight legs drumming against the forest floor as it leapt at you. The Acromantula, just like the one that had murdered that little girl a year ago. You could still hear Tom's laughter as you woke up covered in cold sweat, just like you had done most nights since you had met.

Your bad dreams did not help your arachnophobia, and neither did it help you feel any more confident in your magical abilities for the tasks. By sheer logic you had deducted that the task could not involve any Acromantula, anything else would be considered tasteless considering the schools recent history. This, however, did not mean it could not be anything worse.

The fog laid over the green highlands like a thick carpet, letting no sunlight in over the arena grounds. In the distance you heard the different school years drowning each other out, along with some ill-boding roars you did not care to discover the source of. Terrence was nervously walking back and fourth in the tent, and Tom sat calmly drinking a cup of tea by the table with refreshments. You were far too anxious to eat, let alone drink anything, as the deafening roars could be heard in the distance once again.

"What in Merlin's beard is that thing?" Terrence questioned as the colour of his face shifted to a nauseating green, "It sounds like a bloody giant, or a dragon"

"It's a troll, a mountain troll to be exact" Tom corrected him, as if this was any better at all.

"A troll?" you repeated in disbelief, thinking back at what you had read. While these beasts weren't exactly known to be intelligent, their brutish force and taste for human flesh certainly made up for it.

"Hold on, and how do you know that Riddle?" Terrence questioned, and Tom shrugged in his seat as he finished his tea.

"Well for instance, there's the smell. There's not much to be mistaken" Tom stated, and Terrence wrinkled his nose. It was certainly true, there was a terrible stench in the air reminiscent of something rotten.