Hallows Game || HP X Squid Game (Draco Malfoy)

4 - Grandmother's Footsteps

"Smile!"

Fuck that. I hated smiling for cameras, so instead I glared, unlike Seamus Finnigan (324) and Dean Thomas (250) in front of me - both of whom had tried to pull the silliest face.

The two of them joked and laughed all the way down to the game arena, a place we reached by marching along a maze of pastel coloured stairways and corridors.

I couldn't share their carefree attitude. I was too nervous, focusing solely on the possibility of what the game ahead might entail. Even though I wasn't in as much debt as many others, I needed that prize money. It was the key to getting my family back together.

At least with my sisters being in the competition, we had more chance at winning.

We entered a brightly decorated arena which was painted to look as though we were stood in some sort of cornfield. At the far end of the room, a giant robot doll stood in front of a painted tree, looking rather like an elderly woman - a five foot walking stick in hand, grey hair presented in a bun and a creepily smiling face where pale eyes squinted out from behind a pair of small rounded spectacles.

"What the-?"

"Attention all players. After you enter the game hall, please stand behind the white line drawn on the field and await further instruction."

As the same bodiless woman's voice from the dormitory filled the room, everyone looked around in confusion. Everyone that was, bar Dumbledore, who was doing an array of enthusiastic warm-ups, a determined grimace on his face as he bent down to touch his toes.

Luna stepped up to my side as we exchanged baffled looks. Behind us, Draco was whispering furtively in Crabbe and Goyle's ears, clearly ensuring he had his goons watching his back, Padma and Parvati were stood nervously side by side, and the once Golden Trio were all looking sickly pale.

"Once again, will all players please stand behind the white line and await further instruction."

All four hundred and fifty-six of us shuffled behind the line, glancing warily over at the giant old lady who was grinning back at us.

"Here is the first game. You will be playing Red Light, Green Light. You are allowed to move forward when It shouts out 'green light'. Stop when It shouts 'red light'. If your movement is detected afterwards, you will be eliminated."

"Red Light, Green Light?" I murmured quietly in Luna's ear. "What's that when it's at home?"

"It sounds a lot like Grandmother's Footsteps. Didn't you used to play it when you were little? Daddy used to dress up for the occasion. He used to get very into the role, even after the game was over - insisting I call him Granny Bates and sit on his knee for a story."

There was a loud mechanical sound as the ten foot grandmother slowly turned around to face the tree. Seamus and Dean kept nudging one another and snickering.

"I bet me mam's potato hotpot recipe that I get to the other side before you do." Seamus loudly challenged his best friend.

"God damn it," Dean chuckled, punching him playfully in the arm, "you're on!"

"Those players across the finish line without being eliminated within the five minute play time will pass this round. With that, let the game begin."

The tension was suddenly too much. My heart seemed to beat in my throat as we awaited the next instruction.

"Green light!"

Too freaked out by the sound of the old lady's gravelly voice, the majority of us stayed frozen on the spot, watching as the timer began it's countdown.