The Hogwarts Games (First Draft)

Chapter 9 - I Don't Go Looking For Trouble, It Finds Me

Chapter 9 - I Don't Go Looking for Trouble, It Finds Me

The battered professor, Professor Longbottom I think it was, lead all of the Boomslang first years up flights of stairs towards a portrait of a miserable lady. She was wearing an orphan blue dress and she lifted her sullen eyes at us "Password?"  

"Phoenix." Professor Longbottom said and ushered us all into the common room.  

The walls were lined with red wallpaper and portraits of more people that I didn't recognise. The fire crackled warmly in the fireplace and the students settled themselves on the sofas, couches and desks. A notice board had everyone's schedules for the year on it. I grabbed mine and turned to Professor Longbottom who began speaking.  

"Welcome to to Boomslang Tower. This your common room. Boys, your dorms are upstairs on your left, girls yours are the same on your right. All of your things have already been brought up. Remember, the password for this term is 'Phoenix'. Have good night now." Professor Longbottom turned on his heels and began to leave. I ran upstairs to the dorms and grabbed my shoulder bag which was full of things I valued too much to leave behind. Skye fell off of my shoulder and onto a four-poster bed with crimson quilts. After throwing the leather bag onto my shoulder, I sprinted downstairs, following Professor Longbottom.  

"Wait! Sir!" I tried to get his attention and run after him.  

"Yes?"  

"Can you please take me to Pre- I mean, Headmaster Snow?" I asked. "There's something of a serious level of urgency that I need to ask him about."  

"Of course. Follow me, Ms ...?"  

"Crawford. Missy Crawford."  

"Oh, Artemis Crawford, yes. Your Sorting quite the subject to talk about at dinner today." he began walking away from the room and I trailing beside him.  

"Ah, so I guess what happened to me doesn't happen often?"  

"It never has. The Hat had difficulty sorting the rare few but never has it had to rely on the student's choice." he led me down hallway after hallway and up flights of stairs. I was pretty sure I'd need a map to find my way around here. Professor Longbottom led me to an archway with a Phoenix statue at the in the not-so-far distance. He pushed me through the archway and a voice echoed, "Where are you from?"  

I looked at Professor Longbottom who just shrugged and motioned for me to answer. I looked around for the source of the voice and stood face to face - more like face to beak - with the stone Phoenix. "Panem."  

The floor below me rumbled as stairs began to appear and spin in round the tower. I stepped on and stood as the stairs led me up to a huge circular room filled with portraits and weird contraptions and piles of paper on tables. Shelves were chock full with books of every thickness and colour.  

"May I help you?"  

I turned around to face him. Professor Snow no longer wore his robe but a dark grey suit with a rose perched on the breast pocket. His serpentine eyes bore holes into my skull.  

"I-I'm Missy Crawford. I come from District Twelve in Panem." my voice broke and stuttered from his piercing gaze. His eyes looked up at me in alarm. Yes, my Sorting was still the subject topic of most discussions.  

He nodded at me and asked with an undertone of harshness, "What do you want?"  

"Two of my best friends were reaped into this year's Hunger Games." Once I had talked about Katniss and Peeta, I instantly felt more determined to help them. "I need to find a way to watch Katniss and Peeta in the Hunger Games. And I'd like to sponsor them, if I feel it needs be. Is this doable?"  

Professor Snow stood and picked up a thin rectangular package and handed it to me. I cautiously took it from his hand and ripped it open eagerly, like a child unveiling a birthday present. It was sleek, shiny and thin.  

"What is it?"  

"An iPad. You will never have heard of something like this in Panem, except for those in District Three. This kind of device is very outdated, not even used in Britain anymore. It'll let you watch the Hunger Games and contact Haymitch Abernathy so that he'll let you sponsor. Take it. I have many better gadgets." he replied. I pressed the circular button, with a white outline of a square in the middle, and the iPad lit up. I ran my finger along the screen where it said "Slide to unlock" and the iPad unveiled lots of squares. I pressed the one with my finger that had the initials "HG" thinking it was for the Hunger Games. I was right. But there was nothing new yet. No interviews. No Gamemaker scores. I'll be checking everyday for it.  

"Thanks, sir." I stuffed the iPad into a bag.  

"Anything for a girl back home." he gave me a brief - albeit fake - smile and led me out of his office. On the way out, Professor Umbridge stood in my way and pushed me back in.  

"Headmaster," The pink professor piped, "We have a problem." her eyes flew to me and she shot me death glares.  

"What is it, Dolores?" he pinched the bride of his nose and sounded annoyed.  

"I was doing my usual start of term duties, identifying the hearts that new students took to make sure their victims weren't of magical blood." she sauntered towards me, her voice sounding more and more accusing. "This girl, didn't kill a muggle!"  

"So she killed a witch. No big deal." Professor Snow shrugged as turned to his piles of papers on his desk.  

"It wasn't a witch this girl killed. It was a deer! She passed it off as a human's by telling her escort that she had completed the murder requirement. A little liar!" she snarled and whipped her face across mine. I gasped and fell to the floor, cupping my cheek which had started bleeding as her nail caught my skin. "I really hate children!"  

Professor Umbridge loomed dangerously over me. President Snow stood and glared at me.  

"No student is allowed into school without completing the murder. But because you have seen the location of the school, I cannot force you to return to District Twelve." His eyes suddenly twinkled in that way one does when an idea springs to mind. "Because you are interested so much in the Hunger Games, we'll have to hold a similar tournament here. And you," he pointed at me with an accusing finger. My eyes widened to the size of saucers with horror. "Shall be the first Boomslang tribute. I must tell The Dark Lord. He will be greatly entertained. I leave at once, Dolores."  

I was pushed out of his office and I curled into a ball on the floor, tears cascading down my cheeks like a salty waterfall.  

"Missy?"  

I looked up to see who it was. Annabi stood there, in her Hellebore uniform, her navy blue tie glistening.  

"Annabi," I croaked. "Kill me now for I have done something terrible." 

She ran towards me and wrapped an arm around my shaking shoulder.  

"What could someone like you have possibly done wrong?" 

"I might have just condemned other students to their deaths."  

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Yay! I double uploaded today! Tell me what you think! What do you want the Arena to be like? Should it be like in Catching Fire? A clock? What obstacles should the tributes be faces with? Who do you think the tributes would be? Message me some ideas!

Edited on the 6th of April, 2012 

D xx