"If you dare put your name in that cup against my Viktor, I vill stop at nothing to keep you from vinning. Do not assume that your Squib friend, godfather, and sisters vill not stand in my vay vhen I have something so urgent to accomplish. In fact, I may just use them as tools to help me. You don't vant that, do you?"
There was a puddle on the ground, growing bigger and bigger as the minutes passed, and the injuries continued to occur. I felt my jaw dislocate, and the shape edge of a ring cut my skin open. I looked down at my stained wife beater and coughed out a laugh.
"Vhy do you laugh, girl?" he growled, grabbing my face and pushing it back against the wall of the alley.
"Because you make it seem like I care about what happens to my sisters. I could care less what you do to them, especially since I didn't do anything to provoke you besides exist along side of your star student for a summer," I snarled. "I'll stay out of the tournament if it makes you feel less threatened. I didn't want to enter it either way. I've got no need for the money. Money doesn't buy what I want in life."
Igor let go of my face, glaring at me once more. He backed away, contemplating drawing his wand on me. It was the first time he'd threatened my life. Nor, did I think, would it be the last. He was nothing short of evil, power obsessed.
"I will spare you this time, girl. Not a word of this gets back to Dumbledore, or you'll wish I'd killed you here."
"Noted," I nodded. "Now, tell Viktor hello for me, yeah?"
He seemed to contemplate taking out his wand again but I was running back onto the crowded London sidewalk before he had the chance. People stared at me. That wasn't a surprise. Typically, teenage girls didn't run out of alleyways with blood running down their faces and clothes.
I checked the rusted watch on my wrist.
10:54.
I had to be four blocks away from the station and the foot traffic was just as bad as the honking stream of cars in the street. The building of a law firm on my right had a fire escape that lead right up to the windows on the top floor.
If I wanted to catch the train, my best bet wasn't to go with the flow of the people, but above them.
Climbing up buildings and jumping over narrow alleyways attracted little attention from the busy bystanders trying to reach their day jobs, classes, or trying to catch their trains. People were too distracted yelling at the people in front of them to hurry up to notice what was happening above them.
I checked my watch as I dropped from the fire escape of the last building of the street.
10:58.
I couldn't be bothered to apologize to people as I ran past them, knocking their coffees out of their hands, or bumping them into strangers. Sprinting into Kings Cross, I checked the time again. It was ten seconds until 11. I jumped over people's trolleys trying to get through the barrier before the train left.
4 seconds left.
Parents were flooding out of the barrier, trying to blend into the surrounding people. It was a tight fit, but I managed to squeeze through the barrier with my backpack. I had to jump to see the train. It was starting to move.
I ran towards it, hoping to just barely grab the door of the last train car.
Three sets of grabbed the back of my shirt, arms, and backpack. They pulled me into a car causing us all to tumble onto the floor.
I felt like my muscles were straining in protest when I tried to stand off the pile of boys underneath me. My vision was clouding from blood loss, pain, and pure stress. The people under and around me started to prop themselves back onto their feet, doing their best to block me from the view of other students who were surely staring at me from either side of the hall.
The adrenaline of the fight with Igor and nearly missing the train was wearing off. The pain was starting to set into practically every inch of my body. Blood was still dripping down my face, onto my already stained clothes. I looked around, trying to set my boundaries as I willed myself not pass out.
Two people knelt down on either side of me, while the third yelled at everyone to sod off.
"Nothing to see here, people. Find a compartment-- not that one! Anywhere but that one. Alright, alright! Get out of here!" called George Weasley.
A hand on my back helped me sit up, and then handed me a Muggle band t-shirt.
"You should change into this," said Lee Jordan. "You're shirt is kinda... well, bloody."
"What happened to you?" asked Fred. "Why were you late for the train."
I shook my head and tried to stand. My vision became spotty, and a wave of nausea wafted over me. Bile was raising into my throat. This, though, was not from pain. Rather from fear... maybe anger as well. I stumbled backwards, hitting the wall behind me.
"Freddie, help me would ya? We should get her into our compartment," said George, reaching out to help me.
I stuck out my hand, keeping him away.
"I've got it. It's fine. Thanks for helping me on the train," I muttered, turning away and walking slowly down the isle of the compartment. I found the last one, still open and empty and slid inside it.
"Don't go in there!" squealed a third year Ravenclaw. "It's cursed."
I waved her off, entering the 'cursed' compartment knowing full well who had originally 'cursed' it. I saw down, not feeling an ounce of fear. My jaw was still out of place, and my cuts were still open. I pulled my wand out and held it to my jaw.
"Episkey."
There was a hot and then cold, but my jaw was back in place, and the cuts on my face stopped bleeding. I looked into the reflection from the window. Some cuts were too deep to be healed with a simple charm. Those would scar. I already had my fair share of scars though, so I wasn't worried.
My mind drifted to what Igor had told me.
The Triwizard Tournament, being held at Hogwarts. I'd read about it before, never in a million years did I think that they'd bring it back after all of the awful things that had taken place in the years before they ended it.
Why did Igor Kokoroff even care if I entered or not? The only thing he wanted for me in life was for me to die a slow and painful death. Wouldn't he want me to enter then? If I entered there was a higher probability of me finally kicking the bucket.
My compartment door opened and the twins and Lee came inside. I continued to stare out the window.
"You really want to come into the cursed compartment?" I said, scoffing as I said it. "You know the legend, you'll die in six days in you sit down."
The twins grinned. Trouble didn't scare them, so curses didn't either.
"We brought you pumpkin juice and some sweets," said Lee.
"I've got a therapist, Jordan. She says sweets aren't the best way of coping with my problems."
He smirked, handing me the bottle of juice anyways.
"At least you address me as something that's not an insult now," he said.
I glared, "Don't get used to it."
"What happened to you anyways?" asked Fred.
"Probably got attacked by a mob of angry hags, I'd guess," Lee suggested, a stupid grinn spreading across his face.
I threw a Cauldron Cake at him, "Piss off."
He put a hand over his heart and pretended to be getting emotional.
"It's so nice to hear your kind words after such a long time."
"I didn't know you two knew each other," said Fred.
Lee snorted, "She's been mad at me since second year."
I rolled my eyes, "I have every right to still be mad at you, wanker."
"Back to name calling."
"Told you not to get used to it."
"You two have quite the bond," said George, interrupting our glaring.
"I didn't know intense hatred counted as a bond," I spat.
He smirked, "You don't hate me, Winters."
"I could disagree."
"You can't deny that I've been there for you, though," said Lee, smirking.
I scowled at him, "You've got to be kidding me! You've almost killed me more times than I can count on one hand!"
"We were kids!" he argued.
"Second years should know better than to do things that can suffocate their peers in a classroom without windows!"
"You weren't a peer! You were my friend!" said Lee, getting angry at my accusations. "I thought you'd find it funny."
I shook my head and looked out the window, "Jokes on you, I guess."
Thoughts were racing through his head too quickly to read. All I could see was sadness rather than anger. He wasn't mad at me anymore. He was mad at himself for making me drift away from him.
"I'm sorry, Jordie," said Lee, quietly.
I couldn't help but smile a little. "It's okay... It was kind of funny. Ya, know. After my life was no longer in danger."
One of the twins coughed awkwardly.
"This has been lovely," said Fred.
"Really heartwarming," George agreed.
Fred stuck out his hand, "Chocolate?"
I looked at the multicolored wrappers and then looked at Fred's way too happy face. His mind was openly giddy. His pranks and jokes bouncing around like a child's thoughts often did.
"Actually, I'm good with my tongue being the size that it is, but thanks. I'll come back to you if I feel like spending the night in the infirmary."
"How'd you know that's what they did?" asked George, looking obviously confused.
"Because she's invasive," snorted Lee.
I raised an eyebrow, "I'm observant."
"You're creepy," he argued.
"Only when I need to be," I grinned and winked at him.
He grimaced, "Yeah, that. That's creepy. Don't do that."
"Git," I spat playfully.
"Clutz," he retorted.
"That's a personal attack!" I cried. "I'm offended."
"Why? Cause you know that it's true?"
"Exactly!"
---
I'm not sure how I've gone five years without noticing Winters (she asked for us to call her by her last name). She's quite the personality... I don't really understand how she's stayed in the shadows while being so loud, hysterical, and, as I'm finding out, very aggressive. I hope she sticks around us. If she does, that'll make the next year the most interesting so far.
-George Weasley