The Battle of the Highest (Dramione)

Chapter 6: Waiting

*HERMIONE*

Days pass, and neither Draco nor I figure out what the first challenge is. We trudge to each class together, people still bothering by the fact that we're together, people still congratulating us for becoming competitors in the Battle of the Highest. Speaking of the tournament, today is the first challenge.

After lunch, Professor McGonagall pulls each of us from our tables and tells us to follow her. Eventually she takes us outside to a tent about a half mile from the school grounds.

"This is where you will wait until the first challenge begins," she says. "In about thirty minutes it will begin. I, along with the part of the Ministry that created The Battle of the Highest, will be outside the tent, and students will start arriving in about ten to fifteen minutes. Also, there is a barrier to one side of the tent that doesn't allow you to see what your first challenge is, and you can't pass through it." She smiles and walks away, leaving me, Draco, Cho, and Zacharias outside the opening of the tent.

"Well, let's go in," I say. I walk forward to the tent and Draco holds it open for all of us so he goes in last.

The tent is a lot bigger than it looks for the outside. It has four small sections separated by dividers. Each has each house crest at the top of the opening with a small cot in each. To the right is a pantry with bottles of water and snacks.

"So we've got thirty minutes," I say. "And we have no idea what we're up against, and we're all supposed to be enemies." I look at Draco with a sorry look and he looks at the ground.

"Time goes on forever until one of us wins the challenge," Zacharias says.

"Spells are unlimited," Cho warns.

"And there's no allies," Draco says. Even though I knew that, my mouth goes dry. What happens between me and Draco?

"The challenge ends when one of us dies, and the others recover what's in the challenge, one for each competitor," Zacharias says.

"Do we have an idea of what it is that we recover?" I ask.

No one says anything. I start to hear voices outside the tent.

"People are arriving," Cho says quietly. I step to the entrance of the tent and peek outside; students and teachers are crowded I'm front of the tent, and suddenly the barrier shimmers and soon there's less people outside the tent. I turn back to the others.

"They can go through the barrier," I say.

"And we can't?" Cho says.

I shake my head.

We change into our uniforms for the challenge: Cho and I wear black spandex capris and a tank top with our house color. The boys wear looser pants, still black, and a t-shirt with their house color. I brush my hair into a high ponytail and slide on the pair of running shoes that were by my cot and then pace the length of the tent. Draco stands up and walks over to me.

"Settle down, Hermione," he says sternly. He grabs my shaking hands.

"I can't do this," I say. "Not if one of us is going to die."

"It'll be fine. You're a smart girl, you can figure this out." He squeezes my hands to reassure me but it doesn't help. He pulls me into a long kiss.

Suddenly there's a blinding flash. Draco and I brake apart and I blink.

"Ah, young love," Rita Skeeter coos. I glare at her as our fourth year comes back to be when I went to the champion's tent to reassure and tell Harry good luck before the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.

"You have no business in here," Draco hisses. "This tent is for us prefects, the competitors."

"Yes, my dear boy, but it's my job to get the inside scoop of how you all are reacting to this tournament." I slip out my wand and hold it to her throat.

"Get out," I hiss.

"Tsk, tsk. My dear... You must come to understand that I'm no threat. You're protecting no one here. You, Miss Granger, are just a little bug in the way, just here to irritate everyone around you."

"Don't talk to her like that," Draco snaps. Rita turns to him, pushing my wand away.

"Aww, standing up for the muggle-born, are we, Mr. Malfoy?" Her enchanted quill writes something down on the flying notepad. Draco's eye drill into Rita's. Suddenly to save us, Professor McGonagall steps into the tent.

"Are you all ready?" she says. I take a shaky breath and take Draco's hand as she leads us to the opening of the tent. The barrier is still there because I don't see anything except a slight shimmer.

"You can now walk through it. Follow me," McGonagall says. I squeeze Draco's hand before letting go, me being the first behind McGonagall, Draco behind me, Cho behind him, and Zacharias last. I watch as McGonagall disappears through the wall. I walk through and the enchantment gives me goosebumps as I walk through. I get to the other side and gasp while Draco, Cho, and Zacharias come through and they see what I see.

It's a maze.