A/N: I am ESL so any correction about grammar/syntax/ word choice is more that welcome. Even flames about how much I suck. The prologue is very short, i know, but the next chapters wil be longer.

The Blood Tournanment

Prologue

"Hermione Jean Granger!"

The announcement which altered her life irrevocably was brief. Hermione though it was fitting; a brief announcement to match the rest of her brief life. She felt a little amused that this was the first time she got to hear her full name; she knew her name was Hermione but she had no idea for anything else. Things such as surnames were a luxury for someone like her.

There was a blank where her thoughts used to be. She felt so disoriented she couldn't even understand where she was. She clung to the last thing she could remember, her name. Granger. For a blessed, fleeting moment a memory floated into her mind, whispers from a past forever gone. She saw a woman. Hermione was captivated by that vision. She knew this woman's face, she could recognize it everywhere. She could see it every time she looked on the mirror. But she wasn't her, it couldn't be. This woman was older and was laughing like she has no care in the world. Hermione couldn't remember ever laughing like that.

The memory was gone as quickly as it came; Hermione realized with a startle that everyone was looking at her expectably. Three aurors were fidgeting with their wands like they were ready to stupefy her if she made any suspicious move. She looked down and saw that Jane was gripping her hand so hard like she never wanted to let go. She met her eyes, so similar to hers. She wasn't crying but she looked so sad that Hermione felt a sudden urge to comfort her, just like when she first met her, so young and grasping to a brutally stolen life. Suddenly, she remembered where she was.

She stood up from the bench where all the Muggleborn were seated and walked proudly to the stage. The announcer, a blonde woman with ridiculous glasses, almost shoved her to the centre. She let out a laugh so fake Hermione seriously doubted if it could fool even a toddler.

"There she is!" Almost everyone in the crowd started to clap furiously. People yelled obscenities. A blond man raised his wand and the three aurors Hermione saw before, struggled to restrain him. He fought hard but in the end he gave up and settled for conjuring a stone from his wand and throwing at Hemione. If he didn't want to hurt her, she would almost felt pity for him; His aim was that bad. She looked over at the benches where the rest of the Muggleborns were seated. None of them was cheering; Hermione felt grateful. Sometimes, in a vain attempt to be accepted by the Wizarding society, they mimicked the actions of those around them. She sent a silent thank you for their support. Lastly, she met Jane's eyes again. She still wasn't crying and Hermione felt a sudden rush of pride. She couldn't breathe for a while.

"Stop! Stop, right now! Bad boy!" the blond woman tried desperately to quiet the screaming crowd. She sounded like she was scolding a misbehaving dog who peed all over her new carpet. "Save your appetite for the Tournament!" At last, her words succeeded; the crowd calmed down. Hermione didn't felt particularly reassured.

"Don't forget, we have many more champions to select! So, be patient! "Rita –Hermione finally remembered her name- marched towards the flaming goblet. It spitted out a piece of parchment in a rush of red flames. Rita read the name triumphantly.

"Dean William Thomas!"

God, no. She wasn't really friends with Dean but she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness when she heard his name. They were brought here at the same time, so they were probably the same age. (Ages were also a luxury for people like Dean and Hermione.) These first months you had no idea where, who or what you are, were the hardest. Children tended to stick together. Hermione tried to recall the Dean of those times. A skinny, short, boy, forever eleven, whose only desire was to go home. He didn't look anything like that anymore. She noticed that he had the same reaction as her; he looked confused like he has no idea where he was. She saw him shaking his head, like he was trying to clear his mind. Nevertheless, he reached the stage quicker than her. He stood next to her and showed no sign of recognizing her.

"They are a little slow, aren't they?" People started to laugh loudly at the remark. You would be a little slow, too, if you were sentenced to certain death, Hermione thought bitterly.

This time, the crowd was a little more controlled and Rita, with her magically heightened voice, could easily make her next announcement. "Two more Mudbloods!" She announced their names shortly after that but Hermione didn't care enough to hear them. All she could care was Jane wasn't one of them. She knew she couldn't handle seeing the little girl she practically raised, facing this nightmare.

The ceremony was almost over and Rita made her last announcement for the night: "I'm happy to declare that the Mud blood Selection has come to an end. But don't be sad, we still have the election of the Squibs, Half-blood and Pureblood champions! See you soon!" With that, she took a small, golden cup out of her pocket. She instructed Hermione and the other three champions to touch it. In a second, they were gone, the sounds of the crowd slowly fading away.