A/N: In Britain, the Ministry of Magic is seen as the Capitol to all. They hold an annual deadly game, The Hunger Games, for witches and wizards from all over the world. Twenty-four students (also known as tributes) are required to participate. This story contains characters from Harry Potter that will be involved in the plot of the first book of The Hunger Games trilogy.

*I do not own Harry Potter or Hunger Games. They belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins. Let the magic and games begin. :)

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The stiffness in the back of her neck and her aching back were irritating enough to wake her. Hermione Granger sat up in her seat slowly stretching, and looked out the window. She could see Hogwarts in the distance and knew she should be getting ready.

Hermione reached over to her left to awake her sister, who was curled up beside her, resting her head in the crook of Hermione's neck. "Lye," she whispered, "Lye, wake up. We'll be arriving soon."

Lye's eyebrows furrowed together, and she blinked her round eyes open. She sat up quickly to lean over and look outside the window at the approaching school.

"Are we-"

"Shh," Hermione shushed her, looking pointedly at the other three sleeping passengers in the compartment. "Come on." She grabbed her small hand and quietly opened the compartment door. Once they stepped out and she slid the door closed, Lye spoke again.

"Are we going to meet up with the others now?" she asked.

"Yes," said Hermione. "But you need to change first. Here, give me those." Hermione took the two books Lychorinda carried and handed her uniform. Once she was dressed properly the girls walked down the corridor, searching for three certain Gryffindors. They passed several compartments but none of them contained Harry, Ron, or Ginny.

Hermione and Lychorinda had boarded the Hogwarts express a bit late, and in doing so they'd lost sight of Harry and Ginny. Hermione had gone over to meet with the other Prefects and told Lychorinda to stay in a nearby compartment. After the meeting, she found Lychorinda in the compartment next to theirs but with three other strangers. She was slumped against the window, fast asleep with Hermione's books in her lap. Instead of patrolling the corridors with Ron, Hermione joined her and stayed with her for the rest of the journey.

Before they could find them, the train had come to a stop and everyone was filing out their compartments and crowding the corridors. Hermione dragged two trunks as she and Lye stepped off the train.

"Firs' years!" the familiar calling of Hagrid said. "Firs' years over here! Firs' years…"

She turned to Lye. "Go," she said. Hermione grabbed a cloak and wrapped it around Lychorinda's small figure. "Leave your things. You and the other first years will be going in boats, I need to find Harry and Ron."

Lychorinda looked up at her with a slight frown. "And you still won't tell me how it is I'll be getting sorted?"

Hermione grinned. "No, sorry. I really shouldn't. Besides, it would hardly be fair that I had to endure being so nervous while you get to wait patiently for your turn. But don't worry, Ron was only joking about the trolls. You won't have to fight any."

"What if I do something embarrassing?" asked Lye.

"You won't. Now go, I'll see you a bit." Hermione kissed the top of her head and Lye turned to join the other first years who were already climbing into the boats.

"Don't fall in!" A voice called out to her. Ron was standing next to Hermione and waving at Lychorinda. Lye glanced back at them and Hermione caught the look of worry and fear return to her face. But then she and the others sailed away, off onto the Black Lake.

Before Hermione could scold Ron, Harry had joined them. "There you are," he said. "Let's go get a carriage before they fill up."

Hermione smacked Ron's arm with her books. "Why did you have to tell her that? She doesn't even know how to swim, and you're going on about her falling in?"

"I was only kidding! She knows that, she doesn't have to be scared." Ron defended himself.

"She's frightened enough as it is! Honestly Ron, don't you remember how it was for us?"

"No."

She rolled her eyes and the three climbed into a carriage with Neville, Ginny, and Luna. Hermione's ginger cat, Crookshanks, leaped off Ginny's lap and headed to Hermione, but Ron had accidentally stomped on his tail with his large feet. Crookshanks hissed at him and Ron curled his lip in disgust.

"I could still cook you," he muttered.

Hermione did not laugh. She gave Ron an aggravated look as she pulled Crookshanks into her arms.

They rode off towards the school and quickly entered the castle, out of the cold. Luna glided off to join her House and the other five joined the rest of the Gryffindors. They sat near Dean, Lavender, and Parvati, who were all discussing the most recent students that have left Hogwarts. It was very difficult to earn permission to move away, but apparently Seamus and Padma's families had finally achieved it. Parvati explained how only one of them could leave at a time, so she let her sister Padma go first. Parvati wanted to spend one more year at Hogwarts, and then she'd be joining her sister. There were several other people this year who'd left, but everyone had settled into the Great Hall and now Professor McGonagall walked in with a long line of first years behind her.

Hermione found her sister in the middle of them, the one with the wavy blond hair who was fiddling with her robes, gazing up at the mesmerizing ceiling of the Great Hall and lighted candles floating in midair.

"So what House do you reckon she'll be sorted in?" asked Harry beside her.

Hermione shrugged, still looking at her. "It really doesn't matter to me where she'll end up as long she's happy and comfortable…. Although, I suppose I wouldn't want her sorted into Slytherin. But only because I wouldn't want her with that kind of company and influence. I don't want any reason for them to bully her about being muggle-born. It's only gotten worse since people know that You-Know-Who is back. There are people who'll do anything to stay on the safe side, and Slytherins will join the Dark Side if it means they don't have to starve."

"Hermione, Lye would never be a Slytherin. You know that. She'll be in Gryffindor, just like her sister." said Ron, and gave her a reassuring pat on her back.

"You don't know that," said Hermione, thinking of how Parvati Patil was in Gryffindor, but her twin was in Ravenclaw. She sighed. "But you're right, Ronald. If there's one House Lychorinda won't be in, it's Slytherin."

The first years all gathered up at the front of the Great Hall as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on a stool. As it did every year, the rip near the brim opened into a mouth and it burst into a song. The song was new of course, and it went on explaining about the four Houses and its founders. At the last few lines it sang regarding the laws they must obey, and there being peace throughout all Districts. About the Dark Days not repeating (which Hermione found ridiculous since Voldemort had already returned) and that there should be no rebellions or uprisings. Everyone knew the Sorting Hat sang this because it was supposed to. Just more repetition from the Ministry. Finally it wished them all luck, including the first years, since they too were now eligible for The Hunger Games.

"May the odds be in your favor," the Sorting Hat finished, and the Great Hall broke out into a steady applause.

Hermione frowned and looked to see other students now had a look of unease on their faces that they were trying to hide. Hermione had been worried enough about so many other things, and though she knew she shouldn't, she always tried to put The Hunger Games out of her mind. It disgusted her and horrified her. It was the most violent thing she was forced to watch every year. The time for the reaping was drawing extremely close, and the Sorting Hat had only reminded her once again. Even if she dreaded it, Hermione wanted to get it over with. Then she could go on for another year and throw herself into her studies and do her best to earn more money.

Professor McGonagall pulled out a long list with the names of the first years and began to call them out, one by one, in alphabetical order. This went on going through the different names, the different shouts from the Sorting Hat, and the applause of each different house, until eventually….

"Granger, Lychorinda." called out Professor McGonagall.

Lye walked up in a steady pace and carefully sat on the stool. The Sorting Hat was put onto her head and Hermione saw her take a deep breath and close her eyes. She could see her small hands were clenched around the edges of the stool. The Sorting Hat did take its time, quietly processing on where Hermione's sister was destined to be. After about a minute and a half's silence, it opened its mouth wide to shout out the name of her new House.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" it shouted. And Lychorinda broke out into a relieved smile and bounced off the stool, handing the hat back to Professor McGonagall.

Hermione stood up and clapped loudly for her sister, beaming with pride. Ron had let out a low groan but he stood up to clap for Lychorinda, as did Harry, Ginny, and even Neville. Professor McGonagall took the hat from Lye and smiled at her, but Hermione thought she saw a faint look of disappointment. The professor was very fond of Hermione. Perhaps she'd been hoping to have the other Granger girl as well.

Lychorinda grinned as she walked towards the Hufflepuff table, who all welcomed her warmly. Before she sat down, she turned to wave at Hermione and the others. Hermione waved back as she herself sat once more.

Ron slumped back into his seat. "I was so bloody sure she'd be in Gryffindor." he said, disappointed.

"You're always bloody sure about everything, Ron," said Ginny, "And they hardly ever turn out the way you say."

"I thought she might be a Ravenclaw," said Harry, "She's got your brains, Hermione. Though not quite your temper."

"Anger issues," nodded Ron. Hermione whacked his arm for the second time.

The rest of the sorting continued and finished of with the last student of a surname that began with Z. Then Dumbledore stood to greet all the students and gave his welcoming speech. He went over the rules of not being about after curfew, not leaving the school grounds without permission, staying away from the Forbidden Forest, not using our wands unless allowed, and - most importantly - not disturbing or disobeying the Peacekeepers.

"I'd also like to remind you that we will be having guest from the Capitol visit us soon. The day after tomorrow we will be having the reaping to select our tributes." he added.

When he was finished with the rest of his speech he clapped his hands and on all four tables appeared their dinner. Everyone immediately dug in, even though each student was allowed only one plate. No seconds, no desserts, it was all they could afford. But at least it was an entire plate that was guaranteed. After this, the students had to earn their own food.

"I thought he'd mention something about Voldemort," murmured Harry as he filled his plate.

"I didn't think he would, not with new eyes roaming the castle." said Hermione.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, raising a quizzical brow.

Hermione bit into a chicken leg before answering. "The Peacekeepers," she said in a low voice. "Anything Dumbledore said was being heard from them. If he hinted anything that would seem disrespectful toward the Capitol, how they aren't doing enough to stop Voldemort for example, the Ministry could drag him away and even lock him up in Azkaban. Anything to keep order and have their precious Capitol rule us."

Harry's jaw clenched in anger and he sat in silence as he drank his soup.

"Are you going to eat that?" Ron pointed at the pork chop on Harry's plate. Harry passed it to him. "Thanks," he muttered and started chewing on it. "They actually have roast beef this year," he said with his mouth full. "Haven't tasted that in ages."

Hermione stared at him with a sad smile, but glanced up and shared a knowing look with Harry.

Ron was always hungry. He was always working, always tired, and always in need of more money. And at the end of the day, he goes to bed feeling hungry. Out of the three, he and his family were easily the poorest. With so many mouths to feed, and nothing is ever enough. But at least now everyone in his family was old enough to work for themselves. The only thing they needed was for Ron and Ginny to finish their time at Hogwarts, to be out of the eligibility of The Hunger Games.

Hermione would always be extremely grateful for the Weasleys. Who else would have taken in Lye when Hermione's parents had passed away?

But she did not allow the Weasleys to pay anything for neither Hermione or Lye. Hermione worked hard to keep Lye alive and fed everyday. Molly Weasley had insisted Lye stay with her until she could come to Hogwarts. She gave her a roof to stay under every night. Even then, Lye had to work to earn some money, because the money Hermione made at Hogwarts was not always enough.

But being the brightest witch of her age did help Hermione. She hoped if she could finish her education and earn enough money she could move into the Capitol. She would take Lychorinda with her, of course. Hermione hated the Capitol city, and its ignorant, obnoxious people, and the cruel Ministry who were the ones that basically staved them and all other eleven Districts to death.

As much as she hated it though, it could be her ticket to staying alive. And that was the whole point, wasn't it?

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Draco Malfoy was bored out his mind. He sat between the other Slytherins who were all muttering impatiently waiting for the food to appear. Draco was pointing his wand at a fork, practicing a simple levitation spell. In less than an hour, he'll have to turn it in, and he won't receive his wand back for a few days. He was only vaguely aware of the other Slytherins clapping now and then, as new first years came join them.

When the old man had finished his usual pointless words, the tables were lined with food and everyone quickly snatched as much as they could, slapping other hands away so they could reach a dish first. Draco filled his plate slowly, trying to make it seem as though he was used to a full meal every night. The rest of the Slytherins had already guessed the truth, though- Draco's family was now just as broke.

Lucius and Narcissa lived on the outskirts of District Twelve. They had a decent house and jobs that paid well enough. But since Lucius Malfoy had failed the Dark Lord about two months ago, the Malfoys had lost more than half their fortunes. Lucius and Narcissa couldn't have the same luxuries, and Lucius didn't have the same connections with the Ministry as he did before. But it was Draco who was deliberately suffering the most from it all. He was not allowed to live in the Capitol. He was to stay at Hogwarts and work and starve himself everyday along with the others. There were certain Peacekeepers who made sure of that.

When there was not one more bite of food left, Draco rose from his seat and walked over to meet the first years to show them towards their common room. As he walked by he passed Potter and his friends, all speaking in hushed voices. Draco's lip curled. It was Potter's fault for what had happened to his father. Draco shot Potter a filthy look before stepping around a small blond girl who was talking animatedly to Granger. Without glancing at him, Granger pulled the girl aside and Draco continued his way towards the dungeons with the Slytherin first years tailing behind him and Tracey Davis, the other Slytherin Prefect.

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Hermione tried to stuff more chicken into her small beaded bag. She wanted to finish it all now, but it would be best if she saved some for tomorrow morning.

"I didn't know you had a sister, Hermione. It'll be nice to have another bright witch to help us earn more House points." said Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff Prefect, from behind her.

"She's as brilliant as her sister. She'll be a real threat when it comes to who can earn more points." said Harry.

"I doubt that," said Lye.

Hermione turned. "Hey, little Hufflepuff!" she said, embracing her. "See? I told you everything would go fine."

Lychorinda smiled a rueful smile. "I wanted to be in Gryffindor like you. I think I could have, I think the Sorting Hat would have let me. But I don't think it would have felt right. I wanted to be sorted where I really belonged. I was very close to being in Ravenclaw! But the Sorting Hat said I would be greater in Hufflepuff."

Hermione ran her fingers through the top of Lye's hair. "I was nearly sorted in Ravenclaw, too. But I was better off in Gryffindor."

"Do you think you'd still be best friends with Harry and Ron if you'd been sorted in Ravenclaw?" Lye asked.

Hermione pursed her lips. "Maybe," she said. "But you know I befriended them after a near death experience, not because I shared the same common room with them." Hermione pulled out her small beaded bag, "Here," she murmured, "You can have them for breakfast tomorrow, but don't let anyone see."

Lychorinda took the bag and hid it under her cloak. "What will we be doing tomorrow?"

"Not much. If you want dinner you have to work with other first years cleaning the kitchens. A few house-elves will be there to help. The school always needs to clean itself up before Reaping Day. Almost everyone will be working."

"Will you be hunting?" Lye asked in a low voice.

"I have to. I can't afford to sleep in." said Hermione, grimacing.

Lychorinda frowned, but the girls bid each other goodnight and walked in opposite directions to their dormitories. When Hermione had joined the other girls, she tuned out Lavender and Parvati's gossip, and tried her best to quickly fall asleep. It wasn't hard, she felt tired enough. But she disliked the fact that there wasn't another small body lying next to her, one she could watch over. No, her sister was somewhere else in the castle, lying on the cold floor by herself with other unfamiliar students.

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Draco was the first to wake in his dormitory. He climbed out of bed and changed into working clothes. Not everyone had a mattress to sleep on every night; he and Zabini did. But Draco wondered if it would be so bad to sell his mattress and sleep on the floor for the rest of the year.

Draco was almost ready when Blaise woke up. He groaned and stretched, rising up to change. The boys did not say a word to each other as they both quietly walked out of the room.

Outside the castle, there was already a girl who was breaking the rules on her first day back. She was in the Forbidden Forest, crouched beneath a bush, pointing her bow and arrow towards an oblivious deer in the distance. Her eyes narrowed as she calculated her target, then she let go of the arrow and it flew across the air, striking the deer. The animal trampled around in pain for a bit, then it toppled over on the forest ground.

Hermione drew in a breath of satisfaction, then stood to retrieve her prize.

What Hermione did everyday was illegal. She should be in bed, sleeping or reading, or in the castle working to earn herself a meal. But hunting was the best way she managed to survive. Many people knew of what she did, but would never sell her out for they depended on the game she traded with them. Even some Slytherins put aside their prejudice for the mudblood if it meant they could get their hands on something to eat. She didn't know whether the headmaster knew, but several of the Peacekeepers did. They too, could become pretty desperate for food and bought anything she offered. But it could be tricky in knowing which Peacekeepers could be trusted. They were often switched up, exchanging shifts with others from Hogsmeade. Last year had been particularly difficult to sneak around, what with Dolores Umbridge joining the school staff. Unfortunately, she would return this year, assigned by the Ministry to just keep an eye on the school, but she would not have quite the same authority as she did last year.

Several hours later, Hermione walked up the grounds toward the castle. Harry had given her the Marauder's Map to sneak back in, or to sneak out to Hogsmeade where she did most of her best trading. If Hermione had her wand she could cast a disillusion charm on herself. But wands were not always allowed keep; the Peacekeepers had a room in the castle where students' wands were stored until they were required to be used during their lessons. A precaution by the Ministry so students could not rebel. If she did not have her wand then Hermione would sometimes use Harry's invisibility cloak, which was hidden in the Room of Requirement. Harry also hid his gold there, for the Capitol would take half of it for their own if they were to find out.

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Inside the castle, Draco and Blaise were headed towards their common room after a long day's work. During the summer, damage had been done to certain parts of the school. All due to some Death Eaters of course, and Draco thought it was a waste of time to fix them since Death Eaters would try to penetrate the castle once more. But work for the students wasn't meant to be worthwhile, it was mostly for torture and discipline.

Draco's mother had sent him a box full of sugar cookies that morning. He was grateful for them- a treat other students could not posses- but he didn't want them. Something about eating sugar-coated cookies here seemed wrong. They really wouldn't fill his appetite and instead he'd been craving something meaty.

"Hold on," Zabini muttered suddenly. Draco turned and saw Zabini walk towards Hermione Granger.

Draco knew the Gryffindor bookworm was a huntress. He hadn't always known, but he'd found out when he realized the same meat he'd been gulping down once a long time ago, was from the mudblood. Or so the other Slytherins had said. He remembered being genuinely shocked that the know-it-all, bushy-haired, goodie-goodie was behind it. That she snuck out into the Forbidden Forest almost everyday to hunt. Suddenly, the vicious punch he'd received from her in third year hadn't seemed so surprising.

Zabini was paying Granger a few sickles for a dead squirrel. Draco had tasted them before- they weren't as bad as he'd thought- but it still wasn't the best thing in the world. Still, his stomach was grumbling in a disturbing way, and before he could make himself continue down the stairs, he turned and walked straight up to Granger.

Grimacing, he held up the package in his hand. "Here," he said. "Trade you for a squirrel."

Granger looked at the box and glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"They're cookies," he grumbled, opening the box to show her. "Just received them today. Haven't had any."

Hermione was still skeptical, but the amount of cookies would be a bargain.

"Fine," she said taking them. She closed the lid and put them carefully into her satchel.

Draco had been hungry all day. All he wanted right now was to go to his dormitory and eat alone. As he and Zabini began to walk away, he heard Granger say, "Don't look too disgusted, Malfoy." Then he heard her retreating footsteps.

From the corner of his eye, Draco could see Zabini was wearing a small smirk.

"Finally had the guts to buy something from her?" he asked, as they walked down the stairs into the dungeons.

Draco scowled. "All I did was trade some cookies I wasn't going to eat anyway."

"It takes a while to get over your pride and be able to ask something from someone of her kind." murmured Zabini, ignoring Draco. "But it gets easier. Although cookies won't be enough to fix any damage you've done to Granger. You won't win her over with things like that."

"Who said anything about trying to please Granger? If I'd known you were going to pester me with that rubbish because I traded for one of Granger's stupid squirrels I wouldn't have bothered." Draco snapped.

"Say and think what you want, Malfoy." said Zabini, settling down in one of the armchairs of the common room, as Draco stalked off.

Zabini may have been more intelligent, but he could irritate Draco as much as Crabbe, Goyle, or even Parkinson, when she was still here. Draco was only hungry. He didn't like Granger. He couldn't stand her. He knew that.

He stepped into his dormitory and shut the door. He sat on his bed and unwrapped his dinner. Draco sat alone in the room for a long time, eating Granger's stupid squirrel.

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The following morning, Hermione was changing in the bathroom when she heard the screams.

Thank goodness the other girls in the dormitory had already left, or they would have noticed that there was a certain Hufflepuff who had spent the night in their room.

Hermione stumbled out of the bathroom and found Lye thrashing around in her bed.

"Lye, Lye wake up!" she said shaking her. "Shh, it's okay. It's okay." Lye sat up in her bed, trembling uncontrollably. She was gasping for air and Hermione pulled her into her arms. "It was only a dream. Just a dream. It wasn't real." She stroked Lye's hair and rubbed her back soothingly.

"It was me," she whispered, still shuddering. Hermione immediately understood. "It was me and I couldn't do anything. There was no choice I could make."

"Shh," Hermione said again. She pulled her back and dried a few tears that had escaped her sister's eyes away with her thumb. She brushed her hair away, noticing how it stuck to her face with a faint sheen of sweat.

"It was just a dream, Lye. Your chances of being chosen are so slim they are practically impossible."

"Practically is not completely." Lye whispered.

Hermione sighed. "Listen to me, Lye." she said, taking her small face in her hands. "You won't be the one who goes into the arena. You won't be their tribute. They'll never take you."

Lye closed her eyes. She did this whenever she tried not to think of something that was bothering her. It was something Hermione noticed long ago, the way Lye would shut her eyes and furrow her light eyebrows while trying to tune out the rest of the world.

"There," murmured Hermione, pulling her back in. "It's going to be okay." She continued to stroke her hair as Lye clung to her sister. Several minutes passed when Lye's sniffles had ceased. She then craned her neck to whisper in Hermione's ear. Hermione listened and nodded.

"Alright, then. But lie back in bed." She let go of Lye and pulled the sheets over her. Once Lye was tucked in, Hermione sat on the edge of the mattress and began to sing softly.

"Can you sing the other one?" interrupted Lye, "The new one?"

"It's not finished yet, though," said Hermione, perplexed.

"That doesn't matter," murmured Lye.

Hermione was silent for a moment, as she tried to remember the lyrics to the song she and her sister had created. Then she commenced the first verse.

"Here in the darkness, hide your fears

They try to catch you, they know when you're near

Song in the night, will ease your fright

Raise your wand to spark a light

Lumos the sky, soar as high

as Wingardium Leviosa allows you to fly

Let go of those tears, there goes the fear

my love, no one will hurt you here"

She paused, thinking of other things she could say, but remembered that she was on a tight schedule today.

She leaned down and kissed Lye's forehead. "Since that's all we have right now, why don't you continue it? I have to leave soon. You stay here and sleep in." said Hermione.

Lye closed her eyes and nodded. "Are you coming back?"

Hermione shook her head ruefully. "I'm not sure. I have to go see Professor McGonagall afterwards and I'll probably just be getting ready there. Why don't you meet me there? Rest a little longer, change and have something to eat, and at 1:30 you can meet me in her office. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, closing her eyes and slowly rolling to her side. Hermione wrapped the covers around her more snugly, and patted her blond head once before she stood.

They had one mattress in their dormitory. The girls took turns every night as to who could have a bed all for herself. It was Hermione's turn, and since it was the night before Reaping Day, she told Lye she could spend the night in their dormitory. It was already late when the other girls came in last night and no one noticed the two sisters sharing the shabby mattress. Hermione didn't think the girls would tell on her that she'd brought her Hufflepuff sister to the Gryffindor tower, but she just didn't want her sister exposed. It was just an overprotective habit. Long ago she thought keeping her sister hidden would keep her safe. Perhaps that was true, but it could also make her weak. It was best if she started letting Lye off on her own.

When term would start, Lye would initiate her lessons and befriend strangers. The only thing Hermione didn't want was for Lye to endure any mudblood insults. Lye was more likable than Hermione. Not as "stuck-up" as Ron had once said. That may decrease any teasing. But she was more sensitive, in the way that she could be hurt more easily than Hermione. She could be pushed into tears with sharp words.

Hermione remembered how much it used to sting to be called a mudblood. Now it hardly bothered her. It actually helped her a bit. Any insult she was given she could easily brush off or ignore. Which is why, as strange as it sounded, she thought it would be better for Lye to be teased while growing stronger, rather than go on vulnerably.

Hermione sighed, and picked up her satchel. She walked out of the room and closed the door quietly behind her.

Everyone was busy today. Nobody would notice if Hermione was walking around with a suspicious bag but she hid it under her cloak anyway. Her first stop would be the Room of Requirement. She walked among the many other students and then inconspicuously turned toward an empty corridor. She tried to walk softly, so her footsteps wouldn't bounce off the walls and echo loudly enough to get her caught.

One great thing about the Room of Requirement (apart from already being quite spectacular ) was that Peacekeepers did not know about it. Not the ones who bought food from Hermione, not the strict ones who were dedicated to their jobs, and not the ones who could be secret Death Eaters.

As Hermione stood in front of a blank wall, she closed her eyes and focused on the room she needed. When she opened them, the door appeared and she quickly stepped inside.

She had asked for the general: The Room of Hidden Things. She walked along piles and piles of ancient objects that others had left here. She walked all the way to the back where she stashed her bow and arrows next to a large, black cabinet. Sometimes she hid them in the Forbidden Forest, but it felt safer to leave it here. She picked up Harry's invisibility cloak and was about to leave when something caught her eye.

She picked it up and help it in the air. She had seen it before, she was sure of it. But it must have been a brief glance, she hadn't actually stopped to really look at it. It was very beautiful, maybe valuable. But that wasn't why she liked it. There was something about it that seemed to symbolize something special and important to her. It couldn't be dangerous. When she asked for this room, she always asked it to exclude any objects of Dark Magic. Lye might like it, and since it seemed it had been here for quite a while, she didn't think anyone would come to take it back.

So without another thought, she stuffed it into one of her inside pockets - the one where she kept anything important close to her so it wouldn't fall off or be easily stolen- and left the room.

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Draco did not need to work today. He could be sleeping in or be in the Great Hall eating a meal. But Zabini insisted they go to Hogsmeade since they weren't often allowed. Have a few Butterbeers before showing up at the courtyard for the Reaping. To leave the school grounds though, they had to do a few tasks to be granted permission. Which is why Draco wouldn't bother. But Zabini dragged him outside, early in the morning, and now they were lining up to be given a simple chore.

As Draco waited, he saw from the corner of his eye a girl descending the stairs of the main entrance to the castle.

Granger hopped off the last few steps and continued down the grounds with a light jog. She passed several people, some of them Peacekeepers, but none of them gave her a second glance. He saw her take off her cloak, and she wore another jacket underneath. She had something else stashed underneath her cloak, and Draco saw her slung a bow and a case of arrows over her shoulders. She was far away now, closer to Hagrid's hut than to the school. He was watching her pull back her bushy brown hair and tying it at the base of her neck, when Zabini nudged him. He told him to move up the line.

When Draco glanced back, Hermione Granger had already disappeared into the woods.

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A/N: J.K. Rowling had mentioned that she would have given Hermione a younger sister but it started to get too far into the series before she could have been introduced. The sister would have been a muggle, though. Also, since Hermione's name comes from a Shakespeare play, I thought her sister's should too. I was going to name her Juliet but I thought "Lychorinda" was long and strange like "Hermione". It's from the play Pericles and it's pronounced Ligh-Cor-in-duh. I want her to represent Prim so I guess that's why I gave her the blond hair. I didn't want her and Hermione to look like sisters, except have similar eyes. Another thing, the Capitol is a city in Britain and the Ministry is in the Capitol as a building, being the most important part of it. They rule the other twelve Districts. Just wanted to define that. :)

I know things might be dragging on a bit slowly, but I really don't want to rush into the Games quite yet. I want to at least establish the relationship between Hermione and her sister, and the depressing atmosphere at Hogwarts.

Oh, and the song Hermione sings is meant to have that same slow, soft rhythm of the "Deep in the Meadow" song. Just so it's easier to hear in your head.

So anyway, thanks for reading! Review to tell what you think and have a lovely day. :)