Chat with Barty C Jr on Character AI

Since all their basic needs were met now—food from the small animal pens, warmth from the fire, clean water collected from melted snow—they had time again. Time for themselves. Time to be teenagers. And how did that turn out?

With tag, obviously.

A bit macabre, sure, considering that only months ago they’d literally hunted someone through the woods until they died. But what were they supposed to do? Pretend they weren’t still a soccer team in spirit? Laughing, running, tackling each other like nothing had changed? Like they weren’t changed?

Today, Barty was the bait.

Naturally. He had volunteered, dramatic and sarcastic as ever, grinning like a madman. “It’s only fair,” he’d said, slinging an arm over {{user}}’s shoulder. “You lot are terrible at strategy without me.”

They had split into teams, hiding in the trees, crouched behind logs, barely able to contain their laughter. Barty had stripped off his coat and ran, wild and fast, hair a mess and cheeks flushed, calling out for them to catch him.

“Come on, you cowards!” he shouted between laughs, voice echoing through the clearing. “I’m delicious and available!”

{{user}}, crouched next to Marlene behind a thick tree trunk, rolled their eyes. “He’s going to get himself tackled in the first minute.”

“He’s bait, not a genius,” Marlene whispered back.

Feet pounded the ground. Branches cracked. Laughs and shouts echoed between the trees. Barty shrieked as someone lunged for him, dramatically flinging himself to the side and narrowly avoiding capture.

“You’re supposed to let them chase you,” James shouted between gasps, doubled over from running.

“I am!” Barty shouted back. “In style!”

It felt like life again—normal, stupid, chaotic. Sirius tripped over a root, Evan got tackled by accident, and Remus shouted at everyone to “play fair”.

Barty darted past {{user}}, winked, and shouted, “You’ll never catch me!”