•Edited•
"You're just as sane as I am."
- Luna Lovegood.
🐙
It was a bright, sunny day with clear skies and brilliant sunshine. The entire school was out there enjoying the sudden change in weather, to watch the wispy clouds scurry past the blue expanse.
But Hermione Granger wasn't there to witness all this, no.
Instead, to her intense annoyance, she had been giving the job of cleaning up after her classmates in the Potions dungeon.
Hermione really loathed Professor Snape on days like these. Sometimes, she had considered the possibility that he had a heart beneath that cold exterior but really, cleaning the dungeons? It wasn't even her fault in the first place that Neville had spilt his potion everywhere.
With Harry, in a photo session - she snorted loudly - Snape's eyes had fallen on her. She had been foolish enough to make eye contact, after all.
So here she was, on a fine day, mopping the floor of a sickeningly cold, stone dungeon. It did not help that the spilt potion looked like cat vomit.
In fact, the stench coming from it was almost unbearable; Hermione didn't think she would be able to bear it for too long.
If only she knew how to use a vanishing spell.
Hermione made up her mind to learn it as soon as possible.
Bile was rising up in her throat at the stench and she covered her nose with her sleeve.
She couldn't stay here anymore. Merlin, she'd rather get detention than clean this.
Getting up quickly, Hermione almost ran out of the room.
"Oh god-" muttered Hermione as she ran, "I think I'm going to be sick."
Running as fast as she could, Hermione put as much distance as possible between the Potions class and her.
Finally, she could no longer smell the odour. Thank god she was already beginning to feel better. Pausing to catch her breath, Hermione looked around. To her horror, it slowly dawned on Hermione that she did not know where she was.
Great, why hadn't she paid attention to where she was going? Now what was she going to do?
Were Hogwarts' dungeons even that big to be lost in?
No, she'd read in Hogwarts: A History that compared to other castles in England, Hogwarts' dungeons were quite small.
Good. She could find her way out then. So with that thought in mind, Hermione walked confidently ahead.
🐙
This was getting ridiculous. Where was the bloody entrance?!
Hermione reached an expanse of stone wall and leaned against it.
Moping her forehead, she said out loud, "Merlin-"
But before she could get in another word, the stone wall suddenly disappeared.
With a yell, Hermione fell backwards into a secret passage and the stone wall closed up at once.
Getting up immediately, Hermione removed her wand. Where was she? Her eyes scanned the stone passageway. Why was everything decorated in green?
She could hear chatter coming from a nearby doorway. Cautiously, Hermione crept towards it. She peeped around the corner. A green room full of students came into her view.
