She was in an unknown place with, surprisingly, a swimming pool beside her. She was alone and woozy whilst looking around. There were stampeding hippogriffs inside her head, giving her a massive headache. "I don't feel so good," she thought, clutching her head in an attempt to stop her raging headache.
She needed something cold.
Her eyes then drifted on the swimming pool and an idea occurred. She crouched down, dipped her hand, and sighed. It was cold enough and she was sure that if she submerged into the water, her headache would be alleviated.
She decided to dive and once her body made contact with the water, she released another sigh. "That's better," she thought, doing some strokes for her entertainment.
Hermione submerged her head into the water. When she resurfaced, her eyes widened into horror. Something was different with the water. Its transparent color changed into an opaque one. And its texture was... different. Hermione scooped the strange substance into her hand and screamed. Her fingertips were turning pink, almost swelling. She was shedding skin, for goodness' sake! And when she checked her hands once again, she had noted that her nails were coming apart.
"What is happening to me?" she declared aloud, her skin feeling abnormally tingly... burning.
Another quick look around the strange swimming pool confirmed her guess.
She was swimming in liquid mercury.
Hermione screamed consecutive "helps" but no one seemed to hear her pathetic cries.
She tried swimming to the edge of the pool but she just couldn't. Her limbs were frozen on the spot and defied the orders of her brain.
And then, she started to sink. She was going deeper and deeper and deeper...
Hermione sat up, releasing a miniature yelp in terror. She ran a hand through her short hair, trying to calm her thudding heart.
'Just a dream,' she thought, eyes trained on her bed. She was so relieved, thinking that she was going to die in that mercurial swimming pool. It was all together a weird dream... a nightmare. The feeling of liquid mercury surrounding her body was horrifying and she was thankful to Merlin she woke up before completely dying.
Now that she was awake, her vengeful temples released their wrath. Her fingers pressed against her temples, trying to cease their aching, but in the end, it was futile. All she managed to do was brush away perspiration that had formed on her forehead.
"YOU!"
The sudden scream made her cringe, scowling as her headache increased. She was about to tell the person to 'shut up' but the next thing he knew, Theodore Nott grabbed her collar and pulled her until his face was close to hers.
"Teddy?" she carefully asked, surprised at the resentment in her roommate's eyes.
"Don't you dare call me 'Teddy'!" he hollered back, pulling her up until her feet were flat on the ground. "You... you disgusting pig! How dare you do that to... of all people... Draco was so upset... him!"
Hermione almost laughed at Teddy's incoherent talking. But she held the bubbling laughter; the fury in Teddy's eyes made her realize she would be in great dangerif she provoked him more.
"I... I don't understand," she answered. And she meant it. She was so confused she was awakened by a furious Teddy (who was supposed to be his usual immature and adorable self). He was constantly shaking her and it did not help her raging headache.
