Hermione stood dumbfounded, shocked at what was written upon the wall.

"This is- this is-" Ron was mumbling, more to himself than to her.

"Sick." Hermione whispered, finishing the sentence for Ron, her hazel eyes fixed on the words. Stay away from Hermione- but, but who would do this? I mean this must be some sort of sick joke or something.

Beside her, Ron was deathly white. Stepping forward, his wand raised, he said shakily, "Scourgify."

Nothing happened.

"Scourgify." Ron said, this time more clearly.

Still nothing.

Hand shaking slightly, Hermione raised her own wand and said, "Evanesco."

Nothing happened to the words although they seemed to glimmer slightly.

Ron sighed and turned to Hermione, "What-"

Hermione wasn't listening to him. She stared transfixed at the words as a droplet of blood slowly dripped from the letter 'H'. Sliding painstakingly slowly, leaving a deep red trail behind it, the droplet finally hit the floor, staining the worn rug on the floor crimson.

"Hermione?" Ron called.

Hermione was entranced as she saw another drop sliding down the floor, this time faster. Another drop, then another, then another…

The wall was bleeding, crying crimson tears.

The letters ejaculated faster, streaking the wall with blood.

Hermione's eyes followed a drop as it slowly inched its way nearer to where she was standing.

She couldn't think of anything else, couldn't move as more and more blood raced towards her, she was captivated by this phenomenon as the letters diffused blood more profusely.

"Evanesco." Ron said. "Scourgify. Scourgify!"

Try as much as Ron did, the blood flowed, now pooling around Hermione feet. This isn't right. It was Ron, Ron for heaven's sake!

"Hermione move over." Ron said, pulling her.

She refused to budge as the floor slowly drowned in blood.

She looked up at the words. They were gleaming eerily in the light, shimmering like rubies set into the blood streaked wall. Who did this? Ron sent me the letter! Ron did!

"Hermione let's go!" Ron snarled, and she snapped out of the trance as he pulled her toward the door. He shoved her out and quickly locked the door, breathing heavily.

"What was that?" Hermione whispered, as she looked at her soiled shoes.

Ron was shaking like a leaf caught in a cold winter draft. "I- I don't know." He said.

Blood trickled out from under the door.

"Hermione just leave." He commanded.

Shaken, Hermione complied, running down the stairs like a bat out of hell. She suddenly felt very sick.

"Hermione!" Harry and Ginny called.

She didn't pay attention, feeling sickened to the core and dizzy, she raced out of the common room, running as fast as she could to the head dormitories.

"Greenleaf." She barked out shortly to the portrait guarding the dormitories before covering her mouth with her hand.

The portrait swung open and tripping, she raced up to her room, and flung open the bathroom door.

She spew out vomit all over the floor before she reached the sink and then emptied out her stomach.

Shaking severely, she rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand when she finished.

"Scourgify." She whispered, and the pool of sick disappeared.

What the hell was that about? She thought woozily as she sank down to the floor.

She pulled off her bloody shoes and threw them against the wall. Covering her face with her hands, she let the tears fall out.

She didn't know for how long she sat there on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor, crying; heck, she didn't even know why she was crying. Her mind was devoid of thoughts; all that mattered was getting the tears, the confusion, the frustration, out of her system.

Sniffling, she got up, and went to her room for a change of clothes.

That's when she saw it.

Another letter sitting innocently upon her bed, with a white rose lying next to it.