The week leading up to the first Hogsmeade trip seemed to pass at the pace of a snail, or at least for Cyra it did.

"You know, we should make a giant bomb of gobstone goo that would explode right in Merula's face."

"I doubt the scent would really phase her. She hangs around that Murk girl and I don't think sheeverbathes."

"Surprise there. Death eaters probably think they areabovethe notion of non-magical bathing."

Cyra arched a brow as she glanced over at the group of second years that were whispering.

Remind me to tip off Flix about this...We don't need the dorms to smell like dragon dung for the next week.

She thought as she returned to her books, eager to finish the essay she had due for potions classbeforethe weekend since she and Rowan had planned to spend most of the weekend hanging out and she was not going to let anything ruin her first Hogsmeade trip.

Evenifit did mean saving Merula from total humiliation, though she did think that the idea was pretty much harmless and Merula had done enough to deserve it.

Just the rest of the Slytherin girls reallyshouldn'tbe stuck smelling like the fusion of dung and rotten eggs for a week just because Merula and her band of followers were being complete gits.

As soon as Rowan's next class ended, Cyra went to meet her so they could walk to lunch together.

"You should just let it happen." Rowan said, "I mean, look at how much they've put people through."

"Oh trust me, Iwouldbut I would rather not come to class smelling like some sort of mix between rotten eggs and tar, and let me tell you, the scentwouldtravel in the dungeons."

"That makes me glad I got sorted into Ravenclaw...Well, that and I couldn't imagine sharing a space with the terrible trio." Rowan retorted, earning a scoff from Cyra.

"More like two twits and Barnaby. He's a few knuts short a sickle. I honestly don't know why or how Merula and Ismelda ensnared him in their inner circle. I mean, a first-year tricked him into drinking a so-called potion which was really just castor oil and cinnamon."

This earned a giggle from Rowan.

"I can imagine how wellthatworked for him."

Cyra finally chuckled, a slight smirk on her face as she said:

"I think Merula actually had to go to the hospital wing to get him a potion because he was afraid to leave the toilets. Evidently, she nearly hit him with the bottle levitating it to him."

Merula's eyes burned as she ducked behind the bookcase, the dim light in the currently closed library threatening to give her a headache if she didn't find what she was looking for.

That was if Filch didn't find her first, though she was pretty sure the cat-repelling perfume she had made would keep that nasty feline at bay since everything about the scent would scream—to a cat—danger. Which, she had to admit, worked pretty well for her limited knowledge of felines.

As she drew closer to one of the shelves, she noticed the air growing strangely colder. Thishad to be it.

She thought.

This has to be the entrance to the cursed vault….but how do I get it to open? Maybe there is something from the last vault...Looks like I'll need to make a second trip and bring the others with me. Who knowswhatcould be in there.