It was half past seven and Marisa was fast asleep. She hadn't left the room until ten o'clock and then she'd remembered a Transfiguration assignment due tomorrow. That had taken two hours, so it had been almost one in the morning by the time she'd got to sleep.
"Wake up!" said the voice of Daphne Greengrass.
"What…" muttered Marisa and sat up slowly. She was still at least three quarters asleep.
"Lord Asriel says you need to be downstairs and ready to go in five minutes for a scientific investigation."
"Oh. That. Tell him I've only just woken up. I'll be down in… ten or fifteen."
Daphne nodded and walked downstairs. Marisa rolled out of bed and clambered to her feet.
Precisely six minutes later she was downstairs and only a third asleep.
"You're late." Leo said.
"I didn't get to sleep until one!"
"And that is your own fault. Let's go."
Without further ado, Leo marched off towards the seventh floor. Marisa sighed and followed him up.
Seven floors later, they were there.
"I'm hungry," said Marisa.
"Why don't you test out the room by asking for a meal?" suggested Leo.
As much as Marisa hated to admit it, that was a very sensible idea. She tossed her head (not styled in its usual ponytail – no time) from side to side and then began pacing back and forth, thinking I need some food…
Nothing happened. The door handle didn't appear.
"Interesting…" Leo muttered. "Let me try." He paced back and forth in the same way, but nothing happened.
"Try asking for a drink," he said. "That's what I did last night."
Marisa did. This time the handle appeared. Inside was a room full of cups and goblets and mugs, all filled to the brim with every liquid imaginable.
She picked up a goblet full of pumpkin juice. "Thirsty?" she asked, offering it to Leo. He shook his head, so she took a small gulp.
"Does it taste normal?" asked Leo.
"Oh," said Marisa, "I get it. You were worried it might be poisoned or drugged or something so you got me to do it because you'd rather risk my life than your own?"
"Got it in one," said Leo.
Marisa glared at him. "Yes, it does taste normal."
"Good," said Leo. "Now let's go. Bring the goblet with you."
She shrugged, but obeyed. Once they'd closed the door behind them, Leo told Marisa to take another sip of pumpkin juice.
"No," she replied, "not again. It's your turn. Otherwise I'll jinx you. And we already know it's not poisoned."
"Fine," said Leo, taking the goblet from her and cautiously sipping it. "Normal. Just like I thought. Put this out of the way."
Marisa nodded and put it down on the opposite side of the corridor.
"What now?" she asked. "Can we go and get breakfast?"
"I… think so," said Leo. "I can't think of anything else to investigate. You go if you like, I'll just make sure I don't think of anything else."
Marisa went.