Hermione slipped out of her bed and tiptoed into the boys' dorm. She
stepped slowly, wincing as the floor creaked. She carefully lifted the lid
on Harry's trunk and pulled his invisibility cloak out. She was careful not
to let the lid slam. She pulled the cloak on and, moving as swiftly as she
could, left the dormitories.
She edged along the corridor, creeping into library. She closed the door smoothly and almost screamed when she saw Fowl sitting at one of the tables. She calmed down, remembering that he couldn't see her, and she continued into the restricted section. She alone of her friends knew of this place, at the far end of the restricted section. There was a narrow panel, perhaps fifteen centimetres wide, and a paler shade of brown than the rest of the space. She pressed in gently with her spread fingers and stepped inside. She stood still, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light, not daring to switch on the lamp.
What Hermione didn't know was that the chances of her being found were as small as the chances of someone surviving a 5,000 metre drop into a fire pit. As a matter of fact Hermione was the only person to set foot in this room for over two thousand years. Rowena Ravenclaw, near the end of her days had created it, so that she could have a place to rest away from her students and partners. In the dimly lit room there were no walls, only shelves, filled with books.
Hermione breathed deeply and flicked on the light. She gritted her teeth as the bright light suddenly filled the room. She was sure someone must have been able to see it.
She had been in this room only once before. She had been searching for something; she could not remember what it was though. She had been searching for something and when she had looked at what she was sure was all the books in the section she had sighed and leaned against the wall. She had touched the panel with her fingers spread out and her arm had promptly slid through the wall.
She had looked around the room briefly, but those few moments had allowed her to find out all she needed to know. The books were not ordinary books, nor were they books for the restricted section. These books taught the Unforgivable curses and had enough information about Hogwarts in them to allow Voldemort to take over the school with no problem, should he find them.
Hermione knew that if there were any information to be had on what to do after the Sorting hat gave out it would be in here. She started at one end; her eyes passing over hex books and books on Unforgivable curses. She found a shelf that seemed to be all about Hogwarts and started there. The first book she picked was about secret passages, the second book was about student selection and the third book was gold. Hermione stuffed it into her robes and hurried out of the room.
She almost collided with Fowl.
"Tsk, tsk. You aren't to be in here at this time of night."
Hermione swallowed, realising that she was not wearing the cloak. "Neither are you Fowl."
Artemis smiled. "But Hermione! I'm just new! I don't know the rules yet! That was pretty good wasn't it? Would you believe I've never had acting lessons?"
Hermione wanted to hurl insults at him, she wanted to slap him, she wanted to grind her heel into his patent leather shoes but she knew that the only way to get out of this was to get on Fowl's good side.
"Look. Artemis. I'm sorry for what I said, I was a jerk. Please don't tell the teachers about this."
"That looked painful." Artemis said, when Hermione was finished. "You nearly chocked on that one." He watched her squirm. It was quite amusing, to tell the truth.
"Please Artemis," she was almost begging now. "I don't want to get expelled."
Artemis looked at her pocket. There was a book in there and he had no doubt it was the key to her nervousness. He knew very well what the consequences of being in the restricted section after hours were, and he also knew that Hermione's being in that secret room would be grounds for expulsion.
There was, perhaps, one thing that Artemis hated more than his own weakness. It was someone knowing something he didn't. "Alright Granger." He waited a few moments, watching her nervousness be replaced with relief and then return again when he did not let her pass.
"What do you want Fowl?"
"You tell me what you were doing here and I keep my mouth shut."
Hermione fidgeted. She didn't know why she wanted to keep this so secret. It wasn't as though she was researching the Dark Arts or reading private records. But as much as she tried to convince herself that it was no big deal she couldn't do it.
Artemis observed her distress. "I am a man of my word Granger. I will not listen to what you have to tell me and then tell others."
Hermione decided she would have to trust him. She pulled the book out of her pocket and explained what she was doing.
"You should take out the book on student selection too."
"What?"
"Student selection. It isn't directly related to the hat but if it was written by Ravenclaw then it should say something about her expectations of students."
Hermione nodded slowly. "Right." She pushed the panel open again and grabbed the other book. In an attempt to be friendly Hermione asked Artemis how he was liking Slytherin.
"The Slytherins are cunning but they're also stupid. They rely solely on their coniving and have no respect for intelligence. On the whole I prefer the Ravenclaws."
"What about Gryffindor's?" Hermione asked, suddenly shy.
Artemis looked at her.
"Well?" Hermione prompted.
"Tell me what you want to say and I'll say it."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione demanded.
"It means that whatever I say it will offend you and I'm sick of it."
"I thought you didn't care." Hermione said slyly.
"I don't. So if you don't mind, I think Gryffindor's are stubborn rule-breakers. If you'll excuse me."
He turned and walked out, leaving Hermione standing there, holding her book, not knowing where to go.
She finally decided on Gryffindor tower. Carefully replacing the cloak in Harry's trunk she pushed back the curtain on Ron's bed and sat down, pulling it back around when she had made herself comfortable.
"Ron!" she whispered urgently.
"Go 'way."
"Ron! Get up."
He sat up slowly and blinked. "Jesus Hermione! You can't keep doing this. People will get ideas."
"Maybe they wouldn't get ideas if you didn't sleep naked."
"Well sorry! I wasn't dressed for company."
"Keep it down."
Ron rolled his eyes. "So what is so important that you felt the need to wake me up at-" he glanced at his watch. "3.00 am?"
"Well, I was in the library-"
"Go figure." Ron muttered.
"Do you have something you need to add?"
"No, go on. You will anyway."
"Oh you're funny. Maybe I should just leave."
"No, no. I'm awake now so you might as well keep going."
"Alright. Anyway, I was getting a book and guess who I saw?"
"Percy?"
"Oh real funny Ron. No, I saw Artemis."
"You know that's weird."
"Really? Why?"
"Well you don't usually see people you attend school with wandering around the halls."
"Oh never mind! I was going to tell you something but just never mind!" She was disappointed when he rolled over and went back to sleep with out another word.
She turned over to Harry's bed and pushed back his curtain.
"Harry? Harry, wake up."
He sat up immediately. "Oh hello Hermione, I wasn't expecting you." He scratched his chest. "I'm not really up to a roll in the hay right now but-"
"Oh shut up Harry. Guess what."
Hary's eyes went wide. "Fusing out! Fusing out!"
"Oh keep it down will you? Guess."
"Well really, do you want me to shut up or guess?"
"Guess."
"Okay. You saw Voldemort wandering around wearing a bustier and a mini-skirt, exchanging profanity with Professor Trelawney."
"No. Guess again."
"You saw McGonagall and Dumbledore snogging in the astronomy tower."
"Can we be realistic here?"
"You were looking for a book, you saw Fowl, you talked for a bit, you think he insulted you but you like him anyway."
Hermione's eyes went wide and she opened and closed her mouth several times without saying anything.
Harry smiled briefly. "Psycological mind trick. I can tell these things." He added.
Hermione shrugged. "What's a girl to do?"
She edged along the corridor, creeping into library. She closed the door smoothly and almost screamed when she saw Fowl sitting at one of the tables. She calmed down, remembering that he couldn't see her, and she continued into the restricted section. She alone of her friends knew of this place, at the far end of the restricted section. There was a narrow panel, perhaps fifteen centimetres wide, and a paler shade of brown than the rest of the space. She pressed in gently with her spread fingers and stepped inside. She stood still, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light, not daring to switch on the lamp.
What Hermione didn't know was that the chances of her being found were as small as the chances of someone surviving a 5,000 metre drop into a fire pit. As a matter of fact Hermione was the only person to set foot in this room for over two thousand years. Rowena Ravenclaw, near the end of her days had created it, so that she could have a place to rest away from her students and partners. In the dimly lit room there were no walls, only shelves, filled with books.
Hermione breathed deeply and flicked on the light. She gritted her teeth as the bright light suddenly filled the room. She was sure someone must have been able to see it.
She had been in this room only once before. She had been searching for something; she could not remember what it was though. She had been searching for something and when she had looked at what she was sure was all the books in the section she had sighed and leaned against the wall. She had touched the panel with her fingers spread out and her arm had promptly slid through the wall.
She had looked around the room briefly, but those few moments had allowed her to find out all she needed to know. The books were not ordinary books, nor were they books for the restricted section. These books taught the Unforgivable curses and had enough information about Hogwarts in them to allow Voldemort to take over the school with no problem, should he find them.
Hermione knew that if there were any information to be had on what to do after the Sorting hat gave out it would be in here. She started at one end; her eyes passing over hex books and books on Unforgivable curses. She found a shelf that seemed to be all about Hogwarts and started there. The first book she picked was about secret passages, the second book was about student selection and the third book was gold. Hermione stuffed it into her robes and hurried out of the room.
She almost collided with Fowl.
"Tsk, tsk. You aren't to be in here at this time of night."
Hermione swallowed, realising that she was not wearing the cloak. "Neither are you Fowl."
Artemis smiled. "But Hermione! I'm just new! I don't know the rules yet! That was pretty good wasn't it? Would you believe I've never had acting lessons?"
Hermione wanted to hurl insults at him, she wanted to slap him, she wanted to grind her heel into his patent leather shoes but she knew that the only way to get out of this was to get on Fowl's good side.
"Look. Artemis. I'm sorry for what I said, I was a jerk. Please don't tell the teachers about this."
"That looked painful." Artemis said, when Hermione was finished. "You nearly chocked on that one." He watched her squirm. It was quite amusing, to tell the truth.
"Please Artemis," she was almost begging now. "I don't want to get expelled."
Artemis looked at her pocket. There was a book in there and he had no doubt it was the key to her nervousness. He knew very well what the consequences of being in the restricted section after hours were, and he also knew that Hermione's being in that secret room would be grounds for expulsion.
There was, perhaps, one thing that Artemis hated more than his own weakness. It was someone knowing something he didn't. "Alright Granger." He waited a few moments, watching her nervousness be replaced with relief and then return again when he did not let her pass.
"What do you want Fowl?"
"You tell me what you were doing here and I keep my mouth shut."
Hermione fidgeted. She didn't know why she wanted to keep this so secret. It wasn't as though she was researching the Dark Arts or reading private records. But as much as she tried to convince herself that it was no big deal she couldn't do it.
Artemis observed her distress. "I am a man of my word Granger. I will not listen to what you have to tell me and then tell others."
Hermione decided she would have to trust him. She pulled the book out of her pocket and explained what she was doing.
"You should take out the book on student selection too."
"What?"
"Student selection. It isn't directly related to the hat but if it was written by Ravenclaw then it should say something about her expectations of students."
Hermione nodded slowly. "Right." She pushed the panel open again and grabbed the other book. In an attempt to be friendly Hermione asked Artemis how he was liking Slytherin.
"The Slytherins are cunning but they're also stupid. They rely solely on their coniving and have no respect for intelligence. On the whole I prefer the Ravenclaws."
"What about Gryffindor's?" Hermione asked, suddenly shy.
Artemis looked at her.
"Well?" Hermione prompted.
"Tell me what you want to say and I'll say it."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione demanded.
"It means that whatever I say it will offend you and I'm sick of it."
"I thought you didn't care." Hermione said slyly.
"I don't. So if you don't mind, I think Gryffindor's are stubborn rule-breakers. If you'll excuse me."
He turned and walked out, leaving Hermione standing there, holding her book, not knowing where to go.
She finally decided on Gryffindor tower. Carefully replacing the cloak in Harry's trunk she pushed back the curtain on Ron's bed and sat down, pulling it back around when she had made herself comfortable.
"Ron!" she whispered urgently.
"Go 'way."
"Ron! Get up."
He sat up slowly and blinked. "Jesus Hermione! You can't keep doing this. People will get ideas."
"Maybe they wouldn't get ideas if you didn't sleep naked."
"Well sorry! I wasn't dressed for company."
"Keep it down."
Ron rolled his eyes. "So what is so important that you felt the need to wake me up at-" he glanced at his watch. "3.00 am?"
"Well, I was in the library-"
"Go figure." Ron muttered.
"Do you have something you need to add?"
"No, go on. You will anyway."
"Oh you're funny. Maybe I should just leave."
"No, no. I'm awake now so you might as well keep going."
"Alright. Anyway, I was getting a book and guess who I saw?"
"Percy?"
"Oh real funny Ron. No, I saw Artemis."
"You know that's weird."
"Really? Why?"
"Well you don't usually see people you attend school with wandering around the halls."
"Oh never mind! I was going to tell you something but just never mind!" She was disappointed when he rolled over and went back to sleep with out another word.
She turned over to Harry's bed and pushed back his curtain.
"Harry? Harry, wake up."
He sat up immediately. "Oh hello Hermione, I wasn't expecting you." He scratched his chest. "I'm not really up to a roll in the hay right now but-"
"Oh shut up Harry. Guess what."
Hary's eyes went wide. "Fusing out! Fusing out!"
"Oh keep it down will you? Guess."
"Well really, do you want me to shut up or guess?"
"Guess."
"Okay. You saw Voldemort wandering around wearing a bustier and a mini-skirt, exchanging profanity with Professor Trelawney."
"No. Guess again."
"You saw McGonagall and Dumbledore snogging in the astronomy tower."
"Can we be realistic here?"
"You were looking for a book, you saw Fowl, you talked for a bit, you think he insulted you but you like him anyway."
Hermione's eyes went wide and she opened and closed her mouth several times without saying anything.
Harry smiled briefly. "Psycological mind trick. I can tell these things." He added.
Hermione shrugged. "What's a girl to do?"
