Disclaimer: I own none of this. Except for the bed, and I suppose the other furnishings. Not that it really matters though. But, yeah. Hermione belongs to J.K.R., as do the other characters that will come into play. Though I may throw in a random character of my own. Depends on my mood.

Long chestnut eyelashes fluttered as she woke. She winced, feeling a throbbing pain at the back of her head. Slowly, her lashes parted, revealing a pair of brilliant brown eyes. The room was cloaked in darkness; only the faint outlines of a desk, chair, and lamp were visible.

Her legs slid wearily from their perch –was it a bed?- to the cold floor beneath. Heaving a sigh, the young woman rose from the warm covers, her legs faltering slightly under her from lack of use. She crossed the room quietly, and her fingers grasped wildly about for the lamp string.

A-ha!

She pulled gently on the metal chain, wincing slightly as a dim light flooded the room. It wasn't much, but at least she could see.

It /had/ been a bed, and a nice one at that. The dark wooden frame rested almost two feet off of the ground, and looked to have been hand-carved. Silk sheets lie rumpled at the foot of the bed, along with the comforter; all a rich green. Dozens of pillows adorned the head of the bed, and a few indents marked where her head had rested; also, of a rich green.

How strange.

Feeling an unexplained chill run down her spine, Hermione clutched her arms. Shocked to find them bare, she looked down. A sigh of relief escaped her upon realizing that she was indeed clothed. She'd never seen the nightgown before in her life, but anything was better than nothing. Not to mention that it was rather comfortable…

Smoothing the skirt of the –you guessed it- green gown against her thighs, the young miss glanced curiously about her room. Well, at least what she assumed to be her room. After all, she had been sleeping there, and there was no one else to be seen.

There was indeed a desk and chair, but what she hadn't seen was the enormous bookshelf, reaching from the floor to the ceiling. Her mouth nearly fell open in awe at the first glance, but she quickly collected herself. There were more pressing issues at hand than which book to read first; for starters, she didn't know where the hell she was. Which could be a problem. A big problem.

"By Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed, catching a glimpse of her reflection for the first time. She looked a right mess.

A thin scar marred her right cheek, stretching naught more than two inches. Still- it hadn't been there before, and, though she'd never been a vain girl, she wholeheartedly wished it weren't there now. A few bruises had begun to yellow on her forehead, and her skin looked much paler than usual.

Frazzled chestnut locks fell just below her shoulders, clumps of dirt and something that suspiciously resembled blood serving as a lacquer, mainly towards the back. But the most shocking change of all was that of her figure.

Now, Hermione had never been a large girl. In fact, she'd always been rather petite. But this…this was scary. Pallid skin seemed to cling to her bones for dear life; she looked as though she hadn't eaten in weeks. A once lithe frame was now gaunt and frail, and her eyes seemed almost hollow as they stared back at her in the mirror. Her gaze dropped to the floor and more importantly, away from what she had become.

Having regained a portion of her famed logic, she moved quickly to the door. It was small, like that of a dungeon, and a dark wood, matching that of her bed. With only mild hesitation miss Granger attempted to turn the doorknob.

It was no use. The door was locked.

She rubbed at her temples in frustrated anxiety, and began to pace.

The objective: Get the hell out of here. Wherever 'here' is.

"If only I had my wand," she muttered, a bit shocked with the raspy quality of her voice. What happened? And why was she here? And in this condition? And how?

A swarm of questions circled her mind, only increasing the intensity of her headache.

But- yes, of course!

She remembered now.

(I apologize for leaving here, but I had to give you some incentive to return for the second installment. I appreciate any review you can give.: Natalie)