Chapter 2

The 3rd Disturbance

Hermionie was on patrol after everyone had gone to bed. She had spent the rest of the evening in her room going through her wardrobe and throwing everything that might even be the slightest bit form fitting. Why would she want anyone to notice her sagging stomach and cow like legs? She was now dressed in sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt. Her hair was even frizzier than it usually was because she had just let it air dry after her shower, not really caring what she looked like. One could say that she was going through a period of emotional and hormonal instability, but it happens every month anyways.

She wandered past the stairway that led to the dungeons. Feeling dark and gloomy, she decided that maybe it wouldn't hurt to patrol down there. Maybe she would find something to cheer her up, but the prospects didn't look good.

She sighed and let her hand fall limply on the railing as she descended in a slowly, slightly graceful manner. Hermionie looked up and noticed a hallway that she just knew hadn't been there before.

Sigh, maybe I am losing my mind, maybe after all this walking I might lose some of this pudgy weight that I seem to be carrying around.

But, her curiosity was sparked and it felt good to feel something brighter than her depressing state. She looked around curiously, but she didn't see anyone, so she took a step in the direction of the mysterious passageway. Looking around she felt as if something was odd, strange, different even about this hall. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but if she was drawn to it so, there might be straying students down here and that was what she was supposed to be doing. She was patrolling for students, not exploring. Never exploring on the job.

As she walked further and further down the cool and somewhat brightly lit dungeon corridor, she finally figured out what it was about this hall that bothered her.

There were no picture, or even empty frames

There were no side passageways or doors.

Hermionie was rather befuddled by this new corridor, but she was curious, and kept walking, determined to find either a dead end, or a side door. For a moment she was afraid of how long this would take her, because she was only allowed to patrol until 1am, but she was also allowed to go to bed after 11:30. It was already 12:30 by the time on her new watch that Ginny had gotten her as a birthday gift. If she was going to walk all the way back, which was her plan of action if nothing interesting turned up, she might have to start now.

She was just about to turn around when she noticed a faint glow from a little way down in the shadow. She squinted and lifted the lantern that she had been holding lifelessly at her side. Suddenly the glow grew larger and Hermionie was sure that whatever, or whoever it was, it was headed towards her. Her first notion was to panic and run, but she decided that she wanted to start acting like Hermionie, Head Girl, again. She held her lantern up a little higher and said, with a vaguely trembling voice,

"Who goes there?"

She didn't get an answer, but she realized that this was a student. The figure was too small to be any of the teachers, except perhaps Mrs. Sprout. The details were starting to be less blurry and she held her breath, without realizing it, in anticipation. She was sure it was a student now.

"Answer me, who are you?"

"I think the question is, who are you, and what are you doing here during the night?"

Hermionie was taken aback, and lifted her lantern to see the speakers face. It was Draco Malfoy, and he looked just as shocked as she did.

"Malfoy" Hermionie spat contemptuously.

"Granger" Draco returned in the same manner. He hadn't been expecting to see her face this late at night. It was almost scary. Hermionie glared at him and he looked back with malice. She spoke, trying to keep her cool during their staring contest and to unnerve him at the same time.

"I'm Head Girl, I'm supposed to be out, but apparently, you aren't. I will have you reported immediately and Dumbledore might not forgive you this time."

She sneered at him, and it was a good one, almost to rival his own, but he had better things to worry about.

"You, you are Head Girl! Well, I should have known, but, apparently, you haven't heard the good news."

He twisted his angelic features in ugly grin and unclipped something from his shirtfront. Lifting the glinting object into the light Hermionie drew in breath sharply in surprise and shock.

"I, for your information, am Head Boy."

"How could you be Head Boy? You're hardly an example to the other students! You're just Snape's pet."

Hermionie snarled, whirling out her wand in unison with him. Draco backed away slightly to get his bearings, and boy was he furious. How could a smelly little mudblood insult him, an heir to the thrown of the imperious Malfoy Manor? He began to run through the list of curses that he had been preparing for over the summer and chose one that was a personal favorite of his. He had done it to the neighbor for walking on their lawn last month; to bad he'd been a muggle. His father had a hard time working that one out, and Draco had gotten a sound beating from it, but it satisfied him. As he was working out his thoughts, his mind wasn't as sharp at 1am as it was during the day; Hermionie lifted her wand and yelled,

"Accio Wand!"

His wand flew to her and hit her palm with a disgusting smack. His jaw dropped and he snarled horribly. He looked her up and down and tried to think, his mind was growing bitter at him and the only thing he knew to do was to insult her. He knew just what would do the trick too. It was every girl's weakness.

"Nice clothes you've got on Granger," He'd noticed her grunge clothes. "At least the cover you up, though I'm surprised to see that they actually do."

Hermionie stop what she was doing, startled.

"Do, what?"

"Cover you up that is."