The next day...

Hermione moved stealthily as she avoided professors, a few first years, and Harry, on the way to the secret girls meeting. They were planning something, she could feel it.

She turned the last corner just in time to hear Lavender say, "So it's a secret, alright? Especially that Hermione. Remember, bring a hair of the boy to Myrtle's bathroom, and you'll find a surprise waiting for you." It seemed as if that was the conclusion of the meeting, and they dispersed.

Myrtles bathroom? What was all that about? Hermione wondered as she made her way to Arithmacy. When the class started she couldnt concentrate, though it was her favorite class. It was her last class of the day, and she sighed inwardly of relief. Then she would finally be able to find out what all the cryptic messages were about. She left the class, and hurried to the griffindor tower. She paused at the Fat Lady to say, "Dingbat Drops."

She walked up to the boys dormitory and knocked on a familiar door.

"Yeah?" it was a surprised Harry that answered the door, and immediately his concern for her was apparent on his face.

"Hermione? What's wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm here to collect something from Ron. He borrowed a brush of mine and I'd like it back."

"Um, sure. I can clean it for you; it has his hair all over it. Nobody ever wants to touch his brush but him and sometimes me," he smiled wryly, moving to get the brush from Rons trunk.

"Has anyone else but Ron used it?" she asked tentatively. She wondered why she cared. Lavender had said a boy. Not specific enough, but she suddenly wanted to take his hair, and no one elses.

"No, I don't think so, not that I know of." Harry replied. He fished it out of all the junk in Ron's trunk and handed it to Hermione.

"Thanks," she said, "tell him I took it back, would you? He'd probably panic if he found it missing, thinking I'd get mad at him for losing it," she chuckled and left the dormitory, waving a goodbye to Harry.

She walked down and climbed into her own dormitory, putting the brush down on her desk. She picked out a single red hair from the tangled mess, and put it in a small plastic bag, then put it safely in her robe pocket. She then waited out the time, as each girl soon walked inside, all looking exhausted but faintly content. When the last girl walked in, she put a camouflage spell on, felt the egg trickling on the back of her neck, and snuck out of the tower. She walked fast, faster than usual, towards the bathroom where Myrtle had died.