Hermione walked briskly through the corridors of Hogwarts, her mind preoccupied with the myriad of things she needed to accomplish. She had to speak with Daphne at The Broomsticks and also find time to meet with Professor McGonagall to discuss her recent disappearance in the Dungeon. Her mind raced as she wished she could split herself into multiple Hermiones to accomplish all her tasks.

Then she felt something. Felt like she was being followed. She wheeled back.

There was no one. But that feeling didn't go away.

Hermione's steps quickened as she felt the sense of being followed growing stronger. She had experienced this feeling before, and it had almost always resulted in danger. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she again couldn't spot anyone following her. Still, the feeling persisted, and she couldn't shake off the unease that was growing within her. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down, convincing herself that it was just her tired mind playing tricks on her. As she reached the Gryffindor common room, she found Ginny lounging on the couch, looking bored.

"Thank goodness you came," Ginny exclaimed as Hermione approached. "I was bored to death. Let's do something fun."

Hermione approached Ginny with a serious expression. "Ginny, can we talk in private?" she asked.

Ginny immediately became curious. "Ooh, sounds like we have some juicy gossip. Who's the unlucky one? Harry? Ron? McGonagall?" she asked with a playful grin.

Hermione shook her head, "Why would there be gossip about McGonagall? Leave it."

Ginny raised her eyebrows, "Oooh, McGonagall? Do tell, Hermione. I heard she has a secret love affair with Filch!" She giggled at her own joke.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You're impossible, Ginny. It's not about them. Can we just go to your room and talk in private?" She looked at Ginny with a serious expression, hoping to convey the urgency of the matter.

Once inside Ginny's dorm room, Hermione locked the door behind them. Ginny looked at Hermione with playful shock, "Ooooh, the talk must be about something really important, or is it something else?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "No, it's not about that, Ginny. It's about something serious."

Ginny gave her a mischievous grin, "Oh, I see. You want to keep it a secret from your admirers, don't you?"

Hermione blushed, "I don't have any admirers, Ginny."

Ginny laughed, "Oh, please. You know how many guys and girls are dying to take you out on a date? Even Harry and Ron have a thing for you."

Hermione shook her head, "That's not what this is about, Ginny. Can we focus, please?"

Hermione stepped toward her, and Ginny, getting nervous and excited, closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss Hermione. But Hermione abruptly interrupted her, "Hey! What are you doing?"

Ginny felt a bit flushed, "I thought you were..."

Hermione sighed in frustration, "Oh, come on! Why would you think we would kiss?"

Ginny began to laugh, pretending her reaction was just a joke. "I was just messing with you," she said.

Hermione squinted at her, "Oh, I can never believe you, you mischievous devil."

Ginny chuckled and asked, "So now spill the beans."

Hermione felt something move behind her. She wheeled around, scanning the room.

"Did you see something?" she asked Ginny.

Ginny, carefree, replied, "Must be some rat or frog."

Hesitantly, Hermione blurted it out, "You need to check my back for a wand symbol. It might seem a bit delusional," Hermione admitted, "but I think I might have a tattoo or something like that."

Ginny asked how Hermione could not know about the tattoo if she had one. "Were you drunk when it was being made?" she teased. "Now, it would be impossible to check with your shirt on."

Hermione felt a twinge of discomfort as Ginny's teasing tone made her feel self-conscious. Despite this, she knew she had to follow through with her request, so she quickly turned around and began to unbutton her shirt. She could feel Ginny's eyes on her, and it only added to her embarrassment.

Once her shirt was off, Hermione felt a cool draft on her back, and she shivered slightly. "Someone's doing a show for me," Ginny said with a chuckle, and Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friend's playful tone. "Just look for the symbol, please," she said, trying to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand.

But as Ginny inspected Hermione's back, she found nothing resembling the symbol Hermione was worried about. "Sorry, Mione, no tattoo," Ginny reported. "But what if the symbol is hidden somewhere else beneath your clothes?" she teased, winking at Hermione mischievously.

Hermione rolled her eyes, putting her shirt back on, "Oh please, Ginny, stop with the jokes."

Hermione somehow felt grateful for Ginny's lightheartedness, which helped alleviate the tension she had been feeling. She turned to face her, "Thanks, Ginny," she said with a small smile.

Ginny grinned at her mischievously. "Well, that was fun," she teased. "You should come over more often for some private back inspections."

Hermione made a sour face and said, "Oh, come on. Don't ruin things. I thought you were into boys."

Ginny flicked her hair and said, "Boys and you."

Hermione rolled her eyes and responded, "But I'm not into girls."

Ginny playfully suggested, "First time for everything-"

Hermione abruptly yanked Ginny towards her, the latter's face twisted into a playful yet surprised expression, expecting something different from Hermione.

However, before Ginny could even utter another word, Hermione pointed her wand at someone behind Ginny and yelled, "Immobulus!"

However, as the spell left Hermione's wand, it intentionally missed Ginny entirely and hit something else in the room. There was a rustle of movement, and suddenly a small creature jumped out from the corner of the room - a Clabbert.

Ginny and Hermione both stared at the creature in front of them, frozen in shock and confusion. It was a tiny monkey-like creature with large bulging eyes that seemed to change color every few seconds. Its skin was a sickly green color, and it had long, spindly fingers that it was using to pick at the wall.

The Clabbert had been hiding there all along, and Hermione's spell had caught it in its path, freezing it in mid-air. Ginny let out a surprised laugh as she saw the Clabbert, "Well, that's one way to deal with unwanted guests," she said, grinning at Hermione.

Ginny then looked at her with amusement, "Well, you know how to handle things." She playfully gave Hermione a wink as she wiggled out of her embrace.

Hermione walked towards the frozen Clabbert, saying, "This day keeps getting more and more awkward, and..." She trailed off, clearly not finding the situation amusing.

Ginny, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the chaos, and finished Hermione's sentence with a grin, "Fun?"

Hermione shook her head and asked Ginny, "What's a Clabbert doing in your room?"

Ginny looked puzzled and asked, "That thing is called what?"

Hermione, always the one with the answers, quickly replied, "It's a magical creature from the Americas. They're known for their ability to sense danger and warn their owners with a loud screeching noise."

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. "But why would it be in Hogwarts?" she asked.

Hermione furrowed her brow in concern. "What if someone saw us like that? Who could be spying on you or… me?"