Hermione entered The Three Broomsticks, she pushed open the heavy wooden door with a creak and stepped inside. The familiar scent of freshly brewed butterbeer filled her nostrils, and the sound of cheerful chatter and clinking glasses filled her ears. Hermione adjusted the strap of her small yellow bag, which was slung over her shoulder, and scanned the room for Daphne.

**IF YOU GUYS CAN'T IMAGINE DAPHNE'S FACE, THEN IMAGINE HER AS ENID FROM WEDNESDAY, BUT WITH GREEN HAIR.

She spotted her sitting at a cozy window-side table. Daphne was engrossed in a bowl of creamy vanilla ice cream, drizzled generously with chocolate sauce, and a half-filled jug of butterbeer sat on the table beside her.

Hermione made her way over to Daphne's table, her footsteps echoing against the wooden floorboards.

Daphne noticed Hermione's arrival and greeted her with a smile. "What should I order for you?" she asked.

Hermione glanced at the strange food combination on Daphne's table and wrinkled her nose. "Anything but that," she replied, grinning.

Daphne took a spoonful of ice cream and gestured towards Hermione with it. "So, what progress did you make?"

Hermione let out a deep sigh and took a seat opposite Daphne. "Progress?"

Daphne chuckled, "It's been more than an hour, and you haven't even thought of where to start with the Boggarts case?"

Hermione was caught off guard. She had been busy with Fleur and Ginny and hadn't had time to think about the case. She said, "I was busy."

Daphne retorted, "Predictable. But I did some work for you."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Daphne continued, "Boggarts can't be seen, right? Because they take the form of whatever a person fears. Dumbledore told me that they are not in Hogwarts. That means we might have to go to some dark and abandoned places..."

Hermione's mind raced with thoughts. "It can't be the Forbidden Forest," she thought to herself. The last time she had been there, she had encountered Skarooth, a vicious ancient creature who had nearly attacked her. The memory still haunted her, and she shuddered at the thought of going back there.

Daphne's curiosity piqued as she asked, "But may I ask why?"

Hermione replied, "Because it's not technically abandoned due to–"

Daphne cut her off, "I know. Just checking your wits."

Hermione scowled. Why did Dumbledore have to pair her up with such an annoying know-it-all? She reluctantly asked, "What place do you have in mind then?"

Daphne leaned in towards Hermione, motioning for her to come closer, and spoke in a hushed tone. "Shrieking Shack," she whispered, her eyes glinting with excitement.

As soon as the words left Daphne's lips, Hermione's mind was flooded with memories of her past adventures with Ron and Harry regarding Sirius Black. She shuddered at the thought of returning to the place that had brought them so much trouble and danger in the past. "How can you be so sure?" she asked in a hesitant whisper.

Daphne leaned in even closer, her breath hot on Hermione's ear. "See, the last Boggart was seen in Shrieking Shack before they disappeared. My Watson told me," she explained, a note of smugness in her voice.

Hermione frowned in confusion. "Watson? Who's that?" she asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable with how close Daphne was getting to her.

Daphne leaned back, sensing Hermione's discomfort, "Holmes and Watson? Ring any muggle bells?"

Hermione realized that Daphne was referring to the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Doctor Watson, which she had heard about from her parents.

Daphne added, "The thing is, he's not human. That's why you're sitting with me."

Something was starting to make sense. If her suspicion was right, she would just kill Daphne right now.

She asked, "It's a creature?"

Daphne nodded, taking a sip of butterbeer.

Hermione asked, "Tiny?"

Daphne nodded again.

Hermione reached into her bag, fingers closing around the frozen Clabbert she had caught earlier in the day. Slamming it down on the table, she stared intently at Daphne, hoping for a reaction.

Daphne picked up the frozen Clabbert, Hermione could see the gears turning in her mind. Her curiosity was piqued by the sight of the strange creature. "Oh, Watson," she murmured, turning the frozen creature over in her hands. "Who did this to you? Some cold-hearted b-" She trailed off, glancing up at Hermione with a sly smile.

"How could you do something like that, Ms. Perv Holmes?" Hermione asked with a stern tone.

Daphne leaned back in her chair, taking a long sip of her butterbeer. "I am a P.I.," she explained casually. "That's what I do." She paused, a sly grin playing at the corners of her mouth. "Well, there's one thing that can be said," she added, looking Hermione up and down. "You like to undress a lot."

Hermione felt her face flush with anger and embarrassment at Daphne's words. She could feel her eyes widen in horror as she realized what Daphne was implying. "Your thing was in Myrtle's bathroom as well?" she asked, her voice shaking with anger.

Daphne's smile widened as Hermione's anger grew. "Who knows?" she said teasingly. "I would have to ask Clabbert." She gave the frozen Clabbert a mock-serious look before setting it down on the table.

Hermione could feel her frustration growing with each passing moment. She rose from her chair, her eyes blazing with anger. "I knew you were annoying," she spat. "But being a creep never struck my mind."

Hermione turned on her heel, her bag slung over her shoulder. She began to walk away, her frustration and anger still palpable.

Daphne tried to stop her, "I could help you. Who was that girl?"

Hermione's anger flared up as she heard Daphne's words. She was not in a mood to take any help from someone like her. But before she could retort, the waiter interrupted her.

"Ma'am your order is ready. Where are you going?" the waiter asked.

Hermione looked at Daphne with a bit of anger, "Give it to her. She is a hungry one."

With that, she stormed off from the shop, not wanting to hear any more from Daphne. Her thoughts were consumed with the information Daphne had shared about the missing Boggarts and the strange creature that was responsible for their disappearance. She knew she had to do something about it, but she didn't know where to start.

As Hermione strode down the cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade, she spotted Ron and Harry sprinting towards her, their faces etched with worry and their breaths coming out in labored pants.

"Hermione. Hermione," they called out to her.

Hermione turned to face them, still angry from her encounter with Daphne. "What!?" she said in a loud voice.

But Harry and Ron didn't seem to pay attention to her anger. They just blurted out, "They're firing Snape."