Hermione stepped into her Gryffindor dorm room and she was greeted by an eerie silence. The darkness that enveloped the room was absolute, with the only sources of light being the moonbeams filtering in through the windows and the faint glow of the embers of the fireplace. The clock on the wall read 2 am, and she knew that she was cutting it close. She had been studying in the library for hours, determined to find out more about Skarooth and Boggarts, and had lost track of time.

Thankfully, Hermione was able to make it back to her dorm unnoticed. She tiptoed through the room, careful not to make a sound and disturb her slumbering dorm mates. They were all in their beds, wrapped up in their blankets, their breathing slow and rhythmic.

Feeling exhausted, Hermione decided to change into her comfortable pajamas. She carefully took off her day clothes, neatly folded them, and put them away in her trunk. She then reached for her favorite pair of pajamas, a soft and cozy set made of cotton, which always made her feel relaxed and calm. As she put on the pajamas, she felt a sense of comfort and familiarity that only her pajamas could give her.

With a yawn, Hermione approached her bed, However, when she got closer, she realized that someone was already sleeping in her bed.

Hermione's heart raced with fear as she carefully climbed into her bed, unsure of who or what could be lurking under the covers. But with a deep breath, she mustered up her courage and slowly began to remove the blanket, her hands trembling as she anticipated what she might find.

Just as the face of the figure under the blanket was about to be revealed, Hermione was suddenly silenced by a hand covering her mouth. She gasped for air and tried to scream, but the hand was firm and unyielding. Panic coursed through her body as the figure pinned her down, sitting heavily on top of her.

Hermione's heart was pounding wildly in her chest as she let out a muffled scream. For a moment, she couldn't make out who the figure was that was sitting on top of her, and her mind raced with terrifying possibilities. But as the figure lent closer to her, Hermione's eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and she recognized the features of Daphne, her annoying companion.

At first, Hermione was puzzled by Daphne's sudden appearance, but her confusion quickly turned to alarm as Daphne whispered, "Don't scream. Dumbledore sent me here." Hermione's eyes went wide with surprise and a hint of fear.

Hermione's mind raced with confusion as she tried to make sense of the situation. What was Dumbledore playing at? Why would he send Daphne to her room in the middle of the night? And why couldn't he take Fleur with him? The questions swirled in her mind, but she couldn't find any answers.

As if sensing her thoughts, Daphne leaned in even closer and whispered again, "Promise me you won't scream." Hermione nodded hesitantly, her mind racing with questions and doubts.

Daphne released her mouth. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Daphne whispered back, "Dumbledore told me that I would get a spare bed in your dorm, and I thought this was the spare bed, until you came."

"It's my bed," Hermione whispered back.

Daphne replied in a hushed voice, "Now I know that."

Hermione whispered in annoyance, "now at least get off me." Hermione felt like she needed to be free from the weight on her, which was suffocating her.

Daphne slowly got up and sat beside her, trying to explain herself. "I'm sorry, I was totally lost in the moment. You were a comfortable seat," Daphne said, with a grin on her face. Hermione shook her head, still annoyed. She wondered what kind of moment Daphne was talking about, and how she could have lost herself enough to sit on her.

Hermione said, "Well, find someone else. Now lie down." She was trying to keep the situation under control.

Daphne grinned and teased Hermione, "Did I get you too excited?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and replied, "No, you did not." She couldn't believe that Daphne had the audacity to ask her such a question. The situation was already strange enough, and Daphne's teasing was not making it any easier for her.

Hermione grunted, "Idiot, someone could see your silhouette. Now lie down and tell me why Dumbledore sent you here."

Daphne sighed and lied down beside her. Hermione and Daphne lay facing each other on the bed, Hermione couldn't help but notice how close they were. She tried to ignore the feeling of Daphne's breath on her face as she waited for an explanation.

Hermione commanded, "Now speak."

Daphne looked at Hermione with a serious expression, "Since you stormed off The Three Broomsticks, I had to go to Shrieking Shack alone. When I went there, I kinda found nothing, except..." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a clump of brown fur.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, "What's that?"

Daphne placed the clump of fur on Hermione's bed, "This."

Hermione felt disgusted and pushed the fur away, "Don't put these things on my bed."

Daphne smirked, "Well, you can't simply make out the color of this, but it is brown."

Hermione's thoughts went into overdrive, as she considered the possibilities of what the brown fur could belong to. Could it be from Skarooth? It was a long shot, but she couldn't rule it out completely. She tried to recall everything she had ever learned about the legendary creature, but her mind drew a blank. Maybe she was letting her imagination run wild.

As if reading Hermione's mind, Daphne chimed in, "My grandpa Newt always dreamt of seeing this creature, the fur of whom I am holding now."

"Who?" Hermione asked, barely above a whisper.

Daphne replied, "Skarooth. But it doesn't make sense. Last Skarooth was seen on the earth some 900 years ago. They used to feed on Dementors. Crazy, right? It's impossible for one to be alive at this time."

Hermione concluded, "That's why we don't see many Dementors outside Hogwarts."

Hermione furrowed her brow, trying to recall anything she might have known about Skarooth. "You must have come across something more interesting than that," she pressed.

Daphne shrugged. "Not really. Skarooth was a rare and mysterious creature. There isn't much information out there. But the legends say that it was a massive beast, and Its blood was said to have special properties, just like unicorn blood. Why don't you access the library."

Hermione squinted at Daphne, "You think I didn't do that. The first place I searched was the Library."

Daphne rolled her eyes, "Well, I'm just suggesting."

Hermione shook her head, "Never mind. What happened after you found the fur?"

Daphne continued, "Then in the Shrieking Shack came an owl with a letter. It read, Go to Hermione's dorm when everyone was asleep. Keep yourself and her safe."