Chapter 5
“Evening Hermione,” Ron called as she sat down between Harry and Neville at supper that evening.
She sniffed. “Evening.”
Leaning back in his seat, Ron watched as she ate. Hermione hadn’t made eye contact with him for more than a second. It was as if she was mad at him, but he couldn’t think of anything he’d done to warrant this. Blowing on his spoonful of soup he racked his brain for an answer. Nothing came to mind. She was just having a bad day, he reckoned, and was taking it out on him. Well, that wasn’t fair. If she were going to be rude like that, then he’d just eat his soup and ignore her too.
“You were in the library almost all day,” Neville commented. “Were you working on tomorrows Charms homework?”
Hermione paused, spoon halfway to her mouth. Merlin! I completely forgot my homework!
“Y-yes. It’s all finished.” She lied trying to sound as convincing as possible. The truth was she’d spent the afternoon with her new treasure.
Once she’d carefully unwrapped the parchment, she’d found a worn leather journal. At first she feared opening it, but once she did, she’d found page after page of handwritten notes, spells and maps. They were neat, legible and organized, but everything was in code. Flamboyant names like “Water Leaper’s Stairwell to the Abyss” and “Horus’ Chariot of the Sun” was given to the maps. She had no idea where any of these rooms and corridors was, if they were even in the school at all. It was a complete mystery.
The one thing she did know for sure was that the House of Tomes meant the library. Other names such as Griffen’s Keep, Talon’s Roost, Meles’ Den, and Jormungand’s Stronghold seemed to indicate the different dorms. If that was true, then she could decipher a few of the maps at least. Still, none of them appeared to be connected to any passages she recognized. It seemed like the Lady of the Greenland and the Queen of the North had been making up an entirely different world. Like it was part of a story they were constructing.
“Can I ask you a few questions about it later then?” Neville asked breaking her train of thought. She nodded hastily and mentally scolded herself for not finishing the homework before delving into the mysteries of the journal. That'd be the first thing she did when she was finished eating.
Gulping down her food quickly, she barely registered the taste or temperature of what she ate. Burning her tongue on the vegetable soup was the price she’d pay to cover up her mistake today. She wouldn’t let that journal take her attentions away from her studies again.
Excusing herself before dessert arrived, she escaped to Gryffindor and plunged into her homework. She was almost done when everyone started filing in. Neville came over and asked about Charms, which she lied and said that he’d made her realize that she’d been wrong on a question; that’s why she’d eaten and run. He seemed to accept this and actually appeared proud that he’d helped her for a change. She’d let him have that. No need to tell him the truth.
After a bit Harry came over and they began going over Potions homework again. Ron disappeared as usual. Natalie was probably waiting for him someplace, Hermione reckoned. Although she thought it odd that Neville left at the same time. She dismissed it quickly, focusing on Harry and his Potions problems.