The Soul Lantern (Continued)

He stared at the empty space beside him.

The next second, the Room of Requirement answered the thought in his mind and automatically built a new hut on that empty patch of ground.

Black flipped his hand, and a piece of parchment appeared in it.

And on the parchment was an exceptionally vivid, colorful drawing.

The drawing showed a short figure wearing bright clothes, a tie, and a strange hat.

"Tom's gone, so I'll have to trouble you, Peeves..."

"I promise, once you help me with this, I'll let you go."

Black looked at Peeves, who had been sealed on the parchment by him for a long time, and murmured to himself.

Then he took the parchment and slipped into the hut.

The sky inside the Room of Requirement was the same as the sky outside.

It faithfully reflected the outside sky indoors.

Even the warm sunlight was reflected in just the same.

Hermione was woken by just such a beam of sunlight.

She opened her bleary eyes and raised a hand to block the sunlight streaming in through the window.

Then she looked around in confusion.

Wasn't I writing my essay last night? How did...

Suddenly, Hermione felt as if there was someone lying beside her!

Who is it? Could it be...

Her cheeks went red with a whoosh.

When she finally mustered the courage to look at the person beside her, she happened to meet Cassandra's equally puzzled emerald-green eyes...

A few seconds later, Hermione very keenly noticed a hint of disappointment on Cassandra's face.

All right... she was definitely disappointed because she had realized the person lying beside her was not the one she had imagined!

Hermione was a little annoyed. Without speaking to Cassandra, she put on her shoes and got up.

Cassandra seemed to