Mr. Rickman

At Hogwarts, after afternoon classes ended, Pansy hurried to the first-floor hall, where blazing torches lined the stone walls and the ceiling was so high it was almost impossible to see the top, to meet up with Emily. Little Sweet Bear was standing by the doors, taking the snacks Goyle had bought from Hogsmeade.

"Wait a moment, Pansy." Emily waved at Pansy. "Gregory, how much?"

"My treat..." Goyle reflexively refused, then just as reflexively shrank back under Emily's stare and named the price. "One Galleon and ten Silver Sickles."

"Here, two Galleons, keep the change~" Emily put the Sugar Quill and the pastries into her pouch separately, then rummaged inside it and placed the coins in Goyle's hands with both of hers. "Let's go, Pansy~"

Emily and Pansy had just turned around when Hermione, walking toward them, greeted the two of them. The know-it-all's eyes were threaded with red, her hair was messy, her face pale, and she looked rather exhausted. Before Emily and the others could respond, she forced out a smile and walked straight past them.

Pansy and Emily exchanged a glance, then continued climbing the magnificent Marble Staircase upstairs.

"Miss Know-It-All looked terrible." Pansy touched her hair. She had already been made very nervous by her task, but now she felt she was still in better shape than Hermione.

"Ever since she was attacked by the Devil Baal in Hogsmeade, she's been a bit frantic. She's too anxious to improve her strength." Emily's voice was a little grave, and she muttered with some dissatisfaction, "I'll have to add another half hour of training at night too..."

On the eighth floor, in a corridor empty except for Emily and Pansy, opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy Bashing Troll, Pansy and Emily concentrated on the place where they