"Uh, as you just saw, Hermione's been petrified. Even her blood is solid. It was my first time smashing stone, so I didn't quite get the force right. Her waist is covered in stone chips... hey, Ron, you don't look so good. Are you all right?"
That sensation of churning, spiraling downward, then churning and spiraling again was more sickening than eating a hundred slugs. At the words "stone chips," Luo Bin could no longer suppress his nausea. He braced himself against a bookshelf and vomited uncontrollably.
Within moments, a foul, fermented, sour stench enveloped them.
"That reeks! Ron, I really shouldn't expect anything from you!"
A clear voice tinged with anger rang out behind him. With thick, stringy mucus hanging from the corners of his mouth, Ron turned and found himself facing a dusty gray, horrifying face. His back instantly prickled with fear!
"The... the corpse is moving! Run... hurry, run!"
Holding on to the bookshelf, he slipped in place a dozen times before finally steadying himself with Harry's help.
"Ron, you really aren't very observant. How could anyone still breathe after being petrified?"
Harry sounded utterly exasperated.
"Huh?!!"
"Let me explain. Hermione heard us when we reached the door. She wanted to scare us, so she lay down on the floor and pretended to be petrified. Her makeup and hair were certainly convincing, but she overlooked the most important thing: petrified people don't breathe!"
"But... but what about hitting her hand with the hammer?"
Hermione opened her right hand, revealing the little stone in her palm, and raised her eyebrows. "Luo Bin and Harry played along beautifully. They were messing with you!"
"Then... what did that note say?"
Luo Bin waved his wand, cleaned up all the vomit and broken stone, then handed over the note.
Ron hurriedly