The next morning, after Malfoy is gone, Hermione stands in front of the bathroom mirror and stares at herself, examining her face. She is thinner than she used to be, and her hair has grown a couple of inches and looks bedraggled. There are hollows under her eyes, and her lips are chapped, and she stands there like a frightened animal, she realises. Shoulders hunched forward and slumped a little, head ducked ever-so-slightly, expression uncertain. She looks at herself and sees a beaten dog.