Clutching the letter, Hermione found her way to her favorite desk in the Herbology section of the library. She couldn’t bear to face the rest of her house in the Gryffindor common room, and typically this part of the library remained empty unless Neville was browsing for his latest read. She slumped into a chair nearest the window that overlooked the Black Lake and let out a quiet sob. She felt like the world was caving in, and was startled when someone cleared their throat from the end of her table.