Hermione was able to recognize some of the men in the room from different magazines, some wore masks, some didn't. Others had female escorts in their laps, while they sipped on their drinks. They all wore lavish clothes and sat at circular tables around the room, gambling and talking amongst each other while a grand staircase stood its ground in the middle of the room. It led upstairs but was only for VIP use. If there were to be an exchange of the elixir, they must be doing it in a private room. Hermione had little practice in heels, making her high stilettos difficult to move swiftly around the area but she managed to reach the steps before she felt a strong arm grab ahold of her waist from the back. Her hand staggered to reach for her wand but she remembered to play the part and dropped her elbow.