The grand entrance hall

Hermione ran down the corridor into a wide hallway, in the middle of which stood a large marble staircase, and with surrounding walls filled with paintings. She took two steps up the stairs before the sound of voices above made her change her mind. She darted across the hall instead, looking around, and finally found an armchair standing in the corner. She squeezed in behind it, making herself as small as possible. She became extra aware of her naked body as she folded herself into the tight hiding place, and she had only just managed to hide herself before the hall filled with people.

"What was that noise?"

"A suit of armour fell over, look."

"Probably Peeves messing around."

"It can't have been, I just chased him out of the prefect girls' bathroom."

"Well, I'm not clearing that up."

Hermione risked a glance over the top of the chair, twisting her body round and raising herself up just high enough that she could see who had gathered, hoping Luna might be there. She saw a lot of people she knew, and plenty of people that she would give anything to not see her like this, but no sign of the blonde girl who was hopefully still trying to bring her clothes.

She did see one other person she recognised, though- Ginny Weasly, the girl responsible for her humiliating state. The red-haired girl was at the back of the crowd, fairly close to where Hermione hid. She supposed that Ginny seeing her would not be too bad, as she was responsible for the curse, and seeing how it had gone might just soften her heart enough to help Hermione, now the **** was complete.

It was worth a shot, anyway. Carefully and slowly, Hermione eased herself back to the ground, and then began to creep out from behind the chair, reaching out in front of her to tap Ginny on the back and get her attention. Hermione inched further towards her friend, painfully aware of every millimetre she moved her nude body out from her hiding place, to a spot where dozens of eyes might turn in her direction if she gave them a reason to. So far they were all looking down the corridor towards the fallen armour, but if they turned around and noticed her...

Her fingers were on the verge of touching Ginny when the redheaded girl suddenly started to walk forwards and Hermione's hand fell, doing nothing more than brushing the back of the skirt Ginny had replaced her ruined trousers with. Seeing her chance was lost, Hermione scurried back behind the chair.

She risked another look out in case Ginny turned round, and saw that she had not just brushed the back of the skirt, but had actually accidentally pulled down the zipper of the garment. As Ginny walked towards the assembled crowd her skirt, encouraged by the swaying of her hips, slid down and landed on the floor. Unnoticing, Ginny stepped out of it and carried on, once again showing off her colourful polka-dot underwear.

Hermione looked from her oblivious friend to the skirt, then back again. A skirt was preferable to total nudity. If she could not only grab it, but also get upstairs before anyone noticed, she had a much better chance of ending this ordeal. So once again she crept, on her hands and knees, out from behind the chair and across the floor. She had to go further this time, leaving her cover what seemed like miles behind her.

As Hermione crossed the halfway point to the skirt, two things happened.

The first was that Ginny noticed her missing garment and shrieked in embarrassment, turning back to see where it was.

The second was that one of the wizards in a portrait on the wall announced, "cor blimey, this young lady's starkers!"