The person (thing?) had been there for a moment and then disappeared and Sisse was left staring blankly at the space it had been, wondering at those big yellow eyes that had stared at her. What had happened? Her cheeks were warming up at the situation but she looked around in confusion. Surely she hadn’t just run into someone and they simply vanished. It couldn’t have been a ghost, Matthew swore they were cold when one walked through them. So what had it been?

A second later her question was answered by a loud yelling from the wall. Her eyes widened as she noticed the house elf hanging from the picture frame of a large fat old man who glared at the creature so close to his proximity. Sisse might have politely pointed this out to the house elf it he hadn’t been yelling at her.

It took her a moment to realize what he was yelling at her and she felt her blush deepen. It was likely her fault that the potion had exploded, but it certainly wasn’t like she had done it on purpose! She knew that potions went in cauldrons she wasn’t daft! Sisse could feel tears building in her eyes, but ladies didn’t cry. And they didn’t lose their tempers, she reminded herself, feel angry at the creature. Instead she tried to straighten up the best she could and keep her tone was wavering with either anger or the threatening tears. “I’ve very sorry. I didn’t mean to make such a mess. My potion blew up and I was just trying to get back to the common room to clean up.” She tried to explain. She doubted either the elf or the portrait would be particularly happy with this explanation.