"Scoot closer to the table," Vindictus ordered. "If you can't reach the table, then you can't do the task I have for you and then you'll be used for DADA practice by the seventh years under Professor Kazimeriz's watchful eye."

Herminny scooted closer to the table as Proffessor Vindictus asked.

Vindictus was wondering if the girl had a high tolerance for pain because the stool she was seated on was full of 'em. "Put on these cotton gloves before you touch anything with your greasy little paws," he said and a pair of clean cotton gloves appeared on the table.

Herminny reached over for the cotton gloves and put them on her hands wondering just what exactly would proffessor Vindictus ask of her this detention.

"Since you clearly don't know who you're dealing with, the first task you're going to perform will burn my image into your pea sized brain," Vindictus said and touched one stack. "Envelopes." Then he touched the other stack. "Autographed photos of me." He folded his arms. "Fan mail. You are to carefully place a photograph inside each envelope and place the unopened envelopes into a third pile. Bend a photo and you'll get more time. Wrinkle a photo and you'll get more time. Drop a photo and you'll regret your clumsiness." He stopped and smiled. "One negative thought and the stool disappears from under you. And no bathroom breaks. Start working."

Herminny got to work carefully handling the photos putting them in envelopes carefully one by one making sure not to bend any of the photos as she did what the professor asked of her.

"Nah ah ah! Do you know how to count? One photograph per envelope," Vindictus said as he watched her carefully.

Herminny removed some of the extra photos she had put into some of the envelopes and proceeded to put one photo into each envelope working carefully as not to bend and any of the photos.

"Insert the photos face up!" Vindictus exclaimed and put the finished envelopes back in front of Herminny. "When the envelope is opened, they should see me and not the back of the photo paper."

Herminny took all the photos out of each envelope carefully one by one and when she was finished she proceeded to put one picture into each envelope face up carefully one by one staring at the large stack of envelopes she had yet to fill.

Vindictus shook his head. "Snails move faster," he said and watched her carefully.

Herminny proceeded to move faster putting one photo per envelope face up as fast as she could without bending a photo and watched as the stack of envelopes with photos began to outnumber the empty ones and she smiled.

Vindictus rolled his eyes. This is excruciating. "You know that this is just the first batch of pictures," he grinned and a box appeared next to his feet. "People love me and I love me."

Herminny's eyes widened as she saw the new box of photos and envelopes appear befeore her and she started moving faster careful she did not bend a picture at this new pace as she kept filling each envelope with one photo each face up.

"Ah, I see that the splinters are a tad uncomfortable. Too bad," Vindictus said in response to Herminny's wide eyed look. "Look at that Grecian pose . . . that sparkle in my eyes . . . and that smile! I've sold thousands of posters with that pose. You see it on Quidditch magazines and in shops all over the world. Five World Cup appearances. Twenty-two years starting Beater for the Heidleberg Harriers. I'm a Quidditch legend. Don't you forget it."

Herminny just gave him a look and then proceeded to go back to putting one photo per envelope face up as fast as she could without bending a photo till she finshed the stack and moved on to the box doing the same thing.

"Quit making faces at me before your features freeze into place," Vindictus warned and straightened up the finished pile. "You've got about fifty more to go before we get to task number two."

Herminny kept going a bit faster somehow managing to not bend a photo putting one photo per envelope face up till she finished the last 50

When Herminny was done she began to sulk thinking about all the points she had lost for Gryffindor the other day under the most stupid of circumstances and that all she wanted to do when she got out of here was look at the point count in the Great Hall for she just knew Hufflepuff would surpass Gryffindor now, she just knew it. Then Herminny's mind shifted to what Proffesor Vindictus had told her that negative thoughts would cause the stool to dissapear from under her but she did'nt care for she thought why would I want to conitnue sitting on a stool full of pointy splinters, I would rather stand or kneel on the ground anyway.

The stool vanished and Vindictus laughed. "Serves you right. Now you're stuck standing up for the remainder of this detention," he said and placed a pile of mailing labels on the table. "Wonderful Muggle invention. You peel and stick these labels on each envelope. Centered, of course."

Herminny fell to the ground with a thump thinking this did not hurt nearly as much as the splinters did on her behind. Then Herminny quickly got up and got to work pealing labels and putting one on each envelope.

Vindictus watched her carefully. "Make sure that the labels aren't crooked," he said and frowned at several envelopes that sported crooked labels.

Herminny removed some of the labels from the envelopes she had applied them crookedly to and reatatched them centered one by one on each envelope there after and quickening the pace but care ful notto apply a crooked label.

As he watched Herminny work, Vindictus heard a scratching sound coming from the floor. Furrowing his brow, he began to scan the floor. Nothing. But then he heard it again and saw something moving over the Gryffindor girl's shoe.

Herminny's face became a little distorted feeling this unwelcome creature on her shoe as she thought, don't scream, don't scream and did the best she could to continue applying one label centered per envelope thinking if hhe does not want me talk he certainly does'nt want me to scream.

Vindictus watched as the critter scampered up the leg of the table and disappeared. Then he saw two small eyes curiously peer over the stack of envelopes.