Dusty and Purple

Hogwarts had arranged for a field trip -- Finally, a chance for the underclassmen to get to explore the world! Spike had thought when they first announced the trip in her History of Magic class.  Now, however, in the field, she was having second thoughts.  It seemed that the upperclassmen, upon returning to the Pit, had carefully edited their adventures, leaving in only the best bits and taking out some of the grotty details, like the heat and the-- she sneezed -- the dust.  Pyramids. Handy for sharpening razor blades, but otherwise-- Spike sneezed again. Dirty, dingy dust-traps. Why don’t they have house-elves? Oh, right, there are some things even a house-elf won’t touch.

The walls of the glorified tomb pressed in close and closer. Even the decorations’ glowing colors in the light of her wand failed to inspire. Down here, the dark eats the light. I can look at the art, which is what we’re here to see, or I can look where I’m going-- “Ouch!” Her ankle twisted as she set her high-heeled boot down on a pebble.

She sat down quickly, rubbing the sore joint. Picking up the pebble, she took a closer look by the light of her wand tip.

Huh. It’s a pretty little thing--too bad it’s broken. She tucked it absently in a pocket in her robes. Standing up, she rejoined the group.

Later that night, she put it atop a white lace doily on her nightstand. Violet was a favorite color of hers, lush and soothing.

When she woke the next morning, the figurine was missing! And the doily had changed from silvery-white to several shades of violet.

“What the--”

Then the three-legged cat with a human face hobbled into the room, and it all became clear.