Hermione wasn't sure what threw her more, the details of Elizabeth's death or how calmly she spoke of them. The latter solidified her opinion of the other woman, that she was someone of Hermione's own mind and a person she could grow to trust. The fact that she was sharing this now, during their first meeting, made her feel more fondly towards her. She liked Lavender and Ginny, of course -- they were from home, after all, and they'd gone through things together -- but she would never be able to have a conversation with this much depth with either one.
"That does add a wrinkle to the attempts to figure out this place." Hermione tried to choose her words carefully, not wanting to add more melodrama to the revelation of Elizabeth's death and treating it with the same manner Elizabeth herself had demonstrated.
"This place has shown it can bring persons back from the dead." She recalled that happening a few days after the sirens had gone off for the second time and the light came back. "That must be what happened with you. But the question remains then of why you, why any of us, why go to all that trouble?"
Hermione gave a wry smile. "And now we're back to that, of course."