the “jolt of terrified adrenaline bursting through her” doesn’t necessarily fit with all the possibilities.
I dunno about that. Suppose H&C is someone Hermione was previously disposed to like and trust; then finding that s/he had been behaving like that would be quite a shock. On the other hand, anyone whose past behaviour rendered H&C’s actions not-shocking is probably someone she’d be unhappy finding herself face to face with even in the best circumstances.
(FWIW, I too read “recognition” as probably indicating someone she already knew.)
Not to discount the other suggestions, but ‘recognition’ did read as someone she knew to me. The mist dissipated, and she recognized the face beneath.
Though I’ll admit, the “jolt of terrified adrenaline bursting through her” doesn’t necessarily fit with all of the possibilities.
I dunno about that. Suppose H&C is someone Hermione was previously disposed to like and trust; then finding that s/he had been behaving like that would be quite a shock. On the other hand, anyone whose past behaviour rendered H&C’s actions not-shocking is probably someone she’d be unhappy finding herself face to face with even in the best circumstances.
(FWIW, I too read “recognition” as probably indicating someone she already knew.)