Elysia Riddle [A Harry Potter Fan Fiction]

Chapter Twenty-One ~ The Dementors

As you may well know, I have been busy moving across Australia for the past week, hence no new chapters, and I have also finished the book quicker than I should have, so now Im not going word for word as well as I probably should.

Never fear, we shall prevail.

"Shh... I-it's.. only.. a... D-d-dementor..." he stuttered, wrapping his arms protectively around me.

His shaken words and the unshakable feeling of misery lingering in the air did not aid in my own struggles. Pictures of Quirell's burnt and dying body beside me tumbled through my vision... Erised's confusing desires... Voldemort...

It built and built until I felt myself fade out of consciousness. Though, this was more of a state of semi-consciousness, because I could still see what was unravelling, I was just in a daze. Neville, none to soon, shoved a particularly large piece of what seemed to be... chocolate? In to my mouth.

Spluttering as the hard block very nearly choked me, I managed to chew and swallow, feeling tremendously better in the process. I soon saw, as did Ginny and Hermione, that I was clinging to Neville enough to have his eyes wide as I strangled him.

Pinning my hands to my sides, I sat back in to my seat and edged my body away from Neville's, my cheeks brushing an unbearable crimson. Hermione, in fact, had better things on her mind, and she soon dealt with Harry, who was unconscious on the floor.

Ginny, however, was not so easily shaken. But, I switched my eyes, very obviously, from her to Harry enough for her to get the picture that we both had dirt on each other. Though I wouldn't doubt that Harry already knew that Ginny had held a suffocating crush no him for years and years.

I, personally, liked Harry... but never in that sort of way. The ragged man who had occupied the cabin turned out to be Professor Lupin, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. Hogwarts held it's threatening 'curse' upon DADA teachers, as they seemed to only last a year.

Shudders trickled down my spine as the newly refreshed memory of Quirrel stung my mind. If you think of it too much, you might never forget it. A voice hissed in my mind, but I knew very well that I would never, ever forget my first true sighting of death.

Entwined between my own fingers, was Neville's hand, and I was comforted again. Ginny was now luckily distracted by Harry, as most of the cabin was, so I was not gawked at for finding comfort in my best friend in the whole world.

And that was all that Nev was... A best friend...

Something in me asked if that was what I wanted, but it was. Of course it was. Ignoring that nagging thought, I focused on the present. In my daze, I seemed to have missed quite a lot. Like Lupin's production of a patronus, the tricky charm that Dumbledore had tried to teach me.

If Dumbledore were to remain true to our strictly Teacher-Student relationship, I don't suppose he would have taught me that spell to protect me...

Then again, he might have known that i had a couple of nasty memories, and that I was at risk.

This thought soothed my feeling of betrayal towards Snape. It seemed that without him, I had realised how much I had enjoyed his company... Though he never enjoyed mine... Did he? Confusing thoughts seemed to follow me, and I found it better to stare at the dark scenery as we drew closer to Hogwarts.

Trees... Trees... Trees...

Trees...

"Elle..." whispered a voice as my arms wobbled from being shaken.