𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞 | 𝐇.𝐏.

𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟑 - 𝟏

"Ouch, Ron, that was my foot!" Hermione hissed.

"There's something moving out there," Weasley's voice wavered as he looked out at the stormy landscape. The lights flickered, but remained off.

"I think... I think someone's coming aboard," Weasley whispered. There was another lurch. I had begun to breath heavily, and I could see my breath coming out in little puffs in front of me. I didn't like this at all. 

There was a soft cracking. The window was freezing over. The bottle of water on the small window table immediately turned to ice. I wrapped my arms around myself to stop the shivering.

"What's happening?" I breathed.

Then the train really lurched, sending the back of my head into the wall.

"Bloody hell!" Weasley yelled. 

As an answer, a dark shape emerged in front of our icy compartment door. The wind whistled and my teeth chattered. Despite myself, I scooted closer to Potter, convincing myself that it was only for warmth.

Long fingers curled up, and the latch opened. The door slowly slid back. Something I had never seen before entered. It appeared to be levitating, its tattered cloak flowing an inch above the ground. The face was masked by the same cloak, with no eye or breathing holes. There was a strange sound, like a hollow gasp. 

I felt clammy and hopeless. All my feeling left me. I was a shell of bad memories. My father despised me. My mother never loved me. My brother thought I was worth nothing. 

There was a distorted whooshing, and Potter's face started to lift toward the creature against his efforts to pull away. It moved closer to us. I cowered.

Then, the figure next to me shot up, holding out his wand. A blast of white light came out of it, like a shield, and with a muffled shriek, the cloaked creature disappeared. But I was more focused on Potter's twisted face and pale skin. 

"Potter... Potter..." I said frantically, shaking his arm. He dropped to the floor.

We had lifted him up onto the seat as Professor Lupin had told us too. The man who had saved us, from whatever that was, looked older then I initially thought, but maybe it was because of how tired he seemed. He had dark circles under his eyes and wrinkles that seemed out of place.

Potter's eyes finally cracked open, and I wordlessly handed him his glasses.

"Thanks you," he said quietly. 

"Here. Eat this. It'll help," Professor Lupin advised, holding out a piece of candy bar. When Potter hesitated, he insisted. "It's all right. It's only chocolate."

Potter took it and sat up slowly. "Wha- what was that thing... that came?"

"It was a dementor," Professor Lupin answered grimly. "One of the guards of Azkaban. It's gone now. It was searching the train for Sirius Black. If you'll excuse me, I need to have a a little word with the conductor." And he got up and left.

"What happened to me?" Potter asked shakily.

"Well, you sort of went rigid," Weasley said. "We thought maybe you were having a fit or something."

"And- and did any of you..." Potter trailed off, obviously asking if he was the only one that went unconscious.  

"No. I felt weird though. Like I'd never be cheerful again," Weasley answered once more.

"But someone was screaming," Potter swallowed. "A woman."

"No one was screaming, Harry," I said worriedly.