Dark Magic

Lupin

I turned back to face the trio behind me, who had just came onto the train after myself and Ginny. They looked a little saddened, as though history was repeating itself from the year before for Hermione, and Harry and Ron were being robbed of their friend/sister. I spun back as my eyes met those of Draco's. He forced a smile, nodding slightly in acknowledgement of my decision, "I'll see you at the feast."

I smiled in return, "Thanks, Draco." As he began making his way back down the cart. Everyone had boarded now, and the train would be leaving at any moment. 

"Come on. Everywhere else is full." Hermione stated, as she opened the very last compartment door. A figure sat by the window, and had I not seen the man's feet poking out from under his cloak, I could have easily mistaken him for a black blob perched on the seat. It was a squeeze, as Hermione's cat liked to take up the most space of the-now five-of us.

"I can't believe you almost forgot that blasted rat!" Harry chuckled lightly, as I looked down towards Ron's palm, where sat the ugly, garden rat. Trying not to let my face show my feelings too much, I took a seat next to the sleeping man, grabbing a book from my backpack.

"Who do you think that is?" Ron scoffed, sitting opposite the man.

"That is a teacher." I spoke in his defence, turning to the glossary page in my book. Hermione sighed, taking a seat beside Ron as Harry sandwiched me into my seat. "Professor R J Lupin." She read out.

Ron sent us both a look of disbelief, "You know everything! How is it she knows everything!?", my eyes drifting from the page momentarily as a smirk made its way across my lips. Hermione sighed, pointing towards the shelf above our seats where a case was sitting.

"It's on his suitcase, Ronald!" She chimed sarcastically, causing a small chuckle to emit from me. "Oh," the red-headed boy sighed, clutching his rat tight to his chest.

"Do you think he's asleep?" Harry queried. Hermione shrugged, "He seems to be, why?"

My brother got up from his seat, closing the compartment door swiftly, "I've got to tell you something..."

Harry then resumed to tell Ron and Hermione of what we had been told by both Professor Snape and Mr Weasley regarding Sirius Black: how he was likely looking for us, due to the part our family played in Voldemort's downfall nearly twelve years ago.

30 minutes of me reading my book that I had found about Legillimency had passed, before Harry had finished explaining what had happened. Although, Ron was still struggling to come to terms with it all. "Let me get this straight: Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban to come after you?" He spoke in concern and disbelief, eyeing us both. 

I glanced up from the book for a brief moment, before averting my gaze back to it. Hermione shook her head from the corner of my eye, "But they'll catch Black, won't they? I mean, everyone's looking for him."

I closed the book swiftly, putting it back into my bag as Ron began to speak, "Sure! Except, no-one's ever broken out of Azkaban before...And he's a murderous, raving lunatic."

My arms crossed, as my eyebrow raised unimpressed, "Not helpful, Ron." I spat, causing my brother to scoff in disbelief from beside me. "Yeah, thanks Ron."

Before our conversation had a chance to resume, however, the train let out a loud shriek, the brakes ceasing on. Hermione expressed a nervous breath, "Why are we stopping? We can't be there yet."

Harry rose from the seat next to me, opening the compartment door. The lights flickered momentarily, the train thudding and throwing my brother back into his seat beside me, the compartment door slamming shut once more.

"What's Going On!?" Ron exclaimed, worriedly clinging onto his pet tighter.

 Harry attempted to reassure us all, "I don't know. Maybe we've broken down?" The train came to a standstill, the lights shutting off entirely as we found ourselves plunged into complete darkness. The rain outside continued to stream down the windows, as I took my brother's hand and held onto it tight. 

Hermione hissed, as Ron shuffled towards the window, pressing his hand and cheek against it the glass. "Ouch, Ron! That was my foot!"

The red-headed boy ignored her comment and as I, too, glanced out of the window, I felt my eyes were playing tricks on me as a black figure swooped past in the distance: too quick for me to point out.

"There's something moving out there!" Ron breathed, the fear evident in his voice. I nodded, "I saw it, too." I whispered. Harry gave my hand a slight squeeze, comforting me slightly in those moments of pitch black.

The train jolted once more, as though it was trying to move forth but something was preventing it from doing so. I let out a nervous pant, noticing my breath catching in the cold air in front of me. The temperature dropped too quick for any of us to handle and I hugged my thin, summer raincoat tighter to my chest with my remaining hand.

I glanced up at the window, as the rain outside turned to ice, freezing over as the reflection of the moon allowed a small amount of light to filter through. The bottle of water that belonged to our new Professor froze over: whatever was causing the drop in temperature was coming from inside the train, not outside...

Clangs and crashes of metal pounded from the underneath of the train, as it fought to bring itself back to life, once again. "Do you think it's him?" I spoke, my voice breaking as my tearful eyes met my brothers. He shook his head, adamantly, "No, Em. Everything's gonna be alright."

The train threw us all back, Ron's hand coming unstuck from the glass as he let out a small cry, "Bloody Hell! What's Happening!?"

I gasped, looking back towards the compartment doorway as a black figure emitted from the darkness. Silence echoed through the compartment, as the creature floated like a spectre above the ground, several feet tall, at least.

It had a black, ragged cloak draping over its entire body, as it closed the gap between itself and the compartment door. A spindly hand reached slowly and sinisterly towards the handle, allowing it to open. A low and hollow groan emitted from the creature, its skeletal hand clamping over the door frame; it looked like rotted flesh was hanging from it, the bones underneath protruding out from under its cloak.

Another creature appeared beside it, identical, as they both peered into our compartment door, moaning like a phantom from your worst nightmares. I felt breathless, as though my entire chest had closed up and my heart ceased to keep my blood pumping throughout my whole body. The world around me stopped, as I found myself robbed entirely of my senses. I could only focus on one thing; the monsters that lurked in front of me.

The creatures withdrew a deep, deadly, coarse breath, before I felt my life being sucked from me entirely. Every bad memory I ever had flashed before my eyes; every feeling I had ever felt in those worst moments in my life overwhelming my entire body. I couldn't see or hear anything else, being completely blinded in the fear and dread and hate...And as I felt myself slipping into darkness I only found myself hearing one thing: a small voice in the back of my head...A monotonous voice, that gave me the greatest feeling of comfort and happiness I could will myself to remember. A loving voice...Before the world around me became engulfed in a white light...Then darkness, once more...