THE TRUTH UNTOLD | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

𝘃𝗶𝗶 | 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗴𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀

  Ginny was pale and looked petrified. 'Why would one be on the train?'

  'Dementors,' Gwen said, eyes staring straight ahead but unseeing. 'Are Azkaban guards. They're horrible. I never realised how--' she inhaled shakily. 'Dad said they're put in Azkaban to guard prisoners to punish them...' She hadn't realised she was still trembling. Hermione put her arm around her.

  'They're looking for Sirius Black,' she went on. 'You're not supposed to be able to escape from Azkaban with dementors there.' The chocolate was beginning to melt in her fingers. The others had already eaten theirs. Harry managed a bite.

  'But did any of you-- fall off your seats?' said Harry awkwardly.

  'No,' said Ron, looking at Harry anxiously. 'Gwen was shaking like mad, though...'

  Gwen swallowed uncomfortably. Tom's image was still ingrained into her brain, a mould creeping upwards and tainting her vision. She shivered again and Hermione tightened her arm around her.

  Professor Lupin came back then, glancing around the compartment.

  'I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know,' he said, looking at Gwen. Even though she didn't have the stomach for it, she took a small bite, and was surprised to feel warmth enveloping her cold limbs. She ate the slab, feeling much better at the end.

  'We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes,' Lupin said. 'Are you two alright?'

  Gwen managed a small, unconvincing smile, and nodded.

  'Fine,' Harry murmured beside her.

  The rest of the journey was quiet, each taking it in turns to go to the bathrooms to change into their robes. Ron and Hermione were keeping watchful eyes on both Gwen and Harry, but Gwen was more focused on the latter. She had been affected by the dementor, of course, but Harry had taken it the worst, it seemed.

  Eventually, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station and there was a great scramble to get onto the platform. Gwen let Orion out of his cage when they stepped onto the platform, who, before disappearing into the night sky, gave her a gentle nuzzle with his beak. It was freezing and pouring rain and Gwen wished she'd brought a hat or a thicker coat. Ginny disappeared into the crowd with one of her second year friends, but Neville stuck with Gwen, Harry, Ron and Hermione, Trevor the toad croaking from beneath his hat.

  'Firs' years! Firs' years this way!'

  The familiar, booming voice brought a warmth to Gwen's chest. She, Harry, Ron and Hermione all turned, squinting through the rain to see Hagrid's massive outline on the other end of the platform, beckoning terrified looking first years toward him for their traditional journey across the lake.

  'Alright, you lot?' Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him but had no chance to speak because the mass of people was shoving them away along the platform. Gwen, Harry, Ron and Hermione followed the rest of school out onto the mud track where stagecoaches awaited.

  Gwen found herself staring at the coaches. In front of each one, there was a giant, skeletal horse with huge leathery wings. She nervously approached with the others, eyes fixated on the creatures. She wanted to ask what they were but nobody else seemed phased. Given what had happened on the train, she didn't want to be the only one who didn't know what the creatures were; it would just fuel her humiliation.

  They'd lost Neville in the throng, so the four of them climbed into the first empty one they found, and when the door shut behind them, the coach set off, pulled by the great, skeletal horses. It smelled faintly of mould and old paper inside, and Gwen realised this was her first time ever riding in one. She'd missed it last year due to arriving in the flying car.