O, CURSED CHILD. ﹙ harry potter ﹚

𝐈𝐈𝐈 ━━ Dementors

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window. The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down. "Great. I'm starving. I want to get to the feast. . . ." 

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch. 

"So why are we stopping?"

Elara had no idea why, call it intuition, but something didn't feel right. The train was getting slower and slower. as the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows. Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.  

"What the bloody ― "

"What's going on?" 

Elara was cut off by Ron, who by the sounds of it was in front of her.

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

"D'you think we've broken down?" said Harry.

"It can't be," said Elara aloud.

"What do you think it is then?" bit Ron.

"I don't know," wondered Elara warily, "but it can't be good." 

She wiped the window behind her, and some light filtered in. 

"It seems like people are boarding, but I've got this horrible feeling. . . ."

The compartment door suddenly opened.

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry —" 

"Hullo, Neville," said Harry. 

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?" 

"No idea! Sit down —"

There were a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks. 

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. 

Elara heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.

"Who's that?"               

"Who's that?" 

"Ginny?" 

"Hermione?" 

"What are you doing?" 

"I was looking for Ron —" 

"Come in and sit down —" 

"Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!" 

"Ouch!" said Neville. 

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Elara could hear movements in his corner. None of them spoke. There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

"Stay where you are," he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.

But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Elara's eyes darted downward, and what she saw made her stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in the water. . . .