Elysian Potter: The Forgotten Queen

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Dementor

She left her trunks with the conductor, who was loading them as quickly as he could, and made her way towards the Slytherin sections of the compartments. Draco, Daphne, Blaise and Neville were waiting for her while trying to avoid any topic relating to Sirius Black.

"You can talk about it," said Elysian, snuggling in the middle of Blaise and Neville. "You don't need to avoid the topic in fear of offending me."

Everyone was instantly rather bashful.

"We just don't want to offend you," said Blaise, trying not to grin as Elysian rested her head on his shoulder. "We know how close you are to him."

The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wider and darker while the clouds overhead thickened. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment.

At one o'clock the plump witch with the food trolley arrived at the compartment. Blaise was quick to grab a few Cauldron Cakes and Sugar Quills, passing them around to Elysian and Neville, while Draco disappeared along with Crabbe and Goyle.

"How much do you want to bet Draco's going to harass Potter?" asked Neville.

"I'm not betting on those odds," said Elysian with a grin.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet further north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering grey, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but no one seemed to care.

"We must be almost there," said Neville, leaning forward to look out the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.

"What's happening? We can't have arrived already."

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind an rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

Daphne, who was nearest to the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking out of their compartments.

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.

Blaise kept a tight hold on Elysian's waist when he felt her try and stand. It was Daphne, though, who had the best idea as she pulled out her wand and cast a quick: "Lumos!" illuminating the entire room.

"What's happening?" asked Neville.

He was trying to clear the window and gasped at what he saw when he looked outside.

"Neville?"

"There's something coming aboard!"

"Don't you mean someone?" asked Daphne, her lip quivering slightly.

"People don't float."

Elysian immediately pulled Daphne further into the compartment and motioned for Neville to sit down as well. Neville, however, didn't do as she suggested and instead made his way towards the door with his own wand lit up so he could see.

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

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by Neville's shaking wand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Elysian's eyes darted downwards, and what she saw made her stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, greyish, slimy-looking and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water...