As the train rattled along, Dioleh began getting more and more annoyed with the other Slytherins in the compartment. They were all loud, boisterous, and too cocky for their own good. Well, Draco was. Zabini was certainly arrogant, but he was quieter while Crabbe and Goyle simply agreed with whatever Draco said. Finally, Dioleh got up, grabbed Imani's hand and left the compartment.
"I was about to murder them all," she admitted. Imani laughed. The two had already changed into their robes before the boys had shown up, so they decided to just find another compartment. Most of them were full of either people they didn't know or people they didn't like, but at long last, Dioleh spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting with an adult who appeared to be fast asleep. "Hey," she said, sliding open the compartment. "Room for two more?"
"Sure," Hermione replied. "Where were you sitting before?"
"Malfoy crashed our compartment," Imani said, sitting next to Harry while Dioleh sat next to Hermione. Harry was staring at Imani awkwardly almost as if he was in a trance, causing Dioleh and Hermione to raise their eyebrows at him. He cleared his throat before looking back at the group at large, his cheeks slightly pink.
Leaning over Harry and Imani, Ron looked out the window and remarked, "We must be nearly there." It was completely dark outside. Not a moment after, the train began to rattle to a stop.
"We can't be there yet," Hermione said, checking her watch.
"So why're we stopping?" Ron asked. With a jolt, the train came to a stop. Just as Dioleh opened her mouth to suggest they go and see what was going on, the lights all suddenly went out.
"This is silly," Dioleh said finally, getting to her feet. Just as she came to face the compartment door, it rolled open. Instantly, Dioleh staggered back, feeling like she was about to scream or be sick. Or both. The thing breathed, sending a harsh wave of cold. Instantly, Dioleh's mind ran away from her. She saw in her mind's eye as her father was murdered. Then, she saw as her father led her through the water, trying to shield her eyes from the bodies of their tribe floating downward to the rocks below.
Finally, a memory she didn't know she had. Her mother's corpse on the shore as she cried over the body. Dioleh felt hot tears fall down her cheeks as she fell to the ground, her breath suspended in her chest as more tears fell down her face. Someone wrapped their arms around her as a hazy figure stepped in front of her. She still couldn't breathe and finally, she passed out.
⥖✦✧⦽✧✦⥗
When Dioleh woke up, it was to see that the train was moving again and the lights were back on. Everyone was holding bits of chocolate. Imani and Hermione were the firsts to notice she was awake. Just as she was sitting up, the compartment door opened. "Are you okay?" Andre asked, looking between the two sirens. Imani nodded but Dioleh was still dazed.
"What was that thing?" she groaned, holding her head. She briefly closed her eyes, but the moment she did, her heart rate picked up and she saw her parents. With a sharp intake of breath, she opened her eyes again.
"One of the dementors," Andre explained.
"I don't get it," Harry said, wiping sweat off his forehead. "What happened?"
"I thought you were having a fit or something," Ron said. "You both went sort of ridged and fell down and Dioleh started crying or having a panic attack or something."
"It was looking for Sirius Black," Andre explained. He looked paler than ever.
"But did any of you - er - fall out of your seats?" Harry asked awkwardly.
"Forget it, Potter," Andre said in an understanding tone. "I almost passed out. You're not the only one and well, you just heard what happened to Marl- Granger."
As they were talking, a man appeared in the doorway, the same one that had been sitting asleep in the corner before. Looking around with a small smile, he said, "I haven't poisoned the chocolate, you know." He moved over to his trunk and got out some more. Handing it out to Dioleh and Andre, the only ones who hadn't gotten some before, he said, "We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes. Are you all right, Harry?"
"Fine," he said, his cheeks slightly heated from embarrassment. Dioleh took a bite of the chocolate, still shaking, and felt some warmth spread through her, but she couldn't get those images out of her head.
"And you?" he asked, glancing at Dioleh. She merely nodded, still feeling too sick to speak.
The moment they got out of the carriages outside the school, Dioleh heard Draco hiss with glee in his voice, "You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted."
"Shut the hell up, Malfoy," Dioleh snapped viciously, not having the patience to deal with him. He seemed for a moment to cower but covered it with a scoff and moved on.
"Ms. Marlow," Professor Snape said, approaching the group. "A word." Waving to the others, she followed behind as he led her to his office. Turning to face her, he remarked, "Professor Lupin sent an owl informing me you were taken ill on the train. What happened?"
"It was the dementor," Dioleh explained. "But, I'll be fine."
"Very well then," he replied. "That is all." As Dioleh walked with Snape to the Great Hall, she reflected that while Professor Snape was cold and often cruel, he did seem to care. For Slytherins, anyway. She took her seat next to Imani who had thankfully managed to sit far away from the cursed quartet.
Just as she had sat down, Dumbledore stood up and said, "Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast. As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business..."