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CHAPTER ONE
deadly dementors
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JULIET AND HER BEST FRIENDS, Kate Troy and Callum Martin, were sitting happily in one of the many carriages of the Hogwarts Express, laughing and talking like friends do. They were discussing their new upcoming subjects they had chosen to take in their third year, wondering who was going to be the first to get a detention this year. To no one's surprise, their other best friend, William Dawson, had his nose buried in a particularly thick-looking book.
Their joyous conversation was brought to an abrupt halt when the train began to slow, unusually early in their journey to the school.
"Why is the train stopping? We can't possibly be there yet," Juliet asked, very confused as she watched the window fog up and freeze.
"I don't know, or care, I'm starving!" Callum said, with a ravenous look on his face.
"How? You just ate three pumpkin pasties like twenty minutes ago!" Kate said, rolling her eyes.
"I'm a growing boy!"
"Is that why you haven't even grown an inch this summer?"
"I've grown at least three!"
"We have ages to go until we make it to Hogwarts, I don't know why we've stopped." William said, interrupting Kate before she could retort back to Callum.
The four friends listened silently as the train slowed down and the sound of the pistons died away. The sound of the rain pounding the windows was more prominent now that the train had stopped.
"I'll go look outside to see if anyone else knows what's happened," Juliet said, beginning to stand up. She walked over to the compartment door and slid it open; she peeked her head out of the compartment, only to find various others doing the same; it seemed that no one else knew why the train had stopped either. Juliet found herself locking eyes with none other than Harry Potter, who appeared to be in a few compartments down from her. Giving him a brief smile, she pulled her head back into the compartment.
Closing the compartment door, Juliet shuddered as she felt the temperature decrease unusually quickly.
"It's so cold! I wonder—" Callum began, but was cut off by the lights in their compartment going out, plunging them into darkness.
A creaking sound made Juliet and her friends whip their heads round. Bewildered, they watched, as much as they could make out in the dark, as the door of their compartment slowly jerked back open again.
Juliet felt her stomach jolt as she felt around for her wand, and muttered 'lumos' when she had found it. William did the same and they both simultaneously lifted their arms up to illuminate who had opened the door.
But it wasn't who had opened the door, it was what. What had opened the door seemed to be a creepy, dark-cloaked figure. Its hand still laid on the edge of the compartment door, Juliet saw its twig-like fingers; they looked as decayed and black as a corpse that had been rotting for over centuries. The four friends could only scramble backwards as far away as possible, their backs hitting the far end wall of the compartment.
They watched, horrified, as the thing beneath the hood began sucking in a long, intense, rattling breath, like it was trying to suck in more than the air in the room.
An intense cold swept over them. A cold like no other. One that flipped their insides and doused them in a chill from head to toe.
It was over faster than they could blink. The lights had turned back on and the creature had gone. Juliet didn't notice her eyes were closing until she snapped them wide open again.
"What was that?" Callum asked, his voice shaking.
"A dementor." Kate said, hugging her arms around herself.
"They're probably looking for my dad." Juliet said in a low voice, venom evident in her tone. She sat looking at the empty night sky through the icy window, avoiding having to look at any of her friends' eyes.
Her friends turned sharply to Juliet's direction. They knew who Juliet's father was, the notorious mass murderer, Sirius Black, because they were the only ones Juliet had trusted to tell. However, after the initial confession to who her father was in second year, Juliet's friends never heard her speak about him again, up until now.
There was an awkward silence in which her friends shared uneasy glances between each other, not knowing what to say.
Juliet sat looking at the heavy rain splattering against the window, avoiding having to look at any of her friends' eyes. She didn't want to think about her father longer than she had to.
The four of them didn't talk much more for the remainder of the journey, and very much rushed out of their compartment, with all their luggage and pets, once it had been announced that they had arrived. It was still raining, and they all hurried towards the horseless carriages that escort them to Hogwarts.
William began reading his book again, and the other three just sat in silence, all deep into their own thoughts. In what felt like no time at all, they arrived at Hogwarts.
Once they had disembarked from the carriages, Kate led the way through the vast oak doors, into the entrance hall lined with flaming torches. They followed the crowd into the Great Hall, where Kate waved goodbye to them to take a seat next to Blaise Zabini at the Slytherin table. William did the same and went to sit next to Anthony Goldstein at the Ravenclaw table. This left Callum and Juliet to go to the Hufflepuff table, but before Juliet could take another step, she heard her name being called from behind her,
"Juliet!"
Juliet whirled her head around to see who it was. She was very surprised to see that it was Hermione Granger, pushing through the crowd to get to her.
"Hermione?" Juliet said, confused.
"Professor McGonagall wants to talk to you, come with me," Hermione said, slightly out of breath.
"We've been here for like five minutes, how are you in trouble already?" Callum laughed, shaking his head at her.
"I don't know!" Juliet said throwing her arms up, also laughing, "Well, see you later,"
"I'll save you a seat," Callum said, with a smile.
Juliet followed Hermione back out of the Great Hall and up the large marble staircase, racking her brain to find what she possibly could have done to get her in trouble so early in the year.
"Don't be worried, Professor McGonagall already told us we're not in trouble. She said she just wants to talk to all of us," Hermione explained as she knocked on the door to Professor McGonagall's office, seeing the bemused look on Juliet's face.
"Wait, all of us?"
Juliet's question was immediately answered when the door in front of them was opened, revealing Professor McGonagall stood looking very stern, and Madam Pomfrey behind her feeling a boy's forehead.
"Good, you're here, Miss Blanchard, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said, motioning them inside and closing the door behind them. The boy turned his head around quickly and once again Juliet locked eyes with none other than Harry Potter. What was he doing here?
"I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?" Madam Pomfrey said to Harry, feeling his pulse.
"It was a dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall. Juliet saw Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey exchange a dark look.
"Setting dementors around a school," she muttered disapprovingly, grabbing Harry's wrist and feeling his pulse. "He won't be the last one who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate."
"I'm not delicate!" said Harry crossly, going red in the face.
"Of course you're not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly.
"I'm fine!" said Harry, jumping up, when Professor McGonagall suggested that he should stay in the hospital wing overnight.
"Well, he should have some chocolate, at the very least," said Madam Pomfrey.
"I've already had some," said Harry. "Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us."
Her uncle Remus had been on the train and Juliet didn't even know? She had forgotten he was going to begin working at Hogwarts this year and felt guilty that she hadn't gone to greet him.
"Are you sure you feel alright, Potter?" Professor McGonagall said sharply. Harry nodded.
"Very well, I just need a word with Miss Blanchard, then discuss Miss Granger's course timetable with her. After, we can all go down to the feast together," Professor McGonagall said. Harry, Hermione, and Madam Pomfrey left, leaving Juliet in the office alone with Professor McGonagall.
"I know you must be confused as to why I called you here," she began, "I just wanted to ask you if you need any support, Miss Blanchard."
Juliet just stared at her.
"I know your father's escape must have caused you great unease, but I assure you, this castle is protected as strongly as possible by the headmaster," Professor McGonagall continued.
Of course, thought Juliet, she should have expected it. Of course this is what she had been called to discuss. It was inevitable, her father's infamous reputation made sure of that. She just nodded silently at Professor McGonagall.
"Oh," was all Juliet said.
"Are you okay, Juliet?" Professor McGonagall said, in a soft tone Juliet had never heard her use before.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, Professor," she replied, staring very hard and the pot of ink open on McGonagall's desk.
"If you're sure," Professor McGonagall said, unconvinced, "You know, my office door is always open, if you ever need anything,"
Juliet nodded again, "Thank you, Professor,"
Without another word, Juliet left the office and decided to go straight down to the feast, rather than waiting for McGonagall to finish speaking with Hermione: she didn't feel like making conversation with anyone at that moment. She hurried straight past Harry, not giving him a single glance.
This meant that she didn't see the way Harry's face was still a little red from the embarrassment that Juliet had seen him be coddled like a small child by Madam Pomfrey, and that she knew he had collapsed because of a dementor. It wasn't the most ideal first impression he would have liked to give someone he didn't know.
When Juliet entered the Great Hall, she made her way as discreetly as possible toward Callum, who thankfully had taken a seat near the end of the table.
"What did McGonagall want?" Callum whispered, once Juliet had sat down.
"She just wanted to ask me if I needed anything, you know, because of my dad," Juliet explained bitterly. Callum tensed at this.
"Hey, did I tell you my uncle Remus is our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor?" Juliet said, changing the subject.
"Wait really? He's definitely going to be a lot better than Lockhart," Callum said, relieved, as he thought about their last, very egotistical, professor.
"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, interrupting their conversation. "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...."
Juliet wasn't paying attention to whatever Dumbledore was saying, instead fiddling with the napkin in front of her. She thought about all the ways her father could interrupt the school year. He surely wouldn't be able to come to Hogwarts, right?
"On a happier note," Dumbledore continued, bringing Juliet back to reality, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.
First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was some dull, lukewarm applause around the Great Hall, but Juliet cheered loudly and clapped vigorously, nudging Callum to do the same. Lupin caught her eye and gave her a warm smile and wink.
"As to our second new appointment," Professor Dumbledore continued, "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."
Juliet and Callum joined in with the applause, which was most boisterous at the Gryffindor table.
"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"
Juliet's troubles were soon forgotten when all the different glorious food appeared in front of her. She ate and spoke happily with Callum, along with Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan, her fellow classmates.
Soon enough, it was time to head to their dormitories to turn in for the night, and with her stomach comfortably full, she fell asleep in her bed in the familiar warmth of the Hufflepuff dormitory.
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author's note!
it's finally back up!!!
I'm visiting family for like the entire summer holidays and I don't know how much I'll be able to write and publish but I hope that slowly but surely these chapters will be up again soon!!
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