The air was colder than past years on the first of September; the train whistle went off several times as kids rushed aboard the Hogwarts express. Riley Austin had been sitting on the train for some time; she watched out the window, a smile crossed her scared face seeing first years rushing to the train in a panic. She sat alone in the compartment, it being her fourth year at Hogwarts she was set ready for anything to come.
“My gosh!” A familiarly voice called, stepping up to the doorway. Riley looked over meeting her good friend Amy Willow. “I don’t think I’ve seen this many first years….ever...” Amy said sitting down across from Riley; Amy wore the Hogwarts Ravenclaw uniform. Riley simple smiled at her friend; Amy and she had been friends from first year. At that time Amy had been so shy she could barely stand having to sit in a chair and look at everyone. If anyone was going to tease Amy about anything it would be about what the sorting hat said:
“Good mind, very creative…Why you unlike others are not thinking of anything…Why you just want to get out of this chair. Would you wish me to hurry along? Oh but I can take all day sorting someone when I have no idea what they want, I mean…You are strong, and can be brave; but you are cunning and resourceful!” The hat paused as it looked through her mind, tears filled her eyes “Why, you are so scared to be in front of people, we shall put you out of your way, Ravenclaw!”
Amy had overcome talking in small groups, but she still couldn’t stand in front of a class. Amy starting talking about her great summer; Riley couldn’t help but be jealous, she had an older brother who raised her from sixteen on. Both her parents went to work in the wars by the time she was four. It was a huge blow when a letter came to them telling them that both parents had been killed; she was a year away from her going to Hogwarts. But at the time she hadn’t even the slightest knowing of it, but by the time her eleventh birthday came it was nice for her brother to have a life for a while. She went and stayed at with her brother every summer, but now Riley started feeling unwelcome because of her brother’s new girlfriend.
“Hello; Earth to Riley!” Amy called snapping her fingers several times in front of Riley’s face.
“Yeah, sorry--”
“Amy, why are you sitting with this Slytherin? I mean I’d be mad at you for sitting with any of them, but she’s an outcast in her own house.” Interrupted Eric Godwin also a Ravenclaw; both Amy and Riley met Eric in first year before being sorted Eric was nice to Riley but turned on her when her blood-states got out.
“Eric, mind your own bees-wax, you were nice to her! I don’t understand what difference it is what house she’s in; and anyways, because of her being an outcast in Slytherin we should at least give her somewhere she is accepted!” Amy was always fighting with Eric; they were so close, great friends but had some rough patches. Eric was nice to Riley most of the time, but he had to throw in some comment.
“Ouch, Amy you hurt Eric bad!” Laughed Edmund Shaw; Edmund was Eric’s best friend, they were always together only being separated by houses. Edmund was in Gryffindor which in Eric’s mind was where he was meant to be sorted into also. Amy just simple rolled her brown eyes; brushing her side bangs out of her face.
“If all you two came to do was be rude than you may as well go, anyways your met to be sitting not wondering the train.” Amy looked back and forth between Edmund and Eric waiting for one of them to say something but they just smiled at her; which only lead her to feel awkward and lose nerve.
Before either of the boys could say anything the train came to an abrupt stop. Students started glancing around wondering what was going on. Amy thrown to her feet, glanced to the window to see how far they were to Hogwarts, but the window had frosted over too quickly.
“What happened?” Riley asked, not directed to anyone just aloud.
“How in blood-hell would we know Austin?” Retorted Edmund; Riley just slumped into her seat. Whatever was going on seemed to be delaying her way to the only place that everyone hated her.
Pleased by this idea Riley glanced to them “Why don’t you sit down? Whatever is going on is going on with or without you! Not like you’re going to miss much.” Both looked at her mouths open in a mocking way but closing the compartment door.
“So, how were you’re…” Eric trailed off feeling a cold, bitter breeze crawl over the room, his pleased face seemed to dim into a zombie emotion. No one asked anything or said anything each had the same dull emotion as the next, slowly the compartment door creaked open. A black cloaked skeleton figure flowed into the small compartment; any good feeling was washed out like mud does in the rain. Others passed the door but one stayed looking at each of them. Riley glanced up to look at it, it saw her and moved closer, Riley couldn’t look away. It was as if she was having a staring contest with it, but the thing that scared her the most was it had no eyes. Just a sheet that stuck to its skeleton head, it’s hands reached out towards her as every bad thing that had happened to her swallowed her whole, as it inched closer she could feel her body slowly become heavier and heavier. She reached for any good feeling she had left, to let her last. The others watched now horrified about what stood inches away from them.
“EXPECTO PATRONUM!” A loud voice called sending the monster flying out of the room, a small ball of light seemed to flicker in Riley’s face for a few seconds before it moved but she had little energy; she could feel her body slowly falling like a dolls. “Are you all okay?” a man asked, Amy slightly nodded still too scared to say anything. “Here,” He reached into his pocket and gave each of them a piece of chocolate. “It will help, now I will be back but I need to speak with the driver.” With that the man took off, each sat not saying anything they nibbled on the chocolate.
“W-what was that thing?” Edmund finally asked.
“A dementor, a horrible evil creature; it only seeks to take all good feeling from everything that walks the earth.” Amy spoke in a very low almost depressed voice; glance up from her feet to meet her friends gaze. “Oh Riley, are you alright?” Amy went to her knees looking up at her friend; Riley’s gaze had not changed she just blinked and stared at the spot Amy had just been sitting in. Amy tried to get Riley to talk, or move the whole way to Hogwarts, yet everything she tired had done nothing. Professor Lupin introduced himself and watched as Amy tried to help Riley.
“Amy,” Eric placed a hand on her shoulder “we are here, Professor is going to take her in and try and help her. You did what you could.” Eric pulled her away and wrapped an arm around her to comfort her.
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Professor Dumbledore explained that dementors would be staying with them; well they looked for Sirius Black, but Amy’s mind was worried about her friend. Professor Lupin had taken Riley (or more so carried her) to the hospital wing till dinner was over, and then he was going to get both the headmaster and Professor Snape to help him. Amy was twisting over every little thing that Riley could be thinking of, she had so very little good memories, both her parents went to fight in the war well her brother raised her, she gets a letter a year before going to Hogwarts that both her parents were killed, she is sorted into a house that everyone hates her and every other house things she just another evil Slytherin. Just thinking about it made Amy depressed, how in the world she didn’t give in and break down…It escaped Amy. Eric looked at Amy as she played with her food, he couldn’t help but feel responsible for not doing anything. But what could he have done? They didn’t know any spell to keep themselves safe.
“Amy, not eating isn’t going to help her. She’s strong she’ll be alright, all you can do is be strong for her.” Eric knew that talking the way he was about Riley would only upset Amy more. Amy nodded, Eric wasn’t sure if she was totally listening or not but he left it alone. Eric started small talk with others around them involving Amy. Dinner went rather fast once Amy got into a conversation, Lupin went and whispered to Professor Dumbledore who nodded and called Snape, the three made their way past Amy who quickly stood and chased after them.
“Professor!” Amy called running after them, each turned and looked at her “could I come? I want to see how she is.” Amy looked worried; Snape looked at Lupin as did Dumbledore.
“We will meet you there Professor.” Dumbledore said waving for Snape to continue with him. Lupin let out a sigh.
“Ms. Willow I fully understand how you are worried, but I feel you shouldn’t I don’t know how well she is or how badly she is. If she is not well, which I’m sure she is, I wouldn’t want you being tossing and turning all night about how badly she is.” Amy went to protest but the professor just shook his head. “It wouldn’t be fair; you need to focus on your learning. Now I have to go, please head to bed Ms. Willow.” Lupin turned and rushed away.
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“She isn’t going to come out well; she is in her own kind of coma. But it’s more so that she is been taken over by the bad things. She needs a potions, which my seventh years will be making tomorrow. I will get the best one for her; she will have to hold out till tomorrow.” Professor Snape told. “It will help her and get her to move and function; I’m not sure how she will act. Dark time can start to corrupt a person.” He looked right at Professor Lupin when he spoke; he had nothing more to say so he left.
“Do you think it will work?” Professor Lupin asked the elderly man.
Dumbledore nodded, “I believe it will, so if I believe than why shouldn’t it?” He looked at Professor Lupin with a smile, “It’s late, we both need sleep she will be fine come, rest is needed.”