The rain had sped up, pelting the windows with droplets and proving it almost impossible to see outside. The lanterns that lined the corridors and hung over the luggage racks flickered on, illuminating the train.
It was rattling, the wind was thunderous, and the rain was pounding, yet Professor Lupin still managed to stay sound asleep.
"We must be barely there," Ron commented, leaning so that he could look out the window. But just as he finished speaking, the train lost speed. "Great. I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."
"We can't be there yet," Hermione protested, holding up her arm to get a look at her watch.
"So why're we stopping?" Ron asked, moving back to his seat and sinking down into the cushions.
The train lost even more of its speed, and then the chugging sound of the pistons faded away entirely.
Now the sound of the rain was even louder than it was before.
Harry got to his feet, peering out into the corridor as the train jolted to a stop. Several thuds followed, telling them that trunks all around them had fallen to the floor. And then the lights went out, flooding the train with suffocating darkness.
Amisty blinked, desperately trying to get her eyes to adjust. Slowly she managed to make out the shadowy figures of everyone in the compartment, and her ears picked up Ron shuffling to his feet as well.
"What's going on?" Ron asked, his voice followed by the sounds of his footsteps.
"Ouch! Ron, that was my foot!" Hermione hissed, moving her legs up so they were up on her seat.
Harry moved back to where had been sitting, his hands reaching blindly for things to hold on to.
So she was the only one who could see... and even then she was mostly blind.
"D'you think we've broken down?" Harry asked, sitting down softly on his chair.
"Dunno..." Ron replied, his voice trailing off as he felt his way back to his own seat.
He wiped his sleeve against the window, wiping away the mist that had covered it.
"There's something moving out there. I think people are coming aboard..." Ron explained, peering out the window.
"Am, your eyes are glowing," Harry exclaimed, pointing toward her.
She looked around, only to get a nod of confirmation from Hermione.
"What d'you mean -- " She started, only to jump as the compartment door opened.
She looked over, barely making out a very scared looking Neville.
"Sorry -- d'you know what's going on? -- Ouch -- sorry -- " He rambled, falling to the ground over Harry's leg.
"Hello, Neville," Harry greeted, his voice strained with pain, pulling the boy up by his cloak.
"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?" Neville asked worriedly.
"No idea -- sit down -- " Harry replied.
There was some shuffling, and then a loud hiss and yelp. Poor Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.
"I'm going to ask the driver what's going on," Hermione decided, getting to her feet and moving toward the door.
She was just about to open the compartment door when it slid open and Ginny walked in.
There was a thud and then two yelps.
"Who's that?" Hermione asked.
"Who's that?" Came Ginny's confused voice.
"Ginny?"
"Hermione?"
"What are you doing?"
"I was looking for Ron -- "
"Come and sit down -- "
"Not here! I'm here!" Harry protested.
"Ouch!" That was Neville.
"Quiet!" Came an unfamiliar voice.
Amisty squinted through the darkness, barely able to make out Professor Lupin shifting around in his corner of the compartment.
He made a strange hand motion, and then there was a flicker and crackle and then he was holding a ball of flames.
"Stay where you are," He ordered, his voice gravelly and hoarse.
The flames in his hands sent shadows against the walls. He got to his feet, moving slowly toward the door.
But once again, it slid open before he reached it.
The person... thing outside it was cloaked in black, it's 'head' almost brushing against the ceiling. Amisty couldn't see its face, even with the added light of the flames.
She examined it, her heart stopping as she saw its hand. It was glistening and grey, like it had rotted away long ago. When it breathed it was shaky, slow, and terrifying as if it wasn't only air it was breathing in.
Cold washed over her, and she dragged her knees up to her chest as her breath quickly became faster and faster.
And then she couldn't breathe, all she could feel was the bitter cold and a heavy sadness in her heart. Tears gathered up in her eyes and she buried her face in her arms, refusing to let her friends see her cry.
All she could see was darkness and the noises inside the compartment seemed muffled, as if she weren't there at all. The one thing she could hear clearly was the sound of crying.
But it wasn't her own, she had made sure of that.
She was quiet.
The sound of crying and yells and chaos. Shadows darted across her vision, the occasional flicker of what seemed to be a ghostly wolf tail and then a flash of green.
Her body was shaking all over no matter how hard she squeezed onto her knees. It seemed as if the harder she tried to hold on the more she started to shake.
There was a soft thump, and a scratching that could only be clothes against carpet.
It was muffled, so it had to be inside the compartment.
"None of us are hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go," Professor Lupin's voice sounded distant, even with her hearing.
It only enhanced her fear more.
She couldn't keep the quiet sob that escaped her mouth. It was small but it sounded thunderous to her, strangled and meek and pathetic.
And then it was gone.
The cold disappeared, the grief and sadness she had felt vanished, but she refused to lift her head up. Lights flickered back on around her, the train started up again.
"Harry! Harry! Are you alright?" That was Ron.
"W-what?" And that was Harry, sounding very shaken up.
She still couldn't bring herself to lift her head, instead just listening for what was going on.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked, his voice coated with concern as he pulled Harry back up to his seat.
Hermione returned to beside Amisty, wrapping her arm around the still crying girl's shoulders. She clung to her friend, burying her face into Hermione's robes.
"Amisty, Amisty, it's okay. It's okay," She whispered softly, pulling her closer to her.
She still couldn't lift her head, ashamed of her tears.
"Yeah. What happened? Where's that -- that thing? Who screamed?" He asked, confused.
"No one screamed," Ron replied steadily, but his tone still held poorly concealed nervousness.
"But I heard screaming -- " Harry started, his voice cut off by a loud snapping noise.
"Here. Eat it, it'll help," Professor Lupin explained, probably the source of the snapping noise.
Hermione moved away from her, only slightly, and when she came back she very gently pressed a piece of chocolate into her hands.
"What was that thing?" Harry asked.
"A dementor. One of the dementors of Azkaban," Professor Lupin replied darkly, his voice followed by the crumpling of paper. "Eat. It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."
"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" Hermione asked, still gently running her hand up and down Amisty's back.
Her tears had slowed, but they still traced their way down her cheeks.
"I don't get it... What happened?" Harry asked the sound of clothing shuffling followed his words.
"Well -- that thing -- the dementor -- stood there and looked around (I mean I think it did, I couldn't see its face -- and you -- you -- " Hermione replied, stumbling over her words and her grip tightening on Amisty.
"I thought you were having a fit or something. You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching -- " Ron began.
"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the dementor, and pulled out his wand and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shout out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away..." Hermione finished.
Amisty moved away slightly, wiping her face with the sleeves of her robes and sitting back down to where she was.
Hermione's arm hadn't left her shoulders, for which she was thankful, and she lowered her head so that they couldn't see her face.
"It was horrible. Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?" Neville asked, his voice a few octaves higher than usual.
"I felt weird. Like I'd never be cheerful again..." Ron replied, nodding and moving his shoulders as if trying to shrug someone off.
Ginny whimpered as well, and Hermione's presence left Amisty's to go comfort her.
She visibly stiffened, tears welling up in her eyes once more and she tightened her grip around her legs.
Her friend was quick to return, however, and now had both her arms around Amisty and Ginny.
"But didn't any of you -- fall off your seats?" Harry asked, sounding very awkward and sheepish.
"No. Ginny was shaking like mad, though, and Amisty..." His voice trailed off and she felt his gaze on her.
Hermione had no doubt sent him a warning glare, and she took in a shuddering breath, still recovering from her crying.
"Amisty, it's okay. You can look up, you're alright, you're safe," Hermione reassured, still rubbing her back comfortingly.
"Am, are you okay?" Harry's voice was shaky, still weak from his fit.
She lifted her head slightly, her heart clenching at his fearful, pale face. All she could manage was a small nod, not trusting her voice to come out properly.
Professor Lupin was quick to return.
"I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..." He sounded slightly amused as his gaze traveled around the compartment.
Hermione bit into her own chocolate before guiding Amisty to eat her's. Once she did, there was a strange warmness that flooded through her body, and finally the tears stopped.
"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes. Are you alright, Harry?" Professor Lupin asked, taking his seat once more.
"Fine," Was Harry's rushed and quiet response.
Amisty was slowly starting to regain her composure, taking deep, shuddering breaths, and constantly wiping her eyes free of tears.
By the time they had reached the station she was entirely calm, her eyes barely even pink anymore.
Her face was still pale, however, and even though her eyes weren't red they were still wide and fearful. When the train finally stopped they rushed toward the exit, Hermione's arm never leaving Amisty for fear of her friend's well being.
They got off, immediately soaked by the sheets of rain.
"Firs' years this way!" Hagrid called, a towering silhouette at the end of the platform with his lantern held up high. He spotted them almost instantly, "All righ', you four?"
They could only wave, the mass of students surrounding them forcing them to move toward the mud track, where the strange black horses were waiting.
So they definitely not a figment of her imagination.
She didn't bring them up, though. If Hermione hadn't seen them then it probably wouldn't be smart to talk about bat looking things after what had just happened on the train. They might send her to the medical wing to see if her mind had managed to stay well after the dementor encounter.
They took a carriage, closed the door, and then they were off to the castle. When they approached the gates, Amisty felt the stinging feeling of tears in her eyes once more and she wiped them away quickly, only managing to muffle her whimper as she huddled closer to Hermione.
Harry was leaning against the side of the carriage, his eyes closed until they passed the gates. Once the carriage stopped, they got out. Amisty clutched to Hermione's hand, not quite knowing what had gotten to her.
She had never cried so much before and she wasn't used to the sensation. It left her feeling weak, powerless, and not at all in control of her body. Her head ached, her throat felt dry and like there was a stone lodged in it, and her stomach was clenched.
Hermione brought her closer to her, whispering reassurances into her ear as they waited for Harry to come down. She had never felt sadder in her life. It was as if the dementor brought up memories she couldn't remember, memories she wouldn't remember.
The ones she had forced away to the back of her mind. So she would never ever have to think about them ever again. And because she had done that, because she had suppressed them and refused to even think of them, now she had no idea why the dementor had such an effect on her. If she had dealt with them, that dementor never would've made her cry.
But she hadn't, and that was her biggest mistake.