While the towers and spires of Hogwarts had not changed, there was a new darkness that draped over the castle. The grey sky was dotted with Dementors, swirling above the grounds.
Explicitly speaking, the Dementors were supposed to stay up there. And although the new Headmaster paid little attention to the Carrows and the misery they inflicted on the students, he made it clear that Dementors were not to enter the castle.
However, that didn't always stop the creatures from slipping into the corridors on occasion.
Theodore Nott started running as soon as goosebumps appeared on his arms, but he wasn't quick enough. The massive shadow was looming over him, turning his blood to ice. His heart stopped beating, or at least, he wanted it to. Bone-chilling nothingness enveloped him completely. Darkness was creeping on the corners of his vision like ink in water.
Then, out of nowhere, a brilliant ball of light. Iridescent blue, and as painful to the eyes as the sun, it swirled around him, banishing both the dementor and the numbness in his extremities. He was able to focus on the light just long enough to see that it was the shape of a rabbit. The figure hopped through the air, before vanishing into the darkness.
His head whipped around hard enough to hurt his neck. A few paces behind him, tucking her wand behind her ear, stood Luna Lovegood. He blinked a few times, just to make sure he wasn't imagining her. The moment he decided that yes, this is real, Luna Lovegood just saved his life- -she was hovering over him, extending a hand.
Theodore's knees were still shaking when she hauled him off the ground. She did not let go of his hand, even after he had steadied himself. He did not tear himself away from her gentle grasp.
When he looked down at her, she was smiling at him. It was a small smile, tight lipped and precariously placed. Much like any other rare smile Theodore had encountered, it didn't quite reach her pale eyes. But there was something different about that half-smile Luna offered.
It was the only one that compelled him to smile back. The shift in his cheeks felt foreign. Her hand squeezed around his hand once, before she disappeared down the hallway.
