Title: Ghost Train
Author: Grevola
Rating/Word Count: PG, 1200 words
Notes: Don't own HP or GW. Part of the Sorting Hat Arc. At the beginning of the third year the train is searched by a dementor, with unfortunate results.

-_-_-_-

When the Hogwarts Express came to an unexpected stop on the way to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, third year student Draco Malfoy was in the wrong place at a bad time. Draco had stopped in to see his sometimes-friends, sometimes-enemies Quatre Winner, Duo Maxwell and Trowa Barton. So far the trip had been going well, and Draco figured that as long as Quatre never found out that his father was indirectly behind the attacks on the Mudbloods last year, everything would be fine.

They'd been discussing their Care of Magical Creatures books and speculating on what sort of class it would be when the train slowly came to a halt. Before they could figure out quite what was going on, all the lights in the train car went out and the temperature seemed to plummet as though it were chasing a Snitch. Trowa summoned a light from his wand and set it to hovering in the middle of the car, but even that was feeble and dim.

Draco wished he hadn't, because a few minutes later, as though it'd been summoned by the glow, the door to their car was filled with the huge cloaked shadow of a dementor. The young Slytherin had never seen one of the guards of Azkaban in person before, and the experience was not one he ever wished to repeat. Every rattling breath it took seemed to suck the warmth from the air and the joy from his bones. He found himself thinking of every horrible thing that had ever happened to him. Not the petty slights of school, but the deeper hurts that only those you love are able to inflict. It was horrible.

But as bad as Draco felt, he knew instantly that his companions were fairing far worse. Trowa's normally passive expression went wooden, more blank than Draco had thought possible, and in its own way it was as bad as the feeling caused by the dementor. The taller boy clutched his arms around himself so tightly his fingers were white, and he began rocking slightly back and forth. Quatre also curled in on himself, with his hands clasped over his heart and his face twisted up in pure anguish, like he was trying to scream but no sound would come out.

Duo went very still for a moment, and then he exploded. His arms and legs went every which way, like he was trying to fight off the train car, the dementor, and anyone who might happen to be in the same county. Because Draco was sitting right next to him, he got a split lip and a bruised shin before he managed to put some distance between them. By then the dementor had left their compartment, drifting off down the car, sniffing and sucking at the air as it went.

Duo kept flailing for a few seconds, and then he seemed to just collapse in his seat, gasping with his eyes scrunched tightly shut. Trowa was sweaty and pale, trembling in his seat and staring blankly at the boy across from him. But Quatre was the one who most worried Draco. He was still clutching his chest, his jaw now slack and his eyes wide and staring. For a long second Draco thought the other boy must have died, killed by the horrible feelings drawn out by the dementor. Then he realized the other blond was drawing slow, labored breaths. He wasn't dead yet, but Draco feared that unless he got help soon he still might die.

Before he could think what he was doing, he ran across the aisle to the car opposite. He didn't even glance at who was inside before he gasped out his message, "Help! Quick! Winner, dying, someone help!"

Then he realized where he was. Most of the Gryffindor Quidditch team was in the compartment, staring at him as though he'd grown another head. Both Weasleys, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Lee Jordan were crowded into the compartment, looking pale. There was no love lost between the Quidditch team and Draco, and under normal circumstances braving their compartment alone would be asking for some nasty hexing. However, this was about as far from normal circumstances as Draco had ever been. If nothing else the Weasley twins were looking pale and serious under their freckles and Angelina "The Amazon" Johnson was crying.

For a second he thought they were going to kill him, but they didn't even touch him. Instead, the twins marched solemnly across the corridor to check on Quatre while Jordan went off yelling in his carrying voice for a prefect. Johnson surprised him by putting a tender arm around him and settling him on a seat next to her and Spinnet. The dark chaser kept murmuring "There, there, it'll all be okay. Here, have a Chocolate Frog. It'll all be okay."

"A Chocolate Frog?"

"My mother says they always make her feel better."

And so Draco found himself nibbling on the proffered frog, and wondering what had happened to his friends. Slowly, as he ate the chocolate, the numb feeling began to lift and warmth seemed to seep from his fingertips to his toes. As his mental clarity returned it brought with it all the aches and pains that told him Duo hadn't been holding back when he'd started thrashing. He winced when Spinnet dabbed at his split lip with a handkerchief.

"Leave off, I'm fine," he snarled, but he didn't protest too hard when she just tutted and kept fussing over him.

A few minutes later the shabby teacher from Potter's car poked his head into their compartment and fixed him with a hard stare. "Are you Mr. Winner's friend?" he asked.

"Yes sir," he managed.

The man nodded, "Good of you to get help so quickly. Finish your chocolate, and come to the other car please."

Draco scowled at the candy, wondering what it had to do with anything, but finished it quickly before moving into the other car. Quatre was laid out on one of the bench seats, his skin so pale it was almost translucent. Trowa was crouched next to him, taking his pulse. Duo had found some ice and was putting it on his split knuckles. He offered a second ice pack to Draco as he came in.

"Sorry," Duo said, "It's just... I thought I was somewhere else."

He ignored Duo's apology for the moment, "How's Quatre?"

"He'll be all right after some hot chocolate and some rest," the professor said, "But two students passing out on one train... I'll have to tell the headmaster about this.

"You boys, I want all of you to eat two more chocolate frogs each, and try to get some into your friend. It will help with the after effects of the dementors. Now, I'll be in the last car looking over Mr. Potter. Mr. Barton, you'll call for me if your friend doesn't improve soon."

Trowa nodded from where he was taking Quatre's other vitals, and Draco found himself nodding as well. "We'll be sure to call for you professor..."

The older man smiled, re-arranging the odd scars on his face, "Of course, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Remus Lupin, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Draco Malfoy," he found himself saying. "I'm one of Quatre's friends."