Harry and I left his room as a familiar rat and cat ran by our feet. I grabbed his hand and followed the two animals,

"I'm warning you, Hermione, keep that bloody beast of yours away from Scabbers or I'll turn it into a tea cozy!" Ron yelled as we entered the room.

"It's a cat, Ronald! What do you expect? It's in his nature." Hermione replied.

"A cat? Is that what they told you? It looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me." Ron said.

"That's rich, coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush. It's alright, Crookshanks. Just ignore the mean little boy." Hermione responded, petting her cat.

"Harry! Emily!"

"Egypt, huh? What's it like?" I asked.

"Brilliant! Loads of cool stuff. Mummies, tombs. Even Scabbers enjoyed himself." Ron answered, looking down at his pet.

"You know, the Egyptians used to worship cats." Hermione said.

"Yeah, along with the dung beetle." Ron replied.

"Not flashing that clipping again, are you, Ron?" George asked as he picked up the newspaper clipping.

"I haven't shown anyone!" Ron answered.

"No, not a soul! Unless you count Tom." Fred replied

"The day maid."

"The night maid."

"The cook."

"That bloke who came to fix the toilet."

"And that wizard from Belgium!"

Once the twins finished, Hermione and I stood up to greet Ginny. I sat down next to Ron and Ginny, Hermione on the other side of the red-headed girl. The three of us talked about our summer, mostly on what Ginny did in Egypt. Hermione told us about the books she read.

Once everyone sat down and we finished our breakfast, we left for the train station.

"I didn't mean to blow her up," Harry said after he finished telling Hermione and Ron about Marge. "I just... lost control."

"Brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.

"Honestly Ron, it's not funny! Harry was lucky not to be expelled." Hermione replied.

"I think I was lucky not to have been arrested actually." Harry said.

"I still think it's brilliant."

Hermione stopped in front of a compartment where there was a man with his jacket over his head, sleeping.

"Come on. Everywhere else is full." Hermione said, opening the door.

"Who do you think that is?" Ron asked as I sat next to the man and Harry sat next to me.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." Hermione answered.

"You know everything. How is it she knows everything?" Ron asked, turning to Harry.

"It's on his suitcase, Ronald." Hermione sighed.

"Oh,"

"Do you think he's really asleep?" Harry asked, eyeing the man.

"Seems to be. Why?" Hermione asked.

"I need to tell you guys something." Harry said before closing the compartment door.

After Harry told us about what Mr. Weasley told him about Sirius Black being after him, Ron spoke,

"Let me get this straight. Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban to come after you?"

"Yeah." Harry answered.

"But they'll catch Black, won't they? I mean, everyone's looking for him." Hermione asked.

"Sure. Except no one's ever broken out of Azkaban before, and he's a murderous raving lunatic." Ron answered.

"Thanks, Ron." Harry replied sarcastically before the train jerked to a stop.

"Why are we stopping? We can't be there yet." Hermione said.

Harry stood up and opened the door to look into the hallway. When the train jerked again he fell back onto the seat.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

"Don't know. Maybe we've broken down." Harry answered before the lights went out.

"Ouch, Ron, that was my foot." Hermione said to Ron, who was looking out the window.

"There's something moving out there. I think... someone's coming aboard."

The train jerked again and the air suddenly became cold. I watched as ice formed on the window and the liquid in the bottle that Lupin had became solid ice, too. The train jerked again, even harder, and I grabbed Harry's hand, "Bloody hell! What's happening?" Ron exclaimed.

Outside of the compartment there was a figure cloaked in a black robe, floating towards the door. Harry squeezed my hand as it unlatched the door with a hand that looked like it decayed. The door opened and Crookshanks hissed and Scabbers ran into Ron's coat. I looked next to me at Lupin,

How is he still asleep?

The thing turned towards Harry and I, and I was frozen in fear. The thing leaned towards Harry, it was pulling something from him. Then Lupin stood up and a bright light flew from his wand and at the robed creature, blowing it away from the compartment. Harry closed his eyes and laid down, his head in my lap.

"Harry." I said, shaking him gently, "Harry, you alright?"

Harry opened his eyes and sat up and I gave him his glasses, "Thank you."

"Here, eat this." Lupin said, holding out a triangle of chocolate. "It'll help. It's alright, it's chocolate."

Harry grabbed it before looking at the door fearfully, "What was that thing?"

"It was a Dementor. One of the guards of Azkaban. It's gone now, it was searching the train for Sirius Black." Lupin explained before putting the chocolate bar next to me, "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to have a little word with the driver." Lupin stepped out into the hallway and pointed at th chocolate in Harry's hand, "Eat. You'll feel better."

"What happened to me?" Harry asked when Lupin left.

"Well, you sort of went rigid. We thought maybe you were having a fit or something." Ron answered.

"And did either of you... pass out?" Harry asked, taking a bite of the chocolate.

"No." Ron answered for the three of us, "But I felt weird though... like I'd never be cheerful again."

"But someone was screaming. A woman." Harry said.

"No one was screaming, Harry." I replied.