Chapter Three:

September first came as a day of panic. Elizabeth was woken up with her mother shouting that they were late. And they were. Everything was a blur of panic of last-minute packing and getting Cream in her cage before heading out.

And as they reached platform nine and three-quarters, the whistle on the Hogwarts Express was already blowing. Elizabeth was panicking, her stomach tying into knots as she an Lewis rushed to get onto the train and pull their trunks on with seconds to spare, Elizabeth barely getting time to lean out and wave to her mother as the train jolted to a start.

"Bye, mum!" Elizabeth called.

"You two behave yourselves!" Grace called, waving after them.

"I'll keep her out of trouble!" Lewis called back and Elizabeth groaned, rolling her eyes as the train rounded the corner and the platform disappeared from sight.

"I'm going to go find my friends," Elizabeth said, grabbing hold of her trunk, carrying Cream's cage in the other hand.

"Yeah, I want to see if I can catch Cedric before he has to go get his duties," Lewis said, starting off.

Elizabeth grinned, turning and starting along the corridor, looking for signs of anyone she knew. Cedric had made prefect this year, as well as captain of the Quidditch team, something Elizabeth knew Cedric had to be proud of.

As Elizabeth walked, something nagged at her, and after a moment, she realized what it was and she stopped in the corridor. She'd been having one of those sick feelings since she woke up that morning, but everything was in such a chaotic rush, she simply thought it was worry she'd miss the train. But now, on the train and on her way to Hogwarts, the feeling was still twisting in her stomach...Did that mean something was going to happen? On their ride to school...She hadn't even made it to Hogwarts yet and things were starting...She had a feeling this wouldn't be a good sign for the year.

"Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth jumped with a yelp and spun around, then breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed it was Harry, Ron, and Hermione, none of them with their trunks, nor was Harry carrying Hedwig.

"Hey, sorry, we barely made it in time I haven't had a chance to look for you," Elizabeth said.

"We have a compartment at the end of the train," Harry said, "Come on, there's something I want to talk to all of you about."

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked, noticing the tone in Harry's voice, "Did something happen?"

"I'll explain when we're alone," Harry said, starting on down the corridor of the train. Elizabeth followed her friends, dragging along her trunk. She noticed both Ron and Hermione looked as confused as Elizabeth did over whatever this was.

Harry led them to the end of the train, but stopped outside the very last one at the end of the train and stared.

"What is it?" Elizabeth moved closer, leaning past Hermione next to her and noticing the compartment was empty, save for one person who appeared to be asleep. He looked too old to be a student, and even though he appeared to be in his thirties, his hair had streaks of gray in it and his clothes were battered and torn.

"Was he here before?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, this compartment was empty when we loaded our things," Ron said, "Who d'you reckon he is?"

They crept inside quietly, Harry helping Elizabeth get her trunk up onto the luggage rack before they all took seats as far from the man as they could, so they wouldn't disturb him.

"Professor R. J. Lupin," Hermione whispered, looking up above them. Elizabeth followed her gaze and saw a worn case with those very words printed on the corner.

"Maybe he's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Elizabeth said, "Hopefully he's better than the past ones we've had."

Elizabeth had always been pretty bad with Defense Against the Dark Arts. She didn't know if she was just naturally horrid at it—which wouldn't surprise her, as she was quite horrid at Charms too—or if it was because they hadn't had a good teacher in the past two years. And from how worn down this man seemed, she wondered if this would be another case of bad teachers.

Elizabeth straightened up, then noticed Hermione with a wicker cage in her lap.

"When did you get a cat?" she asked.

"He's not a cat, he's a monster," Ron said sharply, "And don't let him out!"

"I got him yesterday," Hermione said with a glare at Ron as she opened the cage and a large, orange tabby cat with a squashed face hopped out. With a stretch, he hopped onto Ron's lap, only to be shoved off again and Ron covered his pocket where Elizabeth figured Scabbers was hiding. Elizabeth went ahead and let Cream out too, and the two cats started sniffing at each other.

"I was going to get an owl," Hermione went on, "But then the shop owner started talking about how poor Crookshanks had been there for years, that no one wanted him."

"Because he's a monster," Ron hissed.

"Honestly, Ron, he's a cat!" Hermione snapped, "And you've never had a problem with Elizabeth's!"

"Cream's never tried to eat Scabbers!" Ron shot back.

"Both of you, be quiet before you wake up Professor Lupin!" Elizabeth hissed, glancing to the teacher, who shifted a little in his seat against the window, "Besides, we've got something bigger to deal with." Elizabeth turned back to Harry. "What were you going to tell us?"

Harry glanced towards Professor Lupin, then leaned closer. Elizabeth, Hermione, and Ron leaned in as well.

"Last night, when I went downstairs to get Scabbers' rat tonic?" Harry started, looking to Ron, "I...Overheard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arguing. About me."

"About you?" Ron asked, "Why were they arguing about you?"

"About wanting to tell me something," Harry said, "Mr. Weasley wanted to, but Mrs. Weasley didn't...It's about Sirius Black. Apparently...Well, they, and the Ministry, apparently, think Black escaped to try and kill me."

"Kill you?" Elizabeth asked weakly, feeling sick as she covered her mouth with her hand, "Why you?"

"He was one of Voldemort's most loyal supporters, apparently," Harry said—Elizabeth winced at the name, "Maybe he thinks killing me will bring him back."

"He's insane," Elizabeth said, "We have to be careful this year. We have to try and stay out of trouble, not get dragged into anything..."

"That will be easier said than done," Harry said sarcastically, "Though Mr. Weasley apparently thought the same. He made me promise not to go looking for Black."

"How thick do you have to be to go looking for someone who wants to kill you?" Ron asked with a snort.

"They'll have to catch Black soon," Elizabeth said softly, "They have the word out, and even the Muggles are alerted...He can't stay hidden forever."

"But no one has ever escaped Azkaban before," Ron said, "And he was a high security prisoner, too—what's that sound?"

Elizabeth paused and, sure enough, there was a faint whistling noise coming from somewhere in the compartment. She noticed the noise got louder as she got near the trunks.

"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," Ron said, leaning up to check, as he was the tallest. He sat back down, holding out his hand where something that looked like a glass toy top was spinning and whistling.

"Is that a Sneakoscope?" Hermione asked, leaning closer. Elizabeth leaned closer herself. She'd head a lot about Sneakoscopes but had never actually seen them before. They were supposed to be able to tell you when someone untrustworthy was around.

"Yeah, mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said, "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" Hermione asked sternly.

"No! Well...I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys...But how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry said, "Before it wakes the professor up."

Ron immediately put the Sneakoscope away before sitting down and they all settled back to their seats.

"Take it with you to Hogsmeade," Elizabeth said, "You can get it checked. I would go with you, but Tobias promised to take me on a tour—"

"Who's Tobias?" Ron asked, but Harry had spoken up before Elizabeth could answer.

"I would, but I can't go to Hogsmeade," he said, "I'm not allowed. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form."

"You're not allowed to come?" Ron asked, horrified, "But—no way—McGonagall or someone will give you permission—"

Harry snorted at that and Elizabeth agreed. Professor McGonagall was a very stern woman.

"—or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle—"

"Have we forgotten the whole 'stay out of trouble' thing?" Elizabeth asked.

"Harry really shouldn't be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose," Hermione added sharply.

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask for permission," Harry said bitterly.

"But if we're with him, Black wouldn't dare—"

"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," Hermione cut in, "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street. Do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"

"Hermione's right," Elizabeth said, then wanting the subject dropped, she brought up their new classes and what they were looking forward to taking and theorizing why Professor Kettleburn assigned Care of Magical Creatures students an attacking book.

All the while, Elizabeth's knotted stomach wouldn't undo itself and sometime after the food trolley had been by, she finally got up, smoothing down her skirt.

"I want to go find Tobias," she said, hoping walking would settle her down, "Tell him hello before we reach Hogwarts..."

"Who is Tobias, anyway?" Ron asked again and Elizabeth flushed brightly.

"My boyfriend," she said, hurrying on out of the compartment before she had to endure any teasing from the guys. She wanted to avoid the teasing, the laughing, and worse, the 'When did you get a boyfriend?' questions.

Elizabeth made her way along the corridor, walking up the train. She stopped at a few compartments to say hello to people she knew, mostly Hufflepuffs she knew such as Sally-Anne Perkins and Megan Jones sitting with Ernie MacMillan. She even ran into Cedric at one point while he was on patrol.

"Congratulations, Cedric," Elizabeth said as she paused her walk, "Prefect and Quidditch captain. That's a huge deal."

"Thanks," Cedric said with a laugh, "I'm really nervous that this is a mistake, or I'm going to mess something up..."

"I'm sure anyone would be," Elizabeth said, "But I can't think of a better prefect. Well, except maybe Lewis..."

Cedric laughed at that and nodded.

"Hey, Elizabeth, I was just looking for you!"

Elizabeth turned, then grinned brightly as she noticed Tobias coming along the corridor. She barely had time to tell him hello, though, when the train suddenly lurched to a stop and Elizabeth yelped, stumbling into Tobias. He caught her easily, holding her against him and they both looked at Cedric, who was looking out a nearby window worriedly.

"We shouldn't be at Hogwarts yet," he said, staring out the rain-streaked window, just as the lights went out. Elizabeth's breath caught and she tightened her grip on Tobias' shirt, her heart hammering and her stomach twisting more and more. That feeling of dread was growing stronger...

"Lumos," came Cedric's voice, and a soft light illuminated the hall around them as he stepped to the compartment they were next to, looking in, "Excuse me, can we come in here for a moment? Just until the power is back on?"

"Yeah, come on in," a male voice inside said. Cedric led them in and Elizabeth glanced around in the dim light and noticed a few students she didn't recognize, though they seemed like sixth or seventh years. She felt out of place, and childish for gripping to Tobias, though he had his arm around her and she couldn't seem to let go as they sat down.

"I'm going to go see what's wrong," Cedric said, "I'll be back in a min—"

Cedric didn't finish what he was going to say. A chill crept into the room around them, and Cedric slowly turned around. Elizabeth's heart was hammering in her chest as she looked up—and gasped.

In the doorway was a tall, cloaked figure that took up the entire doorframe, its figure hidden by the ragged cloak. Except for long, skeletal hands that looked covered in rotting flesh.

Elizabeth shuttered, finding herself unable to think. All she could focus on was the overwhelming dread, more than anything she'd felt before, swarming in her...the thought that nothing mattered, that cheerfulness was just an illusion she'd never have...

And as soon as it came, it was gone again. The creature had drifted away down the corridor again and, slowly, the chill left the air. The dread and churning of her stomach were subsiding. Though she still felt sick and she leaned into Tobias.

"Was...Was that a dementor?" a sixth year asked, "I thought they never left Azkaban..."

"Dementor?" Tobias asked, "Here, on the train?"

Lights began flickering back to life along the train and, slowly, it started moving again. Cedric, looking sick and pale himself, pocketed his wand as he moved to the door.

"I'm going to check on other students," he said and Elizabeth got to her feet.

"I...I want to find Lewis," Elizabeth said, "And check on my friends."

"I'll come with you," Tobias said, taking Elizabeth's hand, "Come on."

Elizabeth didn't want to turn down company, so she tightened her hand around Tobias' as they started down the train towards the back.

"We were in one of the last compartments," Elizabeth said softly, staying close to Tobias, "I hate dementors."

"I've heard horror stories about them," Tobias said, "I never thought I'd actually see one..."

"Mum saw some, once," Elizabeth said, "She had to go to Azkaban, and she said she will never go again."

The two fell quiet, but Elizabeth was comforted enough just having Tobias there as they made their way down the train. Elizabeth noticed, however, that the entire train was quiet. Really all they could hear was the sound of the train itself.

They stopped once to assure Lewis that Elizabeth was okay, before heading on down the train. As they neared, however, the announcement came that they were five minutes from Hogwarts.

"You should go on," Elizabeth said, leaning up and kissing Tobias on the cheek, "I'll see you at the feast, okay?"

"Okay, take care," Tobias said, squeezing Elizabeth's hand again before heading on down the train. Elizabeth watched him, then turned and headed into the compartment where her friends were, passing Neville and Ginny along the way.

"Elizabeth! Are you okay?" Hermione asked, coming over.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Elizabeth said, going to get her robes, noticing someone was missing, "Where did Professor Lupin go?"

"He went to check on other students," Harry said.

Elizabeth nodded. They all got their robes on quietly as the train pulled to a stop and Elizabeth and Hermione got their cats back into the carriers before heading onto the freezing platform as the rain came down. Elizabeth didn't care about the cold. She was just glad to be off the train, and that the warmth of the castle was just a carriage ride away.

Elizabeth climbed into one of the horseless carriages with her friends, noticing Hermione and Ron were watching Harry far too closely.

"Did something happen?" Elizabeth asked, looking to Harry.

"No," Harry said quickly.

"Harry," Hermione said, "You passed out. That's not nothing—"

"What?" Elizabeth asked, "When did this happen?"

"When the dementors showed up," Ron said, "It was horrible..."

"Can we not talk about this?" Harry asked, sounding a bit irritated.

Things seemed colder in the carriage suddenly, and it wasn't from Harry. Elizabeth noticed as they passed the gates, dementors were standing guard. Elizabeth shuddered a little. Were the dementors going to stay at the castle all year?

The coldness passed and the carriage fell into an awkward silence as the carriages made their way to the castle. Elizabeth kept glancing at Harry, who still looked pale. She really hoped the train trip wasn't a sign of how their year would go, but Elizabeth had a sinking feeling that they were in for another dangerous year...