Within five minutes of the train setting off from Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Violet was pleasantly surprised by Harry, Ron, and Hermione making an appearance in the compartment she was in.

"Come on, everywhere else is full…" Hermione murmured as she wandered in first. She almost didn't notice Violet. "Oh! You don't mind if we-?"

"Go ahead," Violet replied, her eyes barely flicking up from her book. "As for the sleeping man, he's our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year." She finally looked up to see the three of them staring at her rather bemused. "I'm quiet, not rude."

Hermione settled down next to her with her cat while Ron sat at the window. Harry seated himself opposite Violet after he shut the compartment door.

"We can trust you, right?" he then hit her with. A little confused, Violet shut her book and actually gave the trio her full attention.

"I'm sorry?"

"There's something I want to talk about - can we, well, I trust you?" he gave a longer explanation that caused her to look at Ron and Hermione. They merely shrugged, as if to say "we can't help you."

"Yes. I'm hardly a blabbermouth, and you asked for my help towards the end of second year, remember?" Violet pointed out. "I think you already do trust me. Do go on."

Harry then launched into the story of his conversation with Mr Weasley about Sirius Black escaping from Azkaban to come after him. It shocked Violet to see him speak so candidly about danger in that regard; she wasn't going to say anything but thinking back over her parents' hushed conversations in the summer, she decided to let a few things slip.

Violet briefly glanced over at Lupin to see if he really was asleep before saying anything.

"I think my parents were at school with Sirius Black," she mumbled when Harry was done.

"What?"

"They didn't know him, but… well, I'm very good eavesdropping you see-"

"We know," Ron murmured. Hermione kicked him in the shin lightly.

"-And more often than not, this summer, whenever my uncle came round and I had left the dinner table… they'd talk about Black."

"What did they say about him?" Hermione asked.

"Namely concerned about my safety. Said he was a troublemaker at school. I don't - I don't think they were in the same year as him, or - or they might have been, but… anything important I didn't hear. Just trivia," Violet concluded. "Everyone knows everyone."

"So let me get this straight…" Ron started off. "Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban to come after Harry, and there's likely a whole generation of people who know… stupid stories about him."

"They'll catch Black, won't they?" Hermione said, adjusting her cat in her arms. "I mean, everyone's looking for him."

"They've been looking all summer and they've still not got him," Violet pointed out, flicking her book back open. "Wouldn't count on it…"

Harry raised a mildly unimpressed eyebrow. "Optimistic," he remarked sarcastically.

"Realistic," she countered calmly.

Well, that allowed for an awkward silence if anything, and the other three teenagers stared at Violet in shock. She could feel them all looking at her, and briefly glanced back up from her book.

"I don't mean that in a horrible way," she explained. "Just… they've all pretty useless, haven't they?"

Still nothing.

"This is why I don't open my mouth…" she then muttered to herself, allowing the trio to delve into lighter topics of conversation.

That was until at some point during the afternoon, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle walked past their compartment and tried to pick a fight. Even though Harry and Ron did plenty fine in defending themselves, Malfoy turned his attention to Violet.

"I see you picked up the Mute - how does that work? You talk? She nods? Or what?"

Before anyone could say anything, Violet slid the door shut with her foot with such nonchalance that it shocked the Slytherins on the other side, and the other three teens had to hold back laughter so as not to wake Lupin.

The Slytherins stalked off, annoyed.

"That was brilliant!" Ron told Violet with a grin on his face. She merely shrugged, a tiny smile on her face.

"Might as well keep up appearances for Malfoy - means I can have my own fun with it, not that I'm vengeful, just… he's not worth my words."

"I think the boys could learn a thing or two from you…" Hermione commented, earning a little smirk from Violet in the process.

At that moment, the train came to a sudden halt, and all the lights went out. All that could be heard was the noise of wind and rain pelting against the windows, and then the snap of a book shutting from Violet.

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

Ron had turned his attached to the window, which was beginning to ice over as the temperature in the compartment - and presumably the whole train - dropped.

"I think someone's coming aboard…" he muttered.

"I'm going to see the driver…" Violet then said, getting up and opening the compartment door. The train jerked violently and she almost lost her balance, but carried on regardless.

As she stepped into the corridor of the train, she noticed there were other people running up and down it in a panic, trying to find their friends or siblings she assumed. She wrapped her arms around her middle and shivered as she started to make her way towards the front of the train, when she saw it.

Two dark, hooded creatures, drifting their way down the train and making their way into compartments.

Violet had no idea what they were, but she promptly turned on her heel and hurried back to the compartment. She made a beeline for Lupin in the corner, sitting between him and Harry and trying to desperately wake him up.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"I didn't even make it to the driver…" she muttered. "Professor?" she said louder, giving him a little shake.

"What is it? Why are you trying to wake him up?" Hermione asked, frightened.

"Nothing good… nothing good…"

"Violet!" Hermione squeaked, as the door to their compartment was opened once more, and in came one of the creatures.

She froze up and turned, feeling an intense kind of dread overpower her as it drifted inside. She - along with the rest of them - could only watch in horror as it turned its attention to Harry, and he seemed to seize up.

Not a few moments later, Lupin finally woke up and muttered something as he drew his wand, a bright white light emitting from it. It drove the creature away from Harry, who then promptly passed out with his head in Violet's lap. His glasses dropped off his face and onto the floor.

Within a few minutes of Lupin settling back down, the lights on the train had flickered back on and they were on the move again.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked the teens, reaching inside his cloak to put away his wand and pull out a rather hefty bar of chocolate, beginning to break it apart.

They all nodded awkwardly, with Violet prodding at Harry to try and get him to wake up - she didn't really know what to do. Hermione dropped down in front of the pair, picking up Harry's glasses and rousing in a much more natural way.

Hermione handed the glasses back to him, and when he realised that his head was on Violet's lap, he sat up a lot more quickly. The other girl breathed a sigh of relief, and Hermione went to sit back on her seat.

"Here…" Lupin said, handing them all a chunk of chocolate each, giving a larger piece to Harry in particular. "Eat. You'll feel better."

"What - what was that?" Harry asked, glancing at the door.

"A Dementor. One of the guards of Azkaban," Lupin replied. "Searching the train for Sirius Black. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to have a word with the driver…"

He stood up and made his way out of the compartment, before ducking his head back in briefly.

"Miss… Merryworth, wasn't it?"

Violet nodded, and Lupin gave her a gentle smile.

"Would you mind accompanying me?"

She looked between her friends oddly. "Um… of course, sir."

She followed Lupin out.

As they walked down the corridor - and were certain they were some way away from their compartment - he spoke to her in a more normal way, as if they weren't on their way to Hogwarts and he wasn't going to be her teacher.

"You were trying to wake me up," he said.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I was on my way to the driver when I saw them."

Lupin stopped rather abruptly and turned towards her. "Are you alright?"

Violet shrugged rather nonchalantly. "It wasn't… I…" she was struggling to find the words. "I'm fine, but I felt really weird. Like there was a never ending dread filling me."

He nodded and resumed walking towards the front of the train.

"That is the intended effect of a Dementor. Eat the chocolate, Violet, please."

She sighed but did as she was told, surprised to find a warmth entering her pretty quickly after she did start to nibble on the piece she had. By the time they got up front to the driver, Violet had polished off the chocolate and was in better spirits. She didn't go in to see the train driver with Lupin, but waited patiently outside.

Violet leaned against the wall taking a deep breath, feeling more shaken than she realised. She suspected Ron and Hermione felt the same, but Harry? She can't imagine what had been going through his mind if he had outright fainted because of the Dementor.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in about half an hour," Lupin said as he wandered out into the corridor again, making Violet jump and stand upright. "Sorry, didn't mean to be so abrupt," he then added, leading the way back to the compartment.

She didn't say anything in response, and merely kept her head down. Even getting back to their seats she didn't say anything to her friends, opting to resume reading her book.

Conversation was more hushed from that point onwards, with Lupin participating every now and then.

Regardless, Violet couldn't help but notice the worried glances he kept throwing at her.

Sorry for the long wait! Hope this is enjoyed all the same. :)

Comment?

-OL.