I don't own the story or the characters of Harry Potter, this work is entirely fan-made. The rights to everything Harry Potter belong to J.K Rowling. I also have no beta or proof-reader (at least not a human one) so expect some mistakes from time to time.
September first of 1993 was a cold day, making many homes in Britain frosty and some higher parts laden with snow at their front doors. As it happened, the Potter household was quite toasty inside, though the image from the driveway was that of a snowstorm. This was all thanks to the heating wards and charms used around the house, which kept the family inside free of cold. "Morning, Mum, Dad. Thanks for the heating charm on my duvet, that was a lifesaver." Harry said as he bounded down the stairs to the entrance hall, hearing his parents in the kitchen. "No need to thank us. But, you could stand to learn it yourself so that you don't become a snowman on Hogwarts grounds." His father joked after taking a sip of his orange juice. "So, got your trunk packed and ready?" Lily asked as she set down a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him. He nodded and started to wolf down his breakfast, hearing the familiar sound of his sister coming downstairs too. She, unlike her twin brother, was garbed in her nightclothes and dressing gown, evidently still feeling the cold from the outside. She sniffed as she sat down opposite Harry. "Are you ok sis? You look awful." He wasn't being dramatic either; she had puffy eyes that looked thoroughly rubbed and a constant case of sniffling. She shook her head and blinked to get her vision acclimated to the light downstairs. "I have a cold I think. I left the window open last night by accident and I woke up covered in an avalanche." She went to grab her plate of food, but it zipped away from her as her mother waved her wand. "You aren't eating anything until you have some cold relief draught. And a fair amount of it too. Only after you drink it, can you have your breakfast." The 13-year-old groaned and downed the offered phials, making short work of them. Lily shook her head and let her grab the plate of food, which she hungrily ate.
"Right, so you have learned your lesson then? Don't leave your window open on a cold night." Lily said, kissing her daughter on the forehead. "Yes, mother." She grumpily answered. Her mother sighed. "I love you, sweetie. Now, go on. Get on the train before you miss it." "I love you too, Mum." Off Zoe walked leaving Harry to talk to his father. The talk wasn't as stern as he had thought it would be. "Now, this is a big year, more subjects, more tests and not to forget Hogsmeade visits. But, if you can keep it to a minimum, then I will allow you and Zoe to prank each other. Just, don't become those Weasley boys, Fred and Georgie or whatever they're called… Above all, make sure to focus on your studies and keep an eye out. If you see anything amiss, report it to a teacher. And whatever you do, don't do something stupid, like go hunting for that escaped convict. Dumbledore will protect you and the school. Trust him." His father hugged him and patted his shoulder, then pushed him forward slightly to head towards the train. "Goodbye, Dad. Love you both." He shouted as he stood in the doorway that was about to shut. He followed his sister to the compartment she had picked out and found Hermione waiting for them. "Hello again, my Queen." Harry jokingly bowed as Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Long story. Maybe we'll tell you one day." He said mischievously. They all waved to their respective parents on the platform until they were out of sight.
"So, we will probably have Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures together, but you and Hermione took Divination so you'll be together there. Why did you decide to take divination? It doesn't seem all that interesting, I mean, if you know the future, then you can actively change your circumstances so that your future is different from predicted." Harry shook his head at them and resigned to getting an earful from them. However, none came. "Not got it in you both to get at me for that today?" He asked with a shocked look. Hermione shot him a glare and Zoe nodded. "Well, I'm just trying Divination, it doesn't seem all that interesting, but then again, neither did Herbology when we first started." The compartment door opened in the middle of her sentence. "Oi, I'm not getting at you for your hobbies. Mind you, I don't fancy snogging Harry much." Neville said as he sidled in with Hannah in tow. She had an odd blush on her face, which Zoe seemed to grin maliciously at. The compartment atmosphere remained the same for another fifteen minutes until a Red-headed figure drew the compartment doors open. He took a long breath and requested to talk to them. "Fine, Ronald. You have about 1 minute until Neville and I start jinxing." He quickly talked. "I know we haven't had the… greatest of relationships, but I need to thank you three. My sister would probably be dead if you hadn't killed that bloody great snake and that Riddle guy. So, thanks. But don't think this changes anything between you and me. I offered friendship, but you turned it away. You are my opponents and I will treat you as such." He went to walk off, but the train came to a lurching halt, just as nightfall had sunken in.
There came cries from all over the train, mostly from the younger students, as the air around them became colder and people could see their breath blow out of their mouths like the steam from the train, which had ceased to roll past the windows of the carriages. Hannah immediately stood up to investigate, but the train seemed to rumble uncontrollably, as if uncertain as to whether it should start moving again and made her stumble back to place beside Neville. Ron whimpered and was thrown to the floor of their compartment, as he had no-one to hold onto. As Hannah hit the seat, the window started to glaze over, frost forming instantaneously, creeping up the window until the outside was covered in a haze of white flakes. Crookshanks started to hiss in his crate and Ronald's rat, who he called 'Scabbers' squeaked and ran behind Harry's legs. The sounds made Hermione jump with the sudden noise. Hairs rose on every uncovered arm in the compartment as the temperature dropped even further. A dark shadow seemed to move outside the train and floated towards the window, as the group realised their compartment was right next to the coupler, holding the carriages together, by the door. All six people drew their wands and had them aimed at the door to the compartment, which as if possessed, drew open slowly. Before them, a large, cloaked figure looked down under his hood, peering at the teenagers. It seemed as if the blackness under the hood was unending, which freaked them all out even further. "Leave, get out. Pettigrew isn't here." Neville said uncertainly and quietly. The figure seemed to register the name 'Pettigrew' and its hood turned slightly, almost imperceptibly, to Harry. He froze, for once in his life, scared beyond a witty joke or cheesy one-liner. The creature was looking for the murderer, Peter Pettigrew, but that wasn't him, why was it boring its way into his mind? It started to groan and a misty vapour started to come from Harry's face, turning Harry colder than ever, though Hermione clung tightly to his body. Everyone else was stuck, frozen in fear and intrigue, until the door opened and a bright, white light came bursting from the wand of Remus Lupin, seemingly scaring off the creature and making Harry slump back into his seat. He welcomed the inky blackness of sleep and succumbed to it, not before hearing a woman scream and seeing a bright, green light.
When Harry's head rose from the sleep, he noticed that Hermione was sniffling and he had been in her lap before he woke. He blinked to get the sleep out of his eyes and system, before noticing that Ronald Weasley had gone and his Uncle Moony was staring at him from across the seat. "Harry, good, you're awake. Eat this." He offered Harry some chocolate and watched him eat the whole piece before speaking again. "Will you be alright? I need to go and speak with the driver and then check on the other students. Harry nodded. "One question. That was a dementor wasn't it?" Remus nodded and left the compartment. Hermione had a confused look on her face and Hannah was as white as a sheet. Neville answered, almost equally as pale as his girlfriend and just as shaky as Zoe. "A Dementor is a magical creature, by definition, but are better known as the guards of the wizarding prison, Azkaban. Why they're out here, they likely think Peter Pettigrew could be around these parts. So they must have been searching for him." The windows were starting to defrost and the flakes were dispersing slowly as Harry sat on the seat again. Hermione gave him a long hug and rested her forehead against his. "I thought I might have lost you." She whispered, making him tense up. He peered into her eyes with sympathy. "I'm not leaving you for a long time. Trust me." Harry stayed awake for the rest of the journey, not able to find solace in sleep.
As the train neared Hogsmeade station, the normal voice told the students where they were, indicating that hey should change now. The girls changed first, Harry and Neville standing outside with the blinds drawn to give them their privacy, then they swapped around and waited for the train to grind to a halt. The familiar jerk of the brakes was felt across the carriages and the doors to the platform swung open, beckoning the students out. As usual, the luggage and pets would be brought inside by one mean or another, they still didn't know, so all they had to do was get into the carriages tugged by those weird creatures that only could see. The skeletal horses still intrigued him, as did the only other person he knew who could see them, Luna Lovegood, who once again, was trailing around the platform on her own. "Hey, Luna. How was your summer?" Harry asked, curious as to what imaginary creatures she came up with this time. "Oh, hello Harry. My summer was pleasant, thank you. Those dementors were quite something. What did you see?" She questioned back dreamily. "How did you know I saw something? I didn't say so… I- I saw a flash of green light and heard a scream. I think it was the night my family was attacked." He lagged behind his friends a bit to hear what she had to say. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I saw my mother when she died, but I wish I hadn't." Harry felt so much sadness, thinking 'This could have easily been me. I am lucky.' An idea formed in his head. "Luna, do you want to join us in our carriage? There's a seat spare." She nodded as they walked faster to catch up with the rest of the group, in silence.
"Ah, what a rousing edition of our school anthem. I should hope you all enjoyed it. Now, onto some announcements. New items that are banned in these walls can be found on a list outside Mr Filch's office and I would like to note that the forbidden forest is still off-limits, as is the third-floor corridor, which has been undergoing restorations and repairs for a few years now." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in Harry's direction at the Gryffindor table and Harry narrowed his eyes back at him. "I am sure that you all encountered some guests on your ride to the castle this evening. As some of you may know, a man named Peter Pettigrew was spotted near Duff Town some weeks ago, however, we do not believe that he would harm innocent children such as yourselves." Professor McGonagall scowled at the Headmaster behind his back quickly. "Though, as a precaution, there have been Dementors, guards of Azkaban stationed near every exit to the grounds. I assure you that they will not harm you if you give them no reason to. With that all said, please, eat up!" He waved his hands and the tables became laden with food, though the appetite of some students was disrupted by the new additions to the castle.
Some may notice the inclusion of Ron Weasley more in this story and it is going to build up to something bigger, though your will have to wait to find out what I mean by this.
Stay Safe
-E