The Hogwarts Express stood at the station, exactly as it had been the very first time they had gone to Hogwarts. Of course, Crowley had been hidden inside Aziraphale's tartan carpet bag, but for Aziraphale, seeing the train bought a moment of nostalgia. Because this year was different. Sort of. Every year there seemed to be a threat at Hogwarts. But this one was different.
Last time, the time before, the threat had come from outside, from Voldemort. But now, the threat was from the Ministry, the very people who were supposed to be helping them. Sirius Black seemed a fairly minor problem compared to those dementors. Aziraphale had often fostered the quiet opinion that pure stupidity was one of the most dangerous things on this planet.
This time, they made sure that Harry was safely in a carriage with Ron and Hermione very carefully before the train set off. Then they wandered down the train, searching for an unoccupied carriage. Most teachers were already at the school, but there were sometimes a few on the train. New teachers, those who lived far away from Hogwarts, and of course, Harry Potter's two-being-defence-team. Presently they found a suitable carriage, empty except for the sleeping form of a wizard, dressed in shabby robes. Lupin. He looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes, clothes hanging off him. They decided to let him sleep. But Aziraphale found himself wondering about Lupin's strange appearance. He had looked shabby last time they had seen him, but that couldn't have been more than two weeks ago. What had happened since then, to make him look so awful?
While Aziraphale perused a book that looked like several bricks bound up in bright blue leather, Crowley stared out of the train window, snoozing occasionally, and thinking about the year ahead. Another trial. And if he wasn't mistaken, the dangers were getting worse, and presenting themselves earlier in the year. But they wouldn't be able to save Harry forever. Sooner or later, he was going to face a challenge alone. It was his destiny. Crowley had never liked destiny. Still, Dumbledore had said that it wasn't time yet. And Harry was only thirteen. There was plenty of time for him to fulfil his destiny.
…
The train slowed. Aziraphale looked up, checking his watch and staring about himself in confusion. There was a heavy rain falling outside the train window, obscuring the countryside in a thick grey mist. Crowley peeled his face off the window, quickly adjusting his sunglasses. Across the carriage, Lupin jolted awake too, stretching.
"But we can't have arrived yet, it's much too early," Aziraphale said, to no one in particular.
Crowley tensed suddenly. He couldn't hear the rain hitting the window anymore. And when had it got so cold…
He nudged Aziraphale.
"Harry."
They sprinted out of the carriage, and down the corridor. It was hard, as the corridor was swamped with children, pale and scared, muttering to each other.
"What were they?"
"They just came in, looked around."
"Are they looking for Sirius Black?"
Crowley pushed his way through the throng, Aziraphale hurrying after him, murmuring apologies. Lupin followed in their wake, his face grave.
They knew they were getting close when the crowd of frightened children thinned, leaving only terrified faces peering through the glass doors of the compartments. The cold became more intense, Aziraphale could have sworn his fingers were going numb. Lupin's face was paler than ever, he looked like he'd seen a ghost.
The black cloaked figure was outside an open compartment door, about to step in. Crowley caught a flash of red hair inside.
"It's them angel," he said, "do your thing."
"Expecto Patronum!"
It was getting easier, smoother. The pale dove flew serenely toward the shadowy figure of the dementor, which turned and glided away.
Crowley was in the compartment almost before it had even left, as it didn't affect him. Four white faces looked up at him. Ron, Hermione, Ron's sister Ginny, they one they had saved from the Basilisk last year. And Neville Longbottom, crouched on the floor next to Harry, who was out cold.
"What was that?" Ginny asked, as Crowley crouched next to Neville, trying to miracle Harry awake. Tears streaked Ginny's face. Hermione had her arm around her, squeezing comfortingly. The demons made you relive your worst memories, Crowley recalled. He had no trouble working out what had just been flashing through Ginny's mind.
Harry's eyelids fluttered as Crowley's power began to work. Behind him, Lupin hurried in, inexplicably clutching a large bar of chocolate. He worked his way around the compartment, handing it out to everyone. Crowley wondered exactly where he had some across such a particularly large bar. You could have knocked someone out with it.
Aziraphale was nowhere to be seen, which struck Crowley as odd, but he supposed the angel had gone up to speak to the driver, to try and work out exactly what demons were doing in a train filled with innocent children.
Soon Harry was sitting up, still pale, but alive thankfully. Lupin pressed him to eat the chocolate.
"It's good for after dementor attacks," he explained.
Honestly, the science (if such a word could apply to anything in the wizarding world) made sense. Chocolate bought warmth and happiness, the very thing opposite of what dementors did. Crowley wondered what lactose intolerant people did about dementors. Or Americans for that matter, Aziraphale said the chocolate there was awful.
"That was horrible," Neville said. He too was pale and shaky, and this was the first time he'd spoken since Crowley and Lupin had entered the carriage.
"I felt like…like I would never be happy again," Ginny sniffed, Hermione nodding I silent agreement, her arm still around her friend.
"That is the effect of dementors unfortunately," Lupin said gravely, "is everybody else alright?"
"I think so," Hermione said. The others agreed. Harry was starting to get some colour back now he was eating the chocolate, though he still looked clammy and scared.
They sat for a little while longer, then Lupin and Crowley went to check the other carriages, leaving Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Ginny to discuss what had happened. Luckily, no one else was harmed, though several were very shaken, and Lupin used up a lot of chocolate. He seemed to have an endless supply.
They reached their compartment again.
"So," Lupin said awkwardly, sitting down across from Crowley, "both of you were assigned to watch out for Harry?"
"Well," Crowley said, "technically it was just Az-Professor Fell," he corrected himself, "but, we kind of come as a set."
"Have you done many jobs like this?" Lupin asked.
"I suppose we have," Crowley replied. Watching over Warlock for eleven years surely counted, as did keeping an eye on Adam.
"But you're not from the ministry," Lupin said tentatively. Crowley got the feeling that Lupin was still working out whether or not he could trust him.
"No. We're…freelancers."
"Oh."
They were quiet for a little while longer.
"What about you? How long have you been a Professor for?"
Lupin's hair was prematurely greyed, but Crowley could tell he was in his early thirties (he could just sense things like that about humans). Not that old.
"Well, this is my first year," Lupin admitted, "you see, there's not all that many wizarding schools to teach at, other than Hogwarts."
"What did you do before that?"
Lupin looked shifty for a second, then said smoothly,
"Just the odd job here and there. It wasn't easy to find work. Because of the war, you know?"
Crowley had been lying for six-thousand years. He knew when other people were. And Lupin was definitely equivocating carefully. However, he had the idea that Lupin knew he wasn't being wholly truthful either. He moved delicately off the subject of the past.
"So, Care of Magical Creatures. What kind of creatures do you teach about?"
That got Lupin talking. Crowley hadn't known there were so many magical creatures. He let Lupin's words wash over him as his mind wandered to other things. The demons on the train. Had that been planned or were they completely out of control. Crowley suspected the latter. He wanted Aziraphale to come back, so they could discuss it. And why had Harry been so affected by them? From what he had discerned from other students, the demons had not approached them as close as they had in the compartment where Harry and his friends were. He supposed Harry had been through a lot, reliving his worst memories can't have been easy. Even so, why did he get the feeling that the demons were out to get Harry somehow?
…
He didn't see Aziraphale until they reached Hogsmead station. It turned out that Aziraphale had indeed, been speaking to the driver about the dementors.
"They weren't supposed to go near the students," the angel explained, "Dumbledore's orders. He'll be furious when he finds out."
They both shuddered a little at the thought of Dumbledore actually being angry. He radiated power in a way that few celestial beings did.
Crowley then quickly told Aziraphale about what had passed after he had left, explaining how Harry had been knocked unconscious, and how Lupin had been so helpful.
"He seems like a good sort," Crowley said, "but I get the feeling he's hiding something."
Aziraphale nodded, "me too. But he's working with Dumbledore, so I think we should trust him."
They invited Lupin to join them in their carriage, and he and Aziraphale were soon deep in discussion about various magical creatures. It turned out that Lupin knew quite a lot about Defence Against the Dark Arts too.
As they passed the gates into Hogwarts, the great winged boars looking down on them from atop the gateposts, they all felt the cold sensation that has becoming all too familiar now. Dementors were stationed outside, floating eerily above the ground as they watched the carriages roll past, their black hoods following their progress. Aziraphale found himself letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, once they were past.
They reached the castle quickly enough and hurried out of the cold and through the entrance hall, shepherding students along and into the Great Hall. Aziraphale caught sight of Harry and his friends making their way along through the throng of students. Harry did look rather peaky, and Ron and Hermione kept throwing nervous glances his way.
The Great Hall seemed especially warm and cheerful, after the miserable rain outside. the usual candles lit up the whole room, obscuring the sky above. Crowley and Aziraphale were just taking their seats when they saw Harry being led out from the hall by Professor McGonagall, along with Hermione.
"Clearly Harry was the only one who fainted," Aziraphale commented, "though I can't say I'm surprised. His worst memory is enough to make anyone faint."
Crowley supressed a shudder. He leaned over to ask Aziraphale why Hermione might be going with McGonagall too, but he stopped as everyone fell silent, and the sorting began.
…
Harry returned after the sorting, and Crowley was able to intercept McGonagall after Dumbledore's speech.
"Hermione?" McGonagall sighed, "well, I supposed I'd better let you know. She's signed up for too many subjects, so we've…well…we've given her a little help."
Crowley looked blank. McGonagall explained further.
"The Ministry of Magic occasionally grants particularly gifted students the gift of a Time Turner, in order that they can take more subjects. It's most common with NEWT students hoping to retake an OWL, but we've made special allowances. Honestly, I don't agree with it. it won't decrease her workload. Still, I doubt she'll last long. Hopefully we'll be able to convince her to drop a few before the end of term."
"A Time Turner?" Aziraphale asked, joining the conversation, "for a student?"
"As I said I don't agree with it," McGonagall said, "they should all be locked up in the Department of Mysteries in my opinion. Dangerous things happen to people trying to travel in time."
Dementors surrounding the school, a convict on the loose and time travel for lessons. Aziraphale's mental list of things to worry about was rapidly growing. But for now, there was food to eat and lessons to plan. Worrying would have to wait.