Express
Part 2
As the Express' speed grew, Harry's fears lessened. Of course, he thought, Hermione was right. He was probably just being paranoid.
Later, as he talked and laughed with Ron and Hermione, he forgot about the figure altogether.
Just as everyone was beginning to get hungry, and to think longingly of bars of chocolate and pumpkin pasties, a squat little wich came in with the food trolley. Harry bought a box of chocolate frogs and a packet of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans to share with Ron and Hermione, while Hermione bought three bottles of foaming hot Butterbeer to share as well as two pasties for herself.
Suddenly, the door to their compartment opened and a strange figure came in. He was tall and grey, with strangely sinister features on his thin, shrivelled face. His eyes were sunken in, black and the only part of him that seemed truly alive. Harry shivered -the air seemed to be suddenly cold. He didn't fancy his Butterbeer as much as he'd thought. Then the figure spoke, in a hoarse whisper: "I am your new teacher, Professor Drolv. I trust you are all happy?"
"Yes, Professor." answered Hermione. She was the only one who spoke, because the others were too shocked. Surely he wasn't a ghost? You could see through a ghost, yet he looked solid.
Harry felt certain he had seen him before- the slitlike eyes and thin nose were oddly familiar. At the same time, Harry was sure he had never met anyone called Drolv.
Suddenly Drolv looked past Hermione and straight at Harry. His eyes had turned a strange amber colour, like a cat's, and had suddenly begun to glow.
"Look into my eyes," he murmured slowly. Harry realised he was being hypnotised and, as he worked this out, a sharp, white-hot pain shot through his head. Drolv seemed to realise that Harry knew, because he turned away, muttering "I'll get you, Potter. I'll get you yet."
He slowly backed out of the compartment, his eyes returning to their original black.
"I've got to tell you two something," Harry hissed at Ron and Hermione as soon as he was sure Professor Drolv was out of earshot. "That Professor Drolv, he was trying to hypnotise me."
"Don't be silly," replied Hermione. "What would he want to do that for?"
"Don't ask me, but I'm sure I've seen him before somewhere." Harry answered.
"Anyway, Hermione," put in Ron,"I thought you said that our new teacher was a ghost? Drolv's not transparent, just weird."
"Professor Dumbledore told me that he would be a ghost," said Hermione, looking puzzled.
Then who is Drolv?" Harry asked. "Dumbledore's got no reason to lie about who he is, he knows we'll have to see him at Hogwarts. Anyway, Dumbledore doesn't lie."
"It'll give him a shock when Drolv arrives then", said Ron, with a chuckle.
"It's not funny, Ron", Hermione told him sternly. "If Drolv isn't who he says he is, he could be You-Know-Who, for all we know."
Suddenly Harry realised where he'd seen Drolv before.
"Hermione, have you got any paper?" he asked urgently.
"Yes, right here", Hermione answered, passing him a sheet.
Harry scribbled 'Drolv', reversed the 'Drol' and left the 'v'.
"Ron, that's no professor", Harry said. "That's Voldemort!"
Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth and Ron grabbed the sheet from Harry.
"Of course," he said, suddenly understanding. "Drolv is an anagram of Lord V!"
"We've got to tell Dumbledore,"said Hermione. "But how did Dumbledore get tricked by You-Know-Who?"
"We'll find that out at Hogwarts,"Harry answered grimly."Anyway, at the moment we can't do anything."
Ron leaned back on his chair to try and forget about everything, but suddenly he was thrown forward as the Hogwarts Express screeched to a halt.
In the next installment- How can Harry, Ron and Hermione stop Voldemort?