Disclaimer: Not mine, I only own some of the plot of this fanfic and Carya, some parts might be copied from the book (hopefully not very much. I tried to keep it to a minimum), you might notice that some people got into different houses than in the books by JKR; this has only minor reasons, but I need them to be where they are now
Author's Notes: A new chapter for you. Took me longer to write this since I had to make a sorting song on my own. It isn't that good but I'm still happy that I even managed to think of one .
Chapters and updates might be even slower now as I have constant problems with Microsoft Office and Fanfiction.Net.
I think my computer is seriously trying to keep me from writing and accessing the internet. If I don't try to convert documents to HTML or log in on FF.Net everything works almost fine. Bear with me and don't loose hope because I will definitely finish this! A couple more reviews would also be greatly appreciated even if it's a bit of criticism. Just don't flame me too much because I'm writing just for the fun of it.
Chapter 06 - The Train and Dementors or Lupin and Arrival at Hogwarts
Soon it was September 1st and the four students had to go back to Hogwarts. After mutual promises to write letters the departed. Snuffles left them outside the 'Leaky Cauldron'. The children were collected by a ministry car. They still found this annoying to no end. They were perfectly safe but of course no one else knew about that or would believe them if they told someone.
"Sweet Merlin, why do we have to do this again? I can't believe the bloody ministry sent a bloody car to bring us to the station when we simply could've called a taxi," Hermione whispered exasperated. Her opinion of the ministry hadn't improved since that special morning almost three weeks ago.
Ginny felt the same way as her and even went so far as to voice her discomfort about the car.
"I hate this. Why do they have to embarrass us like this. First they tell us off because we stay here but don't tell us why they are so upset and then we get treated like invalids, stupid ministry. Wanna bet it's because of the incident in the 'Leaky Cauldron'? Damned Minister can't loose his face now, can he? So he just goes and makes us do this," a slightly angry Ginny told her friends.
The driver looked shocked that the daughter of Arthur Weasley would say something like that but didn't say anything. Harry just rolled his eyes about the two girls. Carya of course had her own twisted theory. It wasn't really serious but she still told them smirking.
"You should know that our dear beloved minister cannot make another mistake. I'm so, so sorry for him. I mean, look at him. The poor man hasn't managed to catch Black and the papers are writing about him being an incompetent fool. Please friends, have mercy with that poor bugger," she said, her voice practically dripping with sarcasm.
This sent the other three into fits of laughter and even their chauffeur had a hard time to hide his smile.
He knew it was meant as an insult against the Minister of Magic himself but the driver couldn't help but agree. The worst was of course that the girl was right. The minister has made too many mistakes over the last few years.
Harry was laughing now and told his sister why. "Carya ... you should ... have heard .. yourself." He said between fits of laughter. "You've managed ... a perfect ... perfect copy of the tone Snape always uses ... when he's insulting the Gryffindor's," he finally got out.
His sister looked strangely at him and then grinned. /Perhaps I should practise that, eh?/ she thought and Harry just snickered. Even Ginny and Hermione had understood the grin this time. This year would be real fun if she managed to act like that. Carya had gotten pretty good at sarcasm and with this new skill they could annoy the Gryffindor's to no end.
The kids were arriving on platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters earlier than planned. They'd still some time to spare. The twins and Ginny set off to find suitable compartment. It wasn't that difficult because they'd shrunken their trunks and put featherweight charms on them. The children finally had a compartment near the front of the train. Hermione stayed behind to ask a Ravenclaw prefect something and joined them a few minutes later. The problem with their compartment was that it was already occupied by someone.
He was an adult and seemed to be very poor if you judged by the state his suitcase and clothes were in. He seemed to be slightly ill too and he was currently sleeping. The kids looked at each other and discussed this outside the compartment.
"What do you think? Should we stay or go and find another one?" asked Ginny.
"If we stay we can't talk about our project or Snuffles ..." Harry remarked.
"Yes, that's right but think about the bright side," Carya said cryptically and when she noticed her friends confusion she continued. "We should stay here because we surely won't be disturbed by annoying Gryffindor's as long as he is here.
If he's a professor or just someone to go to Hogsmeade doesn't matter. The stupid prats wouldn't try anything with an adult around, would they?" the girl said smirking and they other finally got the point.
The four friends settled down in the compartment and talked about the upcoming school year but they quickly stopped and did something else. Harry and Hermione played Wizard Chess ad the other two read one of their new course books, again! As usual Ginny had her Charms book out and Carya read a book about Intermediate Hexes and her new Potions book. She switched between them from time to time.
The train began moving as soon as it was eleven a.m. The ride was quite peaceful apart from Ron, Fred and George barging into their compartment and making fun of them at one point. A few threats from the twins and the presence of the man who seemed to be a new teacher drove them away.
"Well, if that aren't the Potty's and the little traitor-snake. If it were me, I wouldn't want to just sit around, Potter. I'd want revenge," Ron sneered and his brothers started smirking. He hadn't noticed the other occupant yet and obviously thought he knew something that the two Potters didn't know.
"Get lost Weasel!" Hermione hissed and Carya already had her hand on her wand and so had Harry. They were prepared to hex Ron if necessary.
"Why would we leave, eh? Scared Granger?" asked George. Hermione just snorted and Harry said to Ron.
"I really don't know what you're going on about Weasley. If you're talking about Black then let me tell you that I now way more than you. And now piss off!" Harry answered calmly but forcefully.
While Ron was silenced Fred said something. "I bet you're going to hide in the castle all year, eh? That would be just like you, a Slytherin coward!"
Harry narrowed his eyes. He was getting angry, so was Ginny and Hermione feared that they'd start a fight. But for the second time this summer it was Carya who remained calm on the outside and tried to make the Weasley boys angry.
"You wish, Weasel. I'd go if I were you but then again you don't have that much brain, have you? No, don't bother answering. You might overexert your few working brain cells," she said in her Snape-like sarcasm and leaned back a bit to give free view over the compartment. The Weasley twins were fuming now and wanted to attack the Potter's when they heard a soft grunt and looked at the sleeping adult.
"Who is he? Fred asked slightly wary.
"Oh, you didn't notice? He's a new Professor," Harry answered casually and barely hid his satisfied smirk when he saw the faces of Fred, George and Ron. Their skin was turning varying sheds of white and their eyes were as wide as saucers by now.
The Weasley boys left the compartment without further comments and the four friends smiled but they didn't laugh. This would be a hard year and Ginny was really sad right now. Not only did her brothers treat her worse than the plague but Draco hadn't been visiting them even once on the train, yet. She, as well as her friends, believed that he had been in big trouble with his father because of their friendship.
Draco's father didn't care about the Potter's or the Weasley's being pure-blood families. He just believed that they weren't worthy of the title wizard and therefore his son wasn't supposed to associate with them. It didn't even matter that they were all Slytherin's. He flat out forbade his son any contact.
Draco still was their friend despite of what his father said, but the twins, Ginny and Hermione didn't know if they could trust him. They decided not to tell him about Sirius and about their animagus training. Just to be on the safe side.
"Better safe than sorry. I know Ginny, he's not bad but we don't know how much his father actually controls him. It's not really Draco's fault, okay? He can't help the way he was raised and I'm sure that one day we can share everything with him," Carya said and Ginny felt a little bit comforted.
She really liked Draco and if they had been a bit older she would've even dared to call it having a severe crush or being in love with him. She hoped he'd come around someday and again be friends with her. The train ride seemed longer this year.
Carya looked over at the sleeping man and studied his face. 'He seems familiar, somehow but I can't quite place him.' she thought.
Suddenly she was startled out of her thoughts by her brother /I wonder who he is. What about you, sister?/ he asked.
Carya responded telepathically too. /Hmm, don't know, but I swear I know him from somewhere. Wait a moment. There's a name tag on that suitcase./ she said and looked at the tag closely. Once she' read the name she paled and Harry looked concerned.
/What's wrong? Do you know him?/ he wanted to know.
/Slytherin's bones, Harry, this is Remus Lupin. You remember? He's one of the Mum's and Dad's old friends, one of the Marauders!/ Carya answered and her brother could practically hear her excitement.
Harry grinned at her and whispered their discovery to Hermione while Carya told a curious Ginny what was going on. They were interrupted when the train slowed and stopped. The kids knew that they couldn't already be at Hogwarts it was too early for that despite the seemingly longer ride this year. All of a sudden the lights went out. It was absolutely dark in there and no sound could be heard.
They started whispering and then Carya and the Professor lit their wands at exactly the same time. He seemed impressed by her thoughtfulness but didn't say anything, just studied their faces. The children looked calm but he could sense their nervousness. Ginny pressed her nose against the window and told the others what she saw.
"Someone got onto the train. But I can't see who," Ginny said.
Suddenly the children felt cold, very cold. The compartment door opened and the twins stiffened. They heard screams, a man yelling at a woman to protect someone. Him dying. The woman's pleas to not hurt her children. Then a green light and silence.
Flashback - The twins
'Run Lily! It's him. Take the twins and run! I'll hold him off!' A male voice said.
Footsteps, a high laughter and some words they couldn't understand.
'Oh James!' The woman whispered. Again footsteps. This time closer.
'Stand aside, silly girl!' The cold high-pitched voice again.
'No, please, not Harry and Carya! Have mercy!' The woman begged unsuccessfully.
A blinding flash of green light and a scream. A soft thump. High pitched laughter following.
'You'll soon follow your good-for-nothing-father and mudblood-mother. Don't worry.' The cold voice said.
Another flash of green light and blinding pain. A scream ...
but this time from the cold cruel voice.
Everything went dark.
End Flashback - The twins
The twins opened their eyes, looked at each other for reassurance that everything was alright and found the other equally frightened and shivering but awake. They looked up. A gigantic something was standing right in front of them.
Harry could see a gray glistening hand which was quickly hidden under black, shabby robes. The stranger had no face or at least it wasn't visible because it was hidden by his hood. The creature took a deep breath or something resembling that. The air went even colder. Carya could again hear the screams and see the pictures but Ginny's soft sobs somehow managed to distract her.
She instantly knew what those pictures had been - her and Harry's worst nightmare. The dream that haunted them sometimes at night. Always both of them, always the same. It never changed or lessened. The night of Halloween 1981, the night in which their parents had been brutally murdered by Voldemort. The very night they'd somehow reflected the killing curse back to their caster and became legends.
'The children-who-lived'
It was Remus Lupin who finally helped them. "No one in here is hiding Sirius Black under his cloak," he said with disgusted undertones present in his voice. He then fired something silvery from his wand that seemed to chase the creature away.
A few minutes later the lights were back. A pale looking Hermione was comforting the crying Ginny. Carya and Harry both looked like they'd drop dead any second. They were deathly pale and shivered quite hard.
"What was that?" Harry asked softly.
"That ... was a Dementor of Azkaban. Are you alright?" Lupin asked. He thought their nods were too hesitant and gave them a rather large piece of chocolate each. Ginny and Hermione got one too. "Here eat this. It'll help you." They again hesitated and looked at him slightly wary. Lupin just smiled. "I haven't poisoned it or anything. You can safely eat the chocolate," he said and smiled warmly at them.
Carya took a bite and instantly felt warmth spread through her body. The others seemed to experience similar comfort because their faces relaxed too. The twins stopped shivering and Ginny's sobs had ceased, too. Lupin disappeared from the compartment.
The children heard a soft hissing voice from under their seats. Harry and Carya naturally understood immediately. It was their snakes. They too had felt the Dementors effects.
Sssso cold ... said Niamh.
I'm freezzzing. Make it ssstop, pleassse? requested Salazar.
The twins looked around and when they were sure no one would overhear them they discussed this briefly.
"You think chocolate will help them too?" asked Harry.
"No idea but it seems worth a try," his sister answered.
They gave their snakes a piece of chocolate each and soon the relieved reply came from them.
Thankssss, it'sss better now. Not ssso cold anymore, hissed Niamh and Salazar just curled up in agreement.
You're welcome. That's what friends are for, said Harry.
You okay Salazar? Carya asked her familiar.
Yesss, jussst sssleepy now. Sssee you later, mylady, the snake answered and Harry smiled at Carya's annoyed look.
Ginny and Hermione looked at each other and decided to ask later what that was about. A minute or so later Lupin returned and told them that it was only five more minutes to Hogwarts.
The kids changed into their robes and for a few seconds Lupin seemed to look shocked and confused at the Potter twins. He looked away quickly but they'd already noticed, looked each other into the eyes, down at their robes and over to Lupin. In the meantime he had collected himself and found the twins smiling at him.
"Thanks for the chocolate. It really helped a great deal, sir," Harry said politely.
With that the friends left a bewildered Lupin on the train and climbed into a carriage together.
'Sweet Merlin! They were Lily's and James' kids. But why do they wear Slytherin robes? That's impossible. They should be Gryffindor's like their parents. I wonder how they got into that particular house,' Lupin thought confused. 'Perhaps I should ask them? No better wait and listen to others first,' were his final thought before he too got out of the train and towards a carriage.
They passed another pair of Dementors at the entrance to the Hogwarts Grounds. This time it was only a brief moment of discomfort and nothing else.
"What was that look about, Carya? When your snake spoke with you?" Ginny wanted to know.
Carya just scowled. She knew that her pet only did that to annoy her but she couldn't help being embarrassed by it. So she left Harry to tell.
"You see. Salazar is much like Carya. Too much perhaps. And even when he isn't feeling well he always teases her. In the beginning the snakes insisted on calling us master or mistress and stuff like that. We told them we were just friends and slowly they accepted that. I personally don't like those titles and Niamh knows it.
She never calls me that anymore but Salazar occasionally does so with my sister. He did on the train and called Carya 'Mylady'. It wasn't meant as an insult. It was more or less him expressing his affection towards her but she's always embarrassed by that," Harry explained and smiled apologetically towards his twin.
She by now had calmed down and returned the smile and Ginny as well as Hermione were relieved that the reason for her mood was that simple. The carriage stopped in front of the main entrance and they stepped out of their transportation. The four friends sighed heavily and entered the castle. To their immense surprise Snape was waiting for them.
He asked them if they were alright and they nodded solemnly. The Professor accepted that and left them alone although he had looked slightly doubtful. In fact they could've sworn he had looked concerned for a brief moment. But they also could've imagined that tired and hungry as they were.
The children of course had to separate in the Great Hall because Hermione was a Ravenclaw but they would as usual meet at breakfast the next day. They sat down at their respective house tables and looked around. Most students were looking slightly ill and were very pale.
Even the proud Slytherin's were no exceptions. Ginny noticed with some satisfaction that Ron looked almost green. And when she heard that he'd fainted on the train when the Dementor came into her brothers compartment she instantly felt better.
Although Draco looked paler than usual too, he cracked jokes about a fainting Ron Weasley. 'Well, at least the Slytherin's are brightening up a bit this evening,' Carya thought and could have sworn she'd heard Harry snicker in amusement.
At that moment Professor McGonagall lead the nervous first years into the Great Hall. All of them were staring at the enchanted ceiling in obvious awe and forgot some of their problems for the moment. Their attention was soon brought down to a small stool. An old wizard hat was lying on it and several supposedly muggle-borns made stupid comments about the hat. That got them glares from almost everyone in the room.
Not few jumped a little when a brim of the hat opened and he began to sing this years sorting-song.
"Lord Gryffindor was from the North,
quite headstrong and prepared to fight.
Brave Godric never did back down,
sought out brave students for the light.
Lord Slytherin came from the East,
he did not act on every single whim.
Cunning Salazar, ambitious and of sneaky mind,
he searched for those who equalled him.
Lady Ravenclaw was from the South,
her heart and soul craved knowledge.
Wise Rowena looked for those who admired learning,
the smartest and the witty kind she did want to teach.
Lady Hufflepuff came from the West,
a kind and trusting fellow if not more.
Loyal Helga would always helped her friends,
the hardworking students she was looking for.
Now all I've left is to find out
where you will fit in best.
Just put me on, don't be afraid,
and let me do the rest."
When the hat finished Professor McGonagall picked up a list. She started calling the students to get sorted. In the end Gryffindor got eight, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw got six and Slytherin got ten new students.
Headmaster Dumbledore gave his start of the year speech and the occasional warnings about school rules and the Forbidden Forest. He then introduced a new teacher. It was Remus Lupin, the man from the train who Carya, Harry, Ginny and Hermione already knew.
"I'd like to introduce our new Defence against the Dark Arts Professor - Professor Lupin!" Dumbledore said and some students clapped. Although they were few. Most of the Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff's, a few Ravenclaw's but barely any Slytherin aside from our trio clapped. After that he made an announcement that hit everyone above second year hard. But even the younger ones weren't pleased at all.
"As you certainly have noticed, the Hogwarts Express has been searched by some of the Dementors of Azkaban. They will be staying here this year for protection of the school. Further I want you to know that no one is allowed to leave the school grounds without a teachers permission. The Dementors are posing as guards at every entrance to the grounds. You should not try and sneak past them under any circumstances (when he said this he glanced over at the Potter twins and then looked over towards the Gryffindor table but especially the redheads - Fred and George Weasley).
They will not take any excuse nor will they listen to pleas because it is not their nature to do so. Do as told and give them no reason to harm you. I ask the prefects of each house and the current headboy and headgirl to make sure that no student gets into trouble with the Dementors," the headmaster explained. "Enough of that. Let the feast begin!"
Please Read AND Review.
Thx ,
Carya
Review responses in Author's Note in moving Chapter!