Ch. 2 The Dementors and the Mist

Harry knew that this was suspicious but he didn't say anything. Fudge was still talking about who knew what, but Harry heard his name mentioned several times. It must have been nearly eight o'clock by now and that meant that they would be at Hogwarts in an hour. Suddenly, something blocked the little light that was left. It must be a cloud thought Harry. Then Fudge stopped and looked sternly at Harry.

"Is it a yes or a no?"

"Ah . . . sorry, come again?"

You told Dumbledore all of the details from last June in that graveyard. Is that correct?"

"Yes," said Harry blandly. If he had to repeat this story again then he wouldn't make it.

"Well, Dumbledore has told me all of the details, so don't wet your pants! Anyways, I am ready to believe you. If Dumbledore thinks that he is back, then he is," Fudge rattled on for a few moments, looking very grave. Then he sighed and said to Harry, "I'm on your side now, I suppose."

Harry didn't care right now because he was still wondering what had happened to Wormtail. But he did notice that the thing covering the tiny speck of sun that was left, was moving closer. There were a few of them. Harry noticed the dark shapes and was shocked to realize that they were dementors.

"Fudge!" he shouted. Fudge gave him a firm look, perhaps because he had been interrupted, or because he had been called 'Fudge' by a 15-year old boy, and not Mr. or Sir. Harry couldn't have cared less. "Dementors are coming! They're right there! Look!"

Fudge pulled out his wand. Harry pulled his out, but didn't dare use it, for he was not in school, and Fudge would find some reason why Harry should be expelled. "Expecto Patrumum! No! Expecto Patronuo! Expeco Patronum!" Fudge must have realized that Harry was still there, and he wasn't performing a spell that came so easily to Harry, that he yelled, "EXPECTO PATRONUM" so loudly that a silvery reindeer shot out of his wand, made all three dementors disappear, and prance back to Fudge with such force that it knocked him over. Harry helped Fudge stand up while trying to smother a giggle against the back of his hand.

Then suddenly, a silver mist appeared and the train went right through it. Harry was thrown back but noticed that everything was quickly rewinding back until they were where Wormtail disappeared. Wormtail, where was he? Harry frantically looked around but only so Fudge. He had a slightly glazed look in his eye. Then the exact same speech came again. Harry thought that as soon as the dementors appeared, he would take care of them, so that mist wouldn't appear again. But this time, Fudge's speech was slowly putting him to sleep. When he was awake, Fudge was exclaiming about how irresponsible Harry was, and that he would never believe a word that he said. Harry shrugged half-heartedly.

He was dozing when the dementors came and they begin sucking out his soul. Harry grasped his wand tightly and thought of the happiest memory he could think of. It was hard to get the correct words out of his mouth, because of the dementor, but he managed just in time. He turned the stag towards Fudge, but it was too late. Fudge was lying there, worse then dead. He was now soulless, and Harry felt like this was his fault. If only the mist came again.

As Fudge wasn't saying anything, and wasn't obviously going to, Harry slowly walked back to his compartment leaving Fudge where he lay. He passed groups of laughing people, many who were staring and pointing at him. He made it to the compartment where his friends sat, and slumped inside. At once, they started attacking him.

"Why did Fudge need you?"

"What did he say?"

"Did he talk about you-know-who?"

"Was anybody else there?"

"Why did it take so long?" and then finally,

"Are you all right, Harry? You look horrible."

Harry nodded. He rubbed his head. His scar had not hurt hum at all, and that certainly was something. It must mean that Voldemort had nothing to do with this, after all. But who did?

Harry whispered the entire story to the three of them. He didn't wish to tell Neville, but he couldn't tell him to leave. When he finished speaking, the three of them were frozen with shock, looking stunned.

"And your scar didn't hurt at all?" asked Hermione again. Harry shook his head.

"Wow," said Neville and Ron together. "Wow."

As Harry and his friends stepped off the Hogwarts Express, he felt like something bad was about to happen. Something . . . bam! Harry fell unconscious before he reached the ground.