Chapter 1: Dementor's Kiss
Tap Tap Tap...
My dark brown almost black eyes jolted open as I awoke from my slumber. I turned my head towards the door of the compartment, to find a man standing there. The first thing I noticed were the scars that ran across his face.
"Do you mind?" he asked pointing to the seat across from me. I shook my head and gestured towards the seat with my hand. The man smiled politely, tossing his trunk up onto the racks above the window. He was an average looking man, besides the scars that is. He had a pale complexion and a thin mustache that matched the light brown hair on his head. His robes were shabby, filled with patches and frayed edges, as if he had been wearing it for years.
"Remus Lupin, nice to meet you. I'm the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year." he said after getting settled in his seat.
"Raina Delacour, transfer student," I smiled. It seemed like the teachers weren't as formal here as they were back at Beauxbatons. That school was horrifying and completely beyond my comfort zone. Those damn blue dresses and annoying French girls.
Professor Lupin nodded in acknowledgement, leaning his head back against the wall. By the looks of it he was exhausted, he yawned silently and closed his eyes. I turned back to the window and stared out at the dark night. It was hard to see anything in particular, partly because the train was going so fast. I could make out the trees, lakes and mountains but any detail was lost in the darkness.
Tap, tap, tap
Another knock sounding on the compartments door. It slid open before I could respond and in stepped three students around my age.
"Excuse me, everywhere else is full." A girl with bushy brown hair smiled hastily and took the seat beside me. I smiled back faintly and scooted over providing more room for the group. A red headed boy came through the door next taking the seat next to the bushy haired one. Neither of them had trunks, they must have been able to fit them in a different compartment. Next, a boy with poison green eyes and a mop of messy black hair came through. He plopped down on the bench next to Professor Lupin, who had slept through the knocking.
"I haven't seen you around before, what house are you in?" the girl asked.
"I haven't been sorted yet." I shrugged, trying to turn back towards the window.
"Surely you can't be a first year," she exclaimed. Looking me up and down with a pair of doe eyes.
"No, I'm a third year but I'm transferring from Bauxbaton's. They have a different system there so I will have to be sorted when we arrive at Hogwarts." I explained.
"We're all in Gryffindor and are also third years. I'm Hermione Grange, and this is Ron Weasley," she pointed at the red head beside her. "and that's Harry Potter," she gestured towards the dark haired boy across from me.
"I've heard a lot about you, but nothing to terrible," I joked. Harry nodded uncomfortably and turned his attention to the window. I turned back to Hermione and introduced myself. After that we spent the next two hours telling each other everything we knew about our schools. Hermione already knew quite a bit about Beauxbatons but I managed to surprise her with things that weren't in the history books. I started getting the hint that Hermione knew many things, on many different subjects. I talked to Ron and Harry about being on the Beauxbatons quidditch team last year as a chaser, and learned that Harry was also on a quidditch team.
"Do you think he's really asleep?" Harry asked after a moment of silence.
"It's been over three hours since he closed his eyes, I'm quite certain he is asleep," Hermione said, peeking over at Professor Lupin.
"I have to tell you something," he whispered to Hermione and Ron. Then looked at me out of the corner of his eye.
"Who am I going to tell? I don't know anybody, remember?" I shrugged. Harry sat silently for a second, then decided saying what he needed to say in front of me was better than not saying it at all.
"You know how your dad pulled me over to talk to me before we boarded the train?" Harry turned his attention to Ron, who nodded. "He told me the reason why Sirius Black escaped out of Azkaban... he wants to kill me."
I didn't know who this Sirius Black character was, or why he would want to kill Harry, but I did know of Azkaban and nobody escaped from there.
The train suddenly jerked to a stop, the brakes screeching the entire time. The moment we came to a stop, the lights flickered once and then didn't come back on. I looked over at the silhouettes of the students next to me and felt more than saw the fear on their faces.
"W-what's goin' on?" Ron asked, watching the contents of the beer bottle on the windowsill freeze. It was surreal to see how the ice slowly took over the contents of the bottle. It then spread across the entire window, and suddenly I could see my breath. Harry looked between Hermione and I and then back towards the window.
"I dunno, maybe we've broken down," Harry mumbled. He didn't sound very convincing and I highly doubt he believed that himself. The train gave a sudden, unsettling jerk.
"I think someone's coming aboard," Ron whimpered, his hands shaking in his lap. I tucked my long black hair behind my ear and pulled my long sleeves down so that they covered my hands. Hermione was clutching the bottom of her seat so hard her knuckles turned white, and she was staring wide eyed across the aisle at Harry.
A dark figure appeared outside the door, it was hovering above the ground and reached around 10 feet in the air. It was covered in a hooded cloak, made of ripped black cloth, looking like something out of a horror movie. I heard Hermione catch her breath and Harry's eyes widened in fear. The grotesque figure opened the door and glided inside, making a strange breathing noise, like it had smoked one too many packs of cigarettes. It immediately turned towards Harry and bent over Harry and started, well, sucking... I stared, horror struck as Harry's facial expression turned blank.
No Cissy, she's my daughter. I will protect her, you can't take her from me.
I shook my head, who was talking? What was going on.
"Expecto Patronum!" Professor Lupin shouted, jumping to his feat, and facing the cloaked monster. A white light erupted from the end of his wand, and somehow it shoved the thing back. I turned my attention to Harry who had fallen off the bench and was now passed out on the floor.
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked, bending down and shaking his face. "What's wrong with him?" she asked Lupin anxiously.
"He'll be alright," he said helping Hermione lift Harry back on to the seat. "Give him a few minutes," he passed out pieces of chocolate to each of us. "Eat it, it helps," I took mine slowly, and popped it into my mouth, enjoying the savory taste that was chocolate.
"Who was screaming?" I asked, after I had finished my chocolate.
"No one was screaming," Hermione frowned. I opened my mouth to say something but when nothing came out, I turned away and gazed back out the window. I must have been dreaming, or imagining things. It seemed so real though. I found myself getting lost in my own thoughts and didn't even notice the train start up again.
"Harry! Are you alright?" Hermione's voice rang out. Startled, I turned back towards the group and found Harry's eyes blinking open. He sat up slowly and looked at Hermione.
"Who screamed?" he asked, clearing his throat.
"See someone was screaming," I pointed out. "it was a woman, wasn't it?" I asked Harry.
"There was no screaming," Hermione said, giving us both a frightened look. Harry decided to drop the subject and I said nothing further. Professor Lupin returned from talking to the driver and sat down next to Harry.
"What was that thing?" Ron asked, once he was settled.
"A dementor, one of the guards of Azkaban, it's gone now. It was searching the train for Sirius Black." He explained, giving Harry a piece of chocolate. The rest of the train ride was quiet. No one knew how to fill the awkward silence between them after what they just experienced.
A/N" Theres chapter one! I hope you guys liked it! Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks everyone!