Yay! I updated in under a month! Whoop! Anyway, not a long chapter, but we've got some dementor action! Also, I FINISHED SEASON SIX OF DOCTOR WHO AND SEASON SEVEN DOESN'T COME TO NETFLIX UNTIL THE FALL WHAT DO I DO WITH MY LIFE

So you have that crisis to thank for this here chapter. Though I did rewatch a couple season 4 episodes. When I saw 10 again, my heart just went BOOOOOOOM! And exploded. I freaked out. My parents think I'm insane. Oh well.

Also, an answer to the question asked by TheNorwegianAuthor: Nico couldn't shadow-travel because he didn't know what the platform looked like, so he couldn't envision it. Also, they would probably have magical wards around it to keep people from doing things like shadow-traveling onto the platform. Hope that answers your question!

DISCLAIMER: If I had as much power as J.K. and Rick, I would kick down Steven Mofatt's door and make him pay for tearing my heart into pieces. Sadly, I don't have as much power as them, so I can't. GET THE PICTURE?

7. A Most Unfortunate Attack

HARRY

Ron, Hermione and I walked down the corridor of the Hogwarts Express, greeting old friends and looking for an empty compartment. Once we had gone the full length of the train, we found one that was mostly empty, except for a man asleep in the corner. Everywhere else was full, so we slipped inside as quietly as we could hoping we wouldn't wake him. "I wonder who that is," Ron said, looking at the sleeping man.

"Professor R.J. Lupin," Hermione replied immediately. Ron looked annoyed.

"How do you know everything?" he marveled. "Harry, how is it Hermione knows everything?"

Hermione sighed. "It's on his suitcase, Ronald."

Both Ron and I looked up and, surprise, there was the Professor's name on his suitcase. "Oh, yeah," Ron mumbled, settling into his seat.

I glanced at Professor R.J. Lupin. "Do you think he's really asleep?"

Hermione nodded. "Seems to be. Why?"

I stood up and closed the compartment doors. "I've got to tell you something."

oOo

Both Ron and Hermione were silent for a moment after I explained my encounter with Mr. Weasley that had happened earlier that day. See, he had walked outside with me just before everybody got into the car. He had told me the Ministry didn't want me to know that a nefarious killer, Sirius Black, had escaped Azkaban to try and kill me. He was a big supporter of Voldemort, and had been sent to Azkaban for 12 years for the murder of 13 innocent muggles. He would've been there his whole life, but he escaped. The first wizard ever to do so. And he was coming after me.

Ron was still having trouble processing the information. "So, let me get this straight. Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban to come after you?"

I nodded.

"But Black could never get into Hogwarts," Hermione protested. "Dumbledore must know about this."

"I hope," I sighed, looking at the rain pouring outside. All of a sudden, the train came to a screeching halt. I rocked forward in my seat, but the professor next to me didn't wake.

I heard everyone else on the train start talking at once, looking out of their compartments for the cause of the stop. "Why are we stopping?" Hermione asked, tension in her voice. "We can't be there yet."

Ron put his hand on the window and looked out. Suddenly, the lights flickered off. "I think," Ron whispered, "I think someone's coming aboard." There was a crackling noise, and I stared as the glass on the window became frosted with ice. The air seemed to have dropped thirty degrees in about 10 seconds. Suddenly, the whole train rocked back and forth. "Bloody hell!" Ron yelled. "What's happening?"

I felt a prickling sense of dread crawl up my spine, and I stared at the door to the compartment. I froze in fear as a skeletal hand appeared on the other side of the glass, making a pulling motion. The door slid open, and the owner of the hand was revealed. It was a cloaked figure, hood pulled up, the face a pit of darkness. The robes floated around it in nonexistent wind, and just looking at the creature recalled the darkest things in me: a cold, high-pitched laugh I heard in my dreams; my mother's scared face right before she was killed. I went rigid as the creature leaned toward me, seeming to be inhaling.

The last things I remember seeing before passing out were a bright light, and, for some reason, Percy's face behind the cloaked figure. He seemed to be yelling something, but his words were lost in the horrible scream that filled my ears.

oOo

I woke to the smell of chocolate and the feeling of my glasses digging into the side of my face. I blink a few times and got up, trying to adjust my eyes to the light. A man sat in front of me, holding out some milk chocolate. He was smiling, and I recognized him as Professor Lupin, the man who had been sleeping in our compartment. "Here, eat this, it'll help," he said, once again offering me the chocolate. "It's all right, it's chocolate." I took it from him, but didn't take a bite.

I glanced warily at the door, waiting for the cloaked thing to come back. "What was that thing that came?" I asked, adjusting my glasses.

"It was a dementor," Professor Lupin responded, a hint of contempt in his voice. "It was searching the train for Sirius Black. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to have a little word with the driver."

Once he left, I turned to Ron and Hermione. "What happened to me?"

"Well, you sort of went rigid," Ron answered. "We thought you were having a fit or something."

"And did either of you two, you know, pass out?"

"No." Ron looked at his feet. "I felt weird, though. Like I'd never be cheerful again."

Just then I recalled the sound I had heard just before passing out. "Someone was screaming," I said. "A woman."

Hermione shook her head, looking concerned. "No one was screaming, Harry."

I bit my lip and looked out the window. "But Percy, I saw Percy behind the dementor. He was yelling something."

Hermione looked at Ron, who nodded. "Yeah," he said. "All three of them sort of appeared behind the dementor, and Percy yelled 'Get away from him!', then Lupin woke up and blasted it with light and it went away."

I squinted, still looking out the window, trying to see something. Anything. Just as I was looking away, I thought I saw something move, just in the corner of my vision. A shape a little bit darker than the rest. Before I could make out what it was, Hermione spoke. "But, where did the Americans go? And how did they get there? Percy looked genuinely worried when you passed out. It took Professor Lupin quite a while to get them to leave, you know."

I shrugged. I just really wasn't in the mood for deep thinking right now. "I dunno. Maybe they're just nice people who want to help."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. I could faintly hear Ron mumble, "That's what they want you to think" and I rolled my eyes.

After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, Hermione cleared her throat and said, "I think we'll be there soon. We should get our robes on." So, we all changed, and sure enough, I could see the lights of Hogwarts castle coming into view. Rain was still pouring down as we mounted the horseless carriages and rattled along up to the castle. I looked and Ron, and I knew we were both thinking the same thing: this was much better than flying the car into the Whomping Willow (long story, not the right time).

As we entered Hogwarts, I caught a glimpse of Percy, Thalia, and Nico, who weren't really hard to miss, being a head taller than the First Years. For a second I wondered what they were doing there. They were in the Third Year; they should be coming with us! But then I realized they needed to be sorted. I wondered what houses they would be put in. I secretly hoped that at least one would be in Gryffindor. They seemed like interesting people.

I lost my view of them as I was swept into the Great Hall, and I did my best to get to the Gryffindor table. I took a seat between Ron and Hermione, and watched as everyone else came in. Just as the Second to Seventh Years had settled, the doors to the Hall burst open, and in marched the First Years (plus the Americans). I found them right away, all looking very uncomfortable in their robes. Nico looked more depressed than usual, and Thalia was scowling and pulling at the gray fabric of her skirt. Percy's gaze flicked around the room, and for a moment, he locked eyes with me. He seemed to give me a quick once-over, and then nodded slightly, as if in approval. Then he began looking around again, his hands playing with his robes the whole time.

All the new students got to the front of the hall in front of the teacher's table, where the Sorting Hat's stool was. I could see the Americans all look at each other apprehensively as McGonagall placed the hat on the seat. For a moment, everything was quiet. Then the hat began to sing.

Oooooh! I know! Cliffie! I'm so bad! But I might even get the next chapter to you either later today or tomorrow! Yay! Try not to get used to it, though. I tend to trick people into thinking I'm a good updater. Aha...aha...ha...no.

Question for all you Whovians! Who's your favorite Doctor? 9, 10, or 11?

-HorseHat out