Hermione's parents had offered to drive them to King's Cross train station when the time came for them to leave. Harry was very much relieved about that, only because he'd feared that Matthew would make him go back on the Knight Bus to torture him one more time. They were stood by the innocuous pillar that led to Platform Nine-and-three-quarters, with oblivious commuters absentmindedly walking past them, likely seeing them as a nuisance for standing in the way. Harry still couldn't get his head around how that particular charm worked. He remembered how, before their first year had started, he hadn't even bothered to consider that point since he'd been too preoccupied with running into a brick wall with a strange boy he'd met just a few minutes before. At least he wasn't as daunted by that obstacle anymore, though the boy had only grown stranger in Harry's eyes.

"I guess this is where we leave you," Katherine said sadly, her eyes shining with the tears she'd explicitly been told not to shed by her daughter (only because it would set off Hermione too and she didn't want to scare her boys away). "Have a wonderful year. And write frequently! Oh, and do remember to have fun!" She gripped her daughter in a tight hug, one that was recognisable to Harry from the ones the youngest Granger had given him. It must have been a trait that ran in the family.

Matthew frowned as he leant against the edge of the barrier. "Don't you want to come onto the platform with us? You'll get to see what some of the fuss is about."

"Well, that would be delightful but…"

"But, non-magical people can't go through the boundary," Hermione finished for her mum. "The charms around it work by dissuading them from going near and they'll be too strong to resist."

Matthew raised his hand. "Not if they're holding onto a magical person. The barrier wouldn't bounce them away. All they'd have to do is make sure they don't let go as we go through. Loophole!"

"I, for one, would love to finally see what's on the other side," Peter said, taking a step towards the wall, perhaps a bit too keen.

Hermione didn't look convinced, biting worriedly at her bottom lip. "Matthew, is it worth the risk? It's just…what if there are other spells in place designed to stop them from reaching the platform? They could get hurt."

Matthew moved from his position to be closer to her, gently cupping her elbow. "I've never known you to be dictated by a fear of the unknown. You always want to learn about everything. Right now, you've got the chance of finding out more about how this thing works? I'm shamelessly appealing to your never-ending curiosity."

Hermione removed her arm from his grip. "I'm not risking my parents just to answer a question."

He seemed quite taken aback by the heat in her response. "I'm not asking you to do that. I just…I don't mean to overstep the mark but…I thought…it'd be a way of getting your parents involved in this side of your life. I hate the fact that your two lives have to be separate. It's not fair on you. I guess this was my way of showing you that it could be possible to get them more involved."

She appeared to soften slightly at his explanation. Matthew wanted to explore more why she'd quickly thought the worst of him, but that was a discussion that would have to be done in private. Katherine smiled warmly at him.

"It's very nice of you to even think about it but, if Hermione thinks it could be dangerous, then perhaps we should leave it."

"With the amount of muggle born students that have gone to Hogwarts over the centuries, I'm sure that they wouldn't have something lying around that was dangerous to their parents!" He stretched his arm out. "Would you do me the honour of taking a step with me, Mrs Granger?"

She glanced back at Hermione, who didn't look as anxious as a few moments ago, before taking the proffered arm. "I thought I told you to call me Katherine."

"I'm burdened by my gentlemanly ways, I'm afraid." They faced the wall, Katherine's grip tightening at the sight. "Although saying that…how are you with running?"

He set off at such a pace that it surprised Katherine, practically pulling her along as they headed straight for the barrier. Hermione clamped her eyes shut as they hurtled towards it before they disappeared out of sight. The rest of them waited for a few seconds, almost expecting something to go wrong. But no one came flying back out through the wall. No alarms had been set off. No one had been hurt apparently. So Hermione, deciding to trust her friend (had he led her down the wrong path at any point so far?), held her dad's hand as they followed them through, going at a slightly calmer pace. That left Harry to go on his own, though he was mainly relieved about that. He didn't need the added pressure of looking after someone, especially someone close to Hermione.

When he emerged on the other side, he was glad to see that they had moved out of the way. The last thing he wanted was to run into Peter's backside, which would have made for a very awkward conversation. The two parents were walking around a bit shakily, but it was a good sign that they were all in one piece. In fact, Katherine (having been there a few seconds more than her other half) was just about recovered enough to admire the Hogwarts Express, which was looking just as spectacular as ever. Its shining red paint stood out amongst the bustling crowd, which was just as much of a spectacle for the two Muggles. Peter couldn't stop staring at the people around them, taking in their clothes and strange behaviour, boggled by the small bits of magic on show.

"Oh my goodness," Katherine exclaimed. "This is wonderful! I can't believe you get to live like this!" She was close to crying again, but that was thankfully for more positive reasons than before. "Does it always look like this? So…chaotically brilliant?"

"It's normally a bit more relaxed than this," Matthew told her. "Everyone's rushing about here, making their kids actually get on the train and remember everything. But is it always this wonderful? I'd say so." He was leaving out some of the worst aspects of magical life only because he knew this wasn't about giving them the full truth. This was giving them a snapshot of who their daughter was, something they'd missed out on for two years.

Hermione watched her parents as they smiled and ogled at the sights around them. When her dad started clapping at a pile of trunks being lifted by wand, it struck home how much they'd grown apart without realising. That wasn't out of conscious choice. It was just the way the magical world operated, despite how much she would have loved to have them be more of a part of it. Maybe this was as far as it could go really. It wasn't like they'd been coming to Hogwarts any time soon. But she was okay with that. This was more than she ever thought would be possible.

She nudged Matthew softly. "Thank you," she murmured as he looked at her. "For doing this. For making me do this. They're having so much fun. They look like big kids. I've never been able to see them like that."

"You're welcome," was all that he replied.

"Come on, I'm giving you the opportunity to gloat about being right. They were able to get through the barrier."

"I don't know what you think, Hermione, but this was never about gloating or being right. This was about you, getting to connect with your family over something that is a vital part of you. I wanted you to have that."

She looked at him curiously. "Why are you such a mystery?"

"Maybe you'll find out."

Hermione couldn't look away from him. It felt, at that moment, it was the perfect opportunity to just ask him about what she'd heard that day in Dumbledore's office. She believed he was actually willing to talk about it, as if he wanted to open up just as much as she needed him to open up. But then someone was shouting over to the group and it snapped them back to reality. Hermione cursed her luck. The chance was gone. She had to force a fake smile on her face as Arthur Weasley hurriedly approached.

"Harry!" he exclaimed. "I was hoping to catch you just before you boarded." He glanced in the direction of the two other adults, like he was trying to place them. As they stood next to Hermione, it was clear to see the relation. "I'm sorry for being so rude! I'm Arthur Weasley, my kids are all at Hogwarts…or have been. You must be Hermione's parents! I've heard great things about her. You must be so proud. Especially after what she did last year…"

Katherine and Peter were confused. "What did she do?"

Arthur looked at the three students, seeing their pleading expressions, and suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. "Oh…um…just…acing her exams, I heard? If you would excuse me, I actually came over to have a word with Harry, if that's okay?"

The two elder Grangers were too focused on their daughter's behaviour to be too bothered. "Go and find a compartment for us," Harry said to them. "I'll meet you there."

They watched as the four of them headed towards the train, where an awkward conversation already appeared to be starting. Arthur smiled at him and led him to a more secluded section of the platform, bringing him just behind a pillar. Harry thought this was incredibly strange but perhaps this was something that wizards tended to do. The man's eyes were shifting about as if he were nervous, which had the effect of putting Harry on edge too.

"Is everything okay, Mister Weasley?"

"To be honest, no. Do you remember, when you came back with Ginny after what happened in the Chamber of Secrets? I told you that I was indebted to you and this me attempting to pay that back."

"Really, there's no need. We didn't do it so you would have to owe us something in return."

"I understand that, I do. But I feel as if I have to do this, especially with how dangerous the situation could potentially be. My wife was strongly against me doing this. And the minister himself doesn't want you to know."

Harry was intrigued now. "What is this about?"

"I'm sure you've heard about Sirius Black." He waited for Harry to nod his head. "I've had unprecedented access to the way the Ministry has been trying to deal with his escape, mainly because Fudge wanted to involve the Muggle Prime Minister. I don't know whether you know that I work in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office and they wanted someone with that Muggle expertise to lend a helping hand. It's a really troubling time, mainly because of the impossible nature of his disappearance. No one was supposed to be able to get out of Azkaban. They're claiming that Black was mad but he was obviously smart enough to plan an effective escape."

Arthur sighed, not wanting to dump all this on the young boy's shoulders but knowing that he had no other choice. "Fudge has managed to keep this from reaching the Prophet but the Ministry is no closer to finding him, even after these three weeks. What he has also kept secret is the fact that we know why Black escaped. The night that he got out, Fudge was visiting the prison. And he was told that Black has basically become deranged over the past year especially, repeatedly stating in his sleep that…someone is at Hogwarts who he would like to get his hands on."

"And that someone is…me?"

"There's no delicate way of putting it. Sirius Black lost everything the night you stopped You-Know-Who and what better way to get revenge than doing the same thing to you. He's had twelve years to think about that, and to plan."

"But…getting into Hogwarts is going to be a difficult task, right? Dumbledore is there after all!"

"True. He even agreed to the Azkaban guards being stationed at the school, despite not liking them. As do I. But if they keep the students safe, then so be it. Even so, you must be scared, Harry."

He shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "He can't be worse than Lord Voldemort."

Mister Weasley flinched instinctively at the name. "I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared. But I'm not just here to tell you all this. I want to give you some advice too. I've experienced the positives that have come from your unwarranted expeditions into trouble. But, please, whatever you think, do not go looking for Black."

That confused Harry more than anything. "Why would I actively go out of my way to find someone who wants to kill me?"

A whistle sounded from somewhere, signalling that the train would be leaving soon. "I should go and say goodbye to the kids. I'm glad that I've been able to have this conversation with you. Just remember, whatever you end up hearing, leave Black's capture to the professionals."

Harry's walk to the train was done in a daze as he processed all the information he'd received. Sirius Black sounded like the definition of trouble so why would he go out of his way to risk being on the end of one of his infamous explosive charms? It didn't make sense to him, which invariably meant that some information was being kept from him, as per usual. He bumped into a few people absentmindedly as he searched through the carriages, looking for his friends. When he eventually found them, they were sitting in a compartment that wasn't strictly empty. A figure sat in the corner, asleep, his face obscured by the coat he was using as a blanket. He was going to ask who he was when he saw Hermione's ashen face.

"After Mister Weasley's passing remarks, my parents had some rather pointed questions," she explained. "They wanted to know what was so special about last year. So I told them that I helped save a student who got themselves seriously hurt. I didn't go anywhere near mentioning the basilisk. I couldn't risk it. They would have picked me up and carried me away from the Express immediately. I couldn't…let them do that. So…I lied to them. I actually lied to them. I've never lied to them."

"You didn't exactly lie," Matthew offered. "You just withheld some crucial parts of the truth. As I've told you a good few times now. She won't listen to me, Harry."

"This is serious, Matthew," she continued tersely. "One second, they're becoming more intertwined with my life than the past two years combined. The next, I'm pushing them further away as if I don't trust them to react reasonably. Of course, pulling me out of a school that had me going face to face with a giant snake is probably quite reasonable but it's not as simple as that, is it?"

Harry sat down opposite to them, sharing a bench with their snoozing travel companion. Crookshanks was curled up in a ball in between his friends. "I think you did the right thing. You couldn't have had a proper conversation in the few minutes you had before the train left. It would have been rushed and that's when your words could be misunderstood. You'll talk about it one day, but in a much calmer setting. Hopefully."

Hermione nodded her head. Matthew looked impressed at his sage advice. "As it was, their interrogation meant we didn't get on the train until late, which is why we're sharing a compartment."

"Who is he? He's definitely too old to be a student."

"R.J Lupin," Matthew answered, beating Hermione to it like it was some sort of competition. Perhaps it was a little game they liked to play. "That's what his trunk said anyway. No doubt he's our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, since Hermione knocked out our last one. I'm surprised this one can sleep near you peacefully, what with your new reputation as the professor slayer."

She swatted him on the arm. "How many times must I tell you that I didn't mean to do that?"

"All I know is that you went against an authority figure, no matter how clueless Lockhart was, which means our influence has finally corrupted you completely. Welcome to the dark side, Miss Granger. Isn't that right, Harry?"

Harry wasn't paying attention, not after the chat he'd just been through. "Do you think he's properly asleep? Because I need to discuss something disturbing."

The train was well on its way by the time Harry finished recounting the conversation. Hermione's face had gone even paler than it already was and even Matthew seemed concerned, though that hadn't stopped him from getting snacks when the trolley had passed their door.

"Well, it doesn't really change anything, does it?" he said as he bit the leg off a chocolate frog. "You already knew that Sirius Black was dangerous if you believe the stories. And, if he is a supporter of Voldemort, then you can't be surprised that he'd want to target you." He noticed Hermione's pointed glare. "What? There's no use sugar coating this. There's a supposed murderer hell bent on adding Harry's name to his ledger. Business as usual for us lot."

"Do you think that cracking jokes is the best use of your time?" Hermione shot at him, an eyebrow raised.

"I pride myself on my sense of humour, thank you very much. You normally enjoy it! What's gotten into you lately?"

Hermione didn't answer, instead looking out the window. It was difficult to make anything out as the rain stormed outside, making it more evident that she was just doing her best to ignore a confrontation. Harry wasn't too fussed by that. The last thing he needed was for them to have an argument. At the very least, it would have woken the professor from his slumber and he didn't want to start the year by losing House points before they'd even stepped foot in the castle.

"I'm not foolish enough to go looking for him," Harry defended himself, as if he had to keep reminding everyone. Did he have a reputation he didn't know about? "All I really want is a nice, quiet year. Is that too much to ask?"

"Yes…because, as much as you don't go searching for trouble, trouble has a habit of finding you." Matthew folded his arms. "Invariably, that means that trouble finds us two as well. But Black won't do anything as long as we're around."

"Why would he be scared of two third-year students?" Hermione asked sceptically, still staring into the darkness. "He just got past hundreds of wizards, no doubt, to escape from Azkaban. We won't represent much of an opposition."

"I'm trying to reassure him. And you can't underestimate the power of reputations. If he wants to hurt Harry, he'll have done his research, meaning he'll know about us two as well. You're the smartest witch of your age and I'm no slouch either. He'll be wary. As long as we are as well, we might be able to avoid anything happening."

"I don't want you to be babysitting me until he's captured again," Harry complained. "I'm not some kid that needs protecting."

"Tough. You're our responsibility now, as you have been since I met you at King's Cross two years ago. We're basically your bodyguards. I'm surprised you haven't realised that by now."

Hermione smiled at his protectiveness. No matter how little she truly knew about him, she could always count on his dedication to their small group. It was a much needed reassurance. "I doubt Harry would really need me to protect him if he has you, given your magical ability."

"Oh, I can't hold a candle to you. You're so obsessed with what I can do that you don't appreciate what you're capable of."

Again, she couldn't help but smile. She hated that he had the ability to do that. All she wanted was to be able to be annoyed at him, to question who he was, and yet he constantly chose to remind her that she knew already - he was a good person. Was that enough for her? Was that enough to quench her thirst for answers?

"It's not as if you're going to need to protect me," Harry said. "Mister Weasley mentioned something about the Azkaban guards coming to Hogwarts for security reasons. Dumbledore isn't too happy about it, he said, though I don't know what could be so bad about some guards."

Matthew's neck snapped to look at him. "Did you say they're coming from Azkaban?"

"Yeah, but why's that a big deal?"

The train came to a juddering halt. Crookshanks lept from the bench, terrified, and Hermione jumped to try to catch him. Lupin's trunk had fallen from the hold above them, just about missing Harry's head. He rushed over to the window, but he couldn't make out anything for certain. He was sure he could see figures boarding the train but they weren't near any platform, nor did the Express usually make additional stops. Matthew had poked his head around the compartment door. People could be heard yelling and complaining from other parts of the train. Matthew slammed the door shut.

"Something isn't right," he said, stating the obvious. "We're nowhere near Hogsmeade yet."

The lamps illuminating the darkness suddenly faded and died, drowning them in an eerie pitch black. Harry stumbled over the fallen trunk, landing squarely on the new professor, who was no longer asleep. He whispered a hushed apology, feeling extremely awkward that this was the way he'd introduced himself to his latest tutor. He tried to make something out from their surroundings. A golden glow appeared for a few seconds, illuminating Matthew in the warm light. His wand was pointed towards the door, which was beginning to open.

Even in the darkness, the robed creature was somehow blacker. Its robed appearance floated in the air as it pushed its way into the room. Hermione let out a shout as a thud could be heard. Harry couldn't see Matthew. He was aware of Lupin moving but all he could focus on was the creature. Even without eyes, he could feel it staring at him. For some reason, he couldn't tear his gaze away. He felt cold, colder than he'd ever felt, colder than the night he and the Dursleys had slept in a hut in the ocean before Hagrid had come for him. He didn't know why he was reliving so many memories, yet skipping the good ones he knew he had. His heart twanged with an almighty pain that threatened to overwhelm him. He could hear someone - a female - screaming and he feared for Hermione's safety, wanting to reach out to her, but his arms felt suddenly heavy. The last thing he remembered was how he wished he could make the screaming stop.

"You shouldn't have put your body on the line like that."

"It sort of worked, didn't it?"

Harry heard the voices before he was able to open his eyes. The lamps were lit again when he managed to eventually find that strength, and the light was blinding in comparison to the darkness they'd just been subjected to. The train was moving again and there was no robed figure. Harry thought he must have fallen asleep and had a very weird dream. He was lying on the bench. He could see his friends sitting close together, Hermione rubbing Matthew's arm as she looked over his face, scanning for something Harry couldn't make out, whilst he was finishing off the chocolate frog he'd started before the incident. She seemed troubled. Matthew looked tired and sunken, sapped of the energy he usually had. Harry was feeling very similar to that.

"Here, have some chocolate," a voice said next to him. Harry looked up to see Professor Lupin staring at him, holding out a bar of Honeydukes. "It'll help, I promise."

"You're awake!" Hermione exclaimed. "I was so worried about you both."

"What…what happened?" Harry stuttered. "What was that thing?"

"A Dementor," Lupin answered grimly. "They're usually kept safely away at Azkaban but the present situation has called for their presence. As you've experienced, I don't think that's going to be a good thing." He pushed himself up from the seat and Harry was able to get a good look at him. His clothes were as worn as his trunk, his hair was slightly scruffy, and his pale skin was marked by scars. Yet, despite that, he was giving off a warm feeling, comforting Harry somehow. "I should go and speak to the driver to ensure we don't get a repeat performance." He glanced down at the unopened bar of chocolate still in Harry's hand. "Eat. I'm not trying to fatten you up. It'll dampen the effects of what you've been through."

Harry broke off a piece as the professor left their compartment. Lupin was right. A tingling sensation ran through his body as he consumed the confectionary, and he suddenly didn't feel as empty as he had done. He noticed Hermione still tending to Matthew, who had his head leant against the wall, his eyes shut.

"Did I…pass out?" Harry asked them.

Matthew shrugged. "I was already accounted for before that thing got to you."

Hermione nodded her head. "You did. It was very similar to what happened to Matthew. The dementor was interested in you both, although it got to Matthew first. It must have been too much for you. That's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm not ashamed," Matthew said. "I'm annoyed that I got taken out of the running so easily. I did take the brunt force of the attack though…got the full dosage. Not something I'm in a rush to experience again."

"What happened after I blacked out?" Harry pressed.

"Thankfully, we had Professor Lupin with us. He told the creature that Sirius Black wasn't on the train and, when that didn't work, he summoned this bright light to shoo it away. Things went back to normal soon after that."

"I just don't understand why I reacted like that. I was…experiencing things that have happened in my life for some reason."

"Dementors basically suck the joy out of anywhere they go," Matthew explained tiredly. "That's why everyone in Azkaban goes mad. Harry, to put it bluntly, you've had a difficult childhood and the dementor wanted to feast on that. It forgot its task of looking for Black and honed in on its basic instinct, to feed on those bad memories. You were like an open buffet for it."

"It did the same to you though."

"You're not the only one with difficult memories to contend with. We all have our troubles and the dementors are going to make us face them this year. For once, I'm not even looking forward to the welcome feast."