"That was the one that had the twisted horn right?" Harry asked trying to think back to the few times he had talked to her before.
"Yes, we think so."
"You don't know what it looks like?" Hermione asked frowning at the girl.
"Well we've heard reports but they are conflicted," Luna said shrugging. "I am sure Daddy will find one eventually. If not, well at least the hunts are interesting and afford time for us to spend together."
Harry nodded, laying a hand on Hermione's arm and squeezing softly to stop the reply he knew was coming. "Well I can certainly understand wanting to spend time with your parents, Luna."
She smiled sadly in reply. "Just my father, Harry Potte. My mother passed away when I was 9."
Harry closed his eyes feeling like he had just inadvertently punched the girl in the gut. "Oh. I didn't know that. I'm sorry, Luna."
"How could you know?" She shrugged and picked her magazine back up. "I am almost done with the puzzle. Let me know if you would like to read the article, Harry." Harry nodded and the compartment fell quiet.
Shortly before they reached Hogsmeade station the sky outside the compartment began to darken and grow stormy. Professor Lupin had remained sleeping the entire ride and the students had stayed mostly quiet after the initial burst of conversation with Luna.
"Are we stopping?" Neville asked perking up and rousing the others. "We still have a ways to go…"
"Why is there frost on the window?" Daphne said squinting at the spreading sheet of ice.
The train lurched to a stop and the group's breath started to fog in the air. Harry was going to volunteer to find a prefect to see what was going on but froze before he could do more than open his mouth. Dim screaming started to sound in his head. Not, Harry! Please not, Harry! Kill me instead! I'll do anything, just don't hurt Harry! Harry was only vaguely aware of the door to their compartment sliding open and a tall, dark figure wrapped in a cloak standing outside. The others slid away from the imposing figure. Tracey whimpered and tried to burrow into the seat while Luna curled up into a ball across from him. Harry could only hear the screams of the woman in his mind. The creature in front of him raised its skeletal hand and stretched out to him. There was a rustle from behind him as something heavy clattered to the floor. A green flash filled Harry's vision and he crumpled to the ground. The last thing he heard as he lost consciousness was a firm shout of "Expecto Patronum!"
"…Harry? Harry?" a dim voice washed through Harry's brain. He felt someone's hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes only to shut them again at the brightness surrounding him.
"Urggg," Harry mumbled raising a hand to his head. "Did anyone get the number of that lorry?"
"What's a lorry got to do with anything?" Daphne asked from somewhere behind him.
"It's a Muggle expression Daph. Means he feels awful," Tracey supplied with a slight shudder. "About the same as me and Luna, I'd guess."
"Yeah, but neither of you two fainted," Neville said softly helping Luna to sit back up. She was still pale and slightly shaking.
"Harry?" Hermione said softly leaning over him to peer into his eyes. "Harry, are you okay? That was a Dementor. Professor Lupin chased it away but it had a severe effect on you. You need to eat this." She held a bar of chocolate out to Harry and he numbly took it from her fingers taking a bite.
"Chocolate? Really?" Harry asked raising his eyebrows at his friend.
"It really works, Harry," Tracey mumbled eating a bar of her own. "Nobody is really sure why."
"Daddy says it's because the snagglepuffs make the chocolate as a natural defense against their nightmares. I don't think it works as good as pudding myself," Luna said after swallowing a mouthful of chocolate.
"Well if you run across any snagglepuffs, Luna, thank them for me." Harry slowly levered himself back into the seat with Hermione's help. "What the heck was a Dementor doing on the train?"
"Probably looking for Black," Daphne said wrapping an arm around Tracey and pulling the other girl closer to her side. "We're lucky that the new Professor could do the Patronus charm. Not too many people can do that one and it's pretty much the only thing that works on Dementors."
"Oh shite," Harry moaned slapping a hand to his head.
"Language, Harry," Hermione quickly replied before peeling his hand off his forehead. "And what's the problem?"
"I got into trouble on the train…" Harry said dejectedly. The students just stared at him waiting so he continued in a quiet voice, "Shiva is going to kill me…"
His friends all looked at each other not sure how to respond. Until Luna started giggling softly which quickly turned into a full blown laugh. The rest soon followed suit and the compartment had completely devolved into raucous laughter by the time a dumbfounded Professor Lupin returned.
"That was a very mature response running away there, Harry," Hermione said rolling her eyes. Harry, Neville and Hermione had dropped on the couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry had practically ran up the stairs once the feast had ended, trying to avoid Shiva.
"I swear if looks could kill, that woman would've burnt me to a crisp!" Harry said shuddering. Neville was laughing hysterically and even Hermione shook her head with a small grin on her face. "It's not funny! This totally wasn't remotely my fault. If I'm going to get yelled at for being in danger again then I am at least going to have done something to deserve it first." Harry crossed his arms and pouted.
Hermione nudged his shoulder full on smirking. "Well at least you know she cares." Hermione nodded her head towards a young redhead who had just walked into the Common Room. "And there's Ginny. Did you want to talk to her tonight?"
.
.
.
.
🎉The novel is available in PDF with more than 400 chapters, visit us in our Ko-Fi store🎉
🎉ko-fi.com/gokublack444🎉