Chapter 45 "Dementor Assault"

A sudden commotion erupted outside the carriage around four or five in the afternoon.

Skyler recognized a few familiar voices and immediately thought of the pivotal plot unfolding today.

He rose from his seat, with Daphne and Meredith following suit, and Luna exited the carriage without hesitation.

As anticipated by Skyler, the dispute involved his impulsive brother, Draco.

Despite his earlier pledge to his father to keep his distance from Harry this semester, he had cast that promise aside before even arriving at school.

Skyler couldn't help but silently shake his head at his brother's character.

Draco, accompanied by Goyle and Crabbe, stood defiantly in the aisle.

On the opposite side stood Harry and his companions, wands drawn and a confrontation imminent. It was about to escalate.

In the original plot, Draco was supposed to retreat upon encountering Professor Remus Lupin, but due to Skyler's intervention, he remained in place, appearing arrogantly eager to witness the spectacle.

Over the summer vacation, Draco had dedicated himself to diligently practicing the Dark Arts, mastering spells like the "Serpensortia," "Sectumsempra," "Levicorpus," and "Confringo."

His magical prowess had improved considerably, and he was eagerly anticipating his next opportunity to confront Harry.

Lucius's instructions had long been abandoned.

Looking out of the train window, Skyler noticed that the sky had dimmed.

Suddenly, the train shook, and its speed noticeably decreased until it came to an abrupt halt with a loud jolt.

Luggage could be heard falling from the shelves.

Out of nowhere, all the lights in the carriage extinguished, casting them into complete darkness.

"Damn it, what's happening?" Draco exclaimed, retreating abruptly and colliding with Goyle and Crabbe, causing all three to tumble over.

Amidst Draco's frantic outburst, faint sounds suggested that someone was entering the train.

Skyler sighed, recognizing that, despite Draco's progress over the summer vacation, he was still essentially a timid and naive kid.

Skyler stood still, quietly awaiting events.

Daphne and Meredith were somewhat rattled, but the sight of Skyler's imposing presence, like a bulwark against the unknown, gave them a sense of security.

They didn't even utter a scream.

Daphne craftily feigned fear and seized the chance to grasp Skyler's left arm – she had the wisdom not to touch his right arm, accustomed to holding a wand.

Meredith, sensing a missed opportunity, let out an irritated huff.

Luna, also positioned behind Skyler, blinked her wide eyes, expressing curiosity rather than fear.

At the same time, the Harry trio faced their own chaos.

Ron tried to approach the window but accidentally stepped on Hermione's foot, prompting her to scream in pain.

Amidst their confusion, Neville also joined them, attempting to inquire about the situation.

In the dark, Harry stumbled and bumped into something.

At this moment, Ginny arrived, attempting to get closer to the carriage, but she collided head-on with Hermione, causing yet another pair of yelps of pain.

Skyler called out, "Everyone, stay quiet!" A soft, milky white light, as gentle as moonlight and as bright as stars, suddenly burst from the tip of his wand, bathing the entire train aisle in an illumination that didn't blind anyone but revealed every detail.

Daphne and Meredith were unfazed, well accustomed to Skyler's magical abilities.

However, Hermione and Luna regarded the display with curious eyes.

With a dreamlike quality in her voice, Luna voiced the questions on the other two girls' minds, "Is this a Lumos spell? Why is your Lumos different from the one I know?"

Skyler turned his gaze towards Luna, smiling gently. "You can think of it as my personal modification of the spell. Would you like to learn it? I can teach you."

Luna peered into Skyler's eyes with careful consideration, and then after a lengthy pause, she broke into a sweet smile and nodded in agreement.

Hermione, who overheard Skyler and Luna's conversation, felt a pang of discomfort but held her tongue, suppressing her own words directed at Skyler.

Skyler directed the three girls to stand behind him as he approached the center of the standoff between Harry and Draco.

A peculiar noise emanated from outside the carriage, signifying an approaching presence concealed in the darkness.

It wasn't the sound of human footsteps.

Draco, Goyle, and Crabbe hastily retreated into the carriage.

In the illuminated pathway created by Skyler's wand, a creature emerged, cloaked and towering enough to graze the ceiling.

It seemed to lack legs and floated, sliding through the air.

Its face was completely obscured by the hood, and a hand protruded from the cloak, a gray, emaciated, scabbed hand that resembled something decaying in water after death.

The creature under the cloak appeared to sense everyone's gaze, causing the hand to withdraw into the obsidian garment.

Then, it took a long, slow, trembling breath as though trying to inhale something other than air from the surroundings.

A shiver coursed through everyone as the chill pierced their skin, reaching deep into their chests and freezing their hearts.

"Finally, we meet again," Skyler muttered.

"A Dementor." Complex as his words were, it took mere seconds for everyone to be astounded by Skyler's next move – he took a step forward.

Harry went ashen, his body trembling violently.

His expression was one of sheer terror as if he had gazed upon something utterly horrifying.

Before anyone could react, he thudded to the floor, unconscious.

Ron rushed to his side, assisting him to an adjacent seat.

The others crumpled into whatever they could find nearby.

Harry's collapse seemed to act as a catalyst, as panic and fear rapidly filled the atmosphere.

Draco was so frightened he couldn't utter a word. Ron, Hermione, and the rest fared no better.

Neville, in fact, was so terror-stricken that he had already seated himself on the ground, shivering.

"Don't be afraid, everyone. As long as I'm here, no one will get hurt!" Skyler boldly placed himself before the group, his tone radiating unwavering confidence.

His courage and composure seemed to inject a shard of hope into those present.

While the effect was not profound, it did provide a glimmer of hope for everyone. Even Ron, who had long had a strained relationship with Skyler, couldn't help but place his trust in this younger student before him.

"Expecto Patronum!" Skyler calmly intoned the spell, casting forth a clear and crisp incantation, causing his wand to emit a misty light that effectively warded off the Dementor from the outside.

Skyler refrained from revealing his full strength and abstained from summoning a fully formed Patronus.

His plan was to employ this partially completed Patronus charm until Professor Lupin came to their rescue.

Unfortunately, things took an unexpected turn.

Before Professor Lupin's arrival, the commotion in their carriage drew the attention of another Dementor, who descended upon them with a sharp swoosh.

The chilling atmosphere grew even more oppressive. The white mist formed a semicircular barrier, and Skyler, taking half a step back, continuously narrowed the radius of the barrier.

Observing the continued absence of Professor Lupin, Skyler inwardly sighed, and a keen glint flashed in his eyes.

He tightened his grip on the wand.

The wand's end suddenly brightened, and the barrier expanded until it assumed the form of a full-fledged Patronus, with the Patronus taking on the shape of a lizard-like unicorn...

A silvery wolf burst from one of the carriages in the next instant. It collided with the Dementor, knocking it away and causing it to vanish instantly.

The carriage lights flickered back to life, and a peculiar middle-aged man entered.

Dressed in a tattered wizard robe with multiple patches, his disheveled appearance and salt-and-pepper hair gave him a rather weary look.

"He's Professor Lupin. He was in our carriage all along, sleeping facedown," Hermione whispered to her companions.

"A fine Patronus!" Skyler heard Lupin's quiet praise as he generously offered everyone a large piece of chocolate, dividing it into smaller portions.

When the chocolate reached Skyler, he smiled and declined, casting a Cheering Charm on the three girls behind him.

Their eyes once again gleamed with vitality, and Skyler, leading them past the envious gazes of the onlookers, returned to his compartment.

As he closed the door, Hermione and Ginny were still heard speaking in hushed tones. Their conversation evidently focused on the charm that Skyler had employed to fend off the Dementors.

Draco observed his brother's swift departure outside the carriage, a complicated expression crossing his face.

Although he had anticipated this, he still couldn't shake the sense of disappointment upon experiencing firsthand the difference between himself and his brother.

He lost interest in taunting Harry, gave a disdainful snort, and departed with his two cohorts.

The rest of the passengers busied themselves trying to rouse Harry. When he slowly opened his eyes, he gazed around in bewilderment, perspiring profusely.

"Harry, are you okay?" Ron inquired, his voice fraught with concern.

"I'm fine!" Harry responded, eyeing the door to see the Dementor was gone, which put him at ease. "Where did that creature go? And who was screaming just now?"

"The creatures were driven away by Malfoy and Professor Lupin, but no one screamed," Ron recounted the events following Harry's fainting.

"I heard a scream and saw a green light..." Harry shook his head, his gaze unyielding.

"Harry, you should rest!" Lupin looked worried as he handed Harry a generously sized piece of chocolate. "Here, eat this. It'll do you good."

"Professor, what was that just now?" Harry inquired, suspicious of how Lupin was aware of his name.

"Dementors from Azkaban!" Professor Lupin crumpled the empty chocolate wrapper into a ball and stashed it in his pocket. "Actually, young Malfoy had already handled it before I arrived. You should consume these chocolates now. I must go and have a word with the driver. My apologies!" Professor Lupin exited and disappeared down the corridor.

"Dementor, Azkaban!" Harry mumbled, raising his head and inquiring sheepishly, "Did any of you beside me faint?"

"No!" Ron responded, looking at Harry with concern, and he echoed the others' sentiments.

Despite the terror that had gripped them, none of them had lost consciousness.

Harry's face paled further. He couldn't fathom why. He'd felt weak and trembled as if recovering from a severe bout of the flu, but why had the others not reacted the same way?

The train soon reached its destination.

Outside the gates of Hogwarts, Skyler and Luna bade farewell.

Skyler, Daphne, and Meredith would enter the Great Hall from the left side of the front courtyard, while Luna would follow Ravenclaw's contingent to the center of the entrance hall.

Before parting, the two made plans to meet in private sometime to discuss "The Quibbler," or Luna could show Skyler the famous eagle-shaped bronze door knocker in the Ravenclaw common room.

Access to the common room is unique; if you can correctly answer the logical riddle posed by the eagle-shaped bronze door knocker, it opens the door to the common room, regardless of the visitor's house affiliation.