Chapter 4 - The Dementor

"Wait, Arnya you're coming to Hogwarts?" Harry asked surprise as they sat in the compartment.

"I'm an observer," Arnya said.

Vincent and Arnya had made it onto the train at the last second. Because Harry, Ron, and Hermione were waiting for them, they had to share a compartment with a man sitting fast asleep. His luggage had the initials, Professor R. J. Lupin.

"Will you be allowed to enter Hogwarts?" Hermione asked curiously. They had heard from Harry on Arnya's background, they were shocked to say the least. Even now they still couldn't look at her the same.

Vincent glanced at Arnya who had a thoughtful expression. He was curious as well.

"I will when I give this to Dumbledore." Arnya said holding a letter addressed To Dumbledore.

"That's all?" Vincent asked sceptically.

"That's all."

The train whistled, signalling its departure. A rumble of thunder filled the grey skies with warnings of a storm coming.

"I have to tell you guys something," Harry said catching their attention, "Sirius Black is out to kill me."

Vincent frowned while both Ron and Hermione looked horror struck, "And you know that because—?"

"I overheard Mr and Mrs Weasley," Harry muttered, "they also warned me that there's a possibility that he would force his way through Hogwarts."

"Harry, you have to be careful," Hermione said fearfully, "don't go looking for trouble."

"Trouble usually comes looking for me," Harry said.

"Harry would have to be pretty thick to go looking for someone that wants to kill him," Ron said shakily.

"I do that all the time," Vincent thought, "probably best not to mention that."

Harry looked at Hermione and Ron before looking at Vincent who had the calmest look out of them all. Well, apart from Arnya who didn't really have much interest in the subject in the first place.

"The fact that he broke out of a prison known to be inescapable means that he's smart, very smart," Vincent voiced his thoughts, "but something doesn't add up, if he wanted to escape, why now? He's had twelve whole years in prison, it's unlikely that he came up with a plan to escape Azkaban recently, so there's a likely chance that there could be another motive than just to kill Harry, otherwise he would have done it on Harry's first year or before he knew about magic."

"Or maybe you're thinking too much into it," Ron muttered, "maybe he was just waiting for the right moment."

Hermione was about to speak before a strange sound came from Harry's trunk. Harry pulled out a strange device that had a ball of sorts in inside that spun around centre, glowing brilliantly.

"A sneakoscope!" Hermione explained, "Don't these show whether there's anyone untrustworthy around?"

"It's a very cheap one mind you," Ron muttered embarrassed, "it kept going off when I was tying it to Erol's leg."

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy?" Hermione asked shrewdly.

"I...might have used Erol without permission," Ron muttered with a bit of embarrassment.

"Are these things even reliable?" Vincent asked curiously, "Telling people when someone untrustworthy is around is rather vague. It could be a person on the street, someone next door or—"

He was cut off by the compartment door opening, revealing a smirking blond teen with two goon like boys behind him.

"You know what, maybe those things are useful," Vincent noted.

"Hello Potter," The blond boy greeted. He then looked to Ron with briefly, then to Hermione with disgust and then Vincent with an ugly look on his face.

"Have my galleons Malfoy?" Vincent said making the other three chuckle.

"I never specified when I'd give it to you, Wong," Malfoy said, gritting his teeth when he remembered the bet he lost with Vincent last year, "I didn't think you'd even come this year, I'll give it to you on you're deathbed if you so please."

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked like they were going to retort angrily at Malfoy not keeping his end of the bet when Vincent chuckled.

"You know what, I don't need it," Vincent said with a wry smile, "I'd rather not dirty my money by mixing it up with yours, who knows where you got it from."

"Y-you!" Malfoy looked like he was going to snap when he noticed Arnya sitting in her wheelchair reading a book and froze.

"I never seen you before, the names Draco Malfoy, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?" Malfoy swept back his hair for effect. Everyone just looked dumbfounded at the scene.

Arnya looked up before turning back to her book. An awkward silence hung around the compartment with Malfoy's face twitching from embarrassment. After a few minutes, Arnya looked up again with confusion at the silence.

"I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" She asked, setting off a cough from Vincent which broke the tension in the compartment.

Ron started laughing loudly while Harry covered his face in his hands, he never thought that the day would come when he'd feel embarrassed for Malfoy. Hermione tried to stifle her giggles as her face turned red from trying.

"Did I miss a joke?" Arnya asked Vincent who was scratching his head.

"The joke is standing right in front of you," Vincent replied pointing at Malfoy, who's face had gone as red as Ron's hair.

"Y-you dare make a fool out of me?!" Malfoy asked in a fit of rage, "I dare you to tell me you're name! My father will hear about this!"

"My names Arnya Tepes," Arnya gave a nod to Malfoy, "I don't care about your father either."

"You should, my father is a powerful man in the Ministry," Malfoy said smugly.

"So?" Malfoy's smirk faded as he looked irritated at Arnya's tone.

"I've never heard of the last name Tepes before, a nameless family like yours is far beneath my fathers notice—" Malfoy paused, "Wait, d-did you say Tepes?"

"My father's Dracula," Arnya said before going back to her book, as if the their previous conversation didn't matter.

Malfoy's already pale face turned pure white. He looked at Arnya with horror before backing out of the compartment, "E-excuse us."

At the shut of the door, Ron couldn't help laughing like crazy with the rest of them having amused looks.

"That's a face I'll never forget," Harry chuckled before they heard a snort from the sleeping man.

"Nearly forgot about him," Hermione muttered, "how did he sleep through all of that?"

"Heavy sleeper I suppose," Ron said shrugging.

Time went by as the train continued on its journey. The once cloudy sky turned incredibly dark and rain started coming down, pelting the windows heavily.

"—You're not allowed to come? But — no way — McGonagall or someone will give you permission —" Ron said horrified at Harry as he revealed that his aunt and uncle didn't sign his permission slip to go to Hogsmeade, the neighboring village to Hogwarts.

Students Year 3 and above are able to visit there on their weekend breaks and holidays for fun. It held a vast variety shops such as the infamous Zonkos joke shop and the Three Broomsticks.

Harry gave a hollow laugh. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, was very strict.

"– or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle —"

"Ron!" said Hermione sharply, "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose —"

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask of permission," said Harry bitterly.

"But if we're with him," said Ron spiritedly to Hermione, "Black wouldn't dare —"

"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," snapped Hermione. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"

She was fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks's basket as she spoke.

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.

"Get out of it!"

"Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.

Harry and Vincent merely exchanged glances as they watched the bickering duo.

Suddenly, Nyx poked her head out of Vincent's pocket and flew to the window. Vincent watched as it took on a serious expression.

"Nyx, something wrong?"

Everyone turned to see Nyx chittering at them, as if afraid of something. They soon felt the train slow down to a halt.

"That's weird, we shouldn't be there yet?" Hermione said frowning, looking at his watch.

Vincent had an incredibly bad feeling as he got up from his seat to look outside with Nyx who decided to hop into Vincent's luggage with a certain snake. Arnya put down her book with a frown as she also looked outside.

Suddenly, the lights cut out, turning the inside of the train pitch black except for the dim window light.

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

"D'you think we've broken down?"

"Dunno..."

There was a squeaking sound, and Vincent saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out next to him.

"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

"What?" Vincent frowned as he looked out, "Really? I can't see a thing."

"Are you blind?" Ron said in exasperation, "sorry, maybe the darkness is messing with your sight."

Vincent continued to look outside for anything that looked like it was boarding the train only to see absolutely nothing.

"I'm going to ask the driver what's going on," Hermione voice sounded as Vincent heard her shuffle to the door which suddenly opened and a thump followed by a groan of pain told Vincent that someone had just entered.

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry —"

"Hullo, Neville," Harry's voice sounded.

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea! Sit down—"

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.

The door slid open again, and then two loud squeals of pain resounded as someone once again entered, falling onto Hermione.

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron—"

"Come in and sit down—"

"Not here!" Harry said, "I'm here!"

"Ouch!" Neville groaned in pain once again.

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

It seems like Lupin had woken up. Vincent heard him shuffle about near him.

Everything quieted. A crackling noise sounded as a small ball of flame illuminated the compartment from Lupins hand, showing his wary face.

"Stay where you are," he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with hishandful of fire held out in front of him. But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

Nothing was there, well, nothing that Vincent could see. As soon as the door opened, the temperature in the room dropped. Vincent looked around at everyone's horrified face and knew that something was there, but he couldn't see it. All of a sudden, Harry started screaming in pain.

"Harry!" Vincent ran up to his friend, but bumped into something smooth and cold.

He stood confused before feeling a cold latching feeling on his hand.

"NO!" Lupin's voice sounded as he pulled out his wand, but it was too late.

...

Arnya felt it coming, she dropped her book down as her hand moved to the back of her wheelchair where her gun was held, ready to take it out at a moments notice. As soon as the Dementor entered, she watched and waited in case it would make any sudden moves. A sudden scream of pain from Harry distracted her, it seems he was somehow affected when the Dementor entered. Vincent went to see what was wrong with his friend, seemingly ignoring the Dementor.

"Fool, doesn't he see the—?!" Arnya thought before realisation struck her, "Muggles can't see Dementor's."

In her distraction, a second Dementor grabbed Vincent making Arnya's eyes go wide.

"No!" she muttered the same time as Lupin. She tried to take aim, only for Lupin to get in the way, using a spell in the form of a misty shield to get the current Dementor off of Harry. Once off, Harry proceeded to collapse. During that time, Vincent was whisked away leaving everyone in the compartment to stare after them in horror.

"You children stay here, I'll help your friend," Lupin said frantically as he ran out, leaving everyone stunned at what had just transpired.

"Harry!" Neville yelled as he tried to wake the boy up. Everyone else gathered around him as they carried Harry back onto the seats.

"Will he be alright?" Ginny asked scared, "Will Vincent be alright?"

"They'll both be fine," Arnya's voice drew everyone's attention, although Hermione noticed a slight tremor in her voice. Something that Arnya probably didn't notice herself, "Harry is just knocked out and Vincent, well, he's faced worse hasn't he?"

...

Vincent felt whatever was holding him drag him out of the compartment, leaving everyone calling out to him. Students looking out saw as he went through the window, out into the stormy night.

Only when Vincent was above the train did he snap out of it and decide to act. He used his free hand to pull out his rod before smashing it into whatever was grabbing him. A shrill deathly sound came and just for an instance, Vincent saw it. A cloaked figure, towering over him. It's face was completely covered, but Vincent could see it's hands, glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water.

Vincent grit his teeth as it let go of him, dropping him onto the roof with a loud thump.

"Ah!" Vincent groaned in pain as he steadily got up. He kept his guard up, trying to find the monster, but to no avail, "Can it turn invisible?"

Vincent felt cold hand clasp around his throat as he was thrown back onto the roof, he struggled as he tried to get out of the iron like grip.

"Such...a...delicious, soul," Vincent heard a raspy voice from the air in front of him.

All of a sudden, Vincent felt his heart turn cold and a depressing feeling started creeping its way into his head as memories flashed through his head.

...

A burning building.

"Live."

A dying man.

"Live."

Children pushing him out the window with bright smiles, flames dancing around them.

"Live."

Finally, a teenage boy with tattoos across his face. He had his back towards a river, facing Vincent. He looked bloodied and tired, but his eyes held something within as he smiled smugly at Vincent.

"Keep living kid." He said before falling into the river.

...

Vincent's eyes snapped open as he looked up. He felt something coming out of him, every warm feeling in his body was turning cold. He felt his mind turning cloudy as he fought to stay conscious. He felt something leaving him, creating a feeling of emptiness.

"It's like it's sucking something out of me out of me," Vincent thought grimly as he looked in front of him to where the creature should be, only to stare into empty space, "as if I'm going to let it."

Vincent rammed his head forward with all his might and heard a loud crack followed by a screech. Whatever held him let him go.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Vincent grabbed at where he thought the throat was, feeling cold skin under his hand as he returned the favor by smashing whatever the creature was onto the roof of the train. He felt his mind clear up and his heart rate returning steady.

"Just some payback," Vincent muttered as he pressed a rod up to its face, "now let's get a good look at what you really are."

The moment the rod made contact, the creature was once again revealed to him, grasping the hand that held its throat. Vincent stared coldly at it before grabbing it's cloak and ripping it off. Vincent frowned as he looked at it's face. It had the same clammy skin as it's hands, but it's face was something that could not be described with words. It had sunken holes where it's eyes should be, and only a mouth, but every now and then, Vincent swore he could make out someone else's face. Before he could look any further, he felt something knock him away, letting the creature below escape.

"There's more?!" he thought grimly as he scanned the skies, he could make out several spots where the rain just seems to avoid and gritted his teeth, "how many are there?"

Before anything else could happen, a loud voice came from behind.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A large silvery wolf burst forth into the sky, seemingly after the creatures. Vincent turned around to see Lupin looking extremely relieved to see Vincent safe.

"You did well to survive them young man," he praised before frowning at the sky, "the fact that they would attack a student without reason, such creatures shouldn't be allowed near Hogwarts. Well, come along, don't want them to come back."

He nodded his head off to the sky, presumably where the creatures were. Vincent nodded as he followed Lupin back down below. They climbed a ladder back to the carriage below where Lupin handed Vincent a towel to dry himself.

"Well, guess I got a souvenir," Vincent thought as he looked at the cold cloak the creature left behind. A thought came to mind as he talked to Lupin, "you can see them Professor?

"Well of course I can see them," Lupin said with a raised eyebrow, "what witch or wizard can't see them?"

"Sir, I'm a muggle," Lupin nearly tripped at his words as he turned to face Vincent with an incredulous look.

"Excuse me?" Lupin looked dumbstruck.

...

"Vincent! Are you alright?" Hermione asked frantically as Vincent walked back into the compartment.

"I'm fine, Lupin saved me," Vincent grimaced, he felt a sharp pain on his back, something that could be fixed later, "how's Harry?"

"My head feels like a it's been torn in two," Harry groaned as he sat up, he then noticed the giant black cloak Vincent brought in and stared, "is that—?"

"That things cloak?" Vincent held it up for everyone to see, "Yep."

"And you're going to keep that?" Ron asked sickeningly remembering the the clammy skin on the Dementor.

"Yeah, I'll just clean it, it's nice and cool to the touch see," Vincent held it out for Ron only for him to back off.

"No way am I touching that thing," Ron said.

Arnya wheeled up to Vincent who looked at her confused before she forced him to turn around.

"Arnya, what?" Vincent asked before feeling her smack his back earning a yelp of pain.

"You are hurt," Arnya muttered as she forcefully pulled Vincent's shirt up, despite his protests, to reveal a large purple bruise.

"I'll just visit the school nurse and it'll be fixed," Vincent insisted as he tore away from Arnya's grip. He scratched his head in embarrassment as he faced Hermione who glared at him.

"Take care of yourself Vincent," Arnya said as she wheeled back to her spot before taking her book out, "you're not invincible."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually care," Vincent smiled wryly.

Arnya merely looked up before returning to her book, "I'm your observer, of course I care, but not in the way you think."

"I don't believe that," Vincent thought. He pulled out a bar of chocolate before handing it to Harry, "here, Lupin said it'll make you feel better. He said he needs to speak with the driver."

"What were those things?" Harry asked as he took the chocolate, but didn't eat it.

"Lupin said they were Dementors," Vincent said as he retook his seat.

"Those were Dementors?!" Ron asked shivering.

"I've read about them," ("Of course you have," everyone thought,") "they guard the prisoners of Azkaban. Their also known as the foulest creatures on earth, sucking the soul out of people and inflicting depression and despair on others," Hermione explained.

"It was horrible," Neville said in a higher voice than usual, "did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," Ron said, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably, "like I'd never be cheerful again..."

Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking pretty bad, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.

"We all thought you were a goner, being dragged out like that," Hermione explained as she comforted Ginny.

"Hey I'm fine now," Vincent felt a glare at his back. His smile twitched, "well I will be once we get to Hogwarts."

"But didn't any of you — fall off your seats?" said Harry awkwardly.

"No," said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again, "Ginny was shaking like mad, though..."

"But why did I react the way I did," Harry asked frantically, "and why did it attack Vincent like that?"

"We don't know," Hermione said in a small voice, "how it affected you, what it did to Vincent, it was completely unnatural."

Vincent sat deep in thought, the memories the Dementor made him recall made him feel exposed, like someone could see all his secrets. The only other time he felt like so was with—

"Dumbledore," Vincent whispered quietly to himself. The old man had eyes that seemed to see through everybody.

Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

Harry looked a bit embarrassed as he took a bite of the chocolate. Vincent saw some warmth return to his cheeks, "Seems like the chocolate did it's work."

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin, "Are you all right, Harry, Vincent?"

"Fine," Harry muttered, embarrassed.

"All go—" Vincent saw Arnya peek over her book and Hermione glare at him. He started sweating, "actually, I bruised myself pretty bad in the scuffle earlier. I'll visit the medical wing as soon as we get there."

"Hm, it's impressive that you managed to hold the Dementor off for that long considering you couldn't see it at all," Lupin praised as he looked Vincent up and down, "and to think, you're a muggle. Very unusual to see your kind in our world."

"So I've heard," Vincent answered.

They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey, leaving the compartment to be filled with the sound of rain pelting the windows.

...

Outside, not visible to Vincent's eyes, gathered several cloaked figures, Dementors. One bony figure, without it's cloak, kept facing the compartment Vincent was in.

"Such an interesting soul," it thought as a grey mist leaked out of it's skin before solidifying into cloak witch it wrapped around itself. It licked it's lips, "tasty, light, but also has something deeper. What a pity I couldn't eat it."

It then flew off towards the distant castle which appeared over the horizons, the final destination of the train below.

...

\\((AUTHORS NOTE))//

This seems like a reasonable end to a chapter.

I think I said earlier that I may change some characters and beings in some way. Dementors came to me as one of the most terrifying creatures in the Harry Potter universe, sapping all the warmth and happiness in the world. They also can't be killed by any known means also have only one known defence against them as the patronus charm. They don't even kill, they just leave one soulless. They also can't be seen by muggles, meaning they're potentially more dangerous than the basilisk Vincent faced last year.

Things I will probably change will either making some characters and creatures stronger than they seemed in the books and movies and characters who I just didn't like, (Ron, I'm looking at you) These changes could vary from building their character to become braver or smarter and perhaps more relatable.

Also I have a new fanfic out, it's based on Rwby. Just something to write on whenever I feel like it and without planning beforehand. If anyone likes Rwby then go check it out, if not then meh.

Thanks for reading, see you guys again soon.