Born From Madness (Harry Potter Fanfic)

74

The next morning was busy for everyone. They quickly hurried their ways of getting dress and out the door while Harry was trying to get Ron's attention to tell him they had to inform him of something important. Crookshanks was a bit more moodier than usual and seemed to really not want to be in his carrier. 

"It's alright, Crookshanks. I'll let you out on the train," she cooed the cat. 

"No you won't!" Ron snapped, "What about poor Scabbers, eh? That cat will surely take a bite out of him." 

They hurried into the cars the Ministry had provided for them and watched as the cars slipped through the lanes of other cars to make their way to King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare. The drivers helped find trolleys as they unloaded their things, tipped their hats and jumped back into their cars and seem to find themselves ahead on an unmoving traffic lights. 

"Right then, let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry." Mr. Weasley stated. Hermione stuck with Grandma Elka as they made their way across the station and hurried to the platform and onto the train. The three of them were looking for a private compartment but all were full except for one at the end of the train. The only occupant was a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. He was wearing a extremely shabby set of robes and looked ill and exhausted like he had been fighting an endless battle. 

"Who do you reckon he is?" Ron hissed while they sat down and slid the door shut. 

"Professor R. J. Lupin?" Hermione whispered, respecting the man's slumber. 

"How is it that you know everything?" Ron shot at her. 

"It's on his case, Ronald." Hermione replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head with the name Professor R. J. Lupin stamped across one corner in peeling letters. 

"Wonder what he teaches?" 

"There's only one vacancy, remember Ron? Defense Against the Dark Arts." Hermione reminded him. Ron looked the man over with a look of disbelief. 

"I hope he's up to it. He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he?" Ron pointed out before turning to Harry, "So what were you going to tell me?" 

Harry proceeded to tell of the argument between his parents and her Grandma and the warning Mr. Weasley had given him. When Harry finished, Ron looked like his eyes would roll out of his head. 

"Sirius Black escaped to come after you? And your Grandma actually thinks someone has framed him? I don't mean to be rude, but it sounds like your Grandma's a nutter!" Ron shot at Hermione. She glared at him before slapping his shoulder. 

"Honestly, Ron! That's just her opinion. You don't have to agree with it!" Hermione whispered angrily at Ron. 

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban. No one's done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too!" Ron stated. Hermione rolled his eyes. 

"Doubtful. My Grandma said there have been other breakouts but the Ministry has covered it up... and what about Barty Crouch Jr. He's supposed to be in Azkaban but he was roaming around Hogwarts spying on me." Hermione reminded him. 

"Yeah and about that... have you seen Barty around lately?" Harry asked her. Hermione shook her head. 

"None that I could see. He might have gone under to hide or something." Hermione concluded, though part of her felt he was waiting for the right moment to strike. Before anyone could say another word, a faint whistle came echoing from somewhere. 

"What's that?" Hermione asked. 

"Don't know, but it sounds like it's coming from my trunk..." Harry pointed out as he stood up and reached into the luggage rack. A moment later, he had a Pocket Sneakoscope out. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Harry's hand and glowing brilliantly. 

"It's going haywire again! It did that just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry." Ron pointed out just as Harry slipped it back into his luggage to avoid waking Lupin from his deep sleep, which seemed like something the man desperately needed at that moment of time. 

"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade. They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me." Ron told them, "but that's not why I want to go. I want to get inside Honeydukes!" 

"Honeydukes?" Harry asked. 

"It's this sweetshop! They've got everything there-- Pepper Imps, which makes you smoke at the mouth-- and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, really excellent sugar quills and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them..." Ron went on, drooling a bit. Hermione laughed. 

"Yeah, I tried some at my Grandma's house. She works part time as an emergency chef for Honeydukes when they are too busy to make the sweets." Hermione admitted. Ron shot his head as he looked like he heard he won the lottery. 

"Hermione did I call your Grandma a nutter? I meant a wonderful, wise woman...." Ron bragged as Hermione blurted out laughing. 

"You'll have to tell me when you've found out. I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form and Fudge wouldn't either." Harry explained to them. Ron looked horrified. 

"But-- no way-- McGonagall or someone will give you permission--" Ron mumbled to himself. Before they could come up with anymore ideas, the train suddenly came to a halt, nearly causing them to knock their things over. 

"We can't be there yet," Hermione stated to them. 

"So why are stop?" Ron asked. 

"Maybe we broke down?" Harry suggested to them just as the lights shut off completely.  

"Ow! Ron that's my foot!" Hermione cried as she watched Ron hurry towards the window to gaze out there. 

"There's something moving out there," Ron said in a panic. There was then a jolt causing them to gasp and look to their compartment door. A rush of coldness came around the entire compartment as Hermione felt suddenly a lack of happiness... like she wouldn't ever feel that feeling again. She gasped when she saw it. A hooded figure looming in front of the door. Its arm reached out as its hand motioned in a gentle wave. The door slowly opened a crack before a glistening, grayish, slimy-looking and scabbed hand that appeared like it had been decaying in water wrapped itself around the door to push it open further.

 Hermione pressed herself against the seat, frightened by the sight of the thing as what appeared like its head did a sweep over the compartment like it was looking for something. Suddenly its attention landed right on Harry. Hermione listened as it made a long, slow, rattling breath like it was sucking something more than air from its surroundings. She didn't know what it was but Harry started to violently shake. Hermione lost her sense of fear of the thing from her fear of losing Harry as she jumped onto her feet. 

"NO!" She shouted. The creature stopped what it was doing as it faced Hermione, barely leaving an room for Hermione to look at anything else. She felt her body shivering from its gaze but she held strong as she forced herself to gulp her fear down. 

"You leave him alone! He's not who you are looking for so get out!" Hermione ordered the creature. It floated there like it was trying to figure out if it should listen to her or not. The creature then bowed its head before floating backwards from their compartment and down the corridor.