When Nico's not at camp. (book the third)

Ron

as we walked down the train everybody shot nervous looks at Nico. all whispering about the spectacle he'd made at the end of the previous school year. nico as usual couldn't care less. most of the compartments are full. finally we come to the last compartment in the train which has only a single adult man sleeping in it. Nico takes one look at the man scowls. he sits on the opposite bench as far away as he can and begins muttering inaudibly to himself as he stares at the man. we've known nico for three years now. so we know better than to ask him any questions. it'll only confuse us more.

"Sirius black broke out of Azkaban just to kill you?" i say shocked.

hermione covers her mouth with her hand in shock. nico seems deeply uninterested.

"Oh but of course you'll be totally safe at Hogwarts harry. we've got Dumbledore, not to mention those Azkaban guards everyone seems so frightened of."

"Yeah but Black already slipped past them once hasn't he?" I retort.

Hermione slaps me across the face.

"damnit Ronald cant you see harry is frightened why cant you try to reassure him instead of making things worse. Nico! say something!"

Nico raises an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

Hermione looks furious.

"Boys! how are you all so dense?"

"im not frightened." harry begins to protest but suddenly nico jumps to his feet and pulls his sword.

"Die immortalis."

Suddenly the lights cut out and a chill rolls over the the train. it reminded me in a way of the same sensation as when Nico is in a bad mood. but cracked up to 11. it was the same kind of primordial mortal terror. suddenly a slimy scabbed black hand reaches into the compartment.  nico lunges forward but the monster dodges the sword and grabs around his throat. nico looks shocked. the monster pulls a deep rattling breath suddenly a silver light erupts behind us and the monster drops nico and floats away.

the teacher,  professor lupin, is standing there with his wand drawn. Harry has fainted. Nico has been sick all over himself.  Professor lupin waives his wand and cleans nico up but seems afraid to get too near to him. instead he approaches harry and begins rousing him awake.

"what was that thing?"

"It was a dementor." Lupin explains.

"one of the guards for Azkaban. it was searching the train for Sirius black."

We all stare at nio laying on the floor unconscious. as if the dementor wasn't scary enough there weren't many things that could lay nico out. hed been hos[italised by a fight with a giant last year but even then had come out on top.

"Nico thought he could dispatch the creature easily." Lupin explained.

"Last time he encountered them they couldn't even sense him."

"Why not?" I ask.

Lupin looked at nico with a sad expression but didn't say anything.

Nico came too just as we pulled into Hogsmeade station. he was clearly not in the mood to talk. and forcing Nico to talk when he doesn't want to is a good way to get stabbed in the face. so instead we ride in silence up to the castle. once we reach the gate Malfoy starts mouthing off. nico punches him in the throat without saying a word. then professor Mcgonnogal calls away Nico harry and hermione.it seems were gonna miss the sorting once again.