In Another Life

Year 3- Dementors

The platform was crowded as it was last year. First years so obviously stood out now, as I had grown a bit over the summer. Yet, they were even more noticeable when compared to Harry and Ron's new found height. Yet, if you hadn't grown over the summer, first years were still easy to spot. They all had that familiar look of excitement and fear glimmering in their eyes and etched into their faces. They were quite adorable, but I felt a pang of grief for thinking such when just last school year that was me. Nervous and afraid, that didn't go away, of what the year would hold.

"Ally!"

A voice rang out not far from me on the platform. I was just about to board the train, but stopped because of the voice. I turned around and there was Cassilynn and Orion running up towards me. They looked panicked and red in the face as if they had been running.

"What is it guys?"

"Draco. He wants you to sit with him on the train. Something about wanting to make sure you're okay because you barely wrote to him the last two days."

"Oh, shoot. I knew I was forgetting to do something. Go tell him I'll be in the soulmates train car. Probably the same compartment as last year."

They nodded and Orion went to go find Draco while Cassilynn and I boarded the train. We walked to the same train car as last year, and sat in the same compartment. We sat down across from each other by the window. Soon enough the whole crew was in the compartment, including Draco and Carter. It was two minutes until eleven o'clock and we were all settled in, talking about our summers.

I leaned into Draco to whisper in his ear, "I love the new way you're styling your hair. Very grown up of you. It suits you."

His neck and face all the way up to the tip of his ears turned a light red shade. I smiled and kissed him on the cheek before turning my attention back to Taytum talking about how her parents had agreed to let her start searching for any information on her birth parents. Until I realised, Cassilynn and I hadn't gotten around to having dad sign our permission slips for Hogsmeade.

"Cassi, do you think we could owl dad? This whole summer, I think we've neglected to have him sign our permission slips."

"Oh. You're right. However, I don't think even Midnight could fly in these conditions. It's almost like a storm outside."

"I guess you're right. We have all week to get around to it, but we can't forget or the only trips to Hogsmeade we'll have is when Dad takes us Christmas shopping."

Suddenly our conversations were cut short by the train squealing and jerking to a complete stop. The compartment began to grow frigid, the water on the glass and in our cups began to freeze. I let out a shaking breath, my exhale coming out as a giant cloud of condensation. I looked at everyone, everyone wearing a similar look aside from Cassilynn, Draco, and Orion.

"What's going on?"

"Probably the Dementors. They're looking for Sirius Black." Draco said softly.

"Why? He's in Azkaban for what he did to my parents and countless others."

"He escaped a few weeks ago. They say he's looking for something, or someone." Cassilynn shuttered.

Before anyone could respond our compartment door opened and a ghastly floating thing entered. What appeared to be its head craned around the room, a deathly sound cutting through the air. The longer it stayed, the more it felt all the happiness in the room diminish leaving only the pain and sadness. A tear escaped my eye as memories I shouldn't remember flooded my brain. The night my mother died. The adults in silver masks and black robes taunting me, mocking my cries, cutting me with something. The black swirls as they disappeared into thin air when they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Then a memory that should have been a happy one, was muddled with all the sadness in the room and every other memory from that night.