𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓾𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓜𝓸𝓸𝓷 || 𝓡𝓮𝓶𝓾𝓼 𝓛𝓾𝓹𝓲𝓷

chapter two: the train

Of course, they were a little late.

Aurora and Percy made their way onto the platform before Percy muttered something about prefects and hurried off towards the front of the train. Now she was on her own, fantastic. Aurora did not like being on her own in a crowded space, exactly like this one.

"Aurora Wilde!"

Aurora turned just before she got knocked to the ground by a mysterious force. 

"Amelia Robinson!" The girls hugged each other as tight as possible before pulling away to get on the train and head to the compartment they use every year. 

Amelia Robinson was her's first friend at Hogwarts, they knew they would be friends when they first exchanged pleasantries on the Hogwarts ride in their first year. When both girls got sorted into Hufflepuff, that just solidified their friendship. In their first lesson of their first year, they met Oliver and Percy. At first, the girls believed that the boys were nerds - though one was a Quidditch nerd and the other an academic one. However, as the year progressed the girls realised how nice the boys were and by the end of their first year, they were all inseparable - still are now.

As the girls sat opposite one another, Aurora looked out the window to see Mrs Weasley running along the platform with Scabbers clutched in her hands. She shivered, she had never liked that rat - for no actual reason other than he gave her the creeps.

"Well hello, ladies." a Scottish voice made the girls look up to the smiling face of Oliver Wood.

"Ollie!" Both girls jumped to their feet and attacked the boy with hugs. "Woah, nice to see you both too. Where's Perce?"

"With the Prefects, did you hear he's Head Boy?"

"Merlin yeah wouldn't shut up about it in his letters."

Both girls pulled away and sat down, Ollie chose to sit next to Amelia who Aurora noticed was blushing profusely. Aurora smiled, Amelia has had a crush on the Gryffindor keeper since their fourth year but has never dared to act on her feelings in fear of ruining their friendship.

As the train left the station, the three began discussing their summer holiday adventures and how much they missed each other's company. About halfway through the train journey, Percy joined them and the group was whole again. 

Suddenly, the train stopped. Aurora and Percy fell back in their seats whilst Amelia fell forward, Ollie grabbed her waist before she could get hurt. She and Percy looked at each other with a knowing glance. 

Aurora then started to feel very cold, very quickly. She also felt depressed, like she could never be happy again. The four looked at each other, fear evident in all their eyes.

"Shit, Harry." She got up and started running up and down the train looking for the famous Harry Potter, leaving her three friends very confused and concerned for her safety, but none dared to follow in fear of what was out there.

She reached the opposite end of the train before stopping in her tracks. Right in front of her eyes, was a dementor of Azkaban. The previous depression she had been feeling was amplified. Yet all she could focus on was the safety of Harry, Ron and Hermione, as she slowly advanced on the creature, being careful not to alert it of her presence. Unexpectedly, a blue non-corporeal patronus drove the dementor out of the compartment, down the corridor, passed her and out the door from which it came.

Aurora gave herself a second to catch her breath then brushed herself and her fear off before running into the compartment, only to be greeted by a scared Ron and Hermione calling out to Harry as he gently lifted his torso off the seat. "Merlin Harry, are you alright?" She crouched to his level, looking him over for bruises or cuts. She was so worried that she hadn't noticed the stranger in the compartment with them. 

"Here, eat this. It'll help." Only now acknowledging the stranger's presence, Aurora looked up and her blue eyes found the stranger looking down at Harry as he sat up, "It's alright. It's chocolate." Aurora chuckled lightly under her breath, the man seemed to have been the only one to hear it as he slightly glanced at her before looking back at Harry as he spoke.

"Wha-What was that thing... that came?"

The stranger spoke again, "It was a dementor, one of the guards of Azkaban. It's gone now. It was searching the train for Sirius Black. If you'll excuse me, I need to have a little word with the driver." He got up and opened the door to leave the compartment, "Eat. You'll feel better." He walked away.

Aurora hurriedly stood up, and gave the three an 'I'll be back' look before following the stranger.

"Excuse me," the man turned to look at her, "Umm, hi, I just wanted to thank you for helping my friends with the dementor." The stranger smiled warmly at her and she suddenly felt a little self-conscious because he wasn't speaking. She looked down, only to be met with a reply.

"It's no problem really, Miss-"

"Wilde. Aurora Wilde."

"It's no problem, Miss Wilde" She smiled at him before walking back towards the carriage.

"Are you three alright if I go back to my carriage?" The trio nodded in reply. She hugged the three and started walking back towards her compartment, checking in on anyone who looked terrified or cold - this was mainly the first years.

"Rory, are you alright?" "Rory, what happened?" "What was it? Aurora was bombarded with questions as soon as she opened the door to her compartment; all three of her friends shared the same worried look. Once they had calmed down, she spoke:

"I'm fine, Harry fainted but a stranger, who I think is the new DADA teacher, helped him, a Dementor was on the train looking for Sirius Black." Her friends looked terrified once again as Sirius Back was mentioned.

"What's the new teacher's name?" She forgot to ask that question.

"I don't know." The others rolled their eyes before they all began to change for the feast. The girls changed first whilst the boys stood outside and then they switched. The group sat in their chairs, feeling content now that the dementor was gone and they were in their robes.

Aurora smiled; she felt that the year ahead would be amazing, even with Sirius Black on the loose, she didn't quite know why.