𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑 | harry potter

dementors

"What did you get?" Remus asked his daughter when she returned. The soft glow of candlelight flickered against his face. Remus, seated on the floor, glanced up from the parchment sprawled around him. His face was drawn and tired, yet he presented a small smile.

"Soup with a side of the Weasleys," Valerie replied with a smile, setting down a bundle of bread and cheese beside him. "Ah," Remus grinned, tearing off a piece of bread and popping it in his mouth. "So, you met Arthur and Molly? Lovely bunch. I hear their children can be quite the handful. Did you like them?"

Valerie shrugged, leaning against the edge of her bed. "Yeah, they were nice. I met a girl named Hermione too. She was kind. Oh, and Harry Potter." 

Remus froze mid-bite, his head snapping up to meet her gaze. "Potter?" He repeated, "You're sure?"

"Yeah," Valerie confirmed, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. She crossed the room to her bedside, pulling out her wand to light a fresh candle. The flame sputtered to life and she placed it on the floor next to her. "I didn't really speak to him, though." 

She dragged her battered suitcase from underneath the bed. The clasps creaked when she opened it, revealing a neatly packed assortment of clothes and supplies. Pulling out a small, blackened cauldron, she looked sadly at her father. He was still itching at the red wounds on his neck and jaw. 

"I'm going to brew you some more healing potion, Dad. I'll put them in bottles for you," She pulled out some glass vials and held them against the light of the candle. Nodding to herself, she closed the suitcase and grabbed her potion book. 

Remus' gaze softened toward his daughter. "You're too good to me," He murmured. 

...

Boarding the Hogwarts Express with her father was far less daunting than Valerie had anticipated. The chaos of King's Cross Station—the bustling crowd and the echo of announcements—had put her on edge, but her father's had calmed her. 

She didn't like being ordered to run full tilt at a brick wall, but her doubts melted into astonishment when she emerged, unscathed, onto Platform 9 ¾.

The gleaming scarlet train stretched out before her, surrounded by a swirling sea of students and their families. The platform buzzed with excited kids and nervous first years, owls hooted from their cages, and trunks clattered against the eroded cobblestones. 

The two Lupins managed to find an empty carriage toward the middle of the train and heaved their suitcases into the overhead rack. "I'm going to catch up on some sleep before we get there," Remus declared, settling into the corner by the window. 

"You need some money for the trolley?" He reached into his pocket, but she stopped him. "I'll have a nap too," Valerie responded. The pair were exhausted from their day of travels, and so they fell asleep quickly. 

Valerie stirred due to the thrum of familiar voices. She squinted, her dreamless sleep leaving her disoriented.

"We met her yesterday, Ronald. At the Leaky Cauldron, don't you remember?" Hermione's voice was unmistakable.

"Yeah, yeah," Ron replied, his freckled cheeks turning noticeably pink, which made Harry laugh. Valerie kept her eyes barely open, observing Hermione with quiet amusement as she swatted them both with a thick schoolbook.

"Of course you do," Hermione rolled her eyes. "But who is that?" Harry pointed toward Valerie's sleeping dad. "Remus Lupin," Hermione answered blatantly.

"How do you know everything?" Ron muttered irritably. "It's on his suitcase," Hermione replied matter-of-factly.

"He's also my dad," Valerie mentioned, her voice breaking through their conversation. The trio startled, all of them snapping their heads toward her in varying degrees of surprise. Valerie's stare, however, landed squarely on Harry Potter.

"Nice to see you again, Valerie. There wasn't another free carriage." Hermione gestured apologetically toward the compartment.

"'S fine," Valerie mumbled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her casual blue T-shirt and jeans were wrinkled from her slumber. She made note to change before arriving at the school. 

Any initial awkwardness dissipated swiftly, and soon the four of them were chatting effortlessly. Valerie listened, butting in only when relevant, as the trio described their professors, soaking in every detail with interest.

"Don't ever be late to Snape's class," Ron warned, stuffing his mouth with a chocolate frog. "He'll take house points even if you're only a second behind the bell." "And McGonagall's fair but strict," Hermione chimed in. "Ask questions—she likes that."

 The lights in the train flickered suddenly. Valerie's head snapped up, and when her gaze returned to eye level, she noticed Harry watching her. Their eyes locked, but before she could say anything, the lights went out entirely, plunging the train into darkness.

"What is going on?" Hermione's voice cut through the confusion whilst she leaned out the door, peering into the corridor where muffled voices spoke. Other students seemed just as baffled.

The train then came to a shuddering halt, lurching Ron and Harry to the girls' side of the carriage. "Is this a normal occurrence?" Valerie asked, helping Ron to his feet. Ron shook his blushing head, pressing his hand against the window as he leaned to look out. 

Valerie's breaths slowed when frost crept across the pane, curling in delicate, icy patterns. It spread rapidly around the window and then Ron's hand. He yanked it back, shaking off the cold.

"Dementors," Valerie whispered, her breath visible in the chill. She slipped her wand from her back pocket, gripping it sturdily. The oppressive cold seeped into her bones, heavy and suffocating. Harry caught her whisper, his eyes locking onto her. "What?" He questioned, but an answer never came. 

The compartment door creaked open, revealing a terrifying figure cloaked in tattered black robes. The Dementor's skeletal fingers reached forward, and Valerie felt the warmth and happiness leaching from her. Weakness weaved into her muscles. 

She watched in frozen horror when the dreadful creature turned to Harry. A hollow, rattling sound filled the air as it began to suck at his soul.

Summoning her courage, Valerie stood abruptly, lifting her wand with a steady hand. "Expecto Patronum!" She beckoned her best memory. Bright blue magic erupted from the tip of her wand in a radiant wave, blasting the Dementor backwards.

Remus jolted awake on the opposite bench. His honey eyes widened when he took in the sight of his daughter, standing with her wand raised, defending the five of them using a protection spell far beyond her age range. His vision flicked then to Harry, who crumpled to the floor unconscious, pale as a ghost.

By the time Harry stirred, the warm lights had returned, and the train had begun moving again. He blinked groggily, his head resting in Hermione's lap.

"What happened?" He said, weakly. "You fainted," Hermione muttered gently. Memories rushed back to him, and Harry twisted his head. He found Valerie, who sat back in her seat with her wand resting across her lap. Her eyes were bright with curiosity, watching him intently.

Remus crouched beside Harry, hailing his best smile. "Here," He pulled a bar of chocolate from his pocket and broke off a hefty square. "Eat this. It'll help."

Harry took the piece gratefully, nibbling on it as warmth spread through his limbs. The Dementors seemed to have taken all heat from him. Valerie, meanwhile, raised her eyebrows and piped up, "Can I have some too, Dad?"

Remus turned to her with a playful smirk. "Did you faint?" Valerie rolled her piercing eyes, crossing her arms in mock indignation. "Shove it," She shot back, but the hint of a humoured smile tugged at her lips.