The Silver Doe

Chapter 32

~ The Great Hall ~

The alarm was set off at noon; all students were to retire quietly to their dormitories. As they grunted, rumours around them made them aware of what was happening. And it was then, thanks to Bem, when everyone became terrified. The Dementors were put around the school for extra precautions, and vigilantly allotted to catch Sirius. He had to be caught, now! But nobody could catch him. As Bem put it to the students: “It's like trying to catch smoke... like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands!”

Lillian witnessed this declaration in the Gryffindor common room.

That very night, with news of the Dementors being placed around Hogwarts for safety, Arostia caught Lillian after dinner.

“Come on, Lily! Come to Hogsmeade with us?”

“No,” Lillian shook her head. “I can't.”

“Why can't you? I need someone to come to Magic Neep's with me! Come on, Leo will be there...” Arostia softened her expression; her eyes imploring for a yes. Lillian kept telling herself no. This would be breaking the school rules, and God knows she's had her fair share of breaking the school rules. The answer was no, and that was final!

~ The Forbidden Tunnel ~

“I can't believe I'm actually doing this!”

The pebbles crunched beneath the students shoes as they all made there way through the secret tunnel which led to Hogsmeade.

“Well you do need to live a little,” chirped Arostia.

“Live a lot!” added in Leo. Leo chuckled as he walked next to Lillian. Arostia walked a little in front, and the voices of Draco and Markus echoed thunderously down the tunnel.

“Be quiet, Draco!”

“Lumos!” muttered the farthest boy; Markus Knell. Suddenly their vile surrounding’s became more detectable. Leo was holding Lillian's hand; her face flushed scarlet.

After the students cunningly toured Hogsmeade – and the sky was now ablaze with uninfluenced stars – they made their way back through the tunnel. Draco was being as loud as ever, showing off in every way possible. He didn't once look at Lillian; for he still detested her and his detestation went so deep inside him that as far as he was concerned, she belonged with that other mudblood Hermione. As for Arostia; she was really starting to get on Draco's nerves. He was bickering to his new friend Markus – who was a big lad for his age, with jelled black hair, brown eyes and an aggressive attitude – when suddenly they reached the end of the tunnel.

“Sshh! Remember Old Filch is stalking the halls the night!” Markus said, moving to the front of the perfectly formed straight-line.

Lillian looked about. Wow, she had never been out this late. It was far too dark to see her surroundings now. She took Leo's hand, he smirked at her and tugged her to the end of the line. Their giggle echoed through the tunnel until suddenly a high-pitched shriek hushed them.

All eyes turned to Arostia who was complaining that she saw something.

“Something is out there, I'm not lying!”

“Never said you were,” Draco rolled his eyes and pushed her forward, who then stumbled into Markus. Markus groaned, turned around and grimaced at Arostia in frustration. Everyone, who was holding their illuminated wands up in the air, looked ahead and pointed their wands towards the enchanted lanterns which could be seen in the near distance.

“Bloody hell! It's Old Filch, I knew it! This was all too good to be true!”

“Will you be quiet, Leo!” Draco barked. “If we get caught here, we could get suspended... for good. And trust me, that's the last thing I need...” For once, Draco sounded worried.

“I feel cold.” Lillian whispered in Leo's ears.

“Lillian we're all cold,” Leo grumbled, trodden his feet in the grimness below everyone. “Let's just move everyone!”

“Nu'uh!” Arostia stopped. Draco would've moved her out of the way, if only the tunnel was wide enough.

“If you don't move we'll suffocate you fool!”

“Leo... I can't feel my toes.”

“Not not, Lily!” Leo hissed, turning around and glaring. “Arostia, MOVE!”

“I feel cold, too!” Arostia finally muttered. Lillian heard a shuffling noise, then suddenly the line was moving again. But then, when they had almost reached the lanterns, Markus stopped and so did everyone else.

“She's right,” Markus whispered, his voice revealing the shakiness within his body. “There is something out there...”

Earlier on, the wind was very strong and it was all you heard in the background of people talking, but now, another noise could be heard. It was a sort of slow rattling noise. Like someone shuddering. The enigmatic students became cold and Arostia clung desperately to Draco. For once, Draco never shrugged her away; he was too afraid to acknowledge anything apart from coldness and fear. Fear had taken over everyone. Their insides felt like they were shutting down and decaying; they could see their own breaths exhaling out more prominently than ever before.

“It's a... a.... a—”

“Dementor!” cried Draco. From the entrance of the tunnel – where you could just make out the chimney above the guardhouse where Filch mostly loomed around – came forth three Dementors. Not again! Lillian felt sick; she couldn't go through his again. Please, no!

In such a rush, Lillian began to feel depressed and dizzy. One of the Dementors breath rattled; it's hood fell back and it's humanoid figure came closer to Markus Knell who was at the front of the line. His face turned ashen with terror as he stood immobile in front of the creature. Their sentient desires brought them closer, and closer... and closer.

Lillian groped at the back of Leo's cloak, murmuring not again, not again. Neither of them knew what would repel a Dementor; they had only be told not to give them a reason to feed upon you. That's it?

Lillian closed her eyes, and as she did so, the atmosphere suddenly changed and she heard someone scream. It wasn't Arostia, it wasn't Leo; it was Draco. He screamed so high he sounded like a girl. No wonder though!

Almost each of the students received a condemned kiss from three of the Dementors. They all got punished from them, but it was Markus who got the worse. Leo tried his partonus charm but it backfired and left him feeling even more weak at the knees. And, of course, this angered the Dementors. They felt threatened, and so they hovered in the air for a moment considering who to feed on first. Lillian opened up her eyes, and then all of a sudden she got the urge to transform into her Animagus. It was dark, after all. Lillian would do anything to prevent herself from re-enduring that vegetative state again.

Slowly, as if not a care in the world of people knowing what she was, Lillian ran to the front of the line and abruptly she transformed into her silver Doe. Her legs shook as she stood in front of them, inhaling the coldness of their presence. The Dementors were stunned for a moment, enraged by this lucent omen. Lillian closed her eyes and clung to the happiest thought she had; that summer she spent with Severus back... home!