CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: — an unusual ride to hogwarts ( an encounter with a dementor)
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THE SIX OF US SET OFF down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment. All were full, except one at the very end of the train. Harry had forcefully pulled the double doors open, only to reveal a man sitting sound asleep next to the steamy window. This left the six of us rather bewildered, as we had never once seen an adult on board the Hogwarts Express before — we assumed it was only reserved for the students.
The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in a several amount of places. The man looked ill and exhausted, and though he looked quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with strands of grey.
"Wonder who that guy is." Ron snorted as Lisa slid the compartment door shut. I sat the very closest to the door, with Harry close beside me. Whilst Hermione plopped herself down on the other side of Harry, and the other three took the empty seats opposite us, attempting to edge further and further away from the strange looking man.
"Professor R.J Lupin." Hermione spoke in a low tone, gently stroking Crookshanks as she lay peacefully in her cage.
"How'd you know that?" Ron asked. "How is it she knows everything?" Hermione sighed, before discreetly pointing towards his trunk.
"It's on the suitcase, Ronald." She answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Ron slightly nodded his head, as his cheeks were burning with embarrassment.
"Wonder what subject he'll be teaching." Lisa frowned, as she begun gazing aimlessly around the compartment.
"That's obvious," I stated in a soft voice. "there's only one free vacancy isn't there? Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"Well, he better be up for it," Miles added. "he looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway..." He then turned to face Harry (who had been seemingly quiet during our small conversation) "what were you planning on telling us, Harry?"
Harry sighed deeply, before beginning to explain everything Mr Weasley had told him. He'd told us how a man named Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban, but not only that, he'd escaped solely for the purpose of coming after Harry himself. I instantly recognised the name once it had escaped his lips, as I remembered the twins telling me about him whilst we were down in Diagon Alley.
"So Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban to come after you?" I questioned, now in a very low voice. "Oh Merlin Harry you'll have to be really careful, and don't go looking for trouble."
