ENIGMA
[ɪˈnɪɡmə]
NOUN
-a person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand.
"Ariana Black was an enigma to all"
[PRISONER OF AZKABAN-???]
[SIRIUS BLACK'S DAUGHTER]
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CHAPTER 3
Ron and Hermione stare at Harry and Ariana, who sat in the corner with a scowl on her face, faces stricken with shock and fear in the lantern light that now glows in the compartment. "Let me get this straight. Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban to come after you two?"
"No Ronald, he's escaped prison to come and throw us a fucking tea party." Ariana sarcastically bit back as the other three send her pitying glances knowing she despises her father, Hermione sending an apologetic smile to her knowing Ron sometimes doesn't have a filter.
"Yes." Harry added.
"But they'll catch Black, won't they? I mean... everyone's looking for him?" Hermione tries to reassure them but with a subtle shake in her voice of nervousness.
"Sure -- Of course, no one's ever broken out of Azkaban before and he's a raving, murderous lunatic..." Ron starts listing off ignoring the warning looks from his two other friends.
"Thanks Ron" Harry sarcastically deadpans back.
"Hey Ron here's a tip." Ariana says with fake friendly ness leaving in "Shut up." She snaps hitting the upside of Ron's head causing Ron to say sorry. Just then, the compartment rattles, lanterns flickering. The train suddenly lurches, and begins to slow causing Hermione to slide down the seat, pinning Ron against the window and throw Ariana on the floor face first leaving her muttering "Son of a bitch."
"Why're we stopping? We can't be there yet..." Hermione questions anxious looking around as Harry rises, sliding the doors open seeing all along the carriage, heads looking out curiously. Then the train jerks causing the four to jump into their seat as the car sways "Dunno maybe we've broken down" Harry says trying to ease the and the lamps running along the ceiling flicker then leaving them in a ominous darkness. "Ouch Ron that was my foot." Hermione winces and Ron kicked her foot on his way to look out the window smashing his face against the glass to see outside.
"There's something moving out there. I think... people are coming aboard." Ron mutters to the group nervously, the carriage then jumps forward violently causing Hermione to gasp and Ariana to repeat spells in her head holding her wand tightly. The temperature dropping harshly as mist comes out of their mouths from the breathy breathing
All that is heard is the breathing of the four and then the soft crackling fills the car, ice slowly makes it way along the window, freezing in delicate patterns. The four watch as the ice creeps along the window reaching the water bottle, where in a matter of seconds it is turned to solid ice. The four-start feeling the cold harry rubbing his hands together for heat, Ron and Hermione shivering and Ariana pulling her jacket closer to her. "Bloody hell. What's happening?" Ron shouts as the car jumps forward again. The four then turn to the hallway door as they see a shadow coming forward. The shadow advances towards the cell showing a skeletal human figure with a raggedy black cloth draped over it, face hidden beneath. A skeletal hand reveals itself doing a beckoning motion the door creeps open, a slimy and scabbed handoff death clutches around the door, floating around looking directly at harry and Ariana before the dementor sucking in taking in harry and Ariana's souls in the shivering light, his face looks tired and grey, but his eyes are alert. Wary. Ariana mutters as she begins to slip consciousness "expecto patronum" a small light starts up. This was only noticeable by Remus as he stands up, taken back by the girl before he casts his own spurting out a bright white light that throbs and fill the compartment banishing the dementor. A sound swells in Harry's ears. Eerie. Painful. The sound of a woman screaming. Harry's eyes roll up, eyelids fluttering. Sending him in an unconscious state. Ariana splutter and stumbles of her chair feeling disorientated, as she feels someone grab her arm to pick her up off the floor. Getting onto the seat as she shakes her head in an effort to orient herself. Opening her eyes, she sees the worried faces of her friends and professor, also seeing harry on the seat unconscious.
"Ariana are you okay?" Hermione asks worriedly for her friend placing a hand on her arm in a comforting manner.
"Peachy" Ariana mutters back giving Hermione a small smile letting her know she's fine, before getting up, immediately getting complaints from the three.
"Miss Black, I advise you rest for a bit you had a bit of a tumble" Remus Lupin advises with a troubled face for worry and confusion.
"I'm fine I just need a walk." She muttered walking out and towards the toilets ignoring the call of her friends. Leaving a confused professor and worried friends for both of their friends.
"Harry? Harry, are you alright?" Hermione's troubled face hovers above him. He nods sitting up. Ron, pale and nervous, extends his hand holding Harry's glasses.
"Thanks." Harry slips them on
Professor Lupin holds out a block of chocolate towards a disorientated Harry. "Chocolate. Eat. It'll help."
"What was that -- that thing?" Harry questions looking around the compartment noticing the missing presence of the beautiful black-haired girl, worried.
"A Dementor. One of the guards of Azkaban. It's gone now." Professor Lupin states, Harry frowns in confusion.
"It was searching the train, Harry. For Sirius Black."
"I need to have a word with the driver. Excuse me." Excusing himself Remus leaves "Eat. It'll help." He smiles reassuringly as he leaves, Harry turns to Ron and Hermione.
"What happened to me?" Harry asks as he left.
"Well, you sort of went... rigid. We thought maybe you were having a fit or something." Ron tells him with a worried expression
"And did either of you? You know... pass out?" Harry enquires nervously still spooked from the experience.
"Ari was close. I felt... weird. Like I'd never be cheerful again." Ron shivered.
Harry turns to Hermione who shakes her head.
"I was trembling. Cold. But then... Professor Lupin made it go away..."
"But someone was screaming. A woman." Hermione and Ron glance nervously at each other.
Out in the hall way of the cabins Ariana walked down the hallway after splashing some water on her face and taking a breather, muttering as she walked down not watching her way caused her to bump into something again.
"I have got to stop doing this." She muttered to herself before looking up seeing Professor Lupin. "Professor." she greeted with a forced grin before walking past but suddenly stopped as he called out behind her.
"When did you learn it?" He called causing Ariana to pause in place before turning around.
"I'm sorry professor, but I don't understand. You are going to have to expand upon that." Ariana told him with a eyebrow raised in a challenging expression.
"The Patronum." He replied watching her with a curious expression.
With a shrug of her shoulders and an obvious fake and sarcastic innocent look "I'm sorry sir but I have no idea what you are on about." She told the werewolf as she turned around and carried on walking back to the carriage. Leaving the werewolf with a thoughtful expression on, as he stood there for a bit longer thinking before leaving himself.
