𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 | 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳

32 || Strange Passenger

Ash

I didn't have a chance to speak to either Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the chaos of leaving, which was fine because my mind was still in turmoil with recent events.

My dad was a murderer. And he was after me and my best friend.

A murderer.

A murderer.

Mr. Weasley took me and Harry aside, but I let Harry do the explaining about last night and how we'd heard their conversation. I barely heard what he said, just nodded at random intervals.

The train whistle sounded and Harry grabbed my hand.

"Ash, come on! We're going to miss the train!"

Ron threw open the door and we jumped on just as the train left the station.

My dad is a murderer.

"Ash and I have to tell you guys something," Harry said, looking at me as we sat down. Ron shooed Ginny out of the compartment.

"Well?"

"What?" I was staring out of the window and not paying attention.

"What did you want to tell us?" Ron asked.

"What about him?" I said, pointing to the man snoring softly across the seat from me and Hermione.

"I think he's asleep," Hermione replied.

"You explain," I said tiredly to Harry. He gave me an odd look but told Ron and Hermione about the situation.

Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth.

"He's after you? Oh, you two'll have to be very very careful..."

They were taking the news worse than I expected; Ron seemed much more afraid than me and Harry.

I'm not afraid, I told myself. Just worried.

About what my own father would do to me.

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him..."

"What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly. A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. We looked all around the compartment.

"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," said Ron, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack. A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly.

"Is that a Sneakoscope?" Hermione said interestedly, standing up for a better look.

"Yeah...mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said Hermione shrewdly.

"No! Well...I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys...but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up."

We all swiveled around to look at the Professor--(R.J Lupin, it said on his case).

"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, sitting back down. "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."