Another Prisoner, Another Professor

The dementor arrives.

"Yeah?" said Ron, looking interested. "My dad had a flying car and the Ministry fined him. They didn't confiscate it, though...they couldn't, it's still loose somewhere in the Forbidden Forest. If nothing else has killed it, that is."

Professor Black smiled briefly. "If you'll excuse me," he said, rising from his seat and reaching for the handle of the compartment door. "I won't be gone a minute."

"A flying motorbike," said Ron as soon as the door closed. "Bet Fred and George would love to have one of those...d'you reckon Professor Black's really Malfoy's mum's cousin?"

"If he is, he certainly doesn't seem to affect him much," replied Hermione. "I think he probably is. Malfoy's a nasty little..."

"Go on, Hermione, say it," said Harry, grinning. He wasn't sure yet exactly what he thought of Professor Black, but a professor who shouted at Malfoy couldn't be all bad.

"...but he isn't stupid," Hermione finished. "It's the sort of thing a person could check too easily, if two pureblood wizards are related."

"Maybe they're cousins the way Dudley and I are cousins," Harry said. "If I was a teacher and I had Dudley's son in my class, I wouldn't hesitate to - " He stopped suddenly. It wouldn't be fair to be cruel to Dudley's son just because of whom his father was; it would be like Professor Snape's hatred of Harry.

"He looks posh enough, anyway," commented Ron. "That case up there's the sort of thing that Mum wishes Dad had to take to work."

"Does it look too dark outside to you two?" Hermione said suddenly.

Harry looked out the window. The sky was a shade of dark gray only a couple of hues lighter than black, and large raindrops were spattering against the windows. A moment later the lights over their heads brightened, and lights turned on in the corridor.

"Hope this isn't going to slow down the train," Ron said. "I've been looking forward to the feast for the last hour."

"It isn't nearly time," said Hermione. "It must just be dark outside because of all the clouds and rain."

The train stopped and the lights went dead.

"Great," came Ron's voice in the dark. "We've broken down and now we'll never get to the feast. If only I weren't so hungry..."

"I'm sure it's something they'll have fixed before long," Hermione replied.

"Hang on," said Ron. Harry could see a shadowy figure lean over to the window and rub away some of the fog. "It looks like there're people out there...at least one person for sure. The train's never stopped to pick up people along the way, has it?"

The door to the compartment squeaked open and two figures stuck their heads through the doorway. "Hello," said one of them. "Ronniekins isn't scared, is he?"

"Shut up, Fred," Ron muttered.

"Is there any room to sit down?" asked the voice closer to Harry, which he assumed belonged to George. "It's not nice to leave guests standing about in the doorway, you know."

"Fred! Geroff!"

"Sorry, didn't see you there."

Harry moved just in time to avoid being squashed by George. Somewhere in the compartment he heard what sounded like someone rattling a locked door, followed by hissing and a squealing noise.

"Hermione! Get your bloody cat - Crookshanks, you - Scabbers! Hermione, get your cat!"

Crookshanks ran over next to Harry, who picked him up.

"He's just scared, Ron," said Hermione, taking Crookshanks back from Harry. "I don't think he was purposefully trying to get Scabbers."

"'Course he was," said George. "Thought he'd be kind and put him out of his misery."

"Look, why don't the two of you - "

"Be quiet!" said an urgent voice from the door.

A small light shone, showing Professor Black's concerned face. "I want all of you to stay here," he said. "Under no circumstances are you to leave this compartment, is that understood?"

"Yes," said Hermione.

"Harry? Understood?"

Harry blinked. "Yeah," he said after a second. Professor Black nodded and was gone.

Everything was silent except for the rain against the windows.

"Who was that?" Fred asked.

"New Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"Oh."

Harry wondered how far away from the nearest town they were - or, rather, how far away from the nearest place with wizards they were. He thought they were probably quite far. Did Remus Lupin know when the train ran? Had he decided to kill Harry, before Harry could reach Hogwarts and Dumbledore and safety? As far as Harry knew it wasn't the full moon, but if a man were as powerful a wizard as Lupin, what difference did it make?

From outside in the corridor came a sickening gasp.

"It's Professor Black," said Harry, lunging for the door and looking out its glass windowpane. He couldn't see anything at all, nor hear anything else.

"He'll be fine, Harry," came Hermione's nervous voice, "he's a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"Since when has that meant much of anything at this school!?" Being unable to see what was happening was worse than the most horrible sight Harry could imagine.

"I reckon she's right, Harry," said Ron, "he seemed like the sort of bloke who - "

There was a faint cry.

"I'm going," said Harry, leaping to his feet.

"Harry, you can't - "

"Harry, you promised you wouldn't - "

"I don't care!" he snapped at the voices in the darkness.

"You're thirteen years old!" Hermione cried as Harry opened the door and raced outside.

And I've defeated Voldemort three times, he thought.

Outside in the corridor he felt his way along the walls, his hands sliding from wooden panels to slick glass. Somewhere up ahead was a very weak light. Harry reached out in front of him, feeling for anything that might come along, staggering towards the light. He took his wand from his pocket. "Lumos!"

The minute the light from his wand illuminated what lay ahead of him he stopped, a cold, sinking feeling surrounding him like water from an icy lake.

A very tall and thin figure stood before him, wearing a black cloak that obscured its face. From its mouth came a slow intake of air, a noise that sounded like drowning person struggling for breath. Harry's own breath seemed to have died in his chest.

He was no longer sure if he were standing; it felt as though he were being sucked in by the creature, into a cold and desolate place...

A terrified scream rang in his ears, followed by loud, incoherent words and shouting. He was sightless, he did not know if he -

"Harry! Damn it, Harry, open your eyes - " A stinging feeling spread across his face.

"What?"

The lights had come back on in the corridor. He was on the ground; he could see a lamp swinging overhead and Ron and Hermione's faces looking down at him. A strong arm was supporting his back, and he turned his head to see that Professor Black was kneeling beside him.

"I told you," he said, his voice slow and infuriated, "not to leave the compartment. Under any circumstances."

"I - " Harry started, but then stopped when the train swerved and he closed his eyes again. "I was worried about you."

Black's face softened. "I appreciate the concern," he said, "but dementors are frightening enough without having to worry about others."

"Is that what that thing was?" Harry found he could sit up. "What's a dementor?"

"A particularly foul sort of creature," said Black, as Ron and Hermione helped Harry to his feet, "who guards Azkaban. They were here looking for Remus Lupin."

"I thought maybe it was Lupin," Harry said. "Who got on the train when it stopped."

"No." Black looked at Harry with steady, gray eyes. "In the future I don't ever want you to disobey me, no matter what your feelings in the matter are. Should something dangerous happen again I can deal with it." A furtive smile came over his face. "I think you'll find I'm different than your former defense professors in that respect. Now go back to the compartment, I have to speak to the conductor."

"Do you - " Harry swallowed. "Do you thinking something dangerous is likely to happen again?"

Black had begun to walk away down the corridor; he stopped and turned. "I don't know," he said softly. "From what I do know, Remus Lupin is a very unpredictable man."