THE DEMENTOR

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LUCAS HAYES SAT IN a compartment at the very end of the train, he tried to find an empty one, but could only find one with a sleeping man inside so he carefully sat next to him and waited for his friends. Soon enough, the compartment door opened and his friends Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley all stepped inside and sat down.

"Who do you reckon that is?" Ron asked as he saw the man sleeping next to Lucas.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." Hermione said at once.

"How do you know that?"

"It's on his suitcase." she said.

Wonder what he teaches?" said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile.

"That's obvious," whispered Hermione. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts. "

Lucas, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, both of whom had lasted only one year. There were rumors that the job was jinxed.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like on, good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway. . . " he turned to Harry, "what were you going to tell us?" Lucas looked in confusion as Harry began telling the story.

Harry explained all about Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's argument and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. Then quickly explained to Lucas about him accidentally blowing up his aunt. When he'd finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth. Lucas just stared in shock.

She finally lowered them to say, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry. . . you'll have to be really, really careful. don't go looking for trouble, Harry. . . "

"I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds me. "

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily.

They were taking the news worse than expected. Ron and Hermione seemed to be much more frightened of Sirius Black than Harry seemed to be. Lucas thought. It was a bit unnerving but he knew that they'd be safe at Hogwarts.

"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 too. . . . "

"What's that noise?" said Lucas suddenly.

A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. They 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?" said Hermione 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," Lucas advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up. "

He nodded toward Professor Lupin. Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of old socks, which deadened the sound, then closed the lid of the trunk on it.

"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. "

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain --"

"Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way. "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"

"What's that?" said Lucas.

"It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything. . . Pepper Imps -- they make you smoke at the mouth -- and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next."

"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain --"

"and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.

Lucas looked around at Harry.

"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"

"'Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out. "

"What d'you mean?" said Ron.

"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either. "

Ron looked horrified.

"You're not allowed to come? But -- no way -- McGonagall or someone will give you permission --"

Harry gave a hollow laugh. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, was very strict, Lucas knew as much even though he was a Ravenclaw. He had Professor McGonagall in class and knew how strict she could be.

"or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle --"

"Ron!" said Hermione sharply. "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose --"

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask of permission," said Harry bitterly.

"But if we're with him," said Ron spiritedly to Hermione. "Black wouldn't dare --"

"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," snapped Hermione. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"

She was fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks's basket as she spoke.

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.

"Get out of it!"

"Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.

Ron was about to answer back when Professor Lupin stirred. They watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.

The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks had now settled in an empty seat, his squashed face turned towards Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket.

At one o'clock the plump witch with the food cart arrived at the compartment door.

D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly, nodding towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food. "

Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously.

"Er -- Professor?" she said. "Excuse me -- Professor?"

He didn't move.

"Don't worry, dear," said the witch, as she handed a large stack of cauldron cakes. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver. "

"I suppose he is asleep?" said Lucas quietly, as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean -- he hasn't died, has he?"

"No, no, he's breathing," whispered Hermione, taking the cauldron cake Harry passed her.

Suddenly, the compartment door opened again and there stood three girls who Lucas knew as Val Dupree, Juliet Fosters, and Maeve Philips. Lucas knew that Val could only tolerate him.

He watched as she stared at Ron and Ron jumped up and crossed his arms. "If it isn't, Dupree, can we help you with something?" Ron scoffed.

"I'd rather drop dead than get help from you, Weasley." she said back immediately. She looked over at Lucas again before speaking.

"We were just trying to find an empty compartment."

"This was the only one we could find." Ron said before Lucas could even say anything. "And I'm not going to let a Slytherin like you sit in it." Ron continued.

"Oh, you Gryffindors are so entitled." Val said fake laughing. She scoffed and shook her head. "Who says anyone would want to sit next to you, Weasley? I'd rather sit next to Snape."

"Well hopefully you'll find him on the train." Ron smiled and Val then slammed the door before glancing at them through the glass door. Ron was being pulled back by Hermione and Lucas began to scold him.

"You didn't need to say all of that, you know." he said.

"Why are you defending her? She's a Slytherin." Ron said.

Lucas knew that Ron believed all Slytherins were just like Draco Malfoy it just bad wizards in general. Lucas just didn't see it that way.

Lucas just glared at Ron and continued looking out the window wishing they could arrive at Hogwarts already. He was happy to finally get away from his parents and their usual of them trying to convince their son to join the Order. He found it quite annoying.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.

  "We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window.

  The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.

  "Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast. . . "

  "We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.

  "So why're we stopping?"

  The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

  Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.

  The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.

  "What's going on?" said Lucas' voice from behind Harry.

  "Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

  "D'you think we've broken down?"

  "Dunno. . . "

  There was a squeaking sound, and Harry saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

  "There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard. . . "

  The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Harry's legs.

  "Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry --"

  "Hullo, Neville," said Harry, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak.

  "Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

  "No idea! Sit down --"

  There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.

  "I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. Harry felt her pass him, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.

  "Who's that?"

  "Who's that?"

  "Ginny?"

  "Hermione?"

  "What are you doing?"

  "I was looking for Ron --"

  "Come in and sit down --"

  "Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"

  "Ouch!" said Lucas.

  "Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

  Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Harry could hear movements in his corner.

  None of them spoke.

  There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

  "Stay where you are. " he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.

  But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

  Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Lucas' eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water. . . .

  But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed his gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.

  And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

  An intense cold swept over them all. Lucas felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very heart. . .

  Lucas looked in shock and worry as Harry's eyes rolled up into his head.

  "Harry! Harry! Are you all right?"

  Lucas was slapping his face.

  "W-what?"

  Harry opened his eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking -- the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have slid out of his seat onto the floor. Lucas, Ron, and Hermione were kneeling next to him, and above them he could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching.

  Lucas, Ron, and Hermione heaved him back onto his seat.

  "Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.

  "Yeah," said Harry, looking quickly toward the door. The hooded creature had vanished. "What happened? Where's that -- that thing? Who screamed?"

  "No one screamed," said Ron, more nervously still.

  Harry looked around the bright compartment. Ginny and Neville looked back at him, both very pale.

  "But I heard screaming --"

  A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.

  "Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help. "

  Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it.

  "What was that thing?" Lucas asked Lupin.

  "A Dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban. "

  Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

  "Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me. . . "

  He strolled past Harry and disappeared into the corridor.

  "Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" said Hermione, watching Harry anxiously.

  "I don't get it . . . what happened?" said Harry, wiping more sweat off his face.

  "Well -- that thing -- the Dementor -- stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) -- and you -- you --"

  "I thought you were having a fit or somet
hing," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching --"

  "And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the Dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go. ' But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away. . . "

  "It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

  "I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again. . . "

  Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.

  "But didn't any of you -- fall off your seats?" said Harry awkwardly.

  "No," said Lucas, looking anxiously at Harry again. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though. . . "

  Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know. . . "

  "We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin. "Are you all right, Harry?"

  Harry didn't ask how Professor Lupin knew his name.

  "Fine," he muttered, embarrassed.

  They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.

  "Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. Lucas, Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

  "All right, you four?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Lucas, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, Lucas could only assume, by an invisible horse, because when they climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession.

  The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. Lucas, Ron and Hermione kept looking at him sideways, as though frightened he might collapse again.

  As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Harry saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side.  The carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle; Hermione was leaning out of the tiny window, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Lucas, Hermione, and Ron got out.

  As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in his ear.

  "You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottorn telling the truth? You actually fainted?"

Lucas then heard Val speak up.

"Oh please, Malfoy, you're acting as though you weren't crying like a baby, bawling for your mummy!"

"Don't mention my mother, Dupree." Malfoy cried and Lucas started chuckling as Val winked at the four as Malfoy's pale face went red.

  "Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.

  Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no -- er -- Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.

  Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the four of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

  The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Lucas followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight, when a voice called, "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!"

  Harry and Hermione turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles.

  "There's no need to look so worried -- I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, Weasley, Hayes."

  Ron and Lucas stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry and Hermione away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.

Lucas went and sat at the Ravenclaw table as the Sorting began. It was shorter than usual, he thought.

  It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall.

Lucas went and sat with Juliet and Luna at the Ravenclaw table and smiled when he saw Hermione and Harry finally came back. Harry and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron, who had saved them seats.

  Then the headmaster began to speak. Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Lucas respected him. You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as Lucas watched him beaming around at the students, he felt really calm.

  "Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast. . . "

  Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business. "

  "They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises -- or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, Lucas was a little taken off guard. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.

Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.

  "On a happier note," he continued, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

  "First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. "

  There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Lucas among them. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.

  Lucas looked up at the table and saw that Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Lucas, who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. it was beyond anger: it was loathing. He knew that expression only too well; it was the look Snape wore every time he set eyes on both Lucas and Harry. Lucas never knew why Snape hated him so much.

  "As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties. "

  Lucas was stunned. Then he joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Lucas leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.

  "We should've known!" Lucas heard Ron roar, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

  Lucas, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.

  "Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

  The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Lucas, suddenly ravenous, helped himself to everything he could reach and began to eat.

  It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Lucas however, was eager for it to finish and knew Harry, Hermione, and Ron were too so that they could talk to Hagrid. He knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been Lucas, Harry, Ron, and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid's name last year.

  At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and they got their chance.

  "Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as they reached the teachers' table with Lucas by her side.

  "All down ter you four," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them. "Can' believe it. . . great man, Dumbledore. . . came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough. . . It's what I always wanted. . . "

  Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed them away.

  Lucas then joined the Ravenclaws streaming up the marble staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower.

  They made it through the entrance and across the common room, the girls and boys divided toward their separate staircases. Lucas climbed the spiral stair with no thought in his head except how glad he was to be back. He said bye to Luna and Juliet as they divided ways. He reached the familiar dormitory with its five four-poster beds, and Lucas, looking around, felt he was home at last.