Chapter 185: The Storm on the Train
"Oh, Ron, stop talking nonsense." Hermione snapped, "Black has killed so many people on the crowded streets, do you really think that just because some braggart guy is there, Black can't do anything to Harry?" Hermione didn't just complain about Charon now, she even angered Ron, as she fumbled to untie the straps on Crookshank's basket.
"Don't put this thing out!" Ron said. But it was too late, and Crookshan easily jumped out of the basket, stretched, yawned, and jumped onto Ron's lap; The drum in Ron's pocket trembled, and Ron angrily chased Crook Hill away. Charon snickered.
The Hogwarts Express made steady heading north, the scenery outside the window getting wilder and darker, and the clouds overhead getting thicker. Outside the door of their carriage, there were people walking back and forth incessantly. Crookshank Hill was now resting peacefully in an empty seat, its squashed face turned to Ron, its yellow eyes staring into Ron's pocket.
At one o'clock, the food truck plopped up to the door of their carriage.
"Do you say, 'Should we wake him up?' Ron asked awkwardly, nodding to Professor Lupin. "He looked like he needed something to eat."
Hermione cautiously approached Professor Lupin.
"Oh, Professor?" She said, "Excuse me, Professor? ”
He didn't move.
"Don't worry, my dear," said the witch, handing Charon a large row of pancakes, "if he wakes up hungry, go to the driver at the front and find me." ”
"Is he sleeping?" Ron said quietly, as the witch closed the door, "I mean, he's not dead, is he?" ”
"No, no, he's breathing." Hermione whispered, dodging Charon's hand and taking the cauldron of scones Harry had handed her.
In the afternoon, it began to rain, and the outline of the rolling hills outside the window blurred. The train continued northward, and the rain became heavier; The window panes were now a thick, sticky gray that deepened until the lights in the hallway and on the luggage racks came on. The train swayed, the rain knocked on the windows, the wind howled, but Professor Lupin was still sleeping.
"We're probably getting there." Ron said, leaning over to look at Professor Lupin, who was leaning against the window that was now completely dark. As soon as he finished saying this, the train slowed down.
"Great." Ron stood up as he spoke, cautiously bypassing Professor Lupin to see what was going on outside.
"I'm starving, I want to eat a big meal......"
"We can't get there." Hermione said, looking at her watch.
"Then why did it stop?"
The train is getting slower and slower. The sound of the wheels was quieter, and the wind and rain outside the window were louder. Harry was closest to the door, getting up to check the hallway. In the carriages on the side of the corridor, there were people peeking out. The train shook and stopped, and there was a thudding sound in the distance, indicating that the luggage had fallen from the shelf. Then, all of a sudden, all the lights went out, and they were thrown into complete darkness.
"What's wrong?" Ron's voice came from behind Harry.
Harry fumbled back to his seat.
"Did you say the train broke down?"
"I don't know ......"
Charon didn't speak, but took out his wand and stood on guard. He didn't believe anyone would have the audacity to attack the Hogwarts train, but be careful! According to his memory, eighty percent of them were Dementors!
There was a short, squeaky screech, and Ron was looking out as he wiped a clean spot on the windowpane.
"There's something moving there," Ron said, "and I guess people are going out......"
The door of the carriage opened suddenly, and someone fell into Harry's lap in pain.
"I'm sorry, do you know what's going on? Ouch, I'm sorry! ”
"Hello, Neville." Harry said, touching Neville's coat in the darkness to pull him up.
"Harry? Is that you? What happened? ”
"I don't know, sit down!"
There was a loud hissing and a loud cry of pain, and Neville had mistakenly sat on Mount Crook.
"I was about to ask the driver what was going on." It was Hermione's voice.
"Hermione, stay where you are." Charon said solemnly and calmly: "Everyone stay still and listen to me!" ”
Although Hermione was a little unwilling, she still sat down honestly.
Harry heard the door of the carriage open again, followed by a dull thud followed by two squeaky screams.
"Who's that?"
"Who's that?"
"Ginny?"
"Hermione?"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for Ron."
"Come in, sit down."
"Not here," Harry said hurriedly, "I'm here!" ”
"Ouch!" Neville called.
"Quiet!"
Suddenly, a rough voice said. Professor Lupin seems to have finally woken up. None of them spoke. There was a slight popping sound in the carriage, and a trembling light appeared. Professor Lupin seems to be holding a fire. The firelight illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes were wary and cautious.
"Stay where you are, don't move." He said, still in the same hoarse voice. He slowly stood up, hands full of fire in front of him. But before he could get to the door, it slowly opened.
Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the flickering firelight in Lupin's hands, was a cloaked, ceiling-high monster. Its face is completely hidden under the turban.
Harry's eyes went down, and what he saw made his stomach tighten: a hand came out of his cloak, it shimmered, gray, thin, and crusted, like something had died, soaked in water and rotted, and it had taken less than a second to appear. The monster under the cloak seemed to feel Harb's gaze, and the hand suddenly shrank into the folds of the black cloak.
Then, something beneath the turban, whatever it was, took a breath, long, slow, and trembling, as if trying to suck something other than air from the surroundings.
They all felt a chill run over their bodies. Harry felt his breath freeze in his chest. This chill penetrated his skin, cold all the way to his chest, cold to his heart!
"Fuck off! Stay away from us! Just then, Charon stepped forward, took a big step forward, stood in front of everyone, and yelled at the Dementors!
The rich necromantic magic on Charon's body was suddenly sensed by these dementors, and they were startled and hurriedly flew away!
As soon as the Dementors left, Harry felt much better, and was held by Ron so badly that he didn't faint.
"Harry! Harry! Are you okay? Ron shouted.
"What, what's wrong?"
Harry opened his eyes. Ron and Hermione were both beside him supporting him, and Professor Lupin and Charon leaned down to look down at him.
Harry reached out and pushed his glasses upward, feeling the cold sweat on his face.
"Are you alright?" Ron asked nervously.
"It's all right," Harry said, looking quickly over the door. The Dementors are gone, "What just happened?" That, where did that monster go? Who was screaming just now? ”
"No one screamed. Charon chased the guys away, and they seemed to be afraid of him! Ron said, still nervous.
Harry looked around the bright carriage. Ginny and Neville were also looking at him, both pale.
"But I heard the screams......" snapped and scared them all to their feet. Professor Lupin is breaking a large piece of chocolate into smaller pieces.
"Here you go," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece, "and it's good for you to eat." ”
Harry took the chocolate, but didn't eat it.
"What was that?" He asked Lupin.
"A Dementor," Lupin said, handing out chocolate to all, "a Dementor from Azkaban." ”
Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled the empty chocolate wrapper into a ball and put it in his pocket.
"Eat," he added, "it's good to eat, I'm going to talk to the driver, I'm sorry!" He walked past everyone and disappeared into the hallway.
"Surely you're alright, Harry?" Hermione said, looking at Harry anxiously.
"I don't understand, what just happened?" Harry said, wiping the sweat from his face again. "Well, that guy, the Dementors are standing there looking around. I mean, I guess it's what it does, I can't see its face, and you, you're ......"
"I think you're scared or something," Ron said, still scared. "You stiffened and started to convulse......"
"Charon immediately stood up, protected in front of you, and yelled at the Dementors, tell him to get out! The Dementors seemed to be afraid of him and immediately flew away. Hermione began to elaborate.
"It's horrible," Neville said, louder than he normally would.
"Did you feel cold when that thing came in?" Harry asked.
"I feel weird," Ron said, twisting his shoulders uncomfortably, "as if I'm never going to be happy again......"
Charon didn't speak, he was a little confused, this kind of dementor was just a variant of a ghost, except for slightly affecting emotions and attacking souls, it didn't have much ability. Why did Harry react so much? And it's not like he hasn't seen his own young Voldemort Spirit!
For Charon, the Dementor is nothing more than his spell casting material, and it can be killed with a single spell!!
Charon looked at the others again, and Ginny was curled up in the corner, not much like Harry, and sobbed lowly; Hermione walked over and put her arm around her comfortingly.
How can these little wizards be so unable to withstand emotion-induced attacks? It seems that this is not a problem for one person, who seems to have a congenital lack of soul training.