0219 Back Again

Twenty minutes after the terrifying encounter that had left Harry and his friends shaken to their core, Adrian's voice once again filled the train through the magical broadcast. "Attention all students, I have excellent news for everyone aboard. The troublesome matter has been completely resolved. You may now open your compartment doors and move about freely throughout the train. However, I must remind you that running in the corridors and the use of magic are still strictly prohibited for safety reasons. Please remain mindful of your fellow passengers and enjoy the remainder of our journey." The moment the announcement ended, Harry could hear the immediate sounds of celebration erupting from compartments throughout their car—cheers, laughter, and the blessed sound of doors sliding open as students emerged from their 'imprisonment'. Harry immediately pushed open their compartment door and peered out into the corridor, his eyes scanning for any lingering traces of the nightmare they had just endured. The oppressive atmosphere that had hung over the train had completely lifted, replaced by the normal bustle and chatter of excited students. Indeed, those black, devil-like figures had vanished completely, leaving no trace of their presence except for the lingering memory of their terror. Only two persons remained visible in the distance, clearly Ministry of Magic employees based on their robes. Harry noticed with some satisfaction that both men looked distinctly uncomfortable. The rest of the journey to Hogwarts was much more pleasant than anyone had dared hope after such an inauspicious beginning. The train settled back into its normal rhythm of comfortable chaos, with students moving freely between compartments, sharing sweets, and catching up on summer adventures. About an hour after the all-clear announcement, Harry's spirits were lifted considerably by the arrival of Fred and George. The red-haired duo burst into their compartment with their typical energy and mischievous grins, immediately filling the space with their infectious enthusiasm. "Harry, my boy!" Fred exclaimed, throwing himself into an empty seat. "Heard you had a bit of excitement earlier. Dementors, was it?" "Nasty creatures," George added, sitting beside his twin with a more serious expression. The twins proceeded to distract Harry with detailed discussions of new Quidditch tactics they had developed over the summer, with energetic gestures and debates about the finer points of Beater strategy. They also shared numerous amusing anecdotes about their older brother Percy, who had apparently spent most of his summer vacation practicing pompous speeches in front of his bedroom mirror and organizing his collection of cauldron bottom thickness regulations by date of publication. Their stories were so ridiculous and told with such comedic timing that Harry found himself laughing harder than he had in weeks. "You should have seen him," Fred said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Standing there in his pajamas, gesturing at his reflection like he was addressing the entire Wizengamot. 'As Head Boy, I must set an example of academic excellence and moral resilience!'" George's impression of Percy's pompous tone was so accurate that even Hermione, who normally defended academic achievement, couldn't help but giggle behind her hand. Of course, the journey wasn't without its less pleasant moments. The most prominent of these occurred when Malfoy decided to pay them an unexpected and thoroughly unwelcome visit. Malfoy appeared in their doorway like a pale, sneering ghost. He remained exactly as Harry remembered him—thin to the point of being skinny, with face that seemed permanently arranged in an expression of disdain. His two lackeys were also unchanged, looking somewhat dull and foolish. However, they seemed to have gained even more weight over the summer. Harry thought that in another year, they'd rival Dudley's build. The three blocked the compartment doorway completely to be as intimidating as possible. Malfoy's thin lips curved into a smile. "Well, well," He drawled, his voice carrying that used to tone of cold mockery. "If it isn't the golden trio, looking rather worse for wear. I heard you had a little encounter with some Dementors earlier. Tell me, Potter, did you faint? I bet you did—you always were rather delicate." Harry's jaw clenched, but before he could respond, Malfoy had already moved on to his next target. "And Weasley," Malfoy continued, his gaze shifting to Ron with undisguised contempt. "I heard your family won a 'large' sum of Galleons this summer. Quite the windfall for people of your... economic circumstances. And yet, I notice you still haven't managed to afford a new pet. That pathetic rat of yours looks like it's been dead for years." Ron's face flushed red with anger and embarrassment, but Malfoy wasn't finished. "As for you, Granger," He said, turning his attention to Hermione with particular venom, "I understand you spent your summer living the Muggle lifestyle. How refreshing it must have been to forget that you're a witch. Perhaps you enjoyed it so much because the Muggle world is where you truly belong—certainly more than you belong in ours." Harry felt his hands clench into fists, and he could see Ron's face turning purple. In fact, Harry didn't understand why Malfoy had bothered to make this special trip just to mock them over such ordinary matters. The Weasley family's lottery win and Hermione's vacation were perfectly normal events—hardly worthy of such insults and mockery. But Malfoy clearly wasn't finished with them yet. As he prepared to leave, he delivered one final parting shot. "Enjoy the rest of your journey," He said with a smile that was all teeth and malice. "I have a special surprise planned for you all when we reach the school. Something that will make this term far more... interesting than you might expect." With that cryptic threat hanging in the air, Malfoy swept away down the corridor, his two bodyguards behind him like loyal hounds. As the sun began to set, the Hogwarts Express finally began to slow its pace. The familiar silhouette of Hogsmeade Station appeared in the distance, looking warm and welcoming in the evening light. The train pulled into the station with a final, satisfied hiss of steam, and immediately the platform erupted into organized chaos. Students began pouring from the carriages, their arms full of trunks, pet carriers, and various magical stuffs collected during their summer holidays. Hagrid stood waiting on the platform like a friendly giant. His massive body was impossible to miss, and his wild beard and hair gave him the appearance of a benevolent forest creature. As always, he would be responsible for guiding the first-year students across the lake to the castle in the traditional boats. Remus was among the first to disembark. He nodded politely to Adrian as he passed, but his face was tense with some private concern that he clearly didn't wish to discuss. Adrian, meanwhile, remained on the platform to help maintain order among the landing students. "Adrian!" Hagrid's booming voice resounded through the general hubbub as he waved enthusiastically. "The students are all right, aren't they? I heard there was some trouble with Dementors on the train." "Everything went smoothly," Adrian replied with a reassuring smile. "The situation was handled without any harm to the students." As the platform gradually filled with chattering students sorting themselves into groups, Hagrid and Adrian found themselves with a few moments to catch up properly. "Great to see you again, Adrian," Hagrid said cheerfully. "The summer holidays were terribly boring—I had no idea what to do with myself. Oh, that reminds me, I used all my spare time to make a scarf. I'm planning to give it to Harry for Christmas." Adrian raised an eyebrow with mild amusement. "Knitting scarves in the middle of summer is rather unusual, and Christmas is still quite some time away. What did you make it from?" "Unicorn hair," Hagrid explained happily, his eyes sparkling with pride in his handiwork. "Some belly hair mixed with tail hair—incredibly strong and warm. Should keep the boy nice and cozy through the winter." Adrian fell silent for a moment. He should have guessed that Hagrid wouldn't use ordinary materials for his projects. The man's definition of "appropriate crafting supplies" had always been rather unconventional. However, using unicorn hair to knit scarves was probably a first, even by Hagrid's standards. The magical properties alone would make the garment worth more than most families' annual income. "By the way," Hagrid suddenly remembered something important and lowered his voice, "you often go to the Forbidden Forest, don't you?" Adrian looked puzzled, his eyes showing genuine curiosity. "Yes, I sometimes need to collect wild plants for my research. Has something happened?" "Oh, I just wanted to remind you that when you go to the Forbidden Forest recently, you'd better bring your wand and stay alert at all times," Hagrid said seriously, his jovial demeanor replaced by concern. "Why?" Adrian asked looking confused. "There's a reason, of course," Hagrid glanced around to ensure they weren't being overheard, then leaned closer. "There seems to be some trouble in the Forbidden Forest. A few nights ago, I found some strange traces deep inside—definitely man-made. Boot prints, broken branches. I asked the centaurs about it, but they said they hadn't sensed any evil presence." "What do you think it might be?" Adrian asked, his voice taking on a more serious tone. Hagrid leaned close to Adrian's ear and whispered, "Though the possibility of it being Sirius Black is small, it can't be ruled out completely. The man's desperate, and desperate people do desperate things." At this point, Adrian noticed that the anger on Hagrid's face was almost impossible to suppress. Adrian nodded thoughtfully, understanding. If Black truly wanted to enter Hogwarts, it would be relatively easy for someone with his knowledge of the school's secrets. There were countless hidden passages leading to the castle, some dating back centuries and the Dementors couldn't possibly know about all of them. For an escaped prisoner with close knowledge of Hogwarts' layout, the Forbidden Forest would indeed be an excellent hiding place. Moreover, from the deepest parts of the forest, one could reach Hogwarts Castle quickly and without being detected by the Ministry's surveillance. "I didn't believe it at first," Hagrid continued, his voice heavy with worry. "How could he get here so quickly after escaping from Azkaban? But Dumbledore told me that the Ministry seems to have found traces of Black around the general area of Hogwarts—spotted by a Muggle hiker about a week ago. Perhaps he's already moved into the Forbidden Forest and is just waiting for the right moment to strike." "Professor!" A familiar voice called from the crowd, interrupting their private conversation. Adrian and Hagrid looked over to see Percy Weasley waving at them from among the students. The young man's chest was puffed out with self-importance, and his Head Boy badge gleamed prominently on his robes. By now, all the students had disembarked from the train and were gathering into the traditional groups for the journey to the castle. Percy was spontaneously helping to maintain order at the scene, directing younger students with the bossy manner of someone who took his responsibilities very seriously indeed. "We'll talk more later," Hagrid said, straightening up. He hurried toward the crowd, his voice booming across the platform: "First-years, over here! First-years, this way! Don't be shy now, come along!" Adrian also began his own duties, moving through the crowd to guide the remaining students toward the waiting Thestral carriages. Hogwarts had a large fleet of these vehicles, enough to transport all the students to the castle in a single journey. Adrian sat in the front carriage. Beside him were this year's Head Boy and Ravenclaw's prefect, creating what should have been a comfortable arrangement for the journey to the castle. The Head Boy was naturally Percy, his red hair neatly combed and his robes pressed to perfection. The Ravenclaw prefect was a female student named Penelope Clearwater. What made the situation amusing, however, was that everyone in the school knew that Percy and Penelope were romantically involved. Their relationship was one of the worst-kept secrets at Hogwarts, and Adrian suspected that the other students had deliberately saved seats for them together as a form of gentle teasing. Unfortunately, Adrian's presence had inadvertently transformed their romantic carriage ride into an awkward triangle of social politeness. Percy sat rigidly formal, his back straight and his hands folded precisely in his lap, while Penelope looked equally uncomfortable, her cheeks were tinged with a faint blush. The three of them sat in subtle silence as the carriage rolled through the Scottish countryside, each lost in their own thoughts. Adrian found the situation genuinely amusing, though he was far too polite to show it. As the carriage convoy passed through the gates of Hogwarts, Adrian noticed two much taller Dementors standing beside the entrance. This was the closest point that Dumbledore had permitted the creatures to approach the school grounds. As Adrian's carriage rolled past, both Dementors fixed their hooded gazes directly on him with unmistakable intensity. Even beneath their tattered cloaks, he could sense their deep wariness,. It seemed that even without actively using the Patronus Charm, they could sense a threat from him. Soon, the carriage convoy arrived at the castle courtyard. The first-year students were probably still making their traditional journey across the lake at this point, guided by Hagrid. Adrian began the process of leading the older students up the stone steps to the castle entrance. This task should have been shared among several professors, but this year, by some unspoken agreement, everyone had tacitly left this responsibility to Adrian. Of course, Adrian didn't mind the additional duty. A few minutes later, all the students had gathered at the entrance to the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall was waiting at the door. "Professor Westeros," Professor McGonagall nodded to Adrian. "Please lead the students inside." Then she turned her attention to the crowd: "Mr. Harry Potter, please step forward." ________________ You can read more chapters on: /IamLuis