Professor Lupin had already leaned halfway out of the compartment when he suddenly shouted, "This isn't good!"
Without another word, he dashed off as though he had spotted something incredibly dangerous.
Bruce peeked out as well.
What he saw looked like a scene straight out of a horror film.
Illuminated by the flickering light of the flame trembling in Lupin's hand stood a tall, hooded figure in front of a nearby compartment.
Its face was hidden beneath the cowl, and a pale, ghastly hand emerged from the folds of its cloak. The hand was slimy and blotchy, like something that had been waterlogged and left to decay after death.
Professor Lupin had already placed himself between the creature and the compartment door, blocking its entrance.
From inside the compartment, Bruce could hear Ron's frantic cries.
"Harry! Harry, what's wrong? Don't scare me!"
Oh no.
Bruce's chest tightened. The red-haired one's about to lose the black-haired one.
He prepared to act immediately.
Not just him—Sirius, still in his large black dog form, dragged his trembling body closer to the doorway, as if ready to intervene despite his evident fear.
Fortunately, Professor Lupin had already taken action. Drawing his wand, he shouted the incantation for the Patronus Charm.
A burst of brilliant silver light erupted from the tip of his wand, illuminating the entire train car.
The shadowy creature recoiled, shielding itself with its pale hand before retreating swiftly like a wraith fleeing daylight.
As soon as the creature vanished, the train's lights flickered back on, dispelling the oppressive darkness.
It was as if the whole ordeal had been a nightmare.
Only Ron's sniffles broke the silence, his voice quavering as he wailed, "Harry! My best mate! Stay with me—I can save you!"
This is bad.
The situation was becoming serious.
Beside him, the black dog whimpered louder, dragging itself pitifully along the floor.
Unable to watch any longer, Bruce scooped up the trembling dog and headed toward Harry's compartment.
"Stop slapping him!"
Professor Lupin's sharp voice cut through Ron's panicked cries. "He's only fainted!"
Ron's sobbing stopped immediately. By this time, Hermione and Bruce, still carrying the black dog, had arrived.
"Don't worry—it's under control," Lupin said, looking in Bruce's direction.
But it was clear he wasn't addressing Bruce.
Harry lay on the floor, convulsing slightly. The sight was genuinely alarming.
Thankfully, the tremors subsided soon after the dark creature was driven away. When Harry finally stirred, he found four human faces and one canine face hovering over him, all filled with concern.
"Ssss—"
Harry drew in a sharp breath, unsure if the discomfort came from his rattled state or the stinging pain on his face.
"You're okay now, Harry."
Ron and Hermione helped him back to his seat. Ron said, "You gave us such a scare! Good thing Professor Lupin and I were here."
"W-what happened to me?"
Harry touched his face, still confused. Then a look of alarm crossed his features.
"The creature! Is it still here?"
"It's gone. We drove it off," Lupin said from the doorway. "That was a Dementor, a creature from Azkaban."
"But I heard screams—"
Harry was pale and drenched in cold sweat, though his flushed face stood out against his pallor.
His friends had all gathered around him. Besides Hermione and Ron, Ginny and Neville, who had been sharing the compartment with him, stayed close, offering words of comfort.
The sharp pop of a sudden noise startled them all.
They turned to see Lupin, who had seemingly conjured a large bar of chocolate out of thin air.
"Eat some chocolate—it'll help," he said. "We'll be at Hogwarts soon, and you can visit the infirmary then."
"Whimper—"
The black dog let out a pained sound from nearby.
Lupin immediately crouched down, stroking its fur gently. "It's okay—they're gone now."
Sigh.
A look of sympathy and sadness flickered across Lupin's face. Sirius, after enduring years of torment at Azkaban, had clearly been deeply scarred by the presence of Dementors.
As a friend, what could Lupin possibly do to help?
"It's alright. Everything's alright…"
Lupin consoled the black dog, slipping another piece of chocolate into its mouth.
"You have some, too. It'll make you feel better."
The train resumed its journey and soon arrived at Hogwarts.
The young wizards disembarked, shivering as they stepped onto the freezing platform, where bone-chilling rain poured down in sheets.
Hagrid waved his lantern, ushering them toward the castle. His enormous frame shielded them from much of the wind and rain.
As Harry entered the castle, a drawling, mocking voice reached his ears.
"You fainted, Potter? Is it true? You actually fainted?"
Malfoy elbowed Hermione aside to block Harry on the stone steps leading into the castle, his face alight with glee and his gray eyes glittering with malice.
Before Harry could respond, Bruce stepped forward abruptly, delivering a solid elbow to Malfoy's side—just as Malfoy had done to Hermione.
"Out of the way, Malfoy," Bruce said coldly. "If you make me late, trust me—you don't want to see what I'm like when I'm angry."
Malfoy, initially bristling with indignation, looked ready to retaliate.
But when he saw it was Bruce, his fury twisted into a strange expression, his nose scrunching up.
"Wayne, I should've known you and your kind—"
Malfoy stopped himself abruptly, swallowing whatever slur he had been about to utter.
"What was that?" Bruce asked, his voice icy.
Malfoy's brain seemed to overheat as he scrambled for a response. He had been about to say Mudbloods, but the weight of Bruce's presence made the word stick in his throat.
Desperately, he searched for another insult—something that could make him feel superior while simultaneously putting down Bruce and Hermione.
"You people… you…"
He gritted his teeth. "You paupers! Keep huddling together!"
With that, he sneered and stormed off, his pace hurried.
The remaining students exchanged bemused looks.
"Does he know nothing about me?" Bruce wondered aloud. "Was that 'pauper' insult aimed at me—or himself?"
Neville shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe Malfoy just has terrible intel?"
Harry, however, seemed troubled.
"How did Malfoy know I fainted so quickly?" he asked. "Word shouldn't have spread that fast, right?"
No one else had seen him collapse in the compartment, after all.
This time, Ron was the one to shake his head. "I don't know. Maybe Malfoy has great intel?"
---
Inside the castle, the Great Hall was as breathtaking as ever.
Professor McGonagall quickly called Harry away, as word of the train incident had already reached the faculty.
Meanwhile, Bruce and Hermione split off, heading to the Hufflepuff table.
"Good evening, Bruce," a senior student greeted him with a smile.
"Good evening, Cedric," Bruce replied.
The Sorting Ceremony had yet to begin, but the professors were already seated. To Bruce's surprise, Hagrid was among them.
"You didn't hear?" Cedric said with a grin. "This year, Hagrid's assisting Professor Newt. By next year, he might even be teaching Care of Magical Creatures himself."
Bruce nodded thoughtfully. Though Professor Newt had joined Hogwarts the previous year, Bruce hadn't had much interaction with him, as the subject was only available as a third-year elective.
This year, things were different. Bruce had signed up for every course, including Newt's.
Speaking of Professor Newt—
"Bruce, did you pick Care of Magical Creatures?" Cedric asked. "I should've told you last year—this course is a must. You won't regret it."
"I did. But why do you recommend it so highly?" Bruce asked. "Does Newt have a unique teaching style?"
"If you've signed up, I won't spoil the surprise," Cedric said with a laugh. "Just trust me—it'll be worth it."
As Bruce studied Cedric, he noticed something odd.
"What happened to your face?" he asked, gesturing at his own to indicate a large bruise.
At first, Bruce hadn't noticed because Cedric had skillfully concealed it with makeup.
Cedric's eyes flickered with unease, though he quickly masked it.
"It's nothing," Cedric said. "I just tripped—no big deal."
"Really?"
Bruce's skepticism deepened as he observed the bruise. It was too severe for a simple fall.
It looked more like an injury from a significant height.
"Honestly, it's fine," Cedric replied with a wry smile. "Do you think I'm some kind of invincible monster?"
"Not at all," Bruce said, shaking his head. "But most wizards would use magic to hide a facial injury. Using makeup seems more like something a Muggle would do."
"Maybe it's because I'm taking Muggle Studies," Cedric said with a chuckle. "I just wanted to try something Muggles might do."
Bruce nodded. "Fair enough. I once heard about this eccentric person—someone who could never wake up during the day, but spent every night flying around pretending to be a bat. In his early attempts at flight, he'd crash constantly, ending up bruised and battered."
Cedric's expression froze momentarily.
"Haha, Bruce, you've got a vivid imagination," Cedric said with an awkward laugh. "I'd never be like that. If anything, I'd be more of a vampire, don't you think?"
With that, he deftly changed the subject.
"So, how was your summer, Bruce?"
"It was fine," Bruce replied, recalling that seeing his mother again had made it memorable.
"What about you?" he asked in return.
"Mine was good, too—except for a few pranks I had to deal with," Cedric said.
"What kind of pranks?" Bruce asked, his curiosity piqued.
At this, the owl perched nearby—Kathoom—froze mid-peck at the table and began inching away, step by step.
"Well…" Cedric hesitated. "Strange owls kept delivering packages to my house. No sender, just my address on the label."
"What was in the packages?" Bruce pressed.
"Odd stuff," Cedric said. "The first was a vial with a drop of green liquid. The next three were all metal fragments. I have no idea what they're for."
I see.
Bruce suddenly understood everything. He turned, ready to confront Kathoom.
So this was your solution to the metal issue? Really?
But when he looked around, the owl had already disappeared without a trace.
---
T/N: oooh is another batman here
Thank you for reading this chapter!
Wise-Senpai leads the way, sharing stories that inspire and connect us all. Your support is like the encouragement of a loyal companion, pushing this journey forward and lighting the path ahead.
If you'd like to support Wise-Senpai, you can visit:
[patreon.com/WiseTL].
Every contribution strengthens our resolve, paving the way for the stories yet to come!
Let's continue to explore these worlds together!
-Mash Kyrielight 💜