The rain was getting heavier and heavier, turning the outside of the train window into a watery gray, and unknowingly, the sky was completely dark.
The compartment door opened once more, and Fred and George took advantage of the dim light to stealthily sneak in.
"Percy isn't here yet, right..." George asked.
"No," Cedric looked at the two, curiously, "It's been such a long time, is he still not done with you guys? It's just a badge change, it shouldn't be such a big deal."
"You should say he's never caught us," George shut the door and turned to say, "We've watched him make several rounds in the train."
"You're kidding," Cedric's first reaction was disbelief, thinking they were just trying to save face.
The train is only so big, with an aisle running from the front to the back without even a turn in between, and the compartment doors all have glass where you can see what's inside.
If Percy was patient, he should be able to find them.
Kael thought so too.
"Did you learn the Disillusionment Charm?" he asked, "Or borrowed Harry's Invisibility Cloak."
"Neither," George sat down next to Cedric and said proudly, "We hid in the snack trolley. It's hollow underneath, with a partition just right for two people to hide."
"Percy passed by us three times and didn't notice."
"Once, he even stopped to buy something, a Licorice Wand, and a Cauldron Cake."
"We recognized his shoes..."
"So, you've been hiding in the trolley all this time?" Cho checked the time, asking incredulously, "Wow, five hours."
The snack trolley isn't big, about the size of the table in the compartment.
Two people crouching under a table for five hours... honestly, if it were her, she'd rather be hit by Percy.
"Of course not," Fred said, "After the trolley makes a round, it stops at the front, which is the compartment where the driver is, we stayed there."
As they spoke, suddenly the lights in the aisle and on the luggage racks turned on.
The dim yellow light illuminated the compartment, making the outside even darker.
"We must be almost there," Ginny asked.
"Almost," Cho said, "About an hour left."
"I wish it would hurry," Fred patted his stomach, "I'm starving, I can't wait for the banquet..."
As he finished speaking, the train suddenly began to slow down.
"Did my wish come true?" Fred stood up in surprise, pressing his face against the window to see the situation outside.
"That can't be right!" Cho looked at the time again, "There's still an hour till arrival."
"Maybe the driver wants us to eat the banquet sooner and sped up the train," George joked.
"No George, I don't think the train sped up."
Fred lifted his head from the window, "Outside is not our familiar Hogsmeade Platform but a completely unknown place."
As the train slowed, the sound of the wheels became inaudible, with the wind and rain pounding louder against the windows.
With a "thunk", the train seemed to be slammed to an abrupt halt.
A large box fell off the rack, nearly hitting Luna's head.
"I'm the Head Boy, everyone return to your compartments, don't panic!" Percy's voice came from outside.
But at this time, the title of Head Boy seemed somewhat insufficient.
Especially after all the lights inexplicably went out, plunging the train into chaos, with screams echoing one after another.
"Do you feel like it's getting colder?"
Fred rubbed his arms, pointing to the window, "Look here."
At some unknown point, a thin layer of ice had formed on the glass.
"It's September now!" Cedric frowned.
Ice forming in September, how will winter be?
"Probably Dementors..." Kael looked at the looming figures outside, "They're probably here to check the train for Blake."
"No, it can't be..." Ginny curled up in the corner, trembling, "Those monsters from Azkaban? How could they be on the train, Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't allow it..."
"I think Kael is right."
Cho's face turned white as she pulled back from peering outside, she saw a figure at the end of the dark corridor, wearing a tattered cloak, floating in mid-air like a ghost.
"One on each side..." Cho quickly retreated, "They're checking the compartments!"
The compartment fell into silence.
Kids from wizard families, more or less, have heard of Dementors.
But they never imagined encountering these creatures on the train to Hogwarts.
Saying they weren't nervous was certainly false.
Kael instinctively moved to the front.
He lightly waved the wand, and soon a silver-white glow appeared at its tip.
This light was dimmer than the Lighting Spell, but softer, and its range was wider.
But due to the tension, those around him didn't notice it, only Conna curiously tilted her head.
She found, suddenly, it didn't feel quite so cold around her.
However, it wasn't appropriate to ask questions now, so she remained silent.
Soon, a Dementor reached their compartment.
They could even clearly hear the rattling sound coming from its throat.
To everyone else, it was just a meaningless sound, but what Kael heard was different.
[Bryan... Braka... No, it's Brake...]
It repeatedly muttered a name, but couldn't remember it, saying it differently each time.
Showing it wasn't very intelligent.
Though this was expected, after all, they don't even have brains.
It stood at the compartment door and reached out a gray-white, eerie hand to hook...
The compartment door slowly opened.
But the light from the room also spread out, just enough to shine on it.
The Dementor immediately recoiled, its body involuntarily backed away, sticking firmly to the back of the compartment.
"The person you're looking for isn't here," Kael said, "None of us have Blake hidden under the robes, leave."
The hooded head turned and made another rattling sound at Kael.
[I want... check... order...]
"No, I'll say it again, Blake isn't here!"
Kael waved the wand again, making the white light even brighter.
The Dementor struggled again as if hit by a pile of Dungbombs, uncomfortable and helpless...
But despite this, it stubbornly didn't leave the compartment.
[Check... order...]
"Get out!"
[No... leave...]
"Leave!"
[No leave...]
Kael's mouth twitched.
For some reason, he suddenly felt guilty for bullying the weak—but here the weak refers not to strength, but to intellect.
"This is ridiculous," Kael muttered softly.
The white light around them gradually gathered, finally turning into a mist, enveloping Conna and the others.
"Only check," Kael pointed the wand at the Dementor, reminding it, "If you dare to do anything else, or absorb any emotion, I'll drive you out."
[Order... check... not eat...]
Without the white light, the Dementor floated and slowly took a breath inside the compartment.
Everyone felt a chill, but only that.
[No... Braian... flavor...]
Next moment, the Dementor quickly left the compartment, turned and drifted away.
"It's Blake," Kael couldn't help but correct as he closed the door.
[Blake... Blaka...]
"..."
Indeed, this one had little intellectual capacity, misremembering within seconds; it's unclear if all Dementors were like this or if Kael encountered a fool.
Suddenly, a commotion arose from the previously silent corridor.
Kael faintly heard someone shouting...
"Harry!"
"Professor, Harry fainted!"
"Help, help..."
Ron and Hermione's voices, followed by Neville…
Soon, a silver light appeared in the corridor again.
The Dementor that had just left tried to retreat back inside, but Kael had already closed the door.
On one side the compartment door was firmly shut, on the other, the silver light was getting closer, and whether it was an illusion or not, Kael felt a hint of helplessness from that Dementor...