The morning of the 1st of September was a very busy one. Everyone was checking that they had packed everything, just as they had when they left the Burrow. Avalon had finally managed to get her owl, Arwen, into her travel cage. She was now stored next to Hermes and Harry's snowy owl Hedwig.
The cars that had brought them to the inn were waiting to take them to Kings Cross station. Now that Harry and Hermione were with them, the seating had to be rearranged.
Molly, Ginny, Harry and Avalon were to share one of the cars. The twins, Ron and Percy, would share a second one and Arthur, Hermoine and Sharon would take the smallest one with all their luggage.
They had dropped Jolene off that morning. They were off to the station at 9.30. According to Arthur Weasley, they were cutting it very fine.They arrived at the station at five minutes to eleven, just as he had predicted. The suitcases were hastily loaded onto the trolleys. Owls were quickly placed on the suitcases and then they had to run
Time was ticking. With only two minutes to spare, everyone was on the platform. Fred Weasley quickly jumped into a doorway. He hoisted the trunks inside as fast as he could. As soon as that was done, he quickly helped everyone else on to the train.
When the whistle blew, the train began to move. He grabbed hold of Avalon's hand and managed to pull her along with him onto the train.
"My my Miss Potter. That was a near miss." He said jokingly. Harry gave a sniff and walked away. "Don't you worry about him. He'll come round." Fred said.
"You'll have to excuse me and my brother, who is strangely identical. We have to meet Lee." He said and walked off.
Luna jumped out of a compartment almost halfway up the train. Come in. Ginny and Sharon are already here. she said. Smiling, Avalon sat down.
They spent the first few hours of the journey telling each other stories about their summer. At lunchtime the car arrived. Avalon bought each of them a pumpkin pastry
The twins dropped in a couple of times.
Round 3 Oona and Lucy came in. "Have you heard about the escape?" Oona asked. "Yeah." Ginny said. "It's terrifying. My grandmother told me. It's never happened before." Lucy said.
"She told me that Azkaban was the best-guarded prison in the world, next to the one they built for Grindelwald." Lucy added. "Grindel who? "Luna asked.
"Grindelwald, according to Grandfather, he was the bigger baddie than you know who." Lucy explained.
Doesn't tell us much does it." Luna said. "I know." Lucy said laughing. "But my grandparents think I'm too young," she added.
They discussed the outbreak for another two hours and then the darkness began to set in.
Before they knew it, the lights were flickering on. And the blurred fields outside were replaced by darkness.
Suddenly the train stopped abruptly. Arwen's cage tipped over and rolled, making her screach. Avalon quickly picked her up.
"I'm sorry, Arwen. Shh, it's all right." She said. From out of nowhere, the lights went out.
This caused screams from some of the compartments.
"What's happening?" They heard Ron say in the next compartment. "We can't be there yet." Hermoine's voice came from the same compartment.
The door to their compartment slid open and there was a dark figure standing in the doorway. Too scared to react, the 6 girls just stared.
"Something has gotten on the train. Just stay as quiet as you can." George Weasley whispered. "We don't have any idea if it's dangerous." Fred added in a whisper.
"Ouch Ron, that's my foot." Hermione yelled from next door. "Oy, can you two pipe down?" Fred said in a loud whisper.
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Muffled screams could be heard from the other side of the train. It seemed to get closer every few seconds. Fred and George silently reached for their wands. The next set of screams seemed to come from the compartment to their left. Seconds later, their compartment door slid open, inch by inch.
When it finally opened fully, a disgusting lookingcloaked hand was seen. Seconds later, a hovering hooded figure entered. The air was instantly icy. And it seemed as if someone was pressing the mute button on every sound from inside and outside the train.
It felt as if all the happiness was being sucked out of the world - "NOOOO LILY!" Avalon heard someone scream, but it sounded strange. Like it came from an old, unbalanced radio.
She started to feel faint and was sure she was going to faint. But as quickly as it had begun, it was over. The figure had slipped out of her compartment. The heat suddenly returned to the air. As did the sounds of the world around her. And the feeling of utter despair melted away like snow on a warm spring day.
When she finally caught her breath, she heard Hermione scream. "Harry! Something is wrong with Harry." She heard. "EXPECTO PATRONUM." A voice she had never heard before shouted. A moment later, the corridor and Avalon assumed that the whole of the compartment next door had been engulfed in a bright white light.
A few seconds later, the black figure rushed past. "What the hell was that?" Fred asked. "That thing or the light?" Ginny asked. "Both." The twins said together.
Suddenly the train started to move again and the lights came back on. When they all looked back at the door, a rather scruffy and rugged looking wizard was standing in the doorway, holding his wand and, oddly enough, a large block of chocolate.
"Everyone all right in here?" The man asked. "I think so." Fred said. "No thanks to us." George added. "We wanted to protect the girls." He added. "But we couldn't move as soon as that thing came in." Fred said with a look of embarrassment.
"Yes, that's how the Dementor can make you feel. It is nothing to be ashamed of." The man said. As he started to break up the chocolate and pass it around so that everyone could have a piece of it.
He stopped at Avalon. He looked into her eyes. "What's your name?" He asked. "Avalon sir." She replied. He looked strange for a second. Then he shook his head and smiled at her.
"Eat this. It will make you all feel better." He said. "What was that thing doin' here?" Avalon asked.
"They are normally the guards of the wizard prison. And the few that are in here have been sent to search the train for Sirius Black." The man replied.
"Why would he be on this train?" Luna asked. "Who knows. The point is they haven't found him, so we're safe," he replied.
"What was that light?" Fred asked. "That's what you call a Patronus Charm, but I don't have time to go into that." The man said. "I'm sorry." He added, smiling warmly. Now eat your chocolate. I didn't poison it." He said and then left the compartment.
Avalon took a bite and thought about everything that had just happened. Something was happening as she swallowed. From the pit of her stomach to every inch of her body, the lingering cold sensation left by the dementors seemed to disappear.
The others seemed to have felt it too. Before the chocolate, they had all looked extremely pale. Now the colour had returned to their cheeks.
"He fainted?" Bridget Rookwood's voice broke the silence. "Potter fainted?" She added with glee. "Who told you that, Stuart?" She asked. And then a squealing laugh was heard. "Malfoy." She shouted laughing. "MALFOY GET A LOAD OF THIS," she added as her voice faded out of hearing distance.
The train picked up speed again. "So who do you think that was? "Oona asked. "Our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, obviously." George said. "Yeah, and he seems to know his stuff at last," Fred added.
"Why did he look so poor?" Luna asked. The 3 Weasleys seemed slightly offended. "That's not a nice thing to say, Luna," Sharon said.
"I'm sorry." Luna said quickly to her friends.
"Ah, it's OK. I knew what you meant. "George said. "In fact it might even be a good thing." Fred added. "It means: We don't look so poor." The twins said laughing.
"I think young miss lovegood. He learned defence the hard way. At least that's the way he looks to me." George said. "I think so too. Pretty sad really." Fred added.
"I mean, the man is taking the Hogwarts Express. As far as I know, no teacher has ever had to." George said.
The train began to slow down. It indicated that they were probably finally approaching the school.
"Well ladies. It was a pleasure to feel despair with you." Fred said. "But all good things and all bad things have to come to an end. "George added. "See you around." The twins finished.
"They think they are so funny ," Ginny said. "One day something will happen that they will not be able to laugh away." She said. Still sounding a bit down.
She looked around at her friends. "Don't mind me. Those things did a real number on me, I'll be fine." She added.
Luna looked at Ginny a bit worriedly. Last year, when she had been like this, the whole school had been in danger.
But they didn't have more time to think about it. The train had come to a complete stop and, just like last year, a voice came from the loudspeakers.
"Hogsmead station. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken separately to school, have a good term". They all said along with the announcer. Laughing loudly, they got off the train.
"First years over here, don't be shy." They heard the familiar voice of Hagrid, the school's game keeper.
The new First Years would be taking a boat across the lake to the school. Avalon and her friends were glad to be taking the self-driving carriages to school this year. Rain was pouring from the sky.
The 7 girls quickly made their way to the carriages. To their disappointment, only 5 people could fit in each carriage. Luna, Ginny, Sharon, Lucy and Avalon got into the first one,
Oona and Emma had the misfortune to sit with Briget Rookwood and Stuart Walemby.
As the carriages started to move, Avalon was very excited. She was almost back at her beloved school.