The Hogwarts Express chugged along the tracks, the deep red iron beast strikingly prominent against the pristine white snowscape of winter.
Of course, if a Muggle were to see this train, they would instinctively overlook its presence.
The enchanted carriages were wonderfully warm, and everyone shed their thick cloaks, gathering to chat.
Wade's compartment was packed with people, all huddled together, watching Harry's and Neville's Magic Golems battle it out.
Harry's Magic Golem was a lion, and Neville's was an ape—both gifts from Wade last year.
The professors at school prohibited students from bringing Magic Golems into classrooms or the Library. Normally, everyone could only play with them in their dorms or the Common Room for a little while. But now, on the train, with everyone watching, the simple game suddenly felt much more exciting.
The lion and the ape were roughly the same size and had comparable strength. They were fighting fiercely, and cheers and shouts erupted from the onlookers—
"Go! Go! Bite its back!"
"Throw it! Throw that big guy! Give it a suplex!"
The lion leaped onto a pile of snacks nearby, launching a pounce. The ape quickly dodged, kicking the lion squarely on the nose!
The two small creatures let out tiny, indignant roars, circling each other. In the end, the ape lost due to insufficient terrain to fully utilize its abilities.
A wave of cheers erupted in the compartment, and the Weasley Twins immediately jumped up, yelling, "Losers pay up! Losers pay up!"
The supporters grumbled as they handed over some snacks. George even casually slipped a few to Harry.
"My turn!" Carlyle squeezed over from the side, excitedly pulling out a lynx. "Just watch, my Monalisa will never lose to anyone!"
Ryan smiled, placing a white leopard on the table, and grinned through gritted teeth, "Funny, my Oscar is also a feline."
"Then let's see who's stronger!" Carlyle was brimming with fighting spirit.
A new round of the competition began, with other students crowded outside the door, straining their necks to get a clear view of the action.
Wade leaned by the window, idly swinging his Wand, secretly casting an Undetectable Extension Charm on the compartment.
He couldn't quite understand it. It had started with Harry passing by the compartment and casually asking about holiday plans, then it turned into him battling Michael's Magic Golem, then Neville joined, and then Carlyle, who was passing by, got involved...
Even though Carlyle was a transfer student, his appeal was frighteningly strong. In no time, he'd attracted a large crowd, and Wade felt like the compartment was about to burst from all of them.
Now, unless he transformed into a Peregrine Falcon and flew out the window, it was absolutely impossible to squeeze out through the door.
Wade's gaze unconsciously fell on Carlyle's flushed, excited face, and he recalled Dumbledore's words from earlier—
...
Yesterday, after their Apparition practice, Dumbledore had suddenly asked Wade a question.
"Do you know why I allow Carlyle and Abigail to remain at school? Even though we both know they might be problematic."
Wade hesitated, then asked, "For... tolerance and love?"
It wasn't that he was being overly dramatic; it was simply that one of Wade's deepest impressions of Dumbledore was "Love is the Greatest Magic."
Upon hearing this, Dumbledore let out a soft chuckle and then shook his head.
"Don't take me for some doddering old man, Wade. I know when to be tolerant and when to be cautious first."
Dumbledore said, "I keep them at school because I am certain that as long as I am here, they cannot cause any trouble at Hogwarts."
Dumbledore spoke these words with ease and confidence.
"Abigail is an excellent professor, and Carlyle is a warm, outgoing child. They are not our enemies."
"The ones who push them forward while hiding themselves in the shadows—those are the true enemies. Don't mistake that, Wade."
Wade frowned, "But... if we let them be, and they cause harm..."
"Don't worry too much about things that haven't happened yet, Wade."
Dumbledore continued, "If you consider the worst outcome for everything, you'll never have a moment's peace."
"And don't push people who might stand with us over to the enemy's side. Show others respect and kindness—the connection between Wizards is truly wondrous. It often, without conscious effort, brings about a change in destiny."
Wade looked at the white-haired Headmaster, but his mind suddenly flashed to the fate of Harry's parents.
His father had trusted Peter Pettigrew with his life, and his mother, while at school, had defended Snape in front of the Marauders, despite the pressure from her house and loyalties. What had been the outcome?
The connection between Wizards was indeed wondrous... but even if good intentions were sown, evil might still blossom.
Dumbledore seemed to sense Wade's disagreement. He shook his head and said, "Don't trample on your principles out of fear of the future, Wade—whether you can stay on the right path and remain true to your heart, that is what matters most."
...
On the train.
Wade took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Losing the advantage of foresight was truly awful. If he knew the plans and strongholds of those people, just as he knew Voldemort's, he would have found a way to send people to take them out long ago.
But now, they could only patiently investigate.
Moreover, the emergence of those people had shattered Wade's initial plan for a safe retreat.
When he first started at Hogwarts, Wade had thought that if Voldemort were to resurrect and gain immense power as in the original story, he could take his parents and flee abroad.
At least in the original story, Voldemort's influence didn't extend beyond Britain.
But the forces that had gathered Werewolves, Vampires, and Muggles indicated that the living environment abroad seemed even worse, perhaps not even as good as Britain!
At least in Britain, Wizards rarely killed people.
Wade was lost in thought, while his classmates cheered as Ryan's leopard defeated Carlyle's lynx, and then two new people faced off.
From another compartment not far away, singing could be heard, quickly turning into a chorus.
They started with Christmas carols, then the Hogwarts school song, followed by a group of girls singing a popular Wizarding World song: "A Cauldron of Hot Love."
Michael, sitting next to Wade, hummed along: "With a flick of your Wand, love's fire ignites, revealing ancient Spell secrets… It's a cauldron of hot love, stewing with happiness and Magical Power, no matter how time flows, love's flame never dies…"
His exhaled breath fogged up the glass, forming a layer of white mist. Michael reached out and drew a heart on the glass, staring at it for a moment before suddenly shivering.
"Strange…" he mumbled, rubbing his arms. "Why did it suddenly get so cold?"
Theo, who had been leaning against Neville, almost asleep, was also woken by the cold. He looked out the window and asked, "Is it going to snow?"
The sky outside the window was gloomy, turning a progressively thicker dark gray. The lights in the corridor and compartments dimmed, and fine snowflakes drifted down from the sky.
Everyone complained about the weather, then got up to find thick cloaks to put on.
"Something's not right," Michael said, breathing out. "Wade, look!"
Feathery, delicate ice patterns appeared on the windowpanes, and the temperature rapidly dropped to a bone-chilling cold. Everyone suddenly felt as if they had been thrown outside from a warm room.
Wade felt this scene was very familiar… as if he had seen it in his memory…
Just then, the train, which had been slowing down, lurched and suddenly stopped on the tracks. The lights that had just come on all went out, and the surroundings became eerily silent.
"What's going on?"
"Did you step on my foot?"
"Who? Don't push me!"
"Lumos!"
Wade pointed his Wand, and a bright light illuminated the entire compartment. He saw Neville had fallen, and Harry was fumbling to straighten his crooked glasses.
Other compartments also lit up one by one. Wade also heard Hermione's voice: "The train must be broken, or at least the warming charms have failed—who's coming with me to ask the driver what's going on!"
"Wait, Hermione… it's best not to run around at a time like this!" Padma quickly advised.
"You stay here, Padma." Hermione held up her glowing Wand, opened the compartment, and looked back to say, "I'll be right back."
"Wait, Hermione—"
"I, I'll go with you!"
Harry, who had finally managed to pull his Wand out of his pocket, quickly said, and Ron also ran out from another compartment.
"Everyone back, don't move!"
Wade finally pushed past the students blocking his way and stepped out of the compartment. He said with emphasis, "Stay in the compartment and don't move!"
Hermione was startled by his expression, then pulled back by Padma.
Wade could already feel it…
A chilling cold swept through his body, as if all happiness was being sucked away. His breath froze, and his body uncontrollably shivered…
At the other end of the train, terrified screams of students had already begun.
Wade gritted his teeth and forcefully wielded his Wand—
"Expecto Patronum!"
A dazzling silver eagle flew out. It spread its wide wings and suddenly swept through the middle of the aisle, flying straight ahead and crashing heavily into a monster as tall as the ceiling at the end of the corridor.
It was a Dementor.
It stood outside a compartment, making an effort to inhale, its entire body shrouded in a black cloak, revealing only a scabbed, rotting hand.
It seemed to want to grab something… or someone, but before it could succeed, it was directly hit in the chest by the silver eagle.
The Dementor was sent flying, as light as if it had no weight. The silver eagle, however, did not give up. It pursued the creature until it chased it out of the train.
At this point, the silver eagle also flew out, circling the train back and forth. Its moon-like wings left a bright glow behind it, completely illuminating the outside of the train.
It was then that the students realized there were many Dementors around the train, hovering densely in the air, circling the train. Yet, they could not get close because they could not break through the silver eagle's protection.
Wade heard his teeth grinding.
He suddenly remembered Skeeter's information—"The Ministry of Magic has sent a special unit to capture the Obscurus…"
Yes, it was indeed a special unit… Dementors could discern human emotions; they sucked away happiness and hope, creating decay and despair… and an Obscurus was born from despair and pain…
The Ministry of Magic tried to use the mutual attraction between dark creatures to find the hidden Obscurus, but didn't consider whether these things would actually obey their control!
Wade struggled to maintain the silver eagle, but whether it was because his Magical Power was not strong enough, or because the students' happiness was too tempting, the Dementors, though driven back a distance, still hovered, refusing to leave.
Nor could the silver eagle chase these creatures away, because the train was too long… If it pursued in one direction, Dementors from another direction would take the opportunity to approach.
If he could have two Patronus, even slightly weaker ones, Wade could unleash them to attack the Dementors!
But the Patronus Charm was not a Spell a student was required to master. On this train, perhaps only Wade and Harry knew this Spell… Right, and Harry…
"Harry, what are you doing!" Wade gritted out. "Patronus Charm!"
Harry shakily stood up from his seat, his face terribly pale, but he still stubbornly drew his Wand.
"Expecto... Expecto Patronum! Ex... ex... Expecto..."
A few wisps of silvery mist sprayed from the tip of his Wand, much like when he first started learning the Patronus Charm. The flickering mist glowed faintly, as weak as a candle flame that could extinguish at any moment.
"Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!"
Harry gasped for breath, barely staying upright with Neville's support. He tried to recall happy memories, but instead, he heard a woman's terrifying, desperate scream—
"Don't touch Harry! Don't touch Harry... just kill me... please have mercy... have mercy..."
His head ached as if it were being torn open. Suddenly, Harry's vision went black, and he fainted.
His Wand clattered to the floor.
"Harry!"
Neville cried out in alarm, struggling to hold onto his unconscious friend.
A layer of cold sweat beaded on Wade's forehead.
This is the first time facing Dementors, and on this scale too. No wonder Harry couldn't handle it... But what now? Are we just going to stay like this? Until another Wizard arrives?
A drop of sweat fell onto the floor.
"Hang in there, Wade!" Michael shouted. "I've already messaged my dad and the professors at school!"
"Me too! My mom said she'll get here as fast as she can!"
"My aunt works at the Ministry of Magic! They'll definitely figure something out!"
The students, who had been frozen stiff with fear, spoke up loudly, frantically flipping through their Book of Friends, searching for any help they could find.
But the train was currently stopped in the middle of nowhere, and none of the students could say exactly where they were. Even if their parents wanted to Apparate to help, they could only estimate a general area and then search.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Wade's surroundings suddenly brightened. A silver Doberman, running on air, raced towards them, growing brighter and brighter... then charged straight towards the Dementor at the end of the carriage...
Wade abruptly turned his head to look, only to see Professor Abigail standing outside the train, Wand in hand, its tip sparkling with silver light.
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Read ***+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский
Or Translate for free at : https:// randomtranslator.com/translate
Join our Discord: https:// discord.com/invite/XXUR9nkjwa
-----------