Chugga
Chugga
Chugga
Richard had his head against the glass as the train moved along in slow speeds.
He was going back to Hogwarts. And for the first time, he didn't have a strict plan.
He had a plan... But it depends on factors. For example, his current predicament.
Despite the fact that he was a accomplished wizard at the moment with more skills than that of an average auror under his belt, he was not certain on whether he could succeed in convincing the person in front to join his peerage.
For all his silver tongue and persuasion skills, he was not familiar enough to deal with someone who is...beyond the norm.
".."
He looked at the second year with silver hair for a moment before turning away, facing the rain splattered glass.
He was not even sure if he wanted her in the peerage. Because he wasn't sure if she had a special power, or if she was just plain crazy.
"They are real you know....crumple horned snorlax ?"
"Say what?" Richard blurted out in response, taken back because he did not expect Luna to be the first one to speak.
"Crumpled horned Snorlax, they are real. "Luna repeated, as she folded the paper in her hand and placed it on the seat next to her.
"I saw you looking at the quibbler from time to time."
Richard looked at the paper on the seat and noticed that the front page did in fact mention crumple horned snorlax.
'It's not about the snorlax I've been thinking of'
"You have an awful lot of wrackspurts around your head. Are you feeling alright?"
Luna asked in a voice that bled with genuine concern, mixed with an airy monotony.
And that makes the decision harder. She was genuine. Richard understood that. So she truly sees or at least believes in wrackspurts, what ever they were, meaning only two possibilities. Either they existed, or she was really 'loopy' as the others have described her.
Only one way to find out.
"You must be Luna, right? I've heard about you. "
"All good things, I hope."
"Well..depends." Richard decided to engage in conversation. " Your house mates have been spreading something's that aren't exactly pleasant."
Richard made an awkward expression while monitoring Luna.
"I don't mind." Her tone suggested that she really didn't." Its just harmless fun."
Patter
Patter
Patter
The rain began kicking in harder, while the atmosphere within the carriage turned to a slightly awkward silence for him.
Luna however looked perfectly composed, as she waited for him to speak.
He had wanted to speak anyways.
'Cough'
Richard cleared his throat.
"Right, where are my manners. I'm Richard. Richard cloverfield. Third year Gryffindor. A pleasure to meet you."
Richard extended the bag of every flavored beans.
"Want one?"
She looked interested. Richard could read her feelings even though her expressions changed very little.
"Tastes like grass." She replied as she bit into one thoughtfully. " Most probably from a really sunny place. I hear the grass there grows sweeter."
"Really... I wouldn't know. I've never tried grass. If I did as a kid, I don't remember it."
Richard said as he leaned back into his seat. Now that the conversation felt natural, he could begin his inquiries.
"So, tell me, what did you mean when you said wackspurts. The name sounds like something you made up."
"All names are made up." Luna replied."I don't know what other people call them, so I call them wrackspurts. "
"And what do 'they' do?"
"They always float around people's heads." She said. " they make people feel spacey and make them forget stuff." She looked at him with some interest. "There are a lot of them around your head."
Now that she mentioned it, Richard considered he had been spacing out a lot during the train ride, imagining scenarios about their conversation.
Could it be...wrackspurts?
Richard didn't believe in things others insist until he could experience them himself. But Luna had no reason to tell him a lie.
And symptoms were there. He had been exhibiting the symptoms she had explained perfectly. But that was just normal.
He couldn't feel anything.
The facts and evidence did nothing to provide him anything to tip the scale. Their existence and nonexistence had a fifty fifty possibility. And it remained so, even after the conversation, because she was the only one who could perceive them.
Richard still continued to speak to her. She was in the most simplest description, different.
Her words and actions stemmed outwards from her own self with almost no filter. Her actions were truly genuine to her. And the fact that her true self was someone so pleasant to speak with, meant a lot.
Richard briefly considered his own true self. That raging, greedy arrogent spitfire personality he kept in check, and suddenly felt a little ashamed.
She was a real snowflake.
Speaking of snow, Richard pulled on his jacket. It was getting cold. And cold meant only one thing.
Screeeeeeeccccchhhhhhh!
The train came to a slow stop.
Clank
The train shook, almost as if it was shuddering, nearly throwing Richard back to his seat. He grabbed the edge of his seat to hold himself straight. The lights flickered once, and gave out.
Swoosh
Patter
Patter
The rain continued outside, but the train was was growing silent.
The lights flickered once again. For a moment, they tried their best, before it went out completely, leaving the entire train in darkness.
"You seem awfully worried, Richard." Luna said "Are you oka-"
Ker Clank!
The train lurched again throwing Richard into his seat.
Grunt.
Richard stood up again, pushing himself off the seat and pulled out his wand.
"Lumos, "
The tip of Richard's wand lit up in the darkness of the stormy evening.
He pushed the wand close to the carriage door, cautiously.
wooooshhh.....
The light briefly caught the sight of two shadows.
Nox
Richard snuffed out the light. And moved back to his seat. He couldn't do anything against the dementors right now. He wasn't able to perform patronus, so Richard decided to keep neutral.
Dementors still worked for the ministry of magic, sent to hunt Sirius Black. So the probability of them attacking random students was almost non existent.
Richard still clenched his wand, as he placed himself closer to the door and separate from Luna. Just because he couldn't use patronus, didn't mean that he wouldn't destroy half the carriage if the filthy wash cloths even try anything funny with him.
And his instincts warned him, they might .
Click
The door lock, unlocked itself, and the door slid open slowly and with unnatural smoothness.
hhhhhwwooooooohhhhhwwwooooooo
The moment the doors opened, the temperature dropped below zero in a flash. And there was a wail, sound of someone breathing raspily with nothing but their throat.
A hand gripped the open door, its black fingers wrinkled and aged like leather soaked in black oil and left in the sun for ages, and pulled the shadow inside.
It moved like liquid smoke, gliding with an unnatural smoothness that could rival water.
Swoosh
The shadow stood at the door, with an unnatural stillness, its cloak floating slightly as if it were under water.
hooooohhhhhhwhoooooooooo....
For a moment, the only sound in the cabin was its breathing.
In that moment, the entire world was a shade of grey.
A sense of hopelessness enveloped him, embracing him, enchaining him, blotting out all the colors of life.
The emotional residue of the dark arts he practiced, and repressed him hit like a tidal wave all at once.
And for a moment, Richard's wand went slack.
Click
Clack
....
Click
Richard looked at the wand that rolled away from his feet, then up at the dementor, who stopped his hollow breathing as it too froze, as if waiting for something.
Thud!
A claw grabbed the door frame from the top, then another. And another Dementor slowly pulled itself towards the compartment.
It peeked from the edge, and Richard froze.
It didn't have its hood on.
There were eyes. Or eye holes with bright specks of ...something sunken unnaturally deep into the pit like cavities, glistening..scuttling?
And it had a wide hole where its mouth was supposed to be. Impossibly wide with cracked human like teeth forming from everywhere while the black flesh like thing...around what its could be face squirmed changing , twisting and screaming silently.
Crack!
A wet sound came from its neck as its face twisted around,and the glowing cavities locked with Richard's eyes.
His body immediately went stiff. And his mind went blank.
-------------------
Luna kept watching.
The black monster with the hood stood at the door, almost as if it was guarding the entrance while the creepy looking one crawled into the room.
Her new friend, Richard stood in front of her, but she didn't think he was okay. His wand was on the ground, near her feet. It had fallen from his hands a little ago.
He was just standing there, while the monster crawled towards him.
Whooooooooo
It was breath in quite loudly. And she could tell that it was doing something to Richard, because he was start in to spasm.
It quietly glided down, its claw like hand extending to slowly grab Richard by the neck. It tightened its grip, and slowly lifted Richard up while bringing it closer to its misshapen mouth.
Luna knew that if this continued, Richard might die. So she did what she could. She threw the only thing she could get her hands on, the bag of every flavored beans into its face.
Puff
The bag broke against its face doing no damage at all. However it got its attention.
The head whipped towards her, and she felt herself freeze up as those glistening deep pits stared at her.
The world around her began dissolving into colors until she was pulled into a vortex of grey, her mind slowly closing down.
BANG!
"Haaaaahhhh!"
The eyes vanished, and suddenly Luna found herself laying against the seat, sweat pooling from her skin as she struggled to breathe.
She saw the black hoodless monster pinned onto the ground, with a orange glowing fist.
She couldn't see Richard's expression because his back was turned towards her, but she could hear the voice that had undisguised anger bursting through.
"Luna, would you mind turning around for a moment. I promise everything will be over in a second. "
But Luna didnt turn around, because she really wanted to see what would happen next.