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"Spiders! There's spiders!"
Ron's eyes shot open. Pupils flickering with fresh-woken confusion and terror. Chest heaving like he'd just clawed his way out of a nightmare.
"The spider wanted me to... have babies with it."
"No no no..."
The moment he saw Harry, Ron latched onto him like a lifeline. Face twisted in misery, shaking his head, still caught between dream and reality.
"Harry, I don't want to! It's horrible!"
"Uh, then maybe tell it that."
Harry pushed Ron off, completely deadpan.
Ron's head snapped up. Stared at his best mate like: Seriously? YOU go tell it then!
Awkward silence filled the compartment.
Unlike Ron—raised in the wizarding world—the other three had Muggle science education.
So Ron's dream...
From a scientific perspective... really hard to comment on.
"Honestly..."
"I'm curious how that would've played out."
"Yeah. Venom agrees..."
Tiger eyed the luggage rack, stroking his chin. Looking way too interested.
But Hermione shut down that absolutely feral idea with a glare.
Miss Chipmunk knew better than to think Tiger was joking. She understood the Shelbys' bone-deep depravity all too well...
"Ron, scientifically speaking, your dream is just your subconscious manifesting..."
Seeing Ron's blank look, Hermione sighed. Crossed her arms. Right leg draped elegantly over her left. Gave him a meaningful stare and tried again:
"In short: some books, you should read less of. Also, Julius has standards."
"Wh-what books..."
"I didn't..."
Ron went red. Stammered. Voice dripping with guilt. His oversized robes "casually" covered the Egyptian picture book beside him.
He'd been planning to share it with Harry.
Just... fell asleep first.
This was guy stuff. Secret guy stuff. The temperamental lioness could NOT know.
Even if she knew, he wouldn't admit it!
Never!
"What books?"
"You've seen them?"
Tiger frowned. Grabbed Miss Chipmunk's proud little head. Looked down at her.
Like a traditional father catching his daughter with contraband, Tiger didn't want Hermione exposed to that nonsense.
At least not until she was of age.
"Books?"
"I... I don't know..."
"Lavender and the others said..."
Under Tiger's dark gaze, Miss Chipmunk's cheeks flushed faintly. Eyes darted away. All that confidence evaporated.
The fanfiction circulating through Slytherin and Ravenclaw had evolved. Now with illustrations. Bad enough to get the authors thrown into Azkaban.
No way she'd let Tiger know.
She had a whole bed's worth hidden—just the ones featuring this beast with Prefect Burst, Professor Snape, and others. Not to mention what Lavender collected...
Just as Hermione scrambled for an excuse—
The train screeched. Slowed. Stopped completely.
Rain drummed louder against the windows. Students poured into the corridor, curious—until Aurors barked them back into their compartments.
"What's happening?"
Ron retreated, confused.
Auror footsteps hurried away. The lights flickered. Died. Darkness swallowed the train. The atmosphere turned quiet. Wrong...
"Oh my God!"
"Look!"
Harry pointed at the window.
Thin frost crept from the corners. Like a spider's web spreading toward the center. A barely perceptible chill seeped into the compartment.
Hermione sneezed.
Harry and Ron's faces went pale. Something felt... off.
"Stay warm. Don't come out."
Tiger frowned. Stood. Draped his wool coat over Hermione.
Watching Tiger head for the door, Hermione blushed. Pulled the coat to her nose. Warmth and safety flooded through her.
Tiger stood in the dark corridor. Stared at the entrance.
A tall shadow drifted inside.
"What the hell is that?"
"A ghost?"
Unlike the others who just felt cold, Tiger sensed malice crashing in like waves. Venom was practically screaming with excitement.
Such pure malice. He'd never encountered anything like it. Nothing could taste better...
Black mist swirled.
The shadow floated toward the rear compartment. The closed door burst open.
"Bloody Merlin!"
"It's a Dementor!"
"What are they doing here?!"
"No no no, help!"
"Where are the Aurors?!"
"I'm reporting this to the Ministry!"
"Useless parasites!"
Screams and curses erupted. Pure terror of Dementors.
The Dementor stared into the compartment for a long moment. Reluctantly moved to the next one...
"Dementor?"
Tiger raised an eyebrow. Didn't wait.
Walked straight toward it.
Venom's drooling was uncontrollable now. He wanted to see what this Death-like creature was.
Thick black tendrils wrapped around Tiger's body.
In the window's dim light, Venom's monstrous form looked far more sinister than the Death-shaped shadow.
Crushing pressure filled every compartment.
First-years watching the massive creature pass their windows started crying. Wanted to go home.
Silent compartments erupted into chaos.
The Dementor noticed the monster approaching. Its undisguised hostility made the Dementor emit a threatening hiss.
Countless cries and prayers whispered in Tiger's ears. Emptiness and cold crept into his heart.
"Eat it, Venom!"
Tiger ignored the wrongness. Lunged at the Dementor. Wind roared through the corridor. Compartment doors rattled violently.
Before the Dementor could react, jagged teeth tore its head off.
Strange soul-waves rippled out. The surrounding cold contracted. Intensified.
"The texture... ugh..."
"It's like..."
"No physical body. Not even genes."
"Weird. I don't like the texture. But the flavor? Top-tier. Full of despair and pain..."
Venom swallowed the Dementor's head with mixed feelings. Left a disappointed Yelp review.
Nothing's perfect.
Except that moldy jelly bean.
Oh, and that turkey...
More Dementors poured through the entrance.
The headless one didn't seem dead. Its severed hood and head—fused as one—slowly regenerated.
"Let's go back, Venom."
"They're not on your menu."
The symbiote receded. Tiger's narrowed eyes gleamed. Dangerous.
That indescribable loneliness and darkness drowned beneath cold, vicious intent.
As the Dementors closed in, the emptiness in Tiger's heart deepened.
Like all joy and warmth had been ripped away. Only desolation remained.
Interesting...
First time he'd been treated as food.
Flames exploded.
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