"Hmph. He deserved it for insulting Crookshanks," Hermione said, clearly offended. "He called him a monster. Crookshanks is beautiful."
"Mm. Beautiful," Rowan agreed solemnly, glancing at the ginger cat's flattened face and nodding with great restraint.
Beauty, after all, was subjective. Some people adored creatures that looked like they'd lost a fight with a wall. Rowan kept that opinion to himself.
Crookshanks, ugly or not, was no ordinary cat. With part Kneazle blood, he could sense malicious intent, which explained his relentless hostility toward Scabbers. Rowan found that far more impressive than appearances.
Two Ministry cars rolled up in front of the Leaky Cauldron.
A young Auror in a red jacket and jeans stepped out, her hair shifting colors mid-stride. She grinned when she spotted Rowan.
"Well, if it isn't Rowan Mercer," Tonks said cheerfully. "Long time no see. Is this your girlfriend?"
"Good to see you too, Tonks," Rowan replied easily. "I heard you passed your final assessment. Congratulations."
Hermione froze.
Harry and Ron arrived just in time to notice Hermione's face heating rapidly.
"Uh… Hermione?" Harry ventured. "It's not that hot today."
Hermione said nothing, grabbed her luggage, and fled into the car.
"I'm just wearing too many layers," her voice floated back.
Mrs. Weasley appeared at the door and ushered everyone forward. "All right, all right, let's go. No dawdling."
The ride to King's Cross was uneventful.
They passed through Platform Nine and Three-Quarters without incident and boarded the Hogwarts Express. Rowan stowed his trunk in the second-year carriage. They had arrived early, and the compartment was still empty.
Ginny sat beside him without hesitation.
Not long after, Colin Creevey and Luna Lovegood appeared in the doorway.
"Here!" Ginny waved. "Over here!"
She turned to Rowan. "I wrote to them earlier. I wanted us all together again, like last year."
"That explains it," Rowan said, amused.
Coincidences were rarely coincidences.
The train pulled away from the station, rolling north as the countryside grew bleak and gray. Clouds thickened. By mid-afternoon, rain lashed against the windows, turning the world outside into a blur of shadow and motion.
Rowan read quietly from Advanced Alchemical Theory. Ginny, Colin, and Luna eventually drifted off, heads resting against the table.
Then the train slowed.
The rhythmic clatter faded, replaced by howling wind and pounding rain.
"Are we there already?" Ginny asked groggily.
"No," Rowan said, closing his book. "Something's wrong."
The train shuddered and stopped.
Every light went out at once.
Screams erupted down the corridor.
Two bodies launched themselves into Rowan's arms. Colin and Ginny clung to him in terror.
"Lumos," Luna said calmly, raising her wand. Soft light filled the compartment.
Rowan gently set Colin and Ginny back on their seats. "It's all right. Just stay calm."
Colin pointed at the window with trembling hands.
Frost was spreading across the glass.
Ginny let out a small whimper and pressed against Rowan again. He patted her shoulder, noting absently that she was far braver in daylight.
Then the temperature dropped further.
A tall, cloaked figure appeared in the doorway.
A gray, decayed hand slid along the doorframe. Its head followed, skeletal and rotting, exhaling a breath colder than the rain outside.
"Dementor," Luna whispered, fear flickering across her face for once. "They feed on despair. They can take your soul."
Colin screamed.
Ginny screamed louder.
Rowan raised one hand.
A small sigil flared into existence, bright and precise.
"Lightfall."
Arrows of condensed radiance burst forth, piercing the darkness. The Dementor shrieked, its body convulsing as the light tore through it.
There was no retreat.
No resistance.
In seconds, the creature disintegrated into drifting ash.
Silence returned to the compartment.
The frost melted. Warmth crept back into the air.
Rowan lowered his hand.
"Well," he said mildly, "that answers that."
...
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