Dementors (Thanks to Meixiangdao Mingci for the Support!)

The sky outside the window grew darker and darker, and the rain grew heavier and heavier.

The windowpane was covered in water droplets, obscuring the view outside. Only the occasional flash of lightning streaked across the sky, leaving a pale white trail in the darkness.

Raindrops pounded against the car window, making a dense, pattering sound, like someone was relentlessly hammering with an invisible hammer.

Suddenly, the lights in the aisle and carriages began to flicker, and shadows jumped around on the walls.

Kurama stood up from Su Yu's lap, his ears perked up, his amber eyes staring into the aisle.

"What's wrong?" Hermione put down the Daily Prophet and looked up at her.

Kurama didn't answer; his tail had already exploded.

The train jolted violently before slowing down. The wheels screeched against the tracks, and the passengers swayed from side to side. Ginny lost her balance and lurched to the side, but was caught by Ka-jie. Fa-jie held onto the back of her seat, her brow furrowed.

Hermione held onto Crookshanks's cage, and Crookshanks let out a low growl from inside.

The train stopped, and all the students curiously poked their heads out of the compartments to look around.

For no apparent reason, all the lights in the carriage went out, and in the darkness, only the amber pupils of the Kurama were glowing.

The rain was still falling outside the window, but the temperature inside the carriage suddenly dropped, as if someone had opened a refrigerator door. Her breath turned into white mist, and Kurama's fur stood on end even more violently. She lowered her body slightly, and her claws sank into the plush fabric of the seat.

"It's alright, don't move around," Su Yu reassured Kurama.

Then he stood up and reached for the door, Ka-jie grabbed his sleeve. "Su Yu."

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Su Yu smiled at the girls.

He opened the door. The corridor was pitch black, and in the distance came the terrified screams of students. Everyone was shouting, "What's going on?", "Lights!", "Something seems to be coming up!", "Look, there's something outside!"

Then the sound began to fade away, and one carriage after another fell silent.

A dark shadow appeared at the end of the corridor.

It was tall and large, wrapped in a tattered black cloak that trailed on the ground, fluttering even without wind. With each flutter, the temperature dropped, and frost formed on the glass on both sides of the corridor, spreading into fine cracks.

Kurama rushed out of the carriage, squatted down at Su Yu's feet, and bared his teeth at the shadow.

"It's alright, you can go back inside, it's a bit cold outside," Su Yu said casually.

The Kurama did not move.

"Alright, listen to me, go back now, I can handle it."

Kurama took a half step back, but did not enter the carriage.

The shadow drew closer and closer. Su Yu saw that it had no face, and there was an empty hole under the hood of its cloak. There was nothing there, but Su Yu could feel that something was watching him.

So this is Dementor.

Su Yu knew about them from the movie; they were monsters that guarded Azkaban, feeding on human happiness and hope. Anyone who got close to them would only think of the most painful things and then lose consciousness.

Su Yu felt his memories churning—not painful memories, he didn't have many painful memories. But those memories seemed to be stirred up by something, becoming blurry and fragile, as if they might shatter at any moment.

Su Yu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes had changed. The red pupils of his Mangekyō Sharingan lit up in the darkness, and the black Tomoe slowly rotated.

The Dementor were getting closer and closer. The glass on both sides of the corridor was covered with frost, like a white film, making it impossible to see anything. The temperature was so low that exhaled breath condensed into ice crystals in the air, falling to the ground with a soft, crackling sound.

Su Yu raised his right hand and held his eye socket. The Tomoe of his Mangekyō Sharingan were spinning to their limit, and the red in his pupils was so intense that it looked like it was about to drip blood.

Amaterasu.

Black flames began to emerge from the Dementor's body, and spread wildly as soon as they touched the Dementor's blurry, cold form.

The Dementor paused, as if sensing something. A low hiss came from beneath the hollow hood. It tried to retreat, but it was too late; black flames had already begun to devour its cloak.

Amaterasu's flames don't burn matter; they burn existence itself, even if you are a soul. The Dementor's black cloak twisted, shrank, and vanished in the flames. The empty hood began to Transfiguration, as if something was struggling inside, but it couldn't make a sound. The flames spread to its entire body, enveloping it in a black fireball.

The Dementor were screaming silently.

Ka-jie poked her head out of the carriage and saw the scene outside: black flames were burning in the corridor, and Dementor were struggling, shrinking, and dissolving in the flames.

Her eyes widened for a moment, but she didn't cry out. Fa-jie also leaned out, glanced at them, and then pressed Ginny and Hermione back into their seats.

"Don't come out," Fa-jie kept reassuring them.

Ginny's face was pale, and her lips were trembling, but she didn't say anything. Hermione was holding Crookshanks ' cage, Crookshanks had stopped barking inside, huddled in a corner, staring at the door.

The black flames burned for about ten seconds before the Dementor's body completely melted away in the flames. Its cloak turned to ash, and the empty hood disappeared, leaving only a clump of black ash floating in the air of the corridor, which was then completely consumed by Amaterasu's flames.

Su Yu withdrew his hand, and the black flames went out as if they had never existed. The temperature in the corridor began to rise slowly, the frost on the glass melted slowly, water droplets flowed down the window frame, and the lights in the carriage came back on.

Kurama squatted at Su Yu's feet, licked its paws, and cleaned the fur that had been dampened by the frost.

Su Yu closed his eyes, Mangekyō Sharingan returned to its normal black color. Excellent, fantastic! Who said Amaterasu can't kill people???

On the other side of the carriage, a figure emerged from the still-dark carriage beside him. He was wearing a tattered robe, his light brown hair was messy, and he held a magic wand in his hand, the tip of which emitted a ball of silver-white light.

Su Yu turned his head and saw that the person who had come was Remus Lupin.

"Are you Sue Fuli?" Lupin's voice was a little hoarse.

"Hmm." Su Yu lowered his guard and greeted Lupin.

Lupin glanced at him, then at Kurama Fox, and nodded. "Your magic is very special. I've never seen anything like it in the Wizarding World. To actually kill Dementor! My God, that's insane."

"Just lucky, it just so happens to be weak." Su Yu replied casually.

Lupin's lips twitched. Was it a matter of strength or weakness? But he didn't press the matter. He gestured to Su Yu, then continued walking towards the front of the car. After a few steps, he stopped again without turning back.

"Everyone, get back into your carriages and close the doors. The train will be moving again soon."

After saying that, he continued walking out, and the corridor returned to silence, with only the heavy rain outside still pounding against the car window.

Ka-jie supported Su Yu's arm from behind and pulled him back into the carriage, while Fa-jie moved aside to make room for him.

Hermione's face was as white as paper, and her lips were trembling. "That's... Dementor?"

"Yes, come on, you girls, eat some chocolate. It can effectively relieve your fear." As he spoke, Su Yu broke off a few pieces of chocolate and handed them to the girls.

"You... you... burned it?"

"That's absolutely right. So they're not so scary after all. At least now we have a way to kill them, don't we?"

Hermione was silent for a moment, then looked down at the cage on Crookshanks.

Ginny crossed her arms, lowered her head, and ate her chocolate in small bites without saying a word. As a Pure-blood, she knew Dementor were.

Ka-jie glanced at her, reached out and placed her hand on the back of Ginny's hand, holding it tightly. Ginny looked up, Ginny Ka-jie gave her a reassuring smile, without pulling her hand away.

Not long after, the train started moving again, its wheels rolling rhythmically on the tracks. The rain outside the window lessened, and the lightning became less frequent.

The train continued its journey through the darkness, heading towards Hogwarts.

A dozen minutes later, the train finally arrived at the station. Su Yu stood up from his seat, Kurama jumped onto his shoulder with its tail drooping in front of his chest, Fa-jie carried his handbag, Ka-jie helped him straighten his robes, Hermione carried Crookshanks ' cage, and Ginny followed behind her.

"You guys go lead the group first," Su Yu said. "Hermione and Ginny will go check on Harry and Ron."

Ka-jie glanced at him and nodded. "Don't take too long."

Su Yu stepped out of the cubicle. Nine-Tailed Fox was perched on his shoulder, its ears perked up. The corridor was crowded with people. First-year students were being called in another direction by Hagrid's loud voice, while older students were slowly lining up on the platform. Su Yu led Hermione and Ginny through the crowd and saw Harry and Ron.

Harry stood on the platform, looking unwell, his fingers trembling slightly. Ron stood beside him, carrying Scabbers ' cage. Scabbers huddled in a corner, motionless.

"Harry." Su Yu walked over.

Harry looked up, saw Su Yu, and forced a smile. "Su Yu, what brings you here?"

"Harry, what happened to you? Are you alright?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"It's alright," Harry said. "On the train just now... that thing..."

Ron told the others that Harry had fainted on the train.

Harry nodded without saying anything.

"Eat more chocolate, or some candy, that's fine too," Hermione said to Harry and the others, glancing at Harry with concern.

People on the platform began to walk out. Su Yu followed the crowd across the platform and onto the muddy path leading to the castle.

The rain was still falling, and the night wind blew by, carrying the dampness of the lake and the scent of Forbidden Forest. Kurama buried his face in Su Yu's neck and covered his nose with his tail.

The carriages lined up in the darkness ahead, Thestral stood in front of them, flapping their wings.

Fa-jie and Ka-jie had already boarded a carriage, Hermione and Ginny returned to Gryffindor, and Su Yu climbed in and sat next to Fa-jie.

"Daphne?" Su Yu noticed Daphne sitting in the carriage and casually put his arm around her. "Don't you need to look after your sister?"

Daphne was as virtuous as ever, smiling gently at Su Yu from her Su Yu. "I noticed that little girl prefers to stay with Malfoy and the others, so I came back first."

"Let's go," Fa-jie said to the air in front of them. Fa-jie was the only one among them who could see the Thestral.

The Thestral strode forward, and the carriage began to move, its wheels making a rumbling sound as they rolled over the gravel.

The doors of the Great Hall were open, and candlelight leaked through the cracks, casting a warm glow on the stone floor. Students Earth Flow twos and threes, their voices, footsteps, and laughter mingling together like a pot of boiling soup.

Su Yu led the Slytherin snakes into the Great Hall. The magical ceiling reflected the Sky Void outside, but the clouds were thick, and the stars were not visible.

Many people were already seated at the four long tables. Su Yu walked to the Slytherin table and sat down. Kurama jumped onto the table, squatted in front of him, and shouted that dinner was served. Before she could finish speaking, a cheesecake appeared at her feet.

In the High Table, Dumbledore sat in the center, his silver beard hanging down to his chest, his blue eyes behind his crescent-shaped spectacles gleaming in the candlelight. Professor Snape's black hair was still greasy, hanging down on both sides of his face, but he seemed to be in a bad mood. Hagrid sat next to Snape, his beard disheveled, talking to Professor Sprout beside him.

Su Yu noticed Lupin, who was sitting at the far end of the High Table, looking down at his cup as if he was deep in thought.

Lupin looked up and met Su Yu's gaze. He nodded to him, and Su Yu nodded back before looking away.

The first-year students walked in through the doors of the Great Hall, lined up, and followed Professor Flitwick. Like all the previous young wizards, some were nervous, some were excited, some were trembling, and some were biting their lips.

Looking at them, Su Yu was reminded of his first year of school.

The Sorting Hat started singing. This year's song was different from last year's, with a lower, more somber tone. The lyrics mentioned Chamber of Secrets, Gryffindor's courage, Ravenclaw's wisdom, and Hufflepuff's loyalty. Su Yu didn't listen much, nor did Kurama. She was squatting on the table, taking small bites of her cheesecake. In just a short while, the cake on the table had been replaced three times.

The sorting process began, Professor Flitwick unfolded the parchment and read out the names one by one.

However, there is a strange transfer student this year Callis Carlisle Selwyn. She is also a Pure-blood member of the Twenty-Eight Clans and has just returned from France. She seems to be the kind of person with perfect manners, proper etiquette, gentleness, and is very well-behaved and obedient. She was also assigned to Slytherin and is in the same year as Su Yu and the others.

After the Sorting Ceremony, Dumbledore stood up, and the voices in the Great Hall gradually quieted down as all eyes turned to him.

"Welcome back." Dumbledore's voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear him clearly. "Before the new school year begins, I have a few things to tell you, one of which is very important, so I thought it best to make it clear before you're enjoying your delicious meals and your minds get muddled..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the High Table.

"First, welcome our new friend—Professor Remus Professor Lupin, who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to the lower grades this year."

Lupin stood up and nodded to the students. His smile was a little forced, but sincere. Everyone at the long tables in the other houses applauded in welcome, hoping he wouldn't be the next Lockhart. Only Slytherin's side had a sparse crowd.

"Secondly," Dumbledore continued, "Our gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, has agreed to teach the Care of Magical Creatures."

Hagrid stood up, his face flushed, his eyes sparkling, his beard glowing red in the candlelight. He looked so excited he was about to cry. A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the Gryffindor table, with Hermione clapping the loudest. The Slytherin side remained the same, with some clapping, but not many.

"Furthermore, as you have all probably noticed, he has already arrived for our senior Defense Against the Dark Arts course last year. He was invited by the Board of Governors after careful consideration, and I am very honored to introduce him to you again today. From now on, the person in charge of teaching senior Defense Against the Dark Arts will be Mr. Percy Graves."

As soon as he finished speaking, Dumbledore to the side, pointing to a distinguished figure in the High Table, his gaze filled with just the right amount of approval.

Isolde Rozier stood gracefully next to Graves, still in her eight-centimeter heels and black stockings, and she even winked at Su Yu.

"Mr. Graves possesses extremely rich magical experience and practical skills. I believe that under his guidance, all of you will make significant progress in your knowledge and skills in combating Dark Magic. I hope you will respect and listen carefully to his teachings."

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted in the hall, especially from the upperclassmen Ravenclaw and Slytherin, who knew how formidable this teacher was. Many lowerclassmen curiously peered at the upperclassman, whispering among themselves with anticipation. Only a few girls were looking at Isolde.

Dumbledore raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

"Finally," his voice grew more serious, "I must tell you that the Dementor of Azkaban will be patrolling around Hogwarts. They are on the orders of the Ministry of Magic to hunt down Sirius Black. They will not enter the castle, but I expect you not to give them any reason to approach you. They will be stationed at the school gates, walls, and surrounding roads, keeping a close watch on any suspicious persons attempting to sneak into the school."

At this point, Dumbledore, his gaze sharp and earnest:

"I must tell you all very seriously—do not try to hide from them using Invisibility Cloak, Disillusionment Charm, or any magic that allows you to conceal your identity."

He spoke each word clearly and distinctly, making sure everyone heard him:

"Dementor don't see with their eyes; they can sense souls, emotions, and the presence of all living things. Any Invisibility Cloak is useless against them; it simply cannot hide from their senses."

The Great Hall fell silent for a moment, then a series of suppressed gasps filled the air. Many students exchanged glances, their expressions becoming tense.

Dumbledore's tone softened slightly, but remained serious:

"No one may leave the school without permission. Stay in your dormitory at night and do not wander around the castle. Please remember, Dementor are indiscriminate; if they designate you as a suspicious target, the consequences will be extremely dangerous."

Deng straightened up, his gentle demeanor returning. "Now, before we enjoy our meal, let's sing the school song."

Su Yu sighed, and Kurama buried his face in his claws.

After the school song was sung, Dumbledore sat down. "Well done, have a pleasant meal, and I hope you have a safe and fulfilling time at Hogwarts."

Food appeared out of thin air on the golden plate: roast beef, fried chicken legs, shepherd's pie, sausages, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, carrots—a table piled high with food.

Su Yu picked up a piece of carrot that he didn't like and placed it in front of Kurama, making Kurama stare at him wide-eyed. "You don't like it, so you're giving it to me?"

Daphne cut a piece of chicken and placed it on his plate, then turned and poured a glass of pineapple juice, pushing it towards him.

Su Yu took a few bites and overheard Astoria talking to Daphne beside her. "Sister, Professor Graves looks so handsome!"

"Really? Even more handsome Malfoy?" Su Yu secretly interjected.

"..." Malfoy had just stopped blushing, but now he was up again, though he was still secretly listening to Astoria's reply.

"Draco is the coolest!" Astoria excitedly raised her fork.

Pansy almost chopped the plate into pieces...

Meanwhile, Blaise was whispering to the new student, Callis, and the two seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation.

Back in the common room that evening, Su Yu distributed the Group Chat Notebook and the modified Ancient Magic badges to everyone. Starting from the new semester, the young Slytherin wizards had a new task: to learn and use Ancient Magic as soon as possible.