Around three or four o'clock in the afternoon, it started to rain, and fine raindrops slanted against the car windows.
The undulating green mountains and clouds outside the window gradually blurred, and a faint gray-blue hue enveloped the world.
Hermione glanced out the window instinctively, gently placing her hand on the cool glass, and whispered:
"It's raining... Won't this be a hassle to get to Hogwarts Station?"
Draco turned to look at her and asked, "Isn't it romantic to walk in the rain with an umbrella?"
After many things, Hermione had become accustomed to this level of subtle language, and instead turned to meet his gaze, replying confidently:
"Well... it doesn't seem so bad about the rain anymore."
"That makes sense. Having someone to share an umbrella with on a rainy day really does make things more romantic... It's a pity I have no one to accompany me," Cho Chang said with a sigh, looking at the two of them.
"What's wrong with not having anyone to accompany you? I'll go with you! We can share an umbrella and still walk beautifully!"
To Emock's words, Draco casually added, " Cho Chang wants someone of the opposite sex."
Cho Chang's secret was exposed, and her cheeks flushed slightly. She smiled and playfully scolded, "Don't listen to his nonsense."
Emock chuckled, shrugging, "Alright, alright, I misunderstood. I won't disturb your anticipation of your opposite-sex partner then."
Cho Chang's face flushed, and he lowered his head in embarrassment, whispering, "Don't joke with me."
The group chuckled.
The train continued its northward journey at breakneck speed, the rain intensifying, turning the windows a watery gray.
As darkness fell, the lights in the aisle and on the luggage racks suddenly came on.
The train rattled along, raindrops pounded against the glass, and a fierce wind howled outside.
Looking out the window at the deepening night, Cho Chang softly estimated, "It's probably still a short distance to Hogsmeade Station."
Emock leaned back in his chair and sighed softly, "Waiting is such a agonizing thing..."
The train slowed down, the roar of the wheels gradually faded, but the sounds of the wind and rain grew more violent, pounding against the windows as if trying to lift the entire carriage up.
Cho Chang felt the train's speed, his heart tightened inexplicably, he stood up, opened the compartment door and looked into the aisle.
Throughout the carriage, countless heads peeked out from the various compartments with curiosity and unease, their whispers mingling with the wind and rain, creating a commotion.
Thump--
The train suddenly stopped and came to a complete halt.
Immediately, a series of loud crashes came from afar, likely the sound of luggage being shaken off the rack and falling to the ground.
The next second, without warning,
All the lights went out at once.
The private room was instantly swallowed up by complete darkness; even the raindrops outside the window could not be seen, leaving only a depressing blackness.
Emock tensed instantly, his voice trembling with panic. "W-what happened? Why did the train stop? And the lights are out..."
Cho Chang gripped the doorframe, his fingers clenching. "I don't know either... I've never encountered anything like this before."
" Lumos!"
Draco's wand lit up almost at the same instant the lights went out, a cool and steady light piercing the darkness first.
Hermione immediately lit her wand as well, the warm yellow light overlapping with his.
She looked at Draco, her gaze carrying a clear question, her eyes meeting only slightly.
Draco nodded slightly but did not speak.
Only the two of them knew the truth.
This silence, this chill, this sudden darkness—are omens of a possible Dementor's appearance.
Cho Chang and Emock then hurriedly lit their wands.
Students gradually realized what was happening, and beams of light lit up in the carriage, like frantic stars.
From the first graders, faint gasps and soft sobs could be heard, and many children clenched each other's hands in fright.
Fortunately, a few children who had previewed magic beforehand trembled as they raised their wands and whispered:
" Lumos."
A few faint but clear beams of light shone in the darkness.
Although it wobbled, it was like a tiny star that suddenly appeared in the dark night.
A murmur of surprise and discussion immediately arose around them, and their fear was somewhat relieved by this glimmer of light.
Some people followed suit, and several more beams of light appeared, making the darkness less suffocating.
Just then, a steady, bright light suddenly appeared in the first carriage ahead.
It was someone Lucius had arranged to be secretly stationed in carriage number one. He silently illuminated the entire carriage, his calm voice reassuring the frightened little wizard:
"Don't panic, it's just a temporary stop. The lights will be back on soon. Stay where you are and don't move."
Suddenly, a piercing squeaking sound pierced the darkness, like rusty iron scraping against each other.
Crookshanks abruptly sat up in Hermione's arms, his fur standing on end, and let out a shrill meow at the car window, his tail standing straight up like a stick.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately raised her wand, bringing the light close to the glass.
Outside the window, there was only a dark curtain of rain, and you could vaguely see a few blurry, tall, and swaying shadows moving slowly along the car window, carrying a chilling aura.
She didn't need to see the face clearly to know it was Dementor.
Hermione's fingers tightened, and she became wary.
She moved half a step closer to Draco and sat down beside him.
The wand's light remained perfectly still, its gaze fixed firmly on the cold, gloomy expanse outside the window.
Draco noticed her tenseness for a moment.
Without a word, he reached out and gently but firmly put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him and using his arm to block part of the view from the window.
Don't be afraid! I'm here!
"I know!" Hermione gently nudged him.
The students' commotion and hushed exclamations finally woke Lupin, who had been sound asleep in carriage number four.
Sensing something was wrong, he gripped the somewhat worn wand and softly chanted the spell. " Incendio!"
Unlike the cold, Lumos, a warm, steady, and soft golden flame ignited at the tip of his wand, sweeping away the surrounding darkness.
He strode out of the private room.
Stepping into the swaying, unsettling corridor, Lupin used his powerful voice to soothe the panicked students, layer by layer:
"Everyone, don't panic, stay where you are, and don't go near the windows or doors."
The students still did not know who this pale-faced, simply dressed man was.
But the warm firelight and the calm tone calmed my tense emotions a little.
Meanwhile, all the Malfoy family's men planted in the other carriages were in place, silently guarding their respective positions.
All that's missing is the right opportunity for the Dementor.
If they take any drastic actions, these people will step in to protect the students in the carriage.
At this moment, the entire Hogwarts Express, amidst the wind, rain, and darkness, fell into an eerie and tense calm.