Lumos: Year Three

The lights started to flicker on the Hogwarts Express and Helena’s heart began to race. Breathing heavily, she looked to the window, which was incased with frost. What was happening? Jayden put a hand to her shoulder.

“It’s okay. It’s probably just a train maintenance problem,” he tried to reassure her.

As the lights went out completely, her panic mode began. She began to shake heavily as she sunk into her own lap. The room began to cool down as she felt the chill in the air and the coldness around her breath.

“Something’s coming!” Lanee’s eyes widened.

“So what!? Let’s hide!” Dean shouted.

“It’s a glass window and door, Dean, they’re going to see us!” Helena snapped.

Suddenly a stranger appeared at the door, just staring at them. Every one of them screamed as it stood for a few moments, Helena crying heavily.

“Oh hell, it’s coming in here!” Dean was practically in Lanee’s lap as she buried herself into Seamus.

Helena immediately moved to the wall, screaming as it grew closer.

“Helena, calm down!” Jaydem threw himself over her. “Now it can’t see you. Now it only sees me and the others.”

“I don’t want it to see me!” Dean’s voice cracked.

Helena only watched the creature with dread running through her mind. She felt it again; being under water, drowning under the icy patch at the surface. Her mind was freezing, giving her a headache. She felt as though she was about to vomit—she snapped out of it when the dementor had directed its attention to another compartment. Suddenly… everything wasn’t so cold anymore as a flash of light lit the entire hall within the train. Lanee’s eyes widened as she watched it in awe.

Jayden let go of Helena and sat back down in his seat. She continued to hover in the corner however. Everyone else began to calm down (except for Dean whose teeth were still chattering).

“Bro. Are you okay?” Lanee asked her.

“Don’t bro me,” Helena snarled. “What the bloody hell was that creature!?”

Jayden frowned, “Helena, you’re just a little on edge, it’s alright now—“

“You don’t even know me and you’re trying to act like you know who I am!” she snapped, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye. She got herself up and sat down against the window.

“Did you hear!?” someone’s voice was laughing through the hallway, “Potter fainted! Potter fainted!”

Helena looked through the glass to see Draco Malfoy and his friends, Crabbe and Goyl running along the hallway quickly, waving their hands in the air, laughing so loudly, it echoed in their compartment.

Helena growled, “those guys… I swear to god. They’re assholes.”

“Wow, Helena, don’t think I’ve ever heard you curse before!” Seamus laughed.
“Yeah well, there are a lot of things people don’t know about me I guess,” Helena sighed.

When they made it to Hogwarts finally, Helena, Lanee, Seamus, Dean, and Jayden had all exited the train and joined up with the crowd of other students who made their way toward the castle. When they arrived to the Great Hall, it was time for them to separate to their usual seats. Lanee hugged Helena, whispering something into her ear and she sighed, turning away and sitting down at the Gryffindor table.

Helena nodded as the rest of them went to their tables and she then joined up with her siblings, sitting next to Jude. Jude, who had been watching her, looked at her with some concern.

“Are you okay? I heard a dementor was trying to get into your area,” Jude frowned.

“I’m fine,” Helena spoke hotly.

“What was Lanee saying to you? She looked concerned. Are you sure you’re fine?”

“Jude, I said I’m fine, and if it’s such a big deal, she’s fine too. She was just saying that the first years don’t look enthused to be sorted right now.”

With a slam of her black witch cap on the table, she sat herself down and kept her face low, toward the wooden table. She didn’t want to talk. She just wanted to rest. Jude sighed and looked up to where Professor Dumbledore was, as he began the sorting.

No one she recognized seemed to be sorted, but she did notice that Jayden’s sister, Summer was sorted into Hufflepuff. After the sorting, everyone got settled where they were meant to be and Dumbledore had gotten up to make his speech.

“Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it is best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast. As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business,” Dumbledore stared at the quiet room.

“They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave the school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises—or even Invisibility Cloaks,” Helena saw Dumbledore eye Harry Potter. “It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefor warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors.”

Artemis sighed as he rolled his eyes. “This is ridiculous. Instead of putting the entire school at harm just because some Azkaban maniac wants Harry, why don’t they just refuse Harry’s return?”

“Harry is a student like us all and he needs to finish his year up,” Jude replied. “We can’t just deny a student safety.”

“It’s Harry Potter. He should have been dead twelve years ago, anyway.”

“Wow, Artemis, now I know where your allegiance is,” Helena spoke sarcastically.

“I’m not saying I agree with it, I’m just saying, it’s his fault this is happening.”

“And this is why our family is all in Slytherin,” Helena buried her face in her arms on the table, annoyed.

“Are you serious, Helena? Are you not proud to be a Slytherin?”

“I’m proud for my own reasons, but the majority of our family much reflects Slytherin’s negative traits,” Helena looked back up.

“Well, it’s nice to know that you’re the perfect Slytherin,” Artemis rolled his eyes again.

“Honestly, Art, I never even said that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I want to listen to Dumbledore’s announcements so that I can get to bed.”

“On a happier note,I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year,” Dumbledore smiled. “First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”

“He’ll be gone by next year, like every other teacher. Watch,” Victoria snickered.

“As to our second appointment… Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus HAgrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties.

“Yep. The books. That explains it,” Annabel blinked.

The feast began quickly as all the food had appeared. Everyone began grabbing everything they could while the platters continuously refilled themselves. Now that Helena had realized it, she was incredibly hungry. She grabbed a huge plate full of food and practically inhaled everything and even got a second and third helping.

When the feast ended, Helena then headed toward the Slytherin Common room with the others. This year, the password was Eccentric Serpent. Without a word to anyone in her dorm, she threw on some pajamas and flopped onto her bed. The girls in her room, including Pansy and Millicent were chattering away while Helena ignored them, letting herself fall asleep.