Chapter 191: "Shadows on the Hogwarts Express"

The bustling platform 9¾ was a sea of nervous energy as students and parents alike whispered about the recent Azkaban breakout. Harry weaved through the crowd and entered the Hogwarts Express to search for his friends.

As he slid open the compartment door, he was greeted by the sight of his friends, several of whom were proudly displaying their new prefect badges. Cedric for Hufflepuff, Roger for Ravenclaw, Elvinia for Slytherin, and Alicia representing Gryffindor. Their animated conversation halted as Harry entered.

"Well, well," Harry drawled, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Looks like we've got a right bunch of goody-two-shoes here. I do hope you'll turn a blind eye to my late-night strolls. For old times' sake, of course."

Alicia shot him a mock-stern look. "Dream on, Potter. If anything, we'll be keeping an extra close eye on you now."

"Speaking of which," Roger chimed in, "Why aren't you the Ravenclaw prefect instead of me? I thought the professors had made a mistake when I received this badge in my mail."

Harry shrugged. "Professor Flitwick did offer me the role, but I declined. Don't have the time for it with my apprenticeship and everything."

While Harry did not want to be a prefect, he would still fight for the Head Boy position. That came with special benefits he couldn't ignore. Prefects just got a prefect bathroom for all the trouble they had to deal with.

"Smart move," Roger sighed. "I'm already dreading the first-year herding and midnight patrols. OWL year is going to be brutal enough as it is."

Elvinia's face darkened. "Count your blessings, Davies. At least you're not stuck with Warrington as your counterpart."

Cedric, ever the optimist, clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Come on, it's not all bad. Being a prefect is a chance to make the first years feel at home, just like our prefects did for us. Remember how lost we all were?" His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Anyway, we should head to the prefect meeting. Duty calls!"

Harry couldn't help but grin at Cedric's unwavering positivity. "Go on then, golden boy. Go forth and illuminate the lives of those poor, lost children with your dazzling charm. Just try not to blind them with that badge, will you?"

The group laughed, the banter lightening the mood. As his friends moved towards the prefects' carriage, Harry felt a curious mix of relief and a slight twinge of regret. He knew he'd made the right choice, but there was an undeniable allure to leadership roles.

Shaking off the thought, he settled in with the remaining non-prefects.

Reggy broke the silence. "So, Harry, what's your take on the coming year?"

Harry's expression turned grim. "Brace yourselves for a gloomy one. We're hosting some happiness-sucking creatures this year at Hogwarts."

Arabella frowned. "I don't know what the Ministry is thinking. I know there are some dangerous convicts on the run, but wouldn't some Aurors patrolling the grounds have been a better option? I don't see any way in which Dementors would prove useful other than making this year gloomy."

Angelina nodded. "Well, at least the new DADA professor is supposed to be competent. Might balance out some of the gloom."

The conversation drifted to lighter topics as the train chugged northward. However, as the sky darkened and rain began to pelt the windows, an unnatural chill crept through the air.

The train began to slow, then came to a grinding halt. And if that was not enough, all the lamps went out and plunged the train into total darkness.

Harry tensed, knowing what was coming.

Reggy asked nervously, "Why has the train stopped? And why are the lights out?" He had his wand out with a Lumos charm lighting up the compartment.

Harry stood up. "I'll check. You guys stay in the compartment."

Without waiting for their response, Harry slid the compartment door open, went out, and shut the door behind him.

Although Harry knew this was going to happen, he had a bad feeling which was not good. He needed to make sure everything was safe.

The corridor was a black void, but Harry could sense the approaching malevolence. A towering, hooded figure glided towards him, its rattling breath filling the air with dread.

As the Dementor loomed closer, Harry felt the cold seep into his bones. Distant screams echoed in his mind – his grandmother's sacrifice, the miserable days at the Dursleys. But Harry steeled himself, focusing on the warmth of his chosen family.

"Expecto Patronum!" he roared.

A brilliant, silver Thunderbird erupted from his wand, its wingspan filling the corridor. It charged at the Dementor, driving it back with a screech. The creature fled, and warmth began to return to the air.

However, things were not over yet. Harry could hear screams from across the train. It looked like a lot of Dementors had boarded the train. With more fugitives having escaped recently, it seemed the Dementors were more agitated and aggressive in their search.

Harry knew he had to act quickly. He made a split-second decision and headed for the nearest exit. Opening the door, he climbed onto the roof of the train, rain pelting his face and wind whipping around him.

From his elevated position, Harry could see dark, hooded figures moving through different parts of the train. He raised his wand once more, focusing on his happiest memories.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the howling wind.

The silver Thunderbird burst forth again, this time even larger and more radiant. Harry directed it to sweep through the entire train, from one end to the other. The Patronus phased through the roof, its brilliant light visible through the windows as it drove out the Dementors car by car.

Students pressed their faces to the glass, watching in awe as the silver bird chased away the darkness. The Dementors fled, screeching as they were forced out of the train and into the stormy night.

With the immediate threat gone, Harry carefully made his way back inside the train. As he re-entered, he found himself surrounded by awestruck faces, including his prefect friends.

"Merlin's beard, Harry," Roger breathed. "That was... incredible."

"A corporeal Patronus," Cedric added, shaking his head in disbelief. "And a magical creature at that. How on earth did you manage it?"

Harry shrugged, trying to downplay his feat. "I've been practicing over the summer. With the Dementors coming to Hogwarts, I thought it might be useful."

Before anyone could question him further, another person came into the train carriage. It was Remus Lupin, his wand out and a concerned expression on his face.

"Is everyone alright in here? I felt the presence of a powerful Patronus..." His eyes landed on Harry, a flicker of recognition.

"We're fine, Professor," Harry said calmly. "The Dementor's gone now." 

Lupin nodded, handing out chocolate to everyone. "Eat this, it helps. That was very impressive spellwork, Mr. Potter. Not many grown wizards can produce a Patronus like that."

Harry just nodded. He did not want to talk more with Lupin. Truth be told, Lupin was one character of the Harry Potter world that, while many people liked, he did not. 

In Harry's eyes, Lupin was a study in contradictions. A man capable of great kindness, yet plagued by a crippling cowardice. In the canon, he had abandoned the infant Harry after James and Lily's death, hiding behind his condition rather than stepping up as a surrogate uncle. For thirteen years, he had made no effort to contact Harry, only to suddenly appear as a teacher, maintaining a dispassionate professional distance.

Harry's mind raced through the future he knew - never meeting the canon Harry except for Order duties. Eventual marriage to Tonks and even then attempting to run away and abandon her and their unborn child. Each choice seemed to Harry a reflection of a man who allowed fear to dictate his actions, who drowned in self-pity rather than rising above his circumstances.

The werewolf curse was undoubtedly a heavy burden, but it only affected Lupin for a few days each month. The rest of the time, he was fully human, capable of living a normal life if he chose to fight for it. Harry couldn't help but think that if he had been reborn as a werewolf, he would have strived to master the condition, to find ways to control the transformation, rather than letting it control him.

So Harry kept his interaction with Lupin brief and impersonal. He turned away, making his way back to his compartment where his friends waited, their faces a mix of awe and curiosity. He knew he'd have some explaining to do, but for now, he was content in the knowledge that no one was hurt from the Dementors' entry into the train.

The train resumed its journey, and as they neared Hogwarts, Harry couldn't help but wonder what other surprises this year would bring. With Harry expecting the year to be a little different from the canon, he was not expecting a calm OWL year.