Hogwarts: Harry Potter's Return from the Witcher World

Ron and Hermione were utterly confused.

What were Harry and Lupin talking about in riddles?

"Professor Lupin is dangerous too?" Hermione ventured a guess based on the cryptic exchange.

Harry didn't respond. He glanced at Lupin, the protective amulet in his hand still calm and quiet.

Lupin hesitated before speaking. "It's hard for me to explain, but I hope you can trust me. I'm safe and will do my best to be a good professor."

Hermione looked at Harry, unwilling to trust a man she'd only just met.

Harry nodded.

Following his lead, Hermione said, "Then I trust you too, Professor Lupin."

"So do I," Ron added.

Lupin exhaled deeply, visibly relieved. "Thank you, Harry."

"As payment, tell me: what kind of person is Sirius Black?" Harry leaned forward, staring directly at him. "You were once his best friend. Maybe you know how he escaped from Azkaban?"

Lupin fell silent.

The amulet in Harry's hand began to hum once more.

Harry raised his wand.

Ron and Hermione didn't hesitate either, quickly pulling out their own wands and pointing them at Lupin.

Lupin raised his hands high. "Harry, I swear I mean you no harm."

He said so, but the amulet's vibrations persisted.

Outside, the wind howled, and rain drummed against the windows. The train slowed to a crawl.

"Sirius..." Lupin sighed, keeping his hands raised as he began to explain slowly. "I mean Black. He was the person your father trusted most."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"He was a classic Gryffindor. At least, to people from other houses, he seemed like the epitome of Gryffindor values."

"Reckless, impulsive, and brash."

"To be honest, I always found it hard to believe he would betray James."

"Not because I thought he was particularly virtuous, but because he lacked the cunning and subtlety for such treachery. He'd have given himself away on the first day."

"But if you're asking whether he could have escaped Azkaban... I suppose it's possible—"

The amulet's vibrations intensified sharply.

At that moment—

CLANG!

The train lurched violently, screeching to a halt.

The lights in the compartment flickered and then went out completely.

"Stupefy!"

Harry didn't hesitate for even a second. A stunning spell shot from his wand, hitting Lupin squarely. Lupin had no time to react to Harry's decisiveness and was knocked unconscious by the spell.

The amulet's vibrations continued for two more seconds before gradually subsiding.

Was it really Lupin?

Harry frowned, surprised.

"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione whispered, lighting the compartment with her wand. "Did Lupin do something?"

Harry peered into the corridor. "I don't think so."

From the darkness came a shrill, grating sound, like rats scratching at metal.

Ron pressed his face to the window, squinting into the stormy night. "It looks like someone's stopped the train. And now they're boarding it."

"This is Hogwarts' train!" Hermione exclaimed, pushing Ron aside to get a better look. But she was too late—she only caught the faintest glimpse of a shadow disappearing into a blind spot.

In the other compartments, the chatter of students began to swell, only to fall eerily silent moments later.

A dark, oppressive, malevolent aura filled the train, growing thicker with each passing second and pressing into Harry's senses.

He slid the compartment door open.

In the corridor stood a tall, cloaked figure. Its head nearly brushed the ceiling, and it floated forward soundlessly. Wherever it passed, silence followed.

Even the air itself seemed to freeze in its presence.

It sucked the happiness, warmth, and vitality from its surroundings with greedy abandon.

Harry recognized it immediately—a Dementor. The terrifying guards of Azkaban.

"Has Fudge's brain been completely replaced with troll dung?" Harry gritted his teeth, his expression a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Even after last year, when he'd already seen the Ministry's incompetence firsthand, he hadn't expected them to stoop to such levels of idiocy. Allowing Dementors on a train full of children?

He raised his wand and cast the spell.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A silver lion burst from his wand, roaring as it leapt at the towering Dementor. The lion lunged, biting and clawing, tearing the creature's cloak to shreds and slamming it to the ground.

The Dementor exhaled a plume of black mist.

The lion seized it in its jaws and charged toward the front of the train, scattering Dementors in its path.

Moments later, the train's lights flickered back to life. The whistle sounded, and the train began moving again.

Harry waited by the door for a few moments. When no Ministry official appeared, he returned to the compartment.

Lupin was still unconscious.

With a wave of his wand, Harry transformed an article of clothing from Lupin's suitcase into a rope and securely bound him.

Some time later, Lupin groggily awoke. He blinked at the compartment lights, disoriented, and tried to sit up, only to realize he was tied.

"Harry?" he asked, bewildered.

As soon as Lupin woke, the amulet began vibrating violently again.

Harry regarded him calmly. "Professor, for everyone's safety, I had to take precautions."

Lupin stared at the lion amulet on Harry's chest. His eyes were sincere, and after a moment of struggle, he nodded with difficulty. "Harry, I swear I have no ill intentions toward you."

Harry met his gaze.

There was no evasion in Lupin's expression. His eyes were steady and, perhaps, even a little warm.

It wasn't the kind of look a malicious person would give.

"I'll untie you once we reach Hogwarts," Harry said flatly, unmoved by the sentiment in Lupin's eyes.

Such expressions didn't sway him anymore.

He had seen them before—only to be stabbed in the back.

The only thing one could trust was evidence and experience.

"Maybe we can continue our earlier conversation?" Harry asked. "How exactly did Sirius Black escape Azkaban?"

The amulet began to hum more intensely, vibrating sharply.

Lupin opened his mouth to answer, but before he could speak, the compartment door slid open roughly.

An Auror stepped inside, scanning the occupants with a frown. "Who cast that Patronus just now?"

"That was me," Harry replied coolly.

Hermione's expression twisted slightly.

She couldn't help recalling their earlier encounter with the Aurors. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The man's gaze landed on Harry's distinctive eyes, and he took a step back, his tone softening. "Mr. Potter?"

"That Patronus was remarkable—clearly your work."

"But those were Ministry staff, deployed to—"

Harry cut him off impatiently. "Has Fudge lost his mind? Have you lost yours?"

"Putting Dementors on a train full of children—what were you thinking?"

The Auror lowered his head, speechless.

"Dementors? On the train?" Lupin asked, surprised.

"I've already dealt with them," Harry replied curtly.

The Auror fidgeted awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

The train slowed again, finally coming to a halt.

They had arrived.

The Auror let out a sigh of relief. "We've reached Hogwarts, Mr. Potter. I'll leave you now."

He scurried out of the compartment, hastily shutting the door behind him.

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Powerstones?

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