The boys set off down the corridor, dragging their faces along the metal wall as people squeezed past them.
The growling of the dog, as students' knees bashed against his face, didn't help their case, either.
Yet, no matter which compartment they passed, all were full to the brim.
It was only when they reached the very last compartment of the very last carriage that they found enough seats for them, with only one person inside.
It was a man, seated next to the window, fast asleep.
Other than the witch who pushed the food cart, this was the first time the children had seen an adult in the students' compartments.
Shrugging, Harry and Ron entered the compartment and sat down on the seat opposite the man, leaving the seat next to the window vacant for Black.
The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places, the two boys noted. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray.
Black brought the dog in as the animal stared at the stranger.
"Man, you got a good one, huh?" Ron commented, looking at the dog. "I have never seen a quieter dog than this…"
Black grinned. "The moment I saw him in Diagon Alley, it felt like looking at a family member," he said, barely able to hide the sarcasm. "That's why I named him Uncle Black."
"… I thought you did it just for the people to say Uncle Black out loud," Harry countered.
The three boys shared a smile among themselves.
"… I did enjoy the look on her face…" Black said, sliding the door shut.
However, before he could finish the sentence and close the door, a hand landed on the door's edge, resisting his push.
It was Hermione.
Standing next to her, judging the very existence of Black, were Daphne and Darcie.
The smiles on the boys' faces met a sudden and cruel death as the girls entered the compartment, stopped as they saw the stranger, and then proceeded to sit down next to him.
Crookshanks hissed at the dog, forcing Black to take the dog away with him to the window seat next to the boys.
An unnerving silence lingered within the compartment.
Three Gryffindors. Three Slytherins. One dog. One cat. And one unknown man.
"Stop looking at him like that," Hermione hissed like Crookshanks at Ron. "He's Professor R. J. Lupin."
"How d'you know that?" Ron fired back.
"It's on his case," she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string.
The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.
"Wonder what he teaches?" asked Ron, elbowing Harry, who sat between him and Black, the dog resting its head on his lap.
Frowning, the other two boys looked at Professor Lupin's pallid profile, wondering the same.
"That's obvious," whispered Hermione again. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Crookshanks hissed again at Uncle Black.
"Keep that bully away from us," Black said, narrowing his eyes at the cat.
"Oh, please!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's so obvious that the only reason you picked up a stray dog is just to piss me off. You three couldn't even handle a rat! How will you ever take care of a dog?!"
Ron's entire face gained a blush, remembering Scabbers.
It would be a miracle if the old rat were still alive after remaining so long away from home.
Harry secretly patted Ron, while simultaneously patting the dog, as if saying not to take Hermione's words to heart.
The only reason they kept quiet, not retorting to Hermione's taunts, was that they knew Black packed enough bite for all three of them.
"That dog—," Black said, matching Hermione's gaze. "—has a name."
"I am never gonna call him by that disgusting name!" Hermione snapped.
Black didn't reply, taking a deep breath instead.
Harry and Ron instantly knew something worse was coming, already wincing and looking away from Daphne and Darcie.
"After learning that we have Divination this year…" Black began.
Here it is… Harry and Ron thought, their shoulders tensing.
"… I dabbled in it on my own," Black continued. "I saw an old lady, surrounded by cats. Alone. All the time she was complaining about not having a boyfriend…"
Hermione's pupils dilated.
Everything quietened around her.
Her hair lengthened, and her nails became claws, the tips of her ears pointing up.
A suppressed growl left the girl's throat, making both Crookshanks and Uncle Black snap their heads toward her.
Black noticed it too late, his face going blank.
Seeing the obvious look on Black's face, Daphne inhaled. She was about to intervene when —
Professor Lupin stirred.
The argument between Harry and Hermione had occupied their thoughts so much that they even forgot about him being in the compartment.
Apprehensively, all of them watched as Lupin turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.
Hermione let out a breath, her Werewolf-transformation receding. "One day—," she hissed, lower than ever, "—I will rip your head off!"
"… That's rich," Black replied, hesitating, as if testing the ground. "Really putting that Slytherin reputation to the test, aren't you?"
"Enough." Darcie's flat, icy voice lingered in the compartment.
Harry and Ron tried to look everywhere but in her direction, Daphne shaking her head, seated between the two girls.
Black slowly looked toward Darcie. "Oh," he said. "How did I not notice it? We don't have one, but two Professors among us. I wonder… where your suitcase is, Professor Darcie."
Harry and Ron's jaws dropped.
It was one thing to make fun of Darcie's Magical Suitcase behind her back. It was something entirely different to do it right in front of her. And it wasn't like they all didn't know about her true nature by now.
Black, you idiot! Harry and Ron cursed in their minds, noticing Darcie's silence. She will take out her anger on all of us now!!
Hermione was thinking the same, as was clear by the wide smile on her face.
Meanwhile, Crookshanks and Uncle Black looked at each other, wondering how the next few hours would go by — if things were already like this!
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