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Lyra's heart was racing quickly, her mind barely able to process what was happening. What had just happen. Will her friends be alright? Who pulled her into this compartment?
The sudden stop of the train had left her dumbfounded, and she grew worried for her friends, the screeching sound of the train brakes still ringing through her head.
She looked up, her breath catching in her throat as she realised she had been pulled into the compartment by the twins. She could tell George was the one who pulled her in, because his hand was still resting on her shoulder.
Before she could even open her mouth to protest, the atmosphere shifted and the temperature started dropping, growing colder by the second. George removed his hand as he looked out the door window.
The light from the corridor outside dimmed unnaturally, and her body tensed. The compartment door was closed, but she could see something nearing the doors window.
"Bloody hell," Fred muttered under his breath, his voice low and unusually serious.
Lyra calmed herself, realising it wouldn't help panicking right now. She could see her breath, the temperature dropping rapidly and a deep unnatural chill swept into her bones, raising the hair on her arms.
"Whatâwhat's going on?" Lyra whispered to the boys. Her voice quiet and hushed.
"I-- I don't know," George said, his tone empty of its usual playfulness. He kept his voice low, eyes trained on the door.
His wand was already in his hand, and Fred had his out as well, though neither looked particularly eager to use them.
Through the frosted glass window of the compartment door, Lyra saw something. A shadow moved slowly, a hooded figure that seemed to absorb all light and happiness around it.
The figures skeletal hand trailed along the door of the compartments.
She gasped, instinctively stepping back without a second thought. Her body collided with Fred's as she did, but she was too distracted to care, by this point she was desperate for any kind of heat, and his body was filled with it.
Moments in her life flashing before her eyesâunfortunate moments of long loneliness, of feeling overshadowed by her family's reputation, wondering if she'd ever be anything more than a name tied to dark magic.
It must be the hooded creature influencing these thoughts into her head.
"Stay still," George said quietly, his gaze flicking between the door, Fred and Lyra. "It's passing. Just, stay quiet."
The shadow drifted past the compartment, its shadow moving on, but the cold lingered. The oppressive feeling of dread remained, hanging in the air like a cloud.
"Merlin," Lyra whispered under her breath once the creature had gone. Her heart was still pounding, and her hands were shaking despite her efforts to calm herself.
"Well, that was a fucking experience." She breathed out after a dreadful minute of silence.
For a second, none of them spoke, the tension still thick in the air as the cold slowly began to lift. The shadow was gone, but the weight of what had just happened lingered.
Lyra managed to clear her head, and just now everything that had happened in such a short time hit her. She had bumped into Fred.
She could throw up by the mere thought of being that close to him, ever, again.
The three of them just stood in silence, looking at each other.
Until a bright flash of light suddenly soared through the train, and it seemed to wipe all coldness and sadness. The shadow have been wiped by someone on the train, fortunately.
"The shadow must be gone now," Fred exclaimed, sparing a glance towards Lyra.
"You should thank my brother, that he took his time to drag your pathetic, collapsed body into this compartment. Practically saving your life." Fred said with his arms across his chest.
Lyra huffed out, she couldn't believe this. She didn't owe anyone anything. She could have managed to get onto her feet on her own with zero problem, George just happened to be there, and just happened to be the one to help her up.
"Well, then. Thank you, George. At least one of you were gifted with a decent heart." She spat out, before heading towards the door. She had to find Astoria now.
"You're welcome." George's smug voice rang from behind her, but she was already out of the compartment searching for her friend, worried something might've happened to her.
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"Lyra, there you are!" Astoria gleamed as she shot up from her seat, giving her friend a comforting hug. "I was worried something might've happened to you." She sighed.
"Me too, glad to see you're doing fine." Lyra replied in relief.
They let go of each other and Lyra went into the compartment with Astoria, where Draco, Blaise and Pansy already were seated.
"Daphne, where is she?" Lyra questioned, "Probably off snogging whoever she can lay her hands on." Astoria spoke out in disgust. Astoria is Daphne's younger sister, by three years.
Pansy and Blaise greeted her with hugs, but Draco just gave her a quick nod, before continuing staring out of the big clear window.
Lyra ignored the blonde boy, she had no interest in him anyway, they had never cared for one another, although their parents are close acquaintances.
Lyra rather focused her attention on Astroia's storytelling of how her trip to paris went, but half of the talk was bout how beautiful the language was, and the other half was about how beautiful the men were.
As Astoria mentioned a boy she had interacted with, Draco suddenly seemed interested.
"French boys are nothing but rubbish, Astoria." Draco suddenly chimed in, acting like he didn't care at all.
Obviously he is jealous, thought Lyra, that is why he is acting the way he is. But Astoria being Astoria, she was obviously blind and continued talking about the boys she had interacted with.
Draco only seemed to sink deeper into his seat.
The five of them talked the whole way to Hogwarts, and suddenly it was time to leave the train, and make their ways towards the boats which lead to the infamous school.
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