Chapter 295 Professor Lupin on the Train
September 1st.
After breakfast, Aaron, accompanied by Gines, drove an ordinary car to King's Cross Station.
As soon as the two took out their luggage, they saw two dark green cars emerge from a narrow alley.
"Ministry of Magic?" Aaron raised an eyebrow. "But this is too flashy!"
"It's the Weasleys, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter," Gines said, contemplating the strange lineup. "Fudge must have arranged for them to protect Harry Potter. Harry Potterwill probably be on edge until Sirius Black is caught."
"At least he's safe while he's at Hogwarts," Aaron said nonchalantly. "There's the most powerful White Wizard of this century there!"
"Young Master, the train leaves in half an hour," Ginesreminded him.
"Got it, I'm going now, you don't need to see me off." Aaronshrugged, pushed his trolley into the station, and smoothly passed through the wall between platforms nine and ten.
Looking at the bright red steam train and the Wizards of all sizes crowding the station, Aaron couldn't help but smile. From today, his life would truly return to normal.
Aaron skillfully placed his luggage in the carriage at the rear of the train, then began to look for a seat for himself.
Perhaps he arrived late; from the rear to the front of the train, only one compartment was still relatively empty. However, upon closer inspection, he realized the reason for its emptiness: an adult was sleeping inside.
And apart from the staff and the Witch selling snacks, there were no other adults on the Hogwarts Express.
After a moment of hesitation, Aaron pushed open the sliding door and walked in with Abey.
But as soon as he sat down, Abey opened its eyes and vigilantly stared at the middle-aged man opposite it.
"What's wrong?"
"His scent is very strange," Abey replied in Dragon Language. "It's like a wild beast lives inside his body. In human terms, he's like a ticking time bomb."
Aaron:...Damn it! What kind of luck do I have?
I shouldn't have prioritized comfort; I should have just squeezed into any random compartment!
"Phew!"
Aaron took a deep breath, picked up Abey, and stood up naturally but cautiously.
The train hadn't started yet, and the person hadn't woken up. It should still be possible to change seats.
However, before he could open the sliding door, three people appeared outside the compartment: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
"Uh... a word of advice, don't come in."
"But all the other compartments are full; there's no room for three people," Hermione said, opening the door. Harry and Ron followed and sat down.
"Alas! Such is life, nine times out of ten it's not what you want," Aaron grumbled inwardly, sitting by the window.
"Aaron, who is this...?" Harry asked, pointing to the sleeping man beside them.
"I don't know either."
"Professor R. J. Lupin," Hermione whispered. "It's written on his trunk."
Hearing this, Aaron glanced at the trunk, feeling a lot more at ease.
As a Professor at Hogwarts, even with a slight hidden danger, he wouldn't pose a threat to them, the students.
Understanding this, Aaron looked at the new Professor with interest.
His Wizard robes were tattered, his light brown hair had some white streaks, and he looked to be around thirty, but seemed sickly.
And his trunk was also ragged, probably at least ten years old.
"This Professor clearly isn't doing well; he's 100% one of the poor ones in the teaching circle."
"I can see that," Ron said with some doubt. "I just wonder if he can handle the job."
The position of Defense Against the Dark Arts ClassProfessor seemed cursed. Quirrell died, and Lockhart was locked up; neither ended well.
"This one should be fine," Aaron said. "Last year's Lockhartwas a huge joke. If Hogwarts is hiring a Professor again, they'll surely have some basic assessment, or at least know their background."
"Let's hope so!"
"I have something to tell you all." Harry glanced at Professor Lupin, made sure he was still sleeping, then looked at the three of them seriously. "Sirius Black might be looking for me. He wants to kill me."
"No way!" Hermione said, somewhat alarmed. "How do you know?"
"I accidentally overheard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking last night," Harry said, embarrassed. "But I really didn't mean to.
They said Sirius was muttering in his sleep the day before he escaped from Azkaban, repeating only one sentence: 'He's at Hogwarts.'
He's You-Know-Who's loyal servant, thinking that killing me will enable You-Know-Who to rise again.
That's why Fudge didn't hold me responsible for blowing up Aunt Marge like a balloon, and arranged for me to go to Diagon Alley, and even had Ministry of Magic members escort me onto the train."
"Uh... though I don't want to say this, Sirius might not be here to kill you," Aaron said. "If he wanted to kill you, he would have acted long ago. Why wait twelve years? This is too sudden."
"Maybe he was preparing his escape," Ron said, stroking his chin. "After all, that's Azkaban; no one has ever escaped from there before."
"No, no, no." Aaron waved his hand. "There are still doubts. He offered no resistance when he was caught."
"Perhaps he knew he couldn't run, and surrendering would save him some physical pain.
Besides, he was still laughing after killing three people; he's completely insane."
Aaron blinked, then spread his hands. "Alright, I'm speechless."
"Black will definitely be caught," Hermione reassured him. "Everyone is looking for him."
Just then, a faint whistling sound suddenly echoed in the compartment.
"What's that sound?" Aaron looked at Harry's trunk. "What did you bring?"
"I don't know either." Harry quickly opened his trunk and pulled out a small, top-shaped object from a piece of clothing. "Ron's birthday present for me."
"Is this a Sneakoscope?" Hermione asked curiously, looking at the rapidly spinning top.
"I heard it lights up and spins if there's a suspicious person," Aaron said thoughtfully. "This isn't a good sign."
"Don't overthink it; it's just a cheap trinket," Ron said nonchalantly. "A magic toy, a shoddy product sold to Wizardtourists."
Harry nodded, then stuffed the Sneakoscope into an old sock. He didn't want this little top to wake up the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class Professor.
"Harry, do you have any plans for Hogsmeade?" Hermioneasked excitedly. "It's the only place in Britain without Muggles, and it has a very long history."
"No one signed his permission slip," Aaron interjected, then looked at Harry with some sympathy. "You can think about what you want to buy in advance, and I can reluctantly bring it back for you then."
"Thanks," Harry said, nodding glumly.
"Why don't you try Professor McGonagall?" Ron whispered. "If not, find Fred and George; they might know a secret passage out of school."
Hearing this, Aaron's mouth twitched. "Are your two brothers that impressive?"
"Absolutely not," Hermione firmly objected. "Black hasn't been caught yet; Harry would be very dangerous if he left Hogwarts."
"I think so too," Harry said weakly. "Trouble always finds me."
"It wouldn't be as dangerous if we were with him," Ron said confidently.
"Don't include me," Aaron quickly waved his hand. "You know me; I don't like trouble."
"But you're the strongest among us," Ron said, somewhat displeased. "You defeated You-Know-Who in his youth!"
"Keep it low-key, these things should be kept low-key," Aaronsaid, feeling a bit tired. He was confident enough to defeat Black, but there was no need to get entangled with a desperate man.
A few hours later, the sky darkened, and the Black clouds grew thicker.
A Witch pushing a food cart passed by the compartment door. "Do you need anything?"
"Yes," Aaron skillfully pulled a Galleon from Abey's pocket. "Give me two bottles of milk, three packs of chocolate, four bottles of juice, five egg tarts, and six lollipops."
"Do you want anything?"
"No," Ron pursed his lips. "My mum prepared sandwiches for us."
"Should we wake him up?" Harry pointed to Professor Lupin. "He might need something to eat."
"And three more cakes!" Aaron added. "Consider it a treat for our Professor."
"Okay," the Witch placed the food Aaron requested on the table. "If it's not enough, feel free to find me at the front."
Aaron wasn't reserved either. He left two bottles of juice and three cakes, then piled the remaining snacks in front of Abey.
It ate and excitedly stuffed things into its pockets.
A few months ago, its pantry had been emptied by its owner, so now it was stocking up as much as it could.
The train continued to move forward, and as night fell, all the lights inside the carriage came on.
The rain outside grew heavier, the wind howled, and raindrops constantly hit the windows, making a pattering sound.
Professor Lupin seemed to be sleeping the whole time; if not for his breathing, they would have doubted if he was still alive.
"I don't like this weather," Aaron said. "Especially on a long train ride, it's too depressing."
"Bear with it," Hermione said, checking her watch. "We still have half an hour until we reach the station."
Just then, the train suddenly braked sharply, slowing down more and more, and the wheels made a piercing sound against the tracks.
All the lights went out one after another, and they were stuck on a bridge.
Roar!
Abey suddenly let out a low growl, quickly jumped onto the table, and vigilantly stared out the window.
"What's going on?" Ron asked nervously.
"Don't move," Aaron said, pushing down Harry, who was about to go out and look. "There's something outside, quite a lot, and..."
Before he finished speaking, the window of their compartment frosted over with a thin layer of ice. The temperature instantly dropped, and everyone felt a bone-chilling cold.
Looking at the fleeting Black shadow outside the window, Aaron couldn't help but swallow. "And if I'm not mistaken, that disgusting thing is about to get on the train."
"Do you know what it is?" Hermione shivered as she spoke. "A magical creature?"
"You should have heard of it," Aaron said calmly. "The guards of Azkaban, Dementors."