Sign it [Lupin's Daughter]

Chapter 3

Remus Lupin conjured what seemed to be a small flame and held it in his hand. Maddy hated how she could see her father's weary face, and even after sleeping for most of the ride, he still looked overly tired. "Stay where you are." He looked around and his eyes fell on Maddy, who was still clutching to Harry's arm, as the older children hadn't wanted to lose the little girl, as she couldn't speak aloud to affirm her location. "Alright, Madeline?" He asked. Maddy only nodded. 

He went to the door, but before he could reach it, it slid open. A hooded figure loomed over them, almost reaching the ceiling in height. It's face was covered, and the only thing visible was its hands. They almost seemed dead, or decaying close to it by the grey colour it portrayed. 

Maddy felt even colder than she had before, she turned towards Harry, and yelped in fright as she saw that his eyes had rolled in his head. Harry? She signed, forgetting in her fears, that he couldn't read sign language, or that he couldn't see when his eyes were rolled in his head. He fell off his seat, and the quick fall made Maddy tumble with him. She quickly sat up, and knelt beside him.

Her father stepped over them and spoke clearly while pointing his wand at it, "None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go." When the dementor didn't move, he muttered something, and a silvery mist shot from his wand.

With nothing better to do, Maddy slapped him repeatedly in the face, as someone was calling Harry's name behind her. His eyes slowly fluttered open, and that was when she noticed that Ron and Hermione were kneeling next to him too. Letting out a sigh of relief, she walked over to her father, and buried her face into his side. 

Ron and Hermione helped Harry back into his seat. "Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously, and at the same time Maddy signed, Is he okay? to her father. 

Remus shrugged and Harry answered Ron's question, "Yeah. What happened? Where's that - that thing? Who screamed?" Maddy's eyes widened. She hadn't heard anyone scream.

"No one screamed," Ron added, even more nervous than before. 

"But I heard screaming -"

He was interrupted by a loud snap. Maddy jumped the least, the sound was one she heard on a daily basis. Her father handed Harry a chocolate slab. "Eat it. It'll help." Harry took it, but didn't eat. "What was that thing?" He asked Lupin. Before he could answer however, Maddy had recovered her parchment and had written, Dementors. 

Her father nodded, "One of the dementors of Azkaban." He reiterated. He handed all the other children chocolate. The only one to eat it without hesitation was his daughter, who was used to her father giving her the delicacy often. "Eat. It will make you feel better. Excuse me, I have to talk to the conductor. Come on, Maddy."

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"The ministry told us we had to let dementors on the train to search for Sirius Black." The conductor was telling her father. He had told Maddy to wait by the door for him, but the little girl couldn't help but eavesdrop. "Some students have been affected greatly by them. How much longer until we reach the school."

"About ten minutes or so." Maddy could tell her father was coming back and moved away quickly, taking on a look of innocence. 

"Come on, Maddy. Let's return to the compartment." Remus walked, and Maddy skipped, trying to keep a pep in her step, even though she wasn't too certain about what had just happened. When she stopped at the compartment, her father was telling Harry to eat, and Harry finally relented and did so.