Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix [81]
“So should we get started on breakfast then?” asked Ron, who already began eating some of the food that Hermione had set up. It was smelling quite good now, and it took Harry’s mind off of the phoenix for a while, especially after he tasted it. After flying all night, and worrying about a killer bird, a full stomach really helped.
After a non-black phoenix filled breakfast and nap, it was time to set off. Hermione compacted the tents again, and put them into Harry’s backpack. Ron shrunk down to the size of his chameleon, got with Hermione on the broom, and then shot off. Harry sprouted his wings, took one last look around for any sign of the phoenix, and then flew off next to Ron and Hermione.
* * *
It wasn’t long before they reached the next stage of their journey, entering Azkaban. They flew all day, and seeing their destination finally appear, even if it was the condemned Azkaban, was a relief.
At first sight, Harry thought they had messed up and returned to Hogwarts. Azkaban looked exactly like it: an extremely large castle with many towers. Once they got closer though, Harry noticed several differences, first of which was a black outline around the castle. It looked like some sort of thin moat. However, upon closer inspection, it was revealed to not be water at all, but a long line of dementors.
They were all constantly moving all over, making them appear like black water. However, they were not making the soothing a quiet sounds of water, they were all making clicking noises as they moved, bumping into each other and going in all directions at once..
Suddenly, Harry felt the familiar chill coming from the dementors. He felt the happiness slowly flowing out of him, like he was dripping it out. He immediately started focusing on a happy memory, and once again used his feeling that he had on his date with Cho. Nothing else even compared to that feeling. The leakage of happiness felt as though it was being plugged up.
“Hermione, Ron, are you okay?” asked Harry. They hadn’t had as mush training in dealing with dementors as he had, and it was showing. Hermione had her eyes closed and was shivering, and the small Ron was doing the same. Harry decided it was time to take more serious defenses against the dementors.
“Expecto Patronum!” he yelled. A giant silvery cloud popped out of Harry’s wand, and it quickly transformed into a large stag. It hovered next to Harry, and he felt no coldness from the dementors at all.
“Are you guys okay?” asked Harry to Ron and Hermione. The patronus had appeared to have helped: Hermione had opened her eyes and had stopped shivering and, from what he could tell, Ron had as well.
“Let’s land over there!” yelled Harry to Ron and Hermione. He pointed to a small island off the coast of Azkaban’s. They landed there, and Harry and Ron returned back to their normal forms. The patronus hovered next to them, bobbing up and down, as if waiting for a command.
“Alright…” said Harry. “This is it.” he pointed towards Azkaban and the sea of dementors that lay before them. “Any ideas on how to get in?” Hermione and Ron looked at each other.
“We never really did plan this part too well, did we?” asked Hermione.
“Well… erm… no…” said Harry. He felt really bad now, they always assumed they would get an idea on how to get in… but now that they were actually there… it seemed hopeless. Their entire trip so far would have been in vain if Harry didn’t think of something quickly.
“We could copy one, and then try to persuade it…” suggested Ron.
“No way Ron,” said Hermione. “We’d be lucky if we were able to copy one without arousing suspicion, and then for persuading it! Ha! Do dementors even speak English? And even if you could talk to it, what would you persuade it with? A kiss perhaps….” Ron and Harry shuddered.
Harry’s mind was racing, if that was the best idea they could come up with, then they were in trouble. He went over, in his mind, every spell he had ever learned, to see if any would help in this situation… but it was