The chilling autumn air carried an eerie stillness as Kyle Graves, Ravenclaw Prefect, and Brett Wilder, Gryffindor Prefect, led their group of third-years down the sloping grounds toward Hagrid’s hut for Care of Magical Creatures. Due to the Dementors roaming the grounds, Prefects were now required to escort younger students. The group consisted of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, Susan Bones, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Neville Longbottom, Padma Patil, and Dean Thomas. The students walked closely together, exchanging nervous glances as the eerie cold of the Dementors loomed in the air.
It happened in an instant.
A wave of unnatural cold swept over them, sending a shiver down every spine. The sky darkened as if the sun itself recoiled in fear. Then came the shadows, spectral figures gliding through the air with eerie grace—a swarm of Dementors, descending fast.
Kyle reacted immediately. He caught a glimpse of first-years being ushered inside Hagrid's hut before turning back to his group. “Run! Get to Hagrid’s hut now!” he shouted, his voice urgent but steady. Brett joined in, barking orders. “Move it! Don’t look back!”
Hagrid, standing in the doorway of his hut, had already seen the danger. “In! Get in now!” he bellowed, ushering them inside. His hands clenched into fists, but without a wand, he could only rely on the students’ magic.
Inside the hut, they found a group of first-years already there, trembling from their flying lessons having been cut short by the Dementors’ approach. One of the first-years, a small Ravenclaw girl, looked up with wide eyes. “We were flying closer to Professor Hagrid’s hut, so we came here for safety.”
Before Kyle could respond, Harry staggered, his face pale. The weight of the Dementors' presence had drained him, and within seconds, he collapsed.
“Harry!” Hermione gasped, rushing to his side.
Kyle and Brett were already there, kneeling beside him. “He’s out cold,” Brett said, checking his pulse. “We need to get his body temperature up.”
Kyle looked up. “Hermione, Draco—warming charms now!”
“Fervens Aer!” Hermione and Draco cast in unison, enveloping Harry in gentle warmth. Pansy tossed her cloak over him for additional insulation.
Neville, seeing how cramped the hut was becoming with so many students inside, quickly raised his wand. “Capacious Extremis!” he cast, and the interior of the hut expanded, allowing more room for everyone to move freely. The walls stretched, and the space became large enough to accommodate them all comfortably.
Hagrid, taking advantage of the newfound space, poured steaming cups of tea from his massive kettle, handing them out with his large hands. “Drink up, it’ll help warm yeh,” he said gruffly.
Kyle reached into his bag and pulled out a bar of Honeydukes chocolate, a gift from Brett. Without hesitation, he broke it into pieces and handed them out. “Everyone, eat some chocolate—it helps counteract the effects of Dementors.” The students eagerly took a piece, the warmth returning to their limbs almost instantly.
Kyle and Brett snapped into action again. “We need defenses,” Kyle ordered. “Protego Maxima over the door, now!”
Ron, gripping his wand tightly, took a deep breath and pointed it toward the windows. "Repello Inimicum!" he cast, adding an additional layer of magical repulsion against the approaching Dementors.
Seamus, not wanting to be left out, raised his own wand. "Confringo!" A small but powerful explosion burst outside, forcing several Dementors to scatter momentarily, buying them precious time.
Hermione, Susan, and Draco stepped forward, their wands moving in unison. “Protego Maxima!” they cried, and a shimmering protective barrier enveloped the door and windows.
“That won’t last forever,” Brett muttered. “We need to hold out until help arrives.”
Susan took a deep breath and pointed her wand toward the perimeter. “Cave Inimicum!” she cast, reinforcing the protective enchantments against intruders.
“Pansy, start a fire,” Brett directed. “We need warmth, fast!”
Pansy, her hands trembling, flicked her wand toward the hearth. “Incendio!” Flames roared to life, bathing the hut in flickering light, but the bitter chill of the Dementors kept pressing in.
Kyle took a deep breath and raised his wand. “Expecto Patronum!”
A brilliant flock of silver hummingbirds burst forth, darting through the windows and around the hut, striking at the advancing Dementors. Their radiance pushed back the encroaching darkness, allowing the fire and warming charms to take full effect.
“Susan, we need to send for help,” Kyle said. “Use a message bird—get it to Professor Flitwick!”
Susan enchanted a small wooden carving of a bird on Hagrid’s shelf. “Avis!” she commanded, and the bird fluttered to life, zipping out the chimney toward the castle.
The Great Hall
Professor Flitwick was in the middle of speaking with Professor Sprout when a small enchanted bird darted through the high windows of the Great Hall, fluttering directly toward him. It landed on his shoulder and chirped rapidly before vanishing in a puff of golden sparks.
Flitwick’s expression turned grave. “That was Susan Bones’ magic,” he said sharply. He opened his mouth to wonder what was happening, but before he could speak further, Kyle Graves’ voice rang out, magnified across the castle.
“Attention all students and staff! This is Prefect Kyle Graves. A Dementor attack is occurring on the castle grounds. Lockdown is now in effect—students are to seek immediate shelter. All professors, we require assistance at Hagrid’s hut immediately!”
McGonagall’s eyes darkened with concern. “No time to waste. Let’s go!”
Back at Hagrid’s Hut
“Dean, get some lights outside. We need visibility.”
Dean raised his wand. “Lumos Solem!” Bright orbs of golden light hovered beyond the windows, illuminating the approaching horrors outside.
Kyle turned to Padma. “Conjure birds—keep them circling outside. If the Dementors break through, have them strike!”
Padma nodded, raising her wand. “Avis!” A flock of golden birds erupted into being, fluttering into the darkness beyond the hut. As a Dementor swooped dangerously close, one of the birds struck it, sending it recoiling. But the force scattered her flock, and she quickly raised her wand again. “Avis!” More birds materialized and resumed their defense.
Draco, taking initiative, pointed his wand at the door. “Herbivicus!” Thick, thorny vines shot up and coiled tightly around the hut’s entrance, reinforcing the barrier with nature’s strength.
Right after, Brett stepped forward, his grip on his wand firm. “Expecto Patronum!” he called, and a brilliant silver wolf burst from his wand, charging toward the Dementors outside, snapping and growling as it chased them back into the darkness.
The Professors’ Arrival
As McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout rushed across the grounds, Hagrid’s hut came into view. What they saw made them pause for a split second.
A shimmering protective barrier crackled and flickered over the hut, clearly weakening. Thick vines snaked over the door, reinforcing the entrance. A flock of golden birds darted around the hut, their sharp beaks pointed outward as if preparing to strike. Bright orbs of light hovered over the area, pushing back the darkness. Silver hummingbirds, Kyle’s Patronus, flitted around the hut, clashing with Dementors as they swooped down. Beside them, a powerful silver wolf—Brett’s Patronus—prowled the perimeter, snarling and lunging at the dark creatures, driving them back with each leap.
“The students… they’ve fortified the hut themselves,” Flitwick murmured in amazement.
“The shield is cracking,” Sprout warned, pointing to the shimmering Protego Maxima as fractures spread across its surface.
McGonagall raised her wand. “We need to reinforce it. Now!”
A burst of silver light erupted as the professors conjured their Patronuses, a cat, a badger, and a raven sweeping forward, scattering the Dementors with forceful magic.
The hut’s door burst open, and before they could see who it was, Kyle and Brett reacted instinctively. "Protego!" Kyle cast, while Brett followed with a firm "Expelliarmus!" The shield flared to life as Brett’s spell disarmed the figures at the entrance, sending their wands flying before they realized—too late—that the intruders were Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout.
"Oh—professors!" Kyle stammered, eyes wide as he and Brett rushed forward to retrieve their wands. "We are so sorry! We didn’t know it was you!"
McGonagall caught her wand as Kyle handed it back, her expression unreadable for a moment before she gave a small nod. "You were protecting your fellow students," she said simply. "A wise precaution."
Flitwick, taking back his wand, chuckled. "Quick reflexes. Well done."
Sprout simply smiled warmly as she took her wand back. "Everyone accounted for?" McGonagall asked, moving past the incident as if it had never happened.
“Yes, Professor,” Kyle reported. “All safe. Harry fainted from the Dementors’ exposure, but we kept him warm.”
Flitwick stepped forward, checking Harry over before nodding. “He’ll recover, thanks to your quick thinking.”
With that reassurance, the professors began escorting the students back to the castle, ensuring everyone stayed together as they made their way into the Great Hall. The anxious murmuring of the gathered students fell silent as the doors opened, and all eyes turned toward the group who had been trapped in Hagrid’s hut.
Flitwick raised his wand. “Sonorus.” His voice echoed across the Great Hall. “The Dementor threat has passed. The lockdown is now lifted.”
McGonagall stepped forward, her sharp gaze sweeping over the students. “Before you all return to your dormitories, I have an important announcement.” She turned toward the students who had taken shelter in Hagrid’s hut. “Your bravery, quick thinking, and teamwork ensured everyone’s safety in an incredibly dangerous situation. For your efforts in protecting one another, I am awarding thirty points each to Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.”
Applause broke out across the hall, and though exhaustion weighed on them, the students who had been at Hagrid’s hut exchanged small smiles, relief settling over them.
The danger had passed, but none would soon forget the terror of that moment—or the strength they had found in each other.