Bound By Blood (Muggle Meets Magic #2)

NINETEEN - Al's Promise

I awoke to the faint sound of chatter, and my head pounded as bright sunlight greeted me.

It took me a moment to realize where I was, as my eyes drifted around the carriage. Except now it was empty, and clearly the morning. The chatter was coming from outside the carriage.

I sat up, and the invisibility cloak tumbled off of me. I made to get up, but tripped on my still-bound feet. Cursing, I hurriedly untied myself and finally got to my feet, racing to the window and planting my hands on the glass as I peered outside.

We were at the train station at Hogwarts. Students were still boarding the train, but it looked like we were minutes from leaving. I must have travelled back hours in time. How long had I been sleeping in the carriage for?

I moved towards the door, but stopped myself after just a few steps. My first instinct was to go up to the castle and tell Professor Plumble everything, but then I realized—I was still missing my wand. And by the time I reached the castle, the train would have left the station. I might be safe, but Lucas and Callie would still have my wand, the vials of my blood, and they'd disappear again before we could catch them.

I couldn't let that happen!

Voices were getting rowdier as people boarded. The one I stood in was empty—abandoned and meant for storage. But If Callie and Lucas were going to be on this train, they could show up here any second. I needed to move fast, and hide.

I rushed back to grab the invisibility cloak, which I'd left on the floor. As I bent down to grab it, I looked up at the crate I'd been slumped against earlier... but there was no loose nail sticking out.

I stared at the crate for a moment. If I left it like this... there was no guarantee the nail would be loose by the time Lucas and Callie dragged me here. Did I loosen the nail the first time to save myself?

I couldn't blast it off—I didn't have my wand. But perhaps I could loosen it with my own hands, or a nearby tool...

I looked around the carriage, but there was nothing that I could use. Then I heard voices getting closer, and I jolted to my feet. It was no use—I had to get out of here now.

The door opened just as I threw the cloak over me, but nobody entered. But a second later, Lucas pulled the invisibility cloak off of him and scanned the space.

I held my breath. What was he looking for?

This was my chance to slip out undetected. I couldn't stick around to find out what he was doing. So I crept quickly towards the door, and just as he was turning to close the door, I slipped out of the carriage and heard the door snap shut behind me.

Standing in the corridor of the carriages, I looked around for somewhere to hide, but every carriage would be full of students by now—and they would freak out if doors started opening on their own because they couldn't see me under the cloak.

I began a brisk walk from one end of the train to the next, weaving my way through idling students. I looked over my shoulder a couple of times, but Lucas and Callie seemed oblivious that I'd been in the carriage with them.

Finally, I reached the Ravenclaw carriages. I knew I shouldn't be seen, and I was risking running into my past self, so I needed to hurry up and find a place to hide. And then I needed to figure out my next steps.

Eventually, I walked past the bathroom, and a lightbulb went off in my brain. I rushed inside to hide in one of the stalls.

Once I was hidden in a stall, I finally felt like I had a moment to compose myself. The chances of running into Callie or Lucas in here were slim.