Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter One: Curious Time

It was time.

The clock ticked on and on, begging for the attention I didn't want to give it. Ticking closer and closer to 11:00 on September the first, staring down at me from the large clock inside Kings Cross Station. Platforms nine and ten stared at me from ahead while that damned clock ticked at me from behind.

It was time.

But how could it already be here? It felt like only yesterday I'd gotten off the train and rolled my trolley out into London. Seemed only yesterday I'd walked back to my empty city home yet again. A whole summer passed in the blink of an eye, and I couldn't much recall what I had done.

But here I was, frozen before the hidden archway, clock ticking, my train getting ready to leave in the next ten minutes, wondering where all the time had gone. Steadying myself with a deep breath, I walked forward quickly, passing through the barrier without any Muggle the wiser to my sudden disappearance.

It was time.

The darkness of the passage pressed in around me for a moment and I allowed myself the opportunity to take one more steadying breath before the steam filled platform came into view and I rushed forward to find a hopefully still empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express.

I didn't want to see anyone just yet.

Luckily, anyone I may have known either seemed to be saying goodbye to family or in an already full compartment in the scarlet steam engine emblazoned with the crest of Hogwarts. I made a beeline for the train, wishing now that I hadn't wasted so much time with my contemplation earlier. The clock was ticking faster.

Reaching an entry at the middle point of the train, I pointed my wand at my trunk, whispering a levitation charm as I did so to make the task of loading my trunk by myself easier. As I stepped onto the train, trunk following happily behind me as excited first years squished themselves out of the way, I spotted an empty compartment and launched myself at it. I guided my trunk to the upper shelf and plopped myself into the seat, closing the compartment door as I did so.

People were running up and down the corridors, wands, spell books, owl cages, cats and brown wrapped parcels all clutched tightly in arms as loud excited voices echoed after each other as students reunited with friends after a long summer apart. The train lurched forward and we were off, speeding off to Hogwarts.

My heart ached at the sight of reunion in the hall, and I thought about my best friends.

"No," I whispered to myself, pulling my eyes from the corridor and directing them to the window, watching the countryside race by in a blur. "It was for the best."

"What was for the best, Abbi?" Poppy's voice sounded from my compartment door, her trunk levitating behind her as mine had done. She loaded it onto the rack across from mine and sat across from me, her robes flung carelessly onto the seat beside her. I hadn't even heard her open the compartment door.

I smiled at her. Her features broke into a wide grin and I couldn't help but feel a rush of gratitude for my Hufflepuff friend. She'd been there for me through everything fifth year, and never pushed on the subject of the boys I'd once called my best friends. "Oh, nothing, Poppy. How was your summer?"

And with that, she was talking a mile a minute, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear as she told me about her adventures over the summer.

"It was wonderful. Gran and I went to Paris- she wanted to add more to her research into Mooncalf's and see if they differed behaviorally from those here."

"I hope you didn't run into more poacher camps while you were off in Paris, Poppy," I teased, knowing full well that the brunette probably sought them out.

"Maybe one or two," she said with a wave of dismissal. "We've faced enough of them that it wasn't a big deal."

I laughed and we settled into more conversation about her travels. As we caught up, talking and laughing, the sky outside grew darker and darker. Time was yet again racing by, but this time I didn't seem to mind. If I wasn't alone, the crushing weight of time didn't seem to have the same impact. We were barreling towards Hogsmead, Hogwarts, the surrounding wizarding Hamlets and our seventh year.

It was time.

"Can you believe it's already our last year at Hogwarts?" I asked, standing to pull the blinds closed as the lamps flicked on to provide light that the setting sun was taking with it so that Poppy and I could change into our school robes. I barely heard her reply as he walked by the compartment.

Sebastian Sallow.

He was here, guiding Ominis through the corridor by his arm, deep in conversation. I noted his brown hair was curlier than the last time I'd seen him. He'd also grown several inches taller this summer. His freckled face was serious, eyebrows pinched together slightly in the center. I quickly pulled the blind down, wanting to avoid the lifting gaze of his deep brown eyes, hoping he hadn't seen me.

But I swore as I pulled away from the door I heard the faintest falter in his step before continuing on.

Good.

I quickly put my attention back on Poppy, trying to ignore the buzzing in my stomach at the sight of my fellow Slytherin.

"-it must be such a odd feeling for you, of course, having this be your third and last year at Hogwarts. I couldn't imagine only getting three years at the castle."

I smiled weakly at her as I pulled on my uniform, black skirt that stopped just above my knees, white button down shirt, dark green velvet vest embroidered with the silver serpent of Salazar Slytherin and finally my long black Slytherin robes, green silk lining the inside. "It is kind of odd," I said, thinking hard. "Maybe that's why I keep thinking about time."

Poppy fastened the clasp of her own robes before looking at me, head tilted slightly to the side. "Time?"

"Yeah," I said. "I think it feels like everything's going so fast. Like there's almost not enough of it or something."

"Oh, I get it," Poppy sighed as she flopped down into the seat again, arms crossed. "I've been there- when I was in the poacher camp with my parents. It's like time won't stop no matter what you do, right?"

"Yes," I breathed. I felt the train lurch and slow down rapidly. We were here.

Poppy lead the way from the compartment, her brown hair longer than the last time I'd seen her. Her usual bob traded for a braid that stopped just between her shoulder blades.

"Growing your hair out?" I asked, flicking the end of her braid over her shoulder.

"Just didn't have time to get it cut," she groaned, shoving it behind her again. "I'll tell you what though, first free second I have, I'm in Hogsmead cutting it off. You can come with if you want, we can grab a Butterbeer after."

"Sounds wonderful, Poppy."

We trudged up the path from the train station, and I looked around, taking in the sights and familiar smells of the village. The carriages pulled by thestrals waited for us, and we clambered into one, followed by two third year students we didn't know before the carriage set off.

It was time.