Out of the Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Ten

I came to, slowly, Ellie slapping my face gently and rubbing my chest with her other fist.

"Rachel! RACHEL! Wake up! We need to go! NOW!" Ellie saw my eyes barely open and grabbed me by my arms dragging me up to my feet.

"I'm sorry but they know someone is in here. We need to go quickly before they find us. We'll be sent to Azkaban! NO one is allowed in here! EVER!" she huffed while dragging me down a side aisle avoiding the lighted wands of searching wizards just on the other side.

Well, THAT would have been good to know before we decided to come in here.

"D... Do you know the disillusionment charm?" I barely huffed out, unable to speak.

She paused and looked at me. "You're incredibly smart. And tricky!" She smiled and pulled her wand out disillusioning us both. She grabbed my hand and we moved as fast as we could to the door. We went through quickly and toward the exit of the Time Room.

As we passed a large desk in the middle of the room, something shiny caught my eye. I saw a small gold trinket like the Time Turner Ellie showed me earlier.

"So far, I've gotten one to go back in time a year and send you back to the exact moment you left. But it only works the once. I think. As my theory is that it only works the once I haven't tried it. I gave it to my superiors though. If they have the guts to try it, God be with them."

I don't know what possessed me. My hand reached out of its own accord and wrapped around the trinket, stuffed it inside my pocket and I continued toward the door with Ellie.

We made it back to her office swiftly with no one the wiser it would seem.

We stood there, both slightly out of breath, just staring at each other.

Finally, Ellie spoke. "Are you ok?" I could almost feel that that was not what she wanted to ask.

"No." I answered honestly. "I'm really not ok."

"You don't have to tell me the details... I just wanted you to know... that it was there." She said timidly.

"I know, Ellie. It's not your fault. It was just... a lot to take in."

"So, it was about you, then?" She asked, trying to get some information out of me.

"Yes. It was my mother. And a vision about ... me and my twin brother... destroying the world." I could barely get it out. It was all too much.

Her eyes widened and for the first time Ellie was lost for words.

I looked down at the floor in complete shock. I had no idea how to manage this information. All in one day. I wanted to talk to someone. I wanted to talk to... him. But that wasn't an option.

"Ellie, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to go home. I... I just can't..." I stumbled around for my reasons.

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Rachel. Take as much time as you need. And I'll be here whenever you want to come back. You can always confide in me if you need to. Ok?" She smiled warmly.

"Thanks. I just... I just... I want to go home." I was struggling so hard to maintain a normal facade until I could get far, far away from the Ministry. Far away from everything. Far away from myself.

I grabbed my things and Ellie escorted me to the Atrium where I took the nearest Floo and popped up in front of the cottage.

Luckily, Mrs. Bickle and Archie were not around. I went straight to my room and shut the door. I paced. I cried. I sat. I screamed. I paced some more. I was trying to process everything.