i see the light ; snowbaz!tangled

xix

Baz

We manage to get onto the train just as the doors are closing, even though Snow almost trips down the platform gap. There's some guy humming along loudly to a song on his headphones sitting next to me, and it's getting on my nerves. Penny's fiddling with the zips on her anorak, and Snow is running his hands through his stupid curls like he's getting paid for it, tapping his shoe on the floor until I shoot him a glare.

That's when the train shrieks to a stop so suddenly I half lurch into the seat in front of me. I give Penny a sideways glance- she looks worried. Everyone turns to each other in confusion. Minutes pass in almost silence, listening for an announcement to ring out, so I can breathe a sigh of relief. Snow looks totally oblivious. I know I shouldn't be so paranoid- it's probably just been delayed from rail engineering works or something. But after the years of attacks on Watford, the amount of times that the school has almost been closed, despite the Mage's pathetic 'attempts' to try do something, it's like my brain's been trained to be constantly on edge, ready to switch into fight or flight mode at the slightest disturbance. It's the silence that's getting to me. It's like the silence in the Catacombs- I can hear every breath I take. No-one seems to be worried, they just seem to be...silent. Frozen.

And then the train starts to shake. Slowly at first, so that if it weren't for the creaking and groaning of the wheels I wouldn't've noticed it. Then faster, until we're stumbling side to side. But no-one is speaking, no-one is shouting, no-one is demanding to know what's going on. In a way it's a relief, it gives me time to think, and also to worry. But it's eerie. Simon and Penny and I are the only ones who seem to be awake, from what I can see. Everyone in the carriage is glassy-eyed, leaning over onto each other, like someone has cast a sleep spell. A piercing noise breaks through the aching whine of the train, the sound of someone rubbing a wet finger round a glass rim. The train windows start to quiver, and suddenly something snaps and everything starts screaming, herding into the centre of the train. The sound is getting into my head, overtaking my brain, muddling my thoughts.

And then it stops, as suddenly as it started. I open my eyes just in time to catch the windows melt away like they're made of ice. But as soon as the first noise stopped, another noise begins; a loud thrumming this time. It sounds like a swarm.

"Everyone get down!" someone yells. But it sounds distant, like the thrumming sound is diluting all other noise, leeching the energy out of the world. There's a loud thump, and I look behind me. The entire carriage has collapsed onto the floor like some new-age version of Sleeping Beauty, except for about half a dozen people staring worriedly around them plus me, Penny and Simon. I can hear them murmuring: Humdrum seems to be a recurring theme. I guess Normals can't handle the Humdrum. Messes with their minds, like it messes with our magic.

And then I start to feel it. The dry, scratching feeling that gets under your skin, tugging behind your fingertips, leaving you helpless. The room starts to blur, and I rub my eyes, but I don't think it's my vision. The screaming has come back, and I have to check that it's not me. I glance over at Snow quickly. He looks terrified, gripping onto Penny's arm for dear life.

Everyone reaches for something simultaneously: most pull out wands, someone even brings out a fancy wristwatch and starts muttering protection spells. I instinctively reach for my wand as well, even though I know it won't be any good. I just like having it in my hand, to calm my nerves.

Suddenly, everything seems to focus on a certain spot, all the thrumming and screeching, and my vision's sharp again except for that one spot. The spot is in the seat opposite me, where Snow was sitting. Everyone points their magickal instruments towards the spot with shaking arms. There are mutters of police and Mage's Men. Even through my thrashing headache and everything that's going on right now, I have to hold back a snort. The Mage's Men aren't on call, at least not like that. They're not Ghostbusters. What would they do, anyway? Bore the Humdrum to death?