Scorpius stumbled through the car holding the cardboard box with three teas. The momentum of the train moved him side to side, something that Scorpius never mastered even after six years on the Hogwarts Express. He arrived back to the table where unsurprisingly he found Rose immersed in a book while Albus read the Daily Prophet.
"That took bloody forever," grumbled Scorpius as he sat down next to Rose and handed out the individual teas. "Why did we take this blasted train again?"
"Because we wouldn't be spotted easily on a Muggle train," said Rose without looking up from her book. In addition to the three teenagers, there were six other people spread out amongst the car. The inside was adorned with seats upholstered with blue polyester fabric, yellow rails, hard grey tables, and sticky floors. Although Rose nudged Scorpius when he commented outloud how "disgusting" this train was, Rose and Albus couldn't help but agree with Scorpius' remark.
"How much longer?" said Scorpius.
"Mate, it hasn't even been forty-five minutes," said Al, much to Scorpius' chagrin.
Once they had reached the station at Cardiff, they would go to Scorpius' former au pair's place in the small Wizarding community of Loom'r. They would spend the night at the flat before heading out to the countryside to Bryn Hudoll.
"Ugh!" groaned Scorpius sinking into the firm cushions. Rose silently glared at him, however Scorpius was too preoccupied with his misery to notice her.
"Here, read what the Prophet has to say about my dad," said Al, flinging the paper at Scorpius. On the front cover read "Potter Still Missing - Dead or Alive?"
"Brilliant, because this is exactly what I want..." said Scorpius, however Rose hit him with her book before he could finish that sentence.
"Honestly, you're worse that Hattie, and she's three!" said Rose.
"Ouch, Rosie!" cried Scorpius. "Are you mad?"
"Are you finished whinging?" asked Rose.
Albus could only enjoy their bickering briefly as he spotted something suspicious from the corner of his eye. Two men entered the car wearing long coats that Albus immediately recognized as wizard robes. Suddenly, Albus accidentally made eye contact with one of the men.
"Albus?" asked Rose, noticing her cousin's pensive look.
"Get under the table - now!" whispered Albus.
Albus bolted to his feet as Scorpius grabbed Rose to pull her under the table. Albus barely had time to react when a bright light flashed before his eyes. As Albus blocked the spell, people screamed as they scrambled out of the car. The unnerving sound of metal breaking off made Rose nearly jump and hit her hit against the table, which was barely prevented by Scorpius's left arm.
"Scorpius, we have to do something!" said Rose when she realized Albus was fighting alone.
"Stay here!" said Scorpius as he crawled out of the table and casted a Protego charm to protect Albus. From her vantage point, Rose saw the lower halves of the two men moving constantly as they aimed for Albus and Scorpius. Rose gasped when she realized the source of unnerving sound was the wizards breaking off the metal vestibule leading to the back half of the train. Rose could clearly hear the train's wheels turning loudly and the steel tracks shaking from the train's movements.
"Crikey, T-Bird! Ya throw a spell like a girl!"
Chills shivered down Rose's spine at hearing the voice of the man who taunted her at Dover Place over a year ago. Rose could still feel every punch and see every visualize every sneer coming from the despicable Samson Boarspear. Rose quickly peered out from the table to see Albus standing in front of one set of doors and Scorpius on the other side. Although the boys were capable of battling these wizards, Rose was not one to idly sit out on a fight.
"Laconum inflamare," whispered Rose as she waved her wand towards the hems of the wizards' robes. Small flames gradually danced around the feet of Boarspear and T-Bird.
"What the -?!" cried out T-Bird.
"STUPEFY!" cried Scorpius, casting a charm to stun the men. As both men fell backwards, the momentum of the train caused them to fly out of the train without time to grip on to anything. Rose heard the men's screams fading out as they stumbled out of the time.
"C'mon!" said Scorpius, as he and Albus helped Rose from out of the table.
"Hold on!" ordered Albus as he grabbed Scorpius and Rose's hands. Within a blink of an eye, Albus disapparated the three of them out of the carriage to a green pasture on top of a hill overlooking the tracks.
"Is that the train?" said Scorpius, pointing at the set of cars sitting on the rails a few kilometers away from the group. Scorpius was correct in his assumption, as the cars were part of the train the three teenagers escaped from moments before. But, where was the other half of the train?
"Albus, where are we?" demanded Rose as she looked around for any landmarks or signs.
"It's just a random spot I remember from the train window," said Albus brushing some mud off his knees. "It was the only place I could think of..."
"Never mind that," said Scorpius pointing downhill. "We've got to get out of here!"
Sure enough, below at the tracks were three or four figures surveying the tracks. There was no doubt that the figures were the Department of Magical Law Enforcement based on their dark coloured and neatly tailored roads.
Once ago, the trio would have been glad to see the wizard coppers. However, now that Shacklebolt was dead and Albus's father was a fugitive, that same naive belief in law enforcement was nonexistent. That trust disappeared just as quickly as the three of them dashing away from the hill.