As Professor McGonagall drew the last intricate stroke with her wand, the Founder's Ship let out a low hum, and the air around its hull began to twist and distort.
Snape felt a strange chill spread from his feet to his entire body, but it vanished instantly. He looked down, and his hands were gone, his robes were gone, and even the solid deck beneath his feet had disappeared.
Snape could feel the ship moving beneath him, though when he looked down, he saw not the deck, but the same deep, dark blue water as above. It was as if he were just a pair of eyes, floating in this almost lightless deep.
He could hear the sloshing sound of the ship cutting through the water, could feel the texture of the wand in his hand, and even saw silver fish swimming by, circling this invisible barrier out of curiosity.
The light from the oil lamp hanging from the mast still glowed, like a golden orb suspended in the void, illuminating a small area of water around it, but revealing no one's presence.
Suddenly, he felt something wriggling from his collar, trying to get out. A cold, slimy sensation wrapped around his neck. It was Nagini.
"No, not now," Snape instinctively reached out, pressing the little snake back into his collar, preventing her from slithering away. He could feel his fingers touch Nagini's cold scales. He gently pushed the little snake further into his collar and whispered, "Don't come out, it's not safe now."
Nagini nudged his finger, obediently retreating, only occasionally flicking her forked tongue lightly against his skin, as if confirming his presence.
Just then, the cabin door let out a soft creak. Snape turned his head—if he still had a head, that is—but saw no one opening the door.
"Minerva," Professor Flitwick's voice came from nearby, "Isn't this invisibility a bit too thorough?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Professor McGonagall's voice rang out across the empty deck, with a hint of exasperation. "It shouldn't be completely invisible; being unseen from the outside is enough."
The sound of a wand swishing through the air followed. A wave of magic swept over them, as if someone had erased the invisibility with an eraser. Snape first saw his hands reappear in his vision, then his robes, his boots, and finally his entire body.
The deck gradually revealed everyone's figures, like a photograph developing in a darkroom.
Several younger students were stealthily standing by the cabin door, clearly awestruck by the underwater view, their mouths agape. One first-year Hufflepuff named Smith even reached out to touch the magical barrier. When his fingers met the invisible film, he let out a gasp.
"Don't worry," Professor Flitwick squeaked, standing on tiptoes to pat the boy's shoulder. "The barrier is very strong; it won't let you fall out. Still, please pull your hand back, just in case."
Snape looked down and found Nagini's head poking out of his collar again, her green eyes eagerly fixed on the fish darting outside the ship. He gently tapped her nose: "No, it's deep water out there." The little snake hissed disappointedly but obediently retreated.
To his surprise, Professor McGonagall didn't reprimand the students who had snuck out. Instead, she beckoned to them.
"Come over here, stand on the deck." She lit her wand, and its soft glow illuminated a larger area of the water. "Look over there, the merpeople village in the Black Lake. You might not get another chance like this for many years."
Following Professor McGonagall's guidance and instructions, more and more students emerged from the ship's cabin. The deck was soon filled with dozens of students, and a dozen house-elves scurried among them, carrying hot cocoa.
Where the wand's light pointed, the outlines of stone houses nestled among the water weeds were faintly visible, speckled with algae. In the center of the merpeople's small village square stood a rough statue: a large merperson carved from a boulder, holding a trident, majestically overlooking the village.
A few young merpeople noticed the disturbed water flow and swam out from the dark windows, reaching out in confusion to feel the water's ripples. Their elders swam back to the village from behind the ship, standing beside their children and waving to the invisible Hogwarts teachers and students.
"Merpeople have special sensory abilities," Professor McGonagall explained from the bow of the ship, her voice much softer than usual. "They can detect magical fluctuations." She turned to all the students, "Students, this is the first stop on our journey."
"Don't be nervous, everyone. In the days to come, you will receive your Hogwarts magical education on this ship. In the future, I and all the teachers will do our utmost to ensure your safety."
Snape noticed that although her voice was firm, the hand holding her wand trembled slightly. He frowned, about to step forward, but was interrupted by a soft voice.
"Head of House," a Ravenclaw girl quietly edged up beside him, her light brown braid reflecting blue in the water's light. She nervously wrung her fingers. "Where exactly are we going?"
Snape's gaze shifted from a giant squid swimming past the ship outside. Its tentacles left fleeting iridescence as they brushed against the magical barrier.
"We'll be going to many places," he said softly, looking down. "We'll walk on vast lands; we'll float on endless oceans; we'll fly through boundless skies. Until—" He paused. "—we return to Hogwarts Castle."
The girl seemed a bit puzzled, her eyes showing both curiosity and worry. Seeing her wide eyes, Snape added, "We'll go to many interesting places. Compared to those students who stayed in the castle, we can go wherever we please."
"Really?" several students around him asked in unison, their eyes lighting up. Snape then realized he was surrounded by a circle of younger students, all looking at him with hopeful eyes.
"Of course." Snape nodded, watching the worry on the young wizards' faces gradually turn into anticipation. The children forgot their fear and began excitedly discussing possible destinations.
After sailing for an unknown period, the Founder's Ship suddenly vibrated slightly. The bow began to rise, as if lifted by an unseen hand. Snape immediately steadied his feet and saw Professor McGonagall quickly walk to the front of the ship, wand raised high.
"Prepare to surface!" she announced.
With a gentle ripple of water, the ship silently broke through the surface. Moonlight poured down like silver gauze, and everyone instinctively squinted. Snape blinked, adjusting to the sudden light: they were in the middle of a wide river, with towering buildings in the distance. Thousands of lights painted the night sky orange-red.
A majestic suspension bridge spanned the river, with a constant stream of cars crossing it, their red taillights forming a flowing river of light; a huge crescent moon was slowly rising from between the bridge supports, city lights twinkling like stars on its coppery surface; on the nearby riverbanks, pedestrians strolled leisurely, completely unaware of the magical ship beside them.
"How beautiful!" Professor Charity Burbage, their Muggle Studies teacher, excitedly squeezed to the ship's railing, her eyes wide as she took in everything before her. "Oh! Are those bicycles! And that—that's a phone booth!"
"Is that The Shard? Merlin, it's even more magnificent in real life!" She turned to the students on deck. "Look at those lights; Muggles don't need magic or torches to make the city perpetually bright!"
But most of the crowd remained quiet, occasionally blinking in confusion. Professor Burbage immediately realized that most of the students on this ship were Muggle-born and already familiar with the sight before them. She adjusted her glasses, slightly embarrassed, and her gaze darted around the crowd until she spotted Sirius and James.
"Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, come here quickly!" Her eyes lit up again, and she enthusiastically walked over, pulling at their sleeves. "You must have never seen these before, those speeding iron boxes are called cars, they run on—"
"Petrol, Professor, I know," Sirius interrupted her. "My uncle Alphard has a motorcycle." Seeing the professor's disappointed expression, he added with a hint of pride, "Muggle inventions are sometimes more thrilling than broomsticks."
Snape shrugged helplessly, turning to see if his friends needed any introductions, but saw Abbott and Mary leaning against the other side of the railing. The girl excitedly pointed at the Ferris wheel on the shore, while Abbott listened with a delighted expression, occasionally exclaiming in awe.
"The London Eye is 443 feet tall," Mary's voice drifted on the wind. "At night it turns into a huge blue halo—"
"That boy," Snape muttered under his breath. He couldn't help but suspect that Abbott's insistence on coming along wasn't purely out of friendly affection.
Just then, he felt someone lightly touch his arm—it was Lily, who winked at him, a mischievous smile playing on her lips, clearly having noticed the "close friends'" behavior.
The Founder's Ship glided silently on the shimmering river for a while, then the hull vibrated again. Before anyone could react, the ship suddenly lifted into the air. A gasp went through the young wizards on deck, and several younger students nervously clutched the arms of those beside them.
An elderly couple strolling on the riverbank suddenly stopped, the man looking at the center of the river in confusion, but only seeing calm water. "Did you hear something, dear?" His voice faintly reached them through the magic barrier. His companion smiled and shook her head: "Probably seagulls." They exchanged a smile and continued their stroll along the riverbank.
The ship rose higher and higher, London's nightscape spreading out below them, the Thames becoming a winding ribbon of light, the streets like a glowing spiderweb. The night breeze was gentle, the temperature pleasant, as if the whole world was making way for them.
Just then, Snape suddenly heard a subtle movement. Turning his head, he saw Professor McGonagall sway, her wand almost slipping from her grasp. Eileen, standing beside her, immediately steadied her.
It was only then that Snape truly saw Professor McGonagall's exhausted face. Deep dark circles hung beneath her eyes, and her lips were bloodless from being tightly pressed together for so long.
"Minerva, you need to rest," Professor Flitwick said worriedly. He had to stand on his tiptoes to reach Professor McGonagall's arm.
"No time to rest," Professor McGonagall shook her head, forcing herself to rally, and said stubbornly, "I must ensure the students' safety."
"This isn't your sole responsibility, Professor," Snape said, walking towards her. "You shouldn't try to be like that old man currently in the ship's infirmary." In the face of Professor McGonagall's stern gaze, he continued, "If he hadn't tried to do everything himself, we wouldn't be here now." He looked directly into Professor McGonagall's eyes. "If you end up in there too, Professor, it'll only cause us more trouble."
"Mind your manners, Severus!" Eileen whispered, reprimanding him, but Professor McGonagall unexpectedly smiled. The smile seemed to lighten the fatigue on her face a little.
"You're right, Mr. Snape." She raised a hand to rub her temples wearily and turned to Professor Flitwick. "Filius, I'll leave this to you. I really do need some rest."
"Don't worry, Minerva," Professor Flitwick said immediately, puffing out his chest. "I won't let anything happen to the students."
Eileen still gave Snape a reproachful look, then supported Professor McGonagall's arm: "I'll take you to the captain's quarters, Professor. There's a rather comfortable feather bed there, and I've brewed some calming potions—" As she entered the cabin, she turned back and nodded to Snape, with approval in her eyes.
The ship continued to climb, bringing with it a subtle coolness as it passed through thin clouds. Moonlight, like water, poured onto the deck.
Snape returned to the ship's rail, watching the city lights below shrink. Familiar footsteps sounded on either side, and Pandora and Lily naturally took their places to his left and right, their sleeves gently brushing in the wind. They silently enjoyed this rare moment of peace today.
"Look at that star," Lily suddenly pointed to the sky. "Isn't it especially bright?"
"Hmm," Pandora tilted her head. "It seems to be moving! Is that one of those aeroplanes Professor Burbage talked about?"
Snape was about to answer when he felt a lightness at his collar: Nagini deftly slithered out, climbing gracefully onto the ship's railing under his worried gaze. The little snake's tongue lightly touched Pandora's hand.
"Oh, she remembers me!" Pandora looked at Nagini in surprise. "She's even prettier than before!" She extended a finger, and Nagini affectionately coiled around her wrist.
Next, Nagini moved in front of Lily, looking at her curiously. Lily carefully reached out and touched her too.
Pandora looked up at Snape, her light silver eyes sparkling in the moonlight: "Sev, how about Nagini stays with us for a few days?"
Seeing her pleading eyes, Snape couldn't bring himself to refuse. He leaned down and whispered a few words to Nagini in Parseltongue. The little snake raised her head, seemingly contemplating, then gracefully slithered past Snape and into Pandora's robe sleeve.
The ship trembled slightly again, and all three of them stumbled at the same time. Snape instinctively grabbed Pandora's and Lily's wrists.
"Attention! We're about to pass through the clouds!" Professor Flitwick's high-pitched warning came from behind them.
Countless tiny ice crystals condensed into frost patterns on the protective barrier, then rapidly melted away. The ship began to accelerate, the high-altitude wind howling in their ears, and the surrounding clouds streamed past like wisps of silk.
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