章節 36: Chapter 36: A Journey Through the Sky
The summer holiday seemed to pass unusually fast. Just as everyone was still basking in the joy of their break, the second school year arrived.
"Augustus, I regret to inform you that your mother and I have a banquet to attend today, so we won't be able to take you to the station. In a moment, you'll board the carriage by yourself. It'll take you directly to King's Cross Station," Clovis explained to Augustus over breakfast in the manor's dining room.
"No problem. You don't need to worry; I can manage on my own," Augustus replied with a nod, lifting a cup of red tea to his lips.
After finishing breakfast, Clovis escorted Augustus to the manor's carriage stop. Under his father's watchful gaze, Augustus boarded the carriage. It quickly lifted into the air, accelerating until it vanished above Julius Manor.
At King's Cross Station, the carriage landed gently. Augustus stepped off into a bustling crowd. The afternoon sunlight poured into the station, illuminating travelers laden with bags and suitcases.
"Mr. Augustus! Over here!" Harry waved enthusiastically. Augustus looked toward the station entrance and saw Harry and Ron anxiously gesturing to him.
Frowning slightly, Augustus approached them, carrying his saker falcon and luggage.
"What are you two doing? The train leaves in less than a minute, and you're not on the platform yet," Augustus said sternly.
Harry, with a glimmer of relief, replied, "We don't know why, but we can't get onto the platform. It's as if someone cast a spell to seal it. Surely you can fix this, right?"
Curious, Augustus directed his gaze toward the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. Using his magical Insight, he observed that a solid stone wall spell had indeed been placed there. He drew his silver wand and cast Alohomora. A beam of red light hit the barrier, but to Augustus's surprise, it had no effect. Could the caster of this spell really be powerful enough to render fifth-level magic useless?
After pondering briefly, Augustus cast Magical Analysis. The returned information enlightened him: the spell was not of human origin but belonged to an entirely different magical system. "That makes things easier," he muttered. With a flick of his wand, a scorching red laser shot out, slicing through the stone wall.
"There. It's open now," Augustus said, gesturing for Harry and Ron to go through.
But neither of them moved, both wearing peculiar expressions.
"What's wrong? If you don't go now, you'll miss the train," Augustus said, puzzled.
"It's already too late—the train must have departed by now!" Harry said, shrugging helplessly.
Glancing at his watch, Augustus realized Harry was right. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, exasperated. Trouble always seemed to follow these two.
"Harry!" Ron suddenly exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "The car!"
"What about it?"
"We can fly the car to Hogwarts!" Ron declared.
"But I thought—"
"We're stuck, aren't we? We have to get back to school, don't we? In emergency situations, young wizards are allowed to use magic. It's in the... uh, Nineteenth Clause or something of the Restriction Statute," Ron said excitedly, turning to Augustus. "Come on! If we hurry, we can catch up to the Hogwarts Express!"
The trio quickly wove through the curious crowd, exited the station, and returned to the old Ford Anglia parked on a side road. Ron tapped it several times with his wand, opening its spacious trunk. They loaded their luggage inside and climbed in.
"Check if anyone's watching," Ron instructed, starting the car with another wand tap.
Harry leaned out of the window. The main road was busy with cars rumbling past, but their side street was completely deserted.
"No one's watching."
Ron pressed a small silver button on the dashboard, and the car vanished—along with its occupants. Harry could feel the vibrations of his seat, hear the engine humming, and sense his glasses perched on his nose, but all he could see was a pair of floating eyes where he once sat.
"Take off," Ron's voice commanded.
The ground and grimy buildings quickly fell away as the car rose higher. Within moments, all of London stretched out below them, a smoky, shimmering expanse.
Suddenly, with a pop, the car and its passengers reappeared.
"Darn it!" Ron cursed, fiddling with the Invisibility Booster.
"Let me fix that," Augustus said, casting Reparo. The faulty switch instantly resumed proper function.
Despite their efforts, the car flickered in and out of invisibility before Ron gave up.
"Hang on!" he shouted, flooring the gas pedal as the car surged upward into thick, cotton-like clouds. The world around them turned dull and hazy.
"What now?" Harry asked, blinking against the disorienting fog.
"We need to spot the train to get our bearings," Augustus advised.
"Let's drop back below the clouds—quickly!"
They descended, squinting against the bright daylight until Harry's shout broke the tension: "There it is! Ahead!"
The Hogwarts Express sped along below them, a scarlet snake slicing through the countryside.
"Due north," Ron noted, checking the compass on the dashboard. "Great, we'll just need to check our position every half hour. Hang on..."
The car shot back into the clouds. Moments later, they broke through into brilliant sunlight.
They entered another world—a dreamlike realm where the car skimmed fluffy white clouds under a dazzling blue sky.
"Now we just need to watch out for planes," Ron quipped.
The surreal journey felt like something out of a myth. Harry marveled at how perfect this travel method seemed: soaring through the skies in a sunlit car, candy within arm's reach, imagining Fred and George's envy when they landed gracefully on Hogwarts' front lawn.
Meanwhile, Augustus sat back, sunlight streaming through the skylight onto his golden hair. The rays mingled with the drifting clouds, their soft hues glimmering against his black robes. The sky and clouds danced in harmony, like a celestial ballet rehearsed for centuries.
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