Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 144 Moving "Castle"

As Professor McGonagall's wand traced its final, intricate arc, the Founders' Ship emitted a deep hum, and the air around its hull began to twist and deform.

Snape felt a strange chill spread from the soles of his feet to his entire body, only to vanish in an instant.

He looked down and saw that his hands were gone, his robe was gone, and even the solid deck beneath his feet had disappeared.

Snape could feel the ship moving beneath his feet, 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 only left with his eyes, floating in this almost completely dark depths.

He could hear the splashing sound of the ship breaking through the water, feel the texture of the wand in his hand, and even see schools of silver fish swimming past him, curiously circling around this invisible barrier.

The light from the oil lamps hanging on the mast still lingered, like golden orbs suspended in the void, illuminating a small patch of water around it, but revealing no one.

Suddenly, he felt something wriggling out of his collar. A cool, slippery sensation wrapped around his neck. It was Nagini.

“No, not now.” Snape instinctively reached out and pressed the snake inside his collar to stop it from swimming away.

He could feel his fingers touching Nagini's cold scales. He gently pushed the snake into his collar and whispered, "Don't come out, it's not safe now."

Nagini rubbed against his fingers, then obediently withdrew them, only occasionally licking his skin with her forked tongue, as if to confirm his presence.

Just then, the cabin door creaked softly. Snape turned his head—if he still had a head—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 on the empty deck, tinged with annoyance, “it shouldn’t be completely invisible; it would be enough if we were invisible from the outside.”

The sound of a wand being swung echoed through the air.

A wave of magic swept over his body, as if someone had erased his invisibility. Snape first saw his hands reappear in his field of vision, then his robes, his boots, and finally his entire body.

On the deck, like a photograph in developing solution, the figures of everyone gradually appeared.

Several younger students were standing furtively by the hatch, clearly stunned by the underwater scenery before them, their mouths agape.

One of the first-year students, Hufflepuff named Smith, even reached out to touch the magical barrier. He cried out in surprise when his fingers touched the invisible membrane.

“Don’t worry,” Professor Flitwick said sharply, tiptoeing to pat the boy’s shoulder. “The barrier is very strong; you won’t fall out. But please take your hands back, just in case.”

Snape looked down and saw Nagini's head peeking out from her collar again, her green eyes fixed longingly on the schools of fish darting around the ship. He gently tapped her nose: "No, it's deep water outside." The little snake hissed in disappointment, but obediently shrank back inside.

To his surprise, Professor McGonagall did not reprimand the students who had sneaked out; instead, she waved to them.

“Come here, stand on the deck.” She lit her wand, and the soft light illuminated a larger area of ​​water. “Look over there, the mermaid village in the Black Lake. You may not have this opportunity again for many years.”

Guided and instructed by Professor McGonagall, more and more students emerged from the cabin.

Dozens of students quickly took their places on the deck, while a dozen or so house-elves carrying hot cocoa scurried among them.

Where the magic wand's glow pointed, the outlines of stone houses scattered among the water plants could be vaguely seen, speckled with algae. In the center of the mermaid village's square stood a rough statue: a large mermaid carved from a boulder, holding a trident, majestically overlooking the village.

Several little mermaids noticed the disturbance in the water flow and swam out from the dark windows, reaching out to feel the ripples in the water with curiosity.

Their fathers swam back to the village from the stern of the ship, stood beside their children, and waved to the unseen Hogwarts teachers and students.

“Mermaids 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. From now on, you will receive your Hogwarts magical education on this ship. In the future, all the teachers and I will do our best to ensure your safety."

Snape noticed that although her voice was firm, her hand holding the wand was trembling slightly. He frowned and was about to step forward when he was interrupted by a soft voice.

“President,” a Ravenclaw girl quietly moved closer to him, her light brown braids appearing bluish in the water. She nervously twisted her fingers, “Where are we going?”

Snape's gaze shifted from a giant squid swimming past the ship. Its tentacles left fleeting iridescent trails as they brushed against the magical barrier.

“We will go to many places,” he said softly, bowing his head. “We will walk on vast lands; we will drift on boundless seas; we will fly in the expansive skies. Until…” He paused, “…we will return to Hogwarts Castle.”

The girl seemed puzzled, her eyes showing both curiosity and worry.

Seeing her wide eyes, Snape added, "We'll be going to lots of fun places, and we can go wherever we want, unlike our classmates who stay in the castle."

"Really?" several students around asked in unison. Their eyes lit up.

Snape then realized that he was surrounded by a group of younger students, all looking at him with expectant eyes.

“Of course.” Snape nodded, watching as the worry on the young wizards’ faces gradually turned into anticipation.

The children forgot their fear and began excitedly discussing possible destinations.

After sailing for an unknown period of time, the Founder's Ship suddenly trembled slightly. The bow began to tilt upwards, as if being lifted by an invisible hand.

Snape immediately stopped and saw Professor McGonagall stride toward the bow of the ship, wand raised high.

“Prepare to surface!” she announced.

With a gentle ripple, the boat silently broke through the water's surface. Moonlight poured down like silver gauze, and everyone involuntarily squinted.

Snape blinked, adjusting to the sudden light: they were in the middle of a wide river, with towering buildings in the distance and thousands of lights turning the night sky orange-red.

A magnificent suspension bridge spans the river, with vehicles flowing across its surface, their red taillights forming a flowing river of light; a huge crescent moon slowly rises from between the bridge's bases, its bronze surface shimmering with city lights like stars; on the nearby riverbank, pedestrians stroll leisurely, completely unaware of the magical ships beside them.

“How beautiful!” Their Muggle Studies professor, Kereddy Bubbaggie, excitedly squeezed to the ship’s side, his eyes wide as he looked at everything before him. “Oh! That’s a bicycle! And that—that’s a phone booth!”

“Is that the Shard? Merlin, it’s so magnificent in real life!” She turned to the students on the deck. “Look at those lights, Muggles don’t need magic or torches to keep the city perpetually bright!” But most of them remained silent, occasionally blinking in confusion.

Professor Bubbaje immediately realized that most of the students on the ship were Muggle-born and were already used to the sight before them.

Slightly embarrassed, she adjusted her glasses and glanced around the crowd until she spotted Sirius and James.

“Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, come here quickly!” Her eyes lit up again, and she walked over enthusiastically, grabbing their sleeves. “You’ve probably never seen these before, have you? Those speeding metal boxes are called cars, and they burn fuel—”

“Gasoline, Professor, I know,” Sirius interrupted her. “My uncle Alphad has a motorcycle.” Seeing the professor’s disappointed expression, he added with a hint of pride, “Muggle inventions are sometimes more exciting than flying brooms.”

Snape shrugged helplessly and turned to see if his friends needed an introduction, only to see Abbott and Mary leaning against the other side of the ship's railing.

The girl excitedly pointed to the Ferris wheel on the shore, while Abbot listened intently with a happy expression, occasionally letting out a gasp of amazement.

“The London Eye is 443 feet tall,” Mary’s voice drifted on the wind, “and at night it turns into a giant blue halo…”

"That kid..." Snape cursed under his breath. He couldn't help but suspect that Abbott's insistence on coming along wasn't purely out of friendship.

Just then, he felt someone gently touch his arm—it was Lily. She winked at him with a mischievous smile on her lips, clearly having also noticed the behavior of the two "close friends."

The Founder's Boat glided quietly on the shimmering river for a while before its hull shook again.

Before anyone could react, the ship suddenly took off. A gasp rippled through the young wizards on deck, and several lower-grade students nervously grabbed the arms of those around them.

An elderly couple strolling along the riverbank suddenly stopped. The man looked towards the center of the river in confusion, but only saw a calm surface.

"Did you hear that sound, darling?" His voice faintly came through the magical barrier.

The woman smiled and shook her head: "It's probably a seagull." They smiled at each other and continued their stroll along the riverbank.

As the ship ascended higher, the London nightscape unfolded below, the Thames transformed into a winding ribbon of light, and the streets resembled glowing spiderwebs.

The night breeze was gentle, the temperature was pleasant, and it felt as if the whole world was making way for them.

Just then, Snape suddenly heard a slight noise. Turning his head, he saw Professor McGonagall sway, her wand nearly slipping from her grasp.

Eileen, who was next to her, immediately helped her up.

Only now did Snape notice Professor McGonagall's tired face. Deep dark circles hung under her eyes, and her lips were pale from being tense for so long.

“Minerva, you need to rest,” Professor Flitwick said worriedly. He had to stand on tiptoe to reach Professor McGonagall’s arm.

“There’s no time to rest,” Professor McGonagall shook her head, forcing herself to stay alert, and said stubbornly, “I must ensure the students’ safety.”

“This isn’t your fault alone, Professor.” Snape walked toward her. “Don’t follow the example of that old man lying in the ship’s medical bay right now.” Under Professor McGonagall’s stern gaze, he continued, “If he hadn’t been so reckless, we wouldn’t be here now.” He looked directly into Professor McGonagall’s eyes. “If you were to go down there too, Professor, you’d only cause us more trouble.”

“Mind your manners, Severus!” Eileen snapped, but Professor McGonagall unexpectedly smiled. The smile seemed to lessen the weariness on her face.

“You’re right, Mr. Snape.” She raised her hand and wearily rubbed her temples, then turned to Professor Flitwick. “Felius, I’ll leave this to you. I really need to rest for a while.”

“Don’t worry, Minerva,” Professor Flitwick said immediately, straightening his back. “I will never let anything happen to the students.”

Eileen gave Snape a reproachful look, then took Professor McGonagall's arm and said, "I'll take you to the captain's cabin, Professor. There's a very comfortable feather bed there, and I've also concocted some calming potions..." As they entered the cabin, she turned back and nodded to Snape, her eyes filled with approval.

The ship was still climbing, bringing a touch of coolness as it passed through the thin clouds.

The moonlight, like water, poured onto the deck.

Snape returned to the ship's side and looked down at the city lights that were gradually shrinking.

Familiar footsteps came from both sides, and Pandora and Lily naturally stood on his left and right, their sleeves gently touching in the wind.

They silently appreciated the rare moment of tranquility that had come their way.

“Look at that star,” Lily suddenly pointed to the sky, “isn’t it incredibly bright?”

“Uh…” Pandora tilted her head. “It seems to be moving! Is that the airplane Professor Bubbaji talked about?”

Snape was about to answer when he felt a lightness in his collar: Nagini nimbly slipped out and deftly climbed onto the ship's side under his worried gaze.

The little snake's tongue lightly touched the back of Pandora's hand.

“Oh, she remembers me!” Pandora looked at Nagini with surprise. “She’s even more beautiful than before!” She held out her fingers, and Nagini affectionately wrapped them around her wrist.

Then, Nagini moved closer to Lily and looked at her curiously. Lily cautiously reached out and touched her.

Pandora looked up at Snape, her pale silver eyes gleaming in the moonlight: "Severus, how about letting Nagini stay with us for a few days?"

Looking into her pleading eyes, Snape couldn't bear to refuse. He leaned down and whispered a few words to Nagini in Parsley. The little snake raised its head, seemingly thinking, and then nimbly skipped over Snape and slipped into Pandora's sleeve.

The ship shuddered slightly again, and all three stumbled. Snape instinctively grabbed Pandora and Lily's wrists.

"Attention! We're about to pass through the clouds!" Professor Flitwick's shrill warning came from behind.

Countless tiny ice crystals condensed into frost patterns on the protective shield, then quickly melted away.

The ship began to accelerate, the wind howled in our ears, and the surrounding clouds swept by like wisps of silk.

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(End of this chapter)