Chapter 198: Flying Amongst the Clouds
Chapter 198: Flying Amongst the Clouds
Remus was rendered speechless by Weth's words.
Recently, Sirius had been in great pain, a torment unlike the loss of his best friend. Years after his younger brother's death, to truly come to know him now was another form of agony for Sirius.
Seeing the expression on his friend's face, Remus couldn't help but feel that Sirius would have preferred to have died in prison.
Yet, Sirius did not indulge in uncontrolled outbursts of his anguish, nor did he even weep aloud.
After remaining silent and alone for a long while, he emerged to inform Remus that he wanted to hold a funeral for Regulus.
What could Remus say to that?
Seeing Sirius in such profound distress, Remus could only strive to fulfill his request as much as possible.
However, upon hearing Weth's words, Remus also found them quite reasonable.
What surprised him was that Weth was not solely focused on Sirius, like he was, but instead considered things from the perspective of the already deceased Regulus.
Ironically, such an argument was more likely to persuade Sirius in his current state.
After a moment of silence, Remus said, "I'll ask Sirius for his opinion first. If he agrees as well, then we'll bring Regulus... home."
Naturally, Sirius could not bring himself to disagree.
It felt as though Regulus himself had spoken those words to him, and how could he bear to refuse?
...
However, to bring Regulus' body back, they couldn't simply shove the coffin into the fireplace, nor was it convenient to carry it using Disapparition. So, Remus made another trip to borrow a carriage from Hagrid.
Fortunately, the students had already departed by train, and Hagrid instructed the thestrals to return to school on their own before bringing the carriage to Sirius' home.
Remus cast an Engorgio charm on the carriage, and Hagrid lifted the coffin with both hands, carefully placing it inside.
A dull thud echoed as the coffin landed on the wooden boards, emitting a muffled, somber sound.
Hagrid couldn't hold back his tears any longer, and they fell, pattering on the edge of the carriage.
"Regulus... I never really liked him before... I thought he was just like those evil Slytherins..."
Hagrid sobbed, pulling out his large handkerchief to wipe his eyes. His voice choked with emotion as he said, "I didn't know he was such a good person... Why didn't I invite him for a drink when he was still at school..."
Remus gave a bitter smile, his expression filled with sorrow.
He didn't mention that even if Hagrid had extended an invitation back then, the proud heir of the House of Black might not have acknowledged the gamekeeper.
Instead, he thought about how he had never truly observed that young boy before.
Despite being his friend's younger brother, in their eyes, the 'Slytherin' label had always been more prominent.
At the same time, he also felt a twinge of envy for Hagrid, who could express his sadness so openly.
Perhaps it would be for the better if Sirius could cry like this as well?
Without saying much more, Remus helped Weth climb into the carriage and seated himself as well. Then he said, "Thank you, Hagrid. We'll be off now."
"Mhm." Hagrid nodded, his eyes red-rimmed as he waved. "Don't worry about Ari and Louis. After you reach your destination, they'll fly back on their own."
"Alright, I understand," Remus said.
Weth also bid Hagrid farewell, and Remus tapped the carriage with his wand. Instantly, the entire carriage, along with its occupants, became invisible.
The two thestrals spread their bat-like wings and took to the air, carriage in tow. The winter sky was bitterly cold, and Weth immediately waved his wand a few times, conjuring a hemispherical shield above the carriage to block the icy wind.
"Well done, Weth.
Remus praised, holding the coffin with one hand and pulling the reins with the other to guide their direction.
The Nightmares were incredibly intelligent, and Remus needed only to gently tug on the reins to indicate which way he wanted to go.
The carriage flew over fields and villages, and past Muggle towns. Along the way, Weth also spotted the Hogwarts Express speeding along the tracks, leaving a trail of white smoke in its wake.
To cross a mountain range, the carriage climbed higher and higher, soon entering the cloud layer.
Weth couldn't help but look up, marveling at the fluffy clouds that seemed close enough to touch.
From this vantage point, the sky and the ground seemed inverted, with the soft, white clouds resembling a cozy bed beckoning weary travelers to rest.
"Can we fly into them, Remus?" Weth asked.
Up in the high altitudes, even with the magical shield blocking the fierce winds, the roaring gusts still drowned out Remus' hearing, prompting him to shout, "What?"
Weth had to repeat his question, this time louder.
"We can't fly through the clouds; we'll get drenched in an instant... Oh..."
Remus, who had been focused on steering, suddenly noticed the shield surrounding the carriage and realized what Weth was asking. He pulled sharply on the reins, and the Nightmares plunged headlong into the thick cloud bank.
In an instant, their vision was enveloped in a blanket of white.
It felt as though the entire world had disappeared, leaving only their carriage and the varying shades of white rushing by.
Weth felt as if even his breathing had stilled.
['Look,']
he said to himself:
['I'm flying through the clouds.']
It felt like only a few seconds had passed before the carriage emerged from the clouds. The Nightmares, now adorned with sparkling droplets and ice crystals, shone brilliantly as the melting ice fragments left a trail of stardust in their wake.
This wasn't Remus' first time witnessing such a sight, so he couldn't share Weth's awe. He merely checked their direction and gave the reins a slight tug.
The Nightmares dove downward, heading toward a massive city. From this angle, Weth saw London in a whole new light, the towering skyscrapers and bustling traffic a reminder that he was living in the year 1992.
It was just a pity that it was still midday. If it had been night, the city lights would have made the scene even more dazzling.
After spending so much time at Hogwarts, where there wasn't even a single electric light, it often felt like they were living in the Middle Ages.
But upon returning home, especially to the Muggle world, the sense of disconnect from the outside world became starkly apparent.
Perhaps this was why many Muggle-born students chose to live in the wizarding world after graduation—
not just because of the Statute of Secrecy and their wizarding identities, but also because they struggled to adapt to the rapidly changing world outside.
The carriage landed on a lawn, which, of course, was covered in snow, hiding any trace of greenery.
As the magical shield disappeared, Weth immediately felt the near-freezing temperature. He shivered and climbed down from the carriage, steadying himself against its side.
Remus thanked the two Nightmares and used a Levitation Charm to lower the coffin from the carriage. The Nightmares took a few steps forward and then flapped their wings vigorously, lifting the carriage back into the sky.
With a thunderous "whoosh," the snowflakes around the carriage exploded outward, showering the two figures standing beside it.
Weth wiped the snow from his face, blinked a few times, and shook his head as if to clear his daze.
Then he heard someone speak in a deep, hoarse voice:
"Well done, Remus, Weth."
"Leave him to me."
(End of Chapter)
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