A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 735 Extra: Longbottom

The changes brought about by the opening of the magical world are multifaceted. Today, the floating islands serve as the largest transportation hub and transit point for wizards, connecting the major wizarding communities in the world and linking the entire magical world together, greatly facilitating communication among wizards.

International mail services on the floating islands are also booming. Any ambitious company will try to set up an office here. To explain this phenomenon with a widely circulated saying: Here, the world is at your fingertips.

But a word of advice follows: make sure you have the necessary permits before crossing the flames, or you'll be kicked back, leaving you with a footprint on your backside, a ticket, and a summons. Don't worry too much, though; the government agencies stationed on the floating islands are specifically designed to handle such matters.

After a few years of operation, at least we won't have to worry about fighting because of language barriers.

A week before the World Cup opening ceremony, Neville received a letter from Harry. He was washing up upstairs at the Leaky Cauldron when an owl silently flew in through the second-floor window and landed on the sink shelf, startling him.

"Hello, Hedwig," Neville said, extending a hand with bubbles in his mouth.

Hedwig ruffled her feathers, hopped back two steps to avoid the wet hand, and lifted the leg with the letter tied to it. Neville carefully opened the letter, quickly scanned it, and his eyes gradually brightened.

A few minutes later, the two heads came together.

“There’s enough time; we can go with the other professors,” Hannah said. “I’ll write back to Harry right now,” Neville said, excitedly searching the room for paper and pen.

The two married a few years ago. After Neville left the Ministry of Magic, he succeeded Professor Sprout as the Herbology Professor at the university, while Hannah took over the Leaky Cauldron and became its proprietress. The students thought their partnership was very cool.

Two days later, as dawn broke, early risers in Diagon Alley discovered a sign hanging outside the Leaky Cauldron that read "Closed During the World Cup," and the pub was locked. No one seemed surprised; this year's World Cup had attracted so much attention that even those not interested in Quidditch wanted to join in the fun. Apparently, many novel merchandise items would be available during the tournament.

Neville and Hannah arrived at Hogwarts through the fireplace in Diagon Alley. It was summer vacation, and there wasn't a single student in sight. Professor McGonagall stood among a group of professors, wearing a feathered hat and a fitted dark green robe, looking as elegant as Emily Vance beside her.

Pomona Sprout waved to them, and Neville waved back. Professor Sprout had retired and lived in Hogsmodry, but she often returned to the school to visit her beloved pet. She had given Neville a lot of guidance when he joined the faculty, especially on how to deal with Professor Snape.

"We don't cause trouble, but... brewing potions requires a lot of herbs."

This helped Neville a lot.

Professor McGonagall nodded to Neville and Hannah. "Is it just the two of you? Frank and Alice, and Hannah's parents?"

“They’re already on the island,” Neville said happily. “They even sent us a stack of photos; Luna, Seamus, and Dean are in them too. Grandma’s staying at home; she’s not interested in Quidditch.” Professor McGonagall sniffed.

"My parents can't find the time," Hannah said, shaking her head.

“Well,” Professor McGonagall said, glancing at the others. “Emilyn, Pomona, Sybil, and—oh, sorry, Felius, that’s just the right number. Our vice-principal is absent again, as expected, but this time he can be forgiven somewhat; according to the Daily Prophet, he seems to be caught in a power struggle… I highly doubt it. Let’s go.”

"I wonder how Professor Bubbaji is doing now," Neville whispered. The professor had helped him a lot.

"She'll be alright in heaven," Hannah whispered.

Neville nodded, and just then Professor McGonagall passed by them and overheard their conversation, her eyebrows furrowing sharply.

"Professor Bubbaje was just invited to do research on the moon; she'll be back," she couldn't help but explain.

"Yes, I really hope everything goes well for her," Hannah said sincerely.

"If it were me, I wouldn't be so sure," Trelawney interjected. "I specifically observed the stars before I traveled, and judging from the angle between the moon and Mars, it's not advisable to travel recently, as it could easily lead to unexpected misfortunes."

"Thank you for reminding me, Sybil," Professor McGonagall said. "Felix has been to both places you mentioned. I'll ask him for his opinion." She then led the way away.

"I never knew Professor Trelawney was interested in Quidditch," Hannah whispered.

"I don't know either," Neville answered quietly, "but another divination professor at the school has made it clear that he doesn't like Quidditch, so..."

Trelawney, wearing six or seven layers of veils, suddenly turned her head, as if she had overheard their whispered conversation, startling them into silence. Amelia smiled at them. The group appeared in Hogsmeade Square, and beyond the crowded throng, they could see a makeshift fireplace set up, a chaotic mess.

"Don't push! Take your time. The key storage area is at the entrance of the Three Broomsticks Tavern..." A balding Auror shouted to maintain order. One wizard after another jumped into the flames and disappeared in circles. Soon it was Neville and his group's turn.

"Designated location, Pacific Ocean—30 kilometers west of the floating island, Ingersoll Island—" Auror called out habitually as he checked Professor McGonagall's ticket, then noticed the members of the group. He was startled. "Principal McGonagall? How many other professors are there? You can apply to go directly to the island without transferring."

“We’re not in a hurry,” Professor McGonagall said, “and we can enjoy the scenery along the way.”

"Well then, I wish you all a pleasant journey," the Auror said.

The swirling green flames carried Neville through a series of furnace doors, followed by a monotonous period of dizziness, more unbearable than when he used Floo Powder before. Finally, he found himself with legs on his feet. He stood on a beach, the sea breeze caressing his face, the dazzling sunlight shining on him, and footsteps and voices all around him. Neville looked around and was stunned for a moment: unlike the desolate island he had imagined, before him was a bikini-clad beach.

There were at least a thousand parasols on the beach, people were surfing in the sea, and paragliders and flying brooms were soaring in the sky. A little girl walked past him, holding a purple flying carpet in her hand, on which a middle-aged man with a round belly was dozing off.

"Wow, did we come to the wrong place?" Hannah asked as she arrived, nearly slipping on the soft sand. Neville quickly caught her.

"No," Neville said cheerfully, pointing in a direction where the clear blue sky and sea made the small island suspended in the water in the distance very clear. Hannah suddenly chuckled, "It does look a bit like a flattened ice cream cone. What are those little dots next to it?"

“It doesn’t look like it up close,” Neville said. “Those little dots are probably wizards riding brooms, maybe scouting the weather and watching out for storms at sea; or they might just be playing a dueling game, you know, riding on brooms and aiming to shoot down enemies. It can be one-on-one or a free-for-all, but they can only use specific spells. This sport was very popular among Aurors for a while. I forget whether it was Harry or Ron who came up with the idea.”

Hannah looked at Neville.

"Oh, I'm not very good at Quidditch," he said somewhat sheepishly. "Professor Sprout believes that as a professor of herbalism, it's best to always keep your feet on the ground."

"I did say that," said Professor Sprout, emerging from the flames, radiating joy as her soft, grey hair billowed in the sea breeze. "Have you been to Room Seven? I've always felt that my other self is a bit wild, but very cool."

"I've spoken with everyone there and learned a lot," Emily Vance said.

Several professors, along with Neville and Hannah, stood on the beach, gazing at the golden sand and the boundless blue waves. The floating island seemed to be slowly rotating, and the sunlight shining on it subtly reflected the scales of the giant snake coiled around the island's foundation.

Twenty feet away, two staff members were waving small flags under a parasol. When they stepped into the parasol's area, they were surprised to find it was much cooler underneath.

"Special perks," one staff member said. "They're worried we'll develop anthropophobia; there are tens of thousands of people here."

"So many people? Are they all tourists?" Professor Flitwick asked in surprise.

"Yes, there are always people worried that the floating island will fall down, even though it has been floating at sea for twelve years. There are both wizards and Muggles who are worried about this, so they would rather come to the island to pitch tents and spend the night," another staff member said, handing them a form, which Neville wrote down everyone's names.

"What about the opening ceremony? It's at night," Emily Vance asked curiously.

"Maybe he got himself drunk," the registration staff joked.

From him, Nave and the others learned that the ferry to the island ran every hour, giving them about half an hour of free time. They wandered around the area and ran into acquaintances along the way. It was Bill and Fleur, both dressed very casually. Bill was wearing beach shorts, sunglasses, and a silver earring in his left ear, which matched his wife's moonstone earrings. Fleur was wearing a one-piece swimsuit, with a silver waterfall cascading down her back, looking dazzlingly beautiful. Standing next to her was a young woman who looked just as pretty.

"This is Gabrielle, my sister," Fleur said in a slightly hoarse voice.

Neville and Bill exchanged a glance and walked to the side.

"You received the letter too, right?" Neville asked.

"Got it," Bill said cheerfully. "The island is short-handed, and we'd be happy to help. Gabrielle can look after the children." He whispered, "Don't let her hear, or she'll think she's been assigned a great mission."

Neville glanced over there; they were chatting and laughing happily. He heard Hannah point at an African witch and say, "Lee Jordan chased after her." Neville blinked in confusion and saw a tall, dark-skinned girl. After a few seconds, he barely remembered her identity—Nona Ribert, the contestant who represented Vagado in the championship in fourth grade.

"We're waiting for the rest of the family, they'll arrive in the next day or two," Bill said. "Except for Ron and Percy, who both work at the department to coordinate this big event, they probably won't get a day or two off until before the opening ceremony. They've already stayed one night. The Fijian shamans are coming with their mascot, the Dakuwaga, a distant relative of mermaids that can turn into sharks. And dragons too! Charlie will love it."

Half an hour later, Neville and Bill's family parted ways—"Sirius and I formed a band called 'The Hairy Kids'!"—and boarded the passenger ship bound for the floating island. The enormous ship parted the waves, seagulls followed beside it, and the people on the deck chatted and laughed, their eyes filled with anticipation. But as the ship approached the floating island, the voices became sparse, and everyone was touched by a silent force, falling completely silent. A seemingly inverted mountain peak stood out from the sea, casting a huge shadow that covered the passenger ship from afar. They glided a long distance in the shadow, surrounded by the tranquil sound of the water, until they finally arrived beneath the island. Suddenly, someone screamed. Neville looked up and saw an enormous snake head facing them, its rough scales extending upwards, forming a jumbled rock formation. The snake's mouth held its tail, and its long body coiled six or seven times around the island's inverted foundation, almost merging with the island itself.

The ship stopped below the island. Everyone clung to the railings, peering out. Something was gleaming in the shadows in the distance.

Then they heard the sounds of ropes and machinery starting up. After a while, a glowing floor stretched out towards them, suspended steadily above the water, connected to the ship's ladder. The glowing object became clearer; it was an elevator, with a magic lamp hanging from its top.

The people on the ship stared blankly at the elevator, which was about the size of a phone booth.

"Line up! Get ready to disembark!" a crew member shouted. "The elevator has limited space and can only hold one hundred people at a time, so please do not crowd."

A few seconds of stunned silence followed, then someone shouted, "This is magic!"

"Yes, it is indeed magic," the crew member said quietly.

(End of this chapter)