Chapter 764
The Turbulent Plane
Chapter 764 The Turbulent Plane
The process of checking in luggage and queuing for the flight was more complicated than Wade had imagined. By the time he crossed the boarding bridge and stepped into the cabin, he barely wanted to speak.
A unique smell of leather, coffee, and fuel hit them. Fortunately, Remus hadn't skimped on the tickets, so their seats were fairly spacious and clean, much better than the sardine-packed economy class.
With the roar of the engines, the plane slowly taxied away. The feeling of being pushed back and the slight weightlessness made his stomach tighten slightly. Wade turned his gaze to the side, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
Moody was practically slumped into his seat, his feet digging into the floor, his whole body straining as if he were a taut bowstring, ready to be launched from the plane at any moment.
“Relax, Professor Moody,” Wade said softly. “We’re safe now, and the plane will be flying smoothly soon.”
"This damn tin can..."
Moody mumbled hoarsely, his fingers gripping the wand handle hidden inside his cane, and said through gritted teeth:
"I'm not nervous, I flew over three thousand miles high on a broomstick..."
Before he could finish speaking, the plane suddenly shook, and Moody immediately shut his mouth and tilted his head back.
Remus Lupin, standing next to him, turned his head. His face was also somewhat pale, but this was more due to his discomfort with the enclosed and noisy environment.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of being nervous, Alastor. I feel uncomfortable too.”
Lupin said gently, “This thing is actually quite fast. Think about it… we’re crossing the ocean at a speed far exceeding any flying broomstick. And the Muggles have been running this system safely for many years.”
He tried to soothe him with a calming voice, but Moody gritted his teeth and said, "I hate places like this... cramming everyone in there, neither here nor there... If you use one of those Muggle bombs, one could send everyone to hell... How can Muggles trust something that could kill them at any moment?"
Wade thought to himself: Sometimes a bird can destroy an airplane, even without a bomb.
However, Professor Moody was already nervous enough, so Wade didn't voice his thoughts.
Seeing that Moody was pale and seemed a little dizzy, he reached into his pocket, took out a pack of chewing gum, and handed it to him.
"Professor, you might be experiencing some motion sickness. Chewing some gum will help a lot... You can also pinch your nose and make swallowing motions, which can also relieve it."
Moody held on for a while, but finally couldn't take it anymore. He reached out and took the chewing gum from Wade, mumbling, "Thank you."
Then, Wade also gave Lupin two pieces.
The two adult wizards chewed gum, finally feeling less anxious, but they still kept an eye on every corner of the cabin, their gazes sweeping over the drowsy passengers, the flight attendants in their royal blue suits, and the gaps in the overhead luggage compartments.
Wade turned his head and looked out through the narrow window—the land shrank rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, the plane had reached above the clouds. An endless sea of clouds spread out before Wade's eyes, like a snowfield under the sunlight at high altitude.
After reading for a while, Wade took out an ancient alchemical book disguised as a popular novel and began to read it, his fingers occasionally sliding lightly between the pages, the movements so subtle they were almost imperceptible.
Suddenly, without warning, the plane plummeted downwards, as if it had been slammed down by a giant hand!
Immediately afterwards, a violent jolt came, the fuselage shaking wildly as if an old-fashioned tractor were driving on a bumpy dirt road, and the overhead luggage compartment made a creaking sound.
Slight gasps and screams echoed in the cabin, and a sleeping child seemed to be awakened and burst into tears.
"Damn it!!" Moody's thick arm tensed instantly, one hand gripping the armrest tightly, the other already reaching into his pocket, pulling his wand halfway out!
"Is it an attack? Is it aimed at us?"
He glanced quickly at Wade and growled in a low voice, "Kid, grab my arm! Don't let go no matter what!"
“Calm down, Moody!” Lupin grabbed him quickly and said, “This is due to strong turbulence; it’s a normal phenomenon during flight!”
During Vader's collaboration with Aslan's Magic Workshop, he spent most of his time studying at school, while Lupin took his place running errands.
Lupin, however, was experienced in this matter because he couldn't always obtain the international portal key in time and sometimes had to travel on Muggle planes with the staff of the Magic Workshop.
Although the werewolf's keen senses made it impossible for him to adapt to the cabin environment, Lupin knew that the flight was not always smooth and stable.
Just then, an announcement came over the loudspeaker, and the flight attendant's calm voice came through:
"Attention passengers, our aircraft is currently passing through unstable turbulence. Please fasten your seatbelts..."
The violent turbulence gradually subsided, and the plane resumed stable flight.
Moody loosened his grip on the armrest one by one, his knuckles stiff from the excessive force.
The imagined attack and enemy never came. He relaxed slightly and said in a hoarse voice, "You can let go now, Remus."
Lupin released his grip on Moody's arm and gave an awkward but polite smile.
He knew that the older Moody got, the more suspicious he became, and the more prone he was to overreact. He had even nearly blown up the house in the middle of the night because he suspected there was an enemy hiding behind his curtains, causing Ron's father, Arthur, to work most of the night shift.
Therefore, he had been holding onto Moody's hand because he was worried that Moody might suddenly attack the plane due to excessive tension.
Moody made no comment on Lupin's actions, but simply rubbed his wrist in displeasure, his face revealing undisguised disgust for this mode of transportation.
"This is what you call safety? Remus... I'd rather face a troll head-on!"
Remus: "...among Muggle modes of transportation, airplanes do have a relatively low mortality rate."
Moody scoffed, "Then their lives must be dangerous enough..."
……
After a long flight, the city lights and runway guide lights finally appeared outside the window, and the plane landed smoothly on the runway of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
After the group got off the plane with their luggage, they entered the hall to collect their bags when Wade suddenly slowed down, and Moody and Lupin also frowned slightly.
Several men in black suits, whose demeanor seemed out of place with their surroundings, walked toward them with a clear purpose.
(End of this chapter)