Chapter 198: Flying in the Clouds
Wade's words left Lupin silent.
Sirius had been in a lot of pain recently. Unlike when he lost his best friend, truly getting to know his brother only after his death, more than a decade later, was a different kind of torment for Sirius.
His friend's expression made Lupin feel countless times that Sirius would have preferred to die in prison.
But Sirius didn't vent his pain without restraint; he didn't even cry out loud.
After spending a long time by himself, not saying a word, he came out and told Lupin that he wanted to hold a funeral for Regulus.
What could Lupin say?
Seeing Sirius's profound grief, Lupin could only try his best to fulfill his requests.
But hearing Wade's words, Lupin also felt they made a lot of sense.
What surprised him was that Wade wasn't like him, with his entire focus on Sirius. Instead, Wade considered things from the perspective of the deceased Regulus.
Yet, this approach was more likely to persuade Sirius in his current state.
After a moment of silence, Lupin said, "I'll ask Sirius what he thinks first. If he agrees, then we'll take Regulus... home."
Sirius, of course, wouldn't disagree.
It was as if Regulus himself had said those words to him. How could he bear to refuse?
...
However, to bring Regulus's body back, they couldn't simply shove the coffin into a fireplace, nor was Apparition convenient for carrying it. Lupin had to make another trip to borrow a carriage from Hagrid.
The students had already departed on the train, so Hagrid had the Thestrals return to Hogwarts on their own and brought a carriage to Sirius's home.
Lupin used the Engorgement Charm on the carriage. Hagrid carefully lifted the coffin with both hands and placed it onto the carriage.
With a dull thud, the coffin landed on the wooden floor.
Hagrid couldn't help but shed tears, which splattered onto the carriage's edge.
"Regulus... I never liked him before... I thought he was just like those evil Slytherins..."
Sobbing, Hagrid pulled out his large handkerchief to wipe his eyes and choked out, "I didn't know he was such a good person... Why didn't I invite him for a drink when he was still at Hogwarts..."
Lupin gave a wry, sad smile.
He didn't say that even if Hagrid had extended an invitation back then, the proud heir of the Black Family might not have bothered with the gamekeeper.
He only thought about how he himself had never truly looked at that young man before.
Even though he was his best friend's younger brother, in their eyes, the "Slytherin" label was always more prominent.
At the same time, he felt a bit envious, envious that Hagrid could express his sorrow so openly.
If only Sirius could cry like this, perhaps he would feel much better?
Lupin didn't say much more. He had Wade board the carriage, then sat down himself, and said, "Thank you, Hagrid, we're leaving now."
"Mhm." Hagrid nodded, his eyes red, and waved, saying, "Don't worry about Ari and Louis; they'll fly back themselves once they've dropped you off."
"Okay, I understand," Lupin said.
Wade also bid Hagrid farewell. Lupin tapped his wand on the carriage, and the entire carriage, along with those inside, became invisible.
The two Thestrals spread their bat-like wings and carried the carriage into the air. The high-altitude winter wind was biting, so Wade immediately waved his wand a few times, and a hemispherical dome appeared above the carriage, blocking the cold wind.
"Well done, Wade."
Lupin praised him, one hand resting on the coffin, the other holding the reins, guiding their direction.
The Thestrals were very intelligent; Lupin only needed to gently shake the reins, and they knew which way to fly.
The carriage flew over fields and villages, and over Muggle cities. Wade even saw the Hogwarts Express speeding along the tracks, trailing a gradually dissipating white smoke behind it.
To cross a mountain, the carriage flew higher and higher, gradually approaching the clouds.
Wade couldn't help but look up. Large, cotton-like clouds were directly above his head, seemingly within reach.
From this angle, the sky and earth seemed inverted, the clouds like a soft, white bed, beckoning travelers to lie down and rest.
"Can we fly into them, Remus?" Wade asked.
At high altitude, even with the magical dome blocking the gale, the whistling wind still filled their ears. Lupin didn't hear him and raised his voice, shouting, "What?"
Wade had to ask again, louder.
"We can't fly inside the clouds, we'd get soaked instantly... Oh..."
Lupin suddenly noticed the dome around the carriage and understood. He pulled the reins, and the Thestrals flapped their wings vigorously, diving headfirst into the thick cloud layer.
Their vision immediately turned into a vast expanse of white.
The entire world seemed to disappear. Apart from their carriage, only varying shades of white swept past their eyes.
Wade felt even his breathing quiet down.
Look—
He told himself in his mind:
"I'm flying through the clouds—"
In what felt like only about ten seconds, the carriage emerged from the clouds. The Thestrals, covered in water droplets and ice crystals, shimmered, and the constantly melting ice chips they shed as they ran left a trail behind them like scattered stardust.
Lupin had probably seen this sight before, so he couldn't grasp Wade's current feelings. He simply checked their direction and then gave the reins a shake.
The Thestrals plunged downwards, heading towards a massive city. This was the first time Wade had ever seen London from such an angle. The towering buildings and endless stream of vehicles reminded him that he was living in London in 1992.
It was only midday, unfortunately. If it had been night, the city lights would have undoubtedly made the scene even more dazzling.
Having lived at Hogwarts for so long, without even a single electric light, he often felt like he was living in the the Middle Ages.
But upon returning home, especially to Muggle society, he could clearly feel a sense of disconnection from the world.
Perhaps this was why many Muggle-born students chose to live in the Wizarding World after graduation—
It wasn't just because of the Statute of Secrecy and their identity as Wizards, but also because they found it difficult to adapt to the rapidly changing world outside.
The carriage landed on a patch of grass. Of course, it was covered in snow at the moment, with no hint of green.
The magical enclosure vanished, and Wade immediately felt the near-zero temperature outside. He shivered and hopped out of the carriage, steadying himself against its side.
Lupin thanked the two Thestrals and used a Levitation Charm to move the coffin from the carriage. The Thestrals took two steps forward, then simultaneously flapped their wings, soaring back into the sky with the carriage.
With a "boom," the surrounding snowflakes scattered like a blizzard, covering the two people next to the carriage.
Wade reached up to wipe the snow from his face, blinking his eyes, looking a little dazed.
Then he heard someone beside him say in a low, hoarse voice:
"Thank you, Remus, Wade."
"Hand him over to me."
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