The morning mist enveloped the street, with pedestrians wrapped in scarves, some wearing light coats, hurriedly passing by.
Perhaps it was because most people were dressed in dark clothes, making this rare rainless morning seem gray and dreary.
Vid, carrying what appeared to be an ordinary suitcase, dressed in all black and wearing a long coat, arrived at the airport on time.
Alastor Moody walked beside him, a black eye patch over his Magic Eye, which constantly scanned everything around, not missing even the slightest fluctuation in the air.
On the other side, Remus approached quickly with a few plane tickets in hand, a look of relief on his face.
"Luckily, I learned in advance how to buy plane tickets." He nodded slightly to the two, sighing, "The process is really troublesome, I really don't understand how those Muggles manage to figure out such a complicated thing."
Vid sighed and said, "Remus, you should have told me earlier... not many people buy tickets at the airport last minute, usually, they purchase them through travel agencies."
"Travel agencies?" Remus asked in confusion, "Why? I thought plane tickets should obviously be bought at the airport."
"Because airport tickets are full-price, much more expensive than booking through a travel agency, and the seats are all the leftovers."
As for discount shops, this "trick" that requires more time and effort was left unsaid, as the two adult wizards would certainly find it even harder to understand.
Vid took his ticket, checked it discreetly, and then let out a sigh of relief—
Fortunately, Remus hadn't bought the wrong flight.
He stored away the tickets and headed to the baggage check counter, with the two adult wizards following in sync, maintaining a cautious yet unobtrusive distance.
"This place is ridiculously huge!" Remus gazed around the terminal and couldn't help exclaiming, "And it's crammed full of Muggles from all over the world... quite remarkable indeed."
Moody wore a stern face. Every passerby curiously glanced at his cane and wooden leg before being startled by his eye patch and his scarred face.
"Hey, don't look so shocked like you've never seen the world!" Moody fiercely barked at a young man staring at him, "Never seen a veteran back from the battlefield?"
The young man hastily averted his gaze and quickly moved away, while Moody grumbled angrily, "Rude Muggles! They really ought to learn what respect means!"
His wooden leg made a heavy thud on the floor as he followed behind Vid, his eyes busy darting in different directions—at the humming machines, security personnel with weapons on their belts, crying children on distant benches.
He was just like an old wolf deep in unfamiliar territory, everything around seemed to make him tense.
Even Remus beside him moved more stiffly than usual, furrowing his brow, fingers unconsciously curling and relaxing repeatedly.
His gaze, unlike Moody's sweeping vigilance, was restrained, cautiously catching any sudden changes in the surroundings with his peripheral vision.
Vid keenly realized that whether showing awe or abruptness, both were essentially due to their vigilance towards the colossal, noisy, and logically incomprehensible environment before them.
Thus, while waiting in line for baggage check, Vid turned to the two and asked in a low voice:
"Speaking of which, I've found it odd all along—why don't we choose a 'more economical way' for us to get to New York?"
Moody shook his head, eyeing the surroundings, and also whispered, "The Floo Network in the UK can't reach the United States! Moreover, the Magic Congress over there has a powerful magic surveillance system, and unfamiliar Portkey fluctuations will be detected immediately! Then we'd be waiting to end up in prison!"
"Can't we apply for a cross-country Portkey from the Ministry of Magic?" Vid asked.
Wizards generally couldn't stand the slow and troublesome Muggle way of traveling, so when Theo's family traveled abroad, they would apply for a Portkey first, which was also a significant source of income for the Ministry of Magic.
Vid suspected that the reason the Ministry of Magic strictly controlled Portkeys and prohibited unauthorized manufacture and activation was largely to generate revenue for itself.
After all… as everyone knows, the British Ministry of Magic's laws and regulations have never truly restrained those dangerous Dark Wizards.
"Hmph! Once you use that thing, your destination is completely in someone else's control!"
Moody warned, "I knew a guy who, while escaping, bought an expensive Portkey but ended up in a Dark Wizard's lair, found in pieces when the Aurors discovered him!"
"Vid, you should remember in the future—never trust any Portkey handed to you by anyone else apart from the ones you make yourself!"
"What about Dumbledore?" Vid deliberately asked, touching the pendant hanging around his neck through his clothes.
Moody was momentarily speechless, his Magic Eye turning around beneath the eye patch several times before saying:
"Alright… he's an exception, of course! But precisely because it's him, you have to be doubly cautious—many people are scheming to impersonate him or forge his items, and you can't rule out someone using such means against you!"
"So, you can trust Dumbledore, but ensuring for yourself that the things he gives you are safe isn't contradictory! When it comes to things that concern your life, you must be cautious over and over again, never let your guard down!"
A middle-aged man behind them couldn't help but burst out laughing, and Moody immediately shot a fierce look in his direction.
He had forgotten to lower his voice towards the end, and none of them had used spells like the Imperturbable Charm—Confidentiality Law stipulated that magic must not be used casually in public places where Muggles gather—but Moody didn't care whether the Muggles heard them or not because he knew they wouldn't understand.
But that didn't mean he would tolerate being laughed at, or having Dumbledore laughed at.
The man's companion hastily tugged at his sleeve, apologetically smiling at them, and the middle-aged man quickly made a gesture of apology.
After Moody turned back, he quietly said to his companion:
"Haha… did you hear that? A key, talked about like it's life or death, and must be self-made… so funny… what is this? Paranoia?"
His voice wasn't loud, but all three being the sensitive hearing types, they heard it, and they all fell into silence for a moment.
"Ignore these foolish Muggles!" Moody snorted, "They understand nothing."
"Vid." Remus, bypassing the topic, gently reminded, "It's time to move forward."