The process of checking in luggage and queuing for boarding was even more tedious than Vid imagined. When he finally stepped into the cabin through the air bridge, he almost didn't feel like talking.
A unique scent, a mix of leather, coffee, and fuel, wafted through the air. Luckily, Remus hadn't skimped when buying the tickets, so their seats were spacious and clean, much better than the sardine-packed economy class.
Accompanied by the roar of engines, the plane slowly taxied out, and the feeling of being pushed back and the slight sensation of weightlessness tightened one's stomach a bit. Vid glanced sideways, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
He saw Moody practically buried in his seat, feet pressing hard against the floor, his whole body taut as if he were a bowstring ready to shoot out from the plane at any moment.
"Relax, Professor Moody," Vid said softly. "We're safe now, and the plane will soon be flying smoothly."
"This damned tin can..."
Moody muttered hoarsely, his fingers clenching the handle of the magic wand hidden in his cane, and he gritted his teeth, saying:
"I'm not tense. I've flown on a broomstick at three thousand miles high..."
Before he could finish speaking, the aircraft suddenly jolted, and Moody immediately clamped his mouth shut, throwing his head back forcefully.
Next to them, Remus Lupin turned his head. He looked pale too, mostly due to the discomfort with the enclosed, noisy environment.
"There's nothing embarrassing about feeling tense, Alastor, I feel uneasy too."
Lupin said gently, "This big guy's speed is actually quite astonishing. Just think...we're crossing the ocean at a speed far exceeding any flying broomstick. And, the Muggles have safely operated this system for many years."
He tried to soothe with his calm voice, while Moody gritted his teeth, saying, "I hate this place...stuffing everyone inside, disconnected from the earth and sky...if a Muggle bomb were used, just one could send everyone to hell...how do Muggles trust something that could take their lives at any moment?"
Vid thought to himself: No bombs needed, sometimes a single bird can take down a plane.
But Professor Moody was tense enough, and Vid held back from voicing his thoughts.
Seeing Moody's pale face and slight dizziness, Vid reached out and took a pack of gum from his pocket, handing it over:
"Professor, you might be feeling airsick; chewing some gum can help...also, pinching your nose and swallowing can alleviate it too."
Moody held out for a while, but eventually, he couldn't bear it any longer and reached out to take the gum from Vid, mumbling a "Thanks."
Afterward, Vid also handed two pieces to Lupin.
The two adult wizards chewing gum were finally less anxious, though they still kept an eye on every corner of the cabin, their gaze sweeping over the dozing passengers, the flight attendants in royal blue uniforms, and the gaps in the overhead luggage compartment.
Vid turned his head and gazed outside through the small window—the earth rapidly shrunk, and the plane quickly reached above the clouds, with the boundless sea of clouds spreading out before Vid like a snowy field under the high-altitude sunlight.
After watching for a while, Vid took out an ancient texts disguised as a popular novel and began flipping through it, his fingers occasionally sliding lightly over the pages, movements so subtle they were hardly noticeable.
Suddenly, without warning, the plane dipped sharply as if smacked down by a giant hand!
Immediately, a violent turbulence struck, and the fuselage shook crazily like an old tractor driving on a bumpy dirt road, with the overhead luggage compartment groaning loudly.
Light murmurs and screams erupted in the cabin, and a sleeping child seemed to wake up in alarm, bursting into loud cries.
"Damn it!!"
Moody's muscular arm instantly tensed, one hand gripping the armrest tightly, while the other already had the wand half-drawn from his pocket!
"Is it an attack? Are they coming for us?"
He quickly glanced at Vid and growled in a low voice, "Kid, grab my arm! No matter what, do not let go!"
"Calm down, Moody!" Lupin swiftly grabbed him and said, "It's severe turbulence, a normal phenomenon during flight!"
During Vid's cooperation with Aslan Magic Workshop, most of the time was spent studying at school, and Lupin was the one running around outside for him.
Because Lupin couldn't always get a permit for cross-border Portkeys in time, he occasionally had to fly on Muggle planes with the Magic Workshop staff. He had experience.
Though the werewolf's keen senses never let him adapt to the cabin environment, Lupin knew that flying wasn't always smooth and seamless.
At this moment, the broadcast echoed within the cabin as the flight attendant's voice, trying hard to maintain composure, came through the speakers:
"Attention passengers, our plane is going through unstable turbulence, please fasten your seat belts..."
The intense shaking gradually subsided, and the aircraft resumed smooth flying.
Moody's fingers, which had been gripping the armrest tightly, finally released one by one, the knuckles stiff from overexertion.
The imagined attack and enemy never came, and he relaxed a bit, rasping, "You can let go of my arm now, Remus."
Lupin released Moody's arm, smiling awkwardly but politely.
He knew the older Moody, the more suspicious and prone to overreactions he became, having nearly blown up his house late one night suspecting enemies behind his curtains, causing Ron's father, Arthur, to pull a long night shift.
That's why, fearing Moody's sudden attack on the plane due to his excessive tension, he had kept holding him.
Moody didn't comment on Lupin's actions, just grumpily massaged his wrist, his face unabashed showing his aversion to this mode of transportation.
"You call this safe, Remus...? I'd rather face a troll head-on!"
Remus: "...among Muggle transportation, planes actually have a relatively low mortality rate."
Moody scoffed: "Then their lives must be quite dangerous..."
...
After a long voyage, the sprawling city lights and runway guidance stripes finally appeared outside, and the plane smoothly landed on the runway of New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The group disembarked, luggage in hand, entering the hall to retrieve their bags when Vid's steps suddenly slowed for a beat, and Moody and Lupin frowned slightly.
A few men, whose demeanor clashed with their surroundings, dressed in black suits, confidently walked straight towards them.