President Jacques seized Mr. Dumbledore's wrist. He only had time to glance at the time on his watch before he felt as if he had been dragged into a long, narrow pipe.
Pressure came from every direction at once, leaving him completely unable to breathe. It was as though his bones and organs were being crushed madly, and the air in his lungs was squeezed dry in an instant.
Perhaps because it was his first time using Side-Along Apparition, President Jacques's sense of time dulled.
He had no idea how long had passed before the pressure suddenly vanished, and his feet finally landed on soft ground.
The torrential rain had just stopped, the sunlight was bright, and steaming moisture filled the air. He greedily sucked in a breath, only to feel as if he had inhaled clumps of wet cotton, clogging his chest until it felt stifled.
President Jacques staggered a few steps, flailing his hands wildly, and braced himself against a scalding metal surface.
Unable to endure the pressure brought by Side-Along Apparition, he bent over sharply, tears springing from his eyes. "Ugh!"
"President Jacques, you can try this..." Mr. Dumbledore stepped forward at just the right time. Besides handing him a tissue, he also gave him a dark-red, slightly shriveled piece of preserved fruit.
"This is preserved fruit made from Snarfus Fruit. Someone gave it to me... It tastes quite good, and it's very effective at easing the aftereffects of magical travel. Give it a try!"
President Jacques took the tissue and wiped his mouth, looking at the piece of preserved fruit with some hesitation.
Compared with the cockroaches from earlier, this preserved fruit was far too normal. It was even somewhat tempting.
Another question surfaced in his mind: how did this old wizard named Dumbledore have so