Boom!
Space exploded with a bang. Among the trees of New York's Central Park, Anton staggered a few steps and leaned against a tree, panting. Even after a long while, he still felt dizzy.
"Mr. Weasley, are you all right?"
Dobby watched Anton's face cautiously, his big eyes wide.
Anton waved a hand, then leaned back against the tree and gazed up at the clear blue sky. He still felt as though he were on a boat, rocking and rocking and rocking.
He'd nearly thrown up.
"Your house-elf Apparition sure packs a punch."
Or perhaps it wasn't Apparition at all.
If Anton hadn't been skilled at Side-Along Apparition, if A Ray of Sunshine magic hadn't guarded his mind so closely, and if he hadn't mastered an extremely powerful Flying Charm, he might well have passed out and wound up in the hospital.
From Hogsmeade station, outside the woods on the edge of Hogwarts School, straight to New York on the other side of the planet—how could Anton not try out the house-elves' extraordinary means of travel?
It had worked like a charm. He could feel every part of his body protesting loudly, warning him never to attempt something so terrifying again.
House-elves' space-travel magic was terrifying, and completely different from the way wizards traveled through space. It involved constantly moving back and forth. It was as if a giant had grabbed him and shaken him rapidly like a cocktail.
First, he was shaken from side to side, then up and down, then back and forth, jolted from every possible angle.
Anton didn't want to experience that feeling of being flung at lightning speed and yanked back in an instant ever again.
He'd thought Portkeys and Apparition were already absurd enough, with their washing-machine-like spinning.
What a thrill!
Lines of light