Traces of Azkaban

"Welcome aboard the Willump Silvia Explorer. This journey will begin on the River Thames, pass through Graves, go to Southend, and finally set sail from Southend."

At the front of the crowd, a guide in a maritime uniform gave a sweet but mechanical introduction.

Loren felt nothing; in fact, he even felt a little sleepy. The Mr. and Mrs. Granger stood on either side of him, protecting Loren and Hermione as they quietly waited to board the ship.

Wendell looked at the hull and said, "You can't fish while the ship is sailing, can you?"

"There will be periods of slow travel and pauses, specifically reserved for tourists to enjoy themselves," Loren explained.

Wendell stared at the large ship, gripping the box in his hands tightly, secretly pondering its contents.

"Everything's all taken care of, let's board the ship." Grandpa Bates came up from the back and handed the tickets to everyone. "The bank manager told me that there are screening criteria for this trip, so the service will definitely be excellent."

The plan to rent a yacht was changed to boat tickets, and in any case, Loren felt it was a good deal.

He swayed the backpack on his back; it only contained a few sets of clothes and was practically weightless.

The others' backpacks were similarly lightweight. Anything they might need was packed in Hermione's linen pouch, except for the two trunks Wendell and Bates carried.

"Daddy, why don't you put the things from the box into my bag?" Hermione asked, holding Monica's hand and peeking out at Wendell's box.

"Listen, Hermione," Wendell said very seriously, "We can't all be carrying the same backpack; that might arouse suspicion."

Loren looked at the fishing tackle box, which was longer and thinner than a typical suitcase, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.

He paused for a moment, then said, "The cruise ship provides fishing gear, so why do you have to bring your own?"

Bates grinned at this, but then remembered Wendell's request and suppressed his smile.

"Fishing gear? What does this have to do with fishing gear?" Wendell turned his head and asked, feigning confusion. "So, the ship offers fishing services?"

"There's a fishing icon on the handle of the box," Monica pointed out.

Wendell was very upset.

Apart from Wendell, everyone else was also struggling to hold back their laughter.

The journey was silent. After boarding the ship, both families found their reserved rooms and put away their luggage. The two rooms were next to each other.

Loren tossed his backpack into the closet, sat on the bed, slumped back, stretched out his arms, and sank into the soft blankets.

The all-white sheets and duvet cover couldn't hide any stains, giving guests peace of mind. Only a blue stripe around the edge added decoration, and the bedding had a cleansing scent and a faint lavender fragrance.

"Not bad, quite clean." Bates walked around the room, looking around. He looked energetic and showed no signs of aging, much more vibrant than Loren, who had collapsed into the room as soon as he entered.

"Did you buy the fishing gear or Hermione's father?" Loren suddenly remembered this question.

After waiting a while without hearing a reply, Loren knew the answer. Wendell, he had fallen.

"Let's go, let's go for a walk on the deck first." Bates pulled Loren out of bed and dragged him outside. "The Granger house small bag, and there are two women with them, so it'll probably take some time."

The distance from London to Southend isn't far; if you calculate the time, you can leave in the afternoon and set sail in the evening.

As they passed the next room, Loren peeked out and called to Hermione was tidying up a cabinet, "Let's go for a walk outside. See you in the dining room for dinner!"

Hermione waved her hand, indicating that she already knew.

There weren't many people outside; most tourists were resting in their rooms. Loren and Bates stood in the atrium corridor looking out and could vaguely see pedestrians and trees on the bank, with ripples spreading across the curtain-like river surface.

The cabins are equipped with various entertainment facilities, shops, and even coffee shops.

As darkness fell, the Granger family arrived at the restaurant together, Hermione immediately spotted Loren sitting next to her.

Grandpa Bates sat to the side, looking around the restaurant, while Loren was scooping a large cup of strawberry ice cream with a small spoon.

"Why are you only eating ice cream? Aren't you hungry?" Hermione asked.

Loren took a sip of his spoon, looked up, and began recommending. "Fish and chips are delicious, pasta is delicious, lamb chops are delicious, roast meat is delicious, but salmon is not good..."

Hermione immediately understood; it wasn't just about eating ice cream, but rather that they had already finished their main meal and this was dessert.

Wendell and Monica went to get food, while Hermione sat down to exchange experiences with Loren, mentioning that the coffee wasn't good and that there would be musical performances in the cabin that evening...

In less than half a day, Loren had become familiar with the situation on the ship.

When Wendell and Monica returned with the food, Loren and Bates were gone. Hermione was alone, clutching the strawberry ice cream Loren had left behind, tasting it spoonful by spoonful.

The two didn't pay much attention; it was normal to be curious and explore when you've just boarded the ship.

Steaming hot fish and chips, pasta coated in bright red tomato sauce, golden brown lamb chops...

No wonder Loren said this was delicious and that was delicious. Hermione touched her bulging belly and realized with concern that she seemed to have eaten a little too much.

She looked up at Wendell, who was dipping large fries in ketchup and eating them one after another. "Dad, aren't you going fishing?"

"Fishing? What fishing? I'm not really interested." Wendell was very calm. He had confirmed that fishing would not be available on the first day of the cruise.

"Is that so?" Hermione nodded calmly. "But Loren is already gone."

"What?! Where? The boats are still running, aren't they? Fishing isn't open yet, is it?"

Hermione and Monica both stared at Wendell.

Wendell composed himself and paused for a moment. "I mean, don't break the ship's rules. It's unsafe and could cause trouble."

Hermione said "Oh": "The fishing service on the ship is not open, but some people will use their own fishing rods to fish on the second deck for a while. The staff will not stop them, and there are lifeguards nearby."

"I don't really want to go fishing either. Loren is just a kid, and it's understandable that he's playful," Wendell said, stiffly sitting back down and continuing to dip his fries in ketchup, though his movements weren't as enthusiastic.

As if remembering something, he turned his head and asked, "What about Bates?"

"Grandpa Bates went fishing too; the two of them went together."

"How could he..." Wendell stood up abruptly, his expression extremely indignant. Facing the gazes of the mother and daughter, he sat back down. "I mean, some of his fishing gear parts are still with me. You can't fish without the parts."

"No, I have to take it to him." Wendell got up to leave, looking anxious for Bates.

"It's alright, with Loren here, there's no need to worry about missing parts." Hermione's voice was both innocent and cruel.

Wendell sat back down, his expression shifting rapidly, visibly restless, shifting his body in his seat.

"But it's inconvenient to use magic on the ship, Dad, why don't you take the parts to Grandpa Bates?" Hermione's lovely face was full of kindness.

"You're right!" Wendell stood up abruptly and walked into the room.

Hermione watched her father's hurried back as she snuggled against Monica, giggling.

Monica tapped Hermione's nose with her finger and laughed, "Is this how you tease your father? I wonder where you learned it from?"

"Hehehe..."

Hermione and Monica weren't interested in fishing. They slowly finished their dinner, then took a stroll around the cabin, listening to live music and watching impromptu performances, before going up to the deck to digest their food.

On a simple folding stool supported by a few strips of cloth, Wendell, wearing a large fisherman's hat and fingerless gloves, quietly held a fishing rod with a solemn expression.

Bates casually set up his fishing rod, focusing more on the sea, as if the waves were something more attractive.

To Hermione's surprise, Loren wasn't fishing. He was leaning against the railing, his arms crossed, looking in the direction the ship was sailing, as if searching for something.

A fresh scent suddenly wafted through the slightly salty air; it was Hermione's scent, which Loren recognized without turning his head.

"What are you looking for?" Hermione asked, mimicking his gesture as she leaned against him and looked in the same direction of the journey.

Loren's gaze stretched into the distance. "Do you know Azkaban?"

As for Azkaban, the infamous wizarding prison, Hermione couldn't possibly be unaware of it. She had read about Azkaban before enrolling, "Azkaban was built in the 15th century and became a wizarding prison in England in 1718. It is a prison located on a small island in the middle of the North Sea. It—"

Hermione's eyes lit up when she reached this point. Their voyage would pass through the North Sea. She hesitated and asked, "It was built using certain enchantments. Azkaban is hidden in the Muggle world and cannot be mapped. We won't find it, will we?"

"Some magic only works on Muggle. Even if a prison is right in front of Muggle, they can't see it. But we are wizards now."

"Yes! That's what the Muggle-Repelling Charm is!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly. She tried to search her memory for clues about Azkaban in relation to the scene before her.

"It is said that Azkaban was originally just a fortress inhabited by an evil wizard Ekrizdis. He lured Muggle to the island and then tortured them to death."

"After Ekrizdis died, the Concealment Charm he used on the fortress and the island failed. It was only then that the Ministry of Magic learned of the existence of this small island. At that time, the place was full of Dementor, and the Ministry of Magic was afraid that destroying the island would release the Dementor and cause heavy casualties, so the island was abandoned."

"In 1718, after Damocles Rowle was elected Minister for Magic, he insisted on using Azkaban as a prison because he believed that the Dementor on the island could serve as guards, saving time, money and effort."

"Later, Minister Edridge Diggory, after inspecting Azkaban prison, witnessed the horrific scenes inside. He began to seek an alternative to Azkaban, but Edridge died of Dragon Pox in 1747, and the plan to replace Azkaban was abandoned."

"It may have been enchanted with Untraceable Extension Charm' or similar magic to ensure it could hold all the criminals in the England."

Listening to Hermione's incessant chatter, Loren's head started to ache, and he couldn't help but ask, "You actually memorized all of this trivial stuff?"

Reflected in the ship's lights, Hermione's eyes sparkled. "Isn't it fascinating knowledge? I've wondered why one prison can hold all the criminals in England, whether there are other prisons, what prisons are like in other countries, and how the death penalty for wizards is carried out..."

Hermione has an endless passion and curiosity for knowledge, and it is this very quality that makes Hermione so captivating.

Chattering away, the two searched aimlessly for any trace of Azkaban as they looked out at the dim sea.

"I know there is another wizard prison."

"Huh? I don't know. What's their name? Where are they located? Are they also on an island?"

"Call him Nurmengard..."

My eyes were almost watering from the wind, but I couldn't see a trace of Azkaban, not even a small island.

"We're still in the Strait of Dover. This area is below the North Sea and not within the North Sea boundaries, so we can't find it," Hermione, her eyes red, explaining the reason for tonight's failure.

"If it weren't for you, I would have gone back to fishing in a few minutes. It's all your fault." Loren habitually and naturally shifted the blame, completely forgetting who had mentioned Azkaban in the first place.

"The ship will probably pass through the central North Sea tomorrow afternoon. We'll come here tomorrow morning to sit and watch." Hermione recalled the map around the North Sea and guessed where Azkaban might be located.

"Are you going to keep looking tomorrow?" Loren's face clearly showed his refusal. He had only acted on a whim and didn't intend to fight Azkaban to the death. "What if you still can't find it by tomorrow?"

"We have to give it a try!"

Hermione is also always particularly serious about certain things.

"Loren, Hermione, they're done fishing and heading back." Monica walked over, looking at their eyes, which were red from the wind, and chuckled as she ruffled their hair. "Aren't you two stupid? The wind's so strong, don't you know to take shelter?"

"Oh~" Hermione gently bumped her head against Monica's waist, and was led inside by her.

Bates carried two fishing tackle boxes, Wendell carried a small bucket borrowed from the boat. The two men stood at the entrance to the cabin waiting for them.

Loren observed the smile on Wendell's face and knew that tonight's harvest had been good. He didn't ask any questions and walked towards the guest room on his own. Hermione was clinging to her mother and didn't even want to open her eyes to see where she was going.

Wendell carried the bucket, but something felt off. Monica watched them fish and knew what they had caught, but Loren and Hermione did not.

Without letting the two men know, he caught three slender hairy fish in a short time. He always felt empty inside, as if something was missing.

"Hey, did you know? The fish we catch can be taken to the ship's Kitchen and cooked for free." Wendell's voice was louder than usual.

"I know, the crew mentioned it when we were fishing," Bates replied.

Wendell looked extremely awkward. He had intended to use this to remind Hermione and Loren, but now that Bates had answered, the two children didn't react.

Monica and her two companions walked ahead, showing no inclination to turn around and join their conversation.

Wendell was silent for a moment, then called out, "Hermione!"

"Hmm?" Hermione turned to look at him.

"How did you know I'd catch three hairy bream in no time?" Wendell's voice was loud and clear, his tone natural.

"Huh?" Hermione looked confused. Dad, what are you talking about...?

Beside them, the shoulders of the other three were trembling, struggling to suppress their laughter.

A certain Hermione Fanatic wants to keep the author informed and see if there are any other friends with similar ideas. Let's build a thread here, and I'll create a group once we have 20 people.