Rising Storm

The sky was a deep blue, while the sea was a lighter shade of blue. Where the deep and light blue met, a brilliant golden hue shone, growing brighter and brighter.

Until a golden, round sun broke through the blue sky, and the clouds were dyed with a colorful orange halo.

The sunrise cast a golden glow on the hull of the Willump Silvia Explorer, bathing the ship in a golden light. The waves scattered the light from all directions, making the sea surface sparkle.

"It's so beautiful!" Hermione stretched out her hand, letting the sunlight fall into her palm, which began to shimmer. "This is the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen."

"Ah—" Loren opened his mouth wide, staring at the rising sun.

"What are you doing?" Hermione regretted asking as soon as the question left her mouth; she shouldn't have answered him at a time like this.

Loren said seriously, "I'm trying to see if sunlight can satisfy hunger."

Hermione pouted. It was just that she woke him up too early; breakfast on the ship hadn't even started yet... even though he ate so much last night.

"Look at that cloud, doesn't it look like a slice of bread? And the reddish glow is like ketchup." Loren got excited, continuing his associations. "Although bread with ketchup isn't a common combination, it's worth a try..."

"Ugh!" Hermione wanted to hit someone. "After hearing what you said, even the sunrise doesn't look good anymore."

"There are still 7 days left on the journey, and you'll see me every day." Loren straightened up, withdrew his hands from the railing, and rubbed his forearms. "Remember to remind me to wear an extra jacket next time; it's a bit chilly at sea in the mornings."

"No next time! I won't call you next time!" Hermione said irritably.

"I'll call you next time, okay?" Loren pulled Hermione's arm. "Come on, the dining room is ready to eat."

Hermione was reluctantly dragged into the restaurant.

Loren found a window seat with a view of the sea and flipped through the travel brochure that had been given to him when he boarded the ship. It listed the dishes served for breakfast.

Hermione across from him didn't care about the food; she just followed Loren to get it, which was her specialty. Hermione rested her head on her hand, looking at Loren and then at the restaurant's ambiance, completely relaxed.

Although it was only the beginning of meal service, there were quite a few people in the restaurant. Many of them, like the others, had returned from the deck to the cabin restaurant for breakfast after watching the sunrise.

Last night, Wendell insisted on eating the fish he caught. Fortunately, the ship had a vibrant nightlife; the restaurant stayed open late, and the Kitchen staff were happy to help customers prepare their catch.

But the wait was too long, so Loren and Hermione went back to their room to sleep, missing out on Wendell's spoils.

The three adults didn't eat fish until quite late. Anyway, when Hermione was half asleep, she heard her mother complain, "You should really throw away your fishing rod."

"Grilled squid? Grilled squid for breakfast?!"

Hermione looked up and saw Loren shaking his head in admiration.

"Roasted potatoes! Ugh~" Loren made a disgusted face.

"This panna cotta looks pretty good," Loren nodded at the picture in the manual.

Hermione found Loren amusing; the person choosing the food was more interesting than the food itself.

Snap!

Loren closed the manual, slammed it on the table, and stood up. "Let's go get our food."

"Okay." Hermione nodded obediently and followed behind him.

Grilled squid, panna cotta, yogurt... all the foods Loren had just mentioned were brought out.

Hermione, following his example, reduced the portion by about half and put it on her own plate.

Looking at the cream cakes in the display case, Hermione hesitated. "Cake for breakfast?"

"No problem."

"..."

This summer, although Hermione's appetite has increased significantly, she still can't handle the cream cake that's served as dessert for breakfast.

Hermione finished eating quickly and then sat down to watch Loren eat, which made her stomach feel more comfortable and helped with digestion.

The sunlight, now lighter in color but brighter, streamed in through the window, falling on the table and food, making them look even more tempting. Hermione couldn't resist; she scooped a spoonful of panna cotta from Loren's plate and slowly savored it in her mouth.

"I saw that there is a room service. Should I order two breakfasts to be delivered to the room? They haven't had breakfast yet."

"No need, the restaurant is open all day, they can come over for breakfast as soon as they get up."

"Do you think we'll see Azkaban today?" Hermione asked, resting her chin on her hand and leaning against the deck railing, her gaze sweeping across the endless sea.

"If you really want to see Azkaban," Loren paused, "I have a way."

Hermione turned her head and looked at him curiously.

"You've violated the Statute of Secrecy, and you'll soon be locked up in Azkaban." As Loren spoke, he moved to the side, successfully dodging a slap.

Hermione chuckled, unconcerned that her slap missed its mark. "If you're locked up in prison, I'll visit you there, and that way I can see Azkaban too."

Just as the two were laughing and joking, not far from them, the seawater suddenly surged, and a figure completely white emerged.

The little guy has a round bump on his forehead, like a bun, a short snout, no dorsal fin, and a pure, smooth, snow-white body. Half of his body floats on the water. His Obsidian -like, bright eyes, though dark, combined with the "·ω·" smile on his face, make him look innocent, joyful, and a little silly.

The little guy was curiously looking at the two of them.

"Dolphin!" Loren pointed at the little creature and called out to Hermione. He was thrilled to discover such a strange creature at sea.

Hermione spotted the little creature splashing water with its tail at once. "I've told you so many times, it's Beluga Whale!"

The Little Beluga seemed to hear Hermione's voice. It opened its mouth and cried out in the same tone, "Eeeeeeeee!"

"It's mimicking my voice!" Hermione exclaimed, clutching Loren's clothes, unable to contain her excitement.

"Eeeeeeeeeee!"

Just as Hermione was about to say a few words to the Beluga Whale, the little guy arched its back, flipped over, flicked its tail, splashed water, and disappeared underwater.

At the same time, on the side of the cruise ship, a huge figure leaped high into the air and tumbled into the water, splashing up a massive wave.

It has a streamlined body, a jet-black back and fins, a snow-white belly, and a thin white stripe around its eyes. It has a sail-like dorsal fin and a halberd-like tail fin.

"Whale!"

"What a cool Orca!"

It was so conspicuous that many tourists on the ship noticed it, and gasps of surprise rose and fell from the crowd.

Hermione was also stunned and stood there.

A flash of inspiration struck him, and Loren looked at the Orca's form, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. "I think I've grasped that critical point."

The Orca appeared once and then disappeared, as did the Little Beluga. The water returned to calm, with only the constant waves occasionally rising and falling.

The deck was much larger now; people wanted to see the Orca one more time. Although the chances were slim, their rapidly beating hearts kept them there.

Loren's heart was pounding. He had one hand in his pocket, gripping his wand. The rapid beating of his heart made him feel breathless, and he took deep breaths of oxygen before exhaling.

He held Hermione's hand with his other hand, trying to suppress the urge to summon his Patronus here.

"I... I feel it! My Patronus is the Orca!" Loren's words were filled with excitement and exhilaration.

Hermione held Loren's hand with one hand and stroked the back of his hand with the other, just like when she stroked Hānhan feathers.

"Don't be impulsive. If your feeling is right, then everyone on the ship will see a silver-white Orca." Hermione paused for a moment. "Then I really will have to go to Azkaban to visit you."

"No need to rush. Once we reach our destination or get home, you can use the Patronus Charm Patronus Charm you like."

The sea breeze gently ruffled Hermione's long, curly hair, and her voice was soft and gentle, like the wind itself.

Loren was able to distinguish between what was important and what was urgent; he was just a little too excited and lost his composure for a moment. He quickly calmed down and his tense body gradually relaxed.

"It's a wonderful coincidence that our Patronus are a Dolphin and a whale. After I came back from the Aquarium, I looked up information about Dolphin," Hermione said in a calm and reassuring tone. "Dolphin chase whales and guide them through reefs; they are companions in the ocean..."

At this point, Hermione frowned, puzzled. "That shouldn't be the case."

"What shouldn't be?" Loren asked.

Hermione turned and peered out over the sea. "This area isn't within the range of Orca and Beluga Whale; they shouldn't be here."

"Could it be that migration routes have changed? Environmental pollution, climate change, magnetic fields, etc., can all affect animal migration routes." Loren had read some news and believed that this was also a kind of natural change.

"Perhaps that's true..." Hermione said hesitantly.

The two gazed at the calm sea, hoping, like everyone else, to witness the whale leaping out of the water once again.

The water shimmered, the sea breeze was gentle, the air was moist, and the sun shone warmly—a scene of tranquility. The cruise ship continued along its course, and nothing more happened.

The sea remained calm until nightfall.

Loren and Hermione spent the entire day on the deck in the wind, their tears dried by the sea breeze, but they couldn't find a trace of Azkaban.

Hermione hasn't given up. Azkaban is in the North Sea, but its exact location isn't marked. As long as the cruise ship is within the North Sea, there's a possibility of finding it.

Loren chose to give up; he was tired of the unchanging sea.

On the side of the boat, on the deck where the small boat was moored, Wendell set up his fishing rod precisely on time, his movements practiced, already showing he had become a seasoned angler.

Perhaps due to his age, Bates did not fall in love with this sport for middle-aged men after trying it for the first time. He preferred watching performances in the cabin to fishing.

Loren's eyes were dry, so he couldn't muster the energy to cast the line, and he didn't want to strain his eyes in the darkness to observe the inconspicuous buoys on the sea.

"You've already learned how to fish, now you need to learn how to fly, but don't worry, it's not difficult, you'll learn it naturally," Loren said, standing next to Wendell, speaking with the tone of someone who's been there.

Wendell didn't understand the meaning of "Air Force," nor did he understand how malicious those words were.

The sound of a hairy fish breaking the water shattered Loren's expectations. He shook his head in disappointment and swayed away.

"Loren!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise, "Look what that is!"

Under the moonlight, a floating shadow could be vaguely seen, but it was too far away, smaller than Wendell's float.

Thanks to Loren's unusual eyes, he could see things clearly by straining his eyes and looking into the distance.

It was a figure wearing a tattered black cloak, its entire body hidden beneath the cloak, with only its two hands showing. They were grayish-white, seemingly covered in slime and spots, like something that had rotted in water after death, and gleamed eerily in the moonlight.

"Dementor," Loren murmured.

"Dementor!" Hermione repeated, her face suddenly turning grim.

The two may now know why the whales deviated from their migration route: something happened in Azkaban.

Although it is unclear what happened, it must have been magic that affected the animals, causing them to deviate from their original course.

"Fortunately, we've all mastered the Patronus Charm, so we don't need to worry about Dementor," Loren said with a sigh of relief.

Hermione's expression didn't improve. She gripped Loren's hand, her knuckles turning white, and looked into his eyes, uttering each word slowly and deliberately, "It's nighttime now, and everyone on the ship will see us use the Patronus Charm."

Hermione didn't finish her sentence, but Loren already understood what she meant.

In an emergency, violating the Statute of Secrecy is a minor matter, but if it is discovered that they have erased the Trace, the Ministry of Magic may investigate thoroughly, and things will become troublesome.

"Thump! Thump!" Loren's heart pounded anxiously.

He is now able to safely possess the Sorcerer's Stone because Dumbledore and Nicol have spread the news that the Sorcerer's Stone has been destroyed, and perhaps Nicol's recent death has also covered up the Sorcerer's Stone's whereabouts.

He lacked Nicol's centuries-old network and reputation, and Dumbledore's prestige. If it were discovered that he possessed the Sorcerer's Stone, dark wizards from all over the world would be after him.

He and those around him will be in danger as a result, spending the rest of their lives on guard against potential harm, with unimaginable consequences.

But he knew that Headmaster Dumbledore would not allow such a thing to happen, and that in order to cover up the Sorcerer's Stone, Dumbledore would take the initiative to remove the Trace.

This was not a problem for a Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot was proficient in Alchemy, and this matter would not cause Dumbledore any real loss.

But Professor McGonagall's plan is about to fail. The Board of Governors can seize on this as an excuse to reject Hogwarts ' independent jurisdiction.

The Imperius Curse was a minor problem; the greater crisis lay at the Sorcerer's Stone. Loren couldn't let Hogwarts pay for his actions.

"The passengers on the ship are delicious food for Dementor, and we must find a way to deal with them." Hermione analyzed the situation, speaking rapidly with an anxious expression.

"We can fake a wizard who banished the Dementor and then left!" Hermione seized the inspiration. "Yes! He used the Patronus Charm in front of ordinary people, violating the Statute of Secrecy, and left immediately to avoid punishment!"

Loren shook his head. "No, the Aurors will check our wands, and the Pensieve will see us casting spells frequently throughout the entire holiday."