So, starting in mid-October, a new boat appeared on the Black Lake at Hogwarts.
A ship inside a giant glass bottle.
The students quickly noticed this unusual sight and became quite curious.
Morris didn't intend to hide it, and within a few days, almost everyone knew it was his ship.
Many students even expressed a desire to go up and visit.
Morris was very generous with this offer, accepting all that came, since there was nothing shameful on the ship anyway.
Hiding it away secretly is not his style.
Moreover, being able to see the shocked expressions on other people's faces was a very pleasurable experience for him.
Showing off is human nature.
Of course, the tour is limited to the deck area; the cabins inside the ship are not open to the Morris, as they are the private spaces for Explorers.
October 24th, Sunday morning.
Morris, along with the Weasley Twins and Neville, held a party in the room of the Ship in a Bottle.
Looking out from the window in the wall, you can see that they are at the bottom of Black Lake.
The dark lake water flowed slowly outside the glass, and occasionally a few unidentified fish swam by leisurely, disappearing into the distance with a flick of their tails.
Neville was still a little unaccustomed to it.
Even though the air in the cabin was quite fresh, he still subconsciously held his breath.
It seemed that if he relaxed even slightly, the lake water would rush in and drown him.
" Neville, don't worry about it." Fred lay lazily on the sofa, sipping a bottle of mysterious, bubbly black beverage. "The bottle is very sturdy. George and I tried it; even Blasting Curse couldn't leave a mark on it."
"Yes," George chimed in, turning to Morris. "Speaking of which, Morris, what kind of magic did you put on the glass bottle outside? How could it dive to the bottom of the lake?"
Morris, who was leaning against the window, flipping through an old book, looked up when he heard this.
"Lots of magic," he said frankly, "If you'd like to hear more, I can talk about the parts you can understand; after all, I'm just killing time."
"Really?" Fred sat up abruptly from the sofa.
So next, Morris began to talk about the magic used to create the Ship in a Bottle —of course, excluding the contents of the Book of the Mage.
The twins listened with great interest, occasionally interjecting with questions, while Neville also tried his best to keep up.
Two hours later, the discussion finally came to an end.
At this moment, Neville's eyes had become completely vacant, and he lay stiffly on the sofa, like a salted fish that was about to be dried out.
It is well known that when a student with poor grades listens attentively in class, they expend much more energy than an average student.
That's the situation Neville is in now.
It burned out.
"It really works, Morris," Fred said happily. "Ah, a new inspiration! Perhaps the Portable Swamp can take things a step further!"
" Portable Swamp?" Morris's interest was piqued. "The one you showed me over the summer? How far along are we now?"
Fred looked at his brother, eager to try, " George, let Morris see."
George mysteriously pulled out a small cloth bag.
"Watch closely."
As he spoke, he untied the rope of the cloth bag and shook it downwards.
A small clump of brown mud lay in the center of the room, soft and inconspicuous.
But soon, it began to move.
The mud seemed to come alive, rapidly spreading in all directions.
A few seconds later, a swamp with a diameter of more than two meters appeared, emitting a faint smell of soil.
"That's a good idea." Morris looked at the swamp thoughtfully. "If I'm not mistaken, there's definitely something wrong with this swamp."
"Yes," Fred said with a smug look on his face, "It's particularly troublesome."
As he spoke, he walked directly to the edge of the swamp and stepped into it.
"Oh no, this is bad." George suddenly looked flustered.
Fred ignored his brother's performance; as soon as his feet touched the surface of the swamp, he began to slowly sink.
The mud slowly writhed, quickly enveloping his ankles, then his calves.
"See that?" Fred asked casually. "The swamp has a strong suction; once you get stuck, it's hard to escape."
He tried to lift his foot, but it didn't budge.
"It would certainly be a very useful tool," Morris nodded, turning to the side. "What do you think, Neville?"
Neville hesitated for a moment, then honestly replied, "I... I probably won't be able to escape."
"Of course!" Fred grinned and said loudly, "Even George and I couldn't break free; we needed a special potion."
By now, the mud had reached above his knees and was slowly creeping up to his thighs.
" George, give me a hand," Fred said matter-of-factly, "Get the potion out."
George scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "Um... I forgot to bring the medicine."
Fred's smile froze.
Why didn't you say so sooner!?
Panic echoed through the cabin.
George feigned innocence, "I thought you would bring it!"
How is that possible?
I specifically told you...
The two started arguing.
Finally, Fred turned to Morris, "Think of something, Morris, think of something quickly!"
The mud had already reached his thighs and was approaching his waist.
Morris was somewhat speechless.
What else could he say?
Two clowns.
Morris used the Bone Summoning Spell to summon a large shovel, then took out his wand and cast Gouging Spell, intending to shovel the other person out.
Unfortunately, once the shovel entered the mud, it was firmly stuck and wouldn't budge.
"Heart..." Morris paused for two seconds before saying, "How exactly did you invent such a powerful swamp?"
"The inspiration came from an old book," Fred replied.
At this point, only one-third of his body was visible, but he did not continue to sink.
"This should be the limit," George explained from the side. "We've tested it; the deepest it goes is chest-deep, it won't actually swallow a person up."
Fred said sullenly, "But it feels awful. Oh, my pants must be full of mud."
Morris sighed, took something out of his pocket, and tossed it over.
Fred instinctively caught it, only to realize it was Shadow Concealment Stone.
His eyes slowly brightened.
"That's right!"
The next second, his figure disappeared from the spot.
When it reappeared, it was already standing outside the swamp, covered in mud and looking quite disheveled.
"Phew—" Fred let out a long breath and slumped onto the floor.
Morris asked with great interest, "Could you tell me how to make Portable Swamp? I'm very interested."
Fred looked up, smiled, and said, "Of course, it's only fair. After all, you've shared so much with us."
"However," he looked down at himself, "I need to take a shower first."
Morris pointed down the hallway. "The bathroom is in the second to last room."
Fred was taken aback. "There's a bathroom on this ship?"
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"There are even three." Morris shrugged.
To be honest, he didn't know what he was thinking at the time, installing so many bathrooms all at once.