Hogwarts And Shankspell
By: CNJ
PG-13
1: Flight to the States
Harry:
"I can't believe we're almost
in America!" Hermione called across the aisle of the muggle airplane to
me that April at the start of our spring break.
"Me either," I smiled back.
We sure were on our way to the United States, all of us seventh years for
a student exchange trip. We're spending a week in New York City and will
be visiting the students of Shankspell Academy of Sorcery there. We were
all very excited about the trip. Since the States is too far across the
Atlantic to apparate or use floo powder, we had to travel there by muggle
means, which involved an airplane. It felt weird, like being on a huge
broom in the air, but enclosed. I'd been on a plane a couple of times as
a baby when Mum and Dad had taken me to Italy and to a couple of Islands,
but of course I had no memory of it. It was my first time ever in the States,
mine and for two of my friends, Ron and Hermione. Cheria had been to the
States once before when she was eight.
"It's pity these muggles don't
space these seats properly," Ron told me from behind.
"What?" I called over the
noisy blowing of the engines.
"I said these seats..."
Ron looked around to make sure none of the muggles overheard us. "Are too
cramped together. We're quashed all together in this row." I nodded. Thinking
about it, I guess they are a bit close. But I had room to move around and
I had several books that I was reading, including one good American one,
A Begonia For Ms Applebaum. It takes place in New York and
is written by Paul Zindel. Parts of it are very sad, other parts are funny.
I took it out, pushed up my glasses, and continued where I'd left off.
Across the aisle, Hermione and Cheria talked about various American customs
and Ron and Clara talked and giggled behind me. Two rows ahead of me, our
deputy headmistress and Madame Hooch, the flying instructor/Quidditch coach
talked softly and once Madame Hooch got up, I think to pee. There's a very
tiny loo in the back.
"Please fasten your seatbelts,
we are getting ready to land in New York City," a voice over the loudspeaker
told us. "We will be landing there in approximately half an hour." My heart
beat faster as I checked my seatbelt. We looked around at each other and
Ron let out a short bellow.
"We're almost there!"
"God, we made it!" "I can't
believe we'll be seeing the States!" were some of the other voices that
floated around our seating area. Madame Hooch scrambled back to her seat
and sat, glancing over at us to make sure, I guess we were seated and all
right. My stomach bounced some as I felt the aircraft lose altitude and
my heart beat faster as the clouds faded.
"I see it, the States!"
Neville called.
"Me too!" Hermione added.
"And there's the Statue of Liberty!" Sure enough, we could see the chunk
of land and I got a glimpse of the figure of a woman by the shore. I gasped
in delight. It was so beautiful! There were tons of buildings all over
and I wondered if New York City was as big as London. An excited chatter
exploded among us as we talked about what we planned to see and do once
we landed.
"Oh, Lavender, this is going
to be so swell," I told Lavender, who was next to me.
"This will be great," she
grinned. The bounce told us that we'd finally landed in the United States.
Were we in for quite a week!
