The ship that can sail the clouds

Manhattan Cruise Terminal

Harry and Willow reappear as willow was trying to catch her breath, it felt like she was being forced through a rubber tube.

"W-what was that?" Willow asked as she still tries to calm herself.

" That was apparition, I have to say it was quite successful, most people either had an accident or vomit." Harry said and then he realizes he said almost the exact same thing that Dumbledore said to him.

" It felt terrible, it felt like I was being forced through a small rubber tube."

"I said the same thing when I first experience it, but it gets better the more you do it, however, you're not at the age or the skill level to do it on your own." Harry told her as half as a warning and half as to comfort her. Willow saw that they were at the port, but where they were at is far away from other boats and there were no piers. She watches the waves of the ocean gently hitting against the concrete side of the dock they stood on. She looks at Harry and saw that he took his wand out and gave it a wave and a flick and she could see the pier rising up out of the water, and stop at the level of the dock, and suddenly a black ship that looks similar to a 16th-century Spanish galleon, possessing a quarterdeck and forecastle. It was square-rigged and had two masts, appears out of thin air. Willow was astonished by the pier and the ship appearing.

" Ready to board?" A voice called from the ship. Willow looked up and see an older man close to Harry's age, he's a bit on the slander size, long sleek white-blonde hair that is pulled into a tight pony tail, pale complexion, and his eyes are grey. He wore a white button-up shirt, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. Harry looked at the man and nodded.

"Ready to board Draco, Are the others back?" Harry asked and Draco nodded. Willow wonders if they worked at the same place, or have similar taste in style. She watches as Draco lowers a platform for Harry and Willow and once they step on it along with her Trunk, Draco had the platform float up for them to get on the ship. Willow looked at Draco and she could feel sadness from him, but she also felt happiness as well. She stays close to Harry however, after all, she not really used to strangers. Draco looks at her and smiles.

" Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy." He said as he held out his hand.

"H...hello, I'm Willow Slytherin." Willow said nervously and she looks at Draco's hand and she was hesitant at first, but then she hooked his hands, Draco had his sleeves rolled up, and on his lift forearm Willow seen what look like a faded tattoo of a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth.

"What's is that?" Willow asked as she got a feeling that she seen it before, She tried to remember where she saw it, but she couldn't and she ended up giving herself a slight headache.

" A...ah that is nothing, It was a mistake. Maybe one day we can talk about it, but that won't be today or anytime soon, because We're on a tight schedule." Draco said and he let go of Willow's hand. " Dolbey" Draco said and suddenly a young short skinny creature appears, his ears are batlike and it has big green eyes, as it wore what looks to be a clean pillowcase.

"Yes, Master Malfoy?"

"Take Ms. Slytherin trunk to her room." Draco calmly told the being and he bows and then he and the trunk disappears. Willow blinks as she looks at both Harry and Draco. "What was that?" Willow asked.

" A house-elf. They're very useful to have, but they hardly get any credit or Thanks for their work." Harry told her and Draco nodded in agreement. Willow kept looking at the spot where the house-elf disappears.

"I bet you are hungry, I must apologize, but I told Matilda not to cook breakfast for you, because of the apparition. Let me take you to the dining room." Harry said and he escorted Willow through a door, when she stepped through it her mind was blown. The hallway was very long and on each side, there were multiple doors. Willow couldn't count all the doors but it looked like this ship could hold up to a thousand people. Harry took her down some stairs to two very lovely hand curve great oak doors. Before Harry opens the doors he looks at Willow and smiles.

"Are you tired of being surprise yet?"

"Not likely, at least not anytime soon." Willow answered him and Harry turn the doorknobs and push the door open to reveal an enormous room, with white walls with huge windows, She looks up at the ceiling to see that it was the sky. "How is that possible?" Willow said as she saw the clouds lazily drift by.

" As a good friend of mine had said once, It's not really the sky, It's magic or enchanted to look like the sky." Harry said, and he guides her over to a round table with a white table cloth that had a golden lantern sitting in the middle. Well in fact all the tables were identical to this table, but the lantern had no need to be lit as it was bright enough in the dining room. At the Table Harry guiding her too, already had two people sitting at it. One was reading a funny looking newspaper where the people in the pictures are moving and he was enjoying a cup of tea, The man has red hair, tall, freckled complexion and his eyes are blue. Sitting across from him is a woman as she was doing some paperwork. brown hair slightly wavy, and like Draco, she had it put in a ponytail Willow could see her brown eyes follow the words on the paper with intense focus, before she wrote something down.

"Willow, This is Ron Weasley, Ex-Auror, now he helps his brother with a Shop in Diagon Alley. Which you will see, he also one of my best friends as well as my brother-in-law. The one who is supposed to be on vacation but she apparently doesn't know the meaning of it is Hermione Granger-Weasley, She's is the Minister of Magic, my other best friend, and also Ron wife and my Sister-in-law by marriage" Harry said to Willow but he was looking at Hermione with a serious look. Hermione shows an expression as a child being caught sticking her hand in a cookie jar. Then she smiles at Harry.

" Hello Harry, Willow." Hermione said and Ron also expresses his greeting to them as well. Harry looked at them both, Then He sat down with Willow next to him." So, what would you like to eat?" Harry asked Willow and she Replied with "Chocolate chip pancakes." it was her Birthday and she is not going to break her tradition. A plate of three chocolate chip pancake appears in front of her.

"That looks good, I might have some of that." Ron said as he folds his newspaper and lay it down. and Hermione looked at him with a stern look. "No, you're not. We've already eaten." Hermione spoke and Ron nodded in agreement. "Of course, I shouldn't overeat." Ron said. He learned not to cross Hermione when she's angry or serious, it'll never end well.

"Ron, why is it that she's working? Why is it that I'm acting like a parent to you two?" Harry said, Somehow the parental role switch from Hermione to Harry. Willow ate her pancakes as she listens to their conversation. Both Ron and Hermione looked down at the table and then Ron spoke up as he looks at Harry.

" It a bit hard to tell her no, You should know how she is when she wants to study or work."

"I understand, but you both need to realize that we are not going to get any younger, and when we get back to the ministry, we'll be busy. So it best to relax now, all that extra work can be finish when we go back to work." Harry told Hermione and he took out his wand and made Hermione's paperwork disappears, more likely they'll appear back on her desk in her office. Hermione was a bit sad and disappointed that she couldn't finish it and Willow could feel it, just like she could feel Ron sulking because he couldn't eat anymore, even if he doesn't show it, his feeling betray him.

"So Willow, tell us about yourself." Hermione said with a soft smile and her eyes look at her. Willow thought for a moment before telling her about her, in her honest opinion she thought she wasn't that much interesting as the next.

"Well, I'm an orphan, Eleven-year-old. Love the color green, and one of my favorite animals are snakes, I'm very inquisitive, Let see what else is there...oh yeah I was homeschool and in every subject, I get top grades, oh I love to read, and sing as well." Willow said to her, Ron softly groan, Just what they needed a miniature clone of Hermione, even though his daughter is also exactly that as well. Willow's attention turns to Harry's watch again and seen that it glowing red, and it shows the number thirty on it.

" Mr. Potter, if you don't mind me asking. Your watch is rather strange. What is it?" Willow asked.

"It's a Muggle detector...Oh, right you don't know what a muggle is." Harry said as he saw the way she looks at him with a confused looked. "A muggle is a person who can not do magic let alone know that magic exists, We can't do magic in front of them. So this watch tells me how many muggles are in the area. If the watch glow blues then it's safe to do magic, red it's not safe." Harry said.

" Hermione, can we talk for a moment, We'll be back Willow." Harry said as both Hermione, and he walks away heading close to the door, and she heard Harry mutter a word, and she couldn't hear anything they said. She saw Hermione looked at her, she knows that they were talking about her.

" Hermione, I need you to fix her memory. Her caretaker had to use a potion to alter her memories to keep herself and the other children."

" Harry, it not that simple as doing Acciao, or erasing memories." She sighs and she looks at Willow and she saw her looking back, then she looked back at Harry. " Very well, I'll try my utmost best to fix her memories," Hermione said, and before Harry could tell her something else important but she walked away back to Ron and Willow, Ron was telling her about the Weasley's Joke shop.

"Oh, I would love to see it." Willow said as she with excitement.

" You will when we get to Diagon Alley." Ron said with a smile.

" Ron, would you go help Harry and Draco with getting ready to set off." She said to him as she turns to Willow. "How about I show you to your room, I think you might like it." Hermione told her and Willow nodded, and they left. They walk up a staircase and walk down a Hallway only to stop at the first door. Hermione opens the door to reveal an enormous emerald green room with the Slytherin house crest on the walls. The bed is a queen-size bed and the room even has its own bathroom. Willow sat on the bed as she laid back and the next thing she knew she heard a soft music box lullaby, and she drifted off to sleep.

"Well let's get started." Hermione said to herself, and she begins to work on her memories. It took longer than she expected when she was finished, she was going to leave until her foot softly hit against something on the floor, something that shouldn't be there. She looked down and saw a black and white snake tail, at first Hermione almost scream, but she stops herself. Hermione estimated that it fifty or sixty feet, and she could only guess but she remembers the basilisk skeleton and she would say this tail was the same width. The end of the tail has black and white feathers growing out of it. She follows the snake-like tail as it leads up to Willow, her clothes were ripped apart but nothing important can be seen as scales covered it. Hermione looked her over in shock. Willow's upper body is cover in scales as well, but those scales are so small, smooth, and perfect that unless you looked at them up close or feel them you wouldn't know that they are there. Hermione glanced at Willow's face and saw that she kept her human feature, but she could see that her face have some scales on it. Her long black hair would look like dreds with black and white feathers at the end but in reality, her hair turns into snakes with feathers growing out of their head. Hermione had noticed that Willow is a beautiful child, but this form is very beautiful. "I'm going to kill him." Hermione whispers to herself, She carefully and silently grabs a spare blanket and gently places it on Willow up, and she quietly left the room, as she heads up to the deck to give Harry a piece of her mind.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!!!" Hermione yelled as she got on the deck and all three men at first looked at Hermione and then the other two looked at Harry.

"Well, it looks like Hermione being the parent this time, what did you do wrong this time Harry?" Draco asked. Harry looked a bit annoyed as he wonders do she really had to use his middle name like that? He watches her come up to him.

"Why didn't you tell me she was a Gorgon?!?!" Hermione asked angrily. Draco and Ron looked at him. Gorgons after all are a dark magical creature, and there were no known sightings of a Gorgon in America or England. Now the other two looked at him.

" Well actually, She's a half-breed. Her father is a full-blooded wizard name, Alexander Ethan Slytherin a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, apparently a muggle-born witch fell in love with Salazar's son, that no one knew about, but because he was following his father footstep he rejected her, well She places a curse on his family, that as long as they continue to hate, they would only have sons until a Slytherin fall in love with someone who isn't full blood. Alexander fell in love with Cassandra Nysa Athena-Slytherin, because they got married. Her mother has to ability to not only change her form but can do magic as well, and To tell you the truth, I was going to tell you, but you left before I said anything, but maybe next time I would try harder." Harry said to them. He read a little bit about Willow's past from the envelope Matilda gave to him while he was waiting on Willow to say her goodbyes to her.

Hermione looked at him crossly, but she couldn't stay mad at him for long. "Well make sure you do." Hermione answer and she turn around to go below deck again. Draco looked to Harry.

"Why do you always get off easy?" Ron Asked him, as Hermione never let him off the hook so to say. Harry shrugged as it was even a mystery to himself, and Draco tries his best not to chuckle, let alone to laugh.

" Well, I think Salazar is turning in his grave, seeing that one of his descendent is a half-breed. So she can talk to snakes, well I mean despite that fact she's a half gorgon, I mean she should be a--"

"Parseltongue, yes she is. Or at least that what Matilda told me." Harry said to Draco, as he didn't mean to interrupt his question.

"How about we get ready to set off?" Ron said and they agree as they went back to work. Willow woke up late, or rather the lullaby stop and she woke up. She remembers everything from her past, it wasn't altered, She even remembers one memory where Matilda crying and beg her to forgive her because she had to alter her memories. She even remembers what she is, She got dress again after she was done she almost sat on the bed but she stops herself as she didn't feel like going to sleep again. She walks up to the deck and her eyes widen in amazement. It was nighttime, but she could see the stars clearly and the full moon as well, but she also realized that they were a lot more closer. She saw Draco looking over the railing. At first, she was a bit nervous and shy to go up to him, but then instead of going back below deck, but it seems like her feet were moving on their own. When she stops moving she realized she was standing next to Draco, she peers over the railing and was amazed that the cloud was under the ship as if the ship was sailing on the clouds as it would've done in the ocean.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Draco asked. Willow nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, muggles can't see the ship, because it's above the clouds and it's also invisible. So it seems like you gave Minister Granger a bit of a scare." Draco added, and with that, he gave her a soft smile, Willow look at him and return the smile. She could sense that he's struggling especially with his feelings but she could tell he's a good person.

"So, where is everyone?" Willow asked.

"Harry is writing to the Headmistress of Hogwarts to explain, about you, so she can get prepare before you arrive, Ron and Hermione are asleep, they'll be leaving early as Hermione have to get back to the office, and Ron had to get back to help his brother out, with the shop." Draco said.

"Okay." Willow said as she looks down, and for the first time since her memories were restored. a thought entered her mind, what if other people find out about her and they called her a freak, or what if she gets scared or nervous and she changes and attacks someone. Then suddenly a small whisper enters her mind sounding almost close to a snake, but it was filled with evil intent.

"If they hurt you, hurt them back, make them pay, especially the filthy mudbloods. Live up to Ssssalazar's expectations. The whisper said and Willow for some reason was feeling dread and a cold chill ran down her spine, what was that whisper? and where did it come from. Willow pushed it from her mind from now as Draco notice her expression and asked her what was wrong. Willow took a deep breath and then exhale as she sighs.

" What if the other students find out about me? or what if I get scared or nervous and I accidentally attack someone, what if deep down I'm evil because of my other side?" Willow asked with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Ah, I see." Draco said as he thinks about what he was going to say to her. He looks at the night sky, his eyes focus on the stars and the moon, then he looks back at her. He smiles and finally, he spoke.

" You're not evil, especially deep down. If you are so worried about attacking someone, then you're not evil, and if the other student called you a freak, then so what, who cares what they think. Willow in my honest opinion I think you will be a great witch, maybe even the greatest, I also believe you will make some great friends, and I think you will also be a person who will change people's lives for the better. Besides being a half-breed is just something else that will make you special. Don't hate yourself because of others, Love yourself and shows others how to love themselves." Draco said to her and he looks at the moon. "Do me a favor, if you saw someone trap in the darkest night, why not be their moon and show them the way." Draco said, and Willow thought about everything he said and she had to admit that she was feeling better, even if that last part was a bit cheesy, but she kept that to herself.

"Of course, I will. Mr. Malfoy." Willow said to him. looked back at the stars.

"So I took it you made the mistake of sitting on the bed when Hermione fix your memories?" Draco asked, and Willow nodded.

"Yes, right when I sat down I heard this lullaby play, and not long after I was asleep."

"That because the beds on this ship are enchanted to put a person to sleep once they sit or lay on the bed, the bed only allow the person to sleep as much as they needed, it could be eight or nine hours or it could be half a day to a whole day. So seemingly you slept just about the whole day must mean you haven't been sleeping." Draco said and she nods.

" I get nightmares, it feels so real and familiar. in fact, they felt so real that they don't feel like dreams or anything like that but they feel like distant memories. Every time I wake up it'll leave me with feelings that I don't like." Willow said as she shrugs. "Maybe it's nothing." She added.

"Maybe." Draco said as he looks back at her, she could feel a worrying feeling coming from him, but he tries his best not to show it.

"Well, I think it best you get to bed, don't want to be too tired for tomorrow, you got an exciting day in front of you, and I think you want to see as much when you get to Diagon Alley." He said and before Willow could go back to her room Draco stop her. "Oh Set the clock next to the bed, that way you won't oversleep and the clock will wake you up. The bed will allow you to wake up once the clock goes off, although it can be a bit loud." Draco said and Willow nodded to let him know that she understood and then she left. However, not long after she left Harry walked over to Draco and stand beside him. Draco looked at him sideways but doesn't appear to be surprised.

"You know that was very good advice, you gave Willow." Harry said as he watches the clouds, while Draco smirked.

"Yeah, sometimes I even surprise myself." Draco said. "So, how long were you listening, and I thought James had the invisibility cloak." He added and it seems like this was exactly what Harry was waiting for and he smiles.

"I have other ways to make myself invisible, I don't need the cloak anymore." Harry said to him.

"So, do you think these nightmares of Willow are anything to go on?" Draco said as he looked at Harry with a serious look.

"I'm not sure, right now it too soon to say. For now, let her worry about things that an eleven-year-old should worry about." Harry said and Draco nodded. "However, if anything more should ever come of it, then we shall take care of it. These are peaceful times and all of us fought like hell to have it, and We shall keep fighting to keep it." Harry added.

"I agree, however, I think it a bit late and we need to get up early. " Draco said and before he leaves Harry stops him. "Just one thing I like to know. What do you think about her? I mean both Ron and Hermione said they think she's a good kid." Harry said. Draco stand there and thought to himself for a minute and then he gave Harry his answer.

" I think, that there are more to Willow than she or us know. Also, she can be in fact many things, and this is only a guess but something about her tell me she is capable of doing many wonderful things. The one thing I don't understand is that in her personality there is no hint of malice or evil intent, I'm not saying that there should, but I get the impression that she doesn't have an evil bone in her body, and that not really normal as everybody have at least a little bit of darkness in them it just if they choose to listen to it, but I do get the feeling by what you told me, that even though it hurt her to do it, she'll go through an extreme measure to protect those she cares about and hurt those who hurt her love ones, as that is a good thing it can also be quite dangerous, in fact, it could also lead her down a dark path. However, I also sense that she is a good person at her core, and I think she's very intelligent for her age that I believe she will choose the right path for her. We can't control her and we can't tell her which path to choose, however, we can only guide her, protect her when there is danger, and teach her. So all in all, I'll agree with Hermione and Ron, that is what I think, Goodnight Harry." Draco said and Harry bid him goodnight and Draco went to his room, However, Harry thought about what Draco said, and he agrees with Draco, however, he'll do what he can to protect her, even if sometimes that would mean he'll protect her from herself. He then left to go to his room as he thought wonder to Ginny and his children.