Five short blasts of the horn redirected everyone's attention to what was happening outside just as the Hermes was turning down the long bay in preparation for taking off. As soon as they were in position a bell rang seven times quickly followed by a single tone. Out in front of them, Nova could see numerous small paddle craft scrambling to get out of the main part of the channel. There was a brief pause when five more short blasts of the horn were sounded followed by a short blast and one good long blast for good measure.

Ginny let out an excited squee as the vessel began moving forward going faster and faster.

“We will be taking off momentarily, be sure you have your seats in the forward upright position and your seat belts on,” announced the disembodied voice of Kitsu over the intercom.

“This is exciting,” Flora announced. “In a regular aircraft, we don’t get to see as much.”

“I think they do that for the people who are afraid of heights,” Basil suggested as they began to lift off. Basil’s pony form had been that of an Earth pony and wasn’t entirely sure what he thought of being able to see so much. It was hardly a moment later when the whole vessel lifted pushing everyone solidly back into their seats as the Hermes rotated to a fifteen-degree pitch upwards.

“I love it when she does that!” Isolde called out excitedly as London dropped away. She’d gotten to travel via the Hermes several times now going back and forth to the islands of Eques. AKA Akkadia.

“Wicked…” Ron said softly as London slowly shrank as they passed over the city. They left the airport traveling back in the direction they came, but were covering the distance a lot faster.

“It’s so big,” Ginny stated in equal reverence.

“Everything is so little from up here,” Louise added as London passed behind them.

“Look, it’s Buckingham Palace, and there’s Hyde Park.

“Aerie, the altitude readout is at 32 thousand feet. Have you ever been this high?” Luna asked as Hermione continued to call out points of interest.

“Thirty-two thousand?!” Ron blurted out.

“Mmm, maybe.” Aerie wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to answer that. Mrs Arthol had been higher. And faster for that matter.

“Oh look, Heathrow Airport,” Hermione announced excitedly as the airport came into view.

“Twenty-eight,” Isolde announced like it was something important. “Twenty-eight families said to be pure blood. Ginny, how many families would you say we just passed over?”

“What?” Ginny asked in dismay.

“Hundreds,” Ron offered. “Hundreds, maybe even thousands. It’s like looking at an ant hill from up here. There are so many.”

“Millions might be more accurate,” Hermione added. “Just in the London area alone. Why?”

“There are so many of them, and so few of us, of wizardkind,” Isolde replied. There was a sort of quiet desperation to her tone like when you’ve realized something horrible and understood there was nothing you could do about it.

“Two wizard wars didn’t help,” Mrs Summers offered.

“We risk being overrun by muggles and we war among ourselves.”

“Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, does it?” Mrs Silverwood offered from behind them. She walked forward. “The seat belt light is off, but I recommend keeping your seat belts on unless you want to get up. Right now we are headed for the Atlantic. As soon as we are outside of local control we will go stealth mode, and turn around while using an electronic decoy to make ATC think we are continuing across the ocean. Wouldn't want them to know we are going to where the World Cup is being held. And to keep other aircraft out we’ve arranged it so that the entire area is a no-fly zone for the duration of the event.”

“A no-fly zone?” Isolde asked.

“Wizard spells intended to keep muggles away don’t work on aircraft over a thousand feet up and most fly even higher than that. Akkadia went public in the nonmagical world because we understood that it was only a matter of time. We blend in. Convince the nonmagical community that magic is just technology, and hide or distract from that which can’t be explained away.”

“The rest of the Wizarding world can’t keep doing things as usual, can we?”

“No, no we can’t. Wizards aren’t going to be able to hide forever, but we can at least leave that till later. We have got a Quidditch match to attend.”

A short time later found the passengers engaged in various endeavors. Ron and Hermione were playing wizard chess using one of the ship’s holographic sets, Aerie had her nose in a book, our musketeers were off exploring the ship, Aurora and Justin were watching a program on one of the screens – a nature film, and the adults were in one of the dining areas talking.

“We’re turning,” Aerie announced without even bothering to look up.

Hermione looked around. “What makes you think we are turning?” Outside there was nothing to see save clouds, the ocean, and the horizon.

“The horizon is higher on the starboard side,” Aurora offered.

“But she didn’t even look.”

“Inner ear,” Aerie informed her. I can feel a slight pull.

“Anyone want dinner?” asked Aegnor coming forward to where they were at.

“Dinner? But, it’s only mid-afternoon?”

“Don’t care what time it is, I’m hungry,” Ron announced.

“It’s nearly seven,” Aegnor informed them. “We’ve been chasing the sun. Expect the sun to go down fast once we are on our return trek.” Aerie looked up from her book at the speed readout that was presently showing just under a thousand miles per hour. Nine hundred and ninety-one miles per hour.

“Mach speed, one-point-five,” Aerie announced. The cabin had been so quiet to begin with, and everyone so engrossed in what they were doing, no one had noticed when they’d broken the sound barrier.

“What’s that supposed to mean,” Ron asked.

“We are going faster than the speed of sound,” Hermione announced breathlessly and then slowly got up to look outside.

“If we are going faster than the speed of sound how come I can hear you talking?”

“Relativity,” Aurora announced.

“What? What do relatives have to do with it?”

“Not relatives, relativity,” Hermione corrected with an air of triumph. "The ship is going faster than the speed of sound, but so is everything inside. It’s as though we were all sitting perfectly still. Everything in the Hermes acts like we weren’t moving at all.”

“Seriously?”

“Ron, if anyone asks, just tell them it’s fecking magic,” Aerie replied with just a bit of cheek.

“Honestly, what am I going to do with you when I get you home?” Luna asked. She had a funny smirk on her face.

“I’m a flawed princess,” Aerie offered as Isolde, Louise, and Ginny entered the dining area.

“Princess?” Isolde asked.

“The Evens family is a very old wizarding family,” Mrs Silverwood informed her. “Legend has it they are descended from the Roman Goddess of the moon.”

“I hope everyone is enjoying themselves?” Asked an officer.

“My captain, Captain Sparrow.” Nova Silverwood informed as they gathered around a table. “Or to be more precise, he’s the captain of the Hermes.”

“Do you fly the Hermes?” Aerie asked Nova. Aerie also suspected that Brightstar’s captain was more than just the captain of her airship.

“I’m qualified, but to be honest, not very often.”

“I’m to understand that she did when the ship was new, but now she just sits in an observer's seat,” Captain Sparrow replied. “Ensign Kitsu is flying it right now.”

“It sets up a rather interesting dynamic if I do.”

“She’s both our princess and holds the rank of admiral,” Captain Sparrow explained. “The Helm position is intended to be an Ensign or Lieutenant.”

“Captain…” Mrs Silverwood prompted while pulling out the chair at the head of the table. “It is your ship and your table. I’ll go sit at the other end. Come on everyone, pick a spot. No point in excessive formalities with such a small group.”

“Do you insist on formalities with larger groups?” Flora asked as she picked out a seat.

“We follow strict protocol with dignitaries, and even more so when it’s a school flight. Ordinarily, no one under age is allowed in ten forward. But, we are family, good friends, and the bar is closed.”

“From London to Eques takes about four hours,” Captain Sparrow began. “The adults like to have a place to get away from students. That and we follow most if not all English laws. One law we have that is strictly enforced is no magic on board while in flight Especially past the sound barrier.”

“I don’t understand, why ban magic?” Hermione asked.

“For the simple reason that magic tends to defy physics,” Nova Silverwood explained. “Certain types of magic are location-dependent and we fear unintended consequences.”

“Brightstar was rather adamant about not allowing the twins,” Flora told her.

“Given that magical explosives such as a magical cracker affect the quantum level one little cracker can rip a supersonic aircraft apart. The explosion happens at the point where it starts and gets drawn out until it ends. And yes, we learned the hard way. One such explosion gave one of our students a nasty burn across his body. He’s lucky he was turned ninety degrees to travel. Since then we’ve taken a hard line on any magic or unapproved magical item use on board.”

“What the?” Ron asked as he looked up at the view screens. Except for the screen that had been used as a TV, all were now black. “He wasn’t kidding when he said the sun would go down really fast.”

“The return trip is always something to behold,” Captain Sparrow offered as the food was being brought out by the crew. “And you got to experience both extremes on the same trip. Watch the screens, the best part will load in a moment.” As he said that the horizon began to come into focus along with the stars like they’d never seen them before, all stretched out from window to window perfectly stitched together.

“We’ve about an hour before we pull into where the World Cup is being held, let’s all sit and get started,” Mrs Silverwood prompted after giving everyone a moment to marvel at what they were seeing. Nor was it just the night sky. Points of interest had been zoomed in so that they could see the night sky in a way none had ever seen before. Shortly after everyone was settled in the food was served.

“It’s like looking at one of them science fiction shows,” Aerie said softly. “Like we are flying through deep space. Stretched out below the earth curving away like we are on top of a giant ball.”

“Earth? If that’s the earth, why’s it curved?” Ron asked. He’d been so mesmerized he’d barely touched his food.

“Ron, the Earth is round,” Hermione informed.

“It is? But?”

“We don’t notice because it’s so big and we are so small,” Aurora said hoping that would be enough.

“But, why don’t people fall off?” Ginny asked.

“Gravity. All things having mass are attracted to each other. The greater the mass, the greater the attraction,” Mrs Silverwood explained. “Call it a form of magic if that helps. The point is, straight down is always relative to where you are standing due to the mass of the earth. The mechanics of an enchanted broom work by displacing and or countering that pull.”

“Ah, I get it. I think. Does that mean magic can reverse the effect? You know, makeup down, and down up?”

“I’d imagine it could be done in a small area. The prime mover of this ship neutralizes the pull of gravity and my mother knows a spell that makes it possible to flip the gravity within a finite location. I recall that she used it one time to reverse gravity in a stairwell so she could climb down when she needed to go up.”

“Wish I could do that with the stairs at Hogwarts,” Isolde lamented.

“Dear, considering the displacement charms on many of the stairs, I wouldn't recommend trying,” Mrs Silverwood cautioned.

“I was actually thinking of something more localized,” Ron informed everyone. “Given how Fred and George are always pranking me, I’d love to turn their dorm room upside down. Hermione?”

“Let me get back to you on that.”

“Fixing everything to the ceiling would be the easy part,” Aerie offered. “Bound to be a fall-up charm of some sort.”

“And maybe you should table that idea,” Flora suggested strongly.

“Reasonable deniability,” Basil added with a wink.

“Well, if they are going to pull an epic prank I’d just assume not know about it until after they get in trouble.”

Dinner was as good as over when Captain Sparrow had been called up to the bridge and a short time later everyone was called to move their seats into the forward locked position. Aerie, Aurora, Hermione, Isolde, Justin, Scootaloo, Ron, and Ginny all raced to ten forward to pick out a seat and were joined by the adults a couple of minutes later. It wasn’t long after that they felt the noticeable pull of the ship slowing.

“Look, that must be it?” Ginny called out on spotting the World Cup quidditch stands shining like a beacon. To say the stands were well-lit was an understatement.

“The beacons are lit, Gondor calls for aid,” Aerie quipped followed by Aurora, Justin, and Isolde bursting into laughter. Isolde had just recently finished reading the Lord of the Rings and was delighted that she understood the reference. She also knew full well that the stands could be seen for miles and what that potentially meant.

“How is it that no one sees that?” Hermione asked.

“Anti-muggle charms surrounding the area along with the no-fly zone for the region,” a member of the crew explained from a seat not far from the bar behind them. “The RAF thinks they are running an exercise. Which just leaves people wandering about the periphery. Fortunately, the Ministry of Magical Sports had enough sense to put it in a depression. We’ll be landing on a nearby high ground.”

“Oh, look there…” Ginny called as they passed over an enormously large campground.

“Ha, people aren’t even trying to make their campsites look like muggle campsites,” Ron commented as they passed overhead. Down below, huge lighted displays could be seen celebrating the two teams that would be playing, and some tents looked more like mini mansions than tents along with all the amenities. Moments later they passed over a stand of trees beyond which stood the Quidditch stands. Seeing wizards on brooms levitating huge parts of the construction was mind-boggling.

“Are they even going to have it ready in time?” Hermione asked as they marveled at the construction site.

“I imagine they’d better,” Basil offered as the ship slowly moved away from the stands. “Bet it doesn't meet any building codes.”

“And that’s a bet I’m not going to take,” Hermione replied with a grin on her face. “H S E would have a fit if they saw the work site.”

A short time later the ship had circled and landed on a rise not far from the stands that was just flat enough.

“Attention passengers and crew,” Kitzu’s voice rang out over the intercom sounding as though she was quite pleased with herself. “The ship is now safely down, and the observation deck is now open. Word of caution, the cloaking is still engaged and is set to two hundred feet beyond the ship to look like a small cabin to deter curious wizards from coming to have a look. The aft boarding ramp has been deployed, but it is recommended that no one leave the vicinity of the ship until morning. That is all.”

“Come on, I’ll show you the way to the observation deck,” Isolde called followed by the three young girls hurrying to the back of the ship.

“I wouldn't mind stretching my wings,” Aerie announced, got up, and headed in the direction the three had gone.

“Probably should go keep an eye on her,” Aurora offered, got up, and followed after her.

“You know what, I think I’ll go have a look too,” Hermione got up and was quickly followed by Ron. When the two arrived on the observation deck they were just in time to see a small group of pegasi taking off. Even the three Musketeers were gone, but on closer examination of the fliers they could see three little girls riding pegasi.

“And… they left us behind,” Ron stated as their pace slowed.

“I can give you a lift,” offered a soft feminine voice.

Ron spun around to find he was now looking a gray pegasi right in the eye.

“Ah… was that you?”

“Sure was. Names Aella.”

“It’s alright? You can take me up?”

“Of course it’s alright. Climb on up… here step on the knuckle of my wing, gently, with your left foot, and bring your right over to sit forward of the wing joint.” She’d dropped her left wing down so he could use it as a step. Ron hesitated for a moment and then did as directed.

“I’ll just wait here,” Hermione offered when Ron looked back at her. There were still a few pegasi milling about.

“Perfectly understandable,” Aella replied. “Night flying isn’t for everyone.” And with that, she galloped forward, spread her wings, and was aloft.

Ron couldn't help but let out a whoop. Nor did it take long to join up with the small flock of night fliers.

“Hi Ron,” called a familiar white and black filly as she did a barrel roll over the top of the two.

“Aerie?” Ron had seen her pony form a few times, but something was missing.

“They are hiding their horns,” Aella explained. “They don’t want us getting too close to the visiting wizards because they are afraid someone might try to pony-nap us. Like kidnap, only we are ponies.”

“Wouldn't that be considered rustling?”

“Only applies to dumb beasts. We are not dumb beasts.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.”

“Ron, glad you decided to join us.” Aerie offered as she flew alongside.

“Aerie… that is you?” Ron looked about to assess where he was.

“Sure is.”

“Hang on, where’s the ship?”

“That little cabin back there is the bridge,” Aella offered. “Part of the reason they don’t want us going too far right now. The ship is camouflaged to blend into the landscape and it would be easy to get disoriented at night and not be able to find it again.”

“Hermione didn’t follow, I see,” Aurora commented as she joined the two.

“Likes to keep on solid ground, that one,” Ron teased.

“So why is it your family have no pegasi?” Aella asked Ron.

“What?” Ron was taken by surprise by that question.

“No place to house them,” Aerie offered. “They live in an old Crofters cottage that’s been added onto multiple times.”

“That’s a shame. Ron seems a likable enough chap.”

“You think he’s got what it takes to house pegasi, is it?” Aerie asked in a teasing tone.

“I’m missing something, aren’t I?” Ron quipped.

“Possibly, possibly,” Aurora offered with a hint of mirth in her voice.

“Hate to interrupt, but Scootaloo is headed for the arena,” Ginny informed them as she joined the group. She too was riding a gray pegasus. Most of the English pegasi were gray roans.

“Oh for Celestia’s sake,” Aurora spat out. She took off after her followed by the whole flock.

For Scootaloo, her first indication that she might be in trouble was the sound of a wizard shouting in pain followed by another, and when she turned to look she saw wizards on brooms coming after her who were now shaking their wand hands as though they’d just hit it with a hammer. A moment later the two wizards were being driven to the ground by a dozen pegasi, some with riders.

“Scootaloo, you were warned to stay near the ship,” Aerie called as she swooped on in.

“Some of the foreigners wouldn't think twice about helping themselves to a filly,” Aella scolded.

“I’d say it’s time to head on in,” Aurora scolded as the flock formed up around them. A moment later everyone was following the lead, a big dark gray roan with tufted ears.

“Anyone want to explain where every pony went?” Kitsu demanded as the flock landed on the observation deck. “Mother gave me strict orders, and I’d appreciate every pony behave while I’m on watch, and take me with you when I’m off.”

“I’m sure it won’t happen again,” Mrs Silverwood offered as she came up behind her. She’d only just come out onto the deck and had a big smile.

“Miss Shutter, the two who were after you weren’t English,” offered the pegasi who’d lead every pony back. “Some of them foreigners wouldn't think twice about helping themselves to a filly and cooking that filly.”

“What?” Scootaloo said her breath barely there.

“He’s not wrong, Miss Shutter,” Mrs Silverwood informed her. “Fortunately there’s no harm done.
Kitsu, your shift is nearly done, go ahead and spend the rest of your time with your friends and cousins.”

“Yes, mam.”

“You aren’t in trouble.” She put an arm around her. “You are just a student after all. I want you to enjoy yourself for the rest of the time we are here.”

“Mam… I hope I’m not too forward,” Hermione began. “But isn’t Kitsu a little young to be an officer on… well anything?”

“Technically she’s a cadet, and I was a lot younger when I got my start. I merely wish to impart to her such skills as will benefit her in the future.”

“Anyone want to see what’s on the telly,” Aerie asked as she walked past now in human form.

“Something to unwind?” Aurora asked.

“I’ll admit that was exciting,” Ron offered as he dismounted. A moment later Aella was a very good-looking human crew member.

“Ron?” Hermione asked turning on him.

“What?”

“Hi, I’m Ensign Aella.”

“Hang on, you're the pony I was…” Ron started and then thought hard about what he should say and how to word it.

“Ron…” Hermione wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to say.

“She practically proposed to him,” Aurora informed Hermione as she walked by.

“Proposed?”

“Wait, that’s not… oh dear…” Aella began to protest, but on realizing how her question might be misinterpreted began to blush. “I was just wondering why it is nice wizards like the Weasleys have no pegasi friends?”

“Right off hand, I’d say it’s the whole we are so impoverished thing,” Aerie commented.

“But we are?” Ron protested.

“Your parents had little trouble gathering up the material to add rooms to your house,” Aerie pointed out. “And it’s not like it’d be all that difficult. Go down to a muggle industrial site, shrink down a bunch of pallets, take them home, enlarge, use them for the raw material needed to make a building.”

“But wouldn't that be like stealing?” Hermione asked.

“A good deal of those things get discarded, the companies discarding them aren’t likely to care, and it keeps them out of the landfills. It’s not like going down to a lumber yard and helping yourself.”

“I hadn’t thought about that, and I can see where wizards could make do.”

“Maybe when I get a place of my own someday then,” Ron offered and then decided to follow after Aurora. He hadn’t gone far when he spotted her and Louise walking together through a corridor.

“Do humans, would they have…”

“Let’s just say I’m glad we didn’t find out,” Aurora offered as she put an arm around her. The rest of the group could be heard coming down the stairs from the observation deck and the group would soon be relaxing in front of a view screen watching a show. Something Ginny was fascinated by having no TV at home. In fact neither she nor Ron knew anything about TVs and were amazed that they had been invented by Muggles.

Author's Note

Finally, another chapter. Not making any promises but I am making progress.

In the meantime be sure to check out The beginning of the end the remix.