Everyone boarded. Li Xingqi pulled up the gangplank. "Deck or cabin? Your choice."
Tony stared. "We can stand out here? We won't fall off?"
Li Xingqi shook his head. "Country's big. We move people in bulk with Flying Arks. This is Artifact Pavilion's masterpiece—at least eight hundred Formations built in. You won't fall."
Gemini nodded. Made sense. Chinese cultivators valued natural Dao methods. If your transport made you worry, might as well use your own Flying Sword.
The scenery shifted. Everyone rushed to the railings. The boat rose slowly. They felt nothing. Faint ripples shimmered outside—protective barrier blocking wind and pressure.
The boat reached altitude. Shot forward like an arrow. No buildup. No acceleration. Just instant high speed.
Tony's eyes went wide. "I'm going to China. Learning this."
Li Xingqi crushed his dreams. "We only take kids six to twelve."
Tony realized. He wasn't young anymore.
After the initial curiosity faded, not much to see. They went inside. Sat in a small hall. Drinks and snacks. Five hours. They'd manage.
Steve slept—treatment unfinished. Peter slept—too young. Everyone else stayed awake until Li called them.
"We're here. Need me to take you down?"
Tony jumped up. "On Flying Swords?"
Li blinked. "Uh, yes."
"I need it!" Tony agreed first. Gemini joined. The Parkers worried, but Li promised safety.
Sleeping Steve and Peter got Levitation Charms.
They landed. Harry and the others rushed over. Thanked Li's group. Brief pleasantries. Li's team returned to the boat. Vanished into the sky.
Harry looked at the exhausted faces. Said nothing. Brought them to the Burrow. Had Coby set up the tent in the yard. Everyone stumbled to their rooms. Collapsed.
What a night.
Gemini slept like the dead. Woke up dazed. Took forever to remember—back in Britain.
She emerged from the tent. Her shop assistants had bonded with the Weasleys. Men clustered. Women clustered. Shadows darting between groups. Everyone laughing.
"Gemini Black!"
Everyone turned. Confused Gemini at the tent entrance. Sirius charging at her.
Gemini felt guilty. She'd shut him off. Forgotten him in her bag. Nearly half a month. Good thing he slept through it, or he'd have gone insane.
"How dare you?!" Sirius jumped around her. His palms passed through her head. "Affairs between nations! You got involved! Aren't you Slytherin?! Where's your caution?!"
"But I'm surrounded by Gryffindors."
Sirius bounced harder.
Everyone laughed until they couldn't stand. Finally cleared Sirius away. Gemini breathed.
"Speaking of Slytherin—I saw Draco at the match. We planned to return together, but things happened. Harry, can you contact him?"
Harry's face stiffened. "Yes. I'll tell him you're back. Don't worry—he's head of the Malfoy family. He'll be fine."
"How do you contact each other? I heard you're enemies at the Ministry, but Ginny says you're friends." Gemini leaned in, gossip-hungry.
Harry pushed her face away. "You learned bad habits from Tony. Should kids know this?"
"Come on! Tell me!" Gemini grabbed his arm. Shook it. Acting cute—something she hadn't done since entering Slytherin at eleven.
"Fine." Harry surrendered.
He pulled out a coin. Channeled magic. It trembled.
Gemini saw nothing different.
"Look here." Harry pointed to the edge numbers. "On real Galleons, these represent mint year and material ratios. We created our own code. Send messages through the numbers."
"Hermione set this up at school. D.A.—Dumbledore's Army." Harry spoke nostalgically. The coin warmed. He studied the changing numbers. "He knows. Already connected with Elder Sun. Don't worry."
Gemini relaxed. They hadn't been polite to Yamamoto on the beach.
She told Harry about Peter's arrangements. Asked who at the Ministry was handling it. Whether they needed to do anything.
Harry wanted to laugh. Gemini was still a child. Already worrying about another child. "Leave it to me. Tomorrow I'll take you to the Ministry. Hermione will be there. Small stuff. You're back—just have fun."
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