MTLNOVEL Chapter 76: Apparition Special Training
The calm weeks at Hogwarts soon came to an end.
James had returned to classes. Apart from a new quietness about him, he seemed otherwise unchanged.
But whenever Snape glanced at him inadvertently, he always caught those black lake-like eyes—dark and turbulent, full of hatred.
It seemed Sirius had not used that love potion on James after all. Whether he'd discarded it or kept it, Snape had no way of knowing.
This uncertainty made Snape more cautious, and he tried to avoid acting alone whenever possible.
On the first Friday evening of April, after dinner, Snape and some others returned to the common room to find a group of sixth-year Slytherins gathered by the crackling fireplace, discussing something eagerly.
Approaching the noticeboard, they saw a fresh announcement pinned up: the dates for the upcoming Apparition exams.
The notice stated that students aged seventeen and above could sign up for special supervised training sessions at Hogsmeade before the first exam, scheduled for April 24th.
Ayb, having read the notice, slumped heavily into an armchair, deflated like a burst balloon. Despite being old enough, he had yet to Apparate successfully and felt the odds of passing the exam were slim.
"Ugh…" he sighed, "Looks like I'll have to take the train home this holiday. No chance of giving my family a scare."
Snape himself had managed a few successful Apparitions. He wasn't bothered by the prospect of taking the Hogwarts Express.
"We don't get many chances to ride the train, anyway," Snape said, pulling an empty chair near the fire, sitting down beside Ayb and young Bartie. "Even if I pass the test, I think I'll still take the train home."
The warmth of the fire flickered around them as they spoke of the dwindling days left in their student years, before reality settled in: the mountain of homework awaiting them.
N.E.W.T.-level assignments had grown tougher than ever, where even the simplest questions demanded scouring through piles of arcane tomes and manuscripts.
During these days, Snape found himself crossing paths more often with Madam Pince. Whenever borrowing or returning books, she'd peer over her spectacles with her creased face, inspecting to make sure no harm befell the precious volumes.
Sunday morning found Snape and Ayb waiting in the castle's entrance hall.
Soon enough, Pandora appeared down the west corridor, from the direction of Ravenclaw Tower.
Once reunited, they prepared to make their way to Hogsmeade for their special Apparition training.
The spring weather was mild and inviting, the bright blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds hovering above the castle in rare clarity.
Upon reaching Hogsmeade, they followed the floating purple magical arrows guiding them through the village streets toward the mountain side nearest the hills.
In the distance, the snow on the peaks had melted away, replaced by a soft pale blue haze.
There stood the pale, slender Vicki Tuckross near Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, accompanied by a petite witch wearing a striking deep purple wizard's hat—likely Tuckross's assistant.
On the ground beside them lay an old-fashioned Nimbus 3000 broomstick, its handle scarred and worn by years of use.
Several students had already gathered nearby, flipping through the small pamphlets in their hands.
"Come on over!" the petite witch called warmly to Snape and his friends.
"Hello, I'm Cilly Polk, assistant to Mr. Tuckross at the Apparition Testing Centre," she introduced herself, pulling several booklets from her satchel and handing them out. "These contain everything you need to know about Apparition.
"Of course, the most important lessons are Mr. Tuckross's three Ds: Destination, Determination, and Calmness."
Snape took the booklet titled Common Apparition Errors and How to Avoid Them and flipped through it.
At the bottom of the cover was the Ministry of Magic's seal—M.o.M.—and a nearly translucent cartoon wizard resembling Tuckross himself.
The cartoon wizard flickered around the page, appearing at the top, then the bottom, bowing politely toward the edges of the book.
"Listen up," Tuckross's voice boomed after Polk signaled that all students had arrived, capturing everyone's attention. "Today, here at Hogsmeade, you're allowed to relax a bit and try Apparition.
"There are no anti-Apparition wards here, so if your form is a little off, don't worry too much.
"But I must remind you, your target," he pointed to a large red circle marked on a clearing outside Madam Puddifoot's, "is much bigger than the usual practice rings at Hogwarts.
"I still expect as much precision as possible. Remember, even the slightest mistake in Apparition can lead to dire consequences. These dangers are explained in your booklets—you should take a look."
"We'll have more practice sessions next week and the week after," he added. "The circle will shrink then, matching the size used in the final exam. Now, line up and take turns…"
When it was Snape's turn, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, visualized the red circle clearly in his mind, and tried to treat his hair as part of his body.
A soft pop sounded—and he successfully Apparated inside the circle.
Pandora followed, managing to land within the circle as well, though her foot landed right on the edge.
Their success encouraged Ayb greatly. Clutching his wand, he strode confidently to Tuckross's side, eyes fixed unblinking on the target area.
Then, he vanished.
But no one appeared on the landing spot.
Confusion rippled through the crowd.
"Don't panic!" Tuckross said calmly, bending down to pick up the broomstick, mounting it with a practiced ease.
The Nimbus 3000 shuddered, then lifted at a fitting pace.
Under the watchful gaze of the students, Tuckross circled the sky, squinting as he searched for any sign of Ayb nearby.
After a moment, he pointed toward Hogsmeade Station, shouting, "He's over there!"
Snape followed his gesture just in time to see Ayb sprinting up the slope toward them, out of breath.
When Ayb finally reached him, Snape asked, "Where did you go?"
"I Apparated to the Three Broomsticks," Ayb panted, hands on his knees.
"Was that on purpose, or an accident?" Snape asked, unable to keep the edge from his voice.