JAMES POTTER AND THE VAULT OF DESTINIES

James, Albus, and Ralph stood next to a precariously stacked tower of trunks, cases, crates, and bags.

       'Good thing I had that biscuit,' Ralph breathed, wiping his brow. 'Merlin was right. Traveling is hard work.'

       James glanced up at the lighthouse, looking to see what the Headmaster was up to. As he watched, the small door in the side of the lighthouse opened. Merlin strode out, his head lowered as he traversed the narrow, leaning stairway.

'Hold tight, everyone,' he announced. 'Prepare to board.'

       Behind him, a loud, low note suddenly sounded, emanating from the lighthouse's high lantern. It was a singularly lonely sound, echoing long and deep over the water. James recognized it as the sound of a foghorn. When the sound finally died away, chasing its echoes over the distant waves, a beam of light appeared from the decrepit lighthouse. Ginny gasped at the brilliance of it as it speared out into the gloomy morning, seeming to extend all the way to the horizon. Slowly, the beam began to turn.

       James stumbled. He grabbed out and clutched a handful of Ralph's sweatshirt, only then noticing that Ralph was staggering as well. The two of them clambered backwards against the Anglia.

'What's happening?' Albus called.

       'Stand fast, landlubbers,' Uncle Percy laughed, holding onto his wife Audrey and daughter Molly. 'You just haven't gotten your sea legs yet.'

'Watch,' Lucy announced, pointing toward the lighthouse's beam.

       James watched. Strangely, it seemed as if the beam was, against all probability, standing perfectly still. It was the world itself that was revolving, pulled around in a long smooth axis by the anchor of the spotlight's beam.

'There,' Harry announced. 'Our ship appears to be coming in.'

James followed his father's gaze and saw a long sleek boat appearing from around the rocky promontory. Like the beam of light, the ship appeared to be standing perfectly still as the ocean revolved beneath it, sending its waves up beneath the bow and turning them into briny foam. The ship was long and sleek, with a polished wooden hull stained deep brown, festooned with glittering brass portholes and fittings, tall, complicated masts and a single black smokestack jutting up from the center. Painted white letters along the prow proclaimed the name of the ship: Gwyndemere.

       Ponderously, the pier angled toward the ship until it pointed directly at it. Figures moved about on the deck of the ship, shouting to each other and manning the rigging. James grinned as one of the deckhands heaved a length of rope over the side, Disapparated from the deck, and then Reapparated on the pier seconds later to retrieve the rope as it thumped onto the planks. He looped it industriously around an iron bollard, anchoring the Gwyndemere to shore. That accomplished, the beam of light ceased turning and switched off. James stumbled again as the world seemed to shudder into place.

       'Everyone aboard,' Percy called, striding down onto the pier, clutching his hat to his head as the wind picked up. 'We've got a schedule to keep.'

       Merlin nodded approvingly, and then leaned toward the Anglia's driver's side window. He seemed to tell the car something, patted it lightly, and then stood back as it began to roll. It performed a neat three-point turn on the end of the boardwalk, and then puttered serenely away, its windows reflecting the low sky.

       'I hope I packed enough socks,' Ralph commented, watching the Anglia amble away. 'I'd hate to run out of socks.'

       'I bet they have socks in America,' Albus replied, smacking the bigger boy on the shoulder. 'Let's risk it, eh?'

       James smiled and followed his family down onto the pier, enjoying the sound of the waves and the misty breeze. Gulls circled overhead and alighted on the waves around the ship, where they bobbed like corks. More deckhands Apparated onto the pier, moving economically toward the stack of baggage, which they began to lug toward the ship.

       A gangway appeared, steep and narrow, connecting the ship to the end of the pier. James couldn't be sure if the gangway had grown out of the pier or extended down from the ship. Either option seemed just as likely. He ran ahead, chased closely by Lucy, Izzy, and Petra, who was laughing with delight.

       Once aboard, James looked around with unabashed wonder. From the deck, the Gwyndemere seemed simultaneously huge and cozy. Its bow and stern decks were separated by two recessed walkways, one on either side of the ship, accessed by stairs at the front and back. The walkways enclosed a high, long deckhouse, which dominated the center of the ship, fronted with the pilothouse. James could see men in white jackets and caps inside, moving busily about. An enormous ship's wheel turned gently back and forth as waves rocked the ship.

       'This is so cool,' Ralph said, approaching James. 'I've never been on a ship before. Do you think a magical ship is any different than a regular ship?'

'You're asking the wrong mate, Ralph,' Albus commented. 'We're just as new to this as you are. Ask Uncle Percy if you want a real answer. Or Cousin Lucy, for that matter.'

       'I've only ever traveled by ship once before, believe it or not,' Lucy said, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. 'And that was a lot smaller than this one, on the way to Greece.'

       'Have you seen the dining galley yet?' Petra called from the stairs to the lower level. 'Breakfast is all laid out, and it's perfectly lovely! Come and join us!'

'They have currant buns!' Izzy added importantly, cupping her hands to her mouth.

       James, Albus, Ralph, and Lucy ran to the stairs and ducked into a doorway at the bottom, which opened onto a long low room with windows on either side, letting in the watery morning light. Two long tables dominated the room, bordered on both sides by wooden swivel chairs. Silverware, crystal glasses, china plates and steaming silver tureens and platters were spread over the tables.

       'This is more like it!' Ralph exclaimed, pulling off his sweatshirt in the warmer quarters. He strode along the nearer table and took a seat next to his father, who was already stirring a cup of tea.

       'Enjoy it while you can, friends,' Denniston Dolohov proclaimed. 'This is what it's like to travel on the Ministry's Sickle.' Beyond him, the rest of the adults were seating themselves as well, sighing happily and removing their traveling cloaks and hats.

'The chairs are bolted to the floor,' Albus said, swiveling his experimentally.

       'In case of storms,' Lucy nodded, speaking around a mouthful of muffin. 'Can't have everything slamming all over the place if the sea gets tetchy.'

Ralph looked up, his brow furrowed. 'Is that likely to happen, do you think?'

Lucy shrugged. 'It's the Atlantic ocean. Tetchy is sort of a habit.'

'Especially this time of year,' Albus agreed, reaching for a platter of toast.

       James nodded gravely. 'We may have to steam right through a hurricane or two. And icebergs.'

       'And sea monsters,' Izzy added wisely, meeting Lily's eyes and stifling a grin. 'Giant squid with tentacles like trolley cars!'

'Ah,' Ralph said, rolling his eyes. 'Sarcasm, then. I see how it is.'

       'Don't worry, Ralph,' Petra soothed. 'We've got Merlin with us. If any sea monsters attack, he'll just talk them into joining us for the trip.'

'Or vanquish them and cook them for dinner,' Lily said, grinning.

       A little while later, James had finished his breakfast and discovered he was too excited to sit still any longer. The adults made their way below-decks to explore their cabins while most of the children scrambled back up to the foredeck to enjoy the brightening sun and the misty stamp of the bow on the waves.

'What's making us move, I wonder?' Izzy asked, squinting up at the masts.

       James looked as well, noticing that all of the sails were furled tightly, lashed to the masts in neat bundles.