Even though Snape and the others, through carefully curated newspaper articles and subtle manipulation of public opinion, successfully made most of the students on board deeply question and distrust the Ministry of Magic and the Malfoy-controlled Hogwarts, not everyone could completely escape the invisible pressure of official propaganda.
Aboard the Founders' Ark, drifting high in the sky, while temporarily safe, there was an inescapable sense of living "hand-to-mouth," with no stable ground beneath their feet.
Above them was the vast starry sky, below, a churning sea of clouds, cutting them off from familiar land and amplifying their inner unease.
This unease quietly grew in the hearts of those whose wills were not firm enough to begin with.
Moreover, memories can sometimes blur. Even if the teachers and students on the ship had personally experienced Abraxas Malfoy's undisguised contempt for "Mudbloods" during his lessons at Hogwarts, his almost harsh punishments for Muggle-born students who violated rules, and his brutal attitude of treating house-elves like dirt, often hitting and insulting them.
But time itself, combined with the carefully edited photographs showing "kind" smiles in the newspapers, and the repeated emphasis on "safety" and "tolerance," seemed to possess a certain magic, subconsciously blurring those painful memories and fostering a glimmer of wishful thinking: Perhaps going back wouldn't be so bad after all?
Therefore, while the worries and fears of most on board gradually transformed into a sense of belonging to the unique refuge of the "Founders' Ark" and a shared determination to face challenges together, a few individuals began to waver.
Among them, the most easily swayed and most timid was Peter Pettigrew.
These past few days, Wormtail had been particularly restless.
He repeatedly flipped through a newspaper acquired by a Doubling Charm, seemingly obsessed, his eyes often lingering on the exaggerated paragraphs about "guaranteed safety" and "welcoming back the misguided," which Snape had intentionally left in.
Those words were like hooks, constantly tugging at his deepest desire for stability and a normal life.
Fear, like a cold snake, coiled around his heart. The brutal attacks by Death Eaters, "Mr. Gellert's" Fiendfyre, which treated human lives as worthless, and the constant danger of the ship being exposed again – all kept him awake at night.
On a slightly bumpy afternoon, he finally couldn't take it anymore.
Wormtail pulled out the newspaper from his robes and approached James and Sirius, who were leaning idly against the ship's rail, also feeling bored due to the ship's restrictions and their slight incompatibility with those around them.
"Guys," he spread the newspaper open, pointing to the paragraphs of "promises," "Have you seen the newspaper? The Ministry—they say that if we go back, they'll guarantee student safety, no matter their blood status."
"James, Sirius," Wormtail looked at them eagerly, "you're pure-bloods, they won't do anything to you. I'm thinking of leaving, will you come back with me? Having you there would make me feel safer!"
"It's too dangerous here, who knows when we'll be attacked again?" he lowered his voice, his face showing genuine fear. "The paper says this is just a 'childish mistake,' and we won't be implicated.
"Going home safe is better than floating up here, right? And that Mr. Gellert is too terrifying, he doesn't value life at all. I feel even more in danger staying near him—"
James and Sirius exchanged glances.
They had boarded this ship largely because Professor McGonagall had emphasized the seriousness of the situation, and to protect Peter, their relatively weaker friend.
Now, since Wormtail himself strongly wanted to leave, and the "guarantees" in the newspaper sounded somewhat reasonable? Especially for them as pure-blood wizards.
Added to the boredom on the ship and the profound shock from "Mr. Gellert's" ruthless methods, their internal scales began to tip.
"Wormtail has a point," James hesitated, breaking the silence. "We're pure-bloods. At most, we'll get a scolding and a few days of detention, or a symbolic fine? It's better than constantly worrying about attacks on this floating ship, isn't it?" He was trying to convince himself.
Sirius leaned his arms on the ship's rail, his black hair tousled by the wind. He was rebellious at heart, detested restrictions, and the ship's rules also annoyed him. But he thought a layer deeper than James, a hint of worry in his brow:
"Will it truly be safe to go back? Who's in charge of the Ministry now? You-Know-Who's crowd aren't exactly good people."
"Professor McGonagall and the others only intended to bring Muggle-born students up. What does that tell you?" Peter immediately seized the opportunity, trying to make his words more convincing. "It means that pure-blood or half-blood wizards staying at Hogwarts were considered safe in their eyes.
"Snape and the others just came along because they were helping or for some other reason. We—we'll just be returning to 'normal'!"
At this moment, Remus Lupin, who had been quietly reading a book nearby, looked up from it. He had heard their conversation earlier, his brow slightly furrowed.
James noticed Lupin's gaze and immediately asked, "Remus, you're a half-blood wizard, you don't need to worry about your safety either, why don't you come with us—"
"I'm a werewolf," Lupin calmly interrupted him.
"A werewolf—" Peter paused, then quickly interjected: "It doesn't matter if you're a werewolf! The Ministry already has a registry, and if you're registered, nothing will happen! The Ministry has to follow its own rules, right?"
Lupin looked at the almost naive wishful thinking in Wormtail's eyes, and then at the longing for "freedom" and "home" on James's and Sirius's faces. He slowly, heavily shook his head.
"I don't know, Peter," he said with concern. "I don't know what the Ministry's 'rules' mean for a student werewolf now. Is it stricter surveillance? Discrimination? Or something else?" He didn't elaborate, but his distrust and worry were clear in his words.
The three inseparable friends, apart from Lupin, were at that moment gripped by a strong urge to return to "normal" life or a safe harbour.
James and Sirius had been persuaded by Peter, or rather, by their own inner restlessness and longing for the past.
Lupin watched them silently. Finally, when the three decided to go to Professor McGonagall to apply to leave, he closed his book and quietly followed behind them.
Professor McGonagall had just emerged from the Transfiguration classroom, her face still bearing the fatigue of teaching, when she met the four, each with a different expression.
Peter's face showed barely suppressed anticipation and a hint of nervousness. James and Sirius had the excitement of "finally being free" and a slight recklessness towards the unknown. Lupin followed silently at the very end, his eyes deep.
Seeing them like this, Professor McGonagall probably guessed what was coming, and her face instantly became exceptionally serious.
"Potter, Black, Pettigrew, Mr. Lupin." Her gaze swept over the four. "What do you want?"
"Professor McGonagall," Peter mustered his courage, stepping forward, his voice trembling slightly, "We—we're adults now, and we'd like to apply to leave the Founders' Ark."
"Are you, especially you, Peter, sure about this?" Professor McGonagall asked worriedly. "It's very dangerous outside right now. The Ministry of Magic is forcibly registering the blood status of all wizards and conducting 'reviews'."
"Potter and Black, with your family backgrounds, might be given some 'leniency'." Her gaze turned to Wormtail, filled with deep concern. "However, Mr. Pettigrew, you—leaving here could put you in real danger."
"Professor McGonagall, we've thought it through!" Peter repeated eagerly, waving the newspaper in his hand. "The paper says safety is guaranteed! And—and we're homesick! Truly homesick!"
"Yes, Professor," James also nodded vigorously, adding, "Floating in the sky all day isn't a solution. If we go back, staying quietly at home or school, there won't be any danger. Besides, Sirius and I can offer Peter protection. He's our friend."
Professor McGonagall looked at their young and stubborn faces, feeling a sense of helplessness.
She sighed deeply, her gaze passing over them to rest on Lupin, who had been silent at the back.
"Remus, your friends are leaving," she asked, "What are your thoughts?"
The corridor fell silent. The other three Marauders also turned to look at Lupin.
Lupin was silent for a moment.
His gaze swept over Peter's eager and pleading eyes, and over James and Sirius, who were full of anticipation and a hint of urging.
Finally, his gaze passed through the small porthole, looking out at the boundless sky.
He took a deep breath, as if to suppress all his hesitation and complex emotions, his voice quiet but firm:
"Professor, I choose to stay."
"Remus!" James and Sirius exclaimed simultaneously, their faces incredulous.
"Why?" James pressed urgently, with confusion and a hint of hurt. "Come back with us! We're the Marauders! We promised to stay together!"
Lupin looked at James, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"No, James. Even if I go back, I wouldn't be able to help you. And," his voice lowered, with a self-deprecating tone, "I don't know if Mr. Malfoy would still allow a werewolf to remain at Hogwarts.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I choose to stay, to remain here."
James and Sirius opened their mouths, wanting to persuade him further, but seeing the determination and hidden pain in Lupin's eyes, they knew that their friend of seven years had made up his mind.
A great disappointment and incomprehension enveloped them. James even turned away in annoyance. As for Peter's face, only the excitement and anticipation of leaving remained.
Professor McGonagall watched this scene, her heart a mix of emotions.
"Very well," she finally nodded heavily. "I approve your application. However, you must keep the method, time, and location of your departure strictly confidential. You must not tell anyone else on the ship. Understood?"
Wormtail nodded profusely in assurance, and James and Sirius also nodded.
"Secretly pack your essential personal belongings. Do not bring anything that could reveal information about the ship," Professor McGonagall commanded. "Tomorrow at midnight, 2:30 AM, either I or Professor Flitwick will take you. Remember, absolute secrecy."
Lupin silently nodded at them, not saying another word, turning towards the student common room.
The three Marauders, with complex feelings, hurried off to their dormitories to pack.
Back in the staff office, Professor McGonagall informed the others about Peter, James, and Sirius's application to leave.
Snape was sitting at the table, studying a note on human alchemy (written by Grindelwald as a manuscript). Upon hearing the news, he didn't even lift his head, merely letting out a cold snort.
"It's probably for the best that they're leaving," he said. "Especially Peter Pettigrew. His wavering mind on this ship is a hidden danger. If he were to be completely swayed by Ministry propaganda or crushed by fear, who knows what he might do.
"Letting him leave with his two pure-blood friends, with their paths diverging from now on, is for the best."
"However," Snape put down his papers and looked at Professor McGonagall, adding, "For safety's sake, I suggest that before they leave, you personally modify or remove their memories of 'Mr. Gellert' selectively.
"This is to prevent them from leaking crucial information under interrogation upon their return, leading to greater trouble for us."
While Professor McGonagall felt some moral burden about using the Memory Charm, she understood that Snape's concerns were very real and necessary.
"I agree," she nodded heavily. "I'll handle it when I send them off—"
Just then, the office door was violently pushed open, and Order of the Phoenix member Emmeline Vance burst in, panting.
She still held her flying broom, evidently just returned from outside, and her other hand clutched a crumpled, clearly newly purchased, latest edition of the Daily Prophet.
"Professor, everyone, there's news!" Emmeline's voice was hoarse from excitement and running. She slapped the newspaper heavily on the table, pointing to an inconspicuous brief message at the bottom of the page. "I know where Frank and Alice are! Look here!
"'...Heavy offenders Frank and Alice Longbottom, suspected of involvement in the Hogwarts rebellion and Auror attacks, completed a swift trial yesterday, with irrefutable evidence, and have been sentenced to life imprisonment, effective immediately at Azkaban.'"
"Azkaban!" Moody, who had been silently sitting in the corner shadows, rose with a thud of his cane.
His one remaining normal eye blazed with terrifying fury, while the other, an alchemical glass eye constantly rotating eerily and flashing with cold light, appeared incredibly sinister. This was an experimental product Grindelwald had made in his spare time over the past two days, and it was still incomplete.
When he raged, the glass eyeball seemed to be stimulated, rotating wildly backward, leaving only a black pupil edged with fine metallic filaments, making him look like a demon from hell.
"Those bastards!" Moody slammed his cane onto the floor with a dull thud. "We have to rescue them!"
"We need to act fast," Professor McGonagall's face also darkened. "One more day of Dementor torment, and they'll be one step closer to madness."
Everyone responded, their faces filled with anger and resolve.
"A rescue is essential, but," Snape's mind flashed with the image of the kind, friendly couple. Though he was equally worried for them, he had to voice his doubts. "We need to make sure this isn't a trap. What if they're deliberately leaking this information to lure us into a snare?"
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