"And the current?" the detective pressed.
"Everything's accounted for, Mr. Potter," Richard replied. "These suits are enchanted similarly to flying brooms. They can fly through the air at speeds of up to one hundred fifty miles per hour and reach up to twenty-five knots underwater. In theory, they can even fly in space, though unfortunately we haven't had the opportunity to test that yet. We'll be able to return to the ship at any moment using a Portkey—we just need to anchor the exit point to the deck. Moreover, the suits are equipped with diagnostic healing charms. If they detect that the pilot feels unwell and is on the verge of losing consciousness, they'll immediately evacuate him via Portkey to the exit point."
"If that's the case, those are some impressive suits," Mr. Potter concluded. "Can these things be made any bigger?"
"Yes, sir. The size is adjustable for users from our height up to people about six and a half feet tall."
"Then Stephen and I will do the diving."
Stephen shook his head and said:
"Scott, I can't dive. I have to stay on the ship to keep it in position."
"Mr. Potter," Richard said, "unfortunately, these prototypes have one small drawback—they can only be operated by wizards."
"But why?!" Scott asked in surprise.
"The developers based the prototype on standard magical artifacts, where control is achieved through the wizard's will, using a small amount of magic. To fully control the entire cascade of enchantments, an artificial intelligence is required—a miniature computer or its magical equivalent. Neither exists yet, though the mages at my enterprise are trying to create something like that. For now, without AI, these toys are only for wizards."
"Hah! Toys!" the detective snorted. "Our cosmonauts would love toys like these."
"I'm working on that, sir. If all goes well, in thirty or forty years we may be able to create a technical analogue approaching the magical original in performance. It will just require more effort—and a lot of money. A whole lot of money."
"Is this really safe?" the detective asked with concern.
"Absolutely. Wizards have tested these artifacts at depths of up to one kilometer."
"To hell with it, you little kamikazes—go dive!" Mr. Potter waved his hand wearily.
Harry jumped in place with joy. He was burning with anticipation at the thought of embarking on a fascinating underwater adventure.
"Richie, what do I need to do?"
"I'll explain everything. But first, we need to attach these to the backs of the suits."
Richard pulled two small plates with long metallic tentacles out of his satchel. With a flick of his wand, he enlarged them.
Harry Potter's eyes widened in amazement, and he exclaimed with delight:
"Oh my God! Are those Doctor Octavius's tentacles?!"
"What did you expect?!" Richard drawled proudly, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. "That's exactly what they are! Though without an AI, they're not very convenient to control. But you get used to it—kind of like driving a car with pedals, a gear shift, and a steering wheel. At first you think: 'Good Lord! So many things! How do you even control this? The wheel… okay, I'll hold it with my hands. But how do I shift gears with the lever? Does that mean I have to let go of the wheel with one hand?! That's scary… And the pedals… why are there three of them? I only have two leg. Okay, so black guys with big dicks might be able to manage, but what about everyone else—and the girls?!"
Harry lowered his gaze in embarrassment. Richard's crude jokes flustered him. Scott, on the other hand, broke into a raspy laugh.
Stephen said:
"Gentlemen, if my assistance is no longer required, I'll take my leave. I need to handle the ship."
"Yes, yes, Stephen," Richard nodded. "We'll manage."
"Um…" Harry scratched the back of his head, examining the tentacles and the suits. "How do you attach these things?"
"It's simple, Harry. Watch. Take the tentacles and press them against the back of the suit. Preferably above the waist—otherwise everyone will start joking about where your arms are growing from. Then press the single red button located on the plate between the tentacles. To remove them, do the same thing, but hold the button down for ten seconds."
After following the instructions, the silver suits were equipped with four flexible steel tentacles growing from the back, each ending in three-fingered grips.
Once suited up, Richie and Harry spent some time learning how to use them. Only after an hour—when the boys stopped getting tangled in their metal limbs—did they finally decide to dive.
Richie took his wand with him inside the suit. It rested in a special compartment on his right forearm, pressed against his body. Harry copied his friend. Casting spells like that was inconvenient, but still possible.
Richard cast the tracking spell, rose into the blue sky, and followed the red beam that shot from his hand like a laser, plunging into the depths of the ocean.
Harry hesitated for a moment, but soon took off after his friend. He felt an overwhelming thrill from the sensation of flight. Blood pounded in his head, making him forget everything else. Suddenly, he was seized by a surge of intense, almost boundless joy. It turned out that he—who had been so afraid of looking like a coward and a klutz in his friend's eyes—actually could fly using the suit. He was flying—and it was easy, and it was wonderful. He leaned back slightly, rose higher, folded all four tentacles into something like a tail, and dove into the deep blue ocean after Richard.
Harry caught up with Richard fairly quickly and matched his pace. Swimming underwater felt just as easy as flying, only the speed was much lower—but it didn't really feel that way.
Harry thought he had heard loud, profane shouting from Uncle Scott during takeoff.
The view underwater was breathtaking. But the deeper the young divers descended, the darker it became.
Richard waved his right hand, and a sphere of Lumos appeared, illuminating everything within a five-meter radius.
Harry realized he needed to do the same. He waved the hand holding his wand and said:
"Lumos!"
Now two spheres of light pushed back the underwater darkness.
The divers sank deeper and deeper. Occasionally, Richard extinguished his light to orient himself using the tracking spell. They would determine the direction and then continue forward guided by the twin orbs of Lumos.
Harry gasped in awe when, below them, the silt-covered hull of a massive steel ship came into view.
(End of Chapter)
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