Chapter Three-The Knight Bus

Out in the darkness Harry and Alice were walking on the sidewalk. She was getting tired after she walked awhile. Harry was the first to see a large black in the bushes across the street. Alice glanced to where he was looking she smiled a small smile. Suddenly there was a loud bang and a large purple bus appeared out of nowhere. It had three decks. A skinny man with dirt all over his clothes stepped out.

He took a small piece of paper from the pocket of his jacket. "Welcome to the Knight Bus: emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunkpink and I'll be your conductor this evening." He then stopped and stared down onto the sidewalk. "What are you two doing down there?"

"We fell over."

"What did you fall over for?"

Alice then stood up and spoke, "Well we didn't do it on purpose."

Harry was still looking at the place where the big black dog was. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," Harry stammered.

Alice took this moment to ask, "How much to get to London?"

"Eleven sickles."

Harry and Alice dug in their trunks for some silver. They handed Stan a pile of silver. Alice heaved her trunk and Venus's cage the best that she could onto the big bus. Harry easily carried his trunk along with Hedwig's cage onto the purple bus. They followed Stan to a pair of beds near the front on the bus. Harry and Alice got her own bed and Harry got the same thing. He looked at his sister and asked, "Are you okay?" Alice nodded her head.

"What are your names?"

"Neville Longbottom," Harry said the first name that came to mind.

"Grace Longbottom," Alice said the first name that came to her mind.

Stan believed them, so he went back to his newspaper. There was a picture of a man with long black hair. Alice knew that the man was Sirius Black. "Who's that?"

Stan closed the paper and looked at the front. "That? That is Sirius Black. He's a convicted murderer."

"He didn't even get a trial, so he is still an innocent man. I believe that he is innocent."

He stared at her with a curious look in his eyes. "Why do you think that he is innocent, Grace? How do you know that he never received a trial?"

"I just do okay. I believe that he is innocent because I just can tell."

Both Stan and Harry looked at her with amazement. They had no idea why she truly believed that the messy looking guy was really innocent. Alice didn't know why she knew, but she just had a feeling that Sirius Black was innocent. "How do you know?"

"I don't know. I just have this feeling that Sirius Black is innocent."

Ten minutes later Stan disappeared up to the second floor of the bus. "Alice, what do you mean that you have a feeling?"

"I don't know, Harry. I just know okay."

A few minutes later Stan came back. He came up front towards where the twins were sitting. The bus was still jerking all over the place. "Grace, do you still think that Sirius Black is innocent?"

"Yes, I do still think that he is innocent."

"What happened twelve years ago?"

"They say that he killed twelve muggles and Peter Pettigrew with a single curse."

Alice's eyes widened at the name Peter Pettigrew. She knew that was impossible. "That is impossible Stan. If Sirius Black didn't get a trial then there can't be a manhunt for him because he is innocent. The truth will be revealed eventually."

"Neville, what do you think?"

"I think that the truth will eventually come out."

"How did he escape anyway?"

"No one knows," Stan replied.

They were speeding past farmhouses. Mailboxes, haystacks, and houses had to jump out of the way of the Knight Bus. When the bus passed everything would jump back into place. Ernie the bus driver asked, "Where do they want to go?"

"Neville, Grace, where do you want to go?"

"Leaky Cauldron in London. It is also known as Diagon Alley."

"Righto. Better hold on."

"How much for a mug of hot chocolate?"

"Three sickles and you can get a toothbrush for free."

Alice handed Stan three silver coins. Harry also handed Stan three silver coins for his hot chocolate. A few minutes later both Alice and Harry received their hot chocolate. However, it was hard to drink them because the bus was jerking all over the place. Alice's toothbrush was yellow and Harry's was red. Most of their hot chocolate split all over the place.

The bus slowed down, and stopped to let a middle aged woman off. Once she was off the bus picked up speed and took off again. It sped through the streets heading towards London. The beds were sliding all over place from the movement of the bus. About an hour passed and the bus slowed down once again.

"The Leaky Cauldron."

Harry and Alice got up, and headed out the bus door. The minister of magic was waiting for them. "There you are Harry, Alice."

"What did you call Neville and Grace, Minister?"

"Neville? Grace? This is Harry and Alice Potter."

The Minister, Harry, and Alice went through the door of the pub. Alice could faintly hear Stan saying, "Guess who Neville and Grace are Ernie?"

Alice was wondering what was going on, and why the minister of magic was waiting for them in front of the Leaky Cauldron. It could be that he was worried for the twins. She knew that he had to be there for a specific reason. Whether or not the reason was because of them, or a completely different reason.

Authors Note

Please Review. Remember new characters either first year or transfer students are always welcome. I know that I haven't updated in a long time. I have been very busy with schoolwork. Now that classes are over I will be able to update sooner.