I do not own Harry Potter. This story is just for fun. Suing me will get you nothing but wasted time and an over-priced lawyer bill.
One Night Chapter 4 What Are You Doing?
Harry sat in his seat toward the back of the Bus and stared blankly at the back of the seat in front of him...a feeling of unrealness firmly entrenched in him. Nothing was right. Not even the Knight Bus! For one thing...seats! The Knight Bus didn't have seats. At least the last time he rode it didn't. It had beds. But here he was...sitting in a seat. That wasn't all either. Harry's befuddled mind thought back to the conversation he'd had with the driver after boarding the Bus.
"I don't have any money on me right now...but the Headmaster can pay you when we get to Hogwarts..." Harry tried to explain as he climbed up the steps.
"What are you on about?" the woman asked, staring at him like he'd grown a second head.
"The fee? Seven sickles?" he replied, his expression and tone showing just how confused he was. He'd caught sight of the interior of the Bus and was shocked. Was there some mistake...had he called the wrong Bus? "This is the Knight Bus right?"
"Of course it is...but we haven't charged for years. Is this the first time you've ridden? I don't think I've ever seen you before...and I've been the driver forever just about." The woman's look changed from annoyed to curious.
"No I've ridden before...summer before last. But...there was a different driver. A man named..."
The driver interrupted him there, "No sonny...I think you must be mistaken. I've been the driver of the Knight Bus for years. There's no one else."
"But...you're sure?" Harry asked quietly, his mind whirling with all the questions he had. He needed to speak with Professor Dumbledore. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.
"Quite sure. Now, where are you wanting to go? I do have other stops to make."
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry please." Harry muttered distractedly.
"Right. Have a seat and buckle up...the ride's a bit bumpy and we have several stops along the way."
Harry was jolted out of his reminiscing by the driver, who's name Harry hadn't ever asked and didn't really feel like finding out now, calling out his stop. He looked out the window and sure enough the castle of Hogwarts loomed in the distance.
"This is as close as I can let you out sonny. There are too many wards up around that place." The driver told him as he descended the steps to leave the Bus. When he stepped out, Harry turned to thank the woman but she'd already closed the doors and was pulling away.
He shrugged and returned his attention to the school in the distance. It wasn't really too far...but he didn't have any shoes on. Plus it was getting fairly dark out as twilight slipped away. The Bus trip, though jerky and loud and just generally grating...hadn't taken very much time at all. Twilight had just started when he'd boarded and now it was just becoming truly dark out. Another reason he didn't fancy trudging the distance...but he had no choice. He needed answers...and possibly the only person who could give them to him was in that school.
So Harry began to walk. He went quickly once he realized that the grass was really quite soft and there was nothing hidden in it that would hurt his feet. Luckily, the weather was warm...though it was still early in the summer so a bit of a chill was in the night air. He was moving quickly enough though that it didn't bother him. After weeks of being locked in his room or only being allowed out to work in or around the house, it actually felt good to be so active...even if he was bruised, sore and more than a little hungry. He would have plenty to eat when he got to the school though, he knew, and the thought made him walk faster.
Eventually he arrived at the main entrance and with a sigh of relief, he pushed open the doors. Or rather he tried to push open the doors. They didn't budge. Harry blinked a moment in disbelief as he stared at the locked doors. Why were the door locked? Never once could Harry remember a time that the doors to the school had been locked. Of course...he'd never been here in the summer. Maybe the front doors were kept locked at night during the summer? He didn't know. And so many things had just been wrong since he'd woken up...that he wondered with a bit of panic if maybe something was wrong with Hogwarts too.
But no.
That wasn't possible. Nothing could be wrong with Hogwarts. It was the one place that nothing could ever be wrong. The Bus driver had even said that all the wards were up...so surely everything else was the same too? Yes...it was just that the place was different in the summer. Maybe it was locked because most of the teachers were gone and all the students and for safety and security only a few doors were kept unlocked. Yes...that had to be it.
Harry didn't know which doors those would be so he stood for a moment, not sure what to do. He needed to get into the school...but he wasn't sure if anyone would hear him knocking...and he didn't want to go from door to door trying them all...
He was jolted out of his thoughts by the door in front of him swinging open rather abruptly. Standing in the doorway was a very irritated looking Professor Snape. Harry had never been so glad to see the surly Potions Master before. But before he could open his mouth to say so, or anything for that matter, Snape snarled, ÒWhat are you doing out here?Ó
To Be Continued...
Harry sat in his seat toward the back of the Bus and stared blankly at the back of the seat in front of him...a feeling of unrealness firmly entrenched in him. Nothing was right. Not even the Knight Bus! For one thing...seats! The Knight Bus didn't have seats. At least the last time he rode it didn't. It had beds. But here he was...sitting in a seat. That wasn't all either. Harry's befuddled mind thought back to the conversation he'd had with the driver after boarding the Bus.
"I don't have any money on me right now...but the Headmaster can pay you when we get to Hogwarts..." Harry tried to explain as he climbed up the steps.
"What are you on about?" the woman asked, staring at him like he'd grown a second head.
"The fee? Seven sickles?" he replied, his expression and tone showing just how confused he was. He'd caught sight of the interior of the Bus and was shocked. Was there some mistake...had he called the wrong Bus? "This is the Knight Bus right?"
"Of course it is...but we haven't charged for years. Is this the first time you've ridden? I don't think I've ever seen you before...and I've been the driver forever just about." The woman's look changed from annoyed to curious.
"No I've ridden before...summer before last. But...there was a different driver. A man named..."
The driver interrupted him there, "No sonny...I think you must be mistaken. I've been the driver of the Knight Bus for years. There's no one else."
"But...you're sure?" Harry asked quietly, his mind whirling with all the questions he had. He needed to speak with Professor Dumbledore. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.
"Quite sure. Now, where are you wanting to go? I do have other stops to make."
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry please." Harry muttered distractedly.
"Right. Have a seat and buckle up...the ride's a bit bumpy and we have several stops along the way."
Harry was jolted out of his reminiscing by the driver, who's name Harry hadn't ever asked and didn't really feel like finding out now, calling out his stop. He looked out the window and sure enough the castle of Hogwarts loomed in the distance.
"This is as close as I can let you out sonny. There are too many wards up around that place." The driver told him as he descended the steps to leave the Bus. When he stepped out, Harry turned to thank the woman but she'd already closed the doors and was pulling away.
He shrugged and returned his attention to the school in the distance. It wasn't really too far...but he didn't have any shoes on. Plus it was getting fairly dark out as twilight slipped away. The Bus trip, though jerky and loud and just generally grating...hadn't taken very much time at all. Twilight had just started when he'd boarded and now it was just becoming truly dark out. Another reason he didn't fancy trudging the distance...but he had no choice. He needed answers...and possibly the only person who could give them to him was in that school.
So Harry began to walk. He went quickly once he realized that the grass was really quite soft and there was nothing hidden in it that would hurt his feet. Luckily, the weather was warm...though it was still early in the summer so a bit of a chill was in the night air. He was moving quickly enough though that it didn't bother him. After weeks of being locked in his room or only being allowed out to work in or around the house, it actually felt good to be so active...even if he was bruised, sore and more than a little hungry. He would have plenty to eat when he got to the school though, he knew, and the thought made him walk faster.
Eventually he arrived at the main entrance and with a sigh of relief, he pushed open the doors. Or rather he tried to push open the doors. They didn't budge. Harry blinked a moment in disbelief as he stared at the locked doors. Why were the door locked? Never once could Harry remember a time that the doors to the school had been locked. Of course...he'd never been here in the summer. Maybe the front doors were kept locked at night during the summer? He didn't know. And so many things had just been wrong since he'd woken up...that he wondered with a bit of panic if maybe something was wrong with Hogwarts too.
But no.
That wasn't possible. Nothing could be wrong with Hogwarts. It was the one place that nothing could ever be wrong. The Bus driver had even said that all the wards were up...so surely everything else was the same too? Yes...it was just that the place was different in the summer. Maybe it was locked because most of the teachers were gone and all the students and for safety and security only a few doors were kept unlocked. Yes...that had to be it.
Harry didn't know which doors those would be so he stood for a moment, not sure what to do. He needed to get into the school...but he wasn't sure if anyone would hear him knocking...and he didn't want to go from door to door trying them all...
He was jolted out of his thoughts by the door in front of him swinging open rather abruptly. Standing in the doorway was a very irritated looking Professor Snape. Harry had never been so glad to see the surly Potions Master before. But before he could open his mouth to say so, or anything for that matter, Snape snarled, ÒWhat are you doing out here?Ó
To Be Continued...