The better part of the drive to King's Cross Station went rather smoothly. Uncle Vernon made no attempt to sustain a conversation, and for that Harry was grateful. The silence was filled with his uncle's classical works of Beethoven and Prokofiev. As they neared London, the number of cars on either side of them steadily increased. Once on the main streets, traffic of work-goers nearly slowed them to a stop. Harry could see Uncle Vernon growing impatient.
After a five minuet wait at an intersection, Vernon snapped. He slammed on the gas pedal, cursing, thrusting Harry backwards against the seat. They flew across the intersection and headed straight for a multi-level bus. Harry's Uncle didn't seam to notice. "Stop! Look out!" Harry yelled and braced himself for the impact, but there was none. The instant before they should have crashed, the bus vanished.
"What's wrong with you boy! Are you off your head? Yelling like you've split!"
"but-sorry Uncle, I dozed off." He realized, his uncle hadn't seen the bust at all. Harry smiled. //The Knight Bus//
Once he had gathered his wits again, Harry became more aware of his surroundings. They were now plugging down a rather dark and depressing alley that debased, in Harry's mind, the grandiose reputation given to the city. They were also heading in the opposite direction of the station. When he pointed this out to Uncle Vernon, he was told they were taking a 'shortcut'.
Harry glanced nervously at his watch every few minuets or so. 10:42. "We're cutting it awful close," Harry said to subtly remind his uncle of the time. He was given no response. Just when Harry was about to burst they broke out onto the main street, a block away from the station. 10:54. "Drop me at the doors, we've got no time to park," he said feeling somewhat resentful towards Vernon, knowing the shortcut was taken intentionally to waste time. His uncle pulled to a stop and smirked. Harry jumped from the car without any goodbyes and proceeded to dump his trunk and Hedwig's cage onto a cart.
He sped through the station, narrowly missing numerous people, tipping on two wheels as he turned corners. When the platform was within sight, he slowed to a casual walk so to avoid suspicious eyes. Once on the other side of the platform, he sped for the train. He threw his belongings into the isle of the train just as it began to chug out of the station. Curious heads poked out of nearby compartments to find the source of the mad squawking: Hedwig. Harry quickly piled everything onto his trunk and dragged it down the isle peeking into compartments until at last he found the one he was looking for.
"Harry!" Hermione leaped up and threw her arms around his shoulders.
"Hi!" he couldn't help but smile at the sight of his friends.
"Good to see you, mate! We'd thought you didn't make it in time." Ron and he shook hands. In that minuet he felt happier than he had since he could remember, there with his friends. They were all there: Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Luna and Seamus. After hoisting his things onto the luggage rack, he squeezed between Ginny and Ron.
"How was your summer?" Luna asked him.
"Good." He wasn't sure if he was being truthful or not but didn't know how else to respond. "Yours?"
"Lovely, My dad and I spent four whole weeks in Australia, studying the Blue Tailed Opossum, for a special issue of the Quibbler."
"Did you find anything?" Neville inquired.
"So glad you asked. Dad found a new, more accurate cure for the everlasting hiccups. When you grind up their tails and add it to a Bay Nut potion it helps a lot faster than Mollusk Meat."
"Fascinating," Seamus tried to muffle a laugh.
"So, what happened, Harry? I mean, why so late?" said Hermione.
"Uncle Vernon just playing jokes. Nearly crashed."
The ride went quickly, as they all engaged in telling about their summers. While Harry was glad to hear how Ginny helped in the twins shop all summer, he couldn't help but feel anxious. He was dying to ask about the order but didn't dare, not with Seamus there. He wouldn't understand, he wasn't part of the events at the end of the last semester. He caught Ron's eye numerous times pleading for information. Ron hissed in his ear, "We'll talk tonight." The talking became more bearable once Neville told them of his news, which Harry had also been longing for.
"We've finally got a real Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher again!"
He was attacked by a chorus of, "Who?"
Neville smiled, "My cousin! Matt-Matthew Longbottom."
They were all silent for moments afterward until Hermione congratulated him, "Neville that's wonderful! You've never told us you had a cousin."
"He's my only one."
"Well, what's he like?" Ginny prompted.
"Blimey, you'll love him! He's 23 now, I think. And he knows almost everything about anything you could want to know. And he's good at Quidditch. He used to be a beater for Gryffindor before Fred and George. He played with your brother Charlie. In fact, he's the one who taught me how to play when he visited a few years ago, but wasn't very good at explaining it." Neville spattered all in one breath. Harry had the distinct feeling though, no one could easily explain to Neville, the more complex rules of Quidditch. "I haven't seen him since that one time he visited. He just disappeared. Then he wrote to Gram about a week ago to say he got a teaching job at school."
"You mean to say he just left?"
Everyone had the same impression that nothing could be good about his disappearance. From what they knew, Longbottoms, while their intentions were good, had a tendency to get in over their heads.
The train whistle echoed through out the compartments signaling their entrance in the station. Ron and Hermione exchanged farewells and set off to attend to their Prefect duties. The remaining five slipped on their robes over their street clothes and joined the queue of students pushing to get off the train. When Harry stepped out into the brisk evening air a chill ran down his spine, simultaneously he caught sight of the Thestrals attached to the carts. Hermione and Ron were both standing open-mouthed staring at a pair of them. Harry strolled over, trying to push thoughts of Sirius away. "Shouldn't you Prefects be with those first years?"
Hermione replied dazedly not turning from the Thestrals, " Hagrid's got it covered, Small group this year. Very small."
After a five minuet wait at an intersection, Vernon snapped. He slammed on the gas pedal, cursing, thrusting Harry backwards against the seat. They flew across the intersection and headed straight for a multi-level bus. Harry's Uncle didn't seam to notice. "Stop! Look out!" Harry yelled and braced himself for the impact, but there was none. The instant before they should have crashed, the bus vanished.
"What's wrong with you boy! Are you off your head? Yelling like you've split!"
"but-sorry Uncle, I dozed off." He realized, his uncle hadn't seen the bust at all. Harry smiled. //The Knight Bus//
Once he had gathered his wits again, Harry became more aware of his surroundings. They were now plugging down a rather dark and depressing alley that debased, in Harry's mind, the grandiose reputation given to the city. They were also heading in the opposite direction of the station. When he pointed this out to Uncle Vernon, he was told they were taking a 'shortcut'.
Harry glanced nervously at his watch every few minuets or so. 10:42. "We're cutting it awful close," Harry said to subtly remind his uncle of the time. He was given no response. Just when Harry was about to burst they broke out onto the main street, a block away from the station. 10:54. "Drop me at the doors, we've got no time to park," he said feeling somewhat resentful towards Vernon, knowing the shortcut was taken intentionally to waste time. His uncle pulled to a stop and smirked. Harry jumped from the car without any goodbyes and proceeded to dump his trunk and Hedwig's cage onto a cart.
He sped through the station, narrowly missing numerous people, tipping on two wheels as he turned corners. When the platform was within sight, he slowed to a casual walk so to avoid suspicious eyes. Once on the other side of the platform, he sped for the train. He threw his belongings into the isle of the train just as it began to chug out of the station. Curious heads poked out of nearby compartments to find the source of the mad squawking: Hedwig. Harry quickly piled everything onto his trunk and dragged it down the isle peeking into compartments until at last he found the one he was looking for.
"Harry!" Hermione leaped up and threw her arms around his shoulders.
"Hi!" he couldn't help but smile at the sight of his friends.
"Good to see you, mate! We'd thought you didn't make it in time." Ron and he shook hands. In that minuet he felt happier than he had since he could remember, there with his friends. They were all there: Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Luna and Seamus. After hoisting his things onto the luggage rack, he squeezed between Ginny and Ron.
"How was your summer?" Luna asked him.
"Good." He wasn't sure if he was being truthful or not but didn't know how else to respond. "Yours?"
"Lovely, My dad and I spent four whole weeks in Australia, studying the Blue Tailed Opossum, for a special issue of the Quibbler."
"Did you find anything?" Neville inquired.
"So glad you asked. Dad found a new, more accurate cure for the everlasting hiccups. When you grind up their tails and add it to a Bay Nut potion it helps a lot faster than Mollusk Meat."
"Fascinating," Seamus tried to muffle a laugh.
"So, what happened, Harry? I mean, why so late?" said Hermione.
"Uncle Vernon just playing jokes. Nearly crashed."
The ride went quickly, as they all engaged in telling about their summers. While Harry was glad to hear how Ginny helped in the twins shop all summer, he couldn't help but feel anxious. He was dying to ask about the order but didn't dare, not with Seamus there. He wouldn't understand, he wasn't part of the events at the end of the last semester. He caught Ron's eye numerous times pleading for information. Ron hissed in his ear, "We'll talk tonight." The talking became more bearable once Neville told them of his news, which Harry had also been longing for.
"We've finally got a real Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher again!"
He was attacked by a chorus of, "Who?"
Neville smiled, "My cousin! Matt-Matthew Longbottom."
They were all silent for moments afterward until Hermione congratulated him, "Neville that's wonderful! You've never told us you had a cousin."
"He's my only one."
"Well, what's he like?" Ginny prompted.
"Blimey, you'll love him! He's 23 now, I think. And he knows almost everything about anything you could want to know. And he's good at Quidditch. He used to be a beater for Gryffindor before Fred and George. He played with your brother Charlie. In fact, he's the one who taught me how to play when he visited a few years ago, but wasn't very good at explaining it." Neville spattered all in one breath. Harry had the distinct feeling though, no one could easily explain to Neville, the more complex rules of Quidditch. "I haven't seen him since that one time he visited. He just disappeared. Then he wrote to Gram about a week ago to say he got a teaching job at school."
"You mean to say he just left?"
Everyone had the same impression that nothing could be good about his disappearance. From what they knew, Longbottoms, while their intentions were good, had a tendency to get in over their heads.
The train whistle echoed through out the compartments signaling their entrance in the station. Ron and Hermione exchanged farewells and set off to attend to their Prefect duties. The remaining five slipped on their robes over their street clothes and joined the queue of students pushing to get off the train. When Harry stepped out into the brisk evening air a chill ran down his spine, simultaneously he caught sight of the Thestrals attached to the carts. Hermione and Ron were both standing open-mouthed staring at a pair of them. Harry strolled over, trying to push thoughts of Sirius away. "Shouldn't you Prefects be with those first years?"
Hermione replied dazedly not turning from the Thestrals, " Hagrid's got it covered, Small group this year. Very small."