CHAPTER SEVEN
The Knight Bus carried Araminta Malfoy-Potter and Tom Marvolo Riddle nee Lord Voldemort from the left coast to the right coast. They were finally the only passengers remaining on the bus, and so it had no choice but to deliver them to their destination: Hogwarts or Hogsmeade, whichever it could get to.
The bus balked at Miami Beach.
"What the hell? There are people floating around out there in things that could barely be called boats! Is there some barrier around here that only lets people into the country and not out?"
"It's a strange sort of osmosis," Araminta noted in turn. The sun was blindingly hot and she could see that Tom--Voldemort, she reminded herself--was developing a bit of a sunburn. "I think the problem might be with the mechanism."
The Knight Bus said, "All locations, except underwater."
"So?" Voldemort was really angry now. "Neither Hogsmeade nor Hogwarts is underwater."
Still the bus would not budge. At last Voldemort had to enchant a large beach towel to serve as a flying carpet. He rolled the Knight Bus on top and away they went!
I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess,
Now when did you last let your heart decide?
Tom sang the Disney tune from Aladdin under his breath, and Araminta's heart squeezed. How could she be so cruel to the one who only wanted her happiness? Yet, when she saw his awful complexion, her course in life became clear again like Evian water.
"Promise me something," she whispered in his ear.
"Anything."
The end was near, so near. "Never forget me."
"How could I forget you?" Tom smiled wistfully. "Unforgettable, that's what you are--"
"Tom?" she asked.
"What?"
"Don't sing."