Chapter 2
It had taken Harry nearly 5 hours to pack. So many various objects had been hidden in corners of Harry's room that it had taken him almost 3 and a half hours to locate everything and a further 2 to pack it all. He spent the last few hours thinking about various things, mainly Sirius and Voldemort. By 5:30 Harry's mind was spinning with questions to ask Tonks and Kingsley when he saw them on the Knight bus. He had not bothered taking a subscription to the Daily Prophet this summer, for him seeing in print what he had been telling the rest of the wizarding world for over a year, seeing them admit that Voldemort had indeed returned, would make it seem all that much more real.
In his fourth year Harry had witnessed Lord Voldemort's return, though it had taken a year for the Ministry of Magic to believe it. Though it had taken an appearance by Voldemort in the Ministry of magic building to make all those in doubt, believe it.
Harry had wanted to avoid hearing about the death and destruction that was possibly starting to happen in the wizarding world. He knew that by the time he got to Hogwarts rumours and stories would be traveling like wildfire and there was no avoiding them.
It wasn't that Harry didn't want to know what was going on, he was dying to know. He just couldn't bring himself to read about it. He was scared, not of Voldemort himself, but of the pain and death that came with him. His mind wandered to his parents whom Voldemort had killed, Sirius, who had fought so hard against him and had died fighting one of his Death Eaters. Also his friend Neville's parents, who were tortured into insanity by Voldemort's followers.
With 5 minutes left until 6:00pm, Harry dragged his trunk downstairs, grabbed Hedwig's cage, and headed out the door. He didn't bother saying goodbye to the Dursleys, he doubted they would even notice he was gone. Harry reached the curb and stuck out his hand. Within seconds the three storey, purple Knight Bus was stopped in front of him. The doors opened and Harry stepped inside.
"Harry! Look Ern, it's Harry Pot..." Stan Shuntpike, the pimply faced conductor of the Knight Bus started to yell.
"Shut up you buffoon, before I blow your head off! Tonks growled at Stan as she had her wand pressed onto the back of his neck.
Stan just shuddered and took the money Harry gave him without a sound. Apparently he was extremely intimidated by Tonks – who today was sporting hair is a bright shade of green – and the fact that he was being threatened at wand point didn't help.
"Now, I know this bus can go fast, and you will get us to the Weasly Burrow in Wales as fast as you can, no stops before, understood?" Tonks asked Stan menacingly.
Stan just nodded and Tonks pulled Harry over to a seat between herself and Kingsley. Harry was about to speak when the bus started moving with a "BANG!". Harry was thrown off his seat. He had barely sat back down when the bus stopped and Harry was caught off balance and fell again. He felt Tonks lift him up and march him out of the bus with Kingsley – carrying Hedwig and Harry's trunk – following them. Harry's eyes fell on the Burrow and he smiled. For him, summer vacation was just starting.
It had taken Harry nearly 5 hours to pack. So many various objects had been hidden in corners of Harry's room that it had taken him almost 3 and a half hours to locate everything and a further 2 to pack it all. He spent the last few hours thinking about various things, mainly Sirius and Voldemort. By 5:30 Harry's mind was spinning with questions to ask Tonks and Kingsley when he saw them on the Knight bus. He had not bothered taking a subscription to the Daily Prophet this summer, for him seeing in print what he had been telling the rest of the wizarding world for over a year, seeing them admit that Voldemort had indeed returned, would make it seem all that much more real.
In his fourth year Harry had witnessed Lord Voldemort's return, though it had taken a year for the Ministry of Magic to believe it. Though it had taken an appearance by Voldemort in the Ministry of magic building to make all those in doubt, believe it.
Harry had wanted to avoid hearing about the death and destruction that was possibly starting to happen in the wizarding world. He knew that by the time he got to Hogwarts rumours and stories would be traveling like wildfire and there was no avoiding them.
It wasn't that Harry didn't want to know what was going on, he was dying to know. He just couldn't bring himself to read about it. He was scared, not of Voldemort himself, but of the pain and death that came with him. His mind wandered to his parents whom Voldemort had killed, Sirius, who had fought so hard against him and had died fighting one of his Death Eaters. Also his friend Neville's parents, who were tortured into insanity by Voldemort's followers.
With 5 minutes left until 6:00pm, Harry dragged his trunk downstairs, grabbed Hedwig's cage, and headed out the door. He didn't bother saying goodbye to the Dursleys, he doubted they would even notice he was gone. Harry reached the curb and stuck out his hand. Within seconds the three storey, purple Knight Bus was stopped in front of him. The doors opened and Harry stepped inside.
"Harry! Look Ern, it's Harry Pot..." Stan Shuntpike, the pimply faced conductor of the Knight Bus started to yell.
"Shut up you buffoon, before I blow your head off! Tonks growled at Stan as she had her wand pressed onto the back of his neck.
Stan just shuddered and took the money Harry gave him without a sound. Apparently he was extremely intimidated by Tonks – who today was sporting hair is a bright shade of green – and the fact that he was being threatened at wand point didn't help.
"Now, I know this bus can go fast, and you will get us to the Weasly Burrow in Wales as fast as you can, no stops before, understood?" Tonks asked Stan menacingly.
Stan just nodded and Tonks pulled Harry over to a seat between herself and Kingsley. Harry was about to speak when the bus started moving with a "BANG!". Harry was thrown off his seat. He had barely sat back down when the bus stopped and Harry was caught off balance and fell again. He felt Tonks lift him up and march him out of the bus with Kingsley – carrying Hedwig and Harry's trunk – following them. Harry's eyes fell on the Burrow and he smiled. For him, summer vacation was just starting.