After some persuasion, and the threat that he would turn them all into pigs
when he graduated, the Dursley's allowed Harry to leave for London with
very little trouble at all.
Harry clamored with his heavy trunk and Hedwig's cage through the quietly suburban streets, attracting quite a bit of attention.
"Best to find an alley and hail the Knight Bus as soon as possible," thought Harry. He turned down the nearest alley and stuck out his wand arm, and almost immediately he heard the unmistakable ruckus of the Knight Bus.
"Ello 'ere! Oo's 'is?" asked a familiar voice. Pimply-faced Stan Shunpike stuck his head out the Bus's door and looked around. An expression of recognition dawned on his face.
"Lookit oo we 'ave 'ere, Ern. Its ol' Neville! Ow've you been, Neville? You 'member us, do you? 'm Stan, an' this is Ern." exclaimed Stan.
"Er...yes, I do remember you. But I'm not Neville Longbottom, remember?" Harry asked warily. He remembered how Stan had reacted the last time he'd found out who Harry was.
"O', 'en oo are you, eh?" Stan blurted.
"Er... Harry Potter?" he said nervously.
"O' righ'! It is 'Arry Potter, Ern!" Stan shouted. Harry cringed. He hoped no one in the surrounding houses could hear the racket.
"I know it, Stan." grunted Ernie Prang, the conductor. Then he added, under his breath, "Bit of an idiot, he is... Climb on."
Harry was particularly ready to simply tell them where he was going, pay Stan, and head up to a higher level of the bus, but Ernie butted in as soon as Harry started up the stairs.
"Stick 'round, if ya will. Be there inna bit." he said shortly.
"Er... right. I'll just sit here, then?" Harry said, pointing to a bed on the far end of the bus. "I've got a bit of work to get done." and with that he shuffled off.
"Always busy, tha' one." Stan commented knowingly.
Harry clamored with his heavy trunk and Hedwig's cage through the quietly suburban streets, attracting quite a bit of attention.
"Best to find an alley and hail the Knight Bus as soon as possible," thought Harry. He turned down the nearest alley and stuck out his wand arm, and almost immediately he heard the unmistakable ruckus of the Knight Bus.
"Ello 'ere! Oo's 'is?" asked a familiar voice. Pimply-faced Stan Shunpike stuck his head out the Bus's door and looked around. An expression of recognition dawned on his face.
"Lookit oo we 'ave 'ere, Ern. Its ol' Neville! Ow've you been, Neville? You 'member us, do you? 'm Stan, an' this is Ern." exclaimed Stan.
"Er...yes, I do remember you. But I'm not Neville Longbottom, remember?" Harry asked warily. He remembered how Stan had reacted the last time he'd found out who Harry was.
"O', 'en oo are you, eh?" Stan blurted.
"Er... Harry Potter?" he said nervously.
"O' righ'! It is 'Arry Potter, Ern!" Stan shouted. Harry cringed. He hoped no one in the surrounding houses could hear the racket.
"I know it, Stan." grunted Ernie Prang, the conductor. Then he added, under his breath, "Bit of an idiot, he is... Climb on."
Harry was particularly ready to simply tell them where he was going, pay Stan, and head up to a higher level of the bus, but Ernie butted in as soon as Harry started up the stairs.
"Stick 'round, if ya will. Be there inna bit." he said shortly.
"Er... right. I'll just sit here, then?" Harry said, pointing to a bed on the far end of the bus. "I've got a bit of work to get done." and with that he shuffled off.
"Always busy, tha' one." Stan commented knowingly.