A.N.- Hello, lovelies! Just a quick reminder that I do not own Harry Potter, only my OC Veronica. I really hope you all enjoy this story! xoxx-T
The pair walked and walked until they came upon an empty playground. Veronica looked around at the swings, swaying gently on rusted chains. A tiny carousel, kissed gently by the wind, turned slowly. Harry dropped his trunk and sat, sighing deeply. Veronica sat her trunk beside his and ran a hand through her hair. They stayed still as statues, takingin the night air. The only sound to be heard was the leaves on the trees above them, trembling in the wind.
Harry turned, studying the swaying swings, the carousel, everythingaround them. Then, he... stiffened. He turned back. Sensing something in the shadows across the street. He stood, slowly drawing his wand. Veronica, noticing Harry's sudden tension, drew her own wand and stood at attention.
"Harry? What is it?" She asked.
"There's something across the street. In the bushes." He said,stepping forward. Thats when they see... it. Something BIG. Darker than the shadows which concealed it.
Veronica stepped in front of Harry, raising her wand higher. Harry, forgetting about the trunk behind him,stumbled over it and hit the ground unceremoniously.
"Bloody hell!" He exclaimed, causing Veronica to whip around and look at him, concerned. She looked up just in time to see a bright purple, triple decker bus barrel towards them. She jumped onto the curb as Harry rolled out of the way. The bus came screeching to a halt as Veronica gripped onto Harry's shoulder.
The doors hissed and snapped back. To reveal a boy in a wrinkled conductor's uniform. He had a pasty face, raccoon eyes, and looked like he hadn't seen the sun in years.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus. Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening." He said, reading from a small card.
He paused for a minute to look at who he was talking to, and saw Harry on the ground with Veronica kneeling beside him. "Wha' choo doin' down there?"
"Fell over." Harry explained.
"Wha' choo fall over for?"
"I didn't do it on purpose."
Stan eyed Harry suspiciously, then nodded slowly. "Well, come on then. Let's not wait for the grass to grow."
As Stan grabbed the trunks, Harry and Veronica peered into the shadows across the street. Yhere was nothing there except for simply shadows. They exchanged nervous glances, but climbed aboard nonetheless. They looked around to see no seats, only beds.
"Take 'er away, Ern." Stan said to the old man who sat behind the wheel.
"Yeah, take it away!" Echoed the shrunken head who hung from the rear view mirror.
The bus took off with a BANG! Ernie rocketed away and the beds slid six inches to the rear, causing Veronica and Harry to drop onto the bed nearest, peering up at the chandelier swaying directly above their heads.
"Wot you say your name was again?" Stan asked Harry over his paper.
"I didn't." Harry replied shortly.
Stan, huddled in an armchair, peeked over The Daily Prophet, eyed Harry coolly, before disappearing behind his paper once more. Harry brushed the fringe of his hair over his scar, watching the traffic careen past.
"Whereabouts you headin'?" Stan spoke up once more.
"The Leaky Cauldron." Veronica said, finally making herself vocal.
"That's in London --" Harry started, only to be cut off by Stan.
"Is it now? Get that, Ern? The Leaky Cauldron. That's in London."
"Git." Veronica mumbled quietly, causing Harry to smirk.
"Leaky Cauldron! Stay away from the pea soup!" The Shrunken Head cackled with delight.
Harry peered out the window, watching London speed by. "Isn't this a bit... dangerous?"
"Naah. Haven't had an accident in -- what? -- a week is it, Ern?" Stan said, causing Veronica's eyes to widen.
Before she could voice her concern, the Shrunken Head spoke up. "Heads up! Little old lady at twelve o'clock!"
Sure enough, directly ahead, a little old lady was crossing the street. Ernie hit the brakes hard. Harry flew forward, palms to the window. His head likely would have smacked the glass had Veronica not grabbed his jacket and pulled him back a bit. The brakes squealed, and the bus stopped inches from the old lady, and Harry flew back onto his bed, his body landingon Veronica and drawing "oof!" from the young witch. BANG! The bus rocketed forward once more.
As Harry righted himself, making sure his cousin was alright, he noticed the headline of Stan's Daily Prophet: ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN! Below, a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair glowered from a moving photograph.
"Who is that? That man." Harry asked.
Veronica looked up to see what he was talking about. The man in the picture had an odd familiarity about him. Like she knew him, but he wasn't the same as the man she knew.
"Who is that? That's Sirius Black, that is. Don' tell me you ne'er been hearin' o' Sirius Black?" Stan said in disbelief.
Sirius. Veronica's breath caught in her throat. Harry was only a baby when everything happened, so of course he wouldn't remember. But Veronica knew. Sirius had been a second father to her, apart from James. She let out a shakey breath as she looked at the paper once more. What had happened to him?
"A murderer, he is. Got 'imself locked up in Azkaban for it." Stan explained.
Murder? No, Sirius wasn't a murderer. There was no way.
"How'd he escape?" Harry inquired.
"Tha's the question, isn't it? He's the firs' that's done it. Gives me the collywobbles thinking he's out there, though, I'll tell you that. Big supporter of You-Know-'Oo, Black was. Reckon you heard o' him."
Harry nodded and, as he did, Black's eyes shifted to meet his. "Yeah. Him I've heard of."
Just then, a pair of double decker buses swept directly toward the Knight Bus. Before they could scream, the entire Knight Bus squeezed down and shot the gap between the two onrushing buses.
When it finally shot through the gap, Harry spoke again. "This bus. Don't the Muggles ever..."
Stan scoffed. "Them! Don' listen properly, do they? Don' look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'."
"Turn! Turn!" The Shrunken Head cried out.
Ernie fanned the wheel, sending the Knight Bus into a dizzying 360-degree turn. Ernie slammed on the brakes, causing Harry and Veronica to fly forward.
The bus stopped centimeters from a parked car, but settled and tapped the bumper. Instantly, the car's alarm began to wail. The chandelier swayed drunkenly as the bus doors opened.
The steps groaned with heavy feet as the young wizards shuffled off of the bus, and a figure appeared.
Tom, the Innkeeper of the Leaky Cauldron pub.
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Dursley... at last." He said with a toothy grin.
As the Knight Bus rocketed off, Harry glanced up, reading the sign above: THE LEAKY CAULDRON. Tom dragged Harry's trunk inside after Veronica assuringhim that she could take care of her own, then paused and, with a flick of his wand, silenced the car alarm.
The duo trailed Tom through the quiet room. The bartender glanced up, his gaze lingering on Veronica perhaps a bit too long. A solitary wizard read a book while, at his elbow, his coffee cup stirred itself. Tom lead them to a room upstairs.
As Harry followed Tom inside, he found Hedwig, perched atop a chair.
"Hedwig!"
"Right smart bird you've got there, Mr. Potter. Arrived only minutes before yourself." Tom complimented.
A man cleared his throat, causing Harry and Veronica to turn, finding a man at the window, staring at the ghostly shadows beyond. Harry shivered, but the man didn't turn. Tom took a position against the wall, fished a pair of walnuts from his pocket and crushed the shells between his palms.
"I should tell you, Mr. Potter, earlier this evening your uncle's sister was located just south of Sheffield, circling a chimney stack. The Accidental Magic Reversal Department was dispatched and she's been properly punctured and her memory modified. She has no recollection of the incident whatsoever." The man said. Veronica instantly recognized him as Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.
Harry waited, seemingly a man condemned. Then Fudge turned to look at him with a smile. "So that's that, and no harm done. Pea soup?"
Harry glanced warily from the steaming tureen of green to Tom, who works a grimy thumb into his gum, freeing a walnut sliver.
"No thank you. Minister... I don't understand. I broke the law. Underage wizards aren't allowed to use magic at home --" Harry began.
"Oh, come now, Harry. The Ministry doesn't send people to Azkaban for blowing up their aunts! On the other hand... running away like that... given the state of things... very, very irresponsible. You're very lucky your dear cousin was there with you incase anything happened." He said, nodding kindly at Veronica. She gave him a small nod and a smile back.
"'The state of things' sir?" Harry questioned.
"We have a killer on the loose."
"Sirius Black, you mean. But...what's that got to do with me?"
Fudge smiled nervously. "Hm? Oh, nothing. You're both safe, that's what matters. Tomorrow you'll be on your way to Hogwarts. These are your new schoolbooks. I took the liberty of having them brought here for you." He told the young teenager.
Harry eyed the stack of books. One was bound by a rope.
"By the way, Harry. Whilst you're here it would be best if you didn't... wander. Now, if you don't mind, I'd very much like to speak do Ms. Dursley in private. Tom, would you kindly show Mr. Potter to their room? I'll send Ms. Dursley up in a moment." Fudge said with a nod.
When they were alone, he looked at Veronica and motioned for her to have a seat.
"Right, now, I'm quite aware of your parentage, Ms. Dursley, and I know that they do not give you any financial assistance. This being said, I would like to pay for new clothing for you seeing as how you will be needing robes and clothes appropriate for a professor."
Veronica went to protest, but Fudge held up a patient hand and shook his head. "Now,now. We happily paid for your young cousin's books, and we feel it only appropriate to pay for your things as well. Seeing as how you don't need books, the best thing would be new robes. Now, your friends the Weasleys gave us your sizes, and you'll find several outfits and robes in the correct sizes waiting for you in your room. Not to worry, Mrs. Weasley and her children are the ones who picked everything out, we simply supplied the funds."
Veronica was shocked. "Minister, I don't know what to say. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much Harry and I both appreciate your generosity." She said in awe.
"It's a pleasure. After all, we have to keep our prestigious Hogwarts professors looking sharp, yes? Now, if you would like, you're free to make your way up to your room. Your muggle clothing looks quite uncomfortable, and I'm sure you would prefer something a bit less...formal." he chuckled.
Veronica nodded and stood, shaking his hand. "Thank you once again, sir. We're very grateful." She said before exiting the room to find Tom waiting patiently.
"Right this way, ma'am." He said, walking towards the stairs.
When they made it to the room, she thanked him and entered. She looked around to see Harry sitting on one of the beds, pieces of paper strewn about the room. He looked at her, a bit out of breath. "The book tried to eat me."
Veronica laughed quietly, shaking her head. She looked over to her bed, and sure enough, piles of clothing sat neatly folded. Her trunk sat neatly at the bottom of the bed, and Hedwig sat perched on top of it.
"All of that was there when I got up here." He explained, pointing to her bed.
"That's what Fudge wanted to talk to me about. He paid for your books, so he decided to pay for new clothes and robes for me." She explained.
"Wow. Well, I was thinking about going downstairs to grab a tea. Are you interested?" He asked.
"I'm going to change quickly. Could you bring me one up?" Harry nodded and left the room, giving her some privacy.
She walked over to her trunk and smiled up at the snowy owl perced atop it. "Alright, Hedwig. I need to get in here. Over to Harry's trunk, alright?" She said, carefully scratching this head.
He flew over to Harry's trunk and settled down, giving her the chance to set her own trunk down to get inside.it was a mess, so she flicked her wand, causing everything to rearrange a bit more organized. The letters from Remus sat on top, and she pulled them out along with a pair of denim trousers and a long sleeved shirt. Another flick of her want sent her new clothing neatly from her bed into her trunk. She quickly changed and sat on the bed with the pile of letters. There sat months worth of letters from Remus, the others were safely stowed away in a box at her house under a floorboard. She picked up the letter on top and opened it. It was the same letter she had been reading earlier in the room at the house. Remus had been telling her about how difficult the last full moon had been, and how he hoped she had an excellent first term as an assistant professor. He had told her about his...condition, a few months after she turned seventeen. From that point on, she made him promise to keep her updated every full moon, and he did. In fact, he took it upon himself to write one letter the day before each full moon, and one each day after. Veronica searched the letter once again, smiling at a particular phrase. "Dearest Vera.". She smiled warmly at the nickname that he had given her just a few months prior to the letter she held in her hands. The door opened, breaking her out of her daze. She looked up to see Harry with two large mugs of steaming tea. She put the letter on the bed and quickly crossed the room to help him.
"Sorry. I got distracted." She admitted, closing the door behind him. "Thank you for the tea."
"Not a problem. I take it you were reading your letters again?" He asked, pointing to the stack and unfolded piece of parchment on her bed.
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. Just over them one last time before I pack everything up for the train ride."
"Train ride? I thought you were apparating to Hogsmead and then walking?"
"Well, I was, but I figured I would ride the train with you all since we're here. I knos it's highly unusual for professors to ride the train, but seeing as how I'm not a real professor..."
Harry cut her off. "That's not true. You're every bit as real of a professor as the others. Hagrid, Sprout, Snape."
Veronica looked at him in horror as he mentioned the last name. "Merlin's beard, Harry!"
He laughed at her reaction and soon enough, the sound of her laughter joined his.
They drank their tea and discussed what the new year would be like until they finally fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning.