Chapter 70 Chapter 70
Evan tried to adjust himself comfortably, squinted and saw Stan handing Harry a copy of the Daily Prophet. On the cover, there was a giant photo of Sirius Black.
"He looks terrifying, don't you think?" Stan carefully observed Harry's expression. "He's been all over the news lately. Sirius Black was deemed the most notorious prisoner in Azkaban."
"He murdered people," Harry whispered. "With the killing curse."
"Yes, in front of witnesses, in broad daylight, causing a lot of trouble!" Stan approached and lowered his voice, "Black is a follower of you-know-who, he has a very close relationship with him."
Evan saw Harry acting a bit nervous.
"All of you-know-who's followers have been hunted down, and these people know that, now that you-know-who has disappeared, they're finished. He once killed a wizard and twelve Muggles at once. It's terrifying, isn't it? Do you know what he did next?" Stan exaggeratedly whispered.
"What?" asked Harry, nervously.
"He laughed!" Stan said. "He just stood there laughing, and when the Aurors arrived, he calmly followed them still laughing all the time."
"Is he mad?"
"If he wasn't before going to Azkaban, he must be now," Stan said. He whispered, "You know, no one can escape Azkaban, but somehow he did, and the Dementors can't find him."
Nervously, Harry nodded, and Stan too looked pale, appearing frightened by his own words.
Evan chuckled at the thought that if they both knew they had just passed Sirius Black, they would have fainted.
Not a word was spoken.
The Knight Bus continued its journey, passing by phone booths and trees while Harry lay on his bed, restless and miserable.
Evan extended his paw and caressed Harry's head; it seemed like Harry wanted to hug him, so he quickly moved away.
The sky outside the window was brighter than before, and soon Evan saw a small, rickety bar approaching. The Knight Bus skidded to a stop.
Evan jumped onto Harry's shoulder, and they got off the bus; Stan placed Harry's suitcase and Hedwig's cage on the sidewalk, and the Knight Bus soon departed.
"Well, let's go into the Leaky Cauldron..." Harry suddenly stopped, looking at a man in astonishment.
"You're here, Harry!" said a figure coming out of the Leaky Cauldron, it was the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.
Harry was nervous, dragging his suitcase as he was led into the bar by Fudge; a bald, toothless man was at the bar next to a lantern.
"This is Tom, he's the owner of the Leaky Cauldron."
"You found him, Minister!" Tom stopped and greeted, "What would you like to drink, beer or brandy?"
"A cup of tea." Fudge looked weary, pointed to a chair by the fireplace and said, "Sit, Harry."
Harry sat down, Evan could sense his body trembling slightly, appearing very nervous.
Fudge removed his striped green cloak and tossed it aside, then pulled up his dark green pants and sat across from Harry.
"We met three months ago, Harry. I'm Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic," said Fudge quickly, glancing at the black cat lounging on Harry's shoulder.
Harry nodded stiffly, unable to believe that he had been caught by the Minister of Magic himself. Three months ago, the other party had given him, Evan, Hermione, and Ron an award, but now he was going to expel him.
Before saying anything more, the owner Tom reappeared with a tray of tea and pastries.
He placed the tray on the table between Fudge and Harry.
"Well, Harry," said Fudge as he poured the tea, "I'm sure you know you worried us when you escaped from your aunt and uncle's house. But thankfully, nothing bad happened to you."
Fudge placed butter on his cakes and pushed the plate toward Harry.
"Eat, Harry, you look pale. You will be glad to know that we have resolved the issue a few hours ago; a few Ministry employees were sent to Privet Drive, Marjorie was repaired, and her memories were wiped. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt.
Evan leaped onto the table and grabbed a cake.
He saw Fudge smile at Harry, like an uncle gazing at his beloved nephew. Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say, so he closed it again.
"Ah, are you worried about your aunt and uncle's reaction? Well, I won't deny they are extremely angry, Harry. However, as long as you stay at Hogwarts for Christmas and Easter, they will accept you back next summer."
"I always stay at Hogwarts during the holidays. I don't want to go back to Privet Drive," said Harry.
"Take your time and calm down a bit. I'm sure you will change your mind. After all, they are family, and I'm sure they deeply care for each other," Fudge said in a tone full of concern.
Harry didn't want to change Fudge's mind; he was still waiting to hear if he would be expelled or not.
"Now the only question left is, where will you stay for the rest of your holidays?"
"I thought about going to my classmate Evan's house; he has invited me several times," said Harry, uncertainly.
"Are you referring to Evan Masson? He is a truly good lad; he helped us write the article about the Chamber of Secrets. He helped to restore people's faith in the Ministry of Magic," Fudge said as he buttered another pastry.
"But I'm afraid it won't be of great help since the man... I suggest you rent a room here at the Leaky Cauldron and stay there until the end of the summer."