Chapter 3
After rushing out of the Dursleys' house, Harry felt the cool night air hit his face—a welcome contrast to the suffocating atmosphere he'd left behind. He walked briskly down Privet Drive, carrying his heavy trunk in one hand and Hedwig's cage in the other. His mind was in turmoil—he knew he'd broken wizarding law by using magic outside of school. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the warning he had previously received.
"I'm expelled from Hogwarts," he thought, feeling a knot form in his stomach. "They're going to come for me and snap my wand."
As he walked down the dark street, Harry had no idea where he was going. He only knew that he needed to get away. As he moved further away, the lights of the surrounding houses became less frequent, and the suburban neighborhood grew darker and quieter. The gravity of the situation began to weigh on him. He was an underage wizard, alone, with no permission to use magic, and no plan for where to stay or how to survive in the Muggle world.
Eventually, he reached an abandoned park where he stopped to rest. The wind blew softly, and he was tired from carrying his luggage for so long. Hedwig hooted softly, restless in her cage.
"Calm down, Hedwig. I don't know what we're going to do either," Harry whispered, gently running his hand through the owl's feathers through the cage bars.
As he walked on, contemplating his next move, the darkness around him seemed to thicken, becoming oddly more oppressive. A cold, uncomfortable sensation ran down his spine. Suddenly, Harry stumbled over something on the sidewalk, nearly falling. He quickly glanced around, heart racing, but there was no one there, only the darkness. As he straightened up, grabbing his wand from the ground, a blinding light exploded out of nowhere, and he jumped back, startled.
With a loud bang, a three-story purple bus screeched to a halt in front of him, its windows rattling with the force. The bus had gold lettering on its side that read, "The Knight Bus."
The door creaked open, and a young conductor in a purple uniform jumped out.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards. My name's Stan Shunpike, and I'll be your conductor this evening."
Harry gaped. He could hardly believe his luck. Wasting no time, he said, "I need a ticket to London, to the Leaky Cauldron."
"Hop on, then!" said Stan with a grin, and Harry hurriedly climbed the steps.
Inside the Knight Bus, the interior was just as strange as the exterior: brass beds were arranged instead of seats, swaying as the bus prepared to depart. The bedding was worn, and the pillows were plump. Candlelit chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a flickering, ghostly light, and in the background, a kettle was moving by itself, pouring tea into small floating cups. Harry stowed his luggage and settled into one of the beds, feeling the bus lurch forward with a violent jolt. He gripped tightly as the Knight Bus sped forward at a dizzying speed, disappearing and reappearing in different locations within seconds.
During the chaotic ride, Harry barely had time to process his thoughts. He knew he was headed for the Leaky Cauldron, a safe meeting point for witches and wizards in the heart of London. When they finally arrived, the bus stopped abruptly, throwing Harry forward. Stan Shunpike opened the door, and Harry got off, a bit unsteady.
He entered the dimly lit, cozy pub of the Leaky Cauldron, where he was immediately greeted by Tom, the bartender.
"Harry Potter!" Tom exclaimed with a wide, toothless grin. "What brings you here at this hour of the night?"
Harry barely had time to respond when a tall, imposing figure emerged from the shadows: Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic.
"Mr. Potter," said Fudge with an odd smile on his face. "We've been worried about you."
Harry shifted uneasily in his seat as he looked at the portly, red-faced man in front of him. Fudge was wearing a dark green bowler hat and seemed absurdly cheerful, as if finding Harry there was the best thing that could have happened.
“Well, well, well, Harry!” Fudge exclaimed, smiling warmly. “What a night, eh? I’m sure you must have a lot of questions!”
Harry nodded, confused. He did indeed have many questions, especially about what would happen now that he’d left the Dursleys' house.
“I... I didn’t mean to blow up my aunt…” Harry began nervously.
Fudge raised his hand, chuckling lightly.
“Don’t worry, my dear boy!” he said, waving his hand as if inflating relatives was a common occurrence. “It’s all sorted. We went there, deflated the good lady, wiped a few memories, and everything’s back to normal. Nothing to worry about, I assure you.”
Harry blinked, surprised. He had expected punishment, lectures, and perhaps even expulsion from Hogwarts. But instead, Fudge seemed to be treating the whole thing as a minor inconvenience.
“So… I’m not in trouble?” Harry asked, still wary.
“Trouble?” Fudge repeated with a chuckle. “Of course not, of course not! We’re just lucky you’re alright, Harry. Very lucky indeed. We know things can be tricky when it comes to... um... accidental magic, right?”
Harry nodded again, still not quite believing his luck.
“And what about school?” he ventured. “I’m not going to be expelled from Hogwarts?”
“Expelled?” Fudge looked genuinely surprised. “My dear boy, you’re not being expelled. Far from it! In fact, we want you to stay here at the Leaky Cauldron until the start of term. It’s the safest place for you right now.”
Harry frowned. “The safest place?”
“Exactly, my boy. And no going off on adventures, eh? Stay inside the Leaky Cauldron. Get some rest, buy your school supplies in safety, and soon enough, you’ll be back at Hogwarts, where you’ll be safer than ever.”
Fudge stood up and shook Harry’s hand warmly. “Now, I’ll leave you to settle in. If you need anything, Tom here will be at your service.”
Harry sat there for a few minutes, still absorbing everything. He had escaped punishment, and now he was staying at the Leaky Cauldron, right in the middle of the wizarding world, waiting for the new school year to begin.
“Well,” Harry muttered to himself, “at least things aren’t as boring as they were on Privet Drive.”