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Chapter 107: The Knight Bus
Chapter 107: The Knight Bus
The first week of summer vacation, Dudley had already finished all his homework.
It was easy for him, as all the knowledge he needed was in his head, and he could complete most of the essays without even needing to refer to any books.
On the morning of the eighth day, Professor Mori's son, Steven, appeared at the door.
Since there were no pedestrians on the road at this time, he had Apparated nearby instead of emerging from the Dursleys' fireplace.
Early in the morning, there was a knock on the door. Ferdinand opened it and saw a tall man standing outside.
"Good morning, Mr. Grey. I'm Steven Mori—is Dudley in?"
The tall man smiled brightly.
"Y-yes, of course... Please come in."
Ferdinand moved aside from the doorway, a hint of confusion in his eyes—
Most of the wizards he had met did not dress like Muggles, but the man before him was quite well-dressed.
Steven Mori, Ferdinand recalled Dudley mentioning this name before.
For some reason, he had always imagined him as a chubby little boy, but the man before him looked more like a basketball player.
"Hey, Steven, long time no see."
Dudley came downstairs and waved a greeting.
"Dudley, I'm here to take you to the Alsophila Manor."
Steven's smile reached his eyes as he said, "I guess you're all ready to go?"
"Of course."
Dudley picked up a pen case from the cabinet and stuffed it into his pocket. After bidding farewell to his parents, the two left the Grey household together.
The chilly morning light bathed the streets, most of the windows in the neighborhood were still dark, and the thin fog made the distant street scene blurry.
"How are we getting there?" Dudley asked.
"Before I left, my father instructed me not to take you by Apparition to avoid any potential dangers."
Steven raised his wand, "So, we only have one option left—the Knight Bus."
With a loud bang, a three-story bus seemed to squeeze itself out of the air in front of them, its headlights emitting a blinding glare.
"Won't such a loud noise wake up the Muggles?" Dudley asked in surprise, a bit exasperated.
"No. There's a Muggle-Repelling Charm on the bus, so usually, they can't hear or see it." Steven explained.
"Usually?"
"Haha... You're quite sharp."
Steven couldn't help but laugh, "Occasionally, there are Muggles who notice this bus, but they usually dismiss it as their imagination playing tricks on them."
"Welcome aboard the Knight Bus! Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I'm your conductor for tonight—"
A skinny young man poked half his body out of the bus door and rattled off a long introduction before seemingly noticing the two people waiting by the roadside.
"Please come aboard, gentlemen. What are you waiting for?" Shunpike said enthusiastically.
"Waiting for you to finish so I could get a word in... Eleven Sickles each, right?"
Steven boarded the bus with Dudley and handed Shunpike a gold Galleon along with a few Sickles.
"Would you like some chocolate? It's just two Sickles each!"
Shunpike asked loudly as he pulled the door shut with a force.
"No, thank you. Alsophila Manor, please," Steven said.
"You got it, sir!" Shunpike replied loudly.
Dudley surveyed the interior of the bus. There were a few beds with brass poles, and the windows beside them were covered with curtains. Candles on racks by the beds provided a dim light inside the bus.
Only one bed had a passenger.
The person wore an old sleeping cap and was tucked tightly under the blankets, emitting only the sound of steady breathing. The conductor's loud voice seemed to have no effect on them.
"Get some rest, Dudley."
Steven chose a bed and lay down, warning, "This bus can be quite wild."
Dudley heeded the advice.
Stan raised an eyebrow. "Speed is a man's romance!"
"Thanks, but I prefer my romance with a gentler touch." Steven teased.
No sooner had he spoken than the entire bus leaped forward like a frog, shooting a great distance ahead. Dudley almost rolled off the bed.
He quickly drew his wand and cast a temporary Sticking Charm on his clothes, finally managing to stay put as the bus continued to jostle and shake.
"Whoa, student—you've broken the Ministry's edict!"
Stan said, and then he started chuckling.
"Are you going to report me to the Ministry?" Steven asked.
"Of course—not!"
Stan pinched his mouth, his voice turning squeaky as he said, "My mouth is as reliable as a Permanent Sticking Charm!"
The driver at the front also spoke up. "Sir, we have our professional ethics—Stan, don't joke around."
"Received, Ern!" Stan raised his hand and saluted.
Although the Knight Bus drove recklessly, it was incredibly fast. Before long, they arrived outside the Alsophila Manor.
Steven and Dudley alighted from the bus, and the manor's iron gate slid open silently, closing again after they had entered.
Compared to ordinary Muggle manors, the wizarding estate was exceptionally quiet. Maintaining a manor of this scale would typically require fifty to sixty servants.
But wizards had no such need.
House-elves could accomplish all the complex tasks.
"To be honest, I would have preferred to invite you to my farm. Alsophila Manor is a bit too quiet."
Steven said, "But my father said he wants to teach you alchemy for a few days first."
"Aren't you going to Mr. Scamander's place?" Dudley asked.
"Mr. Scamander gave me a two-week summer vacation."
Steven said happily, "After your classes, let's go to the farm for a couple of days. After the holidays, we'll head to Dorset County—Mr. Scamander said he'd be delighted to have you visit."
Dudley was also looking forward to it.
...
According to Steven, there were over a dozen house-elves serving Alsophila Manor, but Dudley didn't see a single one.
The food here was also more varied than the Hogwarts Great Hall.
Although the long tables in the school hall were always filled with food, it was usually dishes like roasted potatoes, steak, roast chicken, and cakes. It couldn't be considered plain, but eating the same food day after day at the school cafeteria would eventually become dull.
Alsophila Manor was different.
Professor Mori had traveled the world in his youth, and even now, he often attended conferences in other countries, exchanged alchemy products, and even disguised himself to attend Muggle product launches.
As a result, he had incorporated cuisines from various countries into Alsophila Manor—Beijing roast duck, Brazilian barbecue, Singaporean chili crab, Spanish ham, Mexican burritos...
The menu provided by the manor was a two-inch-thick booklet.
And one could also order dishes.
Just select what you want to eat in advance, and within half an hour, a house-elf would silently deliver it to your table.
At noon, Professor Mori returned from outside. He didn't spend much time on pleasantries and proceeded to teach Dudley.
"You've already mastered the basics of alchemy," Professor Mori said straightforwardly. "This summer, let's learn something special—biological alchemy."
(End of Chapter)
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