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Chapter 306: The Knight Bus (Third Update)
Chapter 306: The Knight Bus (Third Update)
Two days before the start of the school year at Hogwarts, at five in the afternoon, on a street in London, England.
A young man dressed in a black suit stood by the roadside, one hand holding a suitcase and the other a wand, releasing magic power as if waiting for something.
He had shoulder-length brown hair, a strong and well-defined face, and a tall, slender figure, leaving a deep impression at first glance.
Like a firefly in the night, impossible to ignore.
This man was Jerry, who had just returned from the Greek Ministry of Magic via portkey and had recently left the London Ministry of Magic.
Actually, when he returned to the London Ministry of Magic, he could have directly used the Floo Powder in the Ministry's fireplace to instantly reach the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace. Alternatively, he could have found an empty place upon leaving the Ministry to use Apparition to Diagon Alley.
However, he chose not to take the easy route. Instead, he decided to stand by the roadside and use magic power to summon the emergency transport service for witches and wizards in distress—the Knight Bus.
According to his impressions from movies and the information he gathered over the past few days, the Knight Bus was imbued with many advanced magical properties by witches through alchemy.
Time magic, which he was particularly interested in, was clearly one of them.
Therefore, he took the time to experience this magical bus.
In the wizarding world, not everyone can use Apparition. Only those who have passed the Apparition test and been granted the right to Apparate can use it as a daily means of transportation.
Otherwise, you would be like an unlicensed driver in the Muggle world, facing arrest and fines from the Ministry of Magic as punishment.
Thus, for the elderly, the sick, and those unable to Apparate, the Knight Bus, with its peculiar speed, was the fastest way to get around in the outside world.
Just extend your wand and emit magic power, and the Knight Bus will sense it, arriving as quickly as possible to take you anywhere on land.
The ride might not be the most comfortable, though.
According to the information Jerry found, before the Knight Bus came into existence, the Ministry of Magic sought a public transportation system to serve the elderly and infirm.
Initially, someone suggested using flying brooms like taxis or hanging baskets from Thestrals.
However, these ideas were all rejected by the then-Minister of Magic, Dugald Mcphail.
In the end, Mcphail drew inspiration from Muggle buses and convened all the alchemy masters in the wizarding world.
After studying Muggle buses, they collectively created the current Knight Bus, which began operating in 1865.
When the Knight Bus was first introduced, it faced resistance from pure-blood fanatics within the wizarding community. They viewed it as a "Muggle-style insult" to witches and wizards and flooded the "Daily Prophet" with letters to the editor.
However, due to the positive reception during the trial period, the controversy eventually died down.
"Screech!"
Standing by the roadside for less than ten minutes, a vivid purple three-decker bus raced toward Jerry at a speed that was hard to see with the naked eye, coming to a sudden stop in front of him.
The massive wheels, headlights, and enormous size, along with the words "Knight Bus" written in golden letters on the windshield, made the vehicle stand out prominently on the street.
However, the nearby pedestrians seemed to ignore the bus completely, as if it didn't exist at all.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus—emergency transportation for witches and wizards in distress. Just stick out your wand hand, hop on, and we'll take you anywhere you need to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I'm your conductor today."
As the Knight Bus came to a stop, a conductor in a purple uniform, who looked to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, with large ears and a few pimples on his face, jumped out from the door and shouted.
"Thank you, can you take me to the Leaky Cauldron?"
Jerry tipped his hat and asked elegantly.
"Of course, it's just seven sickles for the ride, three more for a chocolate bar, and one more for a hot water bottle and a toothbrush. Oh, Merlin, you're Jerry Carmen, the legendary Seeker of the English Quidditch Team. I'm a big fan of yours. Could you sign something for me later?"
After the bus stopped, the conductor, Stan, quickly recited the Knight Bus fare and services. However, halfway through, he recognized Jerry and immediately exclaimed.
As a Quidditch enthusiast, how could he not know the famous English Quidditch Seeker, Jerry Carmen, who was just starting his third year at Hogwarts this year?
Despite being only in his third year, Jerry had single-handedly revived the once-declining English Quidditch Team, bringing them back to the top.
In the past two years of international tournaments, the English Quidditch Team had always managed to turn the tide thanks to Jerry catching the Golden Snitch first.
Even among the many Quidditch fanatics, the English Quidditch Team, with Jerry on board, was seen as a strong contender for the upcoming Quidditch World Cup.
"No problem!"
Jerry nodded elegantly, surprised to encounter a fan while riding the Knight Bus.
But it wasn't unusual; he had even met fans while traveling in Greece.
After all, in the wizarding world, Quidditch was far more popular than basketball or football in the Muggle world.
To be honest, there weren't many magical sports in the wizarding world.
Led by the conductor, Stan, Jerry carried his suitcase into the Knight Bus.
Unlike a Muggle bus, the interior of the Knight Bus had no seats for passengers. Instead, there were brass-framed beds placed at each curtain position.
At the moment, only one of the six beds was occupied by an elderly witch, while the rest were empty. However, Jerry could sense that there were about six or seven witches on the upper levels.
"Mr. Carmen, you can sleep here."
Stan, a bit excited, took Jerry's suitcase and stowed it under the bed at the front. He then pointed to an older witch wearing thick glasses and introduced her.
"This is our driver, Ernie Prang. Ernie, this is Jerry Carmen, the legendary Seeker of the English Quidditch Team!"
"Oh, Mr. Carmen, good luck! You must win the Quidditch World Cup in two years!"
The elderly witch, Ernie, turned to look at Jerry and nodded with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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