A NORMAL TALE IN HOGWARTS WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

[ Volume I: "HOGWARTS WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY YR. 1" ]

[ Chapter III (3): "THE MAGICAL KNIGHTBUS" ]

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THE PROFESSOR RAISED HER WAND UP IN THE AIR, seemingly wanting to pull a cab, or something close to that in the eyes of the young student Felix; [ "You, want a cab?" ] The stuttering of his noticeable, but not by that much as compared as before.

[ "Not exactly, Mr. Harp." ] McGonagall, the stern Witch's gaze soften slightly as she looks at the worried and also excited look of the young Felix; looking around at the people, at the No-Maj and being confused that they aren't questioning how a heavily dressed woman, in witch clothing, a Wand in hand not being noticed.

[ "W-what's going on?" ] Felix watches cautiously as a woman in her 40s carrying a cat not pay attention to them, like they aren't even there — the said cat, black in all except the piercing orange eyes stare at him and at McGonagall, before ultimately being hit in the head lightly by the owner for it's weird behavior.

[ "A-are they Wizards too?!" ] Felix covered his mouth instantly after saying that, an old man not-so-far away sitting on a beach looking at him weirdly; then at the stern looking woman who's dressed like a normal person in his eyes. [ "Kids' these days," ] Grumbling to himself before refocusing back on the newspaper in hand.

[ What weird Wizards, and that cat, it looks ugly. ] That though stayed inside his head however as McGonagall who still have her Wand up, it being lit, with white light being produced by it, answered the young boy's curiosity.

[ "No, Mr. Harp, they are not Wizards as far as I could tell." ] She too watches how the cat stares at them, the cat shivering when she stares back. [ "I have cast Magic on us so that they'll see us as "normal" in my case with normal muggle clothes." ] She explained motioning to her heavy green-black themed witch robes, then at her black pointy hat; both of which aren't "normal" in the fashion sense of the 1970s.

[ "But, that cat could be a Wizard in disguise, who knows?" ] McGonagall joked using her dry humor, the tone never rising or lowering which made it extremely difficult for a child that has just experienced Magic and doesn't know of the ins and outs of it yet to identify, to Felix he genuinely believes it. [ "Really?!" ] He looks back at the cat who has its tongue out, and in amazement he wondered how a Wizard can be a cat — is that even possible? [ "That's possible?" ]

[ "Yes." ] The older Witch answered dryly, finding the reactions of one young Felix Harp to be amusing; the child her friends writes about in a couple of her letters being this, she couldn't believe it, the frustration and proudness of Amanda about this child actually explains why she didn't come along — even though the former knows of the Wizardry World for tens of years now.

[ I can't believe this. ] McGonagall muses as she watches the reaction of Felix souring like he had just eaten a dry lemon; [ "No, wait, that's possible?" ] The boy re-asks his question, this time not believing the answer he was given before genuinely, his orange eyes lowering slightly as he looks up at the face of his future Professor accusatorily, doubting her slightly. In response McGonagall blinked in surprise, amused inside, about to retort and defend herself — isn't she a taby cat herself?

But before she could open her mouth a loud pop rings in her ear, and in the ears of Felix; this said pop sounding like it just reshaped space, and seemingly teleported at the spot right beside them. The said noise shocking Felix the unseasoned Wizard, and not at all for the seasoned Witch which is McGonagall. [ "W-what the?" ]

[ "A-aaah." ] Felix stared wide-eyed at the imposing figure of a bus-like vehicle that just appeared out of nowhere in front of him — one which the local residents seems to not care about, invisible to those without magical aptitudes; which doesn't include Minerva McGonagall and Felix Harp who the Knightbus openly welcomes.

[ "About time." ] McGonagall felt her arms about to fall off, and in seeing the infamous Knightbus opened it's doors made her worry disappear, as she sights to herself tucking her Wand away right under her sleeves; right inside a holster. [ "Gooooodafternoon custome- Professor!" ]

The peculiar weird looking Knightbus Driver's weird accent paused momentarily, voice getting stuck under his throat as the veteran driver looks at his previous House Head; the stern lioness McGonagall. [ "H-how can I he-help you Ma'a- Professor?" ] Felix watches on the sidelines as his Guide folded her arms, looking slightly amused at the shabby dressed man inside the Bus, [ "Hadn't changed one bit, had you, Mr. Blake?" ]

[ "N-no ma'am, I-I mean Pro-professor." ] The man stumbled, his hat falling onto the floor of the Bus right besides the pedals, he raised his finger as if to say wait a moment, lowering his head he accidentally hit the steering wheel and subsequently the demonic horns of the Knightbus. [ "O-oh, sorry about that, p-please get in." ]

The fun cheeryside of the Driver being replaced by nervousness as he watches his former Professor, and a starry eyed child enter his Bus; the 415 and 416th passenger of his since he started working. And he couldn't believe the 415th would be the Professor he most feared. [ "First-year?" ] As his gaze shifted to the other person who entered, [ "Yes, and we'll be heading to Leaky Cauldron. How much will that be?" ]

The newly hired Knightbus Driver perked up in hearing that, the recited and repeated script that he studied for this position seeping right in, [ "O-oh Professor that'll be... 25- no, 24 Sickles ; 11 Sickles for children under 18, and 13 for anyone above." ] Felix a boy who's silently absorbing everything nodded in hearing that; what's a Sickles? He doesn't know, but he silently follows his Professor inside the purple-dark themed Bus — the word Knightbus written on the outside.

He admires the surroundings why his Professor on the other hand pulled out a purse, this one being brown and red in color, normal looking as she counts a few silver looking coins — one which is different to a normal pound, or currency that Felix have been accustomed with; the good mood of his Professor was stopped when the seemingly dazed Driver continued, seemingly remembering something.

[ "And oh, a senior discount for anyone 60 and abo-" ] The joyful tone of the Driver didn't stop and instead continued, not realizing the gravity of the situation, his voice only being stopped by an intentional cough. [ "We'll pay the 24 Sickles, Mr. Blake." ] And that was from Professor McGonagall as she hands him the coins, [ "O-of course Professor, t-take a seat; you too fi-first-year." ]

Felix felt amused in seeing someone else stutters, not out of excitement but out of nervousness — and not the bad kind of nervousness which Felix felt from time-to-time, so, before he could take a seat and follow his Professor he pulled out a couple of candies out of his pocket, as he then placed it at the hat of the Driver which he heard is named Blake. Candies calms him down, so, surely it does also to others. [ "O-oh, thank you first-year, please, hold on tight." ] Sure... Wait, why?

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[ Fun Fact (Pottermore-Lore): "The Knightbus was first created in the year 1865, located in Great Britain; its primary reason for being invented is for emergencies, for Wizards and Witches who need immediate transportation. It was inspired by the Muggle Bus. The need for transportation, especially for underage Wizards and Witches boosted the creation of this said invention; thankfully the other suggestion was rejected: sidecars on taxi-styled Broomsticks, baskets under Thestrals. Then Minister Dugald McPhail suggested it, which was later opposed by a few prominent Pure-Bloods, still, it prevailed." ]

[ WRITTEN: 12/21/2024 ]

[ POSTED: 12/22/2024 ]