Good & Evil {3} | d.m. | ong.

two

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The Knight Bus

"They feel the need to endanger themselves every so often"

Privet Drive

Seconds later, Harry & Liv stormed out with their trunks, walking down the street, Winter calmly following behind Liv, like an obedient child. High in the sky, a plump dot rose. Aunt Marge screaming and screaming.

———

Later, Harry & Liv walked, and walked, and walked, but then stopped at a bus stop. As Harry sat his trunk down and sat on top of it, Liv glanced about. An empty playground behind them. Swings creaked gently on rusted chains. A tiny carousel, kissed gently by the wind, turning slowly. Liv thought it was quite creepy, but she just shrugged it off.

Liv dropped her trunk next to Harry, and sat on top of it, sighing to herself, then Winter jumped in her lap. "I just screwed everything, didn't I?" Liv asked softly and Harry turned to her. "I just got so angry...and it got the best of me. You know I try to keep that in check because I'm not usually an angry person." She then looked to her brother, who was giving her a look, as in saying that she was sometimes an angry person. "Stop it," she said, playfully hitting him. "You know what I mean."

She then leaned her head against his shoulder, while he put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "I know what you mean," Harry said.

"Did I screw everything up?" Liv asked.

"No. You didn't, Liv. You just gave them what they've deserved. It was a long time coming," Harry said and Liv nodded. "And besides, we have The Weasley's, and The Granger's, and The Blake's. We do have places to go."

"I guess you're right," Liv said with a smile.

In the trees above, leaves trembled as the wind gathered, making all kinds of creepy and rustling noises. Harry turned around, and studied the swaying swings, the carousel. He then stiffened and turned back around. "What is it?" Liv asked, sitting up straight again.

"Nothing, I just thought..." Harry started but then he sensed something in the shadows across the street. Liv looked to where Harry's eyes were, and in the bushes, she sensed the same thing as he. Harry rose, Liv staying seated, as he slowly drew his wand.

Then they both saw...it. Something big, darker than the shadows which concealed it, something with wide, gleaming eyes.

As Winter perked up, hissing at the shadows, Liv grabbed Harry's wrist, making him step back, both of them afraid to look, afraid not to either. Wand outstretched, and Liv gripping onto him, Harry tripped, tumbled backwards, over the forgotten trunk. The tip of his wand blazed out a light.

BANG!

The loud noise made Liv scream, as twin beams of blinding light speared into the night towards them. Giant wheels beared down, and Harry rolled him and Liv clear — just as a preposterously purple, triple-decker bus screeched to a halt. Gold letters glimmered about the windscreen: The Knight Bus.

The doors hissed and snapped back, to reveal a Stan Shunpike, an 18-year-old boy in a wrinkled conductor's uniform, pasty face, raccoon eyes, and looked like he hadn't seen the sun in years. "Welcome to the Knight Bus. Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening," Stan said in a wearily and drearily tone, but when he saw no one was standing in front of him, he peered down to see Harry and Liv — plus Winter — on the ground before him. "Wha' choo doin' down there?"