Silver Hourglass

Harry's Maturity Chapter 20

The beds moved as the Knight Bus sped pass, a wizard sleeping on one of the beds and mumbling about something. Harry had to hold on as the bus sped past, though Stan was sitting in front of him, reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. Harry saw a moving picture of a familiar man with the name Sirius Black it. "Hey! I saw him on the Muggle news!" Harry said.

"Sirius Black? Course he was on the muggle news Harry! Where have you been?" Stand asked as he gave Harry the article to read.

BLACK STILL AT LARGE

Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today. "We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minsitrer of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm." Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis. "Well, really, I had to, don'y you know," said an irritated Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it—who'd believe him if he did?"

While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.

"He murdered thirteen people with one curse!?" Harry said surprised, looking at the photo of Sirius Black. His gaunt face reminded him of a vampire's.

"Yup, in front of witnesses and all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"

"Ar," Ern said darkly.

"Black was a big supporter of You-Know-Who. Bet you heard of him." Stan said.

"Yeah...him I heard of." Harry said. "But how did he escape Azkaban?"

"That's the question ain't it? He's the first one who done it!" Stan said. The Knight Bus sped through the roads before making a sudden stop. Harry launched from the bed he was sitting on and hit the glass separating the driver from the rest of the bus. "Right, here we are Madam Marsh, Abergavenny." Stan said, casually. A witch from the upper deck shuffled down and out, dressed only in robes and slippers. As soon as she was out and Stan threw her bags out and closed the door there was another BANG and the Knight Bus thundered down the narrow lanes, Harry barely noticed that they were somehow in the country side.

"Right, where in London did you say you were going again?" Stan asked Harry, who was trying his best to hold onto his bed.

"D-Diagon Alley." Harry said.

"Heard that Ern? Diagon Alley." Stan said, knocking the glass again. Ern pulled a lever and one second the Knight Bus was driving down the countryside, and the next they were back in London. Cars, trees, and houses seemed to jump out of the way as Ern drove. Harry watched as the scenery blurred by, his thoughts heavy on what is going to happen to him. He used magic in front of Muggles, and out of Hogwarts. He broke the law... Harry hoped that he wouldn't be thrown in jail for that.

His thoughts were broken by the sudden bus suddenly stopping again. "Right then, Diagon Alley." Stan said.

Harry groaned as he got up, adjusting his glasses as he looked outside. They were outside of the Leaky Cauldron, and Tom the Innkeeper was waiting for them. "Welcome Mr. Potter, we've been expecting you." He smiled as Harry got off. Harry waved goodbye to the Knight Bus and Tom picked up his luggage. "Yes, yes the Minister is here right now to talk with you. Follow me." The toothless innkeeper said.