Harry Potter - The Accidental Animagus

Chapter 10 - Godric's Hollow

November 1986

Andromeda and Edward Tonks arrived on Sunday afternoon to escort the Grangers to Godric's Hollow. They noted that Harry was wearing a black baseball cap low on his forehead, covering up his scar and his characteristic hair. Even at his one-time residence, few people, if anyone, would be able to recognise the boy like that. Andi nodded in approval as she introduced her husband.

Cousin Ted was blond and heavyset, but, Harry noted, not nearly as large as Vernon Dursley, and his voice was far more pleasant. He shook the family's hands quickly, saying, "Pleased to meet you all." He was the first muggle-born any of them had met besides Hermione, and like his wife, he seemed to know his way around a muggle neighbourhood. Dan and Emma were quietly impressed by how he seemed to greet Harry as just one of the family. Knowing how muggle-borns had fared in the war, they wouldn't have been surprised if he had shown a particular reverence for the Boy-Who-Lived.

"The car's in the garage," Dan started to say as the Tonkses started to walk back toward the curb.

"If you don't mind, it'll be quicker to take some magical transport," Andi said. Taking the bus wouldn't be that much more risky than the visit itself, and she felt she might as well save them from what Ted guessed would be about six hours of driving for the round trip.

"What kind of magical transport?" Dan said, thinking of the floo and the broomsticks.

"You're wearing Anti-Anti-Muggle Charms, right?" Dan and Emma nodded. "You, uh, you haven't seen any really big magic yet, so you might want to brace yourselves-we'll be taking the Knight Bus." She stepped to the curb and drew her wand from her sleeve. "All you have to do is hold out your wand, and..."

BANG!

Behind Andi and Ted, zipping out of nowhere and screeching to a halt was an enormous triple-decker, bright purple bus. A moment later, a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out and spoke to her:

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Ernie Prang, and I will be your conductor-say, what's their problem?" he said, pointing at the family, who were now all four of them standing open-mouthed in shock.

"Mr. Prang, these are our friends, the Granger Family," Andi told him. The kids just found out they're muggle-borns last year, and I'm showing them around.

"Ah, starting early now, are we? So where to, then, ma'am?" Ernie Prang said.

She handed over some gold. "Will this do for a round trip to Godric's Hollow?"

"That it will, ma'am. All aboard, then," he called.

The Grangers looked considerably less at ease when they boarded the bus and saw that instead of normal seats, there were free-standing wooden chairs in only an approximate semblance of order. A handful of dishevelled-looking witches and wizards in anachronistic clothes were seated near the back.

"You might want to hold on tight," Ted warned them as they found six seats together.

"What was your first clue?" Emma muttered.

"All right, take it away, Lou," the conductor said.

"Mm hmm," the driver grunted, and with another tremendous BANG, they were off-and in a completely different city.