The Past Meets the Future at Hogwarts: Part 3

Chapter 4: Victoria

We were several streets away from the Dursley's when I collapsed onto the ground. My legs had felt like lead as we had walked and now that I was on the ground they were jello. I hated the feeling, but I hated even more the fact that it was familiar.

Harry shot me a concerned look, but luckily he looked just as tired as I did as he leaned against a wall nearby. We sat/stood in silence for a few seconds. I didn't like this. I pulled a dracma out of my pocket and started flipping it in my hand. I knew only one way out of this, but would it work here.

Before I could do anything with it though, Harry stood up straight. He started digging through his trunk in search of something. He paused abruptly causing me to look around. My heart started beating faster. Something was watching us.

I looked around the alley way we were near, but I couldn't find anything. I wasn't about to use magic, but Harry didn't seem to be obliged to not use it. "Lumos," He said. His wand tip lit up and pointed it farther down the alley. Two gleaming eyes stared back at us, but as Harry stepped back he tripped over his trunk, and his wand flew.

There was a loud bang and a blinding light that left me blinking. I turned over my shoulder to look at the road and had to blink once more. Sitting in the road was a large purple triple decker bus. I could have sworn it wasn't there a few seconds before.

The conductor stepped out and began talking, "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 Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve --"

He stopped as he looked over at Harry. I quickly stood up and immediately felt self conscious. I was in a tan dress that was halter top but now had dirt all over it. My hair was also probably a mess.

Harry and the conductor began a full blown conversation about why he was on the ground. I stood back a little, leaning against my trunk for support. I felt as if I might fall over.

"Woss your name?" Stan asked.

"Neville Longbottom," Harry said.

I raised an eyebrow at him, but when Stan turned to me I made my face go neutral, "Victoria Jackson."

Harry asked how much it would take to get to London, and Stan told us that it would be 11 sickles a piece. I pulled out my small pouch of money and handed him what was left. "I think that's 25 sickles."

"Ah, sounds like one of you can have some ot chocolate."

I gave that offer to Harry as I boarded the bus. Instead of normal seats, there were dozens of beds lining the walls. Stan gave us the two nearest the front which I wasn't exactly happy about. Surely Harry and I had broken so many rules that word would get out soon. Plus, I wasn't in the mood for small talk.

The second I sat down on the bed my body gave out. It was like how I felt after I had a full day of training at camp plus a capture the flag game and had climbed the climbing wall a hundred times in a row.

The second the bus started though, my body nearly rolled out of the bed. I caught myself as I almost tumbled to the floor and decided to try and focus on something before I passed out or threw up.

Before I knew it, the beds jerked as Ernie the driver stopped the bus for some wizard to get off. I was going to have whiplash at the end of this.

We kept going like this. Stan had a copy of the daily prophet, and the man looked dreadfully familiar. The picture was in black and white so there wasn't much I could get out of it. Apparently he was the only person to ever escape the wizarding prison of Azkaban.

Images swirled in my head of a terrifying prison on an island surrounded by floating creatures. The only thing was that it never said what the creatures were. I was beginning to think Hecate found it funny when we didn't know what was going on.

Finally, Harry and I were the only two on the bus, and we sped our way to Diagon Alley. Stan helped Harry and I with our trunks, and it was obvious that Harry was trying to think of a way to get around without people recognizing him when someone put a hand on my shoulder.

I resisted the urge to try and judo flip the guy knowing that I wasn't strong enough for that. "There you two are."

I recognized the voice, and I wished I hadn't. We were going to get expelled. I was never going to see my friends again. I might get sent to that gods forbidden prison. No, I'd pray to not get sent there. Anything it took. I would not be locked up again.

Stan and Ernie seemed shocked as they realized who we really were. Seconds later Fudge, the minister of magic, was steering the two of us into the Leaky Cauldron. Tom the bartender came forward with a smile and an offer of tea and a private room.

When we stepped into the private room, I plopped on the nearest surface, which happened to be the floor. Fudge looked at me in shock, but I just shrugged. I couldn't wait to get out of this dress and try to sleep. This delirious state I was in was getting no one anywhere.

"Well, Harry, Victoria," Fudge said, pouring out tea, "you've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that! I'd started to think... but you're safe, and that's what matters."

His pause worried me more than his eerie calmness on the matter. He was going to say something and had decided not to. Now all I wanted to know was what he was going to say.

"Eat, Harry, you look dead on your feet. Victoria would you like a seat." I shook my head not thinking I could speak or move right now. "Now then... You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."

I was shocked. How had we gotten out of that one? Then again, Fudge was acting weird. He wasn't telling us something, that much was true.

"Ah, you're worrying about the reaction of your aunt and uncle?" Fudge said. "Well, I won't deny that they are extremely angry, but they are prepared to take you back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays."

Harry got his voice before I did. "I always stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays," he said, "and I don't ever want to go back to Privet Drive."

"Now, now, I'm sure you'll feel differently once you've calmed down," Fudge said in a worried tone. "They are your family, after all, and I'm sure you are fond of each other -- er -- very deep down."

I was surprised when Harry didn't say anything in return.

"So all that remains," Fudge said, continuing to eat, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last two weeks of your vacation. I suggest you take a room here at the Leaky Cauldron and,"

"Hang on," Harry blurted "What about my punishment?" I would have rolled my eyes if I had the energy. The first thing the Hermes cabin ever teaches you is to never discuss punishments, especially if you're about to get away with something.

Fudge blinked. "Punishment?"

"I broke the law!" Harry said. "The Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry!"

"Oh, my dear boy, we're not going to punish you for a little thing like that!" Fudge cried. "It was an accident! We don't send people to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts!"

I stopped listening. When Fudge asked if we wanted separate rooms I said sure. The fact that Fudge was even here was weird in itself. Why would the minister of magic, someone with such an important job, worry about two teens who ran away from home? Sure, we were famous teens and there was a mass murderer on the loose, but I'd dealt with worse.

Tom led us to rooms eleven and twelve before leaving us to it. My trunk was sitting too far away for me to care to change. I pulled out makeup wipes and wiped off any leftover makeup before laying in the bed and passing out. Hopefully my strength would be renewed tomorrow. If not, then this was going to be a long year.