Hagrid and the Knight Bus

"Gryffindor!" McGonagall said without hesitation. "I saw extraordinary courage in him. As Gryffindor's Head of House, I naturally hope he can join Gryffindor."

"That was my thought as well." Dumbledore nodded, the two Gryffindors reaching a consensus at that moment.

"However..." He changed tack. "Perhaps Ravenclaw would suit him too. The calm he displayed when confronted by the Runespoor aligns well with Ravenclaw's standards."

"True!" McGonagall nodded instinctively. "I imagine the Sorting Hat will have no easy task assigning Vizet to a House."

"Hat-struck!" Dumbledore stroked his beard with great interest. "I remember that when it sorted you, it hesitated between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for quite a long time."

"There are less than two months until term begins!" McGonagall's voice was filled with anticipation. "If I recall correctly, Harry Potter will be starting school this year as well?"

"Not quite yet." Dumbledore picked up the documents again. "Harry's birthday is at the end of July. I'll arrange for someone to deliver his letter then."

"Time passes so quickly!" McGonagall remarked. "Have you found a suitable candidate for the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor position?"

"That hasn't been an easy matter either!" Dumbledore sighed softly. "Fortunately... Quirinus sent me an application to transfer positions."

"An application to transfer positions?" McGonagall adjusted her glasses. "He previously taught Muggle Studies. Transferring to become the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor... won't that be too much pressure for him?"

"Since he is willing to give it a try, he should be given the opportunity." Dumbledore picked up a quill and added notes to the document. "In a few days, I'll interview him."

Only after Vizet and Luna's family had accepted one another did he learn that the family's financial circumstances were even worse than he had imagined.

Xenophilius could only barely support himself and Luna on the sales of The Quibbler.

Vizet's arrival made Xenophilius's financial situation even worse.

Xenophilius searched through every box and cabinet, but found only some loose change, all Silver Sickles and Bronze Knuts.

Fortunately, Hogwarts offered financial aid, allowing Vizet to receive thirty Gold Galleons to purchase his school supplies.

Gold Galleons, Silver Sickles, and Bronze Knuts were wizarding currency. To buy all sorts of Magical Artifacts in the Magical World, one had to use them.

At dawn, when the sun had only just begun to rise, Vizet had already washed up and come downstairs to wait quietly.

A commercial street exclusively for wizards—just thinking about it was exciting.

Luna was up as well, holding a Goblins sculpture in her hands. It was a piggy bank she had made.

"Take this with you! I know you may not have enough money... to buy the things on the list."

Vizet looked into Luna's silver-white eyes and was momentarily lost in thought.

Having experienced the permanent separation from her mother, Luna was undoubtedly a precocious child—at least far more precocious than Xenophilius had imagined.

"I applied for financial aid. I'll collect the money in Diagon Alley today." Vizet gently shook his head. "I heard Diagon Alley is interesting. What gift would you like?"

"I don't need anything." Luna smiled faintly at Vizet and shook her head just as gently.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A series of thunderous knocks shattered the morning calm.

A giant over three meters tall stood outside the door, wearing a fur cloak with several pockets sewn onto it.

The giant's beard and hair were thick and bushy, and his dark, gleaming eyes resembled black beetles.

"You're Vizet, right?" The giant's beard shifted as he spoke, his voice full of kindness.

"I'm Hagrid, Hogwarts' Keeper of Keys and Grounds. Today, I'll take you to Diagon Alley... I think the letter mentioned it."

Vizet nodded. "Hello, Mr. Hagrid. I didn't expect you to arrive so early."

"Mr. Hagrid!" Luna rubbed her eyes as she appeared beside Vizet. "Please, come in!"

This was the Magical World. As Hagrid approached the doorway, the two-meter-tall frame suddenly widened and lengthened, becoming just large enough to accommodate his build.

"Would you like some biscuits?" Luna, completely at ease with him, brought over a box of pastries. "I'll go wake father..."

"No, no!" Hagrid waved his hands repeatedly, and the gust nearly blew Luna over. "I'm here to take Mr. Vizet to Diagon Alley."

"As a first-year student, there's quite a lot to buy! We need to hurry... Do you have a Floo Network here?"

"No." Luna gently shook her head. "Father said we normally wouldn't need one, so he didn't ask the Ministry of Magic to install a Floo Network."

However, the real reason was that installing a Floo Network was expensive, and Xenophilius could not afford it.

"Then there's no helping it!" Hagrid shook his head. "Good thing I came early. There's still time to use another way to get to Diagon Alley."

"Then take the biscuits with you." Luna stuffed the box of pastries into Vizet's arms. "You haven't had breakfast yet."

With the biscuits in hand, Vizet followed Hagrid onward until they reached a dirt road path.

Vizet saw Hagrid clutching an umbrella and raising his arm high. He asked tentatively, "Are we... waiting for a bus?"

"That's right! That's why I didn't eat the biscuits. You shouldn't either, for now—"

Before Hagrid could finish, a three-story-tall purple bus suddenly appeared, its body shuddering as it pulled to a stop before them.

The conductor was a young man in a bright purple uniform, with a particularly conspicuous pair of protruding ears.

"Welcome aboard the Knight Bus. I'm your conductor, Stan Shunpike... As long as you stick out your Wand and get on board, wherever you want to go, we can take you there."

Despite his youthful appearance, the conductor wore a listless expression, as though he had nothing left to look forward to in life. Even his introduction was delivered in a flat, lifeless tone.

Like the doorway at Luna's Home, the narrow bus door instantly widened, large enough for Hagrid to enter the carriage without difficulty.

Vizet felt as though he had stepped into an old, dim dormitory. There were no seats or small windows inside, only six Brass Beds, with tiny candles along both sides providing all the light.

Stan Shunpike asked weakly, "Where are you headed?"

"Diagon Alley in London." Hagrid found a bed and sat down. The mattress immediately groaned, as though it might collapse at any moment.

"That'll be thirty-four Silver Sickles. Two Gold Galleons works too, if you'd rather pay that." Stan Shunpike showed a little more energy at last when he held out his hand.

Wizard currency had a rather complicated exchange rate. One Galleon equaled seventeen Silver Sickles, or four hundred and ninety-three Bronze Knuts.

As the conductor, Stan Shunpike worked out the conversion right away.

Hagrid reached into one of his coat pockets, pulled out two gold coins, and stuffed them into Stan Shunpike's arms.

Vizet sat on the bed opposite Hagrid. "Once we get to Diagon Alley, I'll pay you for the ride."

Hagrid covered his mouth, his voice unusually muffled. "Remember to hold tight to the railings. This bus gets very bumpy. Whatever it is, talk about it after we get off. We're about to set off..."

Before he could finish, the Knight Bus had already started, shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Vizet hurriedly grabbed the railing to keep the powerful inertia from flinging him away.

Hagrid retched, his sparkling eyes squeezed shut in a clear display of motion sickness.

Vizet handled it much better. Full of curiosity, he studied the windshield at the very front of the carriage.