Chapter 45

Chapter 45

When Mr. Ellison returned from work, he displayed no particular emotion about Suer’s return.

The smile at the corners of his eyes and the rare bottle of fine wine he opened said everything.

Suer took the opportunity to ask whether he might look through the wine cellar.

Mr. Ellison loved collecting wine despite having little tolerance for it. With a magnanimous wave, he granted permission.

“Oh…”

Suer could not help exclaiming at the dazzling bottles covering the entire basement.

He knew nothing about wine and had no idea which kind Hagrid would like best.

But he did know one thing: when choosing wine for Hagrid, the bottle with the highest alcohol content could not be wrong.

Everyone knew that giants were born drinkers.

“Hm. This one.”

Suer studied a flat bottle marked with a centaur. He did not understand the other labels, but he recognised that symbol.

By the time Suer came upstairs carrying two bottles, Mr. Ellison’s face was flushed and his eyes unfocused.

“Dad, I’m taking these two.”

Suer raised the bottles in notification.

Mr. Ellison merely mumbled, waved, and staggered toward the stairs. Mrs. Ellison followed close behind, worried that her husband might tumble back down.

“Bwother!”

Angel ran over with two little braids bouncing behind her.

“Angel finished dinner.”

“Where are my presents? Presents!”

Her face shone with anticipation.

“I’ll get them now, little angel.”

Suer set down the bottles and affectionately tugged her two skyward braids.

When Mrs. Ellison returned downstairs, she found Angel giggling on the sofa. Her ears had become pointed and her face was covered in white fur.

Opposite her sat Suer, who was in no better condition. His ears had expanded into great fans, and his nose stretched forward like an elephant’s trunk.

“You bought your sister more of these peculiar things. Mr. Granger said that if Angel wants good teeth when she grows up, she must stop eating so much sugar.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Mum.”

Grinning wickedly, Suer pushed a soft sweet into Mrs. Ellison’s mouth.

Hm.

It was rather sweet.

Mrs. Ellison chewed instinctively, then felt an itch spread across her face.

“Hee, hee, hee! Mummy!” Angel’s laughter rose to a squeal.

Suer covered his mouth and snorted with laughter.

“Oh. I’ve become a cat, haven’t I?”

Mrs. Ellison saw her reflection in the television screen.

Suer tossed another sweet into his mouth and became a bird.

Mrs. Ellison laughed as well.

Their laughter travelled through the floor to Mr. Ellison, and the corners of his mouth lifted.

The adult and two children finished an entire bag of Honeydukes’ newest product, Transformation Sweets, before ending the evening’s celebration.

Angel had exhausted herself laughing. Her face was flushed and damp with sweat as she slept peacefully, one small hand gripping Suer’s clothes.

“During the three months you were gone, she asked every day why her brother hadn’t written again.” Affection shone in Mrs. Ellison’s eyes.

Suer brushed the damp hair from the little girl’s face.

“I missed my little angel too. And you and Dad, of course.”

Mrs. Ellison’s smile deepened.

Early the next morning, Hermione and the Grangers drove into the countryside to visit her grandparents. Suer enjoyed several rare days without books or magic.

Wasn’t the finest part of any holiday sleeping until one woke naturally?

But there would be no lie-in on Christmas Eve.

Before Hermione left for her grandparents’ home, she and Suer had agreed to visit Diagon Alley that day.

Hermione intended to purchase all her Christmas presents at once.

Plans, however, rarely survived reality.

Mr. Granger was called to an emergency early that morning–though Suer had difficulty imagining what counted as a dental emergency.

Mr. Ellison left for the company at dawn as well.

The result was simple: there was no car to take the two children to Diagon Alley.

…

“Don’t worry. I know what to do.”

Under Hermione’s puzzled gaze, Suer led her along Lily Street, turned through several intersections, and stopped at a crossroads.

He searched one pocket, drew his wand, and raised it above his head.

“Have you forgotten? We can’t cast spells outside school!” Hermione rushed toward him.

“It’s fine. I’m summoning transport.”

Suer held off Hermione’s attacking mass of hair with one hand while keeping his wand firmly upright with the other.

“Just wait.”

The instant he finished, a deafening bang erupted.

A violently purple, triple-decker bus came bounding from the end of the street and appeared before them.

Hermione jumped. The sound was considerably louder than the shotgun on her grandfather’s farm.

“The Knight Bus?” She read the purple lettering across the windscreen.

It was a bus of a style last common in the 1960s. At Hagrid’s hut, Suer had heard part of its history.

According to the story, when the wizarding world decided to acquire it, the Ministry cast Memory Charms on everyone at an entire bus depot, forcing them to forget that they had ever owned such a vehicle.

The Hogwarts Express and its railway tracks had reportedly been “borrowed” from Muggle society in much the same way.

Hiss.

The bus’s only door opened.

“Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards. Simply hold out your wand when you need us, and we’ll come at once.”

A man wearing his uniform cap at an angle leaned in the doorway.

“My name is Stan Shunpike, and I’ll be your conductor.”

He offered what he believed was a handsome smile, though his enormous protruding ears and several spots did not support the impression.

“Hello, Mr. Shunpike.” Suer stepped forward.

“Oh! Hello, young wizards.”

Only then did Stan look down and notice Suer and Hermione. He immediately jumped from the bus; its first step was rather high.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Diagon Alley, sir,” Suer answered.

“Certainly. Climb aboard, young wizard–and you too, beautiful young witch.” Stan moved aside. “Incidentally, we can take passengers anywhere on land for eleven Sickles.”

Suer counted out five Sickles and one gold Galleon and handed them to the conductor.

“That is for both of us.”

“Excellent. Climb aboard, and we’ll leave at once!”

Stan accepted the money and tossed it lightly. He blew on the Galleon, held it to his ear, then put everything into the small bag hanging across his chest.

Apparently that was how wizarding money was tested for authenticity.

Stan suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, nearly forgot. For another three Sickles, you can have a bar of chocolate. Four will buy you a cup and a toothbrush.”

“But I don’t suppose you need those, do you? Pay no attention. It’s only procedure.”

Stan grinned, revealing teeth that were uneven but extremely white.

Hermione stared at them instinctively.

“No, thank you. We don’t need anything,” Suer said politely.

He took Hermione’s hand and stepped onto the bus.

The interior was much larger than it appeared from outside. The compartment was reasonably spacious, with chairs scattered haphazardly around it.

“You can sit here.”

Stan boarded last, and the door closed automatically behind him.

He pointed Suer and Hermione toward empty seats in front of a hooded wizard. Then he turned and shouted,

“Diagon Alley!”

After a moment’s thought, he added,

“Take it slowly. We’ve got two children aboard.”

Hermione looked around with curiosity the moment she sat.

“First time on the Knight Bus?” The wizard behind them offered a quiet, friendly warning. “You’d better hold the armrests. The first journey can be rather unpleasant.”

Before Suer or Hermione could answer, the entire bus leapt into the air and vanished with an enormous bang.

A plump boy witnessed everything.

The stick in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter. He turned and ran.

“Mum! Mum! A purple bus jumped into the air and disappeared!”