Chapter 35: night Bus
Suddenly, with a sharp crack, a massive purple triple-decker bus emerged from thin air—it looked less like a vehicle and more like a beast charging across the land.
It barreled down the street toward the church, yet every obstacle in its path seemed to come alive, leaping aside just in time.
Gold letters appeared on the windshield: Knight Bus.
The entire bus gleamed in purple, enchanted so that Muggles could neither see, hear, nor touch it. To the non-magical world, it was invisible.
As the bus screeched to a halt, Alexander spotted an elderly wizard behind the wheel, his thick glasses making him resemble an owl. This was surely Ernie Prang, the infamous driver of the Knight Bus—though one wondered how someone who seemed unable to see straight could drive something so massive.
Prang. Of course. The name was likely no coincidence—"prang" was British slang for a car crash.
Alexander studied the magical vehicle with the curious eye of an alchemist. The bus seemed to operate on a system similar to the Book of Access—responding when a wizard in need simply held out their wand by the roadside. Then, the Knight Bus would arrive to pick them up. Elegant and extraordinary.
"After I graduate," Alexander thought, "I'm definitely going to travel the world on one of these."
A young conductor in a purple uniform jumped out of the vehicle and recited in a loud, theatrical voice:
> "Welcome aboard the Knight Bus, emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards! Stick out your wand, step onboard, and we'll take you wherever you want to go. My name's Stan Shunpike, and I'll be your conductor today!"
Stan Shunpike... the same kid who ended up getting arrested just for bragging too much. Poor guy, Alexander mused. He's got such a strong desire to show off, too.
"Sir, taking a ride today?" Stan asked when Alexander remained silent, already sensing he was a wizard.
Alexander simply pointed past him to the small witch stepping off the bus behind Stan.
The conductor scratched his head awkwardly. He looked no older than fourteen or fifteen. Maybe he'd been educated by a private family wizard and came to work early—he didn't quite have the maturity of the adult version Harry Potter once met before his third year.
Still, it was amusing. The same over-the-top introduction Stan gave Harry back then was clearly already a part of his routine.
But today, Alexander's attention shifted to the girl in the lion-headed hat.
Kate.
She wore a fur-textured brown robe that made her look like a small lion walking on two legs. The lion's mouth gaped wide as if in a permanent roar.
"Ta-da! I look cool today, right?" Kate beamed, skipping toward Alexander energetically.
He said nothing but casually took her dragon-skin bag and slipped it into his magically-expanded pocket.
Kate puffed out her cheeks, tugging at her lion's mane in mock frustration.
"Kate... do you realize we're going on a trip?" Alexander rubbed his temples.
"Yeah? Is something wrong?" she asked, blinking innocently.
"You look cool—but not very Muggle-friendly. We'll be near Muggle areas today, remember?" he replied patiently.
"And why a lion head?"
"Hmph, what's wrong with lions? Ravenclaws don't have to like eagles!" Kate grinned. "Besides, I'm a Muggle expert! I've been to theme parks. You don't know why I asked you to meet here, do you? I wanted to show you the food of Godric's Hollow. My family's from here too."
Changing the subject smoothly, she led Alexander—still in her Halloween-style outfit—toward a small restaurant she'd reserved earlier.
"Food, huh? I'm... cautiously optimistic," Alexander muttered to himself. British food... Merlin help me.
They walked past a few shops until reaching a quaint, non-magical-looking diner. It resembled any other British street café—except for the mix of patrons. Wizards in colorful robes mingled with a few curious Muggles, some of whom wore fake wizard outfits like it was Comic-Con.
The owner, a portly, jolly wizard, greeted Kate like an old friend and ushered them to a private booth.
Kate proudly unveiled lunch: a surf-and-turf platter, plus the restaurant's signature dish—venison-stuffed tripe.
A dark culinary relic of Viking influence, Alexander thought.
Traditionally made with lamb organs, this version replaced lamb with venison. The meat filling included deer liver, lungs, kidney, and blood clots, seasoned with West Indian allspice, stock, and roasted Scottish oats. The beer-bellied wizard claimed only Kate could stomach it, and it had to be slow-cooked for three hours before being stuffed into deer stomach lining and finished off.
It was pungent with spice, rich with texture, and utterly repulsive to Alexander's taste buds.
Appearance? Acceptable. Aroma? Intense. Taste? Horror incarnate, he concluded grimly. Of course, Kate loves it. She's so British.
The surf-and-turf, by contrast, was decent: scallops, black pudding, crispy bacon, and chopped chives, stir-fried together.
After half an hour, they stepped back out onto the cobbled street, full and—at least in Kate's case—content.
"Pretty good venison, huh?" Kate grinned, clearly fishing for praise.
"It's... definitely something," Alexander replied diplomatically, ruffling her lion hat with a faint smile. It really is soft. I'll show her proper Chinese food someday.
"Any other plans for the day?" he asked.
"Nope! Godric's Hollow is a great tourist spot. So many ancient wizarding families buried here. Even Harry Potter was born here!"
"Harry Potter? Then let's head to the Potter home this afternoon," Alexander decided.
--------------------------------+--------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 30 advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at patreon.com/Translatingfanfics