Harry didn't really need to do this, and it was likely that it would be for nothing. He was still a ward of the ministry in magical matters, but Petunia getting a letter from Hogwarts showed that the Dursleys weren't entirely separated from him. It was better to visit them three times a year than just accidentally miss an important document that was sent their way. He couldn't risk the ministry looking too deeply into his home life and messing his nice little system up.
Again, Petunia wanted to protest, but Vernon spoke up for her, "It sounds like a small price to pay for peace, boy. Come on, Tuney, we're going home."
"No!" the woman exclaimed, "you're supposed to be Lily's boy, not this thing… You're not supposed to leave. You should stay with us."
"And do what exactly?" Harry protested, "I love magic. I am magic. And no matter how much you would like to have your nephew with you, I know that you hate magic more. I saw it when I took out my wand. I saw your fear, your hatred, your bitterness. Stop being attached to the past, to a sister that you hated, and move on with your life. We're too different to live together without both of us being miserable. Let me go back to my magic and I will let you go back to the normalcy you crave. Goodbye Aunt Petunia, I'll see you in a month."
Harry turned and left his relatives near their car. He didn't look back. The Dursleys were his past, but they were not his future. He wasn't going to tie himself to some script anymore. Staying at the Dursleys would make them all miserable. It was better the rip the bandage now and make boundaries clear than to stay in Privet Drive out of some misguided flimsy blood ties.
Harry took one quick trip to the bathroom, and he took off his clothes after locking himself in a stall. He took out a small vial of potion from his school bag and drank it in one gulp. He suppressed the urge to gag at the taste. Still, Harry's form started to slowly grow until he looked like a man with his familiar messy hair and green eyes.
He had drunk an ageing potion. Harry had stocked up on them over the school year, purchasing one every week or so. He had enough to last him the Summer.
The Potter scion opened his bag and took out the large outfit that he had owl ordered months back, and by the end, he looked like a dashing wizard, with a suitcase. With that done, he went out to the street and waved his wand in the manner described by the book he had read.
There was a deafening BANG, and Harry blinked to shield his eyes from the sudden bright light. When he opened them, he saw that a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt exactly in front of him. They belonged, as Harry saw when he raised his head, to a triple-decker, violently purple bus, which had appeared out of thin air. Gold lettering over the windshield spelt The Knight Bus.
Yeah, it wouldn't be his most preferred method of transportation, but there wasn't a floo in King's Cross, and he didn't have any other choice. He didn't have any muggle money to get a normal cab, so that was his only choice.
Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a conductor in a purple uniform, who leapt out of the bus and started to speak loudly, "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 evening. Where would you like to go?"
Harry tried to look as unfazed as ever, "Diagon Alley, please."
"A short trip, then," Stan remarked, "that would be five sickles for the trip. You could get a chocolate, a bottle of water, and a toothbrush in the colour of your choice if you upgrade for just four sickles more."
Harry shook his head and took out five sickles from his gold pouch, "the standard ticket is fine, thank you."
"You loss," the conductor remarked. He then helped Harry lift his trunk with Hedwig's cage balanced on top, up the steps of the bus.
The man pointed at a seat and said, "This is your seat. Over there is the driver, Ernie Prang. Try not to disturb him if you can," he then yelled at the driver, "Take her away, Ern."
There was another tremendous BANG and the next moment Harry found himself glued to his seat, thrown backwards by the speed of the Knight Bus. Harry stared out of the window and saw that they were now bowling along a completely different street.
And so, the bus kept going and stopping, dropping one passenger after another. Honestly, Harry was starting to get motion sick. The total trip was probably around fifteen minutes, but they felt like hours. Honestly, if he wasn't riding the damn thing, he would have been fascinated by the enchantments used to make this marvellous piece of magic. There had to be some spacial magic and a way to accelerate on a ludicrous level. But alas, he was doing his best not hurl to care about any of it.
He almost cried in relief when Stan started to yell at Harry, "Hey, you. We'll be in Diagon Alley soon. Get ready!"
Finally, Ern slammed on the brakes and the Knight Bus skidded to a halt in front of a small and shabby-looking pub, the Leaky Cauldron, behind which lay the magical entrance to Diagon Alley.
"Thanks," Harry said to the driver.
He jumped down the steps and helped Stan lower his trunk and Hedwig's cage onto the pavement. He then looked at the familiar inn and took a deep breath. Yeah, he had a feeling that this was going to be his favourite summer yet.
.....
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