welcome to the knight bus. emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. my name is stan shunpike, and i will be your conductor this evening. wha' choo doin' down there?
wha' choo fall over for?
well, come on then. let's not wait for the grass to grow. as stan grabs harry's trunk, harry peers into the shadows across the street -- now simply shadows -- and climbs aboard.
take 'er away, ern.
wot you say your name was again?
whereabouts you headin'? harry hesitates. he hadn't thought about this. decides.
is it now? get that, ern? the leaky cauldron. that's in london. stan grins with sinister delight, showing bad teeth.
naah. haven't had an accident in -- what? -- a week is it, ern?
who is that? that's sirius black, that is. don' tell me you ne'er been hearin' o' sirius black?
a murderer, he is. got 'imself locked up in azkaban for it.
tha's the question, isn't it? he's the firs' that's done it. gives me the collywobbles thinking he's out there, though, i'll tell you that. big supporter of you- know-'oo, black was. reckon you heard o' him. harry nods and, as he does, black's eyes shift. meet harry's.
them! don' listen properly, do they? don' look properly either. never notice nuffink, they don'. just then, a couple walking a dog are engulfed by a rush of wind as the knight bus whooshes past. the couple glances about in bewilderment. the dog yaps madly.