NOVEL WEB Chapter 7: Chapter 7
[Chapter Size: 1800 Words.]
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Anduran Cherbis' eyes fell on Harry's forehead, where his thick fringe covered the skin, revealing nothing. Then his gaze moved to Harry's face, and suddenly, he hesitated.
However, Hagrid wore a smug expression and said in an elated tone, "I was entrusted by Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall to take young Harry to get ready for school."
"Is it true?!" Anduran exclaimed, grabbing Harry's hand in an enthusiastic shake, almost yanking him forward.
"What an honor! What an honor to meet you, Harry, ah, I mean, Mr. Potter! What an absolute honor!"
His voice was so loud that it drew the attention of the other passengers in the vehicle.
"Potter? Which Potter? Harry Potter?" some of the passengers shouted, while others even leaned halfway out of the bus windows. Most of the people on the bus were dressed rather strangely, but considering they were likely wizards, Harry figured it might just be a wizarding fashion trend.
"Of course! Who else would it be? Mr. Potter himself! Damn it, you lot are incredibly lucky to see Mr. Potter in person, just like me!" Anduran bellowed.
Then something happened that Harry couldn't quite comprehend. The few passengers and even the bus driver all stepped off. Though they had looked somewhat skeptical when they first saw him, after Hagrid confirmed his identity, their expressions shifted to surprise.
Then, something even more unexpected occurred. These peculiar individuals actually formed a line, each one eagerly waiting to shake his hand, their faces alight with joy and excitement. One person even tried to shake Harry's hand twice by sneaking back to the end of the line, but Hagrid caught him.
"Alright, alright! Our Harry needs to get to the Leaky Cauldron. It's getting late, and he needs a good night's rest!" Hagrid announced.
"Of course, of course!" the passengers agreed, nodding repeatedly.
"Please, step onto the bus. We have both seats and beds! Feel free to sit anywhere you like, Mr. Potter!" Anduran said excitedly, pulling Harry onto the bus and guiding him to a seat. He beamed. "I'll cover your fare. Please don't worry about it, it's an honor!"
"And what about me, Anduran?" Hagrid asked with a grin.
"Eleven Sickles!" Anduran replied, turning his head with a serious expression, shifting from generosity to sternness faster than flipping the pages of a book.
"We've known each other for nearly ten years!" Hagrid protested.
"Yes, exactly! So, eleven Sickles. But I'll give you a cup of hot tea for free!" Then, he turned back to Harry with a flattering smile. "Mr. Potter, what would you like to drink? Milk? Hot chocolate? We also have regular chocolate, of course. Everything is free for you!"
Hagrid grumbled but still dug into his pocket, pulling out a handful of silver coins and dropping them into Anduran's hands. He then sat beside Harry, muttering something that sounded a lot like "stingy git."
Harry was still dazed. The last four or five minutes, from the moment Anduran had shaken his hand up until now, were completely bewildering. Why do all these strange people seem to know who he was?
But before Harry could ask Hagrid for an explanation, the bus suddenly lurched forward.
"Bloody hell!" Harry cursed involuntarily.
With a sharp whistle, he was thrown back against his seat.
The Knight Bus was unbelievably fast! The overwhelming force pinned him to the seat, and the scenery outside the window blurred into streaks of light and shadow. Even when he'd ridden in his classmate's dad's sports car, he'd never felt anything like this.
"Oh, Harry, I'm sorry! I forgot to warn you, it's your first time, after all," Hagrid said apologetically. "When the bus is in motion, you need to press your back against the seat and hold onto the armrests. But don't worry, it won't matter after a while."
Hearing this, Harry quickly grabbed the horizontal handrail in front of him. Instantly, the overwhelming pressure on his back disappeared.
"Magic!" he gasped in amazement.
Although he was already familiar with a few minor spells, mostly mental enhancements like sensing emotions, improving memory, or inducing excitement or trance, this was something entirely different.
Still, meditation had made Harry feel healthier, and his memory and reflexes had improved significantly.
As for more advanced magic, the elemental spells in his mind had been largely ineffective due to his limited magical power and the scarcity of magical elements. For example, the Fire Dragon Technique was supposed to summon a massive flaming dragon, but in reality, it could barely light a cigarette.
That's why, in Harry's opinion, this enormous, high-speed bus was far more magical.
"Uh… yeah," Hagrid chuckled. "Just a little bit of magic!"
"A little bit?" Harry smacked his lips, growing even more intrigued by the magical world unfolding before him.
In Britain, wizarding culture was well-known to the general public. After all, Merlin, the legendary figure said to have aided King Arthur, was a wizard. But who had ever actually witnessed real magic?
Harry felt incredibly lucky. Although he had some magical knowledge, it was disorganized and lacked structure—nothing more than a collection of minor tricks. But now, he was about to become a real wizard.
"Will I finally be able to use my magic properly once I learn wizardry the right way?" thought Harry.
Inside the bus, nearly everyone was either openly or covertly staring at Harry, as if they'd suffer some great misfortune if they didn't take one last look at him.
At first, he didn't notice, but since the scenery outside was a blur and he had no choice but to look around the bus, he soon became aware of the stares. The realization made him uncomfortable.
Sure, he had been stared at by girls in school before, and when he was younger, boys had also been curious about him. But now? Now, it was all old men.
Luckily, the ride didn't last long.
"Leaky Cauldron, London!" Anduran called out. This was Harry's destination.
Harry and Hagrid were the first to step off the bus.
Many of the bus passengers were actually supposed to reach their destinations earlier. However, nearly all of them were willing to pay extra just to ensure that Harry was dropped off first, allowing them to spend a little more time in his presence, even if they never exchanged a single word with him.
With so many eyes on him, Harry didn't say much, though he had plenty of questions he wanted to ask Hagrid.
When he finally stepped off the bus, he had to go through another round of handshakes and goodbyes with the passengers. He was fairly certain he had never shaken this many hands in his entire life as he had in just one night.
"Why are they like this? I mean, why do they all seem so..." Harry trailed off, struggling to find the right words to describe the odd behavior of the wizards.
"Overly enthusiastic?" Hagrid seemed to understand what Harry was getting at and chuckled. "Harry, you don't realize it, but in the wizarding world, you're incredibly famous, a proper celebrity!"
"Me? A celebrity? Why?" Harry asked, completely baffled.
Sure, back at school, he had been somewhat well-known at first because of the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Later, his good looks had made him popular among both girls and, occasionally, boys. But that was a far cry from actual celebrity status.
Of course, Harry was still well-known at school, mostly because his appearance had fooled plenty of people. However, compared to real celebrities, like famous athletes or top students, there was still a huge gap.
"It's a bit complicated," Hagrid admitted, rubbing his chin. He seemed to realize that it wasn't easy to explain, so he shook his head.
"Let's not worry about that now. We've got plenty of time tomorrow. I'll think carefully about how to explain it to you then." He then gestured to a nearby building. "For now, this is the Leaky Cauldron, one of the most well-known places in the wizarding world. It's the oldest pub in the British magical community."
It was only then that Harry took a proper look at where they had arrived.
Had no one told him otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to guess that this was actually London.
The narrow alley was lined with small shops on both sides, a stark contrast to the towering skyscrapers of the global financial hub he had always imagined London to be.
And according to Hagrid, the Leaky Cauldron, the most ancient and prestigious inn in the wizarding world, was barely noticeable, even in this humble alley!
It was wedged between a massive bookstore and a record shop, with nothing more than a small, battered wooden door marking its presence. Harry had no doubt that even in broad daylight, if a hundred people walked past, not a single one would give it a second glance.
Before he could comment, however, he was pushed inside by Hagrid. The half-giant hadn't used much force, but his sheer size gave him an overwhelming strength, and Harry had no choice but to stumble forward.
If it weren't for how absurdly magical the bus ride had been, Harry might have seriously started suspecting that Hagrid was some sort of human trafficker, judging by the way he handled things.
Of course, Hagrid wasn't a trafficker, but the Leaky Cauldron's interior was far from the grand, famous establishment Harry had expected.
It was dimly lit, dusty, and rundown. The tables, chairs, and benches looked ancient, as if they had been in use for centuries. Despite the late hour, a few oddly dressed individuals sat at the bar, drinking and chatting.
Well, calling someone "oddly dressed" was relative. To an ordinary person, these people would seem bizarre. But if they were all wizards, then long cloaks and pointed hats made complete sense!
With a single loud statement, Hagrid once again revealed Harry's identity, and immediately, another round of handshakes began, just like on the Knight Bus. Neither he nor Harry were allowed to rest until Hagrid finally declared that Harry had important things to do in the morning.
"You need to tell me what's happening tomorrow!" Harry insisted as Hagrid bid him goodnight at the door to his room.
"Of course!" Hagrid agreed easily.
Still buzzing with excitement, Harry tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.
Yet, despite going to bed late, he woke up early the next morning.
His first instinct was to knock on Hagrid's door next door, but just as he raised his fist, there was a loud BANG beside him.
A short figure had suddenly appeared right next to him.
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