Chapter 413: Taking the Bus to School (Edited)

Tom scratched his head. "Why did it take you so long?"

Hermione looked at him in disbelief: girls don't take the same amount of time to get ready as you guys do!

She took two steps closer to Tom and twirled around quickly. "How about this outfit?"

Her shoe heels clicked against the floor, making a crisp sound. The hem of her wizarding robe fluttered like a blooming flower.

"It looks good, but what's the difference from your usual look?" Tom examined the beautiful young woman in front of him and felt that Hermione looked slightly different, but he couldn't describe what made the difference.

"I won't tell you," Hermione said with satisfaction. She realized that Tom had noticed the change in her, which made her happy.

While waiting, Tom also put on his Hogwarts robe, washed his face, sprayed some cologne. When Hermione came out, they took a taxi together to Hacker's house.

Exactly at nine o'clock, Tom rang Hacker's doorbell and met the Prime Minister.

Hacker had also dressed in his best suit and tie, which he only wore when meeting with the Prime Minister. His hair was neatly combed with gel, not a hair out of place, and his shoes were polished and shiny. He had a radiant glow on his face.

"It's time to go, Mr. Hacker," Tom politely greeted Hacker and Annie, and then walked downstairs with Hacker.

"Did you drink the potion that came in the envelope?" Tom recalled something and asked Hacker.

Hacker hesitated for a moment. "Well... not yet because I don't know how long it will last, and I don't want to take it too early and waste time."

Hacker expressed it gently. Deep down, it was his inability to fully trust the wizards. He needed to know why he had to drink that potion.

Tom and Hermione immediately understood Hacker's true meaning.

"That potion is very important because it will help you become immune to Hogwarts' magical defenses," Tom patiently explained to Hacker.

"Magical defenses..." Some images flashed through Hacker's mind: walking down a hallway and suits of armor coming to life to attack him with swords; suddenly, a fire-breathing dragon falling from the sky and turning him into ashes. After drinking the potion, his body would be surrounded by a protective bubble to help him overcome dangers.

"The grounds of Hogwarts are protected by a Muggle Repelling Charm. When Muggles enter that area, they only see a barren field and suddenly feel an urge to leave quickly," Hermione explained what the Muggle Repelling Charm was.

"This potion will help you avoid the interference of the Muggle Repelling Charm and allow you to see and hear things that Muggles can't perceive."

"I see," said Hacker, thinking that the explanation also made sense. The fact that the magical world has not yet been discovered means they really have their methods. This Muggle Repelling Charm must be an important piece.

Hacker took a small vial from his pocket and uncorked it, drinking all the contents in one gulp. He grimaced, and surprisingly, the taste wasn't as bad as he expected.

"So, how are we going to get to Hogwarts?" Hacker asked excitedly.

"By bus," Tom replied.

Hacker: ???

Hacker began to doubt if his ears were playing tricks on him. What does a bus have to do with magic?

Seeing that Hacker didn't show clear opposition, Tom decided on the method of travel to Hogwarts.

To get to Hogwarts from London, there are six options: The Portkey, the Floo Network, Apparition, Broomsticks, the Knight Bus, and the Hogwarts Express.

Of all of them, the train journey is the most reliable method, but the problem is that there are no trains running at this time. Trains only operate when the holidays are about to end. As for Apparition, Tom still couldn't Apparate with another person. Broomsticks and the Portkey were not viable options either: one is too conspicuous, and the other hasn't been set up in advance.

In the end, only two options remained. Tom thought carefully and decided to use the Knight Bus. The Floo Network was too unreliable, and if Hark mentioned the wrong location, it would be a problem.

The bus was a safe choice, as they could travel together for the entire journey, and there would be few witnesses.

Tom extended his wand.

At that moment, Hacker witnessed an astonishing scene: a triple-decker bus emerged out of thin air, abruptly appearing on the street corner and hurtling towards them. Finally, it screeched to a halt in front of them, coming to a stop just a few meters away.

Hacker could even feel the wind the vehicle generated as it approached rapidly. After the bus stopped, he felt a cold sweat on his back.

"Merry Christmas! Welcome to the Knight Bus, an emergency transport service for witches and wizards in distress. If you extend your wand and hop on the bus, we'll take you wherever you want to go. I'm Stan Shunpike, your conductor. Where are you headed?" Stan Shunpike stepped off the bus and looked at Tom and the other two.

"To Hogsmeade," Tom replied, gesturing for Hermione and Hacker to board the bus.

"It's ten Sickles per person," Stan said, "But if you pay thirteen, you can get—"

"The regular ticket is fine," Tom interrupted, shaking his head and cutting off Shunpike's speech, making it clear they didn't need any additional services. He pulled out his wallet, paid for the tickets, and led Hermione and Hacker through the bunks to find a corner to sit.

Once settled, Hacker looked around the bus. All he could see were beds with brass pillars. Each bed had a welded stand beside it with unlit candles.

Even though it was daytime, and the light on the bus was decent, there were hardly any people on board. They were probably on the second and third floors, Hacker thought.

At that moment, accompanied by the roar of the engine, the Knight Bus shot forward, and Hacker was thrown onto the bed without realizing it. He struggled to sit up and looked out the window, realizing they were now on an unfamiliar street.

The Knight Bus was moving at great speed. However, it seemed the driver wasn't very skillful, as the bus constantly bumped into curbs, although there were no traffic accidents: street lamps, mailboxes, and trash containers jumped to avoid the bus when it approached, and then returned to their original position once it had passed.

"Do ordinary citizens not see this kind of thing?" Hacker asked.

"They can't see it; the bus is enchanted," Tom replied, shifting in the bed and lying down in a comfortable position.