Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 271: The Knight Bus

The vault was filled with glittering gold, and even the fairies couldn't resist indulging in it.

This is the wealth that a top alchemist should have accumulated, although the young wizard was completely unaware of it.

Professor Snape stared intently at Sheehan. He remembered that he had arrived here not long ago, when the empty vault contained only the Galleons he had just brought.

"Give me a... reasonable explanation."

He uttered a few words.

The fairy had already retreated to the side on her own.

In principle, fairies will not allow the vault to be out of their sight for an extended period of time, but they cannot always adhere to this principle.

"I...made some simple alchemical creations..."

Sheen told the truth.

"Ha, clumsy..."

Professor Snape's lips curled into a sneer, about to utter a sarcastic remark, but he stopped himself again.
"Gallons won't fly to the vault just because of some simple alchemical creation and tell me... the truth—"

His face was grim, and his cold gaze swept over every corner of the underground vault.

Of course, there were only some Galleons here... a large number, but not enough to warrant Severus Snape's attention.

What he truly cares about is only...

"I opened a shop at 93 Corner Alley with Fred and George."

Sheen answered.

Severus Snape was slightly surprised, but his expression remained unchanged, as if he were lost in thought.

"Then... I sold some notes."

Sheen held the vault storage details the fairy had given him when she left, and continued.

He himself was somewhat surprised that the sales revenue of the Green Notebook was also quite substantial.

Snape looked at Sheehan, his gaze becoming even more complicated.

Hundreds of miles beneath London, the occasional hum of cars speeding along tracks could be heard. Severus Snape seemed to be staring at the wizard before him, or perhaps piercing through him, gazing into the distant void.

The Grimm Notebook, Weasley and Grimm's Wizarding Tricks... How interesting! They've been making headlines in the wizarding world lately, yet he knows nothing about them... or rather, he's heard of them but never paid any attention.

"However, these are not the most important things."

Sheen's next words snapped Professor Snape out of his reverie, and veins bulged on his forehead.

"What else are you hiding from me?!"

Sheehan inexplicably felt that Professor Snape's aura was much stronger than usual this time, and his voice became slightly softer:
"I made some simple alchemical creations."

Compared to the vast and profound future of Fantastic Beasts' transformations, Sheen didn't feel he had come very far, which is why he always believed he had only made some simple creations.

"explain--!"

"Fairy Tale Cookies".

Snape remained silent.

A multitude of conflicting thoughts swirled in his mind—

Hermes, hailed as the Triple Great, is a candidate for the greatest wizard of the 21st century, as recognized by the Chocolate Frog Card Committee...

Gold Medal for Pioneering Contribution at the Udala International Alchemy Congress; Invited Guest of Today's Transfiguration Century (not interviewed); Alchemy Legend of Seizing Power over Magical Creatures.

He took an invitation out of his bag, his expression constantly changing, until finally it resembled a volcano waiting to erupt.

"Take your Galonnaise—let's go—"

Snape turned and left the vault.

Footsteps echoed. Only the chilly wind from the underground vault accompanied his pounding heartbeat.

He felt more agitated than ever before. He knew nothing at all. So what did he eventually learn?

This agitation persisted and did not lessen at all until Sheen emerged from the vault.

Soon, their figures disappeared outside Gringotts and appeared not far from King's Cross Station.

Apparition allows wizards to travel to places they are familiar with, but Severus Snape was not familiar with a place called Croydon.

Therefore, they can only travel there via special transportation.

The thought that Minerva McGonagall might know about this place further amplified his anxiety.

Trains rumbled incessantly at King's Cross Station, and crowds hurried in and out of the station. Two figures draped in long robes always piqued the curiosity of the lightly dressed passersby.

They had been there for more than ten minutes, during which Snape hadn't said a word, and Sheehan hadn't asked anything either.

It was precisely this attitude that made Snape feel a deeper, indescribable, complex emotion.

This fool always placed unwitting trust in him. It was as if he were facing his questions in the vault, without a single concealment or lie.

This feeling of having appeared and then disappeared made him extremely uneasy. His thoughts were like a lake being inexplicably stirred, unable to calm down and unable to find the real reason.

Suddenly, a bright light shone from the street next to the station.

Sheen's suspicions were confirmed.

Wizards originally had many modes of transportation to choose from in the Muggle world, but after the enactment of the Law of Secrets, their various ways of traveling were restricted.

When traveling to unfamiliar places, or when young wizards go on trips, they often choose a special mode of transportation: the Knight Bus.

This is a bright purple three-decker bus. It seems to have appeared out of nowhere, with "Knight Bus" written in gold letters on the windshield.

However, what's puzzling is that, apart from the two people, one big and one small, wearing long robes, it seems that no one else around saw the car.

At that moment, a ticket seller in a purple uniform jumped off the bus and started talking loudly to the two of them.

"Welcome aboard the Knight Bus—an emergency transport for wizards in distress. Simply extend your wand-holding hand and hop on; we'll take you wherever you wish. My name is Stan Sampark, and today I'm your ticket collector—oh—Professor Snape!"

He approached the two with a mixture of respect and fear.

This was Sheen's first time riding the Knight Bus. The last time he saw this bus was at the Alchemy Conference, where the blueprints for the bus were displayed.

"Go to Croydon District."

Professor Snape gave the order in his deep voice.

"Six siscos per person,"

Stan said he cast a curious glance at Sheehan.
"Pay seven and you can get a mint..."

Some shiny things were tossed into his hand, and he happily put a mint in Sheen's hand.

Sheen was still examining the magical car.

The carriage was messy, with all sorts of chairs arranged in a inconsistent manner.

When Sheen received the mints, he was a little confused as to why they were selling them, but he soon found out the reason.

The driver ahead, Ern Pran, was an elderly wizard wearing thick glasses. He nodded to the few passengers, and then the Knight Bus began to "fly close to the ground."

Ernn didn't seem to have a good grasp of how to use the steering wheel. The Knight Bus kept veering onto the sidewalk.
This caused the little witch sitting to Sheen's left to scream incessantly.

Fortunately, nothing was hit; the streetlights, mailboxes, and trash cans all jumped aside automatically as the car drove by, and returned to their original positions after the car passed.

Then the car jumped, making a deafening bang, and the little witch was almost thrown into the air before being grabbed back by the wizard beside her.

After the car finally stabilized for a while, Sheen quietly ate a mint, which provided some relief.

　Thank you for your concern, dear readers. I'm adjusting my mindset and working hard to update.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)