Mon Cher (Severus Snape Daughter FF)

Ch. 3 // POA

Harry and Clara were several streets away before Harry collapsed onto a low wall in Magnolia Crescent, panting from the effort of dragging his trunk. Clara could tell he was still angry and probably didn't want to talk, so she sat down next to him.

After ten minutes alone in the dark street, Harry finally said something. "This is the worst day of my life," he said.
Clara patted Harry's back. "Oh c'mon," she said. "It's not that bad."
"Not that bad?!" Harry yelled. "Clara, we're stranded in the Muggle world, with absolutely nowhere to go, and I just did some serious magic, which means that I am almost certainly expelled from Hogwarts! How is this 'not that bad'?"

"Stop freaking out," Clara said as she looked up and down Magnolia Crescent. "that won't get us anywhere."

"What's going to happen to me?" Harry said in a panic, ignoring Clara. "I'm going to be arrested, or simply be outlawed from the wizarding world. I'm sure Ron and Hermione would want to help, but they're abroad, and Hedwig is gone, so I can't contact them!" he checked his pockets. "I don't have any money either and..."

Harry looked down at Clara's wand, which he was still clutching in his hand. He stood up.
"If I'm already expelled," he said, his heart thumping loudly. "a bit more magic couldn't hurt."
"Harry, what are you talking about?" Clara asked furiously as she stood up. "We're going to be okay! You better not use my wand! Are you even listening to me?"

"Clara, just think!" Harry looked at her wildly. "What if I bewitched my trunk to make it feather-light, tied it to my broomstick, covered you and I in the Cloak and flew to London? Then I could get the rest of my money out of my vault and you can get some money out of yours and... we begin our lives as outcasts."

Clara stared at him in disbelief. "Harry...I think you need to sit down and think about this rationally." she held out her hand. "Give me my wand." Harry slowly dropped Clara's wand in her hand. Upon doing so, Harry felt a funny prickling on the back of his neck had made him feel like they were being watched, but the street appeared to be deserted, and no lights shone from any of the large square houses.
"What's wrong?" Clara asked.
"I-" Harry trailed off. "...nothing."
As soon as Harry stopped talking, he sensed someone or something standing in the narrow gap between the garage and the fence behind them.
Clara clutched her wand and held it over her head. "Lumos," she muttered, and a light appeared at the end of her wand.
Harry then saw, quite distinctly, the hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes.

Harry stepped backwards as he grabbed Clara's arm. Both sets of legs hit Harry's trunk and they tripped. Clara lifted herself off the ground to keep from falling, but unfortunately for Harry, he flung out an arm to break his fall, and he landed, hard, in the gutter.

There was a deafening BANG and Harry and Clara threw their hands up to shield their eyes against a sudden blinding light ...

A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights had screeched to a halt exactly where Harry had just been lying before he rolled out of the way.
Clara smiled wide as she raised her head to look at the triple-decker, violently purple bus, which had appeared out of thin air. Gold lettering over the windscreen spelled The Knight Bus. She knew everything was going to be okay.

Then a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly to the night.

"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 eve  —  "

The conductor stopped abruptly.
He had just caught sight of Harry, who was still sitting on the ground.
Harry scrambled to his feet.

"What were you doin' down there?" said Stan, dropping his professional manner.