Elysian Potter: The Forgotten Queen

Chapter Twenty: The Knight Bus.

"It looks like an illegal betrothal contract," said Elysian, her innocent expression being played for all it was worth.

"How is it illegal?" hissed James. "You signed it!"

"With my right hand."

That enraged Lily on a level she hadn't been on in a while.

"WHY WOULD YOU SIGN IT WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND? IT'S A LEGAL DOCUMENT!"

Elysian was perfectly calm and didn't even glance when she heard the familiar pop of Tiana dropping off both her trunks at the door. Ares was hissing and growling from his place beside her but again, she didn't even look in their direction.

"Because I knew it was a betrothal contract that I don't want to be entered in and I also knew that I wouldn't be able to get this fact through your thick skulls if I didn't pull a stunt like this."

"Why?" said Lily suddenly very calm. "Why wouldn't you want a betrothal contract? It's for the good of the family!"

"Because I am not apart of this family," said Elysian. "You've made that abundantly clear with your inability to remember my name, the constant neglect, the attempts at illegally coercing me into marrying a family of blood traitors. Oh, and let's not forget the diadem incident."

Both Lily and James went very pale.

"Now," continued Elysian, "I'm going to go to the Leaky Cauldron for a few days. If you try something like this again I will press charges."

James exploded.

"IF YOU WALK OUT OF THIS HOUSE NOW YOU CAN CONSIDER YOURSELF DISOWNED!"

"How could you disown me? You don't even remember my name. Besides, you barely have the magic left to perform the ritual. Ta ta now."

With that, Elysian grabbed her trunks, with Ares following behind her, and left out of the front doors. Tiana was waiting for her just outside and was quick to pop her to the nearest road before the young house-elf was forced to return to Potter Manor.

The road was dark and Elysian found it very hard to see. She was left all alone in the middle of nowhere with two trunks that were too heavy for her to lift on her own. Taking her wand from her holster, Elysian held it up in the hair and said: "Lumos."

She looked around and inhaled sharply when she spotted, quite distinctly, the hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes.

Suddenly there was a massive BANG! Elysian threw her arms up, her wand light disappearing, and covered her eyes as best as she could.

A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights had screeched to a halt right in front of Elysian. They belonged, as Elysian saw when she lowered her hands, to a triple-decker, violently purple bus, which appeared out of thin air. Gold lettering over the windshield spelled The Knight Bus.

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 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 evening."

"Anywhere?" asked Elysian, slipped her wand back into its holster.

"Yep," said Stan proudly, "anywhere you like, long's it's on land. Can't do nuffink underwater."

"How much to get to London?"

"Eleven Sickles," said Stan, "but for firteen you get 'ot chocolate, and for fifteen you get an 'ot-water bottle an' a toofbrush in the colour of your choice."

Elysian nodded and pulled out the money from her trunk as Ares curled up in his car crate. Stan happily accepted the money and quickly, and rather gently, put all of her luggage on the bus before helping her own.

There were no seats; instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads stood beside curtained windows. Candles were burning in brackets beside each bed, illuminating the wood-panelled walls.

"You 'ave this one," Stan whispered, shoving Elysian's trunks under the nearest empty bed.

Stan returned to the driver's area and Elysian spotted a Daily Prophet on the bed next to hers. She grabbed it and was shocked to see a very familiar face on the front cover.

BLACK STILL AT LARGE

Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.

"We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."

Fudge has been criticised by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.

Elysian didn't dare read on. She knew her uncle wasn't dangerous and knew that this entire story was full of lies. She was honestly glad that he escaped. He never should have gone to Azkaban in the first place as it was Peter Pettigrew that killed those twelve muggles and even if he had killed Peter, it would have been justice for ratting the Potters out to Tom.

"Where we off to?" called Stan.

"Diagon Alley."

Stan nodded and soon they were zooming off. They landed just outside the Leaking Cauldron and Stan helped Elysian get her trunks inside before Tom, the barman, took over and shuffled everything up to her room, which Tiana had paid for in advance.

Elysian slipped into her room, releasing Ares from the crate, and fell back on the bed.

"Well... at least I'm not at the manor anymore."