This isn't Jon Hart's first ride on the "Knight Bus" or the first time he's met conductor Stan Sanpark.

Not long ago, he had already met Stan Sanpark when he traveled to Blackpool with officials from the Ministry of Magic to investigate the West Coast hurricane, posing as an employee of the Department of Magical Beasts Management and Control.

Stan Sanpak looked to be in his early twenties, with large fanned ears and a few small pimples on his face...... Jon's impression of the bus conductor was that he was a talkative and active man.

Of course, that was the image Jon remembered, and the bus conductor in front of him seemed relatively silent, even expressionless......

"Are you...... Draco Malfoy?" he said with a slight smug, as if he were talking to himself, as if asking Jon.

"That's right!" Jon looked at him, a confident smile on his face.

The voice in his head told him that disguised himself as Draco Malfoy would bring him good luck on his trip on the "Knight Bus".

......

Astoria Greengrass also glanced at Jon in surprise, and she gave Jon an inquiring look, but said nothing.

"You just said it can go anywhere, didn't you?" Jon asked unhurriedly.

"yes!" Stan Sampak said proudly, "Anywhere you want, anywhere on land...... Of course, you can't go underwater......"

When he said this, there was a little more life in his tone.

"So, how much does it cost to take us to Hogsmeade?" Jon continued.

"One galleon plus six silver sicos," Stan replied without hesitation, "but if you pay one galleon and twelve sicos, you get hot chocolate, and if you pay two galleons, you get a thermos and a toothbrush, whatever you want." ”

Jon pulled two gold gallons out of his pocket and handed them to the other man.

Then, he lifted the suitcase in one hand and Astoria in the other, and the two followed Stan Sanpak and boarded the Knights' bus.

There were no seats in the car, and behind the curtained windows sat six beds with brass posts. Candles are lit on the shelves next to each bed, illuminating the wall with wainscoting.

However, the beds are all empty, and no one seems to be riding the bus at this point.

"You guys rest over there......" Stan said, gesturing to the two beds at the back of the car.

Then he pointed to the driver in an armchair sitting in front of the steering wheel of the car: "This is our old driver, Erne Pullan ......."

Erne-Pooran, an older wizard with thick glasses, turned around and nodded to Jon and Astoria.

"Erne, our two new passengers, heading to Hogsmeade......" Stan continued, though he didn't mention the names of the two new passengers to Erne-Plan.

......

Jon and Astoria were given two different beds.

The beds are separated by a thick curtain, like two different compartments.

Astoria seemed a little relieved, and Jon had already made hot chocolate for her at her bed. Then he smiled and said, "Get some rest, and in a few hours we will be back at Hogwarts...... Don't you miss Hogwarts castles?"

Astoria nodded silently, and despite the confusion on her face, she didn't ask anything.

Having just left Astoria's cubicle, he heard a loud thud, and if Jon hadn't held on to the handrail in time, he almost fell to the ground, and glanced out the window to see the knight's bus, which was moving at a slightly frantic pace.

Erne, the so-called "old driver", does not seem to be proficient in mastering the steering wheel. He said that the bus in his control kept crashing into the sidewalk, even though it couldn't hit anything, and that the rows of lampposts, mailboxes and garbage cans jumped away from the car as it drove by, and when it passed, it returned to its original position.

Jon opened the "curtain" of his compartment, and as he expected, someone was already waiting for him.

Jon glanced at the other party, then asked gently:

"Hi Stan Sampark, do you have anything for me?"

......

"Draco...... Mr. Malfoy ...... "Stan-Sampark, whose eyes were blank, looked at Jon and stammered a little, "I was asked to pass this item to Mrs. Rosmerta at Hogsmeade's Three Broomsticks, and then ask her to pass it on to you......"

Right at Stan Sampark's feet, there was a large box.

"Yes. Jon nodded unhurriedly, "Then you can give it to me now." ”

"Yes...... But......" Stan Sanpak seemed hesitant: "The sir...... She never said it...... Mr. Draco Malfoy, you'll be outside of Hogwarts......"

"Yes......" Jon said with a smile on his face, "It's easy to explain......"

Then he unceremoniously raised his wand and shouted:

"Legilimency!"

......

In an unfamiliar tavern, a wooden-looking Stan Sampak with a confused and empty face......

"Bring this to Lady Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks Bar, and have her pass it on to Draco Malfoy!" a somewhat haughty, somewhat shrill witch's voice sounded in front of him, "This is a gift from the Dark Lord to him!"

Stan Sampak, on the other hand, nodded humbly to the witch as if a slave was treating his master.

The identity of the witch was easily recognizable by her voice and countenance - she was Bellatrix Lestrange.

......

Just as Jon had expected, Stan Sanpark, the conductor on the Knight's Bus, had been caught by the Death Eaters' "Imperius Curse" not long ago.

It seems that his "luck" is really good, he faked the identity of "Draco Malfoy", and in this way successfully got the other party to take the bait. Sure enough, taking the elixir brought him good luck.

It's a pity that Stan Sanpark's memory doesn't give him any other useful information.

Still, it's enough -

Jon smiled and glanced at the chest on the ground, then raised his wand to Stan Sampak again:

"Obliviate!"

As Stan-Sampark's gaze became empty again, Jon carefully tucked the "Dark Lord's Gift" into his suitcase.

......

Two hours later, the knight's bus stopped on the streets of Hogsmeade.

Jon took Astoria's hand and got out of the car.

"How are we going to get into the castle at such a late hour?" Astoria whispered, looking at the empty streets.

"It's okay, I know a secret passage!" Jon said without thinking, "Come with me...... At the Hog's Head Bar!"