The Knight Bus
chapter three of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
On the run from the Dursleys, Harry is picked up by the Knight Bus, and after a wild ride, is dropped off at the Leaky Cauldron – where the Minister for Magic is waiting for him. Cornelius Fudge declines to punish Harry, though, and tired and confused, Harry passes out for the night.
He had sensed rather than heard it: someone or something was standing in the narrow gap between the garage and the fence behind him.
(by Tealin Raintree)
The Knight Bus kept mounting the pavement, but it didn’t hit anything; lines of lampposts, mailboxes, and trash cans jumped out of its way as it approached and back into position once it had passed.
(by Ditraveler)
Harry looked into the shadowed eyes of Sirius Black, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive.
(by pojypojy)
Harry felt a bucketful of ice cascade into his stomach – he had walked right into Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself.
(by Edgar Torné)
about the chapter
It’s always bothered me that every place the Knight Bus visits seems to begin with the letter A. Abergavenny, Anglesea, Aberdeen. And what do they talk about while Harry’s riding the bus? Azkaban. The bus isn’t moving alphabetically – it doesn’t go to those towns in alphabetical order, plus that wouldn’t make much sense anyway – so why would this be the case? Maybe it’s just a strange coincidence, or maybe Rowling is trying to slip something in there that I’ve never caught. But I’d love an explanation. ;)
Something You May Not Have Noticed
I keep thinking about the fact that mailboxes, streetlights, farmhouses, and so forth jump out of the way of the Knight Bus as it approaches – yet it very nearly ran over Harry when he unwittingly hailed it. I kind of wish he hadn’t had time to get out of the way, just to see if he magically jumped out of the Knight Bus’s way as well. Surely the bus’s magic applies to people too, right?
The Wizarding World
If Stan Shunpike is only eighteen or nineteen at most, as Harry guesses, then he would have been sixteen or seventeen when Harry started Hogwarts – and thus a student at Hogwarts along with Harry. But if that were the case, surely Stan would recognize Harry, the school’s most famous student? Perhaps Stan left after his O.W.L.s, or Harry’s estimate of his age is off by a year or two.
The Boy Who Lived
When Harry runs into Cornelius Fudge, it becomes clear in an instant that his protection is one of the Ministry’s top, top priorities, no matter the circumstances. Between Fudge and Dumbledore, Harry has only just begun to get an inkling of how seriously they take his safety, and of the type of surveillance he’s probably been under ever since the night he was dumped on the Dursleys’ doorstep.
Something to Remember
Harry tells Fudge that he was warned about using magic because a house-elf performed magic in his house. Fudge doesn’t seem to register what he says (surely he’d react somehow, as a house-elf at Privet Drive makes no sense at all), but Harry has no idea that a few years from now he’ll wish he’d done more to clear up that misunderstanding when he had the chance.
Regarding Stan Shunpike, I think he just never bothered to attend Hogwarts. Attendance doesn’t become mandatory until DH and Stan could’ve been homeschooled – I’m guessing he doesn’t need that much magical prowess to conduct the Knight Bus.
hpboy13 said this on June 3, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Since Stan´s age was given as 21, as he was arrested in Harry´s 6th, he must have been actually 18, as Harry had summuned the Knight bus.
Marco said this on August 9, 2009 at 12:21 pm
It is also possible that Stan was just not very magical? After all, Neville states in CS that his family was afraid he might not be magical enough to attend Hogwarts. Maybe it is possible to have a very low level of magic, not quite a squib, but not fully wizard?
Pam said this on August 12, 2009 at 9:39 am
At least Stan was able to handle a broomstick, as he did at The Battle of the 7 Potters.
Marco said this on August 13, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Stan doesn’t seem like the sort who’d do too well academically. Perhaps he left early without too many qualifications. That’s always been my theory at least. Marcus Flint had to re-do a year, perhaps Stan just left after failing his exams!
Lizzie said this on September 2, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Well! We know for sure, that Stan Shunpike was 21 in autumn 1996, as Harry was 16. So Stan was 16 and should have started his 6th year, as Harry came to Hogwarts in 1991. But we know also for sure, that Harry and Stan have never met at Hogwarts. So Stan must have left Hogwarts after taking his OWL, if he was at Hogwarts at all. But after all, Stan must be a wizard.
Marco said this on September 24, 2009 at 3:06 pm
JKR stated that some wizards like Stan do not attend Hogwarts, but all can. Nevilles family was worried that he was a squib.
Bill said this on October 4, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Great chapter. A lot of things happens. We met the “real” Sirius, and not he one Harry watched on TV… We also met Cornelius, I mean, face to face, actually talking to Harry and not Harry looking at him from his cloak or anything… And Harry is free! That’s great.
Paula said this on October 27, 2009 at 9:30 am
I was always confused by part of this- Stan and Ernie were calling the dementors “Azkaban guards” instead of naming them outright. Whenever I’d re-read it, I’d try to wonder why. But I just realized- they don’t sound like the most intelligent people in the world, do they? So they might not even know the name for the dementors, they just know they guard Azkaban.
Erica said this on February 28, 2010 at 4:12 am
Erica,
Mr. Weasley doesn’t name the Azkaban guards in the next chapter either. It’s JKR’s way of not throwing too much at the reader right off the bat.
David said this on March 1, 2010 at 7:09 am
I have a question. Did anyone hate this chapter? ‘Cause I know I really did. Harry’s thinking all the way through was really annoying to me.
Phoebe said this on June 2, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Hmm, Phoebe. I kind of don’t like it either. For me, it’s something about the Bus. It just annoys me. Maybe because Ern and Stan are sooooo bad at running it. Though, as far as we know, everyone arrives safely at their destinations. Whatever. It bugs me. A lot. =)
Laura said this on July 8, 2010 at 4:34 pm