Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Chapter 3 Summary

Chapter Three:  The Knight Bus

Harry suddenly feels panicked about being in the Muggle world alone, knowing he had just done underage magic and would most likely be expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a result.  Suddenly, Harry sees an ominous, animal-like figure with “wide, gleaming eyes." Harry feels more than just a trifle uneasy at this new omen. As he sticks out his wand to investigate, a bright purple, triple-decker “Knight Bus” pulls up offering “emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard." Inside the bus, there are beds instead of seats that knock about as the Knight Bus speeds about London, unbeknownst to the Muggles. Harry (telling everyone that his name is Neville Longbottom) has a long conversation with the conductor, Stan Shunpike, who talks about Sirius Black who is still at large and who supposedly murdered thirteen people in broad daylight and then laughed about it.  They read a large newspaper article from the wizard paper called The Daily Prophet boasting that Black is still at large. Sirius Black is supposedly in league with the infamous "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" (Lord Voldemort). The bus deposits Harry in Diagon Alley at The Leaky Cauldron pub where Harry meets Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. Fudge tells Harry that it was worse for him to go wandering than for him to do underage magic (which Fudge forgives a bit too quickly, puzzling Harry). Harry tries, without success, to get Fudge to sign his Hogsmeade Permission form before spending the night at The Leaky Cauldron.