He is even more shameless than Tom Riddle himself.
Despite all his hatred toward Voldemort, Lupin had to admit, even the Dark Lord, after taking favors from others, at least knew how to draw a beautiful picture of what he'd "give back."
But this little wizard in front of him? All he thought about was leeching off others and "rescuing the ancestors of African friends" with their money… Honestly, compared to this, even the Dark Lord might seem like a saint.
"Greengrass House must've been cursed for eight generations to think of investing in you early," Lupin muttered in deep frustration, summarizing a thousand inner thoughts into that one line.
"Can you Apparate to this place? Miss Greengrass's family lives in Wiltshire." Ian pulled out the invitation letter again and double-checked the address written in the attached note.
"Wiltshire… I could Apparate there if I weren't bringing you along," Lupin admitted with a helpless shrug, revealing his magical limitation.
"It's just over a hundred kilometers! Can't you manage even that?" Ian hadn't expected this kind of complication. His black phoenix couldn't take him somewhere he'd never been before either.
Maybe...
He really should find some time to learn Apparition.
"I'm just an ordinary wizard. Do you think everyone's like you monster-types with unlimited magical power?" Lupin rolled his eyes, more exasperated than ever.
Honestly, the fact that he had even managed to learn Apparition was already impressive. Longer distances didn't just require magical precision, they also tested a wizard's overall magical power.
Apparating with someone else was not as simple as adding two burdens together. Only a very small number of powerful wizards could handle long-distance Apparition while bringing another person.
"There is a limit, actually. It's not infinite firepower," Ian seriously corrected Lupin's earlier assumption as he dragged his small suitcase toward the front door again.
The black-robed skeleton had been getting increasingly unruly lately, it had even learned how to open the suitcase from the inside and wander out. Ian didn't feel safe leaving the case behind at the orphanage.
"Oh? From what I've seen of your magic practice, you don't look like someone who ever runs out of steam." Lupin was intrigued by Ian's magic levels, he'd seen the boy practice magic tirelessly, never appearing fatigued. Ever since the Knockturn Alley incident, Lupin had been secretly curious about just how powerful the kid really was.
"That's just practice. I wasn't trying to burn down London, of course I wouldn't use up that much magical energy," Ian replied matter-of-factly.
However—
After hearing that, Lupin unexpectedly fell silent.
He blinked rapidly several times.
And very wisely decided not to ask about the implications behind that statement.
"I'd really like to get a peaceful night's sleep tonight…" Lupin muttered something that sounded a bit odd, and the little wizard turned to glance at him, clearly puzzled.
The two of them stepped out of the orphanage's front gate.
There wasn't a soul in sight on the street outside, yet it didn't feel desolate.
It was early morning.
Birds had already begun their busy and cheerful day, their crisp and pleasant chirping rising and falling like a melodious symphony, adding a sense of vitality and energy to the quiet dawn. The only thing spoiling the picturesque scene was a Grim squatting beneath a nearby tree, its unblinking stare somewhat ruining the peaceful atmosphere.
"Huh?"
Lupin glanced at the Grim several times in a row.
His expression was a bit puzzled.
At that moment, Ian, dragging his small suitcase, had already pulled out his wand. He didn't use magic; he simply raised the wand and stood quietly in place.
Traveling to Wiltshire wasn't especially difficult; even Muggle transportation could get them there. But obviously, Muggle buses wouldn't have a stop at the Greengrass residence.
Which is why—
The most commonly used magical mode of transportation was by far the best choice. It was the method Ian had planned to use from the beginning: the erratic and unpredictable Knight Bus, which always responded to any wizard in need.
In terms of both speed and cost, the Knight Bus was the preferred choice for wizards. It moved incredibly fast, and anything in its path would automatically jump aside to avoid it.
To summon the Knight Bus, one simply had to raise their wand into the air, similar to how Muggles hailed taxis. Ian had long wanted to try out this unique magical transportation.
"Toot toot~"
"Ka-chunk~"
Compared to waiting at a train station, the Knight Bus was indeed more convenient. Ian had barely held up his wand for a few minutes before a honk and a loud screech of brakes echoed through the street. A triple-decker purple bus appeared out of nowhere, with the words "Knight Bus" written in large golden letters across its windshield.
"Whenever you stand by the roadside and raise your wand, the Knight Bus will appear and take you wherever you want to go,"
"Of course, we don't go underwater or into magma. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I'll be your conductor for this journey. I'll be at your service the whole way!" A bright, enthusiastic voice rang out the moment the door opened. It belonged to a young wizard with protruding ears and a face full of acne and freckles.
"Amazing... Is there some kind of time-distortion device on your bus?" Ian was quite fascinated by the magical vehicle that seemed to show up as soon as you needed it.
After he and Lupin boarded, Ian asked the question with excitement, from the perspective of an alchemist. However, the conductor, Stan Shunpike, simply gave him a clear, unbothered smile.
"Little sir, if I knew the answer to your question, do you think I'd still be working here as a ticket conductor?" His reply was flawless and perfectly reasonable.
"…Fair enough."
Ian turned to look at the driver up front, an older wizard wearing thick-rimmed glasses. A nameplate in front of him listed his name:
Ernie Prang.
"I just drive the bus."
He responded to the young wizard's curiosity in a brief and to-the-point manner. Clearly, just like the conductor, the driver was fully committed to his job and didn't bother with anything outside his role.
"I really should get one of these to study... Professor Nick Flamel must know the secrets behind the Knight Bus." Ian, still not willing to give up, made a mental note as he walked toward the back of the bus with Lupin.
"Where are you headed?"
The conductor pulled out a thick stack of tickets and looked toward Lupin, clearly identifying him as the adult. His automatic assumption made the penniless Lupin visibly uncomfortable.
"This kid is the one paying…"
Lupin's voice was awkward, his face a little red. He spoke in a tone so soft it sounded like a mosquito buzzing, clearly not wanting the other passengers to overhear.
"All right."
The conductor kept smiling and turned his attention to Ian. Whatever he might've been thinking internally, at least on the surface, his professionalism was impeccable.
"Greengrass Manor in Wiltshire," Ian reported his destination as he also took out his money pouch. In his heart, he silently added another entry to Lupin's running tab, a nine-out, twenty-eight-in kind of debt.
"The fare is sixteen silver Sickles in total. If each of you pays three Sickles more, you'll get a cup of hot chocolate. For five more, you get lunch as well."
The conductor was issuing tickets while trying to upsell additional services.
(To Be Continued…)
You can read ahead up to 110 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395