During the first week of sumr vacation, Wade finished all his howork.
This was easy for him; all the required knowledge was already in his head, and he didn't even need to consult his books much to complete most of the essays.
On the morning of the eighth day, Professor Murray's son, Steven, appeared at their door.
Since it was still early and there weren't any pedestrians on the streets, he Apparated nearby rather than using the fireplace at Wade's house.
Early in the morning, there was a sudden knock on the door. Fred opened it to find a large man standing outside.
"Hello, Mr. Grey. I'm Steven Murray—Is Wade here?" The big man flashed a cheerful smile.
"Of course... please, co in."
Fred stepped aside, though there was a hint of curiosity in his gaze. Most of the wizards he had t didn't wear Muggle clothing, but this man was dressed quite well.
Steven Murray—Fred had heard Wade ntion him before.
For so reason, Fred had always pictured him as a chubby man, but in reality, he looked more like a basketball player.
"Hi, Steven, long ti no see."
Wade ca downstairs, waving in greeting.
"Wade, I'm here to take you to Alsophila Manor."
Steven's smile reached his eyes, and he said, "I assu you're all set?"
"Of course."
Wade grabbed the pencil case from the cabinet and stuffed it into his pocket. After saying goodbye to his parents, the two of them left the Grey household together.
The cool morning light cast over the streets, and most of the houses still had darkened windows. A thin mist blurred the distant scenery.
"How are we getting there?" Wade asked.
"My father reminded before I left not to take you by Apparition—it can be dangerous," Steven replied, raising his wand. "So, there's only one option left—the Knight Bus."
With a loud BANG, a triple-decker bus seed to squeeze out of thin air with its headlights shining blindingly.
"Won't that loud noise wake the Muggles?" Wade, startled, asked with so disbelief.
"It won't. There's a shielding charm on the bus—Muggles typically can't hear or see it," Steven explained.
"…Typically?"
"Haha… you're very sharp," Steven laughed. "Occasionally, a Muggle might notice the bus, but they usually just think they're seeing things."
"Welco to the Knight Bus, ergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My na is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor—"
A thin young man leaned halfway out of the bus door, rattling off his introduction in a rapid string of words, only then noticing the two people waiting by the roadside.
"Co on, you two! What are you waiting for?" Stan said enthusiastically.
"Waiting for you to give a chance to speak… It's eleven Sickles each, right?" Steven said, leading Wade aboard while handing Stan a Galleon and so Sickles.
"Would you like so chocolate, sir? Just two more Sickles per bar!" Stan asked loudly, slamming the door shut.
"No, thanks. Alsophila Manor, please," Steven responded.
"Right away, sir!" Stan replied energetically.
Wade glanced around the interior of the bus, noticing several brass-pole beds scattered about. The windows were covered with curtains, and candles on nearby shelves provided a dim glow inside the bus.
There was only one other passenger, lying on one of the beds.
The person was wearing an old nightcap, completely covered by blankets, with only the sound of steady breathing. The conductor's loud voice didn't seem to affect him at all.
"Lie down, Wade," Steven said as he picked a bed and warned, "This bus ride is pretty wild."
Wade took his advice.
Stan Shunpike raised an eyebrow and quipped, "Speed is the romance of a man!"
"Thanks, but I'd prefer a gentler kind of romance," Steven joked.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the whole bus lurched like a frog, shooting forward in a sudden burst. Wade nearly rolled off his bed.
He quickly pulled out his wand and cast a temporary sticking charm on his clothes, keeping him from being tossed around as the bus bounced and swerved wildly.
"Whoa, a student—breaking the Ministry's rules!" Stan exclaid, laughing before Wade could respond.
Steven chid in, "Are you really going to report him to the Ministry?"
"Of course—I'm not!" Stan replied dramatically, pinching his lips and adding in a funny voice, "My lips are sealed, like they've got a permanent sticking charm!"
The driver up front joined in, saying, "Sir, we have professional ethics here—Stan, stop ssing around."
"Roger that, Ernie!" Stan saluted, mockingly.
Despite the Knight Bus's erratic driving, it was incredibly fast. In no ti, they arrived outside Alsophila Manor.
Steven and Wade got off the bus together. The iron gates of the manor silently slid open, and after they entered, they closed behind them automatically.
Unlike regular Muggle estates, wizarding manors were much quieter. To maintain a property of this size, Muggles would need at least fifty or sixty servants—but wizards didn't need any of that.
House-elves can take care of all the complicated tasks.
"Actually, I wanted to invite you to my farm—Alsophila Manor is a bit too quiet," Steven said. "But my father insists on giving you a few days of alchemy lessons first."
Wade asked, "Don't you have to go to Mr. Scamander's place?"
"Mr. Scamander gave two weeks off for the holidays," Steven replied happily.
"Once you're done with your lessons, we'll spend a couple of days at the farm. Then, after the break, we can head to Dorset—Mr. Scamander said he'd be happy to have you visit."
Wade was looking forward to it as well.
…
According to Steven, there were a dozen house-elves working at Alsophila Manor, but Wade never saw a single one.
The food here was also much more varied than at the Hogwarts dining hall.
While the school's long tables were always piled high with food, it was usually large dishes of roasted potatoes, grilled steaks, roast chicken, cakes, and so on. It wasn't lacking in richness, but eating at the school dining hall too often could beco tireso.
Alsophila Manor, on the other hand, was different.
Professor Murray had traveled around the world when he was younger, and he still frequently visited other countries for etings, alchemy exchanges, or even to attend Muggle product launches in disguise.
As a result, he brought various international cuisines to Alsophila Manor—Peking duck, Brazilian barbecue, Singaporean chili crab, Spanish ham, xican tacos...
The nu at the manor was a two-inch-thick booklet.
And you could place orders.
Whatever you wanted, you could choose in advance, and within half an hour, the house-elves would silently deliver it to your table.
At noon, Professor Murray returned from outside. Wasting no ti with small talk, he began Wade's lesson right away.
"You've already mastered all the basics of alchemy," Professor Murray said bluntly. "This sumr, we're going to learn sothing special—Alchemical creatures."
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