The next morning.

The first rays of sunlight scattered across the horizon, breaking the silence of the night.

Vader stood on a quiet street and pointed his wand into the empty air.

It wasn't long before a deafening bang echoed through the street.

A bright purple, triple-decker bus came hurtling toward him from the distance and stopped neatly in front of Vader.

Just as I thought. It works.

Vader raised an eyebrow slightly.

His long stay at the Leaky Cauldron hadn't been for nothing. He had learned how to summon the magical world's bus from the other guests there.

Muggles couldn't see or hear it, and the bus also used Apparition magic, allowing it to cover hundreds of kilometers in an instant.

"Welcome aboard the Knight Bus! I'm your conductor, Stan Shunpike."

The young conductor wore a purple uniform and had a face covered in acne.

"All you need to do is stick out the hand you normally use to hold your wand, hop aboard, and we'll take you anywhere you want to go."

"Really?"

Vader looked at him.

"Perfect. I want to go on vacation in Hawaii."

"Er... just to clarify, the Knight Bus can take you anywhere within Britain, and it has to be somewhere on land."

"Wiltshire. Malfoy Manor."

"No problem."

Stan nodded.

"Eleven Sickles. But for fourteen, you get hot chocolate. Fifteen gets you a hot-water bottle and a toothbrush."

Clink!

Vader tossed him a Galleon.

"I have only one requirement: a comfortable seat."

"Sir, the Knight Bus is emergency transportation for stranded witches and wizards. The comfort level might not meet your expectations."

"Relatively comfortable."

Vader lowered his expectations.

"Please come aboard, sir."

Vader stepped onto the bus.

Inside were all kinds of mismatched chairs, each looking completely different from the others.

Besides the chairs, there was also a small wooden staircase leading to the upper floor.

Stan led Vader to a chair near the entrance.

"You can sit here. It's got armrests, it's against the wall, and you can see out the window."

"Thank you. How long will it take?"

"About half an hour. We've got to make a detour to drop Ernie off in Gwent."

Stan explained before taking the armchair beside the driver, Ernie Prang.

The driver looked rather old and wore thick glasses, making one seriously question his eyesight.

"Take us away, Ernie."

Ernie shifted gears, and the Knight Bus shot forward at incredible speed.

Vader seemed to have been prepared for this.

He gripped the armrests and pressed himself firmly against the back of the seat, preventing the sudden acceleration from throwing him out.

The Knight Bus raced along the roads at astonishing speed, yet somehow avoided pedestrians and cars with perfect precision.

Its movements were unbelievably smooth.

"We've reached Gwent," Ernie announced.

"Stan, tell Mr. Ern..."

"I heard you."

A middle-aged man with a miserable expression stumbled off the bus, one hand carrying a suitcase and the other covering his mouth.

The doors closed.

With another explosive bang, the Knight Bus appeared on an entirely different road.

"Next stop, Wiltshire."

Ernie spoke to himself as the Knight Bus accelerated again.

"That's amazing."

Stan curiously studied Vader.

"This is the first time I've ever seen a passenger remain so steady on the Knight Bus."

"Don't you feel dizzy or sick? Doesn't your stomach turn?"

"No."

"I've always had a strong sense of balance."

"What's your name?"

"Vader Moria."

"All right, Vader. We'll be there soon."

A little over ten minutes later, the Knight Bus stopped outside Malfoy Manor.

Vader got off and followed a long driveway through the yew hedges surrounding the estate.

He then passed through an ornate wrought-iron gate and entered the luxurious manor.

A spacious courtyard greeted him.

Perfectly trimmed hedges, fountains, and white peacocks wandered through the grounds.

"Morning, Vader."

Draco greeted him listlessly.

"I thought you'd be late."

"The Knight Bus is a very convenient means of transportation. It got me here in half an hour."

"Although the experience wasn't particularly pleasant."

"Ha! I've heard that most passengers throw up the first time they ride it."

Draco laughed.

"Come on. My father is waiting for you in the drawing room."

Vader entered the magnificent manor.

The interior was extravagantly decorated.

Beautiful carpets covered the corridors, while white statues stood on either side.

At the end of the corridor was a vast drawing room large enough to accommodate fifty people.

A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

Statues of Malfoy ancestors adorned the walls, and an intricately carved marble fireplace stood prominently in the room.

Lucius Malfoy sat in a single armchair, resting one hand on his cane.

Everything about him radiated aristocratic elegance and arrogance.

"Good morning, sir."

"Sit down, Mr. Moria."

Lucius spoke calmly.

"Draco tells me you wish to discuss a business deal with me."

"More precisely, with the entire Malfoy family."

Vader sat opposite Lucius, neither humble nor arrogant.

"All that, based on a divination whose authenticity is unknown, in exchange for one hundred thousand Galleons?"

Lucius shook his head.

"Don't you think that's a little too ambitious?"

Vader didn't seem bothered.

He took a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it over.

"I've changed my mind."

"I don't want Galleons anymore."

"I want these things instead."

Lucius took the parchment in confusion and skimmed through it.

He nearly laughed from sheer disbelief.

"A shop in Diagon Alley."

"Not a lease. I want to buy it outright, including the building and the land."

Vader emphasized the point.

"And it can't be some tiny storefront. I want at least a medium-sized shop."

"You also want the Malfoys to handle all the Ministry of Magic paperwork for you?"

"And establish a Floo Network connection?"

"Yes."

Vader nodded.

"After all, it's not easy for a thirteen-year-old wizard with no connections to establish himself in Diagon Alley."

"But with the support of the Malfoy family, things would be different."

"Originally, I planned to ask the Greengrasses for help. But I don't want to owe people favors unnecessarily."

"So you decided to extort the Malfoys?"

Lucius's voice contained a clear edge of anger.

"Please don't put it that way, sir."

"This is a fair transaction."

"I guarantee the Malfoys won't lose out."

"Orichalcum, black crystal, Thunderbird feathers, phoenix feathers, Manticore stingers, Re'em blood, adult dragon teeth, and three dragon hides."

Lucius stared at the list.

"Are you here to restock the Malfoy family's inventory?"

"Don't get excited, sir. That's only part of the deal."

"Heh."

Lucius gave a cold laugh.

"And the alchemy and Potions books collected by the Malfoy family over the course of centuries."

He placed the list on the table.

His voice had become ice-cold.

"Mr. Moria, do you understand that these things represent the true foundation of a pure-blood family?"

"How do you have the audacity to ask for them?"

"Where did you get the courage to even make such a demand?"

"From what I divined."

Vader answered without the slightest hesitation.

"If you knew what I saw, you'd only feel fortunate that you agreed to this transaction."

"Because what I've discovered could give the Malfoy family an additional means of dealing with the risks it will face in the future."