The Knight Bus

• Type: Magical Transportation
• Owners: Ministry of Magic (Pottermore)
• Maker: Dugald McPhail (Pottermore)

The Knight Bus is a vivid purple, triple-decker bus that provides emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. The name “The Knight Bus” is written in gold lettering across its windscreen. Its interior changes depending on the time of day. By night, the bus has no seats; instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads are arranged along the windows. By day, the bedsteads are replaced by a collection of mismatched armchairs. A large chandelier hangs from the ceiling of the first deck, and a narrow wooden staircase provides access to the upper levels. The ride is notoriously bumpy and violent, with the bus's contents, including beds and passengers, sliding around as it lurches and screeches to a halt.

The primary function of the Knight Bus is to provide rapid transport for any witch or wizard in need.

• Summoning: To summon the bus, a witch or wizard must stand at a curb and stick out their wand arm. The bus will appear with a loud bang.
• Travel: The bus travels at immense speeds, seemingly ignoring the laws of physics. It can squeeze through impossibly narrow gaps, and streetlights, mailboxes, and other objects leap out of its path. It is invisible to Muggles, who do not see or hear it, merely reacting to the sudden displacement of air as it passes.
• Fares: A ride costs eleven Sickles. For thirteen Sickles, the passenger also receives a cup of hot chocolate. For fifteen Sickles, a passenger can also get a hot-water bottle and a toothbrush in the colour of their choice.
• Staff: The bus is operated by a driver and a conductor. The most well-known staff are Ernie Prang, the driver who wears thick spectacles, and Stan Shunpike, the conductor with large, protruding ears.

The concept of the Knight Bus was first proposed in 1865 by the then-Minister for Magic, Dugald McPhail. The idea was inspired by the newly popular Muggle bus services and was designed to provide a discreet method of transport for underage or infirm wizards who could not Apparate. The proposal was initially met with resistance from pure-bloods who objected to adopting a Muggle invention, but it was eventually approved and has been in service ever since (Pottermore).

The Knight Bus serves as a crucial mode of transportation and a source of information at key moments in the series.

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Harry Potter accidentally summons the bus for the first time after he flees Number Four, Privet Drive upon inflating his Aunt Marge. The bus takes him from Little Whinging to the Leaky Cauldron. During this journey, he learns from Stan Shunpike and a copy of the Daily Prophet that the dangerous wizard Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban.
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Harry, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and Ginny Weasley ride the bus from Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place to King's Cross Station at the beginning of the school year. They are escorted by Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. A fellow passenger, Madam Marsh, is mentioned.
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: While not ridden, the bus is relevant as Harry learns of Stan Shunpike's arrest as a suspected Death Eater. Harry later defends Stan's innocence to Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, believing Stan is not capable of such actions.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: While on the run, Harry, Ron, and Hermione briefly consider summoning the bus, but decide against it, correctly assuming that the Ministry of Magic, now controlled by Lord Voldemort, would be monitoring it.

• Etymology: J.K. Rowling has explained that the name is a play on words. It sounds like “night bus,” a real-world service in many cities, but also references the idea of a “knight” coming to the rescue, fitting its purpose as emergency transport (Pottermore).
• Film Adaptation: In the film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, the Knight Bus is shown with a talking Shrunken Head (named Dre Head) hanging from the rearview mirror, which offers commentary and jokes to the driver and passengers. This character does not appear in the novels. The interior chaos is also visually exaggerated, with beds sliding dynamically from one side of the bus to the other (film).