Calling the Knight Bus and the Sorting of Dean Thomas

[Phyllis]

No: HPFGUIDX 59246

Mariana wrote:

> My question is: what or who makes the Knight Bus appear at Magnolia 
> Crescent?

Now me:

My theory is that the Ministry of Magic sent the bus.  I think the 
Ministry was monitoring Harry's movements after Sirius Black's escape 
from Azkaban in an effort to protect Harry from Black.  If this 
theory is accurate, it would explain how the Ministry knew about the 
Aunt Marge inflation incident (in order to dispatch members of the 
Accidental Magic Reversal Department to puncture her), and why Fudge 
was awaiting Harry's arrival at the Leaky Cauldron.

Hickengruendler wrote:

> I have read quite a few posts, that JKR made a mistake in the first 
> book and forgot to sort Dean Thomas.

Now me:

This is a difference between the US and the UK editions of SS/PS.  In 
PS, Dean Thomas isn't mentioned during the sorting, but he is 
mentioned in SS:

"
three people left to be sorted. `Thomas, Dean,' a black boy even 
taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table."

You can see the US-UK SS/PS edition differences here:

http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/differences-ss.html

~Phyllis