Stanley Shunpike

Stanley "Stan" Shunpike (born c. 1975 ) was a wizard and was the conductor of the Knight Bus. In 1996, he was arrested and sent to Azkaban for being a Death Eater when he was overheard claiming to have inside information about the organisation, although in all likelihood, he was only fooling around. In 1997, he broke free from prison and joined the Death Eaters under the Imperius Curse. His fate after the war is unknown; he most likely awoke from the Curse following Lord Voldemort's ultimate defeat, like all the other Imperiused victims, and returned to his job.

Early life
Stan was born circa 1975, and presumably grew up in London, as he had a strong Cockney accent. It is unknown if he ever attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

1993
Stan, despite doing his job well, lacked high intelligence and as such did not recognise Harry Potter who had just fled from 4 Privet Drive and instead believed his alias of Neville Longbottom (but then again it might have simply been that he did not get time to properly examine Harry's scar, as Harry hid it immediately after Stan showed interest, which would have likely confirmed Harry's true identity).

1994 Quidditch World Cup
Stan attended the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, and after the match, Stan and several others were witnessed by Harry and Ron Weasley trying to chat up a group of Veela, with Stan making the outrageous comment of him "about to be made the youngest Minister for Magic ever", in an effort to impress them.

1995
Stan met Harry once again when he, along with Ron and his siblings were being transported by the Knight Bus back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Stan, this time, realised who Harry was, though made the mistake of blurting out his name to his friend, the driver, Ernie Prang. Harry's primary bodyguard; the expertly-disguised Auror Nymphadora Tonks, threatened to "curse Stan into oblivion" if he did it again, as they were concerned for Harry's security.

Imprisonment for Showing off
Stan, true to his vain nature, tried to impress his friends at a local pub by making the statement that he had inside knowledge of the Death Eaters' plans. The Ministry of Magic, now led by Rufus Scrimgeour, found out and raided his home in Clapham, taking him into custody on suspicion of Death Eater activity. Stan was then sent to Azkaban prison. Stan continued his incarceration throughout 1996, and was one of the reasons that Harry refused to cooperate with Scrimgeour, or serve as the Ministry's "poster child", as Harry refused to believe that Stan could be a Death Eater. Indeed, the interrogation with Stan has revealed that he has absolutely no link with the Death Eaters, but the Ministry kept him in order to put up a facade of progress.

Escape and Battle over Little Whinging
In 1997, Azkaban experienced yet another breakout, but Stan was freed and joined the Death Eaters' ranks (under the Imperius Curse). Stan took part during the Battle over Little Whinging, in which he and nearly 30 other Death Eaters flew into battle against members of the Order of the Phoenix who were trying to transport Harry Potter to safety. Stan and several others, unknowingly, tracked down the real Harry (who had been given decoys to lure pursuers away). In combat, Harry fired a spell that knocked Stan's Death Eater mask off, exposing his "blank eyes" (a tell-tale sign of Imperius control), and, because a Stunning Spell while over a hundred feet in the air would result in Stan falling to his death, Harry elected to shoot a Disarming Charm, blowing Stan's wand out of his hand, though Stan's comrades recognized this as Harry's "signature move" and broke off their attack, instead summoning Voldemort himself into the fray.

Later life
Following the Battle of Hogwarts, it was reported that hundreds of people under the control of the Imperius curse were freed. If Stan survived to this point, and if he was really under the Imperius Curse, he most likely returned to his job on the Knight Bus, though his fate is unknown.

Physical description
He was described as being "eighteen or nineteen at most" in 1993, and as having "large, protruding ears and quite a few pimples".

Etymology
The name Stanley also belonged to one of J. K. Rowling's grandfathers, with the other one being named Ernie, which was the name given to the driver of the Knight Bus, Ernie Prang. The name may refer to "shunning a pike", i.e. detouring round a tollbooth on a turnpike or highway.

Behind the scenes

 * Stan Shunpike was played by Lee Ingleby in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.Bus_Driver.gif
 * During the events in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ron Weasley pretended to be Stan Shunpike twice. The first time when he was caught by a couple of Snatchers and later to Werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. Greyback knew that Ron was not Stan.
 * If he attended Hogwarts, he may have been a classmate of Marcus Flint.
 * Stanley was named after Joanne K. Rowling's grandfather, Stanley Volant.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
 * Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4
 * Harry Potter LEGO Sets

Notes and references
Stan Rocade Стэн Шанпайк