Quaffles, Anyone? 2: Dive Into Spirit

Chapter Three

Fleeing From Surrey

Harry didn't talk for the whole trip. All he did was pat the cage of Hedwig who was inside sleeping. Why did Uncle Vernon offer to bring him to the Burrow? Does he know where it is? Why are Aunt Petunia and Dudley coming? What's going on?

“Dudley” Harry finally spoke

Dudley turned to Harry and raised his eyebrows

“Er - Is Uncle Vernon acting a bit… strange?”

“He's seems perfectly normal” Dudley replied in a surprisingly casual tone as if Harry and Dudley were close friends.

Harry sighed and looked out the window to see the Surrey nightlife. They were in a commercial zone and Harry could see convenient stores, ice cream parlors, small shops, malt shops, and etcetera. Harry tried to remove his wariness by thinking of the Burrow again. He was already wandering if Ron and the Weasleys would be surprised to see him on their doorstep. Harry smiled at the thought and suddenly his thoughts took a turn and now he was thinking of Mrs. Weasley setting Harry up with Ginny while Hermione wasn't there which made Harry frown.

After a few moments, Harry leaned on the back of the seat and watched as the car stopped on an intersection. He heard the drumming of Uncle Vernon's fingers on the wheel while he hummed a tune. Harry looked outside to see a couple looking at the new pair of jeans which were displayed behind a display window. Harry looked beside the shop and saw the stoplights which were now in red. Harry looked at the pole which held the stoplights, there was a green sign with white borders and there was something written on it in white ink.

Wimbledon

Forward

Oxford

Left

Canterbury

Right

This made Harry wonder… isn't Ottery St. Catchpole all the way to the west? Then why were they going east? Or rather, why were they going the wrong way?

“Uncle Vernon?” Harry asked shifting forward so his head was between the gap that separated the driver and the passenger seat “Why are we going to Wimbledon?”

“We are taking a shortcut” he said at once “Sit back or you might hurt yourself. Harry”

Harry sat back on the backseat and wondered what the shortcut might be. Then he saw it. He rubbed his eyes and looked at it again. It was real.

Above Uncle Vernon was the mirror that showed the back of the car. Harry, who was looking around, saw something with the rearview mirror. To his horror, it was someone in a black cloak and he had a mask on his face. It was a Death Eater.

Harry froze. The Death Eater was standing behind them on the sidewalk nearby and he or she was using magic on the Dursley's. Harry then already understood why Uncle Vernon was so different. He was under the Imperius Curse.

Harry gulped and looked at Hedwig who was still sleeping in her cage. Maybe he can write a letter now and let Hedwig send it whilst he duels the Death Eater. Too risky but he thought that the Death might think better than to kill Harry since Voldemort will probably want him and the Death Eater now is sending him to wherever Voldemort is.

He took out a small piece of paper in his pocket and took out the mini quill Ron gave him last summer. He wrote:

Ron,

I can't tell you much right now. There's been a change of plan. I'm leaving Surrey as you read this.

Find me if you can. I need you're help.

Harry

P.S.

Tell the Order about Death Eaters in Surrey

Harry prodded Hedwig awake

“Hedwig,” he whispered “take this letter to Ron. I need this sent to him pronto, okay?”

Hedwig hooted as she clamped the letter with her beak. Harry smiled and looked at the stoplights. It was still red.

It's now or never.

“Sorry,” Harry said clearly making the Dursley's look at him “But I have to go now”

He opened the door in one swift motion and climbed out of the car.

“Hedwig, go!” he opened the cage and Hedwig flew to the night. Harry looked up and saw Hedwig disappeared as the clouds ate her up.

“Argh!”

Harry fell on all fours as a jet of red sparks grazed his cheek making him bleed. He heard screams from the pedestrians and the people from the cars.

“Come here!” he heard the Death Eater shout

Harry stood up and pointed his wand on the trunk of the car and shouted

“Alohomora!”

With a click, Harry took out his trunk avoiding another red spark from the Death Eater and Harry broke into a run.

“Come back here, Potter!” he bellowed “Stupefy!”

Harry turned on his heel and took out his wand

“Protego!”

The red spark bounced back and hit a closed jewelry shop which burst into flames making the cars nearby accelerated ignoring the red light. Harry noticed the Dudley's car was with them. He was all alone.

Harry took the distraction to his advantage and started running to the other side of the road but he was blocked when a wall of fire surrounded him and the Death Eater.

“There is no place for you to go, Potter. The Dark Lord will be pleased to see you”

He had no choice. The only way to get out is to duel with the Death Eater. Harry pointed his wand at him and said

“If he wants me, then I won't make it easy for him”

The Death Eater pointed his wand at Harry and shouted

“Incendio!”

Harry tossed himself to the ground as the jet of light passed through him hitting the stoplight which exploded and fell to the ground. Harry saw sparks coming out of the broken stoplights while the passersby ran in panic.

“C'mon Potter!”

Harry scrambled to his feet

“Wingardium Leviosa!”

The Death Eater looked to his left when a fragment of glass from the jewelry shop dashed to him as it pierced through his shoulder making him shriek in pain.

“AAAHHH!!!”

Harry nearly threw up when he saw the blood squirting out of the Death Eater's shoulder while he held it with his right hand.

“Expelliarmus!”

Harry's wand flew to the air and the Death Eater caught it. The Death Eater then pulled the glass out of his shoulder in tremendous effort and looked at Harry. Harry could tell he was making a smirk.

“Now” he point his wand and Harry's wand at Harry “Cooperate! Imperio!”

Harry stood still while the Death Eater made an evil cackle.

“Let's have fun, eh? Punch your belly!”

Harry tried to control it but his balled fist hit his stomach making him fall on his knees.

“One more time!”

The Death Eater started laughing when Harry punched his stomach three times making him cough up blood from his mouth. Harry was already in all fours coughing all the blood out.

“Barty told me that you can withstand the power of the Imperius Curse. Why? The Dark Lord got you scared?” he chuckled “Now let's see that small cry of yours when I give you excruciating pain…”

Harry knew what was coming. He was going to suffer a curse that he experience before. A curse that can give him supreme pain.

“Let's see you scream in pain… Crucio!

Then out of the blue a small feminine voice echoed in his head…

“Harry!”

Harry looked up and rolled sideways to avoid the Cruciatic Curse

“Fast one, are you?” the Death chortled “Then let's see if you can avoid this! AVADA KEDA -”

Harry was getting ready to dodge but the sound of the roaring engine rang his ears and the next thing he knew, he saw the Dursley's car driving through the ring of flames. The Death Eater's eyes widened when the car bumped into him making him fly a few feet above.

Harry looked at the car and saw Aunt Petunia opening the window and shouted.

“Run! Do as I say!”

For the first time in his life, Harry felt good that the Dursley's were there

“You heard your aunt! Run!” Uncle Vernon shouted

Harry nodded, took his trunk, stuffed Hedwig's cage inside and ran out of the flames which died already since the one who cast it is knocked out.

He never looked back. All he did was run and run until he reached the dark alleyway. Harry didn't know how much he ran but the he remembered passing by a slum area then he passed down a street which lead him to a small countryside far away from civilization.

It was at this time Harry sat on the side of road and massaged his stomach feeling the pain in every massage. Harry groaned and looked around at the dark path.

The Death Eater was sent to get Harry. Voldemort must've been looking for him but how did he know that Harry was going to the Burrow tomorrow? Were they bugged or -

Then it hit him. Pig was intercepted. He wondered why Ron's letter looked crumpled at first. Someone from Voldemort's side must have caught Pig and read the letter then that means… Voldemort probably knows about his and Hermione's relationship.

“Damn” Harry groaned burying his face in his hands.

He had nowhere to go. Sure, he can go to London but he was still near Little Whinging and that is still a long way off.

“The Knight Bus” Harry whispered

He reached for his pocket and felt nothing inside. He searched the other but there was nothing in there too.

“Oh no”

He remembered the Death Eater disarming him from his warm back at the duel. Stupidity and anger crawled to his face as Harry slid a hand from his forehead to his chin.

“Great, no wand and no owl”

Harry kicked a nearby fence which blocked Harry from the large field beyond. Seeing the chipped wood of the fence reminded him of his broomstick… his Firebolt.

Harry opened his trunk and took out his Firebolt. He could fly to London and maybe go to Grimmauld Place or somewhere in London worth staying and waiting for the Weasleys or he can fly to Ottery St. Catchpole and go to the Burrow. Simple as that.

Then he can use a featherweight charm on his trunk so he can carry it without difficulty. He made that suggestion three years ago.

But he didn't have his wand and if he tried to fly to the Burrow with a heavy trunk then he'll probably fall off and crash.

“Tonks could do it” Harry thought remembering his trip to Grimmauld Place two summers ago “Maybe I can do it”

Harry dug into his trunk and took out a long rope which he found somewhere in Hogwarts. He tied his trunk behind his Firebolt and mounted on his broom.

“Burrow” Harry said looking around if he forgot something “here I come”

Harry kicked his broom and was surprised to see that his broomstick could carry his trunk as if it was only a pound.

Seeing no other problems with his broom or his trunk, Harry took off to the night.

- - -

A brown haired boy ran down the sidewalk and to his surprise, he saw the whole street in ruins. The stoplights were sparking and embers of fire danced at the tarmac while police surveyed the area.

The boy ran towards the yellow tape barrier and saw a nearby police officer who was examining a piece of glass which was filled with blood.

“Officer Tenpenny” the boy called the officer's name.

The officer named Tenpenny looked up and saw the brown haired boy and sighed.

“What is it now?” he spoke in a deep voice which had a semi-American accent

“What happened?” the boy asked looking at what's left of the jewelry shop where his grandmother used to by her ornaments.

“Just a little accident with the cars, that's all. Probably someone carjacked here” he pointed to the abandoned car at the end of the street “We didn't find any bullet shells or any bullet holes so a gunshot battle is doubtful. But we did find this”

To the boy's astonishment, it was a fairly long stick that was nicely shaped.

“I can't make out of it” Tenpenny said

“Er - can I have it?” the boy said

“Why?”

“Er - I think it's mine”

“Really?” he raised a suspicious eyebrow and looked into the boy's brilliant green eyes “Were you here a while ago?”

The boy gave him a smirk

“You were in my house for dinner when they reported this incident and you still owe my guardian five pounds”

This seems to affect Tenpenny since he lowered down to the young boy and whispered.

“Alright, don't tell anyone I gave it to you. Fortunately, I only found it now. Here,” he gave the stick to the boy “now go or else you might get caught. Take care”

“Thanks” said the boy sliding the stick down his pocket of his jeans.

The boy bade goodbye to the police officer and left with the stick that the brown haired boy knew right away was a wand.

- - -

Harry didn't know where he was. It's been an hour since he departed and now he's tired, cold and his cheek was stinging from the attack earlier.

He didn't know what happened but he suddenly found himself land in the middle of a wide road. Harry looked around and somehow, he recognized the place. As if he was here during his childhood…

Looking around, Harry saw a sign that told him he wasn't in Ottery St. Catchpole.

Bristol Zoo Gardens, Clifton Down, Clifton

He was in Bristol.