Ch 5: Flight
"I'm telling you, the boy's up to no good," growled Mad-Eye Moody.
"Oh, come on, quit being so paranoid. It's after midnight and I'm sure he'll be going to sleep any minute now," teased Tonks. "After all, he didn't get much sleep last night, did he?" she added thoughtfully.
"That's just it. The boy hasn't been sleeping well all summer. We've all heard his screams during the nightmares. Half the neighborhood has. The boy has been avoiding contact with almost everyone all summer, and all of a sudden today he has four birds come to visit and sends off another five? I'm telling you, he's up to something."
"I think it's good that he's finally owling somebody besides Lupin. No offense of course, Lupin," replied Tonks.
"None taken. I agree with Tonks. I think it's healthy that he's finally talking to someone besides me. Not that he's said that much in any of my messages. But, I think it's a good sign."
The three huddled together inside a magically concealed tent that, though invisible to the outside world and protected against the elements, allowed them to watch Harry's house unobserved. The interior four walls were like windows allowing them to watch all around them as well as keep an eye on Harry. Despite the various other tasks that needed to be accomplished by the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore had insisted that the protection of Harry Potter was the most vital. And because of the fiasco last summer, an additional member of the Order was assigned to the watches over Harry that all of the members shared.
"Well, you two can think what you want to, but I'm telling you that Potter is up to…what the…"Moody's words trailed off as first his magical eye, and then the rest of his body swiveled to take in the scene at Harry Potter's bedroom window. Stunned, the other two could only watch in disbelief at what they saw.
Harry Potter, mounted on a beat up old broom, hovered above his window ledge. All of a sudden, he shot forward, straight as an arrow and streaked across the night sky. Moody growled to Tonks and Lupin, "Follow him. I'll stay here and let the others know." Tonks and Lupin were already mounting their broomsticks and kicking off the ground in pursuit. Turning back to Harry's bedroom, he stopped and muttered. "What are you up to boy?"
*-*-*
Tonks and Lupin followed in pursuit, trying to catch the speedy Potter blazing far ahead of them.
"I didn't know his Firebolt was this fast," grimaced Tonks.
"Neither did I," muttered Lupin. "But he's still a sitting duck if a Death Eater catches him. And we know that Voldemort has scattered his troops, hoping for just such an opportunity this summer. No!. Noooo!"
At his exclamation, Tonks turned to see two dark forms rising from the ground ahead of them. They were much closer to Potter.
"Duck you foolish boy! Don't you see them? Move! Do something!" he screamed in agony, trying to urge every last bit of speed out of his broomstick. There were two flashes of green light and they saw Potter's broomstick fall earthward. The two dark shapes followed and so did Tonks and Lupin, their faces grim and full of rage.
The Death Eaters landed and moved cautiously around the crash site. They saw a broomstick, snapped in two and a dented silver cup. It was the last thing they saw, as they dropped to the ground, stunned by two furious wizards. They too, looked at the crash site in disbelief. There was no evidence of Harry's dead body
Kneeling by the broom, Lupin whispered harshly. "That's not his Firebolt. I don't think that broom can even fly."
"What is that, a rocket on the end?" gasped Tonks.
"And what is this?" breathed Lupin as he picked up the silver cup and read it. "Dudley Dursley-Boxing Champion." He glanced back at Tonks. "Moody was right. Harry was up to something tonight. And when I find him, I'm going to kill him!"
*-*-*
Looking back at the house, Moody watched intently with his magical eye. Raising his wand, he tapped himself on the head and felt the coldness wash over himself as the Disillusionment Charm took effect. He then quickly strode off down the street. At the corner he turned left and continued to walk for several more blocks. Another right and another fifteen minutes of walking left him in front of a small bus station. He walked off to his left, where a group of shadows lingered behind a small bench and a broken street lamp. Reaching out, he grasped an arm firmly and whispered harshly, "Going somewhere, Potter?"
"Ahhh!" gulped the surprised Harry, trying to shake free from the tight grasp on his right arm.
"Quiet. We don't want to attract any more attention. Now come along quietly and I'll return you to your home. I don't know what got into you, Potter, running off like that, I thought you had more…"
"I am not running away. And I am not going back to the Dursley's. I am going…"
"Now that's enough boy. I'm taking you back and…"
"I am not a boy. And you are not taking me anywhere. I am not going back to the Dursley's. And you can't make me." Harry finally shook free of the powerful grip.
"Oh no young pup?" Moody moved to get his wand out only to realize that Harry already had his wand pointed at him underneath his cloak. "So you think you can best me, do you?"
A chuckle and then Harry said softly, "No, not yet. But you'll have to keep me stunned the rest of the summer if you expect me to stay another minute at the Dursley's."
"Very well, boy. Where are you off to then? What is your big plan, eh?"
"Well, I had planned on taking the bus to London and then hiring a taxi, but since you're here, why don't you just Apparate us there?"
"To where, boy?"
"To Grimmauld Place. And quit calling me boy."
"To Grimmauld Place? Why would you want to… I thought…"
"Can you do it?"
"Perhaps, but it's dangerous. I don' think it's worth the risk of splinching the both of us."
"Fine then, we'll have to go with my original plan. I've got enough money for both of us. But we'll have to be visible to get on the bus."
"Why?"
"Its too easy for someone to bump into one of us on a bus, even though it's probably not too crowded this late at night. Trust me, Moody."
"Fine, fine. We'll do it your way." After a quick look around to make sure they were alone, Moody stepped back into the shadows and tapped himself with his wand while Harry removed his cloak, folded it and put it back in his pocket. Pulling out a wad of notes, Harry led the way to the ticket booth and bought two tickets to London. They climbed aboard the next departing bus and settled in at the back. Harry leaned next to the window and dozed while Moody's eye continued to spin, trying to watch everything at once. As Harry rested, Moody would occasionally look over and wonder at the changes he had noticed in the brief time he had been with him. This wasn't the same grief-stricken boy they had bid farewell at the train platform. There was definitely something different, but Moody was not quite sure what it was yet.
*-*-*
"I'm going to kill them. I'm going to kill them both!" bellowed Lupin. If possible, his mood had grown worse on the flight to Grimmauld Place. As he burst through the front doors, his loud voice awoke the portrait on the wall of Sirius' mother.
"Filth! Scum! Half-breeds of the most vile…"
"Shut it you old bag! I've had enough…" roared Lupin.
"What on earth is the matter?" boomed Mrs. Weasley. "What are you doing here Lupin? Aren't you supposed to be guarding Harry? Has something happened? Oh, my poor, dear little…"
"Your poor, dear little boy is off running around who knows where. Apparently he thought it would be funny to somehow send an image of himself off into the night as a diversion so he could give us the slip. Tonks and I followed what we thought was Harry on a broomstick, only to watch two Death Eaters blow it out of the sky. We followed and stunned them, but it turns out it wasn't Potter at all, but some sort of stupid trick he rigged. When we returned to his house, neither he nor Moody was there. I swear, when I get my hands on…"
"He what?!?! Harry did what?!?! I'll bet the twins put him up to this! Why, when I get my hands on those three, I'll…"thundered Molly Weasley, stoking the flames of her famous temper.
"When Tonks and I returned to Privet Drive, there wasn't a trace of either Harry or Moody. I'm hoping that he didn't give Moody the slip and that either Moody is following him or is traveling with him for some reason. I came as quickly as I could to notify Dumbledore and the other members of the Order. Tonks is searching the skies between the Dursley's home and Hogwarts in case they went that way. I just can't believe it Molly. I never imagined Harry would do something like…"
"Mrs. Weasley, Professor Lupin, I think you ought to see this," muttered a small little voice from the stairway. Ron looked fearfully at the two enraged adults. Hermione stepped around Ron with Hedwig on her shoulder and a small note in her hand. She gave Harry's note to Mrs. Weasley, who read it quickly and then handed it to Lupin.
"What do you make of this, Molly?" asked Lupin.
"I think what it means is that he plans to come here," whispered Hermione softly.
"He what?!?!" repeated both Molly and Lupin.
"The note says he will see us soon, and Hedwig arrived here about a half an hour before you arrived, but without a letter or anything, like he was just sent here to wait. And from the sound of it, Harry has left the Dursley's tonight. I think he's probably on his way here." Hermione continued.
"But how could he… What was he thinking…" muttered Molly.
"And what else do you know of his plans? What has he told you and Ron?" demanded Lupin.
"Nothing, nothing," stammered Hermione. "This is the first time he's even written to one of us all summer," continued Hermione as a tear started down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away.
"Yes, yes dear," replied Molly, with a stern look towards Lupin. "We're all just very worried about Harry, that's all." She took Hermione under her arm and led her back to the kitchen.
"Whoa. So Harry gave you guys the slip, huh? Wick…" finished Ron awkwardly as Lupin glared at him as he headed to the meeting room where the Order usually held their councils. "Wow, Harry, are you in deep this time, mate. I hope Dumbledore gets here to protect you before one of those two kills you. I think he's the only one who could save you from my mum right now-though maybe not," muttered Ron as he climbed down the stairs and followed the others to the kitchen to wait for Harry. "On second thought, Dumbledore will probably be a bit miffed as well. I am sooo glad I am not in your robes tonight, mate."
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