Thanks to Adrianna-Rosetti, my beta, for beta-ing this! So sorry for the lateness!

If you've ever wanted to drive a garbage truck with your best friend, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley screaming in your ears, all jam-packed in the front seats, while trying to escape from Death Eaters and at the age of eleven...well, just don't.

My ears were practically bleeding, Harry smashed a side window, Hermione, Maura, and Ron were all doing nervous dances, and I was freaking out because I was about to crash into a wall.

How did I get in that situation, you ask?

It all started when the three main Harry Potter characters decided to choose my house to pop in and I hit Ron with a metal bar. And then my best friend walked over.

Awwwk-ward.

The first thing Maura did was look at the boy on the floor, then at me, and then back at Ron. The next thing she did was say, "Rachel, why is Ron Weasley on your bedroom floor?"

To make a long story short, I told her that I hit him.

Me and Maura were both a bit freaked out when we walked into my bedroom and found Harry Potter with his head stuck in the A.C. vent and Hermione Granger trying to pull her robes out from under my bed.

Um. What was going on?

Hermione caught sight of us and jumped a little. She looked just like the Hermione in the movies, except that her hair was a lot more bushier. She backed up a little(well, it's not really possible since she's stuck to the bed, but yeah, she scooted back).

"We come in peace," Maura and Hermione said awkwardly at the same time. Hermione smiled a bit, but very nervously. Her hand was fumbling through her robes, no doubt trying to find her wand.

There was a long moment in where everyone just stared at each other, except for Harry, who was still struggling to get free, and Ron, who still had not come back into the room.

"Who are you?" Hermione asked tenderly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"What just happened?" Maura questioned.

I can't exactly remember what happened next. But we got Harry out of the A.C., gave Ron an ice pack, and freed Hermione. Then we all sat down for a little chat.

"So you guys are really...who you are," I scratched my head. "And you were in Hogwarts just then, practicing Cheering Charms. I'm not sure I can really believe you."

"Wha...? But we told you, it's true!" Hermione protested, trying to straighten out her robes. Ron nodded in agreement, his eyes narrowed and the icepack slipped down his face. "We're not lying."

Their accent was a bit hard to keep up with those up and downs. But I realized that we must sound equally strange. I stood up and placed my hands on my hips. "Well, prove it!" I snapped.

Everyone looked up at me. "What?" asked Harry.

"Prove that you really are magical people. I'll believe you then."

"Rachel...come on, they're speaking the truth! How else could three people appear out of nowhere in your room?" Maura tugged at my shirt.

"They could've busted through the A.C. Like, "Harry's"-" I made air quotes. "Head was stuck in the vent."

"Don't talk like we're not here," shot Ron.

"We don't have wands," objected Harry.

"Then go home." I snapped at him. "Actually, all of you go home. Or where ever strange people dwell."

Ron made a move like he was about to punch me, but I tapped the towel hanger against my palm. He instantly sat back down, glaring at me.

"Hold on," Hermione said suddenly. She closed her eyes and simply sat for a while. Suddenly, my desk started wobbling. I jumped back in surprise, almost landing on Maura, and Hermione opened her eyes. She scratched her head, smiling. "I think that worked. Do you believe me now?"

"Maybe," I sighed.

"Okay, so that's settled-wait, maybe?! What do you mean?!" Hermione gasped, standing up.

"Maybe I'll believe you," I smiled.

Everyone deflated.

Several minutes later...

BOOM.

The house started shaking like crazy. I was eating brownies when the floor slid out from under me. My socks added to the speed of me slipping, and I cracked my head on the table. I heard Maura yell and someone yelled back. The world was blurry, all disformed and wavy. The ground wouldn't stop shaking.

"Are you okay?"

"OW!" I flinched away from the person who just screamed in my ears. "That hurt!"

"I take that as a yes." Opening my eyes, I saw Maura sitting on the ground in front of me. Everything was still. The peanut jar had fallen onto the ground and cracked. The water pot was empty, and my socks were soaking wet. "What the heck just happened?" I grunted, getting up and massaging my head.

"Earthquake, I guess?" Maura suggested, dusting her clothes off.

"I don't think so." Harry's voice called from the dining room. "Don't Muggles come out of their houses and talk to each other if an earthquake just happened? Yet no one is outside."

I flinched at being called a plain "Muggle", but I walked over to the two wizards and a witch and nodded as I looked out of the window. "You're right. Everything seems perfectly normal outside."

"Um..." Hermione began timidly. "I'm sensing some kind of magic around here."

She had barely finished her sentence when CRASH! the window bust open. Shards of glass flew everywhere, and I covered my face.

"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh." I looked up and saw two dark-robed figures standing in the middle of all of the rubble. "Well, I guess our information was correct. There you are, Potter, and lookie here, are you hanging out with Muggles now?"

I was frozen with terror, but I glanced at Maura, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They all looked pale and shocked. Then this really was unexpected.

"If you come with us without struggle, this girl-" The person speaking grabbed Maura. "-will be safe. Well?"

Harry stared at him blankly. "I don't even know her name."

"Don't lie! Then why are you hanging out with her, then?" The man screeched. Maura flailed.

I had better move fast. This was bad-Harry had no reason to risk his life for a complete stranger's friend whose house he had appeared in. Thankfully, none of them had noticed me yet. I bit my lip and tiptoed to the nearest intruder. I really don't like what I'm about to do. If I fail, I die, Maura dies, and everyone else dies. And also, I've thought of this a million times before, but I've never actually tried it.

"I seriously don't know who she is. So there's no-no point in hurting her." Harry looked a lot more calmer than he actually sounded. Hermione opened her mouth as if about to say something, but then closed her mouth firmly, looking even more frightened.

I guessed it then. Harry was trying to get Maura out of there unhurt. Which only made my heart beat faster in fear.

"Oh, whatever, just get them rounded up already." A woman said lazily. "This is getting boring."

"Shut up, you-bof!" The man began to say, turning around.

"Bof? Well, that's a new name." The woman snorted and looked up, her face shadowed by her hood. And she began screaming and pointing her finger.

I had elbowed the man hard in the stomach and kicked him in random spots. Maura sprang free and dashed away. The man grunted and pulled out a "thick"-looking wand. I yelled and snatched it away.

If I hadn't bent down at that moment, I would've had a hole blasted in my head. A jet of light whisked over my head. I screamed and waved at Harry, Ron, and Hermione(who were dumbfounded, by the way-ha! take that, Ron) to hurry up and run.

Maura was holding the front door open. I screamed again and leapt out of the house, waving my arms like crazy.

I landed facefirst into the garden, nearly swallowing up an ant. Disgusted, I dusted my clothes off as I got up. Someone yelled and another screamed. My legs moved my themselves, instinctively. The others had already escaped my house and were racing down the driveway. A spell shot past so close to me that I felt the heat seemingly slip over my arm.

Oh, God. Oh, great God. I was hy..per...ven...til..at..ing...

When I reached the end of my driveway, I spotted a garbage truck screeching to a halt in the middle of the street. The driver was leaning out of the window, looking all like "What the heck is going on with you guys?"

When a blast on the truck sent it teetering, the guy decided to jump out and run away. Seeing the empty garbage truck gave me an idea. I jumped into the vehicle and motioned furiously for my friends to get in.

It was a bit claustrophobic since I couldn't really move to even open the door. "Who the heck are those guys?!" I yelled, wriggling around to try to get comfortable.

"Death Eaters," Hermione said in a hushed voice. "I've only heard of them in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. They're followers of You-Know-Who!"

"Whoever is nearest to the driver's seat, drive!" Maura screamed. "We're going to get killed! The Death Eaters are comin-WAUGH!" There was a loud BOOM, and the garbage truck trembled.

I pushed a few buttons and levers and I slammed down on the accelerator. The truck flew backwards, carrying a load of screaming kids. I lifted my foot up, and as we coasted backwards, my fingers fumbled over the controls. Okay, I remember Dad pushing a lever to a green letter D. Aha-bingo!

There was a knobbly stick thing, and I pressed the button on it to the D, and then stomped on the gas.

We shot forward, screaming like banshees, and Ron kept screaming, "Wall! Wall! Wall!" There was an obstacle in front of us-a large brick house, getting closer with every passing second.

Okay, so I didn't know what to do. Don't laugh at me! What do you think YOU would've done in my place?! Eh?!

The world turned into a dreamland as we went head-first towards the house.