Chapter 6
Harry Potter was really starting to wish he had never come on this trip to the States. From the moment he stepped off the plane in D.C., Things had become a nightmare. First, they thought that their luggage got lost because it was not among the first few bags to come out of the terminal. It was in fact, among the last of the luggage to come out. By that time Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were frazzled, then they could not find the hotel they had booked for their stay because Dudley misspelled the name of it. It took an hour to figure out the problem, turn around, drive back to the city, and find the hotel. When they finally did make it, Harry was told to carry in all of the luggage and to not accept help from the doorman. Harry was making his second trip to the car when a gunshot rang out in the parking garage. Instinctively, he ducked behind the car. After a moment, he tried to poke his head around the corner, trying to see what was happening. A car door slammed and Harry heard the sounds of the vehicle racing out onto the street. He jumped up to see a black SUV turning onto the road. He tried to read the liense plate, but could only read three digits. Quickly locking them away in his memory, Harry turned and began searching the garage to find out what had been shot. On the other side of the garage, he found the body of a young man, probably around twenty years old, sprawled on the ground at the base of one of the concrete columns, a gunshot wound in his chest. Taking a closer look, Harry realized the man was in a military BDU uniform. The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor was on the man's hat. The name Thomkins was on a long narrow patch just above the left pocket of the shirt. Immediately, Harry ran back inside, the luggage forgotten, and asked the gentleman at the desk to call the police. As Harry waited for the police to pick up, he suddnely remembered the Dursleys "Great, I'm gonna get it now." He thought.
Just then, someone on the other end picked up, "Hello, this is D.C. Metro Police Department. How can I help you."
"Yes, uh- I have to report a murder." He answered.
Half an hour later, Harry was standing at the crime scene telling a police officer what had happened. Uncle Vernon, when Harry never came back up to the room with the suitcases, came down to find him, only to discover Harry talking to a couple of police officers in the lobby since he was the only witness to the incident. Of course, Uncle Vernon was beside himself with rage. After Harry had led the police to garage, Uncle Vernon pulled him aside.
"What are you doing? This had better not have anything to do with your-your freakishness!" Vernon hissed in Harry's ear.
"No!" Harry replied. "I came down to get the rest of the suitcases out of the car. I heard a gunshot, so ducked behind the car. I heard a car driving away so peeked around the corner; saw a balck SUV. Then I found the soldier shot through the chest."
"That all fine and good," said Uncle Vernon. "but you should have kept your mouth shut. Let someone else find him and call that police."
"What?" Harry practically shouted. Vernon urgently hushed him, but Harry paid him no mind. "I just heard a man being murdered, and you want me to just keep it quiet?"
"The last thing I need is for Grunnings to find out that one of my family is somehow involved in a murder case!" Uncle Vernon spat. "do you know what that could do to my career?"
"He's a soldier, for pity's sake!" cried Harry. "Probably has a family somewhere. What about them? He deserves better than that!"
Just then the police came over. "Mr. Dursley?"
"Yes?" he answered in a falsely polite voice.
"We have identified the victim as a Marine lieutenant. Because of this, this case falls under the jurisdiction of the NCIS-"
"What's the NCIS?" Uncle Vernon interrupted.
"Navy Criminal Investigative Service. They investigate the deaths of all Navy men and Marines. I've already called them in and they should be here in twenty minutes. Your nephew will need to stay here and talk to the agents that come to process the crime scene."
"Yes, officer, I'll make sure he stays here." Vernon answered. Twenty minutes later, just as predicted, a two white vans blue NCIS letters on the sides pulled into the gargage. Four people stepped out of the first van, three men and a woman. From the other van came two more men. The police officers went over to greet the NCIS agents. During the exchange, Harry saw the officers point in his direction. A minute later, the agent walked over to the crime scene. The two who had stepped out of the second van immediately began examining the body after the woman had snapped a few photographs with the camera strung around her neck. Then the one who seemed to be the leader, a tall man with silver hair walked over.
"Special Agent Jethro Gibbs." He said flashing a badge. "Which one of you witnessed the incident?"
Vernon nodded towards Harry. "I did, sir." Harry answered hesitantly.
Chapter 7
"What's your name, son?" Gibbs asked. He could tell that the boy was nervous, but something told him it was not because of himself or his team.
"Harry Potter." The raven-haired, spectacled boy answered.
"Harry Potter. Well, tell me what you saw, Harry." Said Gibbs.
"I did see that much actually, sir," Harry began. "I was getting the luggage out the boot of the car when I heard a gunshot. I ducked behind the car out of instinct. After a minute, I heard a car door slam and I looked around the corner of the car. Saw a black SUV pull out on the street and turned left. That's when I started looking for whatever had been shot at. I found the man just as you see him."
"You didn't search the body for I.D.?" askd Gibbs.
"No, sir. Wouldn't that mess up the crime scene?"
"Yes, it would. Just making sure; a lot of people go looking for I.D. first thing." Answered Gibbs. The kid is smart, he thought to himself. "Do you have a cell phone number you can give me just in case we need to talk again?" Gibbs asked.
Harry looked at his uncle. "You can have mine and Petunia's numbers" he said grudgingly as he gave Gibbs the numbers.
"Well, thank you very much. If we need anything else, we'll contact you. Harry, Mr. Dursley."He said nodding to each in turn. As he walked away, he shouted over his shoulder, "You're free to go, Harry." At that Uncle Vernon immediately pulled Harry back into the hotel. His rough treatment of Harry did not go unnoticed by Gibbs, who frowned thoughtfully at the pair.