The car ride was long and quiet. Harry eventually fell asleep and didn't wake up until Mrs. Jones' car pulled into a driveway.
"This is Alex Rider's house. He usually lives here with his guardian, but she recently suffered a nervous breakdown and is taking a short vacation. I've been looking after him, but he's alone in the house most of the time, as I said earlier. You can stay here with Alex until it's safe for you to return to my sister's home. I, or someone in my employ, will check on you periodically. I'll be very busy with my job at the bank, so don't expect to see too much of me," Mrs. Jones informed Harry.
They both got out of the car and walked up to the door, where Mrs. Jones rang the bell. A boy with blonde hair and brown eyes slowly opened the door.
"There you are Alex. This is Harry, he's going to be staying with you for some of the summer. Harry, this is Alex."
Both boys looked at the other warily. Alex's eyes were drawn to the peculiar lightening shaped scar on Harry's forehead. It was too perfectly shaped to be natural. No accident made a scar like that. It must have been deliberately done, but why? The only reason Alex could think of was as part of an induction into a criminal organization. Possibly a branch of SCORPIA. He wouldn't put it past MI6 to place a potential assassin in his home as a test. Alex would have to be careful around this 'Harry.'
Meanwhile, Harry was examining Alex. He noted that Alex stood like a fighter, but more importantly, he had cold and calculating eyes. They looked at Harry like they were evaluating his weaknesses and plotting the best way to kill him. The only other place Harry had seen eyes like that was in Voldemort's Death Eaters. In these times, you could never be too certain of who was working for them. Come to think of it, it was awfully strange for 'Tulip Jones' to show up all of the sudden. He was a fool for going with her; this could all be a Death Eater plot! Harry would need to keep a close eye on 'Alex' and 'Mrs. Jones.'
Harry and Alex both made their observations in the space of a few seconds before forcing a grin at the other. After all, it wouldn't do to get his guard up.
"Hi Harry, it's nice to meet you," Alex said.
"Same here," Harry replied.
They both thought at the same time, 'This is going to be a long summer.'
