Harry moved unseen through the night, shielded by his cloak of invisibility, but he was constantly peering over his shoulder. The street appeared to be empty, but anyone could be after him now. The ministry could have noticed his burst of accidental magic, or the muggles may have been contacted by the Dursleys to hunt him down. Harry felt completely alone.
He had not walked far, but he was exhausted. The events of that night were beginning to take a toll on the young wizard. His throat was burning and his right ankle was swelling. He knew that he wouldn't be able to cover much ground tonight. He took a left turn and found himself at the public park he often walked to. Harry had visited the park many times during the day, often enjoying the comfort of being surrounded by people who didn't know him at all. He liked to watch the other carefree children running and enjoying themselves in the sunshine and imagine what it would be like to be one of them. Though it seemed like a cheerful place during the day, at night, the vacant playground seemed menacing and eerie. Moonlight shown through the thin tree branches, casting shadows that shimmied and swayed across the lawn. A light breeze caused the swings to shudder, and Harry surveyed them for several minutes to make sure that he was actually alone.
His invisibility cloak, though great for concealing himself, was not impervious to the cold, and Harry began to shiver. Deciding that he was just being paranoid about being watched, Harry limped up the steps to the top of the jungle gym and curled up in a horizontal tube slide. The night was chilly, and inside he was shielded from the wind. He shut his eyes and attempted to sleep, knowing that he had a lot of work to do in the morning.
Though he tried to get some rest, Harry did not sleep that night. When he was surrounded by darkness, he was bombarded with images of a lifeless Marge Dursley. He saw glimpses of her last breath. He envisioned the look on her face when her heart stopped. He remembered the look of her cold, dead eyes. Harry started shaking again, but this time it wasn't because of the cold.
*
Harry saw the sun rise, the next morning. Because he had not slept at all the previous night, he was extremely fatigued, and his body was sore. Disregarding his physical state, Harry slithered out of his shelter and hoisted himself to his feet. He had not yet examined his injuries, but from the extreme throbbing in his ankle, the stinging of his scrapes, and the tenderness of his neck, he guessed that he must look pretty bad. He adjusted the position of his cloak, making sure that he was completely covered. He knew that soon people would be leaving their homes and starting their days, and he didn't want to be noticed by anyone.
Harry limped down the street slowly and formulated a plan. He was looking for a way to get to Diagon Alley. If he could find a way to get to his vault at Gringotts, maybe he could withdraw enough gold to survive on the run in the muggle world. He wasn't sure if he would be safe there, but he assumed that being in the wizarding world would be less dangerous than remaining in Surrey. He was wracking his brain to come up with a way that he could integrate himself back into wizarding society without being recognized. He knew that he could be easily discovered under his cloak if he were to run into someone on the crowded streets in Diagon Alley, and using a charm to change his appearance could be detected with simple spells; he needed something more permanent.
As Harry considered his options he spotted a grey pickup truck stopped ahead of him, on the side of the street. He could see a man walking toward it, probably heading into work. If Harry could hop into the back before the man took off, he could travel a lot quicker than he could on foot. Ignoring the protest made by his ankle, Harry jogged toward the vehicle. He heard the growl of the engine and knew he had only moments to get himself inside the truck bed. He made it to the edge of the pickup just in time and carefully climbed into the back. He wasn't sure if he had made the right decision, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Harry sat motionless as the truck sped down the road and headed for an unknown destination, leaving a trail of dust in its path.