It took less than a minute for hysterical screams of, "Get him!" from downstairs to reach his ears. Harry rushed to go help but was blocked by the locked door, and all he could do was bang on it with his fists, screaming at them not to hurt Ron's rat.
"He's not mine!" he yelled. "Please, Aunt Petunia! He belongs to a friend—I'll send him back, I promise! Don't hurt him!"
Behind him, Hedwig screeched and rattled her cage. He banged on the door and yelled until he was hoarse, and the skin on his palms raw. No one answered him. Aunt Petunia's screams stopped at one point, doors banged, and he could hear Dudley laugh. He fell with a sob against the door.
He wanted to die. He cried until he couldn't anymore. He couldn't gather the strength to go back to his bed and curled up on the floor in front of the door. His uncle did not come to put locks on the flap, and Harry waited, but Scabbers didn't return.
When it became dark he got up and fed Hedwig his last piece of cheese. He was rubbing her feathers through the cage, not daring anymore to tell her that everything would be fine, when the locks rattled and his door opened. Harry turned, preparing himself for the worst.
His aunt stood there, watching him. "I'm about done with you. Everything you touch, you ruin. We are having important guests tonight, if you can keep quiet here I might let you out tomorrow, otherwise you can forget it, do you hear me?"
"What did you do with Scabbers?" He could barely get the words past his throat. He hated her with every cell in his body and wouldn't care if he never spoke to her again but he had to know.
"Oh? Now the rat has a name? He ran away," she said, her face a cold mask. He had no way to tell from her expression if she was lying but he prayed with all his heart that it was true. "What do you care, he's not yours. You have one last chance. Be quiet if you want us to open this door again."
She started to close the door, and Harry…
… grabbed Hedwig's cage and rushed past her, making his escape. (GO TO CH 21)
… said, "Yes, Aunt Petunia." (GO TO CH 22)