Harry grabbed Hedwig's cage and rushed past his aunt, making his escape. She reached for him but he was too fast, ducking away from her hands, and the cage bumped her out of the way. Hedwig screeched. His aunt shouted.
"Vernon!" Aunt Petunia yelled when he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Stop him!"
His uncle appeared between him and the front door. Harry was going to barrel past him, if need be he would swing the cage at him, and apologise to Hedwig later, but just as he prepared to follow through on his wild plan, his uncle inexplicably stepped aside. Then reached behind him and opened the front door.
"Don't come back, boy."
"I don't plan to," he rasped. He…
...ran past his uncle. (GO TO CH23)
...stopped. (Chx)