Ok… need to know what you guys think. Like it? Yay or Nay? Come on, I know you have an opinion… everyone does. Unless you're… never mind… only myself and I would get it. Pop a review!!! Now, I think several people wanted to know why I named the last chapter "Crushed King" (ok so it was only my sisters but maybe there are more of you…) It symbolized defeat. You know, in chess, when you win, the king is the piece that is all important. I know the queen is the most powerful piece… And so he took the all important piece and crushed it… get it? I hope so. Especially you Kris. Now read!!!!
"Wyatt! It's Darrel!" Darrel yelled, his fist pounding on the front door. "I know you're in there with the kids. Come on! Open up!"
"The kids were here?" Wormtail asked Wadwork.
"I said that already." Wadwork's patience was running thin. "I expect them to be back."
"I remember that now." Wormtail muttered.
"LEO!!" Darrel called again. His fist pounded harder. "Come on man!"
"Do we let him in?" Wormtail asked.
"Yes, and then we kill him." Wadwork walked towards the front door. He jerked it open. "Yes?" He asked.
"Where are they?" Darrel asked.
"What do you mean? Who do you mean by they?" Wadwork played.
"Quit playing. Where is the Halliwells?"
"You must be mistaken. The only people, who live here, are my brother and I. Listen, why don't you come in, maybe we can straighten this out." Wadwork, ushered Darrel into the living room.
"To clean, too feminine. Who or what are you guys?" Darrel asked, drawing out his gun, and aiming it at Wormtail.
Wadwork couldn't handle that. He turned and quickly shot an energy bolt at Darrel. He flew across the room, and landed lifeless against the wall. "We're your worst nightmare." Wadwork teased. "Come on, we wait." He instructed Wormtail.
"Where."
"There's a place where we can see and hear all activity in the house." Wadwork shimmered out, with Wormtail quickly apparating after him.
Leo pulled into the driveway, and saw Darrel's car there. "Something's not right. I want you guys to stay back."
"We're not defenseless you know." Harry said. He indicated to his wand in his hand.
"Ok." Leo cautiously opened the door. It wasn't broken, meaning there wasn't a struggle to get it. He gave a small sigh, when he realized that he wouldn't have to fix the doors, again. Hermione shut the door quietly, and she Ron, and Harry pulled their wands out. Leo lead them to the living room, where it was a mess. "We need to get you guys out of here."
"We want to help first." Hermione insisted. Leo saw the lifeless Darrel on the floor, and ran over to him.
"Fine. Gather all the ingredients, and the book. Be prepared for anything." Leo instructed, healing Darrel. The kids ran to the kitchen.
"What the hell happened?" Darrel demanded.
"I don't know, you probably know more than I do." Leo said, helping Darrel sit up.
"Not much. Some guys pretended to be the real residents of this house, and you and the girls were just figments of my imagination."
"So what freaked him out?"
"I accused them of lying. This house was too clean, and too famine for tow bachelors."
"Ok, I got to get the kids out of here."
"Wyatt, they're not buying the skipping town thing."
"Too bad it's true."
"Just have her call me."
"Can't, there are no phones at Hogwarts. We could send an owl."
"Man, why I still talk to you guys is a mystery."
"Hermione!" They heard Ron scream. It was soon followed by crashes in the kitchen.
"Expelemntras!" They heard Harry yell.
Leo and Darrel ran to the kitchen, where as Harry had promised, they had everything almost under control. They had Wormtail huddling scared in a corner.
"Pertrificus totalus!" Ron yelled, aiming at Wadwork. Something blue shot out of his wand, and Wadwork froze, causing him to become very ridged, and fall onto his nose.
"Pertrificus totalus." Harry said, aiming at Wormtail. Wormtail did the same as Wadwork.
"What did you do to them?" Leo asked.
"Just a binding curse. You gotta help Hermione. I think she's hurt bad." Ron said. Leo cringed. He had enough magic left in him to get them back to Hogwarts, but not enough to heal Hermione and get back.
"Ok, but we won't be able to get back to Hogwarts for a while. There's not enough magic in me. While I'm out, you need to make the potion." Leo said, racing over to Hermione. He looked over at Harry and Ron, who both nodded. As Hermione began to groan, Leo fell to the floor.
"Did you get him?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah."
"He passed out again, didn't he?" Hermione said, indicating Leo.
"There's not enough magic in him to get us back. We need to send an owl to Dumbledore." Harry explained.
"Sir, do you know where we can find an owl post?" Ron asked Darrel.
"Uh… I don't think there is one." Darrel stuttered.
"Ron, you're in a muggle world now. There is no owl post." Harry said.
"Yeah…" Darrel agreed.
"Well, how are we to contact Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know. Here's what I do know. We have to help the Halliwells. That book Leo told us to get the potion from
isn't where we left it." Harry said.
"It's over there." Ron pointed.
Hermione got up from her stool and got the Book of Shadows.
"What are you guys going to do about them?" Darrel asked, he pointed to Wadwork, and Wormtail, who were still on the floor.
"The only way to undo a binding curse, is to say the counter curse. I wouldn't worry about them." Harry explained.
"Oh."
"Besides, they're just scum." Ron added, giving Wormtail a quick kick before he went around to look at the book.
"I'm just going to go, now." Darrel said, slowly making his way to the door.
"No wait! Do you know where we could find-" Hermione asked.
Darrel interrupted before she could finish, "No. I've never spent any time in the kitchen, except for that one Halloween, but I was watching out the window for those blue things. I need to get back and cover up Phoebe's mess." He turned and left, with no more protests from the kids.
"Oh!" Ron jumped back in surprise as he turned the stove on again. Harry put his hand over it, and tuned it off.
"I wouldn't play with that anymore. You're likely to burn yourself."
"Opps!" Hermione said. She was looking through the cupboards for a pot, and tripped over Leo's body. "Ron, could you take him to the living room?" Hermione asked.
"Uh yeah." He bent down and tried to pick him up, but Leo was too big. Harry tossed Ron his wand. Ron flashed a stupid smile. "Wingardium Leviousa." He said. Leo levitated a few feet off the ground. Using his wand, he directed Leo to a couch. When he got back to the kitchen, he saw pots out, and a few ingredients already simmering. "What's next?"
"That wolfsbane."
"We left it in the car." Ron said. "I think Leo was too freaked out by that guy's car being here. I'll go get it." He volunteered.
"Could you get the trunk open without breaking it." Harry challenged.
"Um… yeah. I was able to get my dad's open."
"But his car was wizard proof."
"What that's supposed to mean?"
"I don't think you could."
"You don't?" Ron began to yell.
"Yes!"
"Watch me!" Ron said, storming off.
"You were a little harsh on him." Hermione said.
"You agree with me?" Harry asked her.
"Full heartedly." They began to burst out laughing. "Where's the thyme?"
"Here." Harry handed her the thing of thyme. "What is this potion doing?" He asked.
"I don't know exactly, but, the page it's listed on is about magical shields."
"They're locked someplace."
"And I'm betting the shield wasn't put up by him." Hermione said, she gave a small kick to Wadwork.
"Me either. Will it work on one of Voldemort's shields."
"I hope so, for their sake." Hermione said, adding the thyme.
Ron came back, his head low. "It wouldn't open. There is some sort of lock. I need the keys."
"Have you forgotten all of your first year knowledge?" Harry asked. "Aloha mora?"
"I tried that, and it just closed, again."
"I'll get the wolfsbane." Hermione said. She gave a quick smile, and waltzed out of the kitchen.
"Hey, sorry for screaming at you." Harry said.
"No problem. I might have done the same, if you were having problems getting a common wizarding thing." Ron admitted.
"Good. Could you hand me the rabbit's blood. I think it's in the fridge." Harry said.
"The what?" Ron asked. Remembering that Ron wasn't raised muggle; Harry took a deep breath, and pointed to the fridge. Ron opened it, and grabbed a container, putting it on the counter. "Ron, this is spaghetti sauce." Harry said.
"How did you know that?" Ron asked. Harry pointed to a label on the container, that read "Spaghetti sauce" "I knew that." Harry raised his eye brows. "Really, I did. I just wanted to eat some spaghetti."
"That does sound good. We'll have to make it the muggle way."
"What's that?"
"Er… you need to find the noodles in a cupboard, and we have to boil water."
"That is a lot of work for a little bit of noodles."
"That's the muggle way."
Ron began to open up the cupboards, looking for noodles. "These it?" He asked, holding a bag of linguine noodles.
"Yeah." Harry said.
"I got the wolfsbane." Hermione said, returning with a bag in her hand. "What are you doing?" She asked. Ron was still kneeling on the counter. He quickly scrambled down, and got a pot out of a cupboard.
"We're making spaghetti." Harry said.
"Ok." Hermione dumped the correct amount of wolfsbane into the pot, where the potion was starting to simmer. Harry reached for the container on the counter, forgetting that it was spaghetti sauce.
"Hey, Mione, could you get the rabbits blood out of the fridge?" Harry asked. Hermione tossed Harry a vile of blood. "Thanks.
"What is left?"
"Not much. Just some salt, and barn root."
"Then what?"
"We bottle it."
"With what?"
"Er… hopefully Leo will be awake then."
"Yeah."
"Harry, I got the noodles, and a pot." Ron said, holding the two things up.
"Put water into the pot." Hermione instructed. Ron went over to the sink, and did as he was instructed.
"Excuse me, Wormtail." Ron said. Wormtail was lying in front of the sink, and very much in Ron's way. Ron just stepped on him, for a little leverage. Hermione and Harry began to giggle, at how proper Ron was acting. "Thanks for the leverage." He said, stepping down.
"Now what?"
"We bottle it." Harry said. He wasn't listening. Instead he was staring at the completed potion.
"The water?" Ron asked.
"Oh, sorry, the potion. It's done."
"What do I do with the water?" Ron said, holding the water.
"Give it to Hermione. You're likely to catch the room on fire." Harry said.
Ron gave the water to Hermione. "Thanks for the confidence." Ron said sarcastically.
"Hey, you almost set the room on fire this afternoon."
They heard a crash coming from the foyer. Each one picked up their wands, and went to investigate.