Up in the safety of his room, Harry was awash with confusion. 'I can't
believe it, I just can't believe it,' he kept saying to himself over and
over again as he paced back and forth across the floor. Hedwig seemed to
sense his distress, and began hooting softly and looking around
suspiciously. Harry walked over to Hedwig's cage and scratched her head
through the bars. 'Well, old girl, looks like we're out of the frying pan
into the fire, eh?' Harry whispered into Hedwig's ear. Just then Harry
heard fast heavy footsteps up the stairs, and the door to his room flew
open. His uncle was panting and looking very red in the face. Mr. Dursley
looked around and looked peeved to find Harry not already packed.
"Didn't you hear what Mr. Malfoy said, boy? Get your things together at once and get yourself downstairs!" His uncle was trying to be stern, but he was happily rubbing his huge paws and had a greedy glint in his eye. "But I came to tell you that if you let out so much as a peep about who-know- what." At this, Mr. Dursley dragged his finger across his throat with an ominous grunt. Harry nodded half-heartedly, and made a strained effort to start packing. His uncle turned around and walked back downstairs, jauntily humming a tune, thoroughly convinced that two birds had been killed with one stone.
Harry quickly packed up the few articles of clothing he deemed worth taking, as well as the few magical items he had stashed beneath the loose board in the floor (including the bag). He was suddenly very glad that the Weasleys had offered to keep all his school supplies at their house for the summer, he would have hated to leave them either the Dursley's or the Malfoy's house unattended. He closed his trunk, grabbed Hedwig's cage, and clumsily began to lumber back downstairs, luggage in tow.
Aunt Petunia was trying to convince the Malfoys they should stay for dinner, but Lucius was shaking his head and muttering something about having an early meeting tomorrow. Petunia looked severely disappointed, but it was obvious the she considered the evening to be a tremendous success. When Harry reached the bottom of the stairs, all eyes turned on him
"You're not taking that ridiculous owl to the Malfoy's house, boy! WE may put up with your wild beasts but we can't expect an employer to, now can we?" Harry's uncle stated sternly. But Harry just backed away. "You think I'm leaving her here? No way! If Hedwig doesn't go I don't go!" Hedwig hooted in approval.
Draco walked up to Harry and tried to take Hedwig's cage gently. "Don't worry Harry; you can bring your owl." Harry looked somewhat more relaxed and let him take the cage. Lucius walked over to the door and gestured to the boys to do the same. He took off his hat and bowed low. "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. Don't worry, we'll take good care of Harry," Lucius drawled. The Dursley's looked like they couldn't care less about Harry's treatment, and tried to give him advice to take a "firm hand" with the boy. Lucius nodded, bowed again, and then headed for the limo which was parked, idling, outside their house. Harry could only imagine the gloating that his Aunt Petunia would do the next day about having a limo parked in front of HER house. A driver got out and put Harry's things in the car's trunk, and set Hedwig's cage in the back seat where they would sit, then held the door open for Lucius, Draco, and Harry. The three of them got inside the limo, and the driver shut the door, and proceeded to drive the car out into the foggy night.
Harry had never been inside so grand a car, be he could think of nothing at the moment except that he was trapped, trapped and at the mercy of the Malfoy's. But a strange thing began to happen. Lucius was losing his well- groomed, sleek appearance and was gradually looking more and more like a pudgy Neanderthal. Harry stared wide-eyed as Lucius melted away and Crabbe was left in his place.
"Cra-Crrabbe!?!" Harry half-yelled, half-shrieked. Crabbe had been disguised as Lucius all along! 'Makes sense,' Harry thought, 'I couldn't imagine Lucius stooping so low as to accept an invitation at a Muggle's house.' Still, this situation was getting stranger every moment.
"Ahhh, my friend, it seems the jig is up." Malfoy said jovially. Crabbe didn't seem to think that the situation was funny at all, and looked over at Harry with mildly concealed disgust. "Pay up, Malfoy." Crabbed jutted out his ruddy paw, palm up and out waiting for the payment his humiliating disguise deserved. Malfoy smiled and pulled a small bag full of coins from inside his jacket, and plopped it into Crabbe's eager hand. Crabbe greedily opened it, counting it.
Malfoy snarled, "It's all there you oaf!" Crabbe shot Malfoy a look of distrust, but put the bag in his pocket. At this moment, the car stopped. Crabbe looked out the window, and then opened the door.
Crabbe stepped outside, then turned around and stuck his head back inside the car. "You know you're a sick bastard don't you, Malfoy? Because that's what you are." He shot a lecherous look at Harry and laughed, shaking his head. Malfoy glared back, pulled his wand out of his coat and zapped Crabbe in the rear. "Drive on, driver," Malfoy called, chuckling to himself as Crabbe screamed curses at them. He then pointed to the car door and said "Fermio!" and the door slammed shut. Harry looked at Malfoy in disbelief. He obviously had no regard for the law that prohibited them from doing magic outside of Hogwarts. But then, when did Malfoy ever heed the rules?
Malfoy was reclining in the lush leather seat, looking very self-satisfied. "Oh do close your mouth, Potter. You look so much like a flubberworm that it's making me have flashbacks of Hagrid's class." Harry shut his mouth, but his head was spinning. Collecting all his wits, he closed his eyes and said,"Malfoy, do you mind telling me what the HELL IS GOING ON????"
"Didn't you hear what Mr. Malfoy said, boy? Get your things together at once and get yourself downstairs!" His uncle was trying to be stern, but he was happily rubbing his huge paws and had a greedy glint in his eye. "But I came to tell you that if you let out so much as a peep about who-know- what." At this, Mr. Dursley dragged his finger across his throat with an ominous grunt. Harry nodded half-heartedly, and made a strained effort to start packing. His uncle turned around and walked back downstairs, jauntily humming a tune, thoroughly convinced that two birds had been killed with one stone.
Harry quickly packed up the few articles of clothing he deemed worth taking, as well as the few magical items he had stashed beneath the loose board in the floor (including the bag). He was suddenly very glad that the Weasleys had offered to keep all his school supplies at their house for the summer, he would have hated to leave them either the Dursley's or the Malfoy's house unattended. He closed his trunk, grabbed Hedwig's cage, and clumsily began to lumber back downstairs, luggage in tow.
Aunt Petunia was trying to convince the Malfoys they should stay for dinner, but Lucius was shaking his head and muttering something about having an early meeting tomorrow. Petunia looked severely disappointed, but it was obvious the she considered the evening to be a tremendous success. When Harry reached the bottom of the stairs, all eyes turned on him
"You're not taking that ridiculous owl to the Malfoy's house, boy! WE may put up with your wild beasts but we can't expect an employer to, now can we?" Harry's uncle stated sternly. But Harry just backed away. "You think I'm leaving her here? No way! If Hedwig doesn't go I don't go!" Hedwig hooted in approval.
Draco walked up to Harry and tried to take Hedwig's cage gently. "Don't worry Harry; you can bring your owl." Harry looked somewhat more relaxed and let him take the cage. Lucius walked over to the door and gestured to the boys to do the same. He took off his hat and bowed low. "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. Don't worry, we'll take good care of Harry," Lucius drawled. The Dursley's looked like they couldn't care less about Harry's treatment, and tried to give him advice to take a "firm hand" with the boy. Lucius nodded, bowed again, and then headed for the limo which was parked, idling, outside their house. Harry could only imagine the gloating that his Aunt Petunia would do the next day about having a limo parked in front of HER house. A driver got out and put Harry's things in the car's trunk, and set Hedwig's cage in the back seat where they would sit, then held the door open for Lucius, Draco, and Harry. The three of them got inside the limo, and the driver shut the door, and proceeded to drive the car out into the foggy night.
Harry had never been inside so grand a car, be he could think of nothing at the moment except that he was trapped, trapped and at the mercy of the Malfoy's. But a strange thing began to happen. Lucius was losing his well- groomed, sleek appearance and was gradually looking more and more like a pudgy Neanderthal. Harry stared wide-eyed as Lucius melted away and Crabbe was left in his place.
"Cra-Crrabbe!?!" Harry half-yelled, half-shrieked. Crabbe had been disguised as Lucius all along! 'Makes sense,' Harry thought, 'I couldn't imagine Lucius stooping so low as to accept an invitation at a Muggle's house.' Still, this situation was getting stranger every moment.
"Ahhh, my friend, it seems the jig is up." Malfoy said jovially. Crabbe didn't seem to think that the situation was funny at all, and looked over at Harry with mildly concealed disgust. "Pay up, Malfoy." Crabbed jutted out his ruddy paw, palm up and out waiting for the payment his humiliating disguise deserved. Malfoy smiled and pulled a small bag full of coins from inside his jacket, and plopped it into Crabbe's eager hand. Crabbe greedily opened it, counting it.
Malfoy snarled, "It's all there you oaf!" Crabbe shot Malfoy a look of distrust, but put the bag in his pocket. At this moment, the car stopped. Crabbe looked out the window, and then opened the door.
Crabbe stepped outside, then turned around and stuck his head back inside the car. "You know you're a sick bastard don't you, Malfoy? Because that's what you are." He shot a lecherous look at Harry and laughed, shaking his head. Malfoy glared back, pulled his wand out of his coat and zapped Crabbe in the rear. "Drive on, driver," Malfoy called, chuckling to himself as Crabbe screamed curses at them. He then pointed to the car door and said "Fermio!" and the door slammed shut. Harry looked at Malfoy in disbelief. He obviously had no regard for the law that prohibited them from doing magic outside of Hogwarts. But then, when did Malfoy ever heed the rules?
Malfoy was reclining in the lush leather seat, looking very self-satisfied. "Oh do close your mouth, Potter. You look so much like a flubberworm that it's making me have flashbacks of Hagrid's class." Harry shut his mouth, but his head was spinning. Collecting all his wits, he closed his eyes and said,"Malfoy, do you mind telling me what the HELL IS GOING ON????"