Chapter One -- Highway Robbers
Harry was in the back seat next to Dudley when it happened. The Dursleys were driving him back to to Little Whinging from the station. Everyone was silent, except for a few mutterings from Uncle Vernon like, "How dare that goggle-eyed git treat me that way?" They were on a narrow, isolated, suburban road. All at once, there was a cracking noise and a tree fell across their path. Uncle Vernon slammed on the brakes, cursing. Just as he started to back up, another tree came down right behind them.
"What is going on here?" gasped Aunt Petunia.
Two masked figures ran up to the car.
"Highway robbers in broad daylight!" said Vernon. "H-here, take my wallet and leave us alone."
Harry, with a sinking feeling in his gut, recognized them as Death Eaters. They were Bellatrix Lestrange and man he didn't know.
"We don't want your money, Muggle," said Bellatrix softly, "We want Potter."
"Get out of the car, Potter," said the man.
Harry realized they should have thought of this. Now that Voldemort's cover was blown and he had lost the prophecy, there was nothing to prevent him from attacking Harry openly. He hoped an agent of the Order of the Phoenix was watching, but probably they were waiting back near the house rather than trying to follow the car.
"You heard the man, Potter, get out!" demanded Uncle Vernon, leaning over the seat and giving him a shove towards the door.
"You can't put him out, Vernon," protested Petunia.
"The neighbors don't know he's back from school yet. We can come up with a story," said Vernon.
"Yes, give him to us and we'll let you live," said Bellatrix.
Harry doubted that she would leave witnesses alive. If only he hadn't put his wand in the suitcase... All he could do was struggle with them and hope the Dursleys could get away. He couldn't face more deaths on his conscience.
"Go, Potter," shouted Uncle Vernon. "This car is my property, and you're trespassing."
"Your property, so it's like your home..." said Harry, seeing a ray of hope.
"Yes, yes, my car is an extension of my house. So get out!"
I'm home, thought Harry, and suddenly Uncle Vernon's hand slipped off him with an electric tingle as it had in the house when he'd tried to throttle Harry.
"Come out, boy, or we'll kill your little Muggle family," crooned Bellatrix.
"Kill one now to show we mean business," said the male Death Eater.
"Too quick. I want to enjoy this," she said. She pointed her wand at Dudley, who had turned white and curled into a ball.
Harry wasn't sure if only he was protected, or if all the family was. There was nothing he could do but try it...
"Crucio!" shouted Bellatrix. The magical energy bounced back from the car and hit both the Death Eaters with double intensity. They fell to the ground screaming in pain.
"T-the Master didn't think they would be protected by the blood charm away from the house," cried the man.
"Get us out of here!" shouted Harry to Uncle Vernon.
Vernon scraped the car around the leafy end of the tree in front, then gunned the engine as fast as he could.
"We'll be safe in the house," said Harry. "There's a spell that protects us as long as I'm in the home of a blood relative."
"What happens the next time you leave the house?" asked Aunt Petunia. "What if they try to kill us then?"
"I don't know..." said Harry.
Harry was in the back seat next to Dudley when it happened. The Dursleys were driving him back to to Little Whinging from the station. Everyone was silent, except for a few mutterings from Uncle Vernon like, "How dare that goggle-eyed git treat me that way?" They were on a narrow, isolated, suburban road. All at once, there was a cracking noise and a tree fell across their path. Uncle Vernon slammed on the brakes, cursing. Just as he started to back up, another tree came down right behind them.
"What is going on here?" gasped Aunt Petunia.
Two masked figures ran up to the car.
"Highway robbers in broad daylight!" said Vernon. "H-here, take my wallet and leave us alone."
Harry, with a sinking feeling in his gut, recognized them as Death Eaters. They were Bellatrix Lestrange and man he didn't know.
"We don't want your money, Muggle," said Bellatrix softly, "We want Potter."
"Get out of the car, Potter," said the man.
Harry realized they should have thought of this. Now that Voldemort's cover was blown and he had lost the prophecy, there was nothing to prevent him from attacking Harry openly. He hoped an agent of the Order of the Phoenix was watching, but probably they were waiting back near the house rather than trying to follow the car.
"You heard the man, Potter, get out!" demanded Uncle Vernon, leaning over the seat and giving him a shove towards the door.
"You can't put him out, Vernon," protested Petunia.
"The neighbors don't know he's back from school yet. We can come up with a story," said Vernon.
"Yes, give him to us and we'll let you live," said Bellatrix.
Harry doubted that she would leave witnesses alive. If only he hadn't put his wand in the suitcase... All he could do was struggle with them and hope the Dursleys could get away. He couldn't face more deaths on his conscience.
"Go, Potter," shouted Uncle Vernon. "This car is my property, and you're trespassing."
"Your property, so it's like your home..." said Harry, seeing a ray of hope.
"Yes, yes, my car is an extension of my house. So get out!"
I'm home, thought Harry, and suddenly Uncle Vernon's hand slipped off him with an electric tingle as it had in the house when he'd tried to throttle Harry.
"Come out, boy, or we'll kill your little Muggle family," crooned Bellatrix.
"Kill one now to show we mean business," said the male Death Eater.
"Too quick. I want to enjoy this," she said. She pointed her wand at Dudley, who had turned white and curled into a ball.
Harry wasn't sure if only he was protected, or if all the family was. There was nothing he could do but try it...
"Crucio!" shouted Bellatrix. The magical energy bounced back from the car and hit both the Death Eaters with double intensity. They fell to the ground screaming in pain.
"T-the Master didn't think they would be protected by the blood charm away from the house," cried the man.
"Get us out of here!" shouted Harry to Uncle Vernon.
Vernon scraped the car around the leafy end of the tree in front, then gunned the engine as fast as he could.
"We'll be safe in the house," said Harry. "There's a spell that protects us as long as I'm in the home of a blood relative."
"What happens the next time you leave the house?" asked Aunt Petunia. "What if they try to kill us then?"
"I don't know..." said Harry.