Chapter 8
Percy and Lockhart walked quickly along the highway, Percy repeatedly glancing over his shoulder. He really wished he had some clothes that looked more muggle-like, and Lockharts bright green robes were even worse then Percy's white ones. Percy could pass as a sort of eccentric young doctor, but Lockhart just looked strange. He also wished he could avaporate. He knew he couldn't, then he would surely be caught as people in the hospital probably could detect avaporation from their patients.
"Wow, look at all thoughs cars, they are going really fast! Wow, look at that tree, Percy! Do you like that tree? I think it's one of the best trees I've seen in months! Isn't that amazing!" Lockhart sounded estatic. Percy was worried. What if they didn't get to London? Then he knew they would almost assuredly be caught! London was over 45 miles away accourding to the funny green sign above the highway. Percy knew this was exteemly far to walk, and he doughted they would make it.
They walked in relative silence for awile, the cars all wising past them at an amazing speed. Percy began to wish they had a car. As they went on, Percy wished they had a car even more then he wished Lockhart wasn't with him.
Suddenly, an ancient and scarred blue pickup truck swerved in front of him, blaring something that Percy supposed could be called music, "I cann't feeeel, the way I did before, don't turn your back on me, I WON'T BE IGNORED!"
An around 50-year old muggle in a bright green hat leaned out driver's side and shouted, "Need a ride?" Then he spit. Percy stared for a second, heart leaping even as his senses were repulsed.
"Oh, yes! Thank you, thank you!" Percy yelled over the radio, "Thank you so much sir!" He grabbed Lockhart and raced to the passenger's side, shoving Lockhart in and then squeezing himself in after, even though the muggle was seriously overweight and Percy wasn't sure, but he suspected that the seat was only supposed to seat two resnobly sized people.
The man blew on another one of those strange sticks, spreading smoke all over the compartment. Lockhart began to cough furiously and Percy followed suit. The man threw it out the window and swung his car back into the traffic. "What in bloody hell are you wearing?" he asked curiously with a hint of suspicion. "You aren't one of those weirdos who went to that crazy fantasy convention about a week ago, are you?"
"Uh, no." said Percy truthfully.
"Demented freaks," the man muttered loud enough for them to hear, "What do they think they are? Wizards, dragons. all crazy, the whole lot of them! Anyway, where do you want to go?"
"London! We, uh, live there!" Percy could barely breathe he was so crammed into the car.
Lockhart opened his mouth to speak, and Percy stepped heavily on his foot just in case he was going to say something stupid.
"Ow!" Lockhart protested over the screaming people on the radio.
"What?" the man yelled.
"Nothing!" Percy called over to the muggle like he was speaking from the other end of a basketball court.
The man pulled out another funny stick and almost rammed into the car in front of them in the process. Seeing Percy watching him curiously, he asked, "Want one?"
"Uh.what do they do?" Percy asked.
The man turned down the radio. "What?"
"What do they do?" Percy asked again, louder.
The thing fell out of the mans mouth, "You don't know what a cigarette is? Are you sure your from London?"
"Er, ah."
"It's ok, boys, your secret is safe with me!" turning and seeing Percy's shocked expression, the man laughed. "I was your age once, your running away from home, aren't you?"
"Ah-yeah," Percy lied. Didn't the man realize Lockhart was a bit old to be running away from home?
"We are?" Lockhart asked cheerfully.
"Of course we are, you twit!" God, Lockhart was annoying.
The man looked at them with an odd, rather suspicous expression on his face. "Is he wrong in the head?"
"Ah, yeah, a lot," Percy said, glad he didn't have to lie on that one.
The man merely said, "Ah, I see then," and drove on.
Percy and Lockhart walked quickly along the highway, Percy repeatedly glancing over his shoulder. He really wished he had some clothes that looked more muggle-like, and Lockharts bright green robes were even worse then Percy's white ones. Percy could pass as a sort of eccentric young doctor, but Lockhart just looked strange. He also wished he could avaporate. He knew he couldn't, then he would surely be caught as people in the hospital probably could detect avaporation from their patients.
"Wow, look at all thoughs cars, they are going really fast! Wow, look at that tree, Percy! Do you like that tree? I think it's one of the best trees I've seen in months! Isn't that amazing!" Lockhart sounded estatic. Percy was worried. What if they didn't get to London? Then he knew they would almost assuredly be caught! London was over 45 miles away accourding to the funny green sign above the highway. Percy knew this was exteemly far to walk, and he doughted they would make it.
They walked in relative silence for awile, the cars all wising past them at an amazing speed. Percy began to wish they had a car. As they went on, Percy wished they had a car even more then he wished Lockhart wasn't with him.
Suddenly, an ancient and scarred blue pickup truck swerved in front of him, blaring something that Percy supposed could be called music, "I cann't feeeel, the way I did before, don't turn your back on me, I WON'T BE IGNORED!"
An around 50-year old muggle in a bright green hat leaned out driver's side and shouted, "Need a ride?" Then he spit. Percy stared for a second, heart leaping even as his senses were repulsed.
"Oh, yes! Thank you, thank you!" Percy yelled over the radio, "Thank you so much sir!" He grabbed Lockhart and raced to the passenger's side, shoving Lockhart in and then squeezing himself in after, even though the muggle was seriously overweight and Percy wasn't sure, but he suspected that the seat was only supposed to seat two resnobly sized people.
The man blew on another one of those strange sticks, spreading smoke all over the compartment. Lockhart began to cough furiously and Percy followed suit. The man threw it out the window and swung his car back into the traffic. "What in bloody hell are you wearing?" he asked curiously with a hint of suspicion. "You aren't one of those weirdos who went to that crazy fantasy convention about a week ago, are you?"
"Uh, no." said Percy truthfully.
"Demented freaks," the man muttered loud enough for them to hear, "What do they think they are? Wizards, dragons. all crazy, the whole lot of them! Anyway, where do you want to go?"
"London! We, uh, live there!" Percy could barely breathe he was so crammed into the car.
Lockhart opened his mouth to speak, and Percy stepped heavily on his foot just in case he was going to say something stupid.
"Ow!" Lockhart protested over the screaming people on the radio.
"What?" the man yelled.
"Nothing!" Percy called over to the muggle like he was speaking from the other end of a basketball court.
The man pulled out another funny stick and almost rammed into the car in front of them in the process. Seeing Percy watching him curiously, he asked, "Want one?"
"Uh.what do they do?" Percy asked.
The man turned down the radio. "What?"
"What do they do?" Percy asked again, louder.
The thing fell out of the mans mouth, "You don't know what a cigarette is? Are you sure your from London?"
"Er, ah."
"It's ok, boys, your secret is safe with me!" turning and seeing Percy's shocked expression, the man laughed. "I was your age once, your running away from home, aren't you?"
"Ah-yeah," Percy lied. Didn't the man realize Lockhart was a bit old to be running away from home?
"We are?" Lockhart asked cheerfully.
"Of course we are, you twit!" God, Lockhart was annoying.
The man looked at them with an odd, rather suspicous expression on his face. "Is he wrong in the head?"
"Ah, yeah, a lot," Percy said, glad he didn't have to lie on that one.
The man merely said, "Ah, I see then," and drove on.