Disclaimer:-- The characters don't belong to me but this storyline does, yada yada, etc etc.

Chapter Four - The Escape

The next morning Harry awoke to Hedwig pecking at his window in an attempt to get in. His immediate thought was to roll over and go back to sleep but all too quickly the events of the previous night came to him and he realised that Hedwig would have a reply from Sirius and Remus. He crossed to the window and Hedwig flew through it dropping a letter onto Harry's bed as she flew over it. Harry picked up the letter and read it;

Dear Harry, I understand that last night must have been a shock to you, I realise now that we went about things the wrong way (***what is he on about***) I will be over later to explain to you properly (***he's coming here?!***) see you soon, Sirius

Harry re-read the letter wondering what the heck was going on.

Sirius must be fairly close to here, Harry thought, how else would he reply so quickly??? What on earth is going on? I don't understand.

'Right, I think we need to talk.' Harry was bumped back into reality by a voice from by his wardrobe which he recognised instantaneously

'Sirius!!'

'And Remus Harry, don't forget him or he'll start sulking again.'

Sirius and Remus stepped out of the shadows enveloping Harry into a bear hug as they did so. To an outsider it would have seemed strange, a strapping fifteen year old boy like Harry who was hugging Sirius and Remus as though there was no tomorrow but it was so rare for the three of them to be in one place at once that none of them cared.

'What's going on you two?' Harry suddenly became serious.

'Ah yes Harry, well, ummmmmm, there's no easy way to say this but, ummmmmm..'

Remus cut Sirius off ' Harry, we need to get you away from here and we need to do it today, the visitor you had last night was sent by us, there's no time to explain now but I promise we'll tell you as soon as we are away from here.'

Harry caught the urgency in Remus' voice. It was unusual for him to talk like this and Harry knew it, Remus was not one for panicking unduly and it worried Harry to hear him panic so much now. He glanced at Sirius who offered him just a nod of encouragement. Harry sighed.

'Well I guess I'd better pack then.' Inside he was ecstatic. He was leaving privet drive and was going to spend the rest of the summer with his godfather, his true family, someone that really loved him for who he was.

'You pack Harry, we just need a quick word with your aunt and uncle, come and tell us when you are ready to go' Sirius gave Harry his instructions before walking out of the door.

'One more thing Harry, only pack the bare essentials anything that you aren't likely to need don't bring it. Try to leave your room looking like you are still living here but you've just gone away ok?' Remus followed Sirius through the door and left Harry to his packing.

30 minutes later Harry was done packing. He'd packed all his school books, quills, parchment and broom. He'd also packed some clothes. He'd left his robes in the wardrobe. He needed new ones anyway as he'd had a growth spurt recently and they were now several inches too short for him. He lanced around his room, did a quick check that he hadn't forgotten anything important and dragged his trunk out onto the landing then proceeded to take it downstairs.

The sound at sight that met him at the bottom of the stairs was certainly something to be seen. From his position at the bottom of the stairs he could clearly see a look of sheer terror on his Aunt's face. As he peered around the doorframe into the lounge room he could see why. Dudley was hanging from the ceiling by his feet, with no apparent strings holding him up. Vernon was in the process of belching slugs, something Harry had only seen once before when a hex Ron had tried to put on Malfoy had backfired. Dudley's friend was stood I the door way to the kitchen looking on with what seemed a rather bored look on his face which surprised Harry, If he had never seen magic done before he would have been terrified. Something didn't add up. Harry had to laugh as he sauntered into the room; Remus looked at him and winked,

'It's amazing what your godfather can do when you give him a wand Harry. Are you done packing?'

Harry nodded, 'Where are we going?'

'We'll tell you when we get there Harry.' Said Sirius having put Dudley back down and removed the hex from Vernon

'I always knew you were no good Black.' Stated Vernon icily, 'the day I met you and your good for nothing friends at that weirdo wedding of his (Vernon pointed at Harry) parents, I knew you'd amount to nothing. And I was right.'

'WHAT?!?! Yelled Harry. You knew about Sirius and you never told me!!!! How could you?! All these years you just let me think that no one cared about me and all the time you knew that I had a godfather who cared!'

'Harry, calm down.' Sirius placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder, 'it's not their fault Harry. I was in azkaban, even if you had known about me it would have made no difference. You would have at best have thought I didn't care and at worst believed that I killed your parents. In a way it was best this way because you heard my version of what happened, the true version, not some jumped up media version that wouldn't know the facts it they pinched it on the nose!'

'Come on, it's time we were leaving. Harry say goodbye.'

Harry turned and waved farewell to the Dursleys the last time all the time feeling hatred in the pit of his stomach and hoping upon all hope that he would never have to see them again. Then he followed Sirius and Remus out side, but not before Sirius transformed into a big black dog, scaring the Dursleys half to death in the process. Harry took one last look at his privet drive; he wouldn't miss it, not really. It was sad really, he had lived here for the past fifteen years yet it had never been his home.

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a/n: come on, review, review, review!!!! I want to know someone's actually reading this or I'm going to give up writing it. It really is true that reviews are what keeps writers writing! Give me ideas and stuff, I'll be glad to accept some pointers.