CHAPTER 2: The Chase
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING BOY!" screamed Marge, shaking with fright. Harry stood up and started to run down the stairs but Marge took his foot and he fumbled to the ground.
"LET GO OF ME, " Harry yelled, as he struggled to escape Marge's grip. After a minute of struggling Harry heard Dudley open his bedroom door, peering through a crack he asked, "What's goin' on out here?"
"GO CLOSE the front DOOR!" Marge commanded Dudley. Dudley, only knowing how to take commands quickly dashed down the stairs and slammed the door shut. Hermione, hearing the front door being slammed, realized that Harry must have been caught. She quickly rushed out of the car to the front door. She opened it and sees Harry struggling at the top of the staircase with Marge at his feet.
"DUDLEY CALL THE POLICE " howled Marge, as she spotted Hermione wondering into the house. Dudley, still not knowing what was going on, rushed to the nearest telephone and called the police. Hermione thinking as quickly as her brain could go rushed up the stairs to free Harry from Marge's grip. Harry, holding the cloak tightly, ran down the stairs, out the front door and into the car with Hermione.
"MY FIREBOLT!" Harry rushed back out of the car and back to the front door. He wasn't going to leave his most prized possession behind. He looked up and to his horror saw two ends of the broom snapped into quarters. The broom hadn't the strength to withhold Marge's and his weight during the feud at the top of the staircase. He heard sirens in the distance rounding in on the house. He rushed back to the car and told Hermione to go! They pulled out of the driveway and sped down Privet Street. Harry could see police cars roaring behind them. Hermione sped through the street turning at every corner in hopes of loosing the police. But the persistent officers showed no mercy.
"WHAT IF THEY CATCH US!" wailed Hermione. "I'll be doomed ".
"Don't worry Hermione, if anything we'll just have to use magic -"
"BUT using magic....-"
"I know, but it's our only choice -"
After what seemed like endless chasing Hermione decided to use magic to make her car invisible. After reasoning with Harry, Hermione decided to cast the spell, seeing that Harry has gotten warned many times before. Rounding the last corner she pointed her wand at the dashboard and yelled, "Invisivel Agora ". Harry, once being in an invisible car before, remembered the feeling. He started to see his legs disappear, his torso, and his arms as the whole car turned invisible. Hermione then parked the car in a driveway in hopes the police will pass right on through. To their relief the police sped right past them and down the street. Harry signed in relief as he burst into laughter. Hermione, even having just broken a rule, couldn't help but laugh herself.
"Well that was a close call Harry, I hope I don't get expelled for this...since this is official Hogwarts business, " Hermione said with a sigh of relief herself.
"So, Hermione, are you ready to tell me what this is all about? - "
"After we get to my house. My father knows I'm out here to get you. So don't worry he'll be expecting us in the morning. - "
Harry indeed still wondering what was going on agreed to wait until they've arrived at the Granger's. She started driving, still having the invisibility spell on the car, to her house. He stayed awake to keep Hermione company so she wouldn't fall asleep behind the wheel. He couldn't help but wonder if Hedwig will know that he has left the Dursleys house and what Marge and Dudley will do to her if they see her returning to the house.
After what seemed like hours and hours of traveling Hermione finally informed Harry that they were close. The sky was turning a light pink as the sun started to creep up on the horizon. The light was blinding as they pulled into the driveway of the Granger residence. The house was large in size, larger than any house Harry had ever seen. The walls were made of beige stones with many windows. He could see that the house was not only two stories but three stories up. The roof had a peculiar slant that bedazzled Harry. He saw what seemed to be a very tall chimney made of brick adjacent to the garage. He spotted a window on the second floor with pink curtains. Must be Hermione's room he thought.
"Aparaca Agora, "Hermione said, as she tapped her wand three times on the dashboard. The car slowly re-appeared. Harry felt as if he had just regained his sense of touch as his body appeared in front of him. He took a bit of a shock when he looked at Hermione. She looked as if she'd just wrestled with a bear because her hair was a mess, eyes bloodshot, and her voice coarse. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw her looking like a wreck.
"What's so funny Harry?" Hermione asked, stepping out of the car.
"Nothing really, just happy to escape from the Dursleys I guess," Harry said, half lying.
He stepped out of the car. Hermione told him to get his things out of the trunk while she opens the front door to her house. He lifted his trunk and Hedwig's cage out of the back of the car when Hermione returned to help him. He explained to her about the Firebolt being snapped in half during the incident with Marge back on Privet Street. They both walked quietly to the front door. Harry set his things down in the foyer of Hermione's house. To his surprise the inside was much larger than it looked from the outside. The walls covered with pictures of the family and famous paintings. The round foyer had three door ways leading to different parts of the house with a spiral staircase that lead to the second floor. He saw a magnificent chandelier that hung high above the ground. The floor made of a swirling marble that felt like ice as Harry's feet touched it. He couldn't help but smile at the magnificent interior of her house.
"Well, welcome to my home Harry, " Hermione said with a big smile on her face.
"It's, it's so big, "Harry said still shocked.
"Oh, you've just been abused at the Dursley's, this house is nothing, and you'll get used to it by night fall. - "
Harry suddenly remembered the fact that he still didn't know why Hermione showed up at Privet Street so suddenly at 3 in the morning and why she had brought him to her home. He also thought of Hedwig, and the fact that she doesn't know that Harry was not at the Dursley's anymore.
"Can you tell me what's going on now?" Harry said, with mixed feelings of confusion and frustration.
Hermione ran off to the spiral staircase. Harry started to run after her. She motioned for Harry to stay put. He could hear her foot steps pounding on the ground above him. He waited for a few minutes then Hermione returned with a something in her hands. As Hermione came closer he saw that it was an envelope, an envelope that he recognized. Yellow-ish parchment paper, with emerald green lettering. It was sent from Hogwarts.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING BOY!" screamed Marge, shaking with fright. Harry stood up and started to run down the stairs but Marge took his foot and he fumbled to the ground.
"LET GO OF ME, " Harry yelled, as he struggled to escape Marge's grip. After a minute of struggling Harry heard Dudley open his bedroom door, peering through a crack he asked, "What's goin' on out here?"
"GO CLOSE the front DOOR!" Marge commanded Dudley. Dudley, only knowing how to take commands quickly dashed down the stairs and slammed the door shut. Hermione, hearing the front door being slammed, realized that Harry must have been caught. She quickly rushed out of the car to the front door. She opened it and sees Harry struggling at the top of the staircase with Marge at his feet.
"DUDLEY CALL THE POLICE " howled Marge, as she spotted Hermione wondering into the house. Dudley, still not knowing what was going on, rushed to the nearest telephone and called the police. Hermione thinking as quickly as her brain could go rushed up the stairs to free Harry from Marge's grip. Harry, holding the cloak tightly, ran down the stairs, out the front door and into the car with Hermione.
"MY FIREBOLT!" Harry rushed back out of the car and back to the front door. He wasn't going to leave his most prized possession behind. He looked up and to his horror saw two ends of the broom snapped into quarters. The broom hadn't the strength to withhold Marge's and his weight during the feud at the top of the staircase. He heard sirens in the distance rounding in on the house. He rushed back to the car and told Hermione to go! They pulled out of the driveway and sped down Privet Street. Harry could see police cars roaring behind them. Hermione sped through the street turning at every corner in hopes of loosing the police. But the persistent officers showed no mercy.
"WHAT IF THEY CATCH US!" wailed Hermione. "I'll be doomed ".
"Don't worry Hermione, if anything we'll just have to use magic -"
"BUT using magic....-"
"I know, but it's our only choice -"
After what seemed like endless chasing Hermione decided to use magic to make her car invisible. After reasoning with Harry, Hermione decided to cast the spell, seeing that Harry has gotten warned many times before. Rounding the last corner she pointed her wand at the dashboard and yelled, "Invisivel Agora ". Harry, once being in an invisible car before, remembered the feeling. He started to see his legs disappear, his torso, and his arms as the whole car turned invisible. Hermione then parked the car in a driveway in hopes the police will pass right on through. To their relief the police sped right past them and down the street. Harry signed in relief as he burst into laughter. Hermione, even having just broken a rule, couldn't help but laugh herself.
"Well that was a close call Harry, I hope I don't get expelled for this...since this is official Hogwarts business, " Hermione said with a sigh of relief herself.
"So, Hermione, are you ready to tell me what this is all about? - "
"After we get to my house. My father knows I'm out here to get you. So don't worry he'll be expecting us in the morning. - "
Harry indeed still wondering what was going on agreed to wait until they've arrived at the Granger's. She started driving, still having the invisibility spell on the car, to her house. He stayed awake to keep Hermione company so she wouldn't fall asleep behind the wheel. He couldn't help but wonder if Hedwig will know that he has left the Dursleys house and what Marge and Dudley will do to her if they see her returning to the house.
After what seemed like hours and hours of traveling Hermione finally informed Harry that they were close. The sky was turning a light pink as the sun started to creep up on the horizon. The light was blinding as they pulled into the driveway of the Granger residence. The house was large in size, larger than any house Harry had ever seen. The walls were made of beige stones with many windows. He could see that the house was not only two stories but three stories up. The roof had a peculiar slant that bedazzled Harry. He saw what seemed to be a very tall chimney made of brick adjacent to the garage. He spotted a window on the second floor with pink curtains. Must be Hermione's room he thought.
"Aparaca Agora, "Hermione said, as she tapped her wand three times on the dashboard. The car slowly re-appeared. Harry felt as if he had just regained his sense of touch as his body appeared in front of him. He took a bit of a shock when he looked at Hermione. She looked as if she'd just wrestled with a bear because her hair was a mess, eyes bloodshot, and her voice coarse. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw her looking like a wreck.
"What's so funny Harry?" Hermione asked, stepping out of the car.
"Nothing really, just happy to escape from the Dursleys I guess," Harry said, half lying.
He stepped out of the car. Hermione told him to get his things out of the trunk while she opens the front door to her house. He lifted his trunk and Hedwig's cage out of the back of the car when Hermione returned to help him. He explained to her about the Firebolt being snapped in half during the incident with Marge back on Privet Street. They both walked quietly to the front door. Harry set his things down in the foyer of Hermione's house. To his surprise the inside was much larger than it looked from the outside. The walls covered with pictures of the family and famous paintings. The round foyer had three door ways leading to different parts of the house with a spiral staircase that lead to the second floor. He saw a magnificent chandelier that hung high above the ground. The floor made of a swirling marble that felt like ice as Harry's feet touched it. He couldn't help but smile at the magnificent interior of her house.
"Well, welcome to my home Harry, " Hermione said with a big smile on her face.
"It's, it's so big, "Harry said still shocked.
"Oh, you've just been abused at the Dursley's, this house is nothing, and you'll get used to it by night fall. - "
Harry suddenly remembered the fact that he still didn't know why Hermione showed up at Privet Street so suddenly at 3 in the morning and why she had brought him to her home. He also thought of Hedwig, and the fact that she doesn't know that Harry was not at the Dursley's anymore.
"Can you tell me what's going on now?" Harry said, with mixed feelings of confusion and frustration.
Hermione ran off to the spiral staircase. Harry started to run after her. She motioned for Harry to stay put. He could hear her foot steps pounding on the ground above him. He waited for a few minutes then Hermione returned with a something in her hands. As Hermione came closer he saw that it was an envelope, an envelope that he recognized. Yellow-ish parchment paper, with emerald green lettering. It was sent from Hogwarts.