Chapter 4 Stepping Up To the Plate

Lupin lead Harry into the dining room to discuss the events of earlier that day. Tonks and Mad Eye joined in the conversations as Harry explained the fight and confrontation with his uncle.

Mad Eye growled in anger incoherently, "…those blasted muggles…I'll show them…"

Tonks rolled her eyes and gave Harry a sympathetic smile. Lupin balled up his fists tightly and slowly seethed, "They are going to pay." Harry taken slightly aback by his sudden hostility just realized how much Remus cared about him.

"Harry, we're going to go over and get what's left of your stuff and deal with the Dursley's." Harry looked as if he was going to say something to respond to Lupin, but thought better of it. He quickly followed the others out the front door.

Lupin and Moody stormed up to the Dursley's door and pounded on it so ferociously that it rattled at its hinges. Movement could be heard inside, but it was obvious no one was coming to let them in. Lupin snarled, "Reducto" and the door blasted inward and shredded to fine splinters.

Harry looked up in extreme surprise at this man who had such a gentle countenance just a little earlier was now replaced with the look of an angry lion. He hesitated to move but was prodded forward by an angry moody and Tonks, who wore a bemused look mixed with slight surprise.

Moody whipped out his wand and pointed it at Vernon Dursley and growled, "I told you if you mistreated this boy, we'd come after you…" He roughly mumbled something, a yellow light shot out from the tip of his want, and hit Mr. Dursley in the shoulder, sending him against the wall. Mrs. Dursley shrieked as she ran to where he had landed. Dudley squealed and headed towards the stairs. Moody's magical eye rolled around in its socket, and he quickly sent a stunning spell that hit Dudley. He dropped instantly with a heavy –THUD.

Everyone's eyes were on Mr. Dursley now, but before anyone could say or do anything, Harry toppled over with a roar of laughter at the sight of his uncle being turned into an armadillo. Tonks and Lupin glanced curiously at the ball-like figure before them. As they leaned in closer, Petunia screeched, "Get away from me!" She caught a quick glimpse at her son laying the floor and ran to him. "Duddykins….is my baby alright?" She flung her arms around him and let out some muffled whimpers.

Moody motioned for the other to head towards them He ordered Tonks up to Harry's room to get anything else that he left behind. Harry made to follow her, but Lupin held him back. "You deserve to see this Harry."

Harry shifted awkwardly and looked down at his aunt who was watching everyone apprehensively. Moody made a small step towards and Petunia shook but did not move from where she was. He lifted his wand, and Harry watched his Aunt Petunia sprawl herself outward to protect her son. Harry remembered the visions he had of his parents' murder and seeing a jet of green light his his mum as she sacrificed herself for him. At that moment, Harry made a connection between his and aunt and mom that he never thought would happen…she was willing to sacrifice herself for her son just as his mother had done for him.

Much to everyone's surprise, Harry stepped in front of his aunt, looked determinedly at Moody, and firmly said, "No."

"Move aside Potter. We need to teach these muggles a lesson."

"No," Harry said more forcibly. "I will not let you."

Moody took one step and then he was blown backwards by some strong force. He eyed him suspiciously still gripping his wand tightly, while Lupin looked at him with mild shock. The woman on the floor stared into his emerald green eyes for the first time Harry could remember searching for something.

After a few minutes of complete silence, Tonks came bumbling down the stairs and looked on at the frozen figures before her. She quickly grabbed Remus by the arm and shoved Moody, and he reluctantly lowered his wand but not before sending a quick jet of light in Mr. Dursley's direction causing him to fly zigzags across the room. Harry noticed his aunt purse her lips but said nothing as she got to her feet. She briskly went into another room without a word, and then when she entered the room again, she was holding a thin stick in her hand. She addressed Remus in a forcible calm manner, "Bring him back now."

With a flick of his wand, Dudley lay frozen in shock on the floor while his eyes darted around to everyone around him eyeing them apprehensively. She pointed at the armadillo zooming around the room, and he fell to the ground with a rattling as a disheveled Vernon Dursley appeared back into his fat human form.

As soon as Vernon could stand, he rounded on Harry. Remus Lupin stepped quickly in front of Harry and pointed his wand at Mr. Dursley's chest. In a dangerous voice, Lupin snarled, "Don't you ever lay another finger on Harry or I assure you, you will wish you were never born."

Vernon blinked and tried to yell, but nothing could escape his lips. Petunia glanced worriedly at her husband and pulled him to step backwards.

Harry, in a state of utter bewilderment, gawked at his aunt and spluttered, "How…what…? She gave him an annoyed sigh but walked over to him, put a delicate hand on his shoulder and said, "Thank you." Harry lowered his gaze but said nothing, still trying to process seeing his aunt with a wand. He became lost in his thoughts for a moment, then recalling the howler she received last year that he later found out was from Dumbledore, he muttered, "Remember my last," out loud to no one in particular.

Petunia and Lupin exchanged looks briefly, and then Remus spoke in a strained voice, "My apologies Petunia. We are going to take Harry here for the summer. I expect he'll be able to come back next year and everything will be in better order." Petunia nodded her agreement, but Vernon's face was quickly rising to a shade of puce and fumed, "That boy will not be returning here!" He looked at his wife for support, but she sent him a cold, hard glare that would have done McGonagall proud.

Vernon shook his head puzzled and bellowed, "Get out of my house you freaks!" In a moment of desperate stupidity, he began chunking anything he could find at the wizards.

Several jets of light went flying across the room at once and landed on their target simultaneously. What everyone saw was a petrified Mr. Dursley with walrus teeth down to the floor, pink bubble-gum hair, and a half transfigured skunk, tail and all. Everyone, with the exception of the Dursley's, doubled over in a fit of laughter.

Dudley tried hiding behind his mother, placing a firm grip on his porky behind and whimpering slightly. Remus collected himself and told Petunia, "We'll be going now and someone will be in touch later about…" he trailed off not finishing the statement. Lupin enlarged the fireplace, handed Harry some floo powder, and told him to shout "The Burrow." He did as he was told and was swallowed by an enormous, hazy green flame. He tumbled head first into the familiar burrow and was greeted by the surprised faces of the Weasleys.

Harry heaved himself off the ground and dusted himself off. He always hated floo powder, and he never seemed to be able to land even halfway gracefully. He straightened his glasses and looked at the Weasley's who were looking at him with mild shock.

"Erm…hi.." he said awkwardly.

Molly bustled over to Harry and enraptured him with an enormous hug. "Hello, Harry dear. So nice to see you…" she said, still not letting go of him.

Fred and George, followed by Ron got up from the table and made their way towards them. "Mum, you're suffocating him."

"I'll think he'll be dead soon. Hey Harry can I have your eyes once they've bugged out," George smirked.

Molly sent a fierce glare to the twins as she lessened her embrace on Harry. He breathed freely and was greeted by a clap on the shoulder by Ron, "Hey Mate. Good to see ya. Whatcha doin here?"

"Yes, Harry dear, "Mrs. Weasley chimed in. "What are you doing here? Did something happen? "Are you ok?"

Harry was flooded with so many questions at once, but before he got a chance to respond, Lupin, Moody, and Tonks apparated behind Harry. Mrs. Weasley quickly stood up and yelled, "Alright everyone upstairs, NOW!"

"But Mum…" the twins whined. "We are of age. You can't make us leave." Mrs. Weasley glare shot daggers at her sons.

"I want ALL of you to go straight up stairs NOW and help Harry settle in. We will come and get you when we are done." She could see the indignant looks on all the faces of her children glaring back at her, but her voice had a tone of finality, and they thought it was better not to argue seeing as they could get a few questions answered from Harry.

Harry followed the twins and Ron up the stairs, followed by a quiet Ginny Weasley. The group trudged up a few more flight of steps when they finally entered Ron's room at the top of the house. They all filed into the room, and Harry was filled with the familiar sights of seeing the movable posters of the Chudley Canons, Ron's favorite quidditch team, whirling around on their broomsticks and saw an excited owl causing quite a ruckus in his cage.

Breaking the silence, Ginny spoke up, "So how you've been doing Harry?" Harry looked up and stared at Ginny for a moment. He looked Ginny over and noticed that there something was different about her. He couldn't exactly point out what it was, but it was obvious that she had grown up over the recent years, and not it was just now that he noticed that she was more than Ron's little sister. Harry gaped at her for a moment longer, and then Ron nudged him in the side, bringing him back to his senses. "What's going on Mate? What are you doing here?"

The eager faces of the Weasley twins widened in expression as they too waited to hear Harry speak. Harry told them how he blew up at his uncle and the fight that happened afterwards. He told them of how he magiked some things in order to disappear from the Dursley, and then that Moody and Lupin brought him over to Ms. Figg's house. Harry watched as they listened in baited breath at everything was telling them. He finished with the last events that happened at the Dursleys' and the rest of the Weasley's howled in laughter at the half-transfigured form of a skunk with walrus teeth and bubble-gum hair. Harry looked at them for a moment, but then bowled over in a fit of laughter because that was an image he would not be likely to forget.

After a short time had passed, Harry and the others began to wonder what sort of things were being discussed downstairs. The twins disappeared with a sudden pop, and then reappeared a few moments later with a mischievous curl on their lips. They handed Harry a pair of what seemed to be extendable ears, Harry's face broadened into an impish grin, followed by a similar one on Ron's face.

Ginny voiced some doubt, "Don't you think Mum would have put up an Imperturbable Charm?"

Fred looked at her incredulously, "Not you too Ginny."

Ginny hoisted herself up definiantly and retorted, "I'm nothing like the git Percy. It's just that don't you think Mum would be used to you having those by now and put one up to where we couldn't hear anything."

George smiled proudly, "Ginny, no worries. We've made some improvements to these that no one knows about where they can get through almost any imperturbable charm. We also have these." He pulled out a pair of muggle looking joke glasses where eyes with springs bug out. "These are one of our latest creations. They are extendable eyes."

Ron looked at his brothers with mock surprise. The twins smirked at their brother and pocketed the funny looking glasses and chided together, "So shall we go?"

All of them filed out of Ron's room and quietly headed down the stairs. "Okay, go." Fred whispered, and the skinny worm-like apparatuses began snaking before them. As they continued to walk down the steps, they heard muffled whispers of the adults, "…so what's going to happen to Harry now? …He can't go back to the Dursleys…I can't believe that happened…" The voices trailed to silence as they heard a creak on the steps from the children coming down the steps. "FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" screamed Mrs. Weasley. " I TOLD YOU LOT TO WAIT UPSTAIRS!" She let out a frustrated sigh, and then quickly turned to Harry. "Harry dear, please come over here. We were just discussing what happened earlier. I'm so sorry dear," she said as she roughly threw her arms around Harry's neck.

Suddenly, someone shot out from the fireplace, and there, before them, stood an anxious looking Mr. Weasley.