Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to those with far great intelligence and attention spans then I. Harry Potter and all related material belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers, etc. Only the original ideas or plot belong to me, and they're so enormously lackluster I'd probably be forced to pay someone to steal them.
Author's Notes: Wahoo! Reviews! :D Many, many thanks. This chapter is slightly darker then the previous two, and may worsen as Harry's situation worsens. In any case, let me know what you think!
The Flight From Death
Chapter IV: Downhill
Vernon Dursley inhaled luxuriously, the mingling smells of toast, bacon, and flapjacks reaching his pudgy nostrils. He was, in his opinion, on a roll. Feeling thoroughly emboldened after his expulsion of his 'ruddy abnormal nephew', he quite felt as though nothing in the world could go wrong.
Strutting down the stairs with the air of a battle hero returning from a most victorious mission, he was slightly surprised to find that his wife was not prompt in expressing her undying pride and gratitude to him after disposing of their 'problem'.
No, Petunia Dursley looked downright anxious – the crackling of bacon on the stove made her jump, and as Vernon's heavy footfalls sounded in on the linoleum kitchen floor, she positively shrieked, flinging her arms up to cover her face instinctively, succeeding only in knocking the toaster off the counter, and sending two slices of toast skidding across the floor at her husband's feet.
"P-Petunia?"
At the sound of Vernon's voice, suspicious eyes peered from between her arms. Immediately her demeanor changed, offering a terse, "Good morning," before bending down to scoop the toast off of the floor and deposit it in the dust bin (Although, this was hardly necessary, as Petunia made certain that her floor was perfectly pristine, and clean enough to eat off of).
Deciding not to question his wife's peculiar behavior, Vernon seemed to deem it best that he pour his own coffee – the way his wife's hands were shaking, she may very well spill the entire cream container! Shuffling toward the coffee pot, he made to gather the sugar bowl and scoop, when a sharp rapping sounded incessantly at the door.
Mumbling in a thoroughly disgruntled fashion about the appalling lack of manners the neighbors seemed guilty of, he set down the coffee and condiments and stomped noisily toward the door, pulling it open roughly.
"WHERE IS HE, VERNON?"
Dursley nearly fell over backwards in surprise; standing in the door way, brandishing her purse threateningly, was old Mrs. Figg.
"Er...Pardon?" It was, perhaps, the first time he made use of manners.
"Where is Harry, you bumbling oaf! What have you done with the boy?!"
By now, Petunia had heard the angry shouts from the kitchen, and abandoned the bacon to sidle into the picture, watching Arabella Figg warily, as though hardly daring to suspect. Yet, it was Vernon who answered.
"Got rid of that nasty excuse for a boy, I did! Cast him out! If the world is lucky, he'll be hit by an autobus, and serve him –!" But Vernon was unable to finish, for Arabella began to turn a deep shade of red, and in a furious temper, swung back her purse and slammed it at Vernon's pudgy face.
"YOU GREAT FOOL! THAT BOY IS THE ONLY CHANCE TO OUR WORLD! HE MIGHT VERY WELL HAVE BEEN CAPTURED ALREADY! WHAT KIND OF A THICK-HEADED WHALE ARE YOU, EH DURSLEY?" And, with another SMACK! for good measure, she turned on heel and galloped back toward her home with more speed then could be imaginable for one her age.
And the Dursleys stood in shocked silence as the neighbors glared hungrily out their windows, seeming to take selfish satisfaction in finding their normal neighbors ridiculed by an old, batty, and cat-loving woman.
"So again, Potter, I am forced to rescue your ungrateful, arrogant hide from the grasp of the Dark Lord."
Harry was in a state of complete abandonment in hope. Clearly whoever governed his life had a sense of humor, for the very last person Harry wished to be saving him, was Severus Snape. Thankfully, the door to the room was slammed haphazardly open, allowing a very smug looking Wormtail to enter.
"Severus." Wormtail nodded curtly in Snape's direction, and Harry paused to appreciate the irony in the traitor's willingness to conspire with whom was once his fierce enemy in order to torture the son of his best friend.
Snape, however, did not offer any acknowledgement whatsoever to the rat. Obviously he, at least, had not given up that grudge.
"You!" Harry growled, emerald eyes flashing. Suddenly his pain and weakness seemed to fade away as he faced the fool who had betrayed his parents, betrayed Sirius...
And at the thought of Sirius, Harry could stay still in Pettigrew's presence no longer. Hatred burned in him, and in the space of a second he fully registered the situation.
He was captured, again. He would have to be rescued, again. Was he, who must one day defeat Voldemort himself, going to sit in a corner like a good boy while the grown-ups worked to free him? A fire rose in him – he would no longer be a victim!
And with this thought he sprang forward, agile as a cat, diving for Wormtail. Instinctively, one hand reached for the man's wand while the other hurled his knuckles at his face. Snape cursed. Wormtail's eyes widened in shock and a meager squeaking escaping him as he fell over backwards. A jet of red light grazed Harry's fringe, yet he ignored it. As the pair fell, Harry felt his hand connect with the wand and, wrenching forward with all his might, made to pull it out of the other man's grasp.
Quite unfortunately, he had not taken into consideration Wormtail's super-human metal hand. As Peter clung tightly to the wand and Harry slammed forward, there were two sickening cracks.
As Harry's wand hand connected with Pettigrew's face, an unbearable pain tore through the already broken wrist as the bone shattered, and Harry let out a shout of pain. Simultaneously, with the pressure of Harry's functioning hand and Wormtail's silver one, the thin wand snapped cleanly in half, a slippery thread-like substance falling out from the hollow interior.
"POTTER!" Snape howled, lunging forward for the boy who was now green with pain, yet punching brutally at the rat's face with his free hand.
"YOU BETRAYED THEM! YOU BETRAYED YOUR BEST FRIENDS, YOU SICKENING EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING! BETRAYED SIRIUS! SIRIUS IS DEAD! I SHOULD HAVE LET HIM KILLED YOU! I SHOULD HAVE –"
Harry's words were interrupted as another jet of red light met with the small of his back, and the Stunning fell caused him to dissolve in darkness for the third time in twenty-four hours.
Arabella Figg burst through the fireplace at Grimmauld Place, causing a muffled gasp of surprise to escape the forms of two girls seated around the warm fire.
"ALBUS! REMUS! HE'S GONE!"
The affect of these words was instantaneous and quite loud. Upstairs, a shrieking voice began to scream loudly.
"FILTH! SCUM! INVADING THE HOUSE OF BLACK! HALF-BREEDS! MUDBLOOD LOVING –"
"SOMEONE SHUT THAT BLOODY THING UP –"
"Arabella?"
"Oy! What's going on?"
"Mum! Someone's just popped out of the fireplace!"
A door slammed open in a distant room, a stampede of footsteps made their way through the kitchen and into the sitting room, which currently housed a very shocked Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Arabella Figg.
First to enter was Albus Dumbledore, who looked as quite as calm as ever, however betrayed his worries as a note of urgency slipped into the soothing voice.
"Arabella? What has happened?"
Remus Lupin closely flanked Albus to his left, and Alastor Moody to his right. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Hestia Jones followed, along with a horde of the Order members, while a panting Tonks brought up the rear.
"It's Harry! He's gone, left! Vernon's kicked him out, I've only just found out – Mr. Tibbles was hunting for rats and came back in a panic and –"
"Rats?" Remus had gone completely pale, dark eyes betraying his fears.
Dumbledore said nothing, simply turning to Severus who was now staring downward at the Dark Mark upon his left arm, which had begun to glow faintly.
"It's too late, he has found him." The Potions Master sneered.
And chaos broke out.
After Notes: What do you think? If you have any suggestions for the plot, let me know! I have it outlined, yet new ideas are always REALLY appreciated. Thanks! Pleeeeaaaaaseeee Review. :D