Chapter 25: Return Fire

The first thing Ellie noticed when she got downstairs was that there was six places set at the dining room table.

"Who are the extra plates for?" She asked her father when she entered the kitchen.

"Dennis is having a few friends over."

Ellie's stomach sank.

First, her mother was taken by the most evil wizard in the world, and now she had to put up with her brother's moronic friends.

At that moment, the phone rang. Ellie was surprised when her father handed her the receiver and said, "It's for you."

She hesitated before taking the phone, not sure who was going to be on the other end.

"Hello." Ellie said tentatively.

"Where on earth have you been? I've been worried sick! Are you alright?" Jo's voice blasted through the earpiece.

"I'm fine. At least I am at the moment." Ellie replied, glancing at her father who was watching her like a hawk.

"What do you mean?" Jo asked.

"Well, I'm kinda grounded."

"Grounded? For what?"

"For lying about where I was...amongst other things."

"What other things?"

"Like kicking my father in the shin." Ellie said, glancing at her father again.

"Why would you do a thing like that?"

"It's a long story."

With the tone in Ellie's voice, Jo could tell that her friend wasn't going to say anything more on the subject, and moved on to the most pressing question.

"So, where have you been? The last time I talked to you was when you called on Saturday, and you didn't tell me too much then."

"I'm afraid I can't tell you any more at the moment either."

"Why not?"

"Because my father is listening in on my conversation."

"Oh." Jo said, understanding Ellie's reluctance to disclose any details. "Well, I'll just ask you questions that require a yes or no answer. Did you meet any wizards?"

"Yes." Ellie replied, trying to sound like Jo had asked a different question.

"Did they hurt you?" Jo asked with concern.

"No."

"Where they nice?"

"Most of them."

"Hey, you didn't answer yes or no." Jo said in a jocular tone.

Ellie smiled, but suddenly she sensed that her father was standing directly behind her, a sure sign that it was time to get off the phone.

"Uh...Jo, I gotta go. My dinner is ready. I'll tell you everything on the bus tomorrow."

"Ellie, hasn't anyone told you?"

"Told me what?"

"Almost everything is shut down until there is a definite stop to these attacks, including schools."

"Oh." Ellie said in surprise. "Then I guess I'll talk to you when school starts again, or when I'm un-grounded, which ever happens first."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye."

Ellie had just sat down at the dinner table when Dennis, Malcolm, Piers, and Dudley came in.

Of course, Dudley sat right next to Ellie, making her evening even worse.

"So, where have you been?" Dennis bluntly asked.

Ellie remained silent.

"It doesn't matter where she's been. The important thing is that she is safe at home." Mr. Richards said diplomatically.

Dennis gave Ellie a suspicious look, but didn't question the matter any further.

"Where have you been?" Ellie returned the question to her brother.

"We've been patrolling the streets. No wizard is going to attack this town." Dennis said proudly, as if he were doing a great deed to society.

"Don't you think that's a bit dangerous?" Ellie asked.

"They're big, strong boys Ellie. They can look after themselves." Mr. Richards said through a mouth full of peas.

"But magic is magic. It doesn't matter how big or strong you are. A simple spell could turn them into a mouse...or even a pig. Don't you agree Dudley?"

Dudley turned very pale at the question being directed at him.

"Uhhh...umm...." He stammered.

"Well, we'll just have to punch the bugger out before he can do any hocus pocus on us." Dennis said in a macho tone.

"You know, your sister might have a point." Mr. Richards began. "Size doesn't matter when it comes to these freaks. I think you should stay in tonight, and no more patrols."

"But dad!"

"No buts! I don't want any more harm to come to this family."

The dinner table fell silent, and Dennis shot Ellie a loathsome glare.

Mr. Richards left the table early, so he could check the news for any more updates about the 'Wizard Crisis'. This left Ellie alone with the four boys.

"Hey Smelly Ellie, pass the potatoes." Dudley said rudely.

"Sure thing Dinky Duddiums." Ellie replied, pushing the bowl towards him.

Dudley turned red, as Dennis, Piers and Malcolm snickered.

"What did you call me?" Dudley asked through gritted teeth.

"Dinky Duddiums." Ellie casually replied. "I figured since you've been calling me 'Smelly Ellie' for so many years, I thought it was about time I gave you a nick name."

Dudley was looking very furious at Ellie.

"Well, if you don't like that one I could call you Ickle Dudleekins or Dudley Wudley or my favorite Popkin."

Ellie did her best not to burst into laughter, but Dennis and the others had far less control.

Dudley was now a shade of deep purple, and gave his three friends the most venomous glare he possibly could, which shut them up quickly.

Ellie was proud of her accomplishment, and figured that Dudley would never bother her again.

After clearing her plate away from the table, Ellie was on her way to her bedroom when she decided to stand in the hallway and listen to some of the newscast.

"...schools and businesses have been closed, and a travel advisory has been placed on London and the surrounding area. The rest of the world is on high alert, after the captured assailant disclosed that wizards are spread out all over the world, not just localized in Great Brittan. However, London is the only city to fall prey to such horrid attacks."

Ellie remained perfectly still, attentively listening to the reporter.

"The whereabouts of the five missing people are still unknown..."

Ellie could hear her father sigh in disappointment.

"...Scotland Yard believes that they are still alive and being held captive by Lord Dumbledore, leader of the wizards, for reasons not yet determined. To recap, after this mornings attack it was discovered that a secret society of wizards are responsible. These wizards can blend in easily amongst normal people, and are to be considered dangerous. Currently the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Defense are discussing an appropriate course of action. We now turn to Edward Page for some breaking news."

Ellie crept closer to the living room and poked her head in just enough to see the television.

"Scotland Yard has just released a composite sketch of the person believed to be Lord Dumbledore's right hand man, Harry Potter."

A black and white drawing of a young man with dark hair, glasses, and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead appeared on the screen. Ellie didn't think it was a very flattering picture. The nose was too long, and the shape of the face was all wrong, but it was a close enough likeness.

Mr. Richards furiously glared at his daughter, as if he knew she had been standing there the entire time.

Ellie took this as her cue to leave. She turned around, but was startled to find Dudley blocking the stairway.

"Could you excuse me please?" Ellie asked impatiently, keeping her voice low enough so her father couldn't hear.

"I know where you've been." Dudley said smugly, with the same volume of voice that Ellie had used.

"Good for you! Can you get out of my way now?" Ellie said more firmly, but Dudley didn't budge.

"I won't turn you into the police if you agree to go out with me."

"What?!" Ellie exclaimed. Suddenly aware of how loud she was, Ellie glanced towards the living room to see if her father had overheard, but there was no sign that he did.

"You just spent three days with the notorious Harry Potter. Scotland Yard would love to have a talk with you, but they won't if you just go on three dates with me."

"Are you really that thick?" Ellie asked with a slight laugh, which confused Dudley.

"Do you really think that you can threaten me when you're the one who is related to Harry, and has been living in the same house with him for the past fifteen years? And for the past six years, you've known that he was a wizard, which means that you could have gone to Scotland Yard yourself, and prevented all these attacks in the first place. You and both of your parents could be sent to jail for harboring a wizard."

It only took Dudley a few seconds to realize that Ellie had more to hold against him than he had against her. Slowly and quietly, he moved away from the stairs.

Ellie had only climbed five steps when she turned around.

"You know perfectly well that Harry has nothing to do with these attacks."

"Actually, I wouldn't put it past him." Dudley said coldly. "Do you know how many times he's tried to curse me?"

"Do you know how many times you've used him as a human punching bag?"

Dudley turned away, but Ellie wasn't finished.

"You deserved everything you got, from the four foot tongue to being trapped in the snake cage at the zoo."

Dudley's face turned beat red at the reminder of such awful memories.

"My cousin is a dangerous and unstable freak who needs to be locked away."

"He is not a freak!" Ellie snapped.

"Why do you even care?" Dudley asked, but suddenly his face went blank and his eyes widened. "You fancy him, don't you?" He said in astonishment.

Ellie could feel her face begin to blush.

"How on earth could you fall for someone like him?!"

"Because he is the exact opposite of you." Ellie remarked, and stormed off to her room.