Well, 5 reviews! Not quite ten, but I decided to be merciful... Anyways,
thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really, really, really, really
appreciate it!!!
This chapter is dedicated to:
Drusilla, jadehawk, baby chaos, and hpcrazy.
Drusilla: Sorry you're confused.. hopefully this chapter will help.
Jadehawk: Thank you!
Baby chaos: I'm glad you like it!
Hpcrazy: Thanks for reviewing; I'm glad you like it!
~*~Chapter 13~*~
As the Dursleys stared at each other frantically, the knock was repeated. Louder.
Vernon was frantic. "Petunia," he whispered hoarsely. "Grab the boys and run upstairs! Call the police! If whoever it is tries to come in, I'll stall for time. Go!"
Petunia grabbed Dudley by one hand, Harry by the other, and pulled them upstairs into her bedroom. She locked the door, and grabbed the phone from the bedside cabinet, putting it to her ear. But instead of the welcome buzz, instead she heard a low, raspy voice saying, "Don't even think of trying."
Petunia shrieked, and slammed the phone down into the receiver, and fainted.
Harry and Dudley stared at each other in shock, their white faces rimmed with horror and fear.
"What.. what happened?" Dudley croaked.
Harry answered in a whisper. "I have NO idea. What's going on?"
Dudley shook his head. "I dunno.... Why did mum faint? And..."
"Daddy told her to call the police!" Harry moaned.
They looked at each other, and made up their minds. Harry carefully approached the phone, lifted it up, and put it to his ear.
Then he shrieked in fear, and dropped it onto the floor, and turned to Dudley.
"DUDS!" he squeaked. "There- there was a man on the ph-ph-phone and he said- " Harry's teeth were chattering so hard he could barely speak. "He said- that- that- he said that he knows were I am- and he-he's going to c-c-come and g-get me!"
Both Harry and Dudley shuddered. "Should- should I pick up the phone?" Dudley asked bravely. "Someone needs to c-call the police...."
Harry shook his head. "N-no..." he muttered. "I'm scared!"
"What should we do then??"
"I d-d-on't know..."
Dudley thought as well as he could. "Let's go down to D-daddy... maybe he'll know what to d-do?"
The boys held hands tightly, and went down the stairs, slowly. Just as they reached the bottom floor, the house shook and the door flew open with a loud bang.
Standing in the doorway was an old man, seemingly radiating power. His long white beard reached down to his waist, and he had a stern nose. He was wearing long pale-gray robes and a tall hat. But that wasn't what shook Harry. It was the man's eyes- for they were slits, snakelike, and a deep blood-red.
"Good evening!" proclaimed the man in a loud, somewhat too-cheery voice. "Good to see you, Dursley! Where's your lovely wife?"
Vernon stared at the man, also noting the strange eyes. "What- what are you talking about?!!??" he almost yelled. "I DON'T KNOW YOU! What are you doing here?!? Get out of my house!!!"
The man smiled almost cruelly, and took out a smooth, somewhat pointy stick. He waved it at Vernon, muttering a few words, and then said smoothly, "Why, Vernon? Don't you remember me? I'm your best friend!"
Instead of denying it, as the boys expected, Vernon just shook his head blearily, as if he had just woken up, and said slowly, "I remember you. You're my best friend."
The man smiled wider. "That's right! I've just come for a short friendly visit, and I'll be leaving soon!"
"You just came for a short friendly visit and you'll be leaving soon," repeated Vernon monotonously.
The boys stared at each other in horror. What was going on!?!?
"And I came to have a talk with Harry- you'll lead me to a nice quiet room and leave me alone in peace with him."
"I'll lead you to a nice quiet room and leave you alone in peace there." Vernon turned around and started walking to the guest room.
Dudley, terrified, cried, "But DAD!! NO!! Remember the letter!?!? WHAT'S WRONG!?!?"
The man glared at Dudley, with pure hatred in his eyes. He waved his stick at Vernon once again, muttering something like 'perio' and said, "Stop bothering your father, BOY! You're annoying him!"
Vernon turned around, like a machine, and walked toward Dudley. "Stop annoying me, boy! Get out of my way!" He struck Dudley across the face.
Both Dudley and Harry started crying. "NO! DADDY!! PLEASE!! Don't listen to that man!! CALL THE POLICE!!"
This time, the stick was pointed to them, and both suddenly realized that they trusted the man- that kind, funny old man that had come through the door. In fact, they loved him! With this realization, they both realized that that fat, bumbling, red-faced person who had just struck Dudley was their enemy. They hated him, and he was dangerous.
As soon as they understood these things, the fat red-faced man- the one with eyes that seemed glazed-over, for some reason, rushed over, and started to punch them. Hard. In a few seconds, both Harry and Dudley started crying, but luckily for them, the kind man rushed to their help, and knocked the scary man aside, so that the scary man stopped moving.
Harry started crying even harder. "Why did daddy attack us?? I HATE him! He's mean! *sniff* It's not fair! Why do I have to live with him!??!"
Dudley joined him. "I hate my daddy!! I wanna go live with you.. please!"
The man looked at Harry with affection, and smiled at him reassuringly, but he glared angrily at Dudley.
"Kill the spare," he muttered quietly to himself, and waved his stick again, this time at Dudley alone. Suddenly, Harry was attacked once again, but by his own brother.
Harry screamed. "NO!! DUDS!! NO!!"
Dudley didn't hear him. In fact, it seemed as if Dudley didn't hear, see, or feel anything, so intent was he on attacking Harry.
But once again, Harry was 'saved'- the man pulled Dudley off of him, and swung his stick, yelling something like 'abracadabra!'. A bright green light erupted from it, and hit Dudley in the middle of the back. Dudley keeled over, and lay there, unmoving.
The sight of his brother, lying on the ground, seemed to bring Harry back to his senses.
He crawled over to the two bodies on the floor, tears still blurring his vision, his whole body aflame from his family's attacks. Touching his father's cheek, Harry realized that no person should be that cold. Or that stiff. Why wouldn't his father answer him???
Turning to Dudley, he saw the same thing- Dudley was still warm but cooling rapidly. He wouldn't answer either, and nothing happened when Harry shook him.
Harry, ten years old, realized that his father and brother were dead. Killed by that- that-man, who had burst into his house. That- man- who had turned his own family against him. That- man- that had tried- and succeeded- to ruin his life.
He overcame his weariness with almost superhuman strength, and stood up, shaking with rage. And when he turned around to face the stranger, the man almost jumped with surprise- Harry's normally gently green eyes were now a startling emerald, so furious and full of rage that even the man himself- who was the very essence of evil- didn't dare to face those eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: REVIEW! PLEASE! I BEG YOU!!
If I don't get at least 6 reviews, no new chappie!!!
SIX REVIEWS!!
This chapter is dedicated to:
Drusilla, jadehawk, baby chaos, and hpcrazy.
Drusilla: Sorry you're confused.. hopefully this chapter will help.
Jadehawk: Thank you!
Baby chaos: I'm glad you like it!
Hpcrazy: Thanks for reviewing; I'm glad you like it!
~*~Chapter 13~*~
As the Dursleys stared at each other frantically, the knock was repeated. Louder.
Vernon was frantic. "Petunia," he whispered hoarsely. "Grab the boys and run upstairs! Call the police! If whoever it is tries to come in, I'll stall for time. Go!"
Petunia grabbed Dudley by one hand, Harry by the other, and pulled them upstairs into her bedroom. She locked the door, and grabbed the phone from the bedside cabinet, putting it to her ear. But instead of the welcome buzz, instead she heard a low, raspy voice saying, "Don't even think of trying."
Petunia shrieked, and slammed the phone down into the receiver, and fainted.
Harry and Dudley stared at each other in shock, their white faces rimmed with horror and fear.
"What.. what happened?" Dudley croaked.
Harry answered in a whisper. "I have NO idea. What's going on?"
Dudley shook his head. "I dunno.... Why did mum faint? And..."
"Daddy told her to call the police!" Harry moaned.
They looked at each other, and made up their minds. Harry carefully approached the phone, lifted it up, and put it to his ear.
Then he shrieked in fear, and dropped it onto the floor, and turned to Dudley.
"DUDS!" he squeaked. "There- there was a man on the ph-ph-phone and he said- " Harry's teeth were chattering so hard he could barely speak. "He said- that- that- he said that he knows were I am- and he-he's going to c-c-come and g-get me!"
Both Harry and Dudley shuddered. "Should- should I pick up the phone?" Dudley asked bravely. "Someone needs to c-call the police...."
Harry shook his head. "N-no..." he muttered. "I'm scared!"
"What should we do then??"
"I d-d-on't know..."
Dudley thought as well as he could. "Let's go down to D-daddy... maybe he'll know what to d-do?"
The boys held hands tightly, and went down the stairs, slowly. Just as they reached the bottom floor, the house shook and the door flew open with a loud bang.
Standing in the doorway was an old man, seemingly radiating power. His long white beard reached down to his waist, and he had a stern nose. He was wearing long pale-gray robes and a tall hat. But that wasn't what shook Harry. It was the man's eyes- for they were slits, snakelike, and a deep blood-red.
"Good evening!" proclaimed the man in a loud, somewhat too-cheery voice. "Good to see you, Dursley! Where's your lovely wife?"
Vernon stared at the man, also noting the strange eyes. "What- what are you talking about?!!??" he almost yelled. "I DON'T KNOW YOU! What are you doing here?!? Get out of my house!!!"
The man smiled almost cruelly, and took out a smooth, somewhat pointy stick. He waved it at Vernon, muttering a few words, and then said smoothly, "Why, Vernon? Don't you remember me? I'm your best friend!"
Instead of denying it, as the boys expected, Vernon just shook his head blearily, as if he had just woken up, and said slowly, "I remember you. You're my best friend."
The man smiled wider. "That's right! I've just come for a short friendly visit, and I'll be leaving soon!"
"You just came for a short friendly visit and you'll be leaving soon," repeated Vernon monotonously.
The boys stared at each other in horror. What was going on!?!?
"And I came to have a talk with Harry- you'll lead me to a nice quiet room and leave me alone in peace with him."
"I'll lead you to a nice quiet room and leave you alone in peace there." Vernon turned around and started walking to the guest room.
Dudley, terrified, cried, "But DAD!! NO!! Remember the letter!?!? WHAT'S WRONG!?!?"
The man glared at Dudley, with pure hatred in his eyes. He waved his stick at Vernon once again, muttering something like 'perio' and said, "Stop bothering your father, BOY! You're annoying him!"
Vernon turned around, like a machine, and walked toward Dudley. "Stop annoying me, boy! Get out of my way!" He struck Dudley across the face.
Both Dudley and Harry started crying. "NO! DADDY!! PLEASE!! Don't listen to that man!! CALL THE POLICE!!"
This time, the stick was pointed to them, and both suddenly realized that they trusted the man- that kind, funny old man that had come through the door. In fact, they loved him! With this realization, they both realized that that fat, bumbling, red-faced person who had just struck Dudley was their enemy. They hated him, and he was dangerous.
As soon as they understood these things, the fat red-faced man- the one with eyes that seemed glazed-over, for some reason, rushed over, and started to punch them. Hard. In a few seconds, both Harry and Dudley started crying, but luckily for them, the kind man rushed to their help, and knocked the scary man aside, so that the scary man stopped moving.
Harry started crying even harder. "Why did daddy attack us?? I HATE him! He's mean! *sniff* It's not fair! Why do I have to live with him!??!"
Dudley joined him. "I hate my daddy!! I wanna go live with you.. please!"
The man looked at Harry with affection, and smiled at him reassuringly, but he glared angrily at Dudley.
"Kill the spare," he muttered quietly to himself, and waved his stick again, this time at Dudley alone. Suddenly, Harry was attacked once again, but by his own brother.
Harry screamed. "NO!! DUDS!! NO!!"
Dudley didn't hear him. In fact, it seemed as if Dudley didn't hear, see, or feel anything, so intent was he on attacking Harry.
But once again, Harry was 'saved'- the man pulled Dudley off of him, and swung his stick, yelling something like 'abracadabra!'. A bright green light erupted from it, and hit Dudley in the middle of the back. Dudley keeled over, and lay there, unmoving.
The sight of his brother, lying on the ground, seemed to bring Harry back to his senses.
He crawled over to the two bodies on the floor, tears still blurring his vision, his whole body aflame from his family's attacks. Touching his father's cheek, Harry realized that no person should be that cold. Or that stiff. Why wouldn't his father answer him???
Turning to Dudley, he saw the same thing- Dudley was still warm but cooling rapidly. He wouldn't answer either, and nothing happened when Harry shook him.
Harry, ten years old, realized that his father and brother were dead. Killed by that- that-man, who had burst into his house. That- man- who had turned his own family against him. That- man- that had tried- and succeeded- to ruin his life.
He overcame his weariness with almost superhuman strength, and stood up, shaking with rage. And when he turned around to face the stranger, the man almost jumped with surprise- Harry's normally gently green eyes were now a startling emerald, so furious and full of rage that even the man himself- who was the very essence of evil- didn't dare to face those eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: REVIEW! PLEASE! I BEG YOU!!
If I don't get at least 6 reviews, no new chappie!!!
SIX REVIEWS!!