Chapter Two: Big surprises come in small packages

As he sat on the plush sofa in his aunt's living room sipping his cola Harry thought back over the last twelve hours and the myriad of surprises they'd been subjected to. After they'd been shown their rooms (Harry and Ron had to share one while Hermione had her own) his aunt had given them a brief tour.

The apartment, while not exceptionally large was still rather quite spacious. It had two floors, the second really only held the master bedroom and a small walk in closet, the opening room was the predominant part of the flat. This room consisted of the living, dining and kitchen areas, which by themselves were about the same size if not larger than they were at 4 Privet Drive. In between the kitchen and dining areas, which were behind the living room, was a hallway that led back to there moderate sized bed rooms and a single bathroom they all would have to share, upon being told this a decidedly disgusted look overcame Hermione's face, followed by an equally disgusted sound. Upon seeing this, his aunt Petunia had done something he never saw her do before nor ever expected her to do in a good-natured fashion, she giggled. Needless to say Harry jaw soundly impacted with the floor.

The last room was at the end of the hallway, his aunt had warned them all against going in there saying it was her private storage room and was locked, yet Harry felt slightly drawn towards it nonetheless but decided against it for the moment.

Looking up at the clock that hung behind the television stand, Harry decided that it time to head off to bed. As he was the last one up (Ron had been the last one to bed about half an hour ago at ten o'clock) he switched off the telly and flicked the light switch plunging the room into darkness. Waiting until his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness he set off a slow pace towards his room. Stepping inside Harry was assaulted by the rather offensive sound of Ron snoring, unconsciously and wandlessly cast a quick silencing charm on him, then went rigid remembering he wasn't in school anymore and not seventeen yet. He stood there for several minutes breath hitched in his throat. Seeing as the Ministry could only detect wand magic Harry reminded himself, and an owl still had yet to arrive, he calmed down and continued to breath normally again. Stifling a yawn and stripping down Harry crawled into bed and drifted to sleep.

Harry was awoken to the sound of multiple footsteps and whispering outside his door. Looking over and checking the clock on the nightstand he saw it was three forty-five in the morning, a clear sign that something was defiantly off. Getting up and pulling his pants back on Harry moved towards the door to listen to what was going on outside.

"Which one do you think it is?" one of the voices whispered to his companion.

"I don't know, but remember, we were told to bring the boy to the Dark Lord alive, so only stunners." The other voice replied.

'DEATH EATERS! HERE!' Harry thought to himself nearly panicking. As lightly as he could he ran to Ron's bedside. Making sure the silencing charm was still there he proceeded to vigorously shake him awake.

"Let's try the door on the left first." The second voice drifted into the room, this time sending Harry into a panic. Not wanting to slap Ron because of the sound it would make he socked him hard in the gut. Reflexively Ron leapt up looking as though he were about to start throwing up. Glaring at Harry he tried to catch his breath as he threw the covers off. While Ron was sputtering silently, wondering why he couldn't talk, Harry rushed to his side of the room and finished getting dressed. Hearing the door knob click to Hermione's room drew both boys attention to the door. With the scuffling noise that followed a near terrified look descended over Harry's face, motioning Ron to get dressed himself, Harry grabbed his wand off the nightstand and headed towards the door. Placing his ear against the door, Harry could make out the slight sounds of movement as the Death Eaters entered Hermione's room. Distressed by the imminent danger his friend was in Harry swung his head around to make sure Ron was at least partially prepared. Seeing his friend clothed, shoed and armed with his wand Harry let go a sigh of relief. Not being able to sit by any longer Harry took a deep breath and mustered up all the Gryffindor courage he could before swinging the door wide and connecting the edge with the face of one of the Death Eaters. The man let loose a shriek as he was knocked to the ground. The noise alerted his companions to the boys' presence and woke a groggy Hermione.

"There he is, Bloody Potter get him!" The one in Hermione's room yelled to the other three Death Eaters in the hall. Looking around Harry spotted them all raising their wands and muttering the beginnings of a spell each. Upon realization that he was completely unprepared for three spells at once Harry promptly ducked back into the room as two cutting curses and a bludgeoning hex sailed past and ripped into the far wall.

"IDIOTS! The Dark Lord said alive AND in one piece! Only stunners!" the apparent leader chastised as he began to move in Harry's direction. "And don't think I've forgotten about you girl!" The Death Eater snapped as he whirled and quickly sent a binding spell Hermione's way, who had taken the distraction as an opportunity to reach for her wand.

"Hermione!" Ron cried as he dashed past Harry in an undoubtedly courageous attempt to save the girl. Only to be himself, upon entering the hall met with two stunners and a body binding curse.

"Not quite so bright are we boy?" Drawled one of the men in the hall, as he came up and delivered a completely unwarranted yet vicious kick to Ron's midsection.

"Neither are you, huh?" Harry sarcastically inquired before sending a large concussive spell at the man who had walked right into plain view. The spell sent the unlucky bastard straight across the hall and into the other Death Eater in Hermione's room, where they were both sent sailing into the far wall with a resounding crash and slumped unconscious. Getting up from the floor he had dived to a moment a go Harry made his way towards the door and side stepping out he had unleashed two stunners and another concussive spell in various directions before the two men had even recovered from what they had seen a moment ago. Dumbfounded by the power of the young man the Death Eater closest him was caught in the chest by one of the stunners, the other stunners fizzled out on the floor completely missing the two. However the concussive spell would have been dead on had the man not seen it in time and spun away as the blast sailed past to connect with sofa in the other room flipping it over. Showing uncommon skill the Death Eater unleashed a leg-locker spell followed closely by an Expelliramus. Nimbly dodging the leg-locker curse however met the there was little room to flee from the following spell, thus Harry was stung and knocked back a foot as he lost his wand.

Seeing this as his chance the Death Eater advanced on Harry prepared to cast a stunner when quite literally out of nowhere they heard a woman's scream "REDUCTO!" from behind the Death Eater. The man on the receiving end was knocked to the ground and began arching backwards were the painful hex had hit him, however he was a second later stilled as that same voice incanted Stupefy.

Momentarily stunned by his unexpected salvation it took Harry a second or two to look up from the downed kidnapper and attempt to thank his savior. However, when he saw who it was he felt his breath hitch and his voice as well as his brain completely shut down. For standing not ten feet away looking slightly disgruntled in her nightgown, reading glasses slightly askew, yet wand held high and menacingly was Petunia Dursely with a decidedly inhumanly terrifying glint in her eye.

Finally regaining use of his motor skills Harry voiced his surprise rather loudly,

"BLOODY HELL? YOU"RE A WITCH?

"And a damn good one at that, now pick up your wand and revive your friends there are more on their way up." Petunia clicked as she spun and headed quickly to the door where she cast several locking and barricading spells. When she turned back around Harry had not moved. Yes, she realized it was probably a big shock to the system and all, but he could at least try to compose himself.

"HARRY! What are you still doing standing there? Pick up your wand and get yourself and your friends ready, we're leaving." She snapped as she began a brisk walk towards the stairs.

"Bloody Hell? You're a witch?" Harry repeated still completely shell-shocked.

Thoroughly exasperated by her nephews' insistence on standing there like a flabbergasted buffoon, she quickly changed course and in four clipped steps was standing in front of the raven haired boy with her hand held high and…

SMACK!

'Well hopefully that will bring him to his senses.' Petunia thought to herself as she eyed the young man before her.

Quickly blinking back the slight tears that began to well up from the stinging impact of his aunt slapping him, Harry began to take in his surroundings and situation again. Realizing that they may really only have a few seconds to be prepared for reinforcements to arrive, Harry started to look for his wand. Until his gaze drifted over the unconscious Death Eaters and he began to reason out WHY they were unconscious, or more precisely WHO put them in that condition. His eyes, wide as plate saucers, snapped back to his aunt and the wand in her hand.

"BLOODY HELL? YOU'RE A WI…" Harry began.

SMACK!

"Get a hold of yourself Harry!" Petunia demanded as she gripped her nephew by his shoulders and straightened him so he was facing her. "We can sort all this out later but for now let's GO!"

"A-alright later then." Harry nervously replied fearing a third slap if he refused as he rubbed his red and sore cheek.

"Good now please get your friends up and gather your things when you're ready go to the end of the hall and wait for me there okay?" She asked while intently looking him in the eye.

"O-okay." Harry stammered as he turned to move towards the downed Ron.

Before he could completely turn however Petunia gathered him in a hug and whispered to him "I'm very proud of you Harry, you've become a fine and powerful wizard." Before releasing him and moving again towards the stairs.

Completely surprised by the unnatural show of affection it took Harry a second or two before he composed himself and picked up his wand preparing to revive his stunned friends.

Five minutes later the trio was fully dressed and packed awaiting Harry's aunt by the door at the end of the hall with their wands drawn and at the ready. A minute or so into their furious packing they had begun to hear noises on the other side of the front door, which quickly clarified into screaming incantations as the reinforcement Death Eaters attempted to gain entrance. Judging from the amount of magical bombardment being hurled at the door the three had fallen into a queasy unsettling feeling. It seemed only a matter of seconds to Harry before the door and its shields gave way letting no fewer than, by the sounds of it, fifteen Death Eaters in to undoubtedly cause some serious bodily harm to their lot. At this thought Harry tried to work out if he could handle even half that many, unfortunately he came up rather disquieted. Two maybe even three yes, IF he had the drop on them, but not bloody eight or nine. Looking up just as he finished his thought he saw a woman thoroughly decked out in witches' gear. The gown and robes a swirl of fine cloth colored a deep purple and emerald, pointy hat the same with a line of dark feathers on the right side tucked into a strip of cloth wrapped around the base several times, even a pair of free spell gloves with intricate designs in purple and emerald on them, a pair of deep silver colored earrings with emeralds dangled from each lobe. All in all she seemed to be a very regal younger version of Professor McGonagall, but looking closer Harry realized it was most definitely NOT his Transfiguration teacher. He was again so startled by the revelation of who was coming towards them he was about to voice his surprise again when Hermione beat him to it.

"MS. EVANS?" the brown haired girl shrieked with wide eyes.

"Yes dear, now please I know it is quite a surprise but please we must go I will explain it all later." Petunia quickly but calmly replied to the girl's surprised inquiry.

"BUT, BUT YOU'RE A WITCH!" Ron exclaimed, his infallible ability to state the blindingly obvious shining through once again.

'Shut it Harry you were even more stupefied when you first saw her' Young Potter thought to himself after his internal quip against Ron.

"Yes I know Mr. Weasly, now if you please I don't believe my spells will hold for much longer, and I do not want to face down fifteen powerful Death Munchers. Do you?" and without waiting for an answer she stepped past them and opened the door at the end of the hall.

Needless to say Harry was stunned to the point of nearly pissing himself! The room was filled with wizarding items. From stacks of quills and parchment on top of a fine wooden desk to even 'dear GOD is that?' Harry nearly screamed aloud as his eyes drifted over and froze on a wizard portrait of an old long-bearded man with half-moon spectacles and a dreadfully familiar twinkle in his eye.

"Good evening everyone, I assume its time to go then?" Queried a very interested and hopeful looking Albus Dumbledore as he grinned at the lot of them.

The sound that answered him was the result of Ron dead fainting on the spot and colliding with the floor.