Chapter 2, The Horcrux

Harry wearily turned back towards the stranger, who had gotten back up and retrieved his weapon from the floor. "Lotta thanks I get" grumbled the stranger, brushing off his fedora and placing it back on his head.

"Joey Lombardo, Pleased to be making your acquaintance" said the man, holding out his right hand to Harry. "What?" Harry replied as he shook hands with the stranger. The man was about to explain, when the now forgotten Petunia Dursley screeched "VERNON, CALL THE BOBBIES!" She leered at Harry and sneered "this proves that we've been right about your kind all along". "Nothing but a bunch of criminals!".

Moody said "Arrhg, shut yar windpipe ya blowhard". "He's a distant cousin o' mine from Chicago, what's come to 'help young Harry wit' his little problem". "Well," said Aunt Petunia "this 'distant cousin' of this disgusting man" pointing at Moody "is a Gangster from the States, I saw him on the telly just the other day. They call him Joey 'the Clown' Lombardo, and he' a murdering thief who's wanted in Chicago by their G-Men" she said in a haughty voice, sticking her nose in the air (faintly reminding Harry of Hermione Granger, his "know it all" friend at school). "We will get quite a reward for his capture".

"I see dat my reputation proceeds me" said Joey the Clown with a mild smirk on his face. "Why do they call you 'the clown'?" asked Harry, now puzzled. "Because I make jokes" replied the man "Just ask the Spillatro brothers". Harry's face took on a new level of obvious confusion. "Hey Moody, ya got that old pocket watch on ya?" asked the Clown. Moody grunted and reached into his robe, pulling out what Harry recognized as one of the items they had come across while cleaning out Grimmauld Place the summer before fifth year. It was the gold locket that nobody was able to open. He tossed it to the other man, who placed it on the floor.

"RRRING" came a sound from the front door. Vernon came swooping out of the kitchen (no doubt hoping for a quick reward) to answer the door. "Not so fast, fatso" said Joey the Clown, pulling out his Colt .45 auto. "Got another one o' dem portkeys handy?" he asked Moody. "Yar" was the only answer.

The gangster pulled back on the hammer, pointed his gun at the locket on the floor and pulled the trigger, causing another massive "BOOM" then "BLAMMO" the locket was blasted into tiny pieces. With a screeching noise (not unlike the yelping coming out of Petunia Dursley) a ghostly shape reminiscent of the shadow of Tom Riddle from the diary in Harry's second year came flowing out of the destroyed floorboard under what used to be a locket and evaporated into nothingness. The air smelled sharp from cordite, and there was smoke gently corkscrewing up from the barrel of barrel of the gun.

Joey 'the Clown' blew into the barrel, and quickly put the gun into a shoulder holster under his jacket. There was now banging heard from the front door as the constables were attempting to enter the premises forcibly.

"You're all going to prison!" yelled Vernon Dursley, now heading over towards the front door after noticing the considerable noise the local law enforcement authorities at the front and then the back of the house. There were flashing lights outside, and apparently an entire emergency assault team was being gathered in the driveway of Mrs. Number 6 Privet Drive.

Moody put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a red yo-yo. He said "Are we just gonna wait and be taken by the muggles?" "Get over here and touch the portkey, it's set for 10, 9, 8,"

"Let's blow dis joint" said Joey, and with that he pulled a still-dazed Harry over to Moody, looked at Harry and asked "Hey kid, have you ever had a Chicago Style Pizza?" just before they touched the portkey and vanished as the policemen burst into the house.