Disclaimer is in chapter 1.
As Xander had predicted, the trunk shop turned out to be something of a hit, as much or more with the parents as with the students unless he much missed his guess. His own expanded trunk, the same model Master Aurors were able to get a price break on with Ministry backing, was well out of the reach of all by the most self-indulgent rich types, but simple single chamber models were not unreasonably priced.
"Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves," He said as he walked up beside Hermione, "feels like a good day."
She spared a moment to pin him with something of a glare, though there wasn't much heat in it even by her standards, to say nothing of Wednesday's.
"Yes, because enjoying themselves was the point of this outing," She said with a hint of frost in her tone before sighing, "However, they did also get a lot of information about the wizarding world, which was the point, so thank you for coming."
"No problem, it was fun."
Hermione just rolled her eyes at that, but had no further comment.
The rest of the tour went smoothly, with no more interruptions from Xander to expound on the oddities of the Wizarding world, much to McGonagall's apparent relief, and they were well on their way to wrapping up the yearly visit when an ethereal white bird descended from the skies over the Alley and headed straight for the professor.
"There's been a Dementor attack on Privet Drive," the Headmaster's voice came from the bird, shocking the Professor and confusing almost everyone else.
"Oh my god!" Hermione blanched, "Harry!"
"I'm going," Xander said, pulling his brief case from where it had rested on his back and dropping it to the ground so he could pull it open into the full sized door.
"Mr. Harris!" McGonagall yelled, "You will do no such thing! Leave this to the adults!"
He didn't even bother responding as he rolled his bike out, kicking the stand down so he could retrieve and shrink the door. As he was dropping the now shrunken door back into its place on the bike and settling into the seat, Hermione jumped on behind him.
"Herms?" Xander half asked, though he wasn't really surprised.
"Harry's in trouble, if you think I'm staying here, you're dumber than you act," She told him rather tartly.
Xander nodded, "Fair point."
"Miss Granger! Mr. Harris!" The Professor tried again, going so far as to draw her wand.
She was covered by a pair pointed back at her before she had even managed to fully remove it from her robes.
"Sorry, Professor," Hermione said, sounding miserably contrite, "I really am, but this isn't something I can bend on."
McGonagall sighed, watching as Xander stomped on the started and set the bike running with a roar that echoed off the walls of the alley.
"Do be careful, the two of you," She said, "I'll ensure that help is being sent."
"We will, Professor," Hermione said, holding on to Xander as he twisted the throttle and the back tires bit into the cobblestones, sending the bike roaring down the alley.
The Professor and gathered potential students, their parents, and remaining prefects all watched as the bike picked up speed and then abruptly angled upward and climbed into the sky. McGonagall turned back, taking note of the look in the eyes of the children… and not a few of the parents, as well as her prefects, and couldn't help but sigh.
The Marauders only ever wished to cause this much commotion in their wake… With Harris influencing them, I rather suspect that this year's batch of Muggle-borns are going to be a handful.
Damn it.
Hermione wanted to scream as she held on to Xander during the climb, but just barely managed to hold it in. The ride, unlike her expectations, was nearly nothing at all like that of a broomstick. There was more of a sense of power in the mass of the bike and the rumble of the engine, lending an unnatural feel of solidity as they climbed.
All in all, it wasn't as bad as she expected it to be but at the same time the dichotomy of flying in a clearly non-magical vehicle that wasn't ever intended to do such a thing was honestly freaking her out a little more than she'd prepared for.
They settled out over the city, and Hermione looked down in some surprise and wonder at the buildings moving along beneath them.
"Xander?" She spoke hesitantly.
"Yeah?" He called over his shoulder.
"Can they… uh… see us?" She asked as she nodded to the people so far below, images of violating the statutes of secrecy flashing through her mind.
"Not really," He called, "We're running notice me not fields, combined with compulsion charms to see something they expect. Most of them probably think we're a news chopper, or maybe just a bird way up in the sky."
"Oh," Hermione said, blinking.
That was a relief, of course, but it just brought up a ton of other questions that she now wanted to pester him with. She kept a firm grip on her inquisitorial mind, however, and instead stayed focused on the situation at hand.
"Do you know the way to Privet Drive?" She called over the wind that was rushing past.
Xander shook his head, "Not a clue!"
"Then what are we doing!?" Hermione yelled back, now starting to get worked up. "We have to get to Harry!"
"Calm down," Xander said, tinkering with the gas cap of the bike for some reason. "I just wanted to get clear of the Wards around Diagon. We're going to portkey there! Hold on!"
Hermione gripped him tighter on reflex as a hook seemed to grab her by her belly and suddenly the whole world vanished into a tornado.
Privet Drive, Surrey, was the epitomy of normal in the modern world. The streets were perfectly lined up, the houses identical, and all the grounds meticulously managed to show the wealth of the middle income residents who called the drive home.
Number 4, Privet Drive, outwardly matched all others in every detail, with carefully tended gardens and lawns, a new car gleaming in the driveway, and every aspect of the home that sat there being as clearly well-tended. Inwardly, for those in the know, was a far different story.
"Dud! Dud! Are you ok?" Harry asked, half dragging his obese cousin into the kitchen, "Keep talking to me, Dud."
His cousin groaned, but nodded slowly, "I'm cold."
"That's Dementors, Dud," Harry said, "Come on, I've got something that will help."
"Dudders!" Petunia's screech should have, by all logic, cracked the windows in Harry's opinion, but for some reason they held against the high pitched sound.
I wonder if the wards are keeping the glass intact? He wondered idly, "He's fine, Aunt Petunia. Help me get him into the chair and I'll get something so he feels better."
"What happened?" She turned on him, "What did you do?"
"Me? Nothing!" Harry protested, "It was Dementors."
That brought his aunt up a little short, but her confused face showed recognition, "Don't those things guard that prison of yours?"
"Not mine," Harry said, dropping Dudley into the kitchen chair, "watch him, I'll be right back."
Petunia scowled after him as Harry ran out of the room, but was more concerned with her little Diddums for the moment.
"Are you ok, Duddy?" She asked, cooing as she fretted around him.
Dudley shivered, "It's so cold."
Petunia looked around, surprised at that. While England was hardly a tropical destination, it was still the middle of the summer and there wasn't even a rain chill in the air.
"Hold on, I'll turn up the thermostat," She told him, crossing the room.
"Don't bother," Harry said as he returned, "It's the Dementors effect, he's not actually cold. He just thinks he is. Here, Dud, this will help."
Dudley looked at the slab of chocolate Harry was holding out, wanting anything that might get rid of the numbing cold but at the same time distrusting of anything from that world.
Harry sighed, "Trust me, Dud, no jokes here. This is what a healer would give you for this."
Harry broke off a piece and popped it in his mouth, feeling the warmth flow through him. "See? It's fine."
Dudley, still hesitant, accepted it from Harry's hand and carefully broke off a piece.
"Dudders…" Petunia started to speak, unsure if she wanted to let her son eat something from the Magical World.
Dudley popped the piece in his mouth before she could say anything else and both Harry and Petunia could see the tension and shivers flee his body as he relaxed into the chair and moaned slightly in relief.
"Magical chocolate," Harry said with a shrug, then nodded to Petunia, "You should take a piece or two yourself, in case the house was caught in the effect. Aunt Petunia."
Uncertain, Petunia reached for a piece just as a flash of light from the window startled them all, and a roar of an engine rattled every bone in their bodies.
"What on Earth is that?" Petunia screeched eyes wide.
Harry's wand was in his hand again as he rushed the door, "Portkey, stay inside!"
Xander gunned the engine to full throttle as they dropped out of the portkey vortex, using the spinning wheel of the bike to absorb the remaining kinetic energy and prevent them from being slammed into the earth hard enough to perhaps damage his baby.
"Wand out!" He called as they came down in the middle of the road just a little distance from Privet Drive.
Hermione did as he'd ordered and that let Xander take a moment to survey the area while he guided the bike into the driveway at number 4 and kick down the stand. They both jumped off the bike, Xander drawing his combat wands from his belt holster as he did, and the pair charged up the drive to the house as the door flung open and a wand hand was thrust out.
"Identify yourselves!"
"Harry! It's us!" Hermione yelled back, breaking into a run.
"Hermione?" Harry stuck his head out, eyes wide behind his glasses, surprised to see his best friend rushing toward him.
Xander was taking up the rear guard, moving backwards with wands covering their flanks as they closed on the house and Harry stepped aside to let them in.
"You good, Mate?" Xander asked as Hermione threw herself at Harry, hugging him.
"A little chilled, but we're all good here," Harry confirmed. "How…?"
"We were in the Alley with McGonagall when the word came from the Headmaster," Xander said, not putting his wands away. "No chance we were just going to sit around. What happened?"
"Dementors," Harry answered, "A pair of them. I scared them off with my Patronus, but now the Ministry wants to snap my wand."
Xander glanced at the want in Harry's hand, "Damn it, Harry, why didn't you use the combat wand I gave you? There's no trace on that!"
"It's not good for charms," Harry defended himself, "the only spell I know that is good for Dementors is the Patronus charm!"
"Alright," Xander said, extending his hand, "Give me your wand."
"What?"
"Hand it over," Xander said again, "if they actually demand a wand, you give them the one I gave you. I'm a wand crafter, they're not legally allowed to search me for wands, or take any I have on me, unless they have me for a real crime."
"Oh, right," Harry blinked, but handed his wand over and pulled the carbon wand from his back pocket. "Thanks."
"Don't worry about it," Xander said, looking up to see Petunia and Dudley staring at them from the kitchen, "Are those two alright?"
"Yeah, I gave them some chocolate…" Harry started to say before a fire burst to life in the living room, startling everyone until Harry held up his hands and yelled, "Stop! Don't worry, it's just Fawkes!"
The Phoenix sang softly, causing everyone to feel a little better, before dropping a letter off with Harry. Harry quickly opened it and read through before sighing.
"The headmaster says to stay here and under no circumstances give up my wand," He said with a hint of a smile before becoming more serious, "It looks like I have a hearing coming up, though."
"For what?" Xander asked, confused.
"Underage magic, for the Patronus charm," Harry replied.
Xander couldn't help it, he grinned.
"Really? Underage magic you say?"
Harry grinned back, "It's almost like someone forgot to fill them in on an important detail."
"Imagine that," Xander laughed, earning a huff from Hermione.
"Boys."