Key:

"……" speech

…stuff…: thoughts or mental monologues

# Parseltongue or beast speech#

Stuff…written stuff

"What a Hero Needs"

Chapter #3: Fleeing the Dursleys'

An eerie silence fell on Privet Drive as a sudden mist crept all over the place; it was as if it had appeared out of nowhere. Children ran back to their houses and everyone shut their doors and windows just as strange people cloaked in black and wearing white masks popped out of thin air. All had their hoods drawn, hiding all features in shadows.

As the cloaked figures advanced, they each drew a stick from their pockets and started mumbling gibberish. As flashes of colourful lights coming out of said sticks hit anyone unfortunate enough as to not be able to get out of the way, screams broke the silence… and hell broke loose…Death Eaters had turned Privet Drive into their playground.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Harry was snapped out of his musings as soon as the screams had begun. He ran towards his window and gasped. There were about fifty or so Death Eaters advancing menacingly towards Number Four, all while having their sick way with innocent passersby. How did they find me? I thought there were wards around here… Realization hit him hard as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He wanted to kick himself for his stupidity…There are no wards! How could I have forgotten? HE has MY blood since that bloody ritual. After all this time and Dumbledore had apparently forgotten that the megalomaniac could have entered Privet Drive without any trouble!

As all this had registered in his mind in mere seconds, Harry rushed back to his bed and threw everything he had into his trunk, not caring if something broke. There was no time. As he picked his most valuable possessions from the loose floorboards under his bed and tied the emergency letter he had written the night before to Hedwig's leg, a sudden thought came ford, unbidden, 'Where are the Babysitters? Wasn't it Dung's shift now? They should have been here now, unless…No, he would sort his sudden thoughts later, now he had to get out of the current mess. Not even realizing what he was doing, he waved his hand and his trunk shrunk. He silently led Hedwig to the window and she flew out swiftly, sensing her master's urgency.

Just as he turned to put his hand on the doorknob, a horrible scream pierced through the air, and it was close…very close. The young man paled…It was his Aunt Petunia. Harry felt trapped. True, he had never liked his relatives at all, but he certainly didn't HATE them. No one deserved to suffer under de Cruciatus Curse. He had to do something before it was too late... Just then, several voices shouted.

"AVEDA KEDAVRA!"

It was too late. They were dead now, his only remaining family, all gone.

But he had promised himself he would keep going. And that's exactly what I'm doing now. He got hold of his wand and crept out of his room silently. He suspected they had attacked so suddenly because they thought he would still be mourning his godfather's death, and thus, in a weak state of mind. How wrong they were.

The sound of voices floated up the stairs as Harry got ready to defend his neck if needed be.

"Too bad they were so easy to scare" a male voice said as Harry sneaked a look down the stairs through the rail. It was Lucius Malfoy! Fudge's got to be the most incompetent power-hungry fool I've had the pleasure to meet. How did he get freed?

"Perhaps the Potter boy will provide more entertainment," a second one said and Harry could almost see his gleeful smile.

"Shut your trap idiots! We can not afford to kill him," a female voice snapped. Harry growled. He could recognize that sickly-sweet voice anywhere.

It was Bellatrix Lestrange.

His insides boiled. Oh, no, he wouldn't let her get to him, not this time He stood and descended the stairs as silently as he could. But his plans to remain unnoticed until the last possible moment were foiled. Oh, bugger, he thought. The floorboards had creaked under his weight. His so-called-kidnappers-to-be turned their heads towards the noise so fast that he wondered if they had made him the favor of snapping their own necks for him.

Wand at ready, the young man watched as Bellatrix smiled evilly.

"Well, it seems our job is done gentlemen," she mocked, "Is ickle-Harry-poo sad? Do you miss your mutt?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "At least I don't kiss the hem of a stupid, hypocrite half-blooded snake-face, do I Lestrange?" he spat.

"How dare you!" she screeched while throwing a volley of curses in his direction.

Harry ducked and answered with his own spells, all while moving around to avoid Malfoy's and the unknown dead eater's attacks.

"STUPEFY!" The power behind the spell was so strong that the dead eater was thrown across the room, crashing against the wall. He was down.

"HELIOS!" Harry had found the spell in one of his Defense books. It caused the victim to feel as if blinded by the sun. Two more went down.

He sensed someone sneaking behind him. Before the stalker could utter a word, the teen's fist connected to his nose.

CRACK! The man howled in pain just as Harry threw a punch at his stomach, winding him. That's one less to worry about, he thought as he kept dueling.

As the battle continued, Harry began to tire. For each he took down, two more seemed to take his place. Harry knew he wouldn't last much longer.

He was so focused on a particularly large death eater he didn't hear Bellatrix come from behind.

EXPELIARMUS!

Just as his wand flew out of his hand, another death eater punched him in the stomach, bringing him down. Harry struggled to get to his feet.

He saw his wand mere feet away from where he fell and scrambled to his feet, only to find a boot standing on his hand.

CRACK! Harry screamed. His hand had been crushed.

"Who's the winner, Potter?" Malfoy's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I am making you pay for putting me in hell." Harry's head snapped, his eyes shining with determination.

"You are the one paying for your own mistakes, Mr. Malfoy," he bit out. "Tell me, was your snake faced Master proud of your failure?"

"YOU INSOLENT PRAT! HOW DARE YOU!" Harry's cheek suddenly felt numb. Malfoy Senior had slapped him.

Harry looked around. He was done for, and he knew it. The odds were against him and he was wandless. He watched as every death eater raised his wand at him. He almost snorted. Now that's flattering. Thirty fully grown up wizards against a defenseless boy and not one dares to act on their own. And I'm supposed to be weak? The fact that he was about to be tortured and most probably killed abruptly hit home and he snapped. If I'm going to go, then I'll do it standing firm...like mum and dad did. Now, hold on a second, Potter! Are you giving up so easily? Oh no, I don't think so! The death eaters watched in amazement as a blazing fire, one that had not been in Harry's dull eyes before, suddenly lit up. Bright emerald eyes shone as he gazed at his enemies as if daring them to act on whatever means they had planned. Now they realized that they were not fighting with a little lost boy… Harry Potter was pissed and he was not a man to mess with. He proceeded to summon his wand with a wave of his hand and started to hex every single Death Muncher in his way. No longer did he care whether the Minister expelled him or not. He would not stand down anymore.

Not one of them had time to counterattack because, just as Harry stood up, an explosion rocked the whole household and a tall figure dressed in a crimson cloak appeared among the flying debris. Power flowed out of him in waves along with something else…Anger.

The dark wizards paled. A single thought crossed their minds.

Oh, shit.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Daniel was angry. No, he was furious. How dare these wizards harm him? How dare that old man assume Harry was safe with his aunt and uncle? They hated, loathed and abhorred anything related to magic. They refused to even acknowledge Lily Potter as part of their family when they found she was a witch, for Merlin's sake! I hope the Bumblebee has a REAL explanation for this or I swear he will be meeting the edge of my sword.

He threw himself at the death eaters, slashing and thrusting as he went. He struggled not to gape at the sight of the young man he had been searching for so long and kept fighting. He had had a feeling that Harry would be in bad shape but he hadn't expected this. Even if he looked very weak, Harry fought fiercely and many fell.

The teen was too short for his age, something that would be fixed as soon as he went through his Coming. The fact that he could count his ribs if the boy weren't wearing clothes in which he seemed to float in and that he was covered in welts and bruises shocked Daniel to the core. Hopefully, Anya would be able to fix right up with that Nurturing Potion she had come up with in her endeavours. How does the boy, no, young man, manage? Daniel shook his head and focused on the matter at hand. He would think about that later.

The battle lasted about an hour. It stopped as soon as the death eater realized they were outclassed and disapparated. Just like the cowards they really are. Daniel turned around to see a panting Harry Potter staring at him before saying:

"You're the one… from my dreams…" He then collapsed, lack of sleep, blood loss and magical exhaustion finally catching up with him.

Daniel ran towards the young wizard as soon as he saw him swaying and caught him before he fell. He smiled gently.

"Time to take you home, young Inferno."

With a flick of his wand, Harry's possessions were packed and shrunk. With one last look at the former battlefield, Daniel stalked out of the house, leaving behind only a bunch of mutilated bodies. Including the ones belonging to the now deceased residents.

As the stranger's cloak swished, Harry Potter disappeared from Privet Drive number four, never to return again.

A/N: DONE!!! I hope you like it, there are only a few details I corrected but I hope you like it.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!