The Mysterious Heir

Chapter 1, Book 2, "Rescuing Harry"

When the bars are safely in the back seat with Ron and Polaris, Fred reverses as close as possible to Harry's window.

"Get in," Ron says.

"But all my Hogwarts stuff - my wand - my broomstick -"

"Where is it?"

"Locked in the cupboard under the stairs, and I can't get out of this room -"

"No problem," says George from the front passenger seat. "Out of the way, Harry."

George and Polaris climb catlike through the window into Harry's room. You have to hand it to them, they really do think outside of the box thinks Harry, as George takes an ordinary hairpin from his pocket and starts to pick the lock.

"A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick," says Polaris, "but we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow."

There is a small click and the door swings open.

"So - we'll get your trunk - you grab anything you need from your room and hand it out to Ron," whispers George.

"Watch out for the bottom stair - it creaks," Harry whispers back as the two disappear into the darkness.

Harry dashes around the room, collecting his things and passing them out of the window to Ron. Then he goes to help George while Polaris heaves his trunk up the stairs. Harry hears Uncle Vernon cough.

At last, they reach the landing, he carries the trunk through Harry's room to the open window. Fred gives the drivers seat to Polaris and climbs into the back to pull with Ron, while Harry and George push from the bedroom side. Inch by inch, the trunk slides through the window.

Uncle Vernon coughs again.

"A bit more," pants Fred, who is pulling from inside the car. "One good push -"

Harry and George throw their shoulders against the trunk and it slides out of the window into the back seat of the car.

"Okay, let's go," George whispers.

But as Harry climbs onto the windowsill there is a sudden loud screech from behind him, followed immediately by the thunder of Uncle Vernon's voice.

"THAT RUDDY OWL!"

"Shit. Get Hedwig!" Polaris orders. Harry tears back across the room as the landing light clicks on - he snatches up Hedwig's cage, dashes to the window, and passes it out to Ron. He is scrambling back onto the chest of drawers when Uncle Vernon hammers on the unlocked door - and it crashes open.

For a split second, Uncle Vernon stands in the frame in the doorway; then he lets out a bellow like an angry bull and dives at Harry, grabbing him by the ankle.

Ron, Fred, and George seize Harry's arms and pull as hard as they can.

"Petunia!" roars Uncle Vernon. "He's getting away! HE'S GETTING AWAY!"

But they all give a giant tug and Harry's leg slides out of Uncle Vernon's grasp - Harry is in the car - he slams the door shut -