[1] New Beginnings: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and the Philosopher's Stone

8: madmen running from madness

With a loud WHAM, the fireplace was filled with letters, spilling out into the living room and flying everywhere. Harry was whooping and hollering as he tried to catch one of the letters, ecstatic about it all. "Oi!" Percy shouted. Harry looked over at him, grinning. "Try to get one that's for me too!" Harry nodded, then proceeded to continue jumping around like a lunatic. Percy could faintly hear Vernon yelling curses over the rumbling. Percy ran to the kitchen, ripped the pantry open, and then went on to grab as much food as he could hold. He pushed the pantry closed with his foot, then ran upstairs to his shared room with Harry. They had even more food to tide them over when they had no supper, now. He hid the food he had stolen under the loose floorboard at the foot of his bed, then ran back downstairs, trying not to be obvious that he was upstairs.

What he saw in the front hallway by the door shocked him. The letters were still coming in, that much was apparent. But what was really shocking, was the fact that Uncle Vernon and Harry were basically wrestling for the letters clenched in Harry's left hand. "Give me those letters boy!" the man shouted. Percy briefly debated grabbing a bunch of letters and stuffing them down his pants and running outside - the Dursleys wouldn't dare chase him; their reputation was too precious.

"No! They're my letters! And Percy's!" Harry was really trying hard not to give up those letters. Vernon had his thick arms around Harry's middle, squeezing as hard as he could.

Percy decided to interrupt. "Oi! Get your hands off him!" He then ran the rest of the way down the stairs and jumped onto Uncle Vernon's back, wrapping his arms around the larger man's neck from behind. Because Percy was so small compared to the other man, he doubted he would do any actual damage if he squeezed. So, he squeezed.

His plan worked. Almost. Vernon let go of Harry as planned, but then he grabbed onto Percy's arms around his neck and walked backward until he had slammed into the wall, Percy still hanging onto his back; he kept slamming into the wall until Percy was forced to let go. Vernon turned around and grabbed Percy by the ear. He marched over to Harry, who was trying to stuff a bunch of letters into his pockets, took the letters from him, and took Harry's ear as well.

The man's face was turning an impressive shade of magenta and his mustache was twitching from rage. He then proceeded to turn the two boys deaf. "You two - pack your things - we're leaving!" He bodily threw the boys up the stairs, who decided it would be wise to do as he said. They scrambled up the stairs and slammed the door to their room once they were inside.

Percy immediately turned to Harry. "Did you get any of the letters?"

Harry shook his head sadly. "No. Uncle Vernon took all of them before I could hide them."

Percy sighed, disappointed. "We may as well pack our stuff, not that there's much of it..." he trailed off. It was true. He only had enough clothes to barely fill his backpack. Harry had the same amount, if not a bit less. They did manage to take most of the food Percy had snatched, though.

In less than ten minutes the two raven-haired boys were completely packed and had tromped downstairs and gone outside to wait by the car. A few moments later, the Dursleys came out of the house, each of them carrying two trunks. Vernon locked the front door and they all climbed into the car. They were about to pull out of the driveway when Dudley said, "Wait! My TV! My games!"

Dudley's father, clearly exasperated, pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Dudley, I'm sorry, but where we're going, you won't be able to watch any TV or play any of your games. We're leaving. Has anyone else forgotten anything?" He was addressing Percy and Harry by the end, and his beady little eyes stared at them through the rearview mirror. They shook their heads violently, not wanting to displease the man anymore. "Good." They pulled out of the driveway, leaving 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging behind.

****

Four hours later they were still driving. Percy's legs had begun to cramp and his butt had gone numb about a half hour ago. They had been traveling along the coast for a while and it seemed like Uncle Vernon was looking for something. After ten minutes of slow driving and Vernon craning his neck to look out the windows, there was a sudden exclamation of "Aha!" from the man and they took the next exit off the highway.

From the exit, they drove to a small building complex, where Vernon parked the car and got out hurriedly. He disappeared into a large brown building. Percy did his best to stretch out his legs in the time that he was gone. Not a lot of time had passed when he returned, this time with a long and thin package, looking suspiciously like some sort of gun.

They resumed driving, this time stopping every fifteen minutes or so, Vernon getting out each time, looking around, then shaking his head and getting back in to continue driving. They had been going for about two more hours when they peeled off the highway again. Vernon parked the car next to an old shack that looked like it sold boats.

He got out and went into the shack. He came out a few moments later with a big grin on his face. "Come on, get all the stuff. We're going for a boat ride." Everyone in the car climbed out, stretching their arms and legs, sore from lack of use. There was a man that looked as old as the shack dragging a large canoe down to a dock that had escaped Percy's notice beforehand. The old man shoved the boat into the water and tied it off on a wooden post at the edge of the dock. Uncle Vernon, still grinning like a madman, waved them all over. "Come on then. We'll be rowing out to that house," he pointed to a shack slightly larger than the one next to them on a large rock about five-hundred yards from shore, "where we'll be staying for the night. They won't be able to find us there."

****

Oh wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? I haven't updated since, oh, last year.

I'm sorry I had to.

So, I finally updated, I hope you like it, comment anything wrong as usual.

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