The Magick Car
Three nights later, the twins lay on their beds, trying not to move. They weren't too terribly bruised, but they were starving. They hadn’t eaten since the incident. More concerningly, neither had Hedwig or PuffPotter. There had been some cold vegetable broth slid under their door where Vernon had fitted a cat-flap, and they had tried to feed it to their pets, but it wasn’t enough to sustain either of them. And it wasn’t like they could send them away to safety, either. Vernon had barred their window.
The sound of a rickety exhaust pipe sputtering outside the window, drew Holly’s idle gaze. What she saw outside had her jumping to her feet. “Harry! Look!” Outside the window- like right outside - was an old blue car, and it was hovering right at level with their window.
“What’s been going on? Why haven't you answered any of my letters?” Ron asked, leaning out the car window to better see through the bars on theirs.
“We couldn’t!” Harry said, grinning as he stiffly moved to the window.
“Here Ron,” called Fred from the front seat.
“Tie that around the bars.” Said George, and a rope was tossed into Ron’s hands.
Harry looked confused. “What are you doing here anyway?” He asked.
Ron gave him a strange look. “We’re rescuing you of course! Gonna take you home with us!”
Holly, realizing the noise this would make, panicked a little. “But the noise-” she looked to Harry, frantic, and then at their familiars who didn’t deserve whatever punishment would befall them next.
“If the Dursleys wake up, we’re dead!” Harry told their friends, nervously.
“Don’t worry,” Fred told them. “And stand back.”
Harry took Holly by the arm and led her away from the window. The Weasley’s began to drive away from the window, pulling the bars until they (and some of the surrounding brick) crunched right off. Once done, the car backed up as close to the window as it could get. “Get in,” Ron told them.
“But all our Hogwarts stuff - our wands - my broomstick -” Harry said, glancing nervously at the door again. If Vernon were to wake now the twins would be dead, yes, but at least PuffPotter and Headwig would be safe…
“Where is it?”
“In the Cupboard, under the stairs…” Holly said, sticking to her brother and watching the door the whole time.
“No problem.” said George. He and Fred climbed quietly into the room. They crossed to the door and George pulled out a hair pin from - somewhere and began to pick the lock.
“A lot of wizards think it’s a waste of time, knowing this sort of muggle trick,” Fred explained, “but we feel they’re skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow.” the door clicked quietly open, and the two older twins smiled at them.
“So - we’ll get your trunk - you grab anything you need from your room and hand it to Ron.” George whispered.
“Watch out for the bottom stair – it creaks.” Harry whispered back.
Holly shook her head. “You help them. You know the house. I’ll get our stuff from up here.” Holly whispered to her brother. He glanced at the Weasley twins, going when they both nodded and beckoned him to come along. Holly rushed to get everything. Their pets went first, of course. Then their clothes, and -
Uncle Vernon coughed.
Holly went rigid for a moment, before going to help the others with their chests. They were already working on bringing them up the stairs, so Holly jumped in and helped Fred lift the one in the front while Harry and George struggled with the one in the back.
Eventually, they managed to drag both trunks up the stairs and into their bedroom. They loaded the first trunk - the one Holly and Fred had brought up - into the car. They moved to load up the other one onto the roof of the car using the rope from before.
Vernon coughed again.
The Weasleys worked to tie the rope quicker, but one of them must have forgotten about the hook on the end, because it thudded against the side of the car and set the car alarm off even though the bloody thing was running. It was old, though, and old cars were weird.
“What in the bloody hell was that?!” Vernon growled down the hall, and Holly felt her bones fill with lead. They were done for! She would die here, twelve years old was far too young to die!
Harry was closer, so he made for the car first. He was only just climbing through the window, though, when Vernon burst in. He pushed Holly to the side, grabbing onto Harry’s foot in an attempt to drag him back inside. Holly hit the wall hard, and sank to the floor. She watched as her brother managed to kick their uncle in the face and fall into the car. She hoped they would not leave her, but she also wanted them to make it out of this safe.
The car turned around and there was some rearranging inside until one of the Weasley twins climbed out of the car. He perched on the windowsill and threw a nasty punch straight at Vernon’s face. While her uncle was blinded and her aunt was screaming and crying, Holly staggered to her feet and over to her friend, who helped her into the car. “Us twins gotta stick together, remember?” He said, as he passed her to his twin, and then to hers.
Harry helped her settle in the back with him and Ron, while Fred climbed back down into the car from where he’d been securing the chest. “Are you hurt?” Harry asked her.
Holly winced. “Maybe..?” She said, feeling a bit dizzy. “Yes.”
“George! Hurry back! I think Holly needs a healer or something..!” Ron called, distantly.
“Oh I got some essence of dittany here,” said Fred, sounding even further away. “Just in case it went down like this.”
Holly giggled. “Dittany!” She mused, “like my wand? Harry, I think the Dittany is following me!”
Harry took the bottle from Fred and held it to Holly’s lips. “It’ll help,” he promised.
Holly drank.
She did feel better. Her breathing was easier and her head stopped spinning, but her muscles still ached and so did her bruises. “Ow.” She muttered. She tried to sit up but at least three hands pinned her back down.
“PETUNIA, THEY’RE GETTING AWAY!” Vernon howled as George climbed into the car.
Fred gassed it, and Holly found she was really glad she was still laying down. “Harry,” she whispered, “it hurts…”
Harry set his jaw. “I know it does, Holls. Just hang on a little longer, okay?”
“Keep her awake,” said someone in the car.
“Yeah, Holly, can you tell us about Slytherin? What’s the common room like? Is it really underwater?” Asked someone else - maybe Ron.
Holly smiled and pictured her house common room. It seemed such a comforting thought…
“No, Holly, you can’t sleep. Tell us about it, okay?”
So Holly did. She told them about the mermaid outside the window on their first day, and the snake door that they’d never be able to summon and the fireplaces and fancy carpets and the towers of random books scattered everywhere - she was most looking forward to reading something interesting again. She couldn’t wait to start her summer reading - was it too late to send Hermione and Neville her book club notes? - huh! What about Tracey! They had to make sure Tracey was okay-“
“Tracey’s fine, Holly. Her parents are still in St. Mungos, but she’s been writing to us each week.” Said somebody. Probably Ron again. Holly didn’t think Tracey even really knew Fred and George.
“Oh… that's good.” Holly hummed. “Do you think there’ll be banana cream pie at the start of term feast? I really want some.”
“We can ask mum to make some.” One of the Weasley twins said.
“No!” Holly half yelled. “I don't want to get you into trouble - you're already probably in trouble because of us! With the car and-“
“Don’t worry about that.”
“But-“ Holly tried to protest, but it was no use.
“Tell us about your wand, Holly. Tracey said in one of her letters that that was why you were in the hospital wing at the end of term. What's wrong with it?”
“Nothing’s wrong with it! It’s a masterpiece!” Holly began, feeling a bit delirious.