Chapter 604: Flight
Chapter 604: Flight
Just as Liam crushed the badge in his pocket, in the tiny subway station beneath Aunt Petunia’s house, Harry and Sirius Black were sitting in a cramped train car. Due to time constraints, everything here was not very well-developed, and all the facilities had only the most basic functions. For example, there was a ventilation system, but no temperature control system.
Without air conditioning, Harry and Sirius Black quickly broke into a sweat from the stifling heat inside the car, but neither of them paid attention to this. Instead, they nervously stared at the glass at the front of the car.
Suddenly, with a sharp pop, a large red number 15 appeared on the glass, taking up the entire window, and began to count down rapidly.
Sirius Black watched the number intently, and as soon as it hit zero, he slammed his hand on the only red button in front of him. The train shot forward like a wild horse that had been stabbed in the rear. Harry felt himself pressed back into his seat.
The feeling of hurtling through the dark tunnel was truly terrible, especially for Harry. After following Mad-Eye Moody's mysterious instructions, he had met Sirius Black, who had only briefly greeted him before sitting in the front seat with a serious expression, without explaining anything. This left Harry in a state of intense anxiety and confusion, which was only exacerbated by the dark, stifling environment.
Fortunately, the journey was not long. After a minute or so, they emerged into another subway station. In silence, they climbed a flight of stairs and moved aside a sofa blocking the exit. Harry saw Hermione, wand at the ready, looking nervous as she pointed it at their exit. She lowered her wand upon recognizing Harry and Sirius Black.
"Harry, it’s good to see you", Hermione greeted him, then headed towards the garage. "Follow me, Harry. We have a long way to go today."
Once Sirius Black had driven the car out of the garage and merged into the traffic on the highway, Harry, sitting in the passenger seat, finally had the chance to ask about the events of the evening.
"It’s simple, Harry", Hermione explained from the back seat after Harry had voiced his confusion. "We’re worried that the enemy has learned the exact time of our relocation, so we decided to have Liam drink Polyjuice Potion and pretend to be you. After we drive for a while, Sirius Black will Apparate you to a safe place."
"So, everyone at Aunt Petunia’s house is just there to draw the attention of—Voldemort?" Harry began, but Hermione suddenly sprang up from the back seat, reaching over to lift Harry’s chin and prevent him from saying the name.
"What are you doing?" Harry clutched his mouth for a moment, having nearly bitten his tongue.
"To save your life", Hermione said. "The Dark Lord has placed a spell on his name. Anyone who says it can be sensed by him. Everyone here today is risking their lives to protect you, not to summon him here."
"Really, I’m very sorry", Harry apologized sincerely, then added, puzzled, "But why would so many people risk their lives to protect me? I’m not worth it."
"Yes, you are", Sirius Black, who was driving, glanced in the rearview mirror to ensure no cars were behind them before quickly changing lanes to overtake a large truck. "You are the key to maintaining hope in this dark era. Everyone involved in this operation volunteered. They are adults; you should trust their choices."
"To be honest, I’m very worried about what dangers Liam might face today, but I respect his decision", Hermione continued. "So I believe that the best way for you to repay everyone’s efforts, and even their potential sacrifices, is to cooperate with the plan and arrive safely at The Burrow."
"——Alright then." Harry nodded after a moment of silence, then crossed his fingers on his knees and silently prayed for everyone who was fighting hard.
A few minutes earlier, Liam had crushed the badge in his pocket and immediately mounted his Firebolt. Percy had also apologized to Tonks with a smile and wrapped his arms around her waist. Hagrid kicked the motorcycle to start it, and the vehicle roared like a Fire Dragon, causing the sidecar to tremble.
"Good luck, everyone!" Mad-Eye Moody shouted. "We'll meet at The Burrow in about an hour. I'll count to three. One... two... three."
The motorcycle roared deafeningly, and amidst the noise, Liam pushed off with his feet and flew up to follow Mad-Eye Moody. It had to be said that his long flights on brooms in other worlds, combined with his improved balance, had significantly enhanced his flying skills. Although he still couldn't match Harry, who seemed born for the sky, Liam was confident that Voldemort wouldn't be able to tell he was an imposter for a while.
Of course, Liam had to admit that his familiarity with the Rose Madonna had given him the confidence to face Voldemort, who could fly naturally. However, he sincerely hoped he wouldn't need to use that particular ability today.
After taking off, they ascended quickly, reaching a sufficient height within seconds. Liam glanced down and saw that he could no longer recognize their starting point. At that moment, he noticed some black shadows around them.
"Trouble", Liam muttered, quickly scanning the area. He found a group of Death Eaters in black robes and masks surrounding them. There were about 40 of them, hovering in a large circle, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix had unknowingly flown right into their trap.
"It looks like the Ministry of Magic is as leaky as a sieve. Any information that gets there might as well be sent straight to Voldemort", Liam thought, though at this point, it didn't matter much. As soon as the Death Eaters revealed themselves, they launched an attack, and the sky was instantly filled with screams and the blinding green glow of spells.
"Head north!" Mad-Eye bellowed, and Liam immediately followed him westward. In the air, even 40 Death Eaters couldn't completely block all directions, so Liam and the others managed to break through the encirclement in the chaos.
"Expelliarmus!" Liam cast the spell, and it hit the nearest Death Eater, causing his wand to fly out of his hand and spin as it fell to the ground. The Death Eater had to maneuver his broom downward to try and retrieve his wand.
However, this didn't improve the situation at all, as Mad-Eye Moody was the strongest fighter among them, and the most Death Eaters were chasing him. Even with one less pursuer, the group of dark figures behind them remained dense. After Liam used the Disarming Charm, even more Death Eaters joined the chase.
"This is just terrible", Liam muttered. To make his impersonation of Harry more convincing, he had to use spells with low killing power, like the Disarming Charm, to hinder the pursuing Death Eaters. These spells were clearly not lethal enough, and the other Death Eaters easily deflected them with Shield Charms, except for the one who had been caught off guard.
Ducking a Stunning Spell, Liam saw a figure shrouded in black smoke rising from the ground and quickly approaching him.
"Voldemort is here!" Recognizing the dark figure hidden in the smoke, Liam knew immediately. Flying without any aid was Voldemort's signature move.
The figure closed the distance and raised his arm, aiming at Mad-Eye Moody, who was busy repelling a Death Eater that had gotten too close and hadn't noticed the threat.
(End of Chapter)
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