Amelia Potter and the Chamber of Secrets PART 1

52

'Aaargh!' said Ron, as another twisted limb punched a large dent into his door; the windscreen was now trembling under a hail of blows from knuckle-like twigs and a branch as thick as a battering ram was pounding furiously on the roof, which seemed to be caving in –

'Run for it!' Ron shouted, throwing his full weight against his door, but next second he had been knocked backwards into Harry's lap by a vicious upper cut from another branch.

'We're done for!' he moaned, as the ceiling sagged, but sudden- ly the floor of the car was vibrating – the engine had re-started.

'Reverse!' Harry yelled, and the car shot backwards. The tree was still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out at them as they sped out of reach.

'That,' panted Ron, 'was close. Well done, car.'

The car, however, had reached the end of its tether. With two smart clunks, the doors flew open and Harry felt his seat tip side- ways: next thing he knew he was sprawled on the damp ground. Loud thuds told him that the car was ejecting their luggage from the boot. Hedwig's cage flew through the air and burst open; she rose out of it with a loud, angry screech and sped off towards the castle without a backwards look. Then, dented, scratched and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily.

'Come back!' Ron yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand. 'Dad'll kill me!'

But the car disappeared from view with one last snort from its exhaust.

'Can you believe our luck?' said Ron miserably, bending down to pick up Scabbers the rat. 'Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back.'

He glanced over his shoulder at the ancient tree, which was still flailing its branches threateningly.

'Come on,' said Harry wearily, 'we'd better get up to the school ...'

It wasn't at all the triumphant arrival they had pictured. Stiff, cold and bruised, they seized the ends of their trunks and began dragging them up the grassy slope, towards the great oak front doors.

'I think the feast's already started,' said Ron, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through