An Emergency Like No Other

Ron was talking to Ernie Prang about Quidditch fouls when Mr. Weasley shouted "LOOK OUT FOR THAT CAR!!!!"

But it was too late. The Knight Bus collided with an olive Ferrari and sent the vehicle swerving off the road, where it crashed and burst spectacularly into flames.

"MY CAR!!!" a man standing at the curb shouted.

Harry and the others turned to look at him and saw standing next to him was an attractive woman and...

"Ginny!" Mr. Weasley said frantically as he and the others ran off the bus. "Are you all right, Ginny?"

"Dad, help!" Ginny yelled. The man grabbed her and jabbed a gun at her throat.

"So this brat's yours, huh?" he asked, a mad gleam in his eyes. "Well, Daddy, if you come one step closer your lovely daughter well be six feet under." Harry, his heart beating outside his chest, looked hopelessly at Ginny wishing he could do something. So far he, Harry, had done nothing helpful. It made him feel useless.

"Six feet under what?" Ron asked, bewildered.

"Shut up!" the man yelled.

"What do you want?" Mr. Weasley asked, nervously.

"I want you to tell me everything!!" the man shouted. Mr. Weasley, after nervously glancing at Harry and Ron, slowly reached toward his wand, his hand shaking.

"YOU MOVE AND SHE DIES!!!" the man yelled. Mr. Weasley froze. Whatever way Harry looked at the situation, they were trapped. The only person present who wasn't an underage wizard was Mr. Weasley and, if he even moved, Ginny would undoubtedly be dead before he could do anything.

At least that was what Harry thought until someone behind the man pointed a wand at him and shouted "Expelliarmus!" It was Catherine, who had circled around behind him when no one was looking. Her Disarming Spell knocked the gun out of the his hand and, before he could pick it up, Mr. Weasley pointed his wand at it.

"Liquefacere!"

The gun melted instantly. The man looked up at Mr. Weasley's wand, his eyes widened and then, suddenly, he punched the other woman in the face before anyone could jinx him. Laughing insanely, he ran out into the middle of the street as the woman lay unconscious on the pavement.

"Look out!" Mr. Weasley shouted.

The man looked up in time to see two headlights heading straight for him, but he was dead - pushed to the ground and crushed under the wheels of the car - before he could scream. The elderly woman driver, who seemed to be in sock, immediately screeched to halt and, when she saw the Weasleys, fainted.

All four of them stood there in silence for about five seconds when Fred and George Apparated suddenly.

"Mum made us come back and apologize for leaving you," Fred explained. "What have we missed?" Mr. Weasley looked vindictive.

"Oh, just shut up and get on the bus!" he said angrily.

The Knight Bus was speeding down a narrow alleyway, back to number four, Privet Drive. It had been decided Harry would have to remain with the Dursleys until Dumbledore decided otherwise. Mr. Weasley had modified the memory of the female Muggle doctor, who Ginny said was named Gillian, and Harry had used a pay phone to call the Muggle emergency services to report the accident.

Mr. Weasley was feeling Ginny's forehead to see if she was all right.

"Do you feel all right?" he asked her.

"Yes," she answered firmly.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Six."

"What's your full name?"

"Ginevra Molly Weasley."

"How old are you?"

"Practically fifteen."

"Are you still a virgin?"

"FRED!!"

"Only joking," Fred said, grinning mischievously.