How It All Goes Down
The Seven Potters
- Harry makes his last preparations to leave the Dursleys' house forever. He stops to think about all he's been through over the past seventeen years there.
- Harry's nostalgic reverie is interrupted by the appearance of a crowd of people – Hagrid on Sirius's old flying motorbike, and a bunch of people on broomsticks and black winged horses (thestrals).
- The new arrivals are all familiar – they include Ron, Hermione, Mad-Eye Moody, Remus Lupin, Fleur Delacour, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and a gaggle of Weasleys – Mr. Weasley, Bill, Fred, and George.
- Mad-Eye informs Harry of the new plan: in order to confuse the Death Eaters, they'll transform six of the new arrivals into Harry clones using Polyjuice Potion. All of the different Potters will disperse, and meet up at the Burrow, the Weasleys' house.
- Harry's not down with this plan – he doesn't want to endanger the lives of his friends in that serious of a way. However, there's nothing else to be done, so they get started. Moments later, there are seven Harrys awaiting departure.
- Each of the Harrys is paired with an Order of the Phoenix partner – the real Harry goes with Hagrid in the flying motorbike's sidecar. The party of Potters and non-Potters sets off into the night. As they depart, Mr. Weasley warns Hagrid that not all of the bike's special features that he's been working on are fully functional (gee, foreshadow much?).
- As soon as they leave Privet Drive, they're attacked by Death Eaters on all sides. The first casualty is Hedwig, Harry's faithful snowy owl. Shoot.
- Harry and Hagrid fight their way through the cloud of attackers, and Hagrid tries out the motorbike's new tricks (including a button that makes a brick wall appear behind them). A super-fast burst of acceleration makes the sidecar (where Harry's sitting) break off, and Hagrid's fix-it attempts just make it come off completely. Harry saves himself momentarily with a levitation spell, and Hagrid manages to pluck him from the falling sidecar.
- Stan Shunpike (the dopey conductor of the Knight Bus from Book 3, The Prisoner of Azkaban) turns out to be one of the Death Eaters – Harry catches sight of him as his hood falls off. Harry tries to Disarm him, and another Death Eater recognizes him as the real Potter.
- Hagrid and Harry desperately speed up, headed for safety at Tonks's parents' house. Just before they get there, though, Voldemort himself appears in hot pursuit of them.
- One of the Death Eaters is about to shoot the Killing Curse at Harry; Hagrid throws himself off the bike and attacks the mysterious enemy.
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- Harry is sure he's going to die (we're sure he's not – it's only Chapter 4, after all). Voldemort closes in, and he hears the beginning of the Killing Curse – "Avada" – but then, something mysterious happens. Harry's wand pulls his hand around, and shoots golden flames at Voldemort. Why? How? We don't know, and neither does Harry (but we aren't complaining). He takes a moment to use the dragon fire accelerator on the bike, and goes hurtling towards Hagrid, and the ground.