This is my first fanfic. I've read many, many stories since I first started reading in 2003. This story is a collection of my thoughts and variations on my favorite versions of fanfics. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. However, I do own everything else that JK Rowling does not write. Which means the plot, and the individual character developments.

POSTED: 9/11/05

EDITED: 9/25/05

Chapter 1: The Crash

An eerie silence blanketed the Dursley family car as they made their way through London traffic to their home in Surrey. Harry Potter sat in the backseat, knowing full well the reason for the awkward quiet. The Dursleys were still in shock from meeting so many wizards at one time, and were still recovering from the encounter with Mad-Eye at King's Cross. Dudley's whale of a body took up the entire backseat, squishing Harry up against the window. But he didn't mind. No, Harry had far more important things to do than worry about his cousin flattening him.

Harry Potter was an enigma. Subject to mood swings, his temper was truly a sight to behold, and he was sure his headmaster could testify to that. Other times, Harry was a brave Gryffindor, unselfishly putting his life before others. Harry had lost his godfather, Sirius Black, in a battle at the Ministry of Magic just a few weeks before, to what he thought was his own foolishness. Not one hour afterwards, he had been told of a prophecy stating that Harry would have to battle Lord Voldemort in the final battle and that "neither can live while the other survives." Also, the prophecy stated that Harry had the "power that he knows not". These phrases meant nothing to Harry, although he couldn't say that the 'power that he knows not' didn't intrigue his curiosity just a little bit. It wasn't that big of a shock to him as some people might think. Voldemort had tried five times to kill him, and it only seemed natural for Harry and Voldemort to face off in the end.

Now, Harry sat in the car, despondently staring out the window. He saw a bird flying high above the treetops, and wished that he could just fly, fly away from his problems and most of all, Voldemort. A rough voice startled him out of his thoughts, breaking the screaming silence.

"Boy! I have been thinking…"

He can think?

"…and have decided that whatever those freaks of yours might say, I will not tolerate you moping around my house, eating my food, with my clothes. Therefore, I have gratefully done the task of finding you a summer job. You will start working at Grunnings and pull your weight around. I've had it with your loitering around and laziness." Vernon's tone seemed triumphant at this, proud of himself for commanding Harry.

What the hell? I don't have time for this! His food and clothes? What a load of crap.

"No." His voice startled Vernon, who was expecting Harry to go down without a fight. Wishful thinking.

Vernon turned around in his seat so fast that Harry could have sworn he heard bones pop. His face was a bright red and gradually turning an ugly purple. The car swerved unsteadily as he blindly turned onto the highway. A few cars honked and made crazy gestures at Vernon, none of which he noticed.

"What did you say, boy?" His voice was a mix between a deadly whisper and a barely constrained yell. Harry's voice also took on a hint of steel.

"I said, 'no.' I will not be doing any of your mundane tasks this summer. I have far better uses for my time than to do some stupid job."

Vernon's face turned an even darker purple, if that was possible, and his hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that Harry found himself wondering if it might break.

"Y-you dare to disobey me boy? After all the gratitude I have shown you for allowing me into my house, you have the nerve to refuse my kind offer?" Harry thought it was a bunch of bull.

Vernon released his right hand from the wheel and turned around even more, as if to grab Harry's neck. Instinct kicked in, and Harry swiftly drew his wand. Before Vernon even got a chance to fully turn around, Harry had his wand calmly placed in a resting position between Vernon's eyes. Darkness entered his voice.

"You'd do better than to think you can get the upper hand of me, Uncle."

Vernon's eyes widened in fear and his left hand was dangerously unstable, rocking back and forth on the steering wheel. Other cars were honking madly as the Dursley's car swerved around the five-lane highway, interchanging lanes with chilling speed. Dudley stared at Harry from his seat and managed to stutter out a few words.

"Y-y-you can't do that f-freak stuff outside of your s-school! You'll be expelled." His voice, like Vernon's contained a hint of triumphance, confident that he could stop Harry.

They really need to learn that I don't care anymore, don't they? Harry's features turned into a tight smile and he let out a short bark of laughter.

"You don't honestly expect me to care, now do you? It's actually quite funny to see that you think you can control me with expulsion threats." At this, Dudley paled and lost all composure.

"B-b-b-but…" Petunia interrupted any further words with a hand on Vernon's shoulder.

"V-Vernon…I think you'd better put both hands on the wheel, honey."

Petunia was visibly shaking in the front seat; her knuckles white as she held on to the car for dear life, the car swerving sideways and narrowly missing collision. Dudley was even showing signs of fear, eyes darting around the car. Only Vernon did not seem to notice the coming danger. Even Harry was a bit rattled. He did not know if magic could shield him from physical danger if the car crashed. His grip on his wand tightened.

"Vernon!"

Petunia was in hysterics by now. Her eyes were watery as the car passed car by car, miraculously avoiding collision with other cars. Suddenly, Vernon seemed to awake from his focus on Harry as his head darted from side to side, suddenly realizing the danger he had put himself in, and made to retake control of the car. Then, in a surprisingly bold move, Vernon feinted turning around, and quickly brought his right hand up to his face, and wildly attempted to grab Harry's wand. The surprise attack had momentarily forced Vernon to twist his left hand as he struggled to grab Harry's wand, and Harry withdrew his wand and leaned back as far as he could into the seat. Vernon seemed to realize his mistake, as the car lurched right, crossing one…two…three…four lanes as the car sped toward the fifth and right-most lane.

A rumble shook the car, and it let out a horrible screech; it twisted, the left side now becoming the front. Harry, in all his panic, glanced outside the window, and saw what had caused the twist. It seemed that a car was too close to the Dursley's as their car tried to go into the fifth lane, and the rear right tire collided with the front headlight of the opposing car, causing the car to twist at dangerous speeds. Apparently, the other driver was not of sound state of mind, and only accelerated, pushing past the Dursleys car. The effect was that the car did a full 180 degree turn, now going in reverse. The momentum from the other car carried the Dursley's car even more, as it twisted further. The car let out an involuntary shudder as the rear left light, now the front right, grated against the low metal bracer on the side of the highway. Mercifully, the car reduced speed, but a low hum signified that the car was still grating against the fence.

Orange sparks flew in a shower as the metal was slowly ground away, exposing the tire. A moment later, a deafening 'boom' was heard, as the tire burst, and the rear section of the car dropped, causing even more sparks to fly. Luck was not on the Dursleys side today. Just as the car decreased to a bearable speed of 35 miles per hour, a low riding sports car appeared out of nowhere in the fifth lane, and smashed into the front, now rear, of the car. The impact shattered all of the windows and the sports car plowed through the Dursley's car, and the low bumper of the other car picked up the Dursleys and they flew into the air.

Harry, sitting on the right side, felt a temporary feeling of weightlessness, and was suddenly jerked back into reality as the car toppled onto its side; Harry facing towards the sky. He looked on his left side, and could not believe what he was seeing. The sports car had been going so fast, that it had actually knocked the Dursley's car off of its wheels, and now they were skidding on their side on top of the metal bracer. Harry was jerked back and forth as the car bounced on and off the bracer, like an airplane landing. He felt a warm and sticky liquid splatter on him as the car came down upon the bracer once more, and turned to see what the source was. He would never forget the scene that he saw.

Dudley's side of the car was against the metal bracer, and the sharp top edge of the bracer had sliced through the side of the car. Dudley's wide eyes stared at the remaining stump of his left arm; it had been grated away by the bracer. Harry only had a moment to process the situation before Dudley went into shock and his head went slack. The side of Dudley's head exploded in a shower of blood and gore - Dudley's head had fallen on top of the bracer. A fresh wave of blood splattered against Harry's face, and he looked away with his eyes shut.

Just as he thought it couldn't get worse, another sports car, presumably the first ones companion, sped by the Dursley's car, but not before scraping the bottom of the car ever so slightly. The car let out a mighty groan as it shifted and leaned to Harry's left. The little scrape had been enough to send the Dursley's car off balance, and it now slowly leaned outwards from the highway, precariously hanging on. With one last desperate attempt to stay on the bracer, it broke free and was thrown vertically sideways…and the top of the car above Vernon and Petunia caved in as the car crashed headlong into a thick tree. They were instantly killed.

The force of the crash sent the car into mid-air spins, and fortunately, Harry did not have his seatbelt on. He was hurled out of the broken window into the dense grove of trees, and before darkness enveloped him, he had time to see a blue light fly by the Dursley's car before it exploded into flames, and with one desperate attempt to stay alive, he let loose one word amidst all the chaos.

"Protego!"