The Death Eaters stood a short distance away, staring at Vernon, who had been reduced to a blood-soaked figure. He had long since stopped breathing, yet still stood in the breach with his arms spread wide.
For once, they fell silent. Only after a long while did someone venture cautiously:
"That Muggle... he's dead, right?"
Bellatrix took a few steps forward, circled Vernon, and kicked him.
The fat, thickly mustached man, whose greatest talent had been shouting at people, crashed heavily to the ground, sending dust billowing into the air.
"Pah!"
Bellatrix spat in his face. The Death Eaters suddenly burst into wild laughter, laughing so hard it seemed they could hide the fear that had gripped them moments before.
But only they knew that perhaps, for the rest of their lives, they would never forget the Muggle who had stood before them and endured attacks even wizards could not withstand.
Sirius ran desperately, never stopping. Dudley's sobs were like a red-hot branding iron, each one searing his soul.
He did not know how long he had run before he reached a small river and saw Dumbledore and Voldemort, surrounded by a landscape that looked as though an earthquake and a tornado had torn through it.
He turned back into a man and ignored Voldemort completely, looking only at Dumbledore without saying a word.
But Dudley's sobs seemed to say everything.
Sirius saw Dumbledore close his eyes, then open them again, seemingly blazing with fury. He waved his wand, driving Voldemort back again and again with one extraordinary spell after another.
Voldemort fled. He turned into a streak of black smoke and departed with a wild laugh, smug and triumphant, as though he were the ultimate victor.
"Sirius, where were you going to meet?" Dumbledore looked as though he