The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

They've Taken Her

"I knew he would," said the third, gasping and rushing for the first, wrapping his arms around the neck of the first. It looked supremely odd to see Blagojevic kissing himself.

The second Blagojevic looked up and around them. "Alice? Where's Alice?"

The other two Blagojevics stopped their kissing abruptly.

"I'm going back in," the second Blagojevic - Frank Longbottom under the influence of polyjuice, that is - turned back to the kitchen, drawing his wand and shoving his way through the door without waiting for a response.

"Evans, yeah?" the first Blagojevic - who was really James Potter -  turned to the third.

"Yes!" Blagojevic-Lily answered, and she turned quickly to follow Blagojevic-Frank back into the pub, Blagojevic-James hustling along, too. "Oh gods, oh my stars, I knew that went too smoothly. Oh gods."

"Maybe she just got turned about and couldn't get out the kitchen, maybe she's gone out the front," Blagojevic-James called, running after Lily and Frank.

The chef stared in disbelief as the three of the same man ran past again, his eyes wide with disbelief and confusion.

The pub was a mess of discarded glasses - mostly shattered on the floor - and even a couple lost high heels. A few drunk people remained dancing to the now strangely loud and empty feeling music that blared overhead. The bar tender lay on the floor on his back, the phone swinging by it's spiral cord, the operator calling out through the handset. "Hello? Hello?"

Blagojevic-Frank was running circles in a panic, "No-no-no, no-no-no," he was begging, "No, please. No. We - we - they - they took the wrong - they took the wrong --"

"She could be out front!" Blagojevic-James said and he ran past Frank and up the two steps to the front door, disappearing onto the street.

Blagojevic-Lily stopped and caught Frank by the shoulders.

His polyjuice was starting to fade.

Not good. Not good at all. If his was, then so would Alice's soon enough.

"Frank," Lily begged, "Frank. Deep breaths, honey."

He was practically hyperventilating.

"It's going to be alright, Frank, we're going to figure out --"

"She's not out front," James said, coming back through the front door, his windblown hair sprouting from atop of Blagojevic's head, the shirt tightening across his chest and arms.

Lily caught her trousers as they loosened at her waist.

Frank's eyes were wide with panic as he lowered to a nervous crouch on the floor, clutching his head. They were his own eyes - not Blagojevic's.

"Who was the fifth Blagojevic, Frank?" James asked.

"Dumbledore didn't say who the spy was going to be. Only that they were supposed to switch places with whichever one of us was at the bar when he arrived, after we'd confused Snape, and he was supposed to suggest they go elsewhere to discuss the treaty," Frank said, stammering. "Someone who knows Occlumency. I'm guessing either one of the Prewetts or Ed Bones... But I don't know for certain."

"Alice must've said something wrong," Lily said. "Dolohov was talking about Draculari when we switched places last. He turned to get another drink and I slid out and she slid in - Sev definitely thought I was the Blagojevic at the bar when Dolohov reacted, though."

"That's probably why he reacted so quickly to stop Dolohov," James pointed out. His eyes were his own now - his jaw still Blagojevic's, but he'd had to unbutton the vest, the barrel of his chest much thicker than the narrow vampire's had been, the clothes weren't fitting any longer.