(A/N: Deathly Hallows Part One - Let's go. Hope you enjoy. XxD)
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Sitting in a house that's empty of furniture means that there's nothing to distract you from your thoughts.
And right now, there were too many churning through Harry's mind as he sat inside number 4 Privet Drive.
The summer had been something else. One that was darker unlike any before.
The twin's joke store had even been closed until the war was over. But mainly because after the rebuilding of the burrow, Leona had seen to it herself that as many protection charms as possible would be placed on the house. And her presence there brought a sense of relief to her adoptive parents, you could see it. Though they didn't like her being put in harm's way, she forced herself there, rather it be her than them. They didn't deserve it.
Leona had also found herself returning to Grimmauld Place.
She didn't know what drew her to go back.
But now the musty smell of the house was comforting, almost like she could feel her father's presence as she walked the many halls and corridors of the house.
The Dursley's had left London, left England. It had taken a lot of convincing, but they'd finally believed that there was too much danger for them to remain.
Lucius Malfoy had been broken out of Azkaban, along with more death eaters, and Muggle families were being killed left, right and centre.
There were a couple of bright spots. One being that Remus and Tonks had eloped. They were now married.
And the other being that Leona and Harry were at least on better terms, having spoken a few times over the holidays.
He hadn't asked her about RAB yet, and didn't know if he wanted to. She'd already sacrificed a lot and he didn't want to involve her further.
So, Harry sat in his room, packing a bag for soon he'd be joined with Ron and Hermione as they ventured across the world hunting Horcruxes. He'd told his sister about that much. She was worried for him but knew it needed to be done if they had any hope of defeating Voldemort.
Hedwig chirped in her cage as Harry ventured downstairs into the empty living room.
He never realised how ugly all these different wallpapers were without the frames that usually hung on them.
Even his times living in the cupboard under the stairs seemed like a lifetime ago. And it was as he was standing inside of it that he heard the sound of an engine.
"Hello Harry!" Hagrid grinned as he stood outside Harry's front door, unphased by the wand pointed at him.
And then a massive smile lit up his face as he hugged Ron and Hermione who made their way inside the house.
"Hello," he greeted.
"You're looking fit," Hagrid remarked.
"He's absolutely gorgeous," Mad-eye grumbled as he pushed his way inside. "What say we get undercover before someone murders him?"
Moody dumped a large sack in the middle of the living room as the large group filed in, Arthur Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the twins and even a couple of people that Harry didn't recognise.
"Kingsley, I thought you were looking after the prime minister?" Harry said to the man.
"You are more important," Kingsley replied. "That and Leona asked me too. She wasn't allowed to come."
"Put up a bloody good fight she did," George remarked as he walked in, followed by Fred.
"But then we reminded her that she had to protect the Burrow and that if Voldemort got her or killed her then we'd all be doomed," Fred continued.
"Hello, Harry. Bill Weasley," greeted another redhead as he walked in behind the twins and shook Harry's hand, surprised to see Fleur Delacour next to him.
"Pleasure to meet you," Harry said before he hugged Fleur.
"He never was this handsome," George commented as he gestured to the claw marks on Bill's face.
"Dead ugly," Fred agreed.
"True enough," Bill chuckled as he flashed his scars. "Owe it all to a werewolf, name of Greyback. Hope to repay the favour one day."
"Well, you're still beautiful to me William," Fleur said as she pecked his cheek and Bill flushed.
"Just remember, Fleur, Bill takes his steaks on the raw side now," Remus joked as he walked in, hand in hand with Tonks.
"My husband, the joker," Tonks laughed. "By the way, wait till you hear the news, Remus and I-"
"Alright! Alright!" Moody interrupted as he pushed past Remus. "We'll have time for a cosy catch up later. We've got the get the hell out of here and soon!"
With Arthur behind him, Moody stood to address the group, specifically Harry who had no idea what the plan was.
"Potter, you're underage, which means you've still got the Trace on you."
"What's the Trace?" Harry asked.
"Why, if you sneeze the Ministry will know who wipes your nose. The point is, we have to use those means of transport the Trace can't detect - brooms, Thestrals and the like. We'll go in pairs. That way, if anyone's out there waiting for us, and I reckon there will be, they won't know which Harry Potter's the real one."
"The real one?" Harry questioned in confusion as he twisted his wand in his hands.
Moody's grin was wicked as he pulled his hip flask out.
"I believe you're familiar with this particular brew. A Lena specialty."
"No. Absolutely not!" Harry exclaimed as Moody popped it open.
"Told you he'd take it well," Hermione boasted.
"No! If you think I'm gonna let everyone risk their lives for me, I - I-"
"Never done that before, have we?" scoffed Ron.
"No! No. This is different. Taking that, becoming me, no!" Harry persisted.
"Well, none of us really fancy it mate," Fred spoke up.
"Yeah, imagine if something went wrong and we ended up a scrawny, specky git forever," George joked and Fred frowned.
"My girlfriend would never sleep with me again."
Remus then cleared his throat, and George laughed as his brother muttered an apology.
"Everyone," Moody said loudly, getting them back on track. "Here is of age Potter. They've all agreed to take the risk."
"Technically, I've been coerced," came the voice of a small, pot-bellied man in the back of the room. "Mundungus Fletcher, Mr Potter. Always been a huge admirer."
"Nip it Mundungus!" Moody snapped, voice deep and raspy as he held the flask. "Alright Granger, as discussed."
Hermione then proceeded to rip some of the hairs from Harry's head, making the boy cuss as she carefully placed them inside the flask that began to bubble as Moody swirled it around with a wicked smile on his face.
He then proceeded to limp towards the twins, who were at the start of the line of six people that were volunteering to turn into Harry.
"For those of you who haven't taken Polyjuice potion before, fair warning, it tastes like goblin piss," Moody said as he handed the flask to George.
"Have a lot of experience with that have you Mad-Eye?" he joked, but when no one laughed and Mad-Eye glared at him, he only brought the flask to his lips and said, "Just trying to diffuse the tension."
And they began to transform as the flask was passed around.
And there stood seven Harry Potters.
This was going to be something as Moody tipped out the sack to reveal several sets of matching clothes.
"You haven't got anything a bit more sporting, have you?" George Harry asked.
"Yeah, I don't really fancy this colour," Fred Harry agreed.
"Well fancy this, you're not you. So, shut it and strip," Moody fired back.
"Alright! Alright!" Mundungus Harry exclaimed as he unbuttoned his shirt.
"Bill, look away, I'm hideous," Fleur Harry said as she unclipped her bra and handed it to Bill.
"I knew Ginny was lying about that tattoo," Ron Harry chuckled.
"Harry, your eyesight really is awful," Hermione Harry said as she slipped on a pair of Harry's round glasses.
"Right then. We'll be pairing off," Moody began to explain. "Each Potter will have a protector. Mundungus, stick tight to me. I want to keep an eye on ya," he growled. "Twins, you're going with Remus and Arthur. Any of you four die and the Dark Lord will be the least of our problems when Leona finds out."
The room chuckled.
"As for Harry-"
"Yes?" all of them answered, and Moody furrowed his brow angrily.
"The real Harry. Where the devil are you anyway?"
"Here!" the real Harry answered as he raised his hand from the back of the room.
"You'll ride with Hagrid."
As Harry conversed with Hagrid, the twins turned to Remus and Arthur, clothes on their backs.
"We're going by broom, but odds are, if there are Death eaters out there, we'll have to ditch them halfway and find a time to Apparate the rest of the way. You two are going to be targets, are you ready?" Remus asked with a hand on Fred Harry's shoulder.
The twins looked at each other.
"Bring it on," they chorused, and the two adults shook their heads with a smile.
"Yes, it's all very touching. Let's go!" Moody ordered as they all filed out of the house.
The streets were dark as Harry set Hedwig free before climbing into the sidecar of Hagrid's motorcycle, everyone else lined up in their pairs as they hovered on brooms or sat atop a Thestral, facing Moody who was seeing them off before taking flight himself.
"Head for the Burrow. We'll rendezvous there. Leona will likely be guarding the perimeter, so keep an eye out. On the count of three!"
"Hold tight Harry," Hagrid warned as he started the engine.
"ONE! TWO! THREE!"
And Moody's hair and cloak blew back as one by one the broom riders flew past him, the wizard then ducking as Hagrid and Harry flew over him.
To the Burrow they went.