"This is the tidiest I've seen your room."
"Shut up and help me carry this stuff."
So I ended up carrying Hedwig's cage and the firebolt as Harry ended up with just the rucksacks as we headed down the stairs for the last time. Natural light was fading in an unravelling hurry, the hall full of shadows.
"It's strange," Harry said, his voice echoing in the empty house. "I'm leaving here for the last time."
"Well you did live here ninety percent of your life, you're bound to feel a bit odd." I said, leaning against him. "I mean I would have felt the same with Jenna's house, but Mark burnt it down before I could get nostalgic."
Harry smiled to himself. "It's funny, when the Dursley's used to go out I'd be so happy. I'd run to play on Dudley's computer or take all the snacks I wanted from the fridge..."
"Hey, just remember all the good memories here." I told him. I gestured to the doormat. "Remmeber you told me that Dudley threw up on it after you saved him from Dementors? And last summer, Dumbledore walked through that door..."
The two of us sighed wistfully. "I never showed you." Harry said sarcastically. "My previous bedroom."
"Yes, because you knew I'd go into a rant for half an hour."
Harry knelt down and pulled open the cupboard under the stairs. I looked inside the tiny space, where a camp bed was squeezed in at the side, toy soldiers lined on the shelf, covered in dust and spider webs.
"Wow, it's so small... I'd forgotten completely..."
Looking at the racks of shoes and umbrellas I felt close to tears as I thought of Harry's childhood: waking up to spiders on his face, not knowing he had a sister waking up in a loving household, not knowing the meaning of the dreams with green light...
A deafening roar came from nearby. Harry straighted up and smacked his head on the door frame, using swear words so colourful he could have painted a rainbow.
"Looks like our squad has arrived," I said, unable to keep the smile off my face, dashing out into the kitchen and staring into the back garden.
The darkness rippled and then figures began popping into sight like some suburban mirage. Hagrid was most noticeable with his goggles and sitting on a giant motorbike. All around him my friends were dismounting from brooms and thestrals.
I hurtled out of the back door, Harry following after me, still rubbing his head. Greetings were called as Gennie flung her arms around me, Cole kissing the top of my head, dispite being mid-argument with Alia.
"Rory, Harry! Ready to go!" Hagrid called, a big grin on his face.
"Definitely," said Harry, beaming around at everyone. "But I wasn't expecting this many of you!"
"Change of plan," growled Mad-Eye, who was holding two sacks, and whose magical eye was spinning. "Let's get undercover before we talk you through it."
"Yeah well somebody was meant to be coming," Cole said, glaring at his younger sister with a scowl, as she just rolled her eyes.
Harry led everybody into the kitchen where everybody settled onto chairs and counters, all looking out of place, but yet making the place seem like home all at once.
Ron, lanky with his faded denim jacket; Hermione with an untidy plait; Fred and George (who was showing around pictures of Maia around to everybody); Bill scarred with his cool earring; Mr Weasley and Mad-Eye stood next to Remus and Tonks, hand-in-hand; Fleur and Kingsley; Mundungus Fletcher; Cole sat on Gennie's lap on a counter-top, and Alia, with her feet up on the kitchen table.
I felt very fond of everybody in that second, all united for me and my brother—even Mundungus, who stole Sirius' things and Harry tried to strangle.
"Harry, guess what?" said Tonks from her perch on top of the washing machine, and she wiggled her wedding ring.
"I wish I could have been there, Rory said it was great." Harry said wistfully.
"Wait!" I exclaimed, noticing a ring on Gennie's finger as she brushed her back. "What is that?"
Gennie rolled her eyes. "Find your chill, Rory, Cole bought me a Mickey Mouse ring in Disney the other week, I'm not bloody engaged."
"Good, you'd have to do that over my dead body." Remus muttered as Cole gave him a sheepish smile.
"All right, all right, we'll have time for a cozy catch-up later," roared Moody over the hubbub, and silence fell in the kitchen.
"Right, well we can't go through the floo network, apparate or have a portkey as it could be tracked and kill you both as a result. As you still have the trace on the both of you, the death eaters will know where you are going if we use magic to get you out!"
"So what are we going to do?" Harry asked.
"We're going to use the only means of transport left to us, the only ones the Trace can't detect, because we don't need to cast spells to use them: brooms, thestrals, and Hagrid's motorbike."
I was hesitant about this, but decided to keep my mouth shut for once.
"So as soon as you two leave here, you are vulnerable, and anybody can get to you. So instead of you both sitting around like sitting ducks, we're breaking the charm early. So we have a dozen houses of protection set up: Remus' house, Cole's house, Molly's Aunt Muriels—well you get the picture."
"Harry you'll be going to Tonk's parents, Rory you'll be going to Arthur's house—his mother will be waiting for you there. Then you'll be able to portkey to the burrow. Any questions?"
Harry and I exchanged a look and shook our heads. Moody withdrew a flask of what looked like mud. I looked at it blankly, but Harry was shaking his head.
"No! No way!"
"I knew you'd be like this...." Hermione trailed off.
My eyes darted between the two of them. "What's happening...?"
Harry sighed deeply. "They want to use polyjuice potion on half of you—to turn you lot into me! If you think I'd let you all risk your lives—"
"Oh that's the stuff that turned Hermione into a cat!" I exclaimed and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"But seriously, mate, do you think this is the first time we've risked our lives for you two?" Cole raised an eyebrow.
"This is different, pretending to be me."
"Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry," said Fred earnestly. "Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever."
Harry did not smile.
"You can't do it if I don't cooperate, you need me to give you some hair."
"Well, that's the plan scuppered," said George. "Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate."
"Yeah, seventeen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance," said Fred.
"Funny," said Harry, "really amusing."
"If it has to come to force, then it will," growled Moody, his magical eye now quivering as he glared at Harry. "Everyone here's overage, Potter, and they're all prepared to take the risk."
"She's not." Cole glared at Alia.
"I thought Arthur was meant to be part of the plan...?" I trailed off, thinking about my ex boyfriend.
"He pulled out last minute, something about other priorities at the moment, so I stepped in." Alia said boldly. Cole contined to glare at her. "Hey, it's not my fault the prick is all sad about ending things with Rory! But he broke it off so he should be out getting pissed and su—"
"Yeah, let's not talk about him like that." I said, feeling uncomfortable.
Arthur had seemed to put on such a good face when he broke up with me, I'd almost forgotten that he'd been truly in love with me, and I'd just almost used him as a rebound for Draco. I just hoped he was okay, I hadn't seen him since June.
"Okay, enough of that!" Cole snapped. "Alia, you are barely fifteen, if you think I'm going to let you—"
"And what were you doing when you were fifteen? You were rebelling against a toad-like teacher and swallowing a bunch of pills!" Alia burst out, and Cole hung his head in shame. Alia sighed, and put her hand on his shoulder. "I didn't mean it like that Cole... But I mean you were out doing crazy shit for Rory and Harry, why can't I?"
"Because you're my little sister, and I don't want you hurt." Cole mumbled.
"Oh my god, you are such a sweetheart on times, it's hard to yell at you." Alia scoffed. "But Cole, seriously. I have a boyfriend and finally fit into a bra, I'm growing up. And there is a war, and you need to let me fight and do what I think is right. Because you aren't going to stop me what so ever."
Cole was quiet for a few minutes. "You're coming with me on the thestral, then. And you're taking the potion."
Alia rolled her eyes. "At least I'll finally be over five feet."
"No more arguments." Moody said "Time's going on. Harry, we need the hair."
Ron shot Harry a look which said 'come on just do it'.
"Now!" barked Moody.
With all of eyes upon him, Harry reached up to the top of his head, grabbed a hank of hair, and pulled.
"Good," said Moody, limping forward as he pulled the stopper out of the flask of potion. "Straight in here, if you please."
Harry dropped the hair into the mud-like liquid. The moment it made contact with its surface, the potion began to froth and smoke, then, all at once, it turned a clear, bright gold.
"Right then, fake Potters line up over here, please," said Moody.
"Right, remind me again why it's just Harry we're acting as?" I asked quickly.
Moody rolled his glass eye. "Because, to the death eaters knowledge, you're already in a safe house—the kidnap of your sister proved that."
"Right," I said, lining up with Ron, Hermione, Fred, Fleur, Gennie and Alia.
"We're one short," said Remus.
"Here," said Hagrid gruffly, and he lifted Mundungus by the scruff of the neck and dropped him down beside Fleur, who wrinkled her nose pointedly and moved along to stand between Fred and George instead.
"I'm a soldier, I'd sooner be a protector," said Mundungus.
"Shut it," growled Moody. "As I've already told you, you spineless worm, any Death Eaters we run into will be aiming to capture Potter, not kill him."
Moody pulled some glasses from his cloak, pouring polyjuice into all of them.
I glanced down at the thing, and caught Gennie looking at it with mixed disgust and intruege. "Honestly, I thought the next time we'd do shots, it wouldn't be turning into your brother." Gennie said, shuddering.
"Botomms up then..."
I downed the potion, and grimaced as the vile taste hit my throat, my skin beginning to bubble and squirm and change into my brother. Feeling sick as my skin began to disort, I could barely talk as I felt my hair shoot into the roots, legs grow longer and chest disappear altogether.
Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes, to find stubby fingers and short dark hair sprouting from my head. Looking around, it was more than disturbing to see nine other versions of my brother—especialy considering Alia had been wearing a bright pink leather jacket and biker boots.
"I dunno, though, I think I'm still better-looking," said Fred, examining his reflection in the kettle.
"Bah," said Fleur, checking herself in the microwave door, "Bill, don't look at me I'm 'ideous."
"Those whose clothes are a bit roomy, I've got smaller here," said Moody, indicating the first sack, "and vice versa. Don't forget the glasses, there's six pairs in the side pocket. And when you're dressed, there's luggage in the other sack."
Grabbing a carbon copy of Harry's hoodie I pulled it on over my Nirvana shirt, zipping it up all the way, and putting on a pair of converse.
"Honestly, Harry, I never thought I'd see the day when you were wearing a bra, but here we are." I snickered.
Gennie patted at her now flat chest. "This is weird on so many levels. Who knew not having boobs felt so great?"
Soon enough we were all kitted up with fake glasses and stuffed owls in cages, prepared for the next part of the task.
"Good," said Moody,"The pairs will be as follows: Mundungus will be traveling with me, by broom—"
"Why'm I with you?" grunted the Harry nearest the back door.
"Because you're the one that needs watching," growled Moody, and sure enough, his magical eye did not waver from Mundungus as he continued, "Arthur and Fred-, Rory and George, Miss Delacour—"
"I'm taking Fleur on a thestral," said Bill. "She's not that fond of brooms."
"Miss Granger with Kingsley, again by thestral—Ron and Tonks, Gennie and Remus, Cole and Alia—Harry is with Hagrid. "
"We think the Death Eaters will expect you to be on a broom," said Moody, who seemed to guess how Harry was feeling. "Snape's had plenty of time to tell them everything about you he's never mentioned before, so if we do run into any Death Eaters, we're betting they'll choose one of the Potters who looks at home on a broomstick, now come on."
I tossed my rucksack over my shoulder, following George, who was still flipping through a section of photos. "Oh my god, you've missed so much in two weeks." George babbled to me. "She's grown more hair, and is smiling loads now, it's the cutest thing I've ever seen."
"And to think you fainted when Lacey told you she was pregnant." I joked, elbowing George lightly.
George scowled. "She said she'd never tell anybody that!"
"Hey, you're not the only sleep deprived one, she can say what she wants." I said, raising my hands up in defence.
I climbed onto the broom, George sitting behind me, patting my shoulder. "Just to say, Lacey told me to get partnered up with you. She wanted me to make sure you were safe."
"That's funny, because she called me and said the same thing." I chuckled, giving him a smile.
"All right, then." said Moody. "Everyone ready, please. I want us all to leave at exactly the same time or the whole point of the diversion's lost."
"Let's get ready for the fun, eh Rory?" George said, sounding nervous. I glanced around to see him kissing a picture of Lacey, Maia and Hollie, before slipping it into his pocket.
"Good luck, everyone," shouted Moody. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One ... two . THREE."
Hearing a roar from the motorbike Harry was on, George kicked off from the ground and we lurched forward into the air. I glanced around to see all our other friends soar off into the sky, and I felt a pang of nerves.
What if this was the last time I ever saw any of them?
No, I couldn't think like that.
"SHIT!" George yelled, and I looked up from admiring the view of Surrey to see we were surrounded. At least thirty hooded figures, forming a circle around all of us, oblivious to the amush. George twisted the broom sideways, and I screamed, holding on for dear life.
I heard Alia scream, and I looked behind me but saw nothing. "GEORGE!" I shouted over the wind. "I think something happened to Alia!"
"We can't look back now, Rory!" George shouted. "We have to get to safety, that's my job!"
I looked behind me to see four death eaters pursuing us, green light streaking through the sky after us. George kept twisting and looping the broom to the point I was dizzy, but the adrenaline and fear in my heart was enough to keep me from throwing up.
A death eater appeared in front of us and George and I screamed together, I panicked and shouted, "Sectumsempra!"
The death eater screamed as George ran straight into him, and as we were at least several miles ahead when I saw the death eater mask fall away—it was Cameron. "YOU BITCH STOP FIRING THAT SPELL AT ME!" I heard Cameron roar, his face full of blood as his broom lowered in the sky.
Pride filled me at hitting the bastard, and a dark part of me wished it killed him.
More killing curses flew past our heads as other death eaters carried on, ignoring Cameron's fall. George was firing spells back as well, green, red and silver colliding like angry spitting fireworks.
"WAIT I HAVE AN IDEA!" George screamed, and I noticed him haphazardly tie something to the broom end. A firework.
"GEORGE IF WE DIE FROM THIS I WILL KILL YOU!"
"WELL ACTUALLY LACEY WOULD KILL US BOTH!" George bellowed, and before I could reply, he lit the spark.
We rocketed forward so quickly and abruptly I could feel air at the back of my eyeballs and even in my bones. But we were moving at the speed of light, the death eaters mere blips behind us. And even though I was windswept, I looked down for a second and noticed Oxford Academy—my old school.
We were almost there.
The firework began to fizzle out, but I didn't care, we were in the home stretch. We were almost home.
But then a dark shape appeared a few miles ahead, and I shouted at George to go faster. But then I heard a groan from behind me, and feel a wet substance drip onto my shoulder. I glanced behind me, and almost screamed.
The left side of his face was coated in blood.
George pressed a hand to his face, and suddenly slumped forward onto my shoulder, turning pale.
"NO! George, don't you dare, don't you dare!" I screamed.
Snapping my head behind me to see where the curse came from, I swore heavily as I could see the unmistakable hooked nose of Severus Snape.
"SECTUMSEMPRA BACK YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" I screamed, shooting wildly into the air.
George whimpered behind me, his head dropping lower onto my shoulder, weighing me down. More important things were at hand.
Securing George's flopping arms around my waist, I took both hands on the broom, and took a risk, doing a Wronski-Feint I'd seen at the Quiddich world cup.
I looked up, seeing the initial death eater streaking after us. He was taking the bait.
The ground was fast approaching, I could see the M5 becoming closer and closer, not to mention somebody's very shiny Land Rover. I waited until I could see the sheen of the wax on the roof, before I pulled up, last minute.
I didn't look back as I witnessed the death eater fail to pull up and crashed through the sunroof. Soaring along with every ounce of strength I could hold in me, I powered on, painfully aware of George's blood seeping through my jacket.
"R-Rory," he mumbles.
"We're almost there George, don't worry." I said, tears blinding my vision.
"Tell—-tell Lacey, Lacey and Maia I love them. Please—Rory, please. They—they have to know."
"Shut the fuck up George you're not dying, tell them yourself!" I said through gritted teeth, noticing how his voice was weaker and blood flow faster.
"TAKE THAT YOU BITCH! INCIDENDO"
I screamed as I heard Cameron's voice behind me, and the tail of the broom caught fire. I could feel the broom dropping in feet—hundred—ninety—fifty—the ground was approaching, but I could see Arthur's street, we were almost there—-
"TELL MY BROTHER I'M COMING FOR HIM NEXT!" Cameron cackled, and I caught one last glimpse of his blood streaked face as he disappeared from view.
Flames were streaking up the broom, and I couldn't stop it. Thirty feet—I could see Arthur's neighbour—-twenty feet—I could see Arthur's battered car—-ten feet, I could see his childhood swing—
I grabbed onto George and leaped from the burning broomstick, bracing for the final blow, as we crashed with a shuddering impact into the garden pond.
———-
A/N BLOODY HELL THIS WAS AN AMAZING CHAPTER TO WRITE
Sorry for errors I haven't edited this!
First off, HELLO EVERYONE I'M BACK A WEEK EARLY. I've done 4/6 exams and am giving myself a break so I thought I'd update!!! Exams are going fab, I honestly think I've passed them all so far!
Also to say I almost cried writing this because I missed the characters so much. Hope you love this, and there MIGHT be a chapter tomorrow!!!
Sorry, I'm excited. Love you all!!