Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur and Mundungus drank. All of them gasped and grimaced as the potion hit their throats; at once, their features began to bubble and distort like hot wax. Hermione and Mundungus were shooting upward; Ron, Fred, and George were shrinking; their hair was darkening, Hermione's appearing to shoot backward into her skull.
Moody, quite unconcerned, was now loosening the ties of the large sacks he had brought with him. When he straightened up again, there were six Harry Potters gasping and panting in front of him.
Fred and George turned to each other and said together, "Wow! We're identical!"
"I dunno, though, I think I'm still better-looking," said Fred, examining his reflection in the kettle.
"Let's hope I don't get hit by a brick," Jason whispered to himself, readying his wand.
"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."
The Harrys began to strip down their clothes and change, and a few great revelations were arrived at in the process.
"I knew Ginny was lying about that tattoo," said Ron, looking down at his bare chest.
"Harry, your eyesight really is awful," said Hermione, as she put on glasses.
Once dressed, the fake Harrys took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl, from the second sack.
"Good," said Moody, as at last seven dressed, bespectacled, and luggage-laden Harrys faced him. "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-"
"I'm George," said the twin at whom Moody was pointing. "Can't you even tell us apart when we're Harry?"
"Sorry, George-"
"I'm only yanking your wand, I'm Fred really-"
"Enough messing around!" snarled Moody. "The other one- George or Fred or whoever you are -you're with Remus. Jason- with Bill on the broom-"
"I hate you so much for doing this to me," Jason muttered. "I could just go with Annabeth, you know?"
"Be glad you're not with me, boy," Moody snarled. Jason blew a raspberry at the man. "Miss Granger with Kingsley, again by thestral-"
Hermione looked reassured as she answered Kingsley's smile; Hermione too lacked confidence on a broomstick.
"Fleur and Annabeth by Thestral-"
Fleur threw me a look so impossible to recreate that I couldn't even understand it.
"Which leaves you and me, Ron!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a mug tree as she waved at him.
Ron did not look quite as pleased as Hermione.
"An' you're with me, Harry. That all righ'?" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious. "We'll be on the bike, brooms an' thestrals can't take me weight, see. Not a lot o' room on the seat with me on it, though, so you'll be in the sidecar."
"That's great," said Harry, not altogether truthfully.
"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. All right then," he went on, tying up the sack with the fake Potters' clothes in it and leading the way back to the door, "I make it three minutes until we're supposed to leave. No point locking the back door, it won't keep the Death Eaters out when they come looking. Come on ..."
Harry hurried to gather his rucksack, Firebolt, and Hedwig's cage and followed the us to the dark back garden.
On every side broomsticks were leaping into hands; Hermione had already been helped up onto a great black thestral by Kingsley, Fleur onto the other by Bill. Hagrid was standing ready beside the motorbike, goggles on.
"Okay, you both?" Bill asked us.
"No problem, Billy," I answered, smirking. "I got this."
"I zon't understand," Fleur said, her voice very French, "why you are not with me."
"See, that's my question too," Jason said. "I just like to think Moody hates me."
"Alright, alright," Bill smiled. "We'll see you on the other side."
"Hey, sis," Jason turned to me, his face grim, "take care."
"I will."
"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."
Everybody motioned their heads. "Hold tight now, Ron," said Tonks, and Ron threw a forcing, guilty look at Lupin before placing his hands on each side of her waist. Hagrid kicked the motorbike into life: It roared like a dragon, and the sidecar began to shake.
"Fleur, if this goes wrong," I said as the Thestral huffed, "I want you know that I love your sense of style."
Fleur was as pale as a white ghost, although still looking a lot like Harry. "Thank you. It eez good to know." She took a deep breath. "I 'ope we live."
I smirked. "Alright."
"Good luck, everyone," shouted Moody. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One... two. THREE."
There was a great roar from the motorbike, and the Thestral took off so fast that I had to stop myself from falling to the ground. Around us brooms were soaring upward too; the long black tail of a thestral flicked past.
I heard Jason shout something from afar, he and Bill already miles and miles away from us. The cry was followed shortly by Bill, who repeated the same very unsuccessfully.
And then, out of nowhere, out of nothing, we were surrounded. At least thirty hooded figures, suspended in midair, formed a vast circle in the middle of which the Order members had risen, oblivious- screams, a blaze of green light on every side: Fleur screamed curses in all direction, her wand flowing through the air as though she was dancing.
"GO!" she yelled at me, as though I was controlling the horse itself.
Wishing that Percy had been here, I kicked the Thestral, and with a loud neigh, it took of at lightning speed.
Sounds of war made me go deaf. Four death eaters broke apart from the circle, pursuing us.
"Fleur- Harry- whatever, take over!" I exclaimed, wiggling around and pulling my wand.
"But I cannot control-" Fleur began.
"Just like riding a horse!" I said. "Pull back when going down, bend front when going up. Basics!"
Fleur did not answer, but looked into the sky in full concentration.
"JASON!" I shouted as I sent a stunning Jinx hurtling down at a Death Eater.
No one replied back.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
I ducked as the green light brushed past me.
"BILL!" Fleur shouted.
"JASON!" A stinging Jinx was sent onto the Death Eater. "JASON!"
A barrel of lightning brightened the bleak and dark sky.
"Incendio!"
Fire spouted like water from the wand this time, screaming against the Death Eaters' robes as they backed away.
"I 'ate fighteeng on Thestrals," Fleur muttered. "It eez too difficult."
"Tell me about it." I turned around and took my dagger out, and cut the caged owls' lock free.
"Distract them all," I whispered.
The bird perched on my shoulder, cleaning it's wings. And then, with a frightening 'HOOT!' it took off into the air, pecking into the Death Eaters' faces. One fell down, completely distracted.
"STUPEFY!" I yelled.
Fleur laughed- a laughter of relief- we had taken down the last in the air. I panted for breath as the snowy owl perched back on my shoulder, its eyes wide and proud.
"Yeah, we did good," I said, sighing.
Another clap of lightning flashed through the sky.
"And there's the sign that Jason's alive, once more."
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