72 | Eight Potters
"You all got the plan, right?" asked Alastor Moody the big group of people, gathered at the garden of the Burrow. Everyone nodded. Harry Potter's relocation to the Burrow would take place tonight, and there were fifteen members of the Order of the Phoenix here ready to head for 4 Privet Drive. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny Weasley would say bye to them. There were too many defense spells around the house and they would climb to the hill to the other side and go from there.
"Any questions?" he asked again.
Marley Macmillan looked around at Hagrid's motorbike and the five broomsticks they would use. There were also two Thestrals.
"Mad-Eye, and not only you," said Mrs. Weasley, worry flashing in her eyes. "Take care of them. They're just children."
"We're not!" at the same time exclaimed Marley, Ron and Hermione.
"We are all overage, so don't worry about us, Mom." said Fred Weasley.
"Molly, we don't have time for more talks." growled Moody, carefully watching the group of people in the garden. "We have to go."
After everyone had hurriedly talked to Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, they headed for the hill where they were going. Now Moody said chaotically about who to travel with, while everything was well thought out for their return.
All Marley could understand was that George would travel with her mother, Brielle Macmillan, on a Thestral. And Marley got on another, along with Remus Lupin. Since George had never been alone with her mother, now was a good opportunity for her to chat with him after her daughter was living with him for a month so far.
By two minutes, everyone was already flying into the sky, which was orange to deep bloody red. The sun was setting down, and with it the night ahead. After Marley and Lupin rose up in the air, the girl thought about Dumbledore. After his death and funeral in Hogwarts, everything was much more difficult now.
He had always helped everyone and knew the answers to everything. She was right that day in the hospital wing, which seemed to her like centuries ago. She was right that they were already alone. However, the Wizarding World had lost an extraordinarily great wizard, and Voldemort's power was growing.
"Hey, Marley!" yelled Lupin. His voice sounded muted because of the strong wind. "You okay out there?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she said. "It's a bit cold, but I'm totally fine."
"Great," he replied quietly. "So, after you graduated, have you thought what you wanted to do? I learned from Brie you wanted to be an Auror."
Marley had shared her dream with her mother and the Weasley twins. But not with too many people, only with her closest. She wasn't mad Lupin knew. He was a clever man and could even give her an advice.
"Uhm, yes," she said. "But you need to study a lot. And right now, there is a war. I want to help. Maybe I will start to study for an Auror after the war."
"But no one knows how long it will be. It could be even ten years." said Lupin. Marley nodded, because he was really right. But two years had already passed since the start of the Second Wizarding War. Before she could say anything, the small, shabby houses of Little Whinning appeared before them.
"We are going down!" roared Moody, who had ridden a broom and behind him was the so-hated Mundungus Fletcher. Marley didn't even understand why he was here when he didn't want to. But obviously Moody insisted. Or because he didn't believe him at all and wanted to keep an eye on him.
The group began to go down sharply, and the fact that Marley's body was transparent from the effects of the Disillusionment Charms began to fade a little, and her hands were already gaining density.
"Lupin," Marley called him. He turned to see her for the part of the second and his eyes widened. "My hands--"
"Not only your hands," he said and the skeletal, black winged horse increased its speed, so they could land faster. "Hold on!"
Hagrid's motorbike roared and the Thestral descended so sharply that Mrs. Weasley's quick dinner (before they left the Burrow) began to rise to Marley's throat. After they had landed successfully, Marley nearly crashed to the ground, her head spinning slightly. But she managed to keep her balance. Just a meter away, George and Brielle got off the Thestral and came down.
"Your mother is a lovely person, that's all I can say." said George, when Marley approached them.
"I didn't bother him much." chuckled Brielle, patting him on the shoulder. Marley laughed and then she saw how the front door on Privet Drive yawned opened and a boy with messy black hair and round glasses showed up.
"All righ', Harry? Ready fer the off?" asked Hagrid, after pulling Harry in one of his strong hugs that can almost break your ribs.
"Definitely," said Harry, beaming around at them all. "But I wasn't expecting this many of you!"
"Change of plan," growled Mad-Eye, who was holding two enormous, bulging sacks, and whose magical eye was spinning from darkening sky to house to garden with dizzying rapidity. "Let's get undercover before we talk you through it."
Everyone went into Harry's house. Marley, Fred, and George, looking toward the empty rooms, Brielle, Lupin, and Tonks walked quietly as Moody limped to the living room, holding Mundungus close to him. Bill and Fleur came in a while ago, along with Ron and Hermione, and then it was Hagrid, who was stuck in the door frame and had to help him get in. Finally, Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt entered.
Sixteen people were in the living room now, and Harry was looking with curious and excited eyes at everyone. Moody stepped forward and started explaining to Harry the new plan.
"So what are we going to do?" asked Harry. Moody was just explaing to him about the Trace, because he was underage and couldn't do magic outside Hogwarts.
"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."
Then he told him about the twelve sheltered houses of the Order's people, where and how it was possible to meet several Death Eaters, about the false rumor in the Ministry about his moving from Privet Drive.
"You'll be going to Tonks's parents," said Moody, "Once you're within the boundaries of the protective enchantments we've put on their house, you'll be able to use a Portkey to the Burrow. Any questions?"
"Er — yes," said Harry. "Maybe they won't know which of the twelve secure houses I'm heading for at first, but won't it be sort of obvious once" — he performed a quick headcount — "sixteen of us fly off toward Tonks's parents'?"
"Ah," said Moody, "I forgot to mention the key point. Sixteen of us won't be flying to Tonks's parents'. There will be eight Harry Potters moving through the skies tonight, each of them with a companion, each pair heading for a different safe house."
From inside his cloak Moody now withdrew a flask of what looked like mud.
"No!" he said loudly, his voice ringing through the kitchen. "No way!"
"I told them you'd take it like this," said Marley with a hint of complacency. "But, unfortunately, I think that this time no one wants your opinion."
Harry glared at his sister like she had just betrayed him so shamelessly. "I can't let seven people to risk your lives for me--"
"— because it's the first time for all of us," said sarcastically Ron.
Harry opened his mouth to protest again, but Moody cut him off, holding his hair up. "Listen, Potter, your sister is right. We don't ask you if you want or not. If it has to come to force, then it will. Everyone here's overage, Potter, and they're all prepared to take the risk."
Harry didn't look very convinced and Marley noticed it. She knew he didn't want seven people to risk their lives for him, but he was important and if Voldemort catches him, it's game over.
"So, Potter — some of your hair, if you please."
Harry was left with no choice. He was squeezed on all sides. With all of their eyes upon him, Harry reached up to the top of his head, grabbed a hank of hair, and pulled.
Moody limped forward as he pulled the stopper out of the flask of the Polyjuice potion. "Straight in here, if you please."
Harry dropped the hair into the mudlike 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.
Ron, Hermione, Marley, Fred, George, and Fleur lined up in front of Aunt Petunia's gleaming sink.
"We're one short," said Lupin.
"Here," said Hagrid gruffly, and he lifted Mundungus by the scruff of the neck and dropped him down beside Fleur. Mundungus tried again to protest and be a protector, but Moody didn't let him do this. And with right.
Ron, Hermione, Маrley, 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, Marley and Mundungus were shooting upward; Ron, Fred, and George were shrinking; their hair was darkening, the girl's appearing to shoot backward into their skulls.
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.
"We all look the same!" scolded them Marley, barely managing to find the twins, who looked like Harry. "Jesus, Harry, your eyesight is very poor--" she made a step forward and suddenly fell on the floor.
"Mar," said George. "Don't take it personally, but you look awful as a boy." Fred just grinned and Marley glared at them badly, but didn't say anything.
"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 seven pairs in the side pocket. And when you're dressed, there's luggage in the other sack."
Marley was really happy when she put on the round glasses on her eyes. Once dressed, the fake Harrys took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl, from the second sack.
Then Moody distributed them - Mundungus was with him on a broomstick, Fred was with Mr. Weasley also on a broomstick, George and Lupin on a broomstick, Fleur and Bill on a Thestral, Marley and Brielle on broomstick, Hermione and Kingsley on Thestral, Ron and Tonks on broomstick , and Harry and Hagrid on his motorbike.
Then everyone left the living room. The real Harry took his backpack, his cage with Hedwig and his broomstick Firebolt, and then sixteen people left the house, eight of whom looked exactly alike, quickly went out to the lawn and got on their vehicles.
Marley left her things and Brielle got on the broomstick, after her was her daughter, who looked now like her brother Harry.
"Sweetie, are you ready?" asked Brielle with confidence in her voice.
Marley was just smirking, "I'm born ready, Mom."