Stubborn Harry

From inside his cloak, Moody now withdrew a flask of what looked like mud. There was no need for him to say another word; Harry understood the rest of the plan immediately.

'No!' he said loudly, his voice ringing through the kitchen. 'No way!'

'I told them you'd take it like this' said Hermione with a sigh.

'If you think I'm going to let six people risk there lives-' Harry said furiously before Ron interrupted him.

'Because it's the first time for all of us.'

'This is different, pretending to be me-' he half yelled, throwing Ron a dirty look.

'Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry' George said earnestly. 'Imagine if we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever!' He and Fred pretended to shudder.

Harry did not smile. Didn't they realise what danger impersonating him would be? He racked his brains for a way to get them to change their minds.

'You can't do it if I don't cooperate. You need me to give some of my hair.'

'Well that's got the planned scuppered.' George said sarcastically 'Obviously there's no way we can get a little bit of your hair if you don't cooperate'

'Yeah' Fred sniggered 'Thirteen of us against one little bloke who can't use magic; we've got no chance.'

'Funny guys, really amusing.' Harry said, disgusted.

'If it has to come to force Potter, then it will.' Moody growled, glaring at Harry, his magical eye quivering dangerously. 'Everyone here's overage and are willing and prepared to take the risk.' Mundungus muttered something Harry couldn't quite hear under his breath.

'Now, give us the hairs boy. No more arguments. We're wasting time.'

'This is crazy. There's no need…'

'No need?' Moody repeated. 'With brains like that, you should be a Death Eater! This

is the only thing that might work, our only chance to get you there safe! Or don't you want that?'

'Of course I want that! But it's not worth it if you die.'

'Potter' Moody said, a little more gently. 'Didn't you hear what Kingsley said before? You're more important than the muggle Prime Minister. You are the only hope the world has of getting rid of You-Know-Who!' Harry glanced at Hermione. She pleaded to him with her eyes. He looked away defiantly.

'We're wasting time. Potter, the hairs please.' Harry felt all eyes on him.

'No,' he said firmly. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Rom grimace. No one was smiling now. Moody was glaring at him again, but Harry stubbornly stared back.

'Look here Potter. Give me the hairs or we'll start using wands.' Harry suspected that they were bluffing, trying to scare him, but unfortunately, he wasn't giving in. no one was speaking. Harry thought that he could cut through the air with a knife, it was so tense. Lupin spoke up.

'Harry, we want to help you, not jinx you! Just go along with it.'

'I'm not letting you risk your lives for me.' He replied calmly.

'Right then Potter. I didn't want to have to do this, but you've left us here with no choice. Stand back everyone.' Harry stomach was beginning to feel slightly fluttery. He wasn't serious?

'No!' a pair of voices called out. Harry was relieved. Had he finally gotten an ally? He was bitterly disappointed. Fred and George hurried up to Moody.

'Can we do it? I mean, how many people can say that they've jinxed the Harry Potter? How many more chances are we going to get?' Harry glared coldly at them.

'Thanks a lot.'

'No problem Harry! We would have been glad to do it.' they replied cheerfully.

'Not a chance boys.' Mr Weasley said. But now Harry had stopped listening. Mad-Eye Moody had raised his wand.

'Stupefy!' he said with a wave of his wand. Harry saw it coming but was unable to stop it in time. The stunner hit him right in the chest and the last thing he remembered after that for a while was falling backwards, with Hermione quickly dashing forward to catch him.

Harry opened his eyes blearily. Where was he? He thought, right before he remembered. Lupin had his wand pointed at Harry. He must have just revived him. Harry wondered how long he had been stunned. Glancing around, he now saw with a shock, six people, six clones, six exact replicas of himself. Obviously they had taken the hairs. The anger now surged up inside of him. How dare they take his hair like that!

'We've had to change plans a little. Hagrid won't be taking you. I will. We weren't sure he'd be able to handle you. And so you'll also not be in the bike. We know that the Death Eaters will be looking for a Harry confident on a broomstick so you'll be on a Thestral with me. Hermione and Kingsley have kindly given up theirs for us. George who was meant to be with me, will now have to go with Hagrid, clear?' Harry frowned.

'It's no use looking at me like that. We already proved we'd curse you, lets get ready to go.' Lupin ordered. Harry stayed still and silent. Lupin sighed.

"Imperio!" The sense of overwhelming calm went through him. His mind was blissfully blank. All the troubles he had just flew out his right ear.

'Get up and get on the Thestral' Lupins voice said from somewhere far away.

'Why?' Harry thought calmly. "Don't really want to.'

'Do it!' Lupin commanded

'NO!' Harry said again and threw off the curse. 'Hasn't anyone ever told you? I can repel that. But thanks for letting me know you're happy to use an unforgivable curse on me. It's nice to know.'

'Potter!' Moody now said to him, 'do it!'

'No!'

'Fine,' He muttered something. An invisible force seemed to have taken over his limbs. Not the Imperious curse…but something awfully familiar. He remembered. Voldemort used it on him in the graveyard that night… Harry thought back… 'Bow to death, Harry…' he had said.Harry had felt as though an invisible hand was bending him ruthlessly forward, and he remembered how the Death Eaters had all laughed as Harry had been taunted like this. How dare Moody do this! He climbed on the thestral and Lupin jumped on in front of him. Harry felt his hands move to grip him around the waist. This was it, Harry thought sadly. I'm probably never going to see these people again…except maybe at their funeral.

'OK ready?' Moody called. 'Three, two, one, GO!'