Thanks everyone so much for favoriting and following this story! You are all so amazing and I love you all! Don't forget to review - tell me what you like, what you don't like, ideas for the story, or just straight-up encouragement! BTW, a good point of reference for this OC's physical appearance is Katie Leclerc from "Switched At Birth". Enjoy!

- Owlix

Chapter Three: Polyjuice Potion

Wearing a wide grin, I raced downstairs to the kitchen, Harry hot on my heels. As I stared out the back window, I realized how large the group was. Apart from Hagrid, who was dominating the scene on the motorcycle, there were eleven people dismounting brooms and, in two cases, large, black, winged horses that looked like they should be carrying the Grim Reaper, not witches and wizards.

I jumped slightly as Harry wrenched the door open and hurled himself into the crowd. The grin on his face showed me that he obviously loved each and every one of these people. The thing is, I was able to recognize almost every single person in the group: Ron, Hermione, Gred and Forge (as they insisted on me calling them years ago), Bill Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Moody (who hated that I called him that), Dora Tonks and Remus, Kingsley, and Hagrid. The only person I didn't recognize, at least not at first, was a small, dirty man who eventually revealed himself as Mundungus Fletcher, a sneak-thief who I wouldn't trust with my hairbrush, let alone my life.

I quietly followed Harry outside, standing on the sidelines as everyone greeted him. I was pleasantly surprised when Dora came over and wrapped me in a hug; I loved this vivacious, quirky woman who had become the big sister I never had. The best part was that she knew Sign Language, so we could have little secret talks in the corner where no one could eavesdrop of join in on our private jokes.

"How are you, Rissie?" she signed, wearing a big grin. "Ready to go?"

"I've been ready for sixteen years!" I signed back, chuckling a little. I paused as I noticed something glittery on Dora's left hand. I immediately grabbed it and stared at the beautiful wedding ring on her finger. We made eye contact for a split second before we were squealing and hopping around and hugging like a pair of giggly schoolgirls.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" I signed excitedly, no doubt looking like I was flailing a little. As Dora laughed at my enthusiasm, I hurried over to Remus, who was standing a few steps away, and flung my arms around him in a rare hug. I felt his body shudder with laughter as he picked me up and swung me around. When he set me down, I could see how tired and worried he was.

"You need a nap," I said in concern as I looked up at him. "A really long one!"

He chuckled again, but this time it seemed almost bitter.

"Don't worry, I'll get one," he said, seeming a bit surprised when Dora popped in next to us.

"I'll make sure he does," she said with a mischievous smirk, "even if I have to wear him out myself."

I couldn't help laughing at the more-than-awkward comment, barely managing to sign, "You have fun with that," as Mr. Moody ushered us inside.

"Alright, alright," he growled, making sure silence had descended on the kitchen before continuing. "As ya probably already know, we had to abandon Plan A. Pius Thicknesse has gone over, which gives us a big problem. He's made it an imprisonable offence to connect this house ta the Floo Network, place a Portkey here, or Apparate in er out."

"Not that Harry can Apparate anyway," I cut in. "The Trace is still on us, right?"

Mr. Moody gave me a nod of approval.

"Exactly. If you two so much as sneeze, the Ministry's gonna know who wipes your nose! The point is we have to use those means of transportation the Trace can't detect: brooms, thestrals, and Hagrid's motorbike."

"Y'mean the horses out back?" I asked, surprised at the shocked looks everyone gave me.

"You can see them?!" Harry asked, almost in horror.

"You have to see someone die to see them," Hermione said, trying to explain.

I winced slightly as I remembered Sean Harris's pained, bloody face.

"A schoolmate ..." I said quietly. "Got run over by a lorry two years ago. Died before the medics could get there."

"Rissie ..." Harry said sympathetically. "Why didn't you –"

"You were busy," I said curtly, cutting Harry off before silently asking Mr. Moody to continue.

"We go in pairs," he said, giving me a bracing look. "That way, if there's anyone 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 asked as I dug into my pocket for the hanky I'd stuffed there earlier.

Mr. Moody smirked and pulled out his hip flask.

"I believe yer familiar with this particular brew," he said as he flipped the lid open.

"No!" Harry cried as his eyes grew wide and very frightened. "Absolutely not!"

"Told you he'd take it well," Hermione said complacently.

"No," Harry interjected, "if you think I'm going to let everyone risk their lives for me ..."

"Never done that before, have we?" Ron said snarkily, making me laugh a little.

"No, this is different!" Harry cried, pointing his wand at Mr. Moody, who was still waiting for Harry to finish his rant. "Taking that – becoming me ... no!"

"Well, none of us really fancy it, mate," George said from the corner.

"Yeah, imagine if something went wrong," Fred said eerily. "We'd end up a screwy, specky git forever!"

"Everyone here is of age, Potter," Mr. Moody said. "They've all agreed to take the risk. Miss Potter, as discussed."

Harry gaped at me as I waltzed over to Mr. Moody with a hanky full of long, dark hairs.

"Fresh from the pillow this morning, Mr. Moody," I chirped.

"Straight in here, if you please," he growled. "And don't call me Mister!"

I just smiled and carefully put the three hairs I had collected into the flask before standing in line between Mundungus and Ron, ignoring Harry's half-hearted glare.

"For those of you who haven't taken Polyjuice Potion before," Mr. Moody growled as he walked over to George, "fair warning – tastes like goblin piss."

"Have much experience with that, don't you, Mad-Eye?" George asked as he took the flask. When he saw Mr. Moody's blankly disapproving face, he quipped that he was trying to diffuse the tension before taking a small sip and shuddering before he lost at least a foot in height. Everyone in line took a sip and passed the bottle on to the next person, shuddering in disgust as we all slowly transformed into my twin. I have to say, it was REALLY uncomfortable being a boy after seventeen years as a girl. I was used to two somethings hanging out on my front, not something hanging between my legs; my balance was a bit off and I was trying to not stand bow-legged.

"Wow, we're identical!" Fred and George said, making me snicker a little.

"Not yet, yer not," Mr. Moody said as he dumped a pile of clothes on the floor, all of them exact replicas of what Harry was currently wearing. I quickly grabbed an outfit and hurried upstairs to the bathroom to change. I mean, it wasn't my body, but Harry wasn't really an exhibitionist; his friends were probably embarrassing him like mad downstairs.

"Rissie?"

I jumped as I was putting on Harry's shirt and turned to see Harry standing in the doorway. He had a questioning look on his face. I sighed, knowing what he wanted to know.

"His name was Sean Harris," I said, turning around as I continued to strip and change. "He was the one who taught me sign language and introduced me to my Art teacher. I was the one in front of the lorry; he shoved me out of the way when he realized I couldn't hear it coming. He was in my arms when he died. I tried to keep him alive but I ..."

Harry didn't say anything. He simply turned me around and helped me zip up the jacket and put my glasses on before wrapping me in a hug.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there," he said as he held me close, "but I will be there from now on. After the war's over, we won't ever be apart. I promise."

I chuckled and returned the hug.

"I hope you aren't thinking of moving in after I get married," I quipped. "I'm not really into threesomes ... or incest for that matter."

Harry chuckled this time and ruffled up my hair ... or rather his hair.

"This is so weird!" I said as I tried to make the black mop on my head look better. "How you handle this without shaving it all off is a mystery to me."

"Well, you're a girl," Harry said as we headed back down the stairs. "You all feel you have to look good."

"Of course," I said. "Where else can we hide our diabolical schemes except behind a pretty face? Right, Hermione?"

"Absolutely!" she said as she slipped her glasses on. "Harry, your eyesight really is awful!"

"Possibly the effect of the Killing Curse," I said. "My ears are the same." Reminded of my hearing aids by that statement, I blinked in surprise and slipped them off and closed my eyes.

"Someone say something!" I said.

There was a pause, like the others were trying to decide who would say it.

"Something," I heard Dora said from across the room.

I grinned over at her as she grinned back at me. Her best friend in school was profoundly deaf, so Dora knew how amazing it would be for me to hear with my own two ears again.

"Right then, we'll be pairing off," Mr. Moody said. "Each Potter will have a protector. Mundungus, stick tight to me – I wanna keep an eye on ya. As for Harry ..."

"Yes?" we all said. I could barely keep from smirking at Mr. Moody's almost-impressed face.

"The real Harry – where the devil are ye anyway?"

"Here," Harry said from the back of the room.

"Ye'll be riding with Hagrid."

Hagrid stepped forward and spoke quietly to Harry. I figured I'd step back and let them have a moment. I walked over to Bill, who I'd be with for this trip. I hadn't really seen his scars before, but I was trying to not stare at them. I knew how uncomfortable it was when someone stared at my hearing aids.

"How good are you with horseback riding?" he asked with a small smile.

"Not bad," I said. "As long as I have a firm grip, it's pretty hard for me to fall off."

"Good," he said, clapping me on the back. "You'll need the firm grip before the night's over."