Chapter six
"You have got to be kidding."
"Harry, it would mean that we could-"
"Hermione, I am not putting you guys in danger!"
"Harry-"
"No, Hermi-"
"HARRY! LISTEN TO ME!" Harry was so shocked at Hermione yelling that he shut up. "If we go and find Macnair and get rid of him, then we can end this before it even starts! We can come up with a good plan, and then we won't have to worry about him, none of us will be in danger, and we can put it all behind us." Harry was beginning to think that she was right. But there was no way that the others were getting involved.
"Ok, fine. It is a good idea." Harry admitted. "You can help me with the plan, but I'll go and find him on my-"
"Don't say it, mate." Ron said, with a furtive glance at Hermione, who rolled her eyes.
"Harry, you're unbelievable. I wouldn't have said it if we weren't all completely prepared to fight with you! I thought you'd learnt after the years of me telling you-WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER, ok?" Harry nodded numbly. He had learnt long ago that there was no point in arguing with Hermione, it wouldn't get him anywhere. Hermione was pulling the maps out of the bag. "So, I've done these maps, I thought we could plan out-"
"I've already started, Hermione. Look, I used invisible ink." Harry revealed the ink, and Hermione's look of surprise was priceless.
"Oh-uh, good work, Harry. Yes, this is great, uh-"
"How did you do the map, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Oh, it doesn't really matter, I-" Hermione stuttered, with a fearful glance at Ron and Ginny. "Oh, ok. Well, it was Fred and George's idea, based on the marauder's map, you know? Well, after Fred-I mean, I thought I would make it..." Hermione said hurriedly. Ron put his arms around her. Ginny blinked several times, then cleared her throat and said,
"We should start on a plan." Harry nodded, and they all sat down, spreading the maps and parchment out onto the table. But soon, they realised that without any information, there was little they could do. They spent the rest of the day and half the night discussing nothing.
George rolled over in bed. He was used to not sleeping-he hadn't slept for weeks-but it meant that he could hear his parents talking in the next room, and he wondered whether he would rather have the nightmares than hear their conversations. Tonight was just as bad.
"We can't just let him...w-waste away, Arthur-"
"I know, Molly, but I just don't know what's for the best."
"If only he had a friend, or even a girlfriend-" George didn't want to hear any more. He stuffed his pillow over his head and breathed deeply. He had never told anyone, apart from Fred, and hearing his mother talk about the subject, even if she didn't know it, was agonising. It felt like the least important thing right now. A memory flashed in George's head, he was suddenly able to sleep with the strength of this memory, and he had a few hours of calm rest before the screaming began once more.
"Ok, so I apparated to the village this morning-"
"You did WHAT? What if you'd been seen? What if someone-"
"Ron, I used a disguising charm, and the invisibility cloak for good measure." Hermione looked at Harry, apologetic. "I hope you don't mind?" she said sheepishly. Harry shrugged in response. Ron huffed.
"You shouldn't have gone in on your own. Don't do that again, ok? Wake me up, if you have to." Hermione nodded. "So tell me, Hermione, was there a reason that you decided to heavily disguise yourself and go on a suicide mission? Or do you just have a death wish?" Hermione gave Ron a dirty look and he grinned.
"Yes, actually, there is a reason. I thought I would see if I could find something that might have any information on Macnair. I found an English tourist shop. And I got this." She held up a Daily Prophet proudly. Harry stared at it. He smoothed it out on the table with shaking hands. On the front cover, there was a picture of Harry, and the headline read: 'Our hero: where is he now?' Harry couldn't help himself-he read the article, but it was pretty boring; no one knew where he was, though a couple of people tried to guess-very unsuccessfully. He turned to the next page; this one was an extremely boring article about cauldrons, much like Percy's report on cauldron bottom thickness, so long ago. Harry briefly wondered why the Daily Prophet was reporting on cauldrons when there were still death eaters around, but then he flipped over the page, and gasped. The headline read: 'MISSING' in large lettering. Underneath, Harry read:
Arabella and Mary, wives of Cuthbert Boot and Terry Fisher respectively, disappeared from Taunton on the 10th June. Cuthbert and Terry reported their disappearance instantly, and were questioned two days after. However, on the 12th June, they were insistent that they knew nothing. On the evening of the 13th, there was a sighting of what looked like two women and a man arriving at Exmoor National park, but Terry and Cuthbert were quick to let us know that their wives weren't there. It all seems very mysterious, and if we have no information leading us elsewhere over the next week, we will have to commission a search of Exmoor, no matter what Terry and Cuthbert tell us. More information coming soon.
Harry looked up from the paper confusedly. "But why would-" Hermione didn't let him finish.
"Don't you see?" Harry shook his head. Hermione sighed. "You told us that Terry and Cuthbert's wives are called Arabella and Mary, right?" Harry nodded. "Well, I think that on the 10th of June, when Cuthbert and Terry found out that their wives were missing, they reported it. But between then and when they were questioned, Macnair must have approached them, and told them that if they got you, Harry, then they would get their wives back. He probably also told them that they, or their wives, would pay if they told the interrogators that Macnair had them. Then after someone saw Arabella and Mary, Terry and Cuthbert probably tried to ensure that the Ministry didn't search Exmoor National park to give them more time to find you, Harry. So, we need to go to Exmoor, and that's where we'll find Macnair, and be able to free Arabella and Mary." Harry blinked at her several times, his mouth gaping. Next to him, Ron wore exactly the same look. Ginny, on the other hand, was nodding. She stood up from the table.
"Yes, Hermione, it all adds up. And even if that's not the case, we have to see, don't we? It will be quicker than following the map and visiting every place in the world to check if they're there. And maybe if they're not there, we might get a lead as to where they've moved to." Harry looked from Ginny to Hermione.
"Ok. We'll go. But-" he grinned. "Only if we can come back here once we've got rid of him. I like it in France."
By that afternoon, they had a full scale plan. They had consulted the map and plotted a path. They had decided to apparate to just outside Exmoor National park. They had packed everything but the tent into two of the bags, and the other held bottles of water, food and muggle money that Hermione and Ron had collected in the village. They had also managed to get four hairs, to put in the polyjuice potion that Hermione had brewed ages ago and saved four bottles of it for emergencies. They had bought some clothes for them to change into once they were disguised, and sorted out who was drinking which potion. Hermione had snapped a photo of each person that they were changing into so that the four of them knew who they were turning into. Everything was ready. Harry was itching to leave straight away, but Hermione insisted on a good night's sleep. Harry distinctly heard Ron mutter "you sound just like my mother" before he drifted off into a deep sleep.
The next morning, they awoke at five in the morning to Hermione humming tunelessly outside. Harry opened his eyes to find that the tent had fallen on him. He called to Hermione, and she helped him out of the fabric, chuckling, then went to help the others.
"Hermione, why did you collapse the tent on us?" Ron yawned, stretching his arms over his head, his hair ruffled.
"Because I thought it would be quicker. Anyway, have one of these, and then we'll get going." She handed round an energy bar each, and after they had eaten, Ron, Ginny and Harry got dressed and packed their pyjamas and the tent into a bag.
"Come on, you guys, I've been ready ages!" Hermione said, as they each picked up a bag, apart from Ginny.
"Tell me again, how come Ginny doesn't have to carry anything?" Ron grumbled, glancing at Ginny, who waved her hands in the air and danced around freely, smirking at Ron.
"Because she's the youngest. Also, she can keep an eye on Harry, make sure he doesn't run off." Harry's laugh faded and he scowled at Hermione. His smile was back soon after, though, when Ginny took his free hand in her own. He squeezed her hand.
"She only needs her eyes to watch him, not her arms." Ron murmured. Hermione ignored him.
"Ok, on the count of three, one, two-"
"Wait! Shouldn't we drink the-"
"No, Harry. Remember, we said that we'd take the potion when we get there, because we don't know how long it will last. We'll find toilets to get changed in. Anyway, one, two, three!"