Hey there, here's the next chapter! I hope you like it! And thank you for the review, I've been happy to get it :) Please tell me what you think!
I don't own the characters or places!
Sirius POV
The Burrow wasn't as empty as we had expected. When Arthur opened the door for us, it seemed as if most of the Order was there. I exchanged a look with Hermione, whose eyes were still a little red from crying and she shrugged her shoulders. No one has told us that there would be a meeting.
"Finally you're here! We've been waiting for you!" Tonks called out and when I turned around to look at her, I saw her and Remus standing in the kitchen door, holding hands.
"Oh my god, you're together now?" Hermione asked and a smile appeared on both of their faces.
Remus just wanted to reply something, when Mad-Eye appeared behind him and Tonks. "You can congratulate them later." He barked and Remus and Tonks got out of the way quickly. "Where have you been? We thought you would be here so we could start with the meeting right away, but when we arrived Molly and Arthur just told us that you had vanished this morning without telling anyone where you wanted to go."
I raised my eyebrows slowly. "Aren't we allowed to make our own decisions anymore?" I asked slowly and Mad-Eye growled again.
"These are dangerous times, you know that as good as I do, Sirius. And it's never a good sign when someone just leaves and doesn't tell anyone where he goes." His magical eye scanned Hermione and me many times.
"We haven't done anything dangerous, if you mean that-" I started again, but Hermione squeezed my hand and I stopped.
"What's going on here?" She asked and Mad-Eye held back the comment he wanted to make. "Nobody's told us that there would be a meeting."
"Because it wasn't planned." Remus said from his place at the door. "We were told that we should come here a few hours ago."
"So don't worry, we also don't know what's going on exactly. Because Mad-Eye didn't want to say anything before you two arrived." Tonks added and winked at Hermione and me.
"Sirius, Hermione, you're back!" Now Molly came into the kitchen, ignoring the annoyed look on Mad-Eyes face when she hugged first Hermione and then me. "What have you been doing? You didn't say that you would be out for the entire day."
"It's complicated." I said slowly and when Hermione didn't look as if she wanted to add anything, Molly made a face and turned around to talk to Remus and Tonks about them staying for dinner.
"If you don't mind, I would like to start with the meeting now." Mad-Eye said loudly and one by one, the others came into the kitchen and sat down at the table. There were Molly and Arthur, Ron, Fred and George, Bill, Fleur, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley and to my surprise Hagrid and Mundungus. Ron hugged Hermione and me quickly, before he sat down next to us and Fred and George grinned widely.
"Good to see ya again, Sirius!" Hagrid said loudly and I grinned at him.
"I didn't expect you to be here!"
"Surprised me as well, ya know? Mad-Eye jus' got me a few hours ago, told me I shall come because it's important."
"So what is this all about?" Fred asked with a curious look towards Mad-Eye.
Mad-Eye cleared his throat and now everyone looked at him silently. "As you all know, Harry will turn seventeen soon. The protection from his mother will break on his birthday or when he leaves the house of his aunt and uncle's for the last time."
Everyone nodded slowly, to most of us, it wasn't a secret anymore.
"Unfortunately, the Death Eaters know that as well. I don't think that they will let the chance to get Harry pass when the spell breaks. It's up to us now to decide how we're going to get Harry out of that house safely. There are two possibilities. We could wait until he turns seventeen and move him then, or we could break the spell before that day. In my opinion, the second option will be better. The day Harry turns seventeen is well known also by the Death Eaters and I think they'll be expecting us to get him out then."
"So we should get him earlier?" Remus asked and Mad-Eye nodded.
"We could let a wrong information slip so that the Death Eaters think we're doing it on his birthday." Kingsley said thoughtfully and some of us nodded in agreement.
"And how are we going to move him when he's not seventeen? I mean, he'll still have the trace on him." Bill cut in and Mad-Eye nodded grimly.
"Another point we have to think about."
"The Ministry wants to be involved, will it?" I asked and now Mad-Eyes expression turned even darker. I hadn't thought that it was possible.
"They have already told us that every possible protection will be set upon the house we'll move Harry to."
"I don't trust them." I growled and next to me, Hermione and Ron nodded darkly.
"There is the possibility that the Death Eaters will infiltrate the Ministry before we'll be able to get Harry out of that house." Remus said slowly and I swallowed.
"All very good and right points." Mad-Eye agreed. "I hope they won't get into the Ministry before the boy is safe and there is a very small chance that it's not going to happen by then. And to moving Harry again, the Ministry has already made it more difficult for us."
"What do you mean by that?" Hermione asked and instead of Mad-Eye, Kingsley answered her question.
"We won't be able to use a Portkey or the Floo Network." Kingsley told us. "We were told that it would be too dangerous since these things could be manipulated. However, I don't believe that. It is more likely that an employee of the Ministry in a high position is under the Imperius Curse."
"And what will we do then?" I thought it was George who asked the question, but I wasn't sure.
"Use the things that are left." I guessed and frowned. "That would be-"
"Brooms and Thestrals." Mad-Eye finished my sentence before I had the chance to do so.
"But wouldn't it be too obvious to move Harry with a big escort in the air?" Tonks didn't seem convinced and I had my doubts as well.
"That's why I've brought Mundungus here." Mad-Eye explained and when we all looked at him, it seemed as if Mundungus would have loved to run away and never come back. "He came to me yesterday and to my surprise, he had a very good plan."
"Well, I don wanna be here, ya'll shall know that…" Mundungus started hesitantly and when Mad-Eye growled impatiently, he winced. "Okay, okay, I'll tell them! Why don' we move more than one 'arry?" When we all looked at him confused, he held up his hands as if he wanted to protect himself from us. "We'll confuse them by movin' many 'arrys. Then they don' know whose the right one."
"You mean Polyjuice Potion?" I guessed and Mundungus snapped his fingers with a grin.
"That's it!"
For a few moments, there was silence in the kitchen. I tried to imagine the scenario, many Harrys leaving number 4 Privet Drive at the same time, some on brooms and some on Thestrals. I had to admit that the plan wasn't so bad.
"Every Harry will be accompanied by someone. We'll build pairs of two. That would make seven Harrys and seven guards."
"Fourteen people will be needed?" Remus asked and Mad-Eye nodded again.
"Well, but we are more than fourteen here." Ron remarked.
"Not everyone here will come with us."
I frowned and next to me, Hermione raised her eyebrows as well.
"I'll stay here at the Burrow with Ginny." Molly explained immediately. "Someone will have to wait here for you all to come back."
"Wait, just one question in between." Bill cut in with an apologetic look on his face. "So we'll have those seven Harry's and we'll go in pairs of two. But where will we be going?"
"To seven different houses that will be protected with our own spells and the ones from the Ministry." Kingsley explained patiently. "They won't be able to help us moving Harry, but they can make sure that he place we'll get him to will be safe."
"And once we're all at those houses?"
"It will be houses of Order members. And at the moment it seems as if we could place Portkeys there. With their help, we can all meet here again." Mad-Eye answered and narrowed his eye. "Any more questions?"
"Who else will stay here?" I asked immediately and raised my eyebrows. "Even if Molly will stay at the Burrow, there is still one person too much."
"I don' wanna come with ya!" Mundungus said and tried to stand up, but Hagrid grabbed his shoulder and forced him to sit down again.
"You're coming with us, Mundungus!" Mad-Eye said loudly and shot him an angry look. "And to make sure that you won't do anything stupid, I'm coming with you!"
"No, but when one 'as to stay away…"
"It has already been decided who's going to stay." Mad-Eye shouted and now Mundungus was silent.
"And who will be that?" Hermione asked slowly, afraid of being shouted at as well. Under the table, I squeezed her hand.
"You." Mad-Eye said and pointed at me.