Harry blinked. "Why do they need me?"
"You're like a metal detector. The closer you get to you-know-who the more you beep. But of course Dumbledore won't let you be used for that purpose. Unless you do it behind his back."
"Fat chance," Harry mumbled, disheartened. "Dumbledore watches me like a hawk."
Seamus smiled brightly and Harry wanted to punch him. "But he doesn't watch me and Dean."
"So?"
"So take a Polyjuice Potion that turns you into Dean, then you and I wander out into the school grounds and disappear."
"I can't Disapparate."
"Did I say Disapparate? Nooooooo."
"I can't make a Polyjuice Potion." Harry said, this time with the faintest hope.
"Harry, if your Granger can't make a Polyjuice Potion I'll be sore disappointed in her."
"We can't bring Hermione into this."
"She's already in this Harry, whether you like it or not."
Harry looked at Hermione and sighed. "It takes a month for Hermione to make a Polyjuice Potion."
"And it'll take a month for me to get Misha back into commission. Perfect." Seamus grinned. It was on.
~*~
"Harry, the only way I'll make you this potion is if you let me come with you."
"Herm, I can't. I want you to come but you can't."
"Why not Harry?"
"Because Seamus said no."
"Oh and since when is Seamus the supreme authority on everything?"
"Hermione-"
"Seamus! Get over here!" Hermione called across the common room. Seamus got up and sauntered over.
"Hermione-" Harry moaned.
"Hermione! You look simply ravishing. What ever would a girl like you want with a scoundrel like me?" Hermione, it appeared, was the only girl immune to Seamus' incredible charm.
"Why won't you let me go with you guys?"
"Oh Hermione! Is that what this is about? We need you for this operation, and if coming with us will make you happy then by all means, come with us, but Hermione, it's your safety that I'm worried about. Dearest Hermione, I couldn't bear it if you were to be injured on this spontaneous, barely planned expedition-"
"It's not working Finnegan."
Seamus sighed. "Alright, alright. You can come. But you do what I say word for word, and no flirting. With Harry or anyone." He stood. "Start the potion tonight. The faster it gets done the faster Misha gets out of hiding." He bowed over Hermione's hand, a smirk on his face, and turned to leave. "Cheerio."
They watched Seamus' retreating back and Hermione turned to Harry. "He doesn't seem quite sane, does he."
"His name is Seamus. What do you expect."
~*~
Seamus sat at the edge of the lake. It was midnight and it was almost time. He waited a few seconds more and turned abruptly. Misha Vladmirovich stood there, as Seamus expected. "Always on time Vladmirovich."
"Vut do you need Finnegan?"
Seamus looked at the young man for a moment before answering. He was, at sixteen, already a seasoned spy. He was at least 5'11 with formidable green eyes and thick dark hair. Though he had been raised in Switzerland he had a thick Russian accent. Very scary, Seamus decided.
"I've reached and agreement with Harry Potter. We've got him. The Dark Lord I mean."
"Potter is heavily guarded."
"Yes, but we have someone making a Polyjuice Potion. He'll switch identities and by the time it's noticed we'll be far away."
"You haff thought vell on zis."
"I want Voldemort gone." Seamus flinched as he said the name, but Misha did not seem to notice, he was deep in thought.
"It is good that you came to me, Finnegan, and did not go searching for Samuels."
"Why?"
"Because Samuels has ze devil in his own heart. If he knew you had Harry Potter's trust, he would turn you in faster than anything. He is not a shvizbik, he is a demon." Misha shook his head. "It is spy versus spy, Mr Finnegan. You must not turn your back."
They stood silently for several minutes before Seamus spoke. "You will have to use your wand Misha. I can't do it."
Misha nodded. "I can kill, Seamus. Find me the Dark Lord and I can kill."
Seamus stood alone for a long while after Misha left, thinking and hoping. Thinking about the future, hoping it would be better then the present. He sighed. It wouldn't matter whther he and Misha found Voldemort, whether he and Misha killed him. It would be Harry who was glorified, it would be Harry who was celebrated and it would be Seamus who would brush the dirt off his own robes and blend back into the scenery. "Why couldn't MY parents have been killed?" He smiled as he spoke. "Because they need to make more beautiful people like me." An ego heals all wounds.
"You're like a metal detector. The closer you get to you-know-who the more you beep. But of course Dumbledore won't let you be used for that purpose. Unless you do it behind his back."
"Fat chance," Harry mumbled, disheartened. "Dumbledore watches me like a hawk."
Seamus smiled brightly and Harry wanted to punch him. "But he doesn't watch me and Dean."
"So?"
"So take a Polyjuice Potion that turns you into Dean, then you and I wander out into the school grounds and disappear."
"I can't Disapparate."
"Did I say Disapparate? Nooooooo."
"I can't make a Polyjuice Potion." Harry said, this time with the faintest hope.
"Harry, if your Granger can't make a Polyjuice Potion I'll be sore disappointed in her."
"We can't bring Hermione into this."
"She's already in this Harry, whether you like it or not."
Harry looked at Hermione and sighed. "It takes a month for Hermione to make a Polyjuice Potion."
"And it'll take a month for me to get Misha back into commission. Perfect." Seamus grinned. It was on.
~*~
"Harry, the only way I'll make you this potion is if you let me come with you."
"Herm, I can't. I want you to come but you can't."
"Why not Harry?"
"Because Seamus said no."
"Oh and since when is Seamus the supreme authority on everything?"
"Hermione-"
"Seamus! Get over here!" Hermione called across the common room. Seamus got up and sauntered over.
"Hermione-" Harry moaned.
"Hermione! You look simply ravishing. What ever would a girl like you want with a scoundrel like me?" Hermione, it appeared, was the only girl immune to Seamus' incredible charm.
"Why won't you let me go with you guys?"
"Oh Hermione! Is that what this is about? We need you for this operation, and if coming with us will make you happy then by all means, come with us, but Hermione, it's your safety that I'm worried about. Dearest Hermione, I couldn't bear it if you were to be injured on this spontaneous, barely planned expedition-"
"It's not working Finnegan."
Seamus sighed. "Alright, alright. You can come. But you do what I say word for word, and no flirting. With Harry or anyone." He stood. "Start the potion tonight. The faster it gets done the faster Misha gets out of hiding." He bowed over Hermione's hand, a smirk on his face, and turned to leave. "Cheerio."
They watched Seamus' retreating back and Hermione turned to Harry. "He doesn't seem quite sane, does he."
"His name is Seamus. What do you expect."
~*~
Seamus sat at the edge of the lake. It was midnight and it was almost time. He waited a few seconds more and turned abruptly. Misha Vladmirovich stood there, as Seamus expected. "Always on time Vladmirovich."
"Vut do you need Finnegan?"
Seamus looked at the young man for a moment before answering. He was, at sixteen, already a seasoned spy. He was at least 5'11 with formidable green eyes and thick dark hair. Though he had been raised in Switzerland he had a thick Russian accent. Very scary, Seamus decided.
"I've reached and agreement with Harry Potter. We've got him. The Dark Lord I mean."
"Potter is heavily guarded."
"Yes, but we have someone making a Polyjuice Potion. He'll switch identities and by the time it's noticed we'll be far away."
"You haff thought vell on zis."
"I want Voldemort gone." Seamus flinched as he said the name, but Misha did not seem to notice, he was deep in thought.
"It is good that you came to me, Finnegan, and did not go searching for Samuels."
"Why?"
"Because Samuels has ze devil in his own heart. If he knew you had Harry Potter's trust, he would turn you in faster than anything. He is not a shvizbik, he is a demon." Misha shook his head. "It is spy versus spy, Mr Finnegan. You must not turn your back."
They stood silently for several minutes before Seamus spoke. "You will have to use your wand Misha. I can't do it."
Misha nodded. "I can kill, Seamus. Find me the Dark Lord and I can kill."
Seamus stood alone for a long while after Misha left, thinking and hoping. Thinking about the future, hoping it would be better then the present. He sighed. It wouldn't matter whther he and Misha found Voldemort, whether he and Misha killed him. It would be Harry who was glorified, it would be Harry who was celebrated and it would be Seamus who would brush the dirt off his own robes and blend back into the scenery. "Why couldn't MY parents have been killed?" He smiled as he spoke. "Because they need to make more beautiful people like me." An ego heals all wounds.