Chapter 2: Funny Faces
They flew above cities, towns and even villages. The lights were off in every building and everything looked so peaceful. How could these muggles just sit there in the middle of the beginning of the biggest war in wizard history and not do anything about it? The thought puzzled Ginny beyond anything you could imagine. She yawned.
It was late and if it wasn't for the cold piercing her body like tiny pinpricks Ginny would have fallen asleep and plummeted to the frozen ground, far below.
"Don't go to sleep yet, Gin," Bill was flying beside her now, a half-smile on his face, "We're almost there." Ginny nodded and turned her head to stare at her other brothers. Ron was nearly sleeping and Fred and George looked like they were sleeping, with their eyes open; flying tiredly on.
"If I was you, I wouldn't worry about me. I would worry about those three instead. I'm to shaken up to sleep," Ginny shrugged putting on a burst of speed in order to catch up with Charlie who was flying maybe ten feet ahead. Bill turned and flew over to Ron.
Charlie was silent. There was a grim expression on his face and Ginny was almost afraid to speak.
"Charlie?" she whispered. No answer. Maybe he hadn't heard her.
"Charlie?" she spoke louder and this time Charlie turned to her, showing that he had heard.
"What happens when we get to Grimmauld Place?" Ginny's eyebrows were raised and her voice was filled with anxiety.
"You, Ron, Fred and George will probably go to bed and have a long sleep and Bill and me will probably have a mug of hot coffee and then go fetch Harry," Charlie sighed his voice so hollow it echoed.
"I'm too worried to sleep," Ginny shook her head.
"Mum and dad, are fine. There's nothing to worry about," Charlie sounded as though he was trying to prove that fact to himself and it appeared that he was failing miserably. Ginny half-smiled, half-frowned at her brother's attempts to make her feel better; Charlie was so brave. That's was probably why she admired him so, Charlie practically wrestled with dragon's when she would merely scream and let it eat her alive. She wasn't brave, she was a coward. No matter what she always felt safer when there was somebody to protect her. Ginny wished she could be brave.
"You don't know that," Ginny insisted and Charlie gave her a look. "I do," he announced signaling that the conversation was over. Ginny may not have been as dense as Ron but she could be, some days.
"No you don't," Ginny argued thick-headedly.
"Fine I don't but I'm willing to bet they are," Charlie half smiled at her, "Especially with Dumbledore, there." Ginny looked at him warily before the pair fell into complete silence.
Hours passed and finally the group of sleepy red-heads made it to their destination.
"Here we are!" Charlie announced and almost everyone cheered in joy. At last they were there! It may not have been home, but at least they got to lie down in a nice warm bed.
They landed and quickly, so as not to wake the muggles, Charlie cast the spell so that they could see the building and unlocked the door. The six Weasley's hurried into the building and Charlie locked the door and made the house invisible again.
It was exactly how Ginny remembered it; dark and dreary. Last year they had dusted and washed, polished and shined and now.. It looked worse than before they had cleaned it. She didn't understand why they didn't just use a charm to clean the place up and make it at least almost a nice place to be.
"Tell me again, why this is the order's head quarters?" Fred joked walking past her and around the corner into the den. Ginny sighed and followed him, running her sleepy eyes. The den was quite the same as the front porch except for the furniture.
Lazily she dragged herself over to the couch and plopped down onto it.
"Watch it!" Fred groaned crawling out from underneath her, "It's not like you don't weigh anything, you know."
Childishly Ginny stuck her tongue out at him, groaned and turned onto her side, dumb brothers.
"Come on now; leave her alone," Bill poked Fred in the shoulder, "Go sleep upstairs."
"Fine," Fred grumbled motioning to George and Ron to follow, obviously too tired to argue. Ginny rolled her eyes and rather annoyed rolled over so that she was facing the back of the sofa.
"We'll be back!" Bill called. Ginny ignored him and listened to the door unlock and her brothers leave. 'Good, she thought, finally some peace.' *
Harry couldn't believe this! There were death-eaters and dementors everywhere! At the moment he leaned against the front door, holding it shut tight. A group of death eaters pounded on it from outside. They had arrived maybe two hours ago along with Professors Moody and Lupin and Tonks. The wizards had cast a locking spell on each and every door and window and they had assured him that nobody could get in- or out. But that didn't stop them from pounding on the door with all their strength causing him to go into a wave a panic as he lunged at the door and tried to stop the intruders.
He saw a pair oh red high healed boots and looked up. Tonks was looking at him with an amused look. Tonks' hair was long and pink. She was dressed in short shorts and a dark red t-shirt. Her jade color robe was the last item to complete her wacky outfit.
"They can't get in," she tried to convince him for like the seventh hundred time that night, "Even if they manage to get the door open- which they won't- they won't be able to get passed the force field."
Harry gave her an 'I'm not so sure' look and she sighed heavily.
"Here look. Move aside," and Harry obeyed letting her open the door where a group of shocked death eaters stood mouths open wide just like Harry's.
"What the heck do you think you are doing?" Harry almost screamed slamming door shut again.
"Oh, don't get your underpants in a knot!" Tonks sighed opening the door again. This time the death-eaters weren't shocked and they ran at the entrance. Harry was too scared to run; his feet were literally planted to the floor. It was as if he had grown roots.
Just before they hit the threshold of #4 Privet Drive purple ooze formed in the entranceway and repelled the many death-eaters. Harry's eyes widened in bewilderment; what had just happened?
Tonks looked at him with a smirk and looked back at the astonished death-eaters. She smiled and made a horrific face; enraging the death- eaters even more.
"Crucio!" a fat, balding man yelled his wand pointed directly at Tonks. The purple ooze formed again and the red beam of light bounced off of it and back at the balding man who with a yelp dodged to the side.
"Now you try," she smiled at Harry grabbing him by the arm and pulling him in front of the door. Harry looked out at the death-eaters fear gripping his heart and squeezing it.
"Really that's alright!" Harry yelped jumping away from the door entrance. Tonks rolled her eyes grabbed his arm again and planted him in front of the door.
"Now, screw up your face and make them angry!"
A little unsure Harry forced himself to look out the door and at the many puzzled faces. He marveled at how dark the sky was; it was almost black!
Taking a deep breath he screwed up his face and waited for their reaction; nothing. They sat there dumbly; their only movement was the occasionally blinking of an eye.
Harry smiled and more confidently made another face; the same reaction. So, naturally, he made another face. A giggle came from behind him and he turned to see Tonks trying very hard not to laugh.
"Let's see you do better!" he challenged so she stopped giggling pushed him aside and swapped her petite, pretty nose for a pig snout, screwed up her eyes and made her hair orange, swapped her body for that of a crippled old lady's and Harry's burst out laughing. He should have known better not to challenge a metamorphogous at a face making contest!
The death-eaters outside were totally dumbstruck; they just stared at Tonks while she changed from one hideous form to another.
"Tonks? Harry? What on earth is going on here?" Professor Lupin's voice came from behind the giggling pair and Tonks immediately changed back into her 'original' state. Spinning around she kicked the door shut and smiled awkwardly at Lupin.
"Just a bit of fun," she looked at Harry for help and he shrugged.
"You should have been organizing an escape plan!" Lupin accused and a sudden idea crept up and planted it self into Tonks's complicated mind.
"We were," she smiled, "working on a way to use my talent to escape."
"And?" Lupin asked tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.
"Go get Mad-Eye and I'll tell you!" she announced winking at Harry when Lupin turned around in search of Moody. Harry turned to her.
"What's the plan?" he asked skeptically.
"Just wait and I'll explain," she smiled as Lupin showed up with Moody.
"Everyone gather around," she smiled and explained. *
"Which way?" Bill asked his brother. The clouds around them were gray as smoke and he couldn't see a thing except his brother who was flying right beside him.
"I'm not sure," Charlie announced eyebrows knotted together, "Follow me." Charlie suddenly dove and Bill hurried to stay with him. They were now below the clouds and everything was black. Charlie couldn't even see the clouds they had just escaped from; below them was a town set ablaze. There were goblins leaping over flames and dancing about their horrible shrieks of laughter ringing everywhere.
"Oh, this is awful!" Bill sighed staring down at the muggle town below, "Should we help?"
"Did you even have to ask?" Charlie groaned, "Come on." He swooped low aimed his wand at a burning building and roared, "Extinguish!" A cloud of orange smoke formed around the building and suddenly disappeared. The flames were gone.
Bill smiled approvingly and aimed his wand at another building, "Extinguish!" With a poof of orange smoke the fire was gone.
"Wahoooooo!" Bill laughed extinguishing another fire, "I'm on a roll!"
Charlie rolled his eyes and extinguished another five buildings with one charm. Bill paused.
"Hey! How'd you do that?"
"Magically!" Charlie laughed and Bill crinkled his nose. In spite of the flames the boys burst out laughing and began to extinguish more fires.
*
Harry stood with his aunt, uncle and cousin; all of whom her as white as ghosts.
Harry was nervous. They were about to leave the safety of #4 Privet Drive and gout into that yard full of death-eaters. Tonks's plan was good one but he wasn't sure if it would work.
"Hey, kiddo," someone tapped him on the shoulder; he jumped and spun around and jumped again. Lucius Malfoy was standing before him!
"What are you doing here?" he gasped and Lucius laughed.
"It's me, Tonks," and at Harry's bewildered look she used her fist to knock on his forehead, "Hello; earth to Harry, earth to Harry!" Harry shook his head and suddenly remembered. It was all part of the plan!
"Alright, we're ready!" Mad-eye Moody showed up behind Tonks, Lupin at his side.
"Let's do this," Lucius- er- Tonks announced waving his-uh-her wand and silvery substance formed in the air. She touched the tip of her wand to Harry's wrist. Handcuffs formed. Then she pressed the tip of her wand to Dudley's wrists and handcuffs formed; linking him and Harry. She did the same with the rest and finally they were all linked. Tonks picked up the end of the link and lead them to the door.
"Offend," she muttered pointing her wand at the door and the purple ooze suddenly appeared and then vanished. They stepped out the door and came face to face with the real Lucius Malfoy.
What do you think? Review, review, review, oh and review!
They flew above cities, towns and even villages. The lights were off in every building and everything looked so peaceful. How could these muggles just sit there in the middle of the beginning of the biggest war in wizard history and not do anything about it? The thought puzzled Ginny beyond anything you could imagine. She yawned.
It was late and if it wasn't for the cold piercing her body like tiny pinpricks Ginny would have fallen asleep and plummeted to the frozen ground, far below.
"Don't go to sleep yet, Gin," Bill was flying beside her now, a half-smile on his face, "We're almost there." Ginny nodded and turned her head to stare at her other brothers. Ron was nearly sleeping and Fred and George looked like they were sleeping, with their eyes open; flying tiredly on.
"If I was you, I wouldn't worry about me. I would worry about those three instead. I'm to shaken up to sleep," Ginny shrugged putting on a burst of speed in order to catch up with Charlie who was flying maybe ten feet ahead. Bill turned and flew over to Ron.
Charlie was silent. There was a grim expression on his face and Ginny was almost afraid to speak.
"Charlie?" she whispered. No answer. Maybe he hadn't heard her.
"Charlie?" she spoke louder and this time Charlie turned to her, showing that he had heard.
"What happens when we get to Grimmauld Place?" Ginny's eyebrows were raised and her voice was filled with anxiety.
"You, Ron, Fred and George will probably go to bed and have a long sleep and Bill and me will probably have a mug of hot coffee and then go fetch Harry," Charlie sighed his voice so hollow it echoed.
"I'm too worried to sleep," Ginny shook her head.
"Mum and dad, are fine. There's nothing to worry about," Charlie sounded as though he was trying to prove that fact to himself and it appeared that he was failing miserably. Ginny half-smiled, half-frowned at her brother's attempts to make her feel better; Charlie was so brave. That's was probably why she admired him so, Charlie practically wrestled with dragon's when she would merely scream and let it eat her alive. She wasn't brave, she was a coward. No matter what she always felt safer when there was somebody to protect her. Ginny wished she could be brave.
"You don't know that," Ginny insisted and Charlie gave her a look. "I do," he announced signaling that the conversation was over. Ginny may not have been as dense as Ron but she could be, some days.
"No you don't," Ginny argued thick-headedly.
"Fine I don't but I'm willing to bet they are," Charlie half smiled at her, "Especially with Dumbledore, there." Ginny looked at him warily before the pair fell into complete silence.
Hours passed and finally the group of sleepy red-heads made it to their destination.
"Here we are!" Charlie announced and almost everyone cheered in joy. At last they were there! It may not have been home, but at least they got to lie down in a nice warm bed.
They landed and quickly, so as not to wake the muggles, Charlie cast the spell so that they could see the building and unlocked the door. The six Weasley's hurried into the building and Charlie locked the door and made the house invisible again.
It was exactly how Ginny remembered it; dark and dreary. Last year they had dusted and washed, polished and shined and now.. It looked worse than before they had cleaned it. She didn't understand why they didn't just use a charm to clean the place up and make it at least almost a nice place to be.
"Tell me again, why this is the order's head quarters?" Fred joked walking past her and around the corner into the den. Ginny sighed and followed him, running her sleepy eyes. The den was quite the same as the front porch except for the furniture.
Lazily she dragged herself over to the couch and plopped down onto it.
"Watch it!" Fred groaned crawling out from underneath her, "It's not like you don't weigh anything, you know."
Childishly Ginny stuck her tongue out at him, groaned and turned onto her side, dumb brothers.
"Come on now; leave her alone," Bill poked Fred in the shoulder, "Go sleep upstairs."
"Fine," Fred grumbled motioning to George and Ron to follow, obviously too tired to argue. Ginny rolled her eyes and rather annoyed rolled over so that she was facing the back of the sofa.
"We'll be back!" Bill called. Ginny ignored him and listened to the door unlock and her brothers leave. 'Good, she thought, finally some peace.' *
Harry couldn't believe this! There were death-eaters and dementors everywhere! At the moment he leaned against the front door, holding it shut tight. A group of death eaters pounded on it from outside. They had arrived maybe two hours ago along with Professors Moody and Lupin and Tonks. The wizards had cast a locking spell on each and every door and window and they had assured him that nobody could get in- or out. But that didn't stop them from pounding on the door with all their strength causing him to go into a wave a panic as he lunged at the door and tried to stop the intruders.
He saw a pair oh red high healed boots and looked up. Tonks was looking at him with an amused look. Tonks' hair was long and pink. She was dressed in short shorts and a dark red t-shirt. Her jade color robe was the last item to complete her wacky outfit.
"They can't get in," she tried to convince him for like the seventh hundred time that night, "Even if they manage to get the door open- which they won't- they won't be able to get passed the force field."
Harry gave her an 'I'm not so sure' look and she sighed heavily.
"Here look. Move aside," and Harry obeyed letting her open the door where a group of shocked death eaters stood mouths open wide just like Harry's.
"What the heck do you think you are doing?" Harry almost screamed slamming door shut again.
"Oh, don't get your underpants in a knot!" Tonks sighed opening the door again. This time the death-eaters weren't shocked and they ran at the entrance. Harry was too scared to run; his feet were literally planted to the floor. It was as if he had grown roots.
Just before they hit the threshold of #4 Privet Drive purple ooze formed in the entranceway and repelled the many death-eaters. Harry's eyes widened in bewilderment; what had just happened?
Tonks looked at him with a smirk and looked back at the astonished death-eaters. She smiled and made a horrific face; enraging the death- eaters even more.
"Crucio!" a fat, balding man yelled his wand pointed directly at Tonks. The purple ooze formed again and the red beam of light bounced off of it and back at the balding man who with a yelp dodged to the side.
"Now you try," she smiled at Harry grabbing him by the arm and pulling him in front of the door. Harry looked out at the death-eaters fear gripping his heart and squeezing it.
"Really that's alright!" Harry yelped jumping away from the door entrance. Tonks rolled her eyes grabbed his arm again and planted him in front of the door.
"Now, screw up your face and make them angry!"
A little unsure Harry forced himself to look out the door and at the many puzzled faces. He marveled at how dark the sky was; it was almost black!
Taking a deep breath he screwed up his face and waited for their reaction; nothing. They sat there dumbly; their only movement was the occasionally blinking of an eye.
Harry smiled and more confidently made another face; the same reaction. So, naturally, he made another face. A giggle came from behind him and he turned to see Tonks trying very hard not to laugh.
"Let's see you do better!" he challenged so she stopped giggling pushed him aside and swapped her petite, pretty nose for a pig snout, screwed up her eyes and made her hair orange, swapped her body for that of a crippled old lady's and Harry's burst out laughing. He should have known better not to challenge a metamorphogous at a face making contest!
The death-eaters outside were totally dumbstruck; they just stared at Tonks while she changed from one hideous form to another.
"Tonks? Harry? What on earth is going on here?" Professor Lupin's voice came from behind the giggling pair and Tonks immediately changed back into her 'original' state. Spinning around she kicked the door shut and smiled awkwardly at Lupin.
"Just a bit of fun," she looked at Harry for help and he shrugged.
"You should have been organizing an escape plan!" Lupin accused and a sudden idea crept up and planted it self into Tonks's complicated mind.
"We were," she smiled, "working on a way to use my talent to escape."
"And?" Lupin asked tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.
"Go get Mad-Eye and I'll tell you!" she announced winking at Harry when Lupin turned around in search of Moody. Harry turned to her.
"What's the plan?" he asked skeptically.
"Just wait and I'll explain," she smiled as Lupin showed up with Moody.
"Everyone gather around," she smiled and explained. *
"Which way?" Bill asked his brother. The clouds around them were gray as smoke and he couldn't see a thing except his brother who was flying right beside him.
"I'm not sure," Charlie announced eyebrows knotted together, "Follow me." Charlie suddenly dove and Bill hurried to stay with him. They were now below the clouds and everything was black. Charlie couldn't even see the clouds they had just escaped from; below them was a town set ablaze. There were goblins leaping over flames and dancing about their horrible shrieks of laughter ringing everywhere.
"Oh, this is awful!" Bill sighed staring down at the muggle town below, "Should we help?"
"Did you even have to ask?" Charlie groaned, "Come on." He swooped low aimed his wand at a burning building and roared, "Extinguish!" A cloud of orange smoke formed around the building and suddenly disappeared. The flames were gone.
Bill smiled approvingly and aimed his wand at another building, "Extinguish!" With a poof of orange smoke the fire was gone.
"Wahoooooo!" Bill laughed extinguishing another fire, "I'm on a roll!"
Charlie rolled his eyes and extinguished another five buildings with one charm. Bill paused.
"Hey! How'd you do that?"
"Magically!" Charlie laughed and Bill crinkled his nose. In spite of the flames the boys burst out laughing and began to extinguish more fires.
*
Harry stood with his aunt, uncle and cousin; all of whom her as white as ghosts.
Harry was nervous. They were about to leave the safety of #4 Privet Drive and gout into that yard full of death-eaters. Tonks's plan was good one but he wasn't sure if it would work.
"Hey, kiddo," someone tapped him on the shoulder; he jumped and spun around and jumped again. Lucius Malfoy was standing before him!
"What are you doing here?" he gasped and Lucius laughed.
"It's me, Tonks," and at Harry's bewildered look she used her fist to knock on his forehead, "Hello; earth to Harry, earth to Harry!" Harry shook his head and suddenly remembered. It was all part of the plan!
"Alright, we're ready!" Mad-eye Moody showed up behind Tonks, Lupin at his side.
"Let's do this," Lucius- er- Tonks announced waving his-uh-her wand and silvery substance formed in the air. She touched the tip of her wand to Harry's wrist. Handcuffs formed. Then she pressed the tip of her wand to Dudley's wrists and handcuffs formed; linking him and Harry. She did the same with the rest and finally they were all linked. Tonks picked up the end of the link and lead them to the door.
"Offend," she muttered pointing her wand at the door and the purple ooze suddenly appeared and then vanished. They stepped out the door and came face to face with the real Lucius Malfoy.
What do you think? Review, review, review, oh and review!