The trip to Diagon Alley was uneventful, although Harry spent half of his present from Fred and George. Diagon Alley was as bleak as Harrys trip last year. There were signs up everywhere of Death Eaters and Do's and Don'ts. Fred told Harry that him and George did actually buy Zonkos and are looking for staff, but they might have to make it their store room if the Hogwarts students aren't allowed in Hogsmead.
That week at Grimmauld Place there seemed to be an
Order meeting every day. No one was allowed in though. Mrs Weasley
had accepted that Harry, Ron and Hermione wouldn't be returning to
school, but she refused to let them join the Order. Fred and George
weren't allowed to join either. It was the day before Ginny went
back to Hogwarts and there was a major meeting going on and Mr
Weasley had placed an Imperturbabule charm on the kitchen door, so
the twins Extendable Ears did not work. Mrs Weasley had sent them up
to the drawing room for dinner and sent up a huge bowl of pasta for
everyone to help themselves to.
"I wonder what this meeting is
about?" Fred asked
"Even McGonagall has showed up, and she
hardly ever does." George added
"I bet its about Snape."
Ron said violently
Harry didn't feel like joining in the
conversation, he usually avoided talking about Dumbledores murder.
Harry got up and walked over to one of the two things that they were
unable to remove yet, the Black family tapestry. He saw that Sirius
had a deceaced date next to his birth date. Harry looked at the
Malfoys to see if Draco or Lucius had been murdered, but they were
still alive. His eyes lingered over Regulus Black before he looked at
Sirius once more and went back to the conversation. He was glad the
topic had changed, although it was to Scrimgeour and what he would be
teaching. Harry sat back down next to Ginny, and started absent
mindedly combing her hair with his hand. He looked up and saw Ron and
Hermione sitting next to each other, both suddenly looking
uncomfortable.
"Do you reackon Scrimgeour will teach us to
resist the Imperius curse?" Ginny asked
"Umm, im not sure,
because he's Minister and it was Crouch Jr teaching us when he placed
us under it." Harry replied
"Look, they have finished,
Mundungus is talking to Lupin at the front door." George said
excitedly
Everyone got up and crept out onto the landing only to
see Mundungus leave and Lupin look up and smile at them.
"Molly
wants you all in the kitchen for dessert." He said
The
kitchen table was piled high with cheesecakes, truffles, meringues,
and other sweet things.
"Tonight is the last night the
Delacours will be here. Bill and Fleur are leaving for France
tomorrow aswell, for their honeymoon. Enjoy." Mrs Weasley concluded
Lupin, Tonks and Moody had decided to stay for dessert aswell.
Tonks was entertaining Ginny and Hermione as usual. Between bites she
transformed her nose but tonight she was changing her eye shape.
Fred, Charlie and Ron were talking Quidditch and George was talking
to Mr Weasley about his invisible range at the joke shop. The
Delacours were trying to teach Mrs Weasley French, although it wasn't
going to well. An hour or so later when all the food had been eaten
and Mrs Weasley could correctly pronounce and understand 'Bon jour'
'Au revoir' 'Merci' and 'Je t'aime' everyone went to bed.
OUtside Ginny and Hermiones room Harry grabbed Hermiones arm and took
her up to his room.
Once inside Hermione and Ron sat down and
looked at Harry who had just locked his door and muttered muffilato.
"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione asked
"Ok, When I
went home at the end of term I thought of what we are going to do
tomorrow, but I thought I had better not tell you until the night
before we left incase someone found out or something happened to one
of us. Moody has brewed polyjuice potion for us. Tomorrow we will
pack our trunks with our school uniforms, anything we might need can
come with us in our backpacks. We will go to platform 9 3/4, put our
trunks on the train and walk back out to say goodbye to everyone.
After that we'll quickly hide behind something and take a sip of
polyjuice potion each. Ron, you will be your Dad, Hermione you are
Mrs Weasley and I will be Lupin. everyone else will walk over to us
and then Dis-apperate and so will we. First we'll go to Grimmauld
Place and pick up our backpacks and then apperate to Godrics Hollow."
Harry explained
"Right, but what..." Ron began
"Harry
thats really dangerous, so many people could see us transform."
Hermione interupted
"Thats what I was about to say." Ron said
"Thats why our leaving party will walk past at the right time
so no one does, we just need to wear who evers robes we are turning
into. I know its risky, but its our only option really. We need to
make it look as though we are going to Hogwarts incase there are any
Death Eaters about." Harry told them
"Are you sure it can
work mate?" Ron asked
"I have no idea." Harry said gravely
The next day on Platform 9 3/4 Harrys plan was going well.
Harry had told Lupin and Mr and Mrs Weasley what they had to do. They
all agreed but looked skeptical. They loaded up there trunks and
helped Ginny and then Harry, Ron and Hermione went back out to say
goodbye.
"See you later, I hope you enjoy Grimmauld Place. Meet
us in the toilets." Harry told each one
Harry, Ron and Hermione
quickly ducked into the Platforms toilets and each drunk there
potion. Harry felt that horrible feeling again and fell to his knees.
Harry could see his skin rippling, his veins pulsing, then suddenly
it stopped. Harry stood up and opened the stall door. Ron was already
standing in front of the mirror, although Harry couldn't see him too
well, so he took his glasses off and put them into his pocket. Ron
wasn't much taller or thinner, his face had changed and his hair was
balding a little. Harry on the other hand was a good few inches
taller, but not much thinner.
"Haa, I don't think ill ever do
that again." Ron said weakly
Lupin and Mr Weasley walked in.
Harry was looking at his double.
"Here Ron, take these, and ill
see you at home." Mr Weasley said passing over his glasses, and
with a crack he disapperated.
"We will see you soon, Hermione
is waiting outside." Lupin added and with another crack, he also
disapperated.
Ron and Harry looked at each other and walked out,
there they saw Hermione looking exactly like Mrs Weasley. Ginny ran
off the train and hugged Hermione and Ron
"Be careful! Ill miss
you lots, and ill see you at christmas. Bye Lupin, it was nice seeing
you again. Bye!" Ginny cried as she kissed Ron and Hermione on the
cheek, shook Harrys hand and ran back to the train. The train picked
up speed and left. Harry, Ron and Hermione disapperated back to
Grimmauld Place.
They arrived in the kitchen and Ron gave his
dad back his glasses.
"Ohh, im so glad that worked. Here have
some morning tea." Mrs weasley said nervously putting a plate of
savouries on the table
"We think that you should stay here
before you head off, If you don't mind me asking, where are you
going?" Lupin asked
"I don't mind you asking, but I am not
telling. If you are caught and tortured then Voldemort will know what
we are doing, which is why we have told you nothing. I would love to
tell you, really I would, but it is safer this way." Harry said
plainly
"Ohh, I understand." Mrs Weasley said
"Lets go
upstairs and make sure we have packed everything we need." Hermione
said
"OK, my satchel is still full, I have some money
aswell and the stuff from the twins joke shop. My invisibility cloak,
the mirror and the Marauders map are all in there aswell." Harry
said
"In my bag I have clothes, a collapsable cauldron and my
new school books." Hermione said
Ron rolled his eyes
"I
have blankets, more food, and a tent." Ron said
"Right, I
think thats everything. Oh wait, the books Hermione gave me." Harry
said as he found them and put them in his satchel.
"Lets go
back downstairs and say goodbye, we are starting to go back to
normal." Hermione said.
This was true, Harry's vision was
blurred again, and he was back to his normal height.
By the time
they were back in the kitchen they were themselves again.
"Thanks
for the robes." Harry said, pulling Lupins off and giving them back
. Harry looked at Mrs weasley and she had tears in her eyes.
"Bye
mum, be safe," Ron said hugging his mum back tightly "See you
dad."
"Bye Mr and Mrs Weasley. See you Lupin. We will try and
write." Harry said as Mrs Weasley pulled him into a back breaking
hug
"Ohh, ill miss you all." Hermione said with tears in her
eyes also. She hugged Mrs Weasley and they went back up to Harry and
Rons room.
"Ill see you guys soon then, just concentrate."
Harry said nervously
He closed his eyes and concentrated as hard
as he could about Godrics Hollow, he stepped forward and felt that
horrible squishing sensation.
He opened his eyes and he was
standing next to Ron and Hermione underneath a sign post. The post
read "Welcome to Ebbw Vale". They all walked silently into the
village. Harry suddenly grabbed them both and pulled them under a
huge tree.
"Here, get under this." Harry said quietly and all
3 got under the invisibility cloak.
The village was small and
friendly. It was a sunny day with no wind and there were many people
out. Harry, Ron and Hermione kept walking looking up and down side
streets until Harry saw something. They quickly, but quietly, hurried
down the alley and right at the end was a small site with a huge tree
next to it. In front of the site was a sign that read 'Godrics
Hollow' and in the site were 2 headstones. Harry walked out from
under the cloak and walked silently up to the graves. The one on the
left read
'James Potter
Born 1960
Died 31 October 1981
In loving memory of a great man, husband, father and friend
May
you rest in peace'
The one on the right read
'Lily Potter
Born 1960
Died 31 October 1981
In loving memory of a
great lady, wife, mother and friend
May You rest in peace.'
Harry felt his eyes well up with tears and was glad Hermione had
held Ron back. The tears fell freely now and he spoke quietly to
their graves so no one else could hear him. He told them how much he
missed them and loved them. He told his parents graves all of the
things that had happened to him in the last 6 or 7 years; finding out
he was a wizard, the Philosophers stone, finding out he was a
Parsletounge, the Chamber of Secrets, meeting Sirius, the Triwizard
tournament, the graveyard, the event at the ministry, Dumbledores
death, Snapes betrayal and finally his amazing friends Ron and
Hermione who have stuck by him through everything. Harry finally
stood up feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his
shoulders. He found Ron and Hermione sitting across the road having
lunch. Harry joined them and none of them spoke, which Harry was
greatful for.
"Lets go take a look around now guys." Harry
suggested when they had finished
"Sure." Ron and Hermione
said in unison
They crossed the road and walked onto the
grass. Hermione suddenly stopped with a look of awe on her face.
"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked
"I don't know,
there, there, there is something here. I'm not sure what it is,
but, but..." Hermione started as she began walking around with her
hands out. She kept getting closer and closer to the huge oak tree,
she finally stopped in front of it.
"There is something in
there. Something magical." Hermione said quietly
"What?"
Harry asked, he had only ever seen one other person sense magic, and
that was Dumbledore. Hermione was now tracing her hands all over the
tree.
"Umm, guys, my watch is doing something really strange."
Ron said
Harry and Hermione both looked at Rons watch and what he
said was true. The symbols around the edge had all clustered to where
the number 4 should have been and the stars where sitting just behind
the symbols spinning really fast.
"The closer I got to the
tree, the weirder my watch acted." Ron explained
Hermione
walked back to the tree and squealed suddenly, she pulled a branch,
and a small hole opened at the base of the tree.
