The Plan
When Hermione went back to the Burrow, it would be an understatement to say that the Weasleys were less than thrilled about her plans.
"How can they be doing this? Are they out of their minds?" Ron yelled.
Fred and George thought that Hermione shouldn't bother with finding Draco, and Molly told her how worried she would be. The only one who understood was Ginny. Later that evening while Hermione was packing a bag, Ginny came in and sat on a bean bag on the floor.
"I understand why you're doing this Hermione, even if they can't, and I think it's really great," she said, "Draco has never been the easiest person to deal with to say the least, but the fact that you're risking your own life to save him, well I know that I couldn't do it. Do you that makes me a bad person?"
Hermione smiled, "Of course not,"
"So where do you even know where to find him? He won't exactly be strolling around Knockturn alley, will he?"
"I'm meeting McGonagall, Remus and Tonks tomorrow. Apparently the Order has some kind of inside information about his whereabouts. I really shouldn't say anymore about it to you though, you never know what might happen…"
"You think I would tell?" Ginny was hurt by her friend's apparent lack of trust.
"No, I don't, but the less you know, the less the Death Eaters can make you tell them, the world is becoming a scary place, we have to be very careful."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. This mission, it's dangerous though, isn't it? Aren't you scared? The Death Eaters could be expecting someone to look for Draco, and if they are, you might be walking straight into a trap."
"I'm terrified, Ginny. I know the risks, but I trust McGonagall and the rest of the Order, and I don't think they would ask me to do something they thought I couldn't handle."
"What if they're getting desperate though? Dumbledore is dead, Hermione, when he died so did the hope of most of the wizarding community. He was the one person that everyone said Voldemort was afraid of, now he's gone, what chance have we got? The Order are trying drastically to win this war, and desperate times call for desperate measures."
"I'm trying not to think of that."
"Me too."
When Hermione woke the next day, the sunlight was streaming through the curtains, it was summer, she felt happy. And then she remembered. Today was the day that everything changed.
"Morning," Ginny gave a weak smile and handed her a glass of water.
"Thanks."
"You'd better get ready, you have to leave in an hour."
After getting dressed into city shorts and a grey camisole, with a vintage jacket over the top, as it was a cold summer day, Hermione followed Ginny downstairs into the kitchen. Everyone turned around to look as they entered.
"Hey 'Mione," Harry came forward and hugged her, Hermione found she was biting back tears, "I remember the first time I met you on the train to Hogwarts when we were 11, now look at us, all grown up and going off to fight the baddies."
"I think if I knew that at the time, I would have got off the train and gone back home." Hermione smiled.
"No you wouldn't, you were meant for this, it's who you are and I know you can do it." Harry said.
"Have you got everything dear?" said Molly Weasley, who was also trying to disguise the fact that she was crying.
"Yeah, I'm all packed."
Mrs Weasley gave her a hug that nearly crushed her, and said "You be careful dear, the most important thing is to keep yourself safe. Remember that."
After the tearful goodbyes, Hermione apparated to Diagon alley. From there she went out onto the Muggle street, and went to the agreed meeting place – Starbucks on Oxford Street. All three wizards were already there, and getting quite a lot of attention from normal Londoners.
"Hermione! You look great!" Tonks stood up greet her, she had light blue hair this time, and was wearing lime green jeans with a leopard print coat, this was strange dressing even by London standards, "I don't think I really fit in round her 'Mione, is this not what muggle usually wear?"
"Erm, not exactly,"
Tonks grinned.
Hermione greeted Professor McGonagall and Remus and sat down with them.
"Hermione, we have to be quick, there's an Order meeting in an hour, firstly we are giving you a disguise, you may be familiar with this," Remus opening a small bag to reveal many bottles of what could only be polyjuice potion, that had be shrunken. Oh crap, Hermione thought.
"You're in luck Hermione, I had a cousin from Sweden come to stay just a few weeks ago, and she left this behind." Out of her coat pocket, Tonks pulled a pink hairbrush from her pocket which had many blond hairs in it.
"So I'm going to become her?"
"Exactly, and you're even luckier that this cousin also happens to be a metamorphagus, so you will be able to change your disguise at random," Tonks handed the hairbrush to Hermione, "From now on, your name is Anya Johnsson, can you do a Swedish accent?"
"Umm, yar I theeenk so?" Hermione replied.
"Just think of that muggle guy, Sven whatever his name is," Remus suggested.
"Didn't know you were a football fan, Remus," Hermione was surprised.
"Actually, I'm the football fan, yesterday I forced Remus to go and watch Chelsea Vs Manchester Untd." Tonks smiled.
"Anyway, you're probably wondering where exactly Malfoy is, you will be surprised to know that he is nowhere near Voldemort, neither is he with Snape," McGonagall explained, "Needless to say, the Dark Lord would have been less than pleased that Draco failed to kill Dumbledore, he has realised that the boy could be a liability and has therefore put him in hiding. He is not alone, he is guarded by Death Eaters, although not very important ones, Voldemort knows that if people are going to be looking for Draco then he doesn't want his best followers involved. And luckily, the people who are meant to be protecting Draco are extremely incompetent."
"So where are they, and what how many Death Eaters are there?"
"There are just two Death Eaters, as you can see Voldemort doesn't regard Mr Malfoy's safety very highly, I think the only reason he had any protection at all was because his mother begged Voldemort to keep him safe, otherwise he would have been on his own." Remus said.
"How do you know all this?" Hermione asked.
"We've been getting intelligence from a very unlikely source." Tonks said.
"Oh?"
"I'm afraid it wouldn't be wise to tell you, in case the Death Eaters work out your plan and they have some veritaserum with them. It would be a very painful death for the person involved."
"I see," Hermione said, staring at her Frappuccino, "So where are they then?"
"In woodland," Remus said.
"They're hiding in the woods?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"Like we said, Voldemort isn't too bothered with Draco anymore, he has served his purpose, or rather he hasn't, and now Voldemort is more concerned with other matters."
"Where do they sleep at night?"
"A barn on the edge of a field near to the woods, they can't stay there during the day though, because it's used by the farmer. The woodlands are private property so no one but the owner can go in them, and he is currently in the south of France." Remus said.
"First you will need to get the other Death Eaters out of the way, which shouldn't be too difficult and we'll discuss that later, once they are out of the picture you need to persuade Draco to come back with you. If you force him to come back he will never tell us anything about Voldemort and he will go back to them as soon as he gets the chance." Explained McGonagall.
"He will never listen to me," Hermione argued, "Not in a million years!"
"He might, you should know that beneath the façade he creates, he is just an 18 year old boy, and he has the same weaknesses and fears as the rest of us. He needs help, and if you offer it to him, he is unlikely to refuse."
They quickly explained the rest of the plan to her, and when McGonagall and Remus left to go to the meeting, Tonks and Hermione went to an empty warehouse in docklands to practise some spells. When evening came and the sky grew darker, Hermione knew it was time to go. Outside the warehouse, she stood by the Thames with Tonks and gathered her belongings. She shrunk her suitcase and slipped it into her pocket, after taking a quick look at the sparkling river and the London skyline, she took a bottle of polyjuice potion and added one of the hairs to it, she quickly downed the foul liquid and within seconds there stood a tall, slim blond girl with green eyes.
"Good luck, Hermione," Tonks hugged her, "I mean – Anya. Remember everything we told you and you will be fine."
Hermione smiled, and apparated away before she could change her mind about the whole thing