Chapter 3:
The house suddenly seemed weird to Alicia. She'd been put through weird things in this house, like in her third year Harry had forced her through a week of dealing with Uncle Vernon's sister, who was just as terrible as her brother and seemed to hate Harry more. She remembered first coming here, all the way back in her first year and when Harry had vanished, the Dursley's trying to outrun wizards when his first letter to Hogwarts came, only to find it empty. She remembered the bars on Harry's window in their second year and how she commissioned Ron and the Weasley twins to break him out.
When she thought about it, there were some memories she had of this house that would be funny stories to tell later on.
Harry wasn't in the living room anymore, but had turned and run up the stairs. A few moments later he came back with his rucksack, Alicia's bag, both owl cages and their occupants along with his firebolt.
"Thanks." Alicia said as she took her small bag and the cage.
"Is that all you're taking?" Harry said looking at her "Where's you broom?" Alicia rose the bag.
"Undetectable extension charm. I did it before we left last year, believing it'd be better than taking a trunk on our long journey." she said "Honestly I've been over prepared for weeks." she mumbled "Everything I need and most of what I own's in here. You got anything you want to add?"
Harry responded by putting his firebolt in it, as it would be much easier to carry.
"Why do you think the plans have changed?" he asked her
"The Ministry is infiltrated, but they've done something." Alicia said and she shrugged casually before Harry moved to put the cage and his bag at the front door, taking Noel as well.
Alicia truthfully knew of the new plan, thanks to her two way mirrors with Fred she was able to receive information that couldn't be detected. The Ministry had put things in place that movement from this house was going to be made very difficult. They were going to have to move out in the open. This was very vulnerable for Harry and so Moody had created a plan in which Harry was going to hate.
She'd decided without needing to be told that she wouldn't tell Harry, but let Mad Eye do it, that way he didn't have time to find a good argument to try and stop them.
"Don't you want to take a last look at the place?" Harry's voice came from the hall as Alicia still stood in the living room and she moved to see he was talking to Hedwig, who was still sulking with her head under her wing. "We'll never be here again. Don't you want to remember all the good times? I mean, look at this doormat. What memories… Dudley puked on it after I saved him from the dementors… Turns out he was grateful after all, can you believe it?… And last summer, Dumbledore walked through that front door…"
He stopped before turning his back on the front door while Alicia watched him, smiling gently.
"And under here, Hedwig" — Harry pulled open a door under the stairs — "is where I used to sleep! You never knew me then — Blimey, it's small, I'd forgotten…"
"I don't know how you survived with such space." Alicia said as she peered in over his shoulder. There were a stack of shoes and umbrellas in the cupboard. She chuckled before straightening up as there was a a sudden, deafening roar from somewhere nearby. Harry straightened up with a jerk and smacked the top of his head on the low door frame. Alicia gapped at him before she started snickering and the two moved to find out what the noise was, Harry employing a few of Uncle Vernon's choicest swear words as they did. They moved into the kitchen and stared out the window into the back garden.
The darkness seemed to be rippling, the air itself quivering. Then, one by one, figures began to pop into sight as their Disillusionment Charms lifted. Dominating the scene was Hagrid, wearing a helmet and goggles and sitting astride an enormous motorbike with a black sidecar attached. All around him other people were dismounting from brooms and, in two cases, a skeletal, black winged horse.
Alicia beamed and Harry wrenched open the back door before hurtling into their midst.
There was a general cry of greeting as Hermione flung her arms around him, Ron clapped him on the back, and Hagrid said, "All righ', Harry? Ready fer the off?"
"Definitely," said Harry, beaming around at them all. Alicia had flung herself straight into Fred Weasley's arms who's caught her and held her up as she kissed him, ignoring those around, a few of which who chuckled at them.
"Miss me?" Fred asked grinning
"Not as much as I missed George!" and she released Fred to be enveloped by his twin, who stood beside them. Fred just snatched her up and threw her over his shoulder to march her inside as she giggled.
"But I wasn't expecting this many of you!" Harry admitted
"Change of plan," growled Mad-Eye, who was holding two enormous, bulging sacks, and whose magical eye was spinning from darkening sky to house to garden with dizzying rapidity. "Let's get undercover before we talk you through it."
Harry led them all back into the kitchen where, laughing and chattering, they settled on chairs, sat themselves upon Aunt Petunia's gleaming work surfaces, or leaned up against her spotless appliances: Ron, long and lanky; Hermione, her bushy hair tied back in a long plait; Fred and George, grinning identically; Bill, badly scarred and long-haired; Mr. Weasley, kind-faced, balding, his spectacles a little awry; Mad-Eye, battle-worn, one-legged, his bright blue magical eye whizzing in its socket; Tonks, whose short hair was her favourite shade of bright pink; Lupin, greyer, more lined; Kingsley, bald, black, broad-shouldered; Hagrid, with his wild hair and beard, standing hunchbacked to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling; and Mundungus Fletcher, small, dirty, and hangdog, with his droopy basset hound's eyes and matted hair.
Alicia was sat down upon the bench and Fred stood before her so she could wrap her arms around his shoulders and lean her chin on his shoulder.
"Kingsley, I thought you were looking after the Muggle Prime Minister?" Harry called across the room.
"He can get along without me for one night," said Kingsley. "You're more important."
"Harry, guess what?" said Tonks from her perch on top of the washing machine, and she wiggled her left hand at him; a ring glittered there.
"Tonks!" Alicia beamed at her and Lupin and Tonks smiled at her. "Congratulations!"
"You got married?" Harry yelped, looking from her to Lupin.
"I'm sorry you couldn't be there, Harry, it was very quiet."
"That's brilliant, congrat —"
"All right, all right, we'll have time for a cozy catch-up later!" roared Moody over the hubbub, and silence fell in the kitchen. Moody dropped his sacks at his feet and turned to Harry. "As Dedalus probably told you, we had to abandon Plan A. Pius Thicknesse has gone over, which gives us a big problem. He's made it an imprisonable offence to connect this house to the Floo Network, place a Portkey here, or Apparate in or out. All done in the name of your protection, to prevent You-Know-Who getting in at you. Absolutely pointless, seeing as your mother's charm does that already. What he's really done is to stop you getting out of here safely."
Alicia knew that apparently, the orphanage was no different. They weren't taking chances, the Ministry.
"Second problem: You and Alicia are underage, which means you've both still got the Trace on you."
"I don't —"
"The Trace, the Trace!" said Mad-Eye impatiently. "The charm that detects magical activity around under-seventeens, the way the Ministry finds out about underage magic! If you, or anyone around you, casts a spell to get you out of here, Thicknesse is going to know about it, and so will the Death Eaters.
"We can't wait for the Trace to break, because the moment you turn seventeen you'll lose all the protection your mother gave you. In short: Pius Thicknesse thinks he's got you cornered good and proper."
"So what are we going to do?" Harry asked. Fred glanced at Alicia and she gave a guilty look. Yes she'd kept the plan from him.
"We're going to use the only means of transport left to us, the only ones the Trace can't detect, because we don't need to cast spells to use them: brooms, thestrals, and Hagrid's motorbike.
"Now, your mother's charm will only break under two conditions: when you come of age, or" — Moody gestured around the pristine kitchen — "you no longer call this place home. You and your aunt and uncle are going your separate ways tonight, in the full understanding that you're never going to live together again, correct?"
Harry nodded.
"So this time, when you leave, there'll be no going back, and the charm will break the moment you get outside its range. We're choosing to break it early, because the alternative is waiting for You-Know-Who to come and seize you the moment you turn seventeen.
"The one thing we've got on our side is that You-Know-Who doesn't know we're moving you tonight. We've leaked a fake trail to the Ministry: They think you're not leaving until the thirtieth. However, this is You-Know-Who we're dealing with, so we can't just rely on him getting the date wrong; he's bound to have a couple of Death Eaters patrolling the skies in this general area, just in case. So, we've given a dozen different houses every protection we can throw at them. They all look like they could be the place we're going to hide you, they've all got some connection with the Order: my house, Kingsley's place, Molly's Auntie Muriel's — you get the idea."
"Yeah," said Harry, but Alicia could sense his doubt.
"You'll be going to Tonks's parents. Once you're within the boundaries of the protective enchantments we've put on their house, you'll be able to use a Portkey to the Burrow. Any questions?"
"Er — yes," said Harry. "Maybe they won't know which of the twelve secure houses I'm heading for at first, but won't it be sort of obvious once" — he performed a quick headcount — "fourteen of us fly off toward Tonks's parents'?"
"Ah," said Moody, "I forgot to mention the key point. Fourteen of us won't be flying to Tonks's parents'. There will be seven Harry Potters moving through the skies tonight, each of them with a companion, each pair heading for a different safe house."
From inside his cloak Moody now withdrew a flask of what looked like mud. There was no need for him to say another word; Harry understood the rest of the plan immediately.
Alicia waited.
"No!" he said loudly, his voice ringing through the kitchen. "No way!"
"I told them you'd take it like this," said Hermione with a hint of complacency.
"Not a hard guess." Alicia added
"You knew!" Harry snapped at her
"Course I did." Alicia said "But I knew you'd react badly so I didn't tell you and everyone agreed on the idea." her voice was stern.
"If you think I'm going to let six people risk their lives — !"
"— because it's the first time for all of us," said Ron.
"This is different, pretending to be me —"
"Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry," said Fred earnestly. "Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever."
Alicia hit him. Harry did not smile.
"You can't do it if I don't cooperate, you need me to give you some hair."
"Well, that's that plan scuppered," said George. "Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate."
"Yeah, thirteen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance," said Fred.
"Funny," said Harry, "really amusing."
Alicia hopped down from her spot, Fred moving so she could and crossed her arms.
"I will literally rip it from your skull."
"Well what are we doing about you! They'll chase you too." he snapped at her
"Simple." and she sighed a little annoyed "I'm taking the polyjuice potion too. It'd be too hard for there to multiples of me as well and it'd be easier to disguise me as you. Especially seeing as I know you better than anyone so I'm actually the best decoy." she smiled
"If it has to come to force, then it will," growled Moody, his magical eye now quivering a little in its socket as he glared at Harry. "Everyone here's overage, Potter, and they're all prepared to take the risk."
"I don't count." Alicia said strongly when he looked at her to argue. "And they have to get me out of here too."
Mundungus shrugged and grimaced; the magical eye swerved sideways to glare at him out of the side of Moody's head.
"Let's have no more arguments. Time's wearing on. I want a few of your hairs, boy, now."
"But this is mad, there's no need —"
"No need!" snarled Moody. "With You-Know-Who out there and half the Ministry on his side? Potter, if we're lucky he'll have swallowed the fake bait and he'll be planning to ambush you on the thirtieth, but he'd be mad not to have a Death Eater or two keeping an eye out, it's what I'd do. They might not be able to get at you or this house while your mother's charm holds, but it's about to break and they know the rough position of the place. Our only chance is to use decoys. Even You-Know-Who can't split himself into seven."
Alicia and Harry shared a look.
"So, Potter — some of your hair, if you please."
Harry glanced at Ron, who grimaced at him in a just-do-it sort of way.
"Now!" barked Moody.
"For god's sakes." Alicia was beside him and yanked some hair from the top of his head and was over to Moody before Harry could say anything and she put it in the flask. The moment it made contact with its surface, the potion began to froth and smoke, then, all at once, it turned a clear, bright gold.
"Ooh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and Goyle, Harry," said Hermione, before catching sight of Ron's raised eyebrows, blushing slightly, and saying, "Oh, you know what I mean — Goyle's potion looked like bogies."
"Right then, fake Potters line up over here, please," said Moody.
Ron, Hermione, Alicia, Fred and George lined up in front of Aunt Petunia's gleaming sink.
"We're one short," said Lupin.
"Here," said Hagrid gruffly, and he lifted Mundungus by the scruff of the neck and dropped him down beside George.
"I've toldjer, I'd sooner be a protector," said Mundungus.
"Shut it," growled Moody. "As I've already told you, you spineless worm, any Death Eaters we run into will be aiming to capture Potter, not kill him. Dumbledore always said You-Know-Who would want to finish Potter in person. It'll be the protectors who have got the most to worry about, the Death Eaters'll want to kill them."
Mundungus did not look particularly reassured, but Moody was already pulling half a dozen eggcup-sized glasses from inside his cloak, which he handed out, before pouring a little Polyjuice Potion into each one.
"This is gonna be a memory I can do without, I can feel it." Alicia admitted. But she still had the determined look that said she'd do it anyway.
"It's not like you're gonna look all that different." Fred said. The murderous look on Alicia's face made Fred swap places with George and away from her.
"Altogether, then…"
Ron, Hermione, Alicia. Fred, George and Mundungus drank.
All of them gasped and grimaced as the potion hit their throats: At once, their features began to bubble and distort like hot wax. Hermione and Mundungus were shooting upward; Ron, Fred, and George were shrinking; their hair was darkening, Hermione's and Alicia's appearing to shoot backward into their skulls.
Moody, quite unconcerned, was now loosening the ties of the large sacks he had brought with him. When he straightened up again, there were six Harry Potters gasping and panting in front of him.
Fred and George turned to each other and said together, "Wow — we're identical!"
"I dunno, though, I think I'm still better-looking," said Fred, examining his reflection in the kettle.
"I think I disagree, George's got better charisma." Alicia responded. She had her eyes closed.
"You scared of looking Alicia?" Fred smirked
"Little bit." she nodded and the twins chuckled.
"Those whose clothes are a bit roomy, I've got smaller here," said Moody, indicating the first sack, "and vice versa. Don't forget the glasses, there's six pairs in the side pocket. And when you're dressed, there's luggage in the other sack."
Alicia moved to a sack. She and Harry being the same height there wasn't much of a difference in their clothes, but she figured it'd be weird if she wore her clothes on Harry. Just a little obvious.
"I knew Ginny was lying about that tattoo," said Ron, looking down at his bare chest.
"Harry, your eyesight really is awful," said Hermione, as she put on glasses.
"I'll say." Alicia mumbled "How on earth did you get such terrible genes?"
"You got all the good ones." Fred said
"You're still in trouble." she responded back darkly.
Once dressed, the fake Harrys took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl, from the second sack.
Alicia went into the hallway and grabbed her cage with Noel in it before moving to the back door.
"To the Burrow Noel. And be careful." she said. The owl hooted and moved off. Nighttime was always best for Noel to go, she blended in perfectly with the night sky as she flew off and Alicia held her breath as she watched her go. All this planning had her nervous.
She moved back inside and grabbed a fake owl to put in her cage to complete the transformation.
"Good," said Moody, as at last seven dressed, bespectacled, and luggage-laden Harrys faced him. "The pairs will be as follows: Mundungus will be traveling with me, by broom —"
"Why'm I with you?" grunted the Harry nearest the back door.
"Because you're the one that needs watching," growled Moody, and sure enough, his magical eye did not waver from Mundungus as he continued, "Arthur and Fred —"
"I'm George," said the twin at whom Moody was pointing. "Can't you even tell us apart when we're Harry?"
"Sorry, George —"
"Fred stop waisting our time." Alicia said
"Gosh she knows who you are even as Harry." George said.
"Enough messing around!" snarled Moody. "The other one — George or Fred or whoever you are — you're with Remus on a broom. Alicia you'll be going with Bill by thestral." she nodded
"Miss Granger with Kingsley, again by thestral —"
Hermione looked reassured as she answered Kingsley's smile, Hermione lacked confidence on a broomstick.
"Which leaves you and me, Ron!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a mug tree as she waved at him.
Ron did not look quite as pleased as Hermione.
"An' you're with me, Harry. That all righ'?" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious. "We'll be on the bike, brooms an' thestrals can't take me weight, see. Not a lot o' room on the seat with me on it, though, so you'll be in the sidecar."
"That's great," said Harry
"We think the Death Eaters will expect you to be on a broom," said Moody, who seemed to guess how Harry was feeling. "Snape's had plenty of time to tell them everything about you he's never mentioned before, so if we do run into any Death Eaters, we're betting they'll choose one of the Potters who look at home on a broomstick.
"All right then," Moody went on, tying up the sack with the fake Potters' clothes in it and leading the way back to the door, "I make it three minutes until we're supposed to leave. No point locking the back door, it won't keep the Death Eaters out when they come looking… Come on…"
Harry hurried into the hall to fetch his rucksack and Hedwig's cage before joining the others in the dark back garden.
On every side broomsticks were leaping into hands; Hermione had already been helped up onto a great black thestral by Kingsley as Alicia was helped up by Bill onto the other.
Hagrid was standing ready beside the motorbike, goggles on.
"Is this it? Is this Sirius's bike?"
"The very same," said Hagrid, beaming down at Harry. "An' the last time yeh was on it, Harry, I could fit yeh in one hand!"
Harry climbed into the side car which put him several feet below everyone else. Ron smirked at the sight of him sitting there like a child in a bumper car. Harry stuffed his rucksack down by his feet and rammed Hedwig's cage between his knees.
"Arthur's done a bit o' tinkerin'," said Hagrid, quite oblivious to Harry's discomfort. He settled himself astride the motorcycle, which creaked slightly and sank inches into the ground. "It's got a few tricks up its handlebars now. Tha' one was my idea."
He pointed a thick finger at a purple button near the speedometer.
"Please be careful, Hagrid," said Mr. Weasley, who was standing beside, holding his broomstick. "I'm still not sure that was advisable and it's certainly only to be used in emergencies."
"All right then," said Moody. "Everyone ready, please; I want us all to leave at exactly the same time or the whole point of the diversion's lost."
Everybody mounted their brooms and Alicia grabbed Bill tightly as he hopped up in front of her.
"Good luck." She said to Harry and he nodded
"Be careful." she rolled her eyes, the exact same as his even without the polyjuice and didn't respond.
"Hold tight now, Ron," said Tonks, and Harry saw Ron throw a furtive, guilty look at Lupin before placing his hands on either side of her waist. Hagrid kicked the motorbike into life: It roared like a dragon, and the sidecar began to vibrate.
"Good luck, everyone," shouted Moody. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One… two… THREE."