re-edited 2015, see first chapter for notes
Chapter 15: A Plan of Action
It was the day before they were going to go to Hogwarts. Ron had made as much of the Polyjuice Potion as he could ever need, and attached containers of it to the inside of his robes. He put Other Ron's hair in a bag and stuck it in his pocket.
He was ready.
Except… what about the other Ron? What was he going to do about him? What about when they find Ron here after I go to Hogwarts?
They'll know the Ron that went to Hogwarts wasn't actually Ron!
I've got to get him away! But how do I do that?
His original idea wasn't going to work. He'd been going to Petrify Ron and stick him under the bed. What he needed to do, he thought, was to make sure Ron wouldn't be found.
And…he also needed a replacement Ginny.
Oh no, Ron thought. Perhaps this plan wasn't worthy of Hermione after all. He hadn't thought of this problem. What was he to do about Ginny?
He didn't know what to do. And he had only one day to think of something!
He thought about dressing up the ghoul in the attic. But it wouldn't fool Mrs. Weasley. It wouldn't fool anyone. What he needed, he thought, was something that looked like Ginny—and, hopefully, acted like her too.
Something that looked like Ginny.
I wish Hermione was here, he thought. She'd know what to do. But since Hermione wasn't here, he'd have to figure it out himself.
He should think about the easier thing first. How to get rid of Other Ron. He had to be somewhere where he wouldn't be found, but he didn't want to harm Other Ron. That would be like harming himself, sort of. Right? Yes.
What he needed to do was send Ron somewhere far, far away, where he'd be all right.
I know who I can send him to!
He needed to call Neville's grandmother.
If he could do that, he could ask her to take Ron for him.
But…wait a minute. Why would Neville's grandmother listen to him?
Well, he thought wildly, maybe I could Polyjuice Ron to look like Neville!
But no, he thought. Then he'd have to get rid of Neville.
Well, maybe I could Polyjuice Ron to look like…um… he wasn't thinking very clearly, he realized.
He just needed someone to look like Ginny. Wasn't there a spell he had heard Hermione talk about, a long time ago—something that looked like a person. But there wouldn't be anything there. It would look like a person, but you could put your hand right through it.
Well, that's better than nothing, right?
Maybe, he thought, he could… yes, yes. He could put Spell-Ginny in her bed, and he could set it to auto-destruct! And then he could have it disintegrate while Mrs. Weasley was watching!
No, he thought. He couldn't do that.
Finally, he decided, with a sigh—well. He might as well get it over with. He'd just go with his original plan. He'd Petrify Other Ron, put him under the bed, get to Hogwarts, and hope for the best. He just needed to hide him while they were all getting ready.
But wait, he thought. I can use Spell-Ginny. I'll put her in the bed. I'll pretend to be sick…and then, tomorrow, I'll put Spell-Ginny in the bed, and Polyjuice into Ron—into myself. Like I'm supposed to be. Then they'll think Ginny's sick, and she won't have to go—
Wait a minute. I've got an even better idea! I don't have to do anything to Other Ron at all! All I have to do is wait till we're on the platform, and then I can…um…I can… (push him on the train tracks?) I can…oh. Wait. (Hire someone to kidnap him?) I can wait till we're on the train—but I'm not going to be on the train! I can…I know. I can go onto the train platform. Then I can use the Polyjuice Potion. Then there'll be two Rons and no Ginnys. Mum will be looking for Ginny, we can both go on the train.
Then, I can…Petrify Ron and stick him under the seat.
Good, he thought. That's a good plan. …That's a better plan.
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