Title: Chick, Chick, Chick, Chick, Chicken
Team: Caerphilly Catapults
Position: Chaser 1
Round: QL Daily Prophet Expelliarmus Competition
Prompt: Pullus– [dialogue] "Don't be a chicken!"
Additional Prompts used: N/A
Word count: 691
Betas: Bea
A/N Mentions of off-screen canon character deaths.
The Burrow was even more chaotic than normal. Since the death of Albus Dumbledore, the Order couldn't be certain of the safety of the Headquarters anymore, so they had vacated it. Since every one of them was now a Secret Keeper, that meant that Severus Snape was too. So, the Order had temporarily moved to the Burrow to finalise their plans for the safe removal of Harry from Privet Drive. There was never a moment when there weren't several people crowded around the kitchen table and of course, Fred and George lived for the chaos that so many people in a small space brought. Everyone was dealing with the death of Albus Dumbledore in their own way and for the twins, this meant humour and pranks and trick wands. With so many people about there was always a wand or two that wasn't on someone's person and the twins capitalised on this by leaving lots of their trick wands about. At least once a day someone would pick up a wand thinking it was theirs, and SQUAWK, it would turn into a rubber chicken.
The Order were all currently squashed, very squashed considering Hagrid took up the head of the table all to himself, around the Weasley's kitchen table as they decided when and how would be the best way and day to remove Harry from Privet Drive. Everyone was in a state of shock as Mundungus Fletcher had suggested that, since they would have to move Potter using only methods the Ministry couldn't detect, they should use Polyjuice Potion and have multiple decoy Potters each with a different guardian, so that the Death Eaters, if they turned up or were watching, wouldn't know which one was the real Harry. It was a stroke of brilliance that none of them had thought Mundungus capable of. Mad Eye was certain that the greatest danger would be to those guardians of the decoy Potters, as Voldemort would want to kill Harry himself. They had just finished deciding who would be a decoy and who would be a guardian.
"Well, if that's settled, who wants dinner?" Mrs Weasley asked, picking up her wand. SQUAWK. It turned into a rubber chicken and Fred, George, Ron, Bill, Charlie and Kingsley all burst out laughing. "I've told you not to keep leaving these wands lying around!" Mrs Weasley fumed at them. "You're not taking this situation seriously enough. It's dangerous and not a time for practical jokes!"
"About that," Mundungus piped up. "I've toldjer I'd rather be a Protector, or not go at all. I'm not wha'cha call up for dying for this 'ere cause."
"Zip it, Mundungus," Mad Eye Moody growled at him.
"Yeah," Fred said. "Don't be a chicken!"
Geroge make clucking noises at Mundungus.
"I'm not a chicken. I just 'ave a 'ealthy sense of self preservation," Mundungus replied.
"Chicken!" Fred whispered as George once more made clicking noises at him.
"Put a sock in it," Mad Eye said as Mrs Weasley got up to serve dinner to everyone.
Fred pulled out his wand, nudged George in the ribs and winked at him as he pointed his wand at Mundungus under the table.
"Pullus," he whispered. There was a bang, which caused several people to jump, and there, where Mundungus had been sitting, was a large chicken.
The chicken let out a loud SQUAWK and Mundungus the chicken laid an egg, and half the table burst out laughing. Mad Eye glared in Fred and George's direction.
"What are you doing?"
"Teaching," Fred said. Ron snorted with laughter. "Just taking a leaf out of your book, Made Eye."
"Well, actually," George pointed out to his twin. "I suppose it isn't really a leaf out of Mad Eye's book."
"True," Fred conceded.
"Change him back," Mr Weasley said. "We won't have any chickens in this house."
The whole table burst out laughing again as Fred un-transfigured Mundungus.
"What's for dinner, mum?" Bill asked as Mrs Weasley brought the first plates over.
"Roast chicken," Mrs Weasley said with a slight smile. There was a moment's pause before the entire table, except Mundungus, burst out laughing once more.