DOORWAYS || MARAUDERS ERA

ϟ18: HALLOWEENϟ

"Hi, Harry!"

Seventeen year old Harry, who was sitting next to the cupboard he had once upon a time lived in, whipped his head so hard that he stained his neck. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Rhea! How did you enter the house, anyway?"

"Sorry, Harry. And you forget I can do magic out of school." Rhea gave him a large smile and tackled him in a long hug. "I missed you!"

"The feeling's not mutual," Harry grumbled, but he couldn't keep the grin off his face. She had been in the Burrow for the past month after their sixth year had finished.

"I saw the Dursleys leave with Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle, and you won't believe this—Dudley waved at me!" she finished, horror-struck.

"Yeah well," Harry grinned. "He told me I wasn't a waste of space... guess Big D was feeling sentimental."

"He did?" Rhea asked, and smiled genuinely at him. "That's..."

"Nice? Confusing? Disturbing?" Harry suggested.

"All three." Rhea decided. The two best friends sat on the stairs in the Dursley Household.

"Is it weird that I feel... not-so-exhilarated that I'm leaving?" Harry asked after a few moments.

"Yes," Rhea said immediately. "But I guess... you've finally let go of your hatred towards them, after they bid you farewell."

"Yeah, I can proudly say Dudley has now grown up into a mature man." Harry smiled. "Why did you come alone?"

"Well," Rhea shifted. "I wanted to see my house. It's been almost a year since I've seen it since mum and dad died. Figured, now that we're going to go Hocrux Hunting, I might as well come and bid farewell to my past. Who knows how long the hunt will take?"

Harry gave her a sad smile. 

After a few minutes, Rhea said, "Moody is going to be after my blood. He made me promise not to go anywhere without adult supervision. But I can apparate and I'm an adult for Merlin's sake. Alas, he never understands."

"How did you come without Mrs Weasley knowing?" Harry asked curiously.

"Gred and Forge covered up for me." Rhea smirked as Harry laughed. "I owe them big time. Moody might kill them for helping me."

"Oh, and Harry, there's a change of plan." Rhea said suddenly. "Moody won't apparate you to the Burrow. Thicknese's been Imperiused."

"What? It didn't occur to you to tell me this earlier?"

"Sorry, Harry-kins, but I'm not telling you the plan—you won't like it. It includes Polyjuice Potion, though."

"What the hell is going on?" Harry snapped.

Rhea grinned. "There's a gang coming."

Right on cue, there was a roar of an engine coming towards Privet Drive. It looked like a mob had come to the Dursely Household. 

"Oh, and Remus and Tonks got married." Rhea said casually. "They're here now, you can give them your wishes."

"WHAT?" Harry asked incredulously.

"RHEA ABRIELLE ARQUETTE!"

"Oh, crap!" Rhea whispered in horror. "It's Moody!"

"YOU BETTER RUN WHILE YOU HAVE THE CHANCE, LASS, 'CAUSE I AIN'T SHOWING NO MERCY!"