I'll Catch You (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Lost & Found

"You're sure about this?" my dad asked, looking down at the supplies I had collected for our travels. He eyed the remnants of my potion kit, which he had finally let out of lock-up. I had spread out across the kitchen table, where I had sat for what felt like days on end, trying to get my concoction just right.

"Hello, I was in NEWTS potions, believe it or not" I quipped back, stuffing my materials back into their case. In front of us was a handful of viles of Polyjuice Potion, hot out of the cauldron and waiting to be used.

"Well, you did accidentally poison yourself last year" Kelly hopped in, looking back at me over her shoulder from where she sat, spoon-feeding 'Ren a mish-mash of whatever she'd chosen to throw together that day.

"And I've had nothing to do since but read my textbooks. So ya, I'm sure that my Polyjuice Potion is fine." I glared at the two of them, tossing the dirty cauldron in the sink. At least, I was pretty sure it was fine. I'd read the recipe a thousand times over, measuring each ingredient down to the smallest increments. Besides, Hermione had once told us that she had done a batch of it in first year. If she could accomplish it way back then, certainly I would have been able to do it now. "There's no way we're going to be able to step foot even NEAR London without a disguise. They'll at least recognize you in an instant, Dad."

"I know" he sighed, waving a wand and shrinking our bags down to the size of dolls accessories. "I think that's the last thing we needed then. You're still sure that you want to do this?"

"I've never been more sure about anything." I grabbed my cloak from the closet and slung it over my shoulders. Louisiana didn't get nearly cold enough to warrant a cloak at any time of the year, but I knew we'd need it where we were going.

I smiled sadly at Kelly as she rose to her feet, placing 'Ren's food down on the table. We had decided to stay until Easter, giving us one last chance to celebrate something happy with Kelly and 'Ren. She was sad that we were going, and I knew she wished on some level that she could come with us. But she had to think of 'Ren, and the sacrifice that Lee had been making to keep them safe. That was her priority now.

"Be safe" she said, enveloping me in a bone-shattering hug. "If you die, Acelynne Connors, I swear to Merlin that I'll learn Necromancy just so I can kill you all over again."

"Noted." I was doing my best not to allow the tears to start again. Bart squeaked from the kitchen counter, bounding from surface to surface until he was neatly propped up onto my shoulder. "No, mate, you need to stay here. Hold down the fort." I handed him gently to Kelly, who tucked him into her shirt pocket.

"Take care, Kel" my dad gave her an awkward one-armed dad-hug. "We probably won't be able to contact you, but we'll do our best. Please, just stay here until someone from the Order comes to get you." She nodded dutifully, casting a sideways glance at 'Ren, who'd began to shriek once more.

"Alright" she sighed in a huff. "You two best head off. Go save the world and all that jazz." We collected our things and turned towards the door, the dark sky looming down on us ominously. "Bye bye!" Kelly was waving 'Ren's hand to us, uttering her greeting entirely in baby-voice.

I took solace in knowing that whatever the outcome of this trip would be, was that it would hopefully be to secure a new world, a better world, for Siren.

The trip was just as painstakingly long as it had been the last few times. We didn't take the risk to apparate again, knowing that the fact that I hadn't splinched us the last time was a giant, but very happy, fluke. Unsure of what was being monitored or not, we opted for mostly Muggle forms of transportation.

When we landed at Heathrow Airport, we headed straight for the bathrooms to take our Polyjuice potion. I had swiped some hair from a few different folks around town in Mangham, managing to be far sneakier than I thought possible in the process.