Chapter 129 - The Plan

3.1K 161 31
                                    

I hope everyone has/had a nice day! :)

 It was the morning of the twenty-seventh and Al was sorting through her trunk and neatly repacking it with all her belongings. It was the first time since getting back she'd cleared through her trunk, and she'd found a fair bit of rubbish that now formed a pile next to her. There were plenty of things she didn't need or want, but thankfully her parents had thrown away all her belongings from her room when they'd moved out, so there was less stuff to sort through.

 She jumped slightly at the tapping on her window and looked up to see a handsome owl with a letter attached to its leg. Al opened the window and detached it, giving the owl a treat before watching it fly away.

 Al glanced down at the letter; sure enough it was addressed to her. She tore it open and read through it, gasping when she saw what it was.

Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test results

Alexandra Rosalind Dursley has received the following grade(s):

Alchemy: Outstanding

 Al looked up, smiling from ear to ear, before quickly filing the document with her OWL results. She got an O! All that hard work had actually paid off!

*****

 By late afternoon, Al had completely finished packing. She surveyed the room, checking she hadn't left anything under the bed that she'd want later. Satisfied, Al sighed and shrunk her trunk until it was the size of a shoe box, before picking it up with Dill in her cage on top and taking it downstairs.

 She and Harry ate a random dinner of leftover pasta, Chinese takeaway, and pizza, not really looking at each other and sharing a mutually peaceful silence. They hadn't spoken much since Dumbledore died, but if Harry had wanted to, Al would have. It had taken something out of him, what she couldn't say, but he was somehow different now, and eternally silent. Al didn't mind - sometimes she was even quite grateful.

 Al did the washing up for something to pass the time, but didn't bother putting the plates away. The Death Eaters would smash them whether she left them out or stacked them neatly in the cupboard.

 It was dark outside when Al heard a loud banging noise that must be the Order members arriving. Harry, who had his head stuck in his old cupboard, jumped and banged it on the frame, but Al just rolled her eyes. His owl, Hedwig, hooted indignantly from his shoulder. They'd wake all the muggles up at this rate, if not alert the Death Eaters that were inevitably watching the house and following her everywhere. She wondered why they hadn't attacked her while she went to and from work but cast it from her mind as she opened the door and let everyone in.

 Al pointed her wand at Hermione upon entry. "Why did I fall out with Harry and Ron in our first year?"

 "Ron said Malfoy was a git," Hermione said with a smile. Al lowered her wand and pulled her into a hug. "It's good to see you," Al said truthfully, "Did you check everyone else?"

 "Yep," Hermione said, "How did you do on your NEWT?"

 "Outstanding," Al said, grinning.

 "That's excellent," Remus said from the other side of the room, "Well done, Al." She went over and hugged him too, still grinning, before looking around at the thirteen people that had arrived. Ron, Hermione, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley, Moody, Mundungus, Bill, Fleur, Mr Weasley, Hagrid, Fred, and, "George!"

 Al ran over and leaped into his arms, kissing him full on the mouth. "Enough of that," Moody said, pulling Al away by her shoulder. She and George grinned at each other like they'd just been scolded at school.

 "Harry, Al, guess what?" Tonks said, waving her left hand at her.

 Al lit up inside, spying the ring on Tonks's finger. She was very excited to see all the people she loved in one room, and even more excited by such fantastic news. "Congratulations!" Al said, rushing over and embracing Tonks, still grinning madly. "When?"

 "The other week," Tonks said.

 "It was a very small ceremony," Remus explained, "Just us and two witnesses. We're sorry you couldn't be there."

 "We'll just have to celebrate later," Al said dismissively, still smiling. She wondered breifly if she was subconsciously trying to mask her fear of leaving her childhood home by busying herself with other people. But, no - this had never been a happy place, despite its safety.

 "I didn't expect so many of you," Harry said quietly from where he stood by the back door.

 "Change of plan," Moody growled, "The Ministry's banned any floo travel, apparation, or portkey associated with you. They're using it under the cover of your protection, but I think we all know otherwise." Al decided to take his word for it. "We'll be using transport that can't be recognised by magic - brooms, thestrals-"

 "I've go' the bike I brought you two 'ere in," Hagrid said fondly, and Al smiled at him.

 "We've set up portkeys at different Order locations, so the Death Eaters won't know which one you're going to," Moody continued as though he'd never been interrupted, "Potter, you'll be going to Tonks's parents' house, Dursley, you'll be going to mine." Al felt slightly relieved that she'd be going to the best Auror there, but then remembered that was the house that had been broken into three years prior.

 "Won't it be kind of obvious once..." Harry scanned the room, "Fifteen of us start heading to two locations?" he asked.

 "We won't all be going the same way, we're splitting off into pairs, and seven Harry Potters will go to each of the different locations," Moody explained, and Al immediately caught on. Polyjuice Potion. She made herself comfy on the sofa next to George - it was going to take a while to stop Harry from resisting.

 Moody pulled a flask from out his cloak and Harry took one look at it. "No!" he said, "No way - I'm not letting you."

 "Told you he'd take it well," Hermione said

 George chuckled and said, "I suppose we better give in now then."

 "Yeah," Fred added, "What chance do the fourteen of us stand against a scrawny sixteen year old that can't do magic?"

 "No!" Harry said again, "I won't let you risk your lives-"

 "Cos we've never done that before," Ron said, making Al laugh.

 "Harry," Al said, "I can see the Death Eaters turning themselves in before this lot don't put their lives on the line for you every chance they get. They love you as much as I do - they don't care about the risk."

 "I wouldn't say that," George mumbled from next to her.

 "I care!" Harry protested.

 "None of us care that you care," Al said reasonably, "We'll tie you to a broomstick if we have to. This is happening."

 "Did you know about this?" Harry seethed.

 "No," Al said calmly, "I'm just a bit quicker than you." A laugh echoed around the room that forced an unwilling smile onto his face.

 "Potter," Moody growled, "Some of your hair please." Harry looked around, and yanked some of his hair out, dropping it into Moody's flask. George, Fred, Fleur, Ron, Hermione, and Mundungus all lined up, taking a swig from the flask. Al watched in awe as they shot up and down to the same size, their hair turning darker and in Hermione and Fleur's cases shooting back into their skulls. Before she knew it, seven different Harrys were walking around and getting changed, and Al had no idea who was who. The plan was perfect.

Alexandra Dursley {Golden Trio}Where stories live. Discover now