The Right Choice

Chapter Eighteen

The day had finally arrived, the Polyjuice potion was ready. Hermione packed their things in her beaded bag while Bill and Fleur went to the nearby town to stun four muggles and take some of their hair. Harry, Ron, and Draco were pacing the living room. It was nine in the evening. They were all going to transform themselves and apparate into Hogsmeade under the cover of night, to have the best chance at not being caught.

Bill and Fleur returned with small vials that had bits of hair in them. Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Draco all filled four glasses with the vile potion and added the hairs.

A minute later, a small muggle family stood before them. Hermione was a middle aged woman with blonde hair and green eyes, Harry looked to be the same age with brown hair and brown eyes, Draco was roughly the same age as his actual self but now had the same brown hair Harry had and green eyes, and Ron could be a younger version of who Harry had transformed into.

"We thought a family might be more believable." Bill said.

"Thank you." Harry told them.

Ron stepped forward and hugged his brother, Harry and Hermione joined them. Draco stood awkwardly to the side. When they all let go, Bill wished them the best of luck and ensured that he and Fleur would be at the ready should they be needed.

The four of them walked outside in silence. Draco took Hermione's hand as they prepared to apparate. Hermione smiled at him and squeezed it.

They all turned on the spot and focused on Hogsmeade.

The moment they appeared, an earsplitting shriek sounded off. They immediately hid as Death Eaters came running around the corner for them. Draco pushed Hermione into a set of bushes and kept an arm around her. The Death Eaters closed in, but the sound started again and they took off.

"Potter! I know it's you. In here!" a voice said behind them.

They all turned to see the owner of the Hog's Head motioning them in the back door of the pub. Just as they entered, there was a bang on the door in front, the four of them hid on a staircase and listened in case they needed to make a break for it.

"Potter is here!" a Death Eater yelled.

The owner of the pub yelled back. "Potter wouldn't be stupid enough to show his face here, you stupid prat. I set off the alarm!"

"You?" demanded the Death Eater. "It's past curfew, you know the rules!"

"If I want to put my bloody cat out, I will!"

"Then what was the second alarm?"

"I suppose I'm to leave my laundry on the line all night?"

"Fine!" shouted the Death Eater in frustration. "Next time, bring it in before curfew and put your damned cat out sooner as well!"

The front door slammed shut and the man walked to the back and found his four new guests.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here Potter?" he demanded, unsure which one was Harry.

Harry spoke up. "We need to get into the castle tonight."

The man turned to the person he now knew to be Harry. "That's suicide! The castle is sealed and guarded around the clock."

Hermione came to a realization and stepped forward to get a better look at the man. "You're Aberforth aren't you? Your resemblance to Dumbledore is striking."

"Of course!" Harry exclaimed. "It's you that I've been seeing in the mirror! You sent Dobby, didn't you?"

"Yes, where have you left him?" Aberforth asked.