A Potter Secret

Polyjuice Again?!

A flurry of leaflets flutter from the sky and land in a neat pile next to a stack of Daily Prophets. Instantly, the newspaper boy begins to insert the leaflets into the paper. Each leaflet is imprinted with Harry's face and emblazoned with "undesirable #1".

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The Hogwarts express stands still upon the cracks as dark wizards board the train. Dark wizards move down the aisle, flinging open cabin doors, in search of Harry. They pass Ginny and Seamus, Katie Bell, Lavender, Romilda Vane and Cormac. "My father will hear about this," Cormac mutters.

Finally Neville bars their way, smiles defiantly. "He's not here, you fools," Neville says.

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Dark wizards smash through the front door, enter the parlor. The photographs still sit upon the mantle, showing only Hermione's parents, the tea they'd been drinking still sitting on the table, dried up, but unwashed.

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Posters of Harry pattern alley walls and street posts, trembling in a bitter wind. In the shadows, Mundungus Fletcher concludes a transaction with a desperate-looking witch, then begins to count his money with a cruel smile. Seconds later, a Snatcher squad appears and he withdraws into an alley, into the safety of the darkness when suddenly a loud Crack! is heard.

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Ron fiddles with the radio, which whistles eerily as he attempts to find a signal. Harry lies on his side, studying the Snitch in his palm, its wings flapping slowly. "They have flesh memories," Hermione starts. Harry turns, sees that Hermione is eyeing the Snitch. "Snitches. They're never touched by bare skin until the Seeker captures it. Even the wizard who fabricates it wears gloves. That way, if there's a dispute, the Snitch can identify who first touched it."

"You mean- it remembers me?" Harry asks.

Hermione nods. "When Scrimgeour first gave it to you, I thought it might open at your touch, that Dumbledore had hidden something in it." Harry ponders this, eyeing the wings flapping slowly, then- Crack! A sound echoes down the hall.

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Harry and Hermione race into the kitchen. Crazy shadows spill from a far door and pots crash. Suddenly, a tiny figure, wet and ragged, tumbles into view, bangs into the wall opposite, and scrambles up. As he starts back for the kitchen, he stops. Sees Harry. Smiles. Dobby. "Harry Potter! So long it's been-" Dobby cheers. Just then, a hand, Kreacher's, reaches out, grabs Dobby by the neck and pulls him away.

Kreacher, Dobby and Mundungus Fletcher tumble from one side of the kitchen to the other. As they fly apart, Mundungus rolls to his feet, dripping wet, wand flashing. "Expelliarmus!" Hermione cries. Mundungus' wand soars into the air- into Hermione's hand.

"As requested, Kreacher has returned with the thief Mundungus Fletcher!" Kreacher states.

"Dobby has also returned with the thief Mundungus Fletcher!" Dobby smiles.

"What are you playing at, setting a pair of bleedin' 'ouse-elves on me!" Mundungus demands.

"Dobby was only trying to help!" Dobby assures. "Dobby saw Kreacher in Diagon Alley, which Dobby thought was curious. And then Dobby heard Kreacher mention Harry Potter's name, which Dobby thought was very curious. And then Dobby saw that Kreacher was talking to the thief Mundungus Fletcher, which Dobby thought was very, very-"

"I'm no thief, you foul little git," Mundungus interrupts. "I'm a purveyer of rare and wondrous objects-"

"You're a thief, Dung. Everyone knows it," Ron insists.

Everyone turns. Ron stands in the doorway. Dobby smiles. "Master Weasley! So good to see you again!" Dobby cheers.

Ron nods, eyes the bright red shoes on Dobby's feet. "Wicked trainers," Ron notes.

"Listen, I panicked that night, all right? I never volunteered to die for you, mate. Can I help it if Mad-Eye fell off his broom-" Mundungus mutters.

"Stop lying!" Hermione demands. Hermione begins to move toward Mundungus. Ron reaches out, takes her by the shoulders, eyes Mundungus warningly.

"Piece of advice. Let's not rehash old times. Got it- mate?" Run suggests.

"When you turned this place over- don't deny it! You found a locket, am I right?" Harry asks.

"Why? Was it valuable?" Mundungus asks.

"You've still got it," Hermione realizes.

"No. He's worried he should have got more money for it," Ron corrects.

"Wouldn't be difficult, would it? Bleedin' gave it away, din' I?" Mundungus asks. "There I was, pitching me wares in Diagon Alley when some ministry hag comes up and asks to see my license. Says she's of a mind to lock me up and would've, too, she hadn' taken a fancy to that locket."

"Who was she? This witch?" Harry asks.

"Well, she's right there, in't she? Bleedin' bow an' all." He points to a yellowed Prophet on top of a nearby stack, where a squat woman with the face of a toad blinks from the front page. Dolores Umbridge.

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An empty street corner. Then- Ron peers round a building. A few yards off, a witch, Mafalda Hopkirk, approaches. Ron begins to walk, preceding her down the street, then kneels, fiddling with his shoelace. Zap! The witch stiffens and falls- into the arms of Harry. Ron hurries back, takes her feet and helps Harry hustle her out of view. They prop her up between two wizards, one tall, one short, both unconscious. Isabella is pouring polyjuice potion into three cups. "Right. So let's do it. Who gets who?" Ron asks.

"Well, unless one of you fancies wearing a skirt-" Hermione jokes. Hermione leans down, plucks a hair from the witch. Ron frowns as he surveys the two remaining wizards. "Remember what we said. Keep your eyes down. Don't speak to anyone unless absolutely necessary. Act as normal as possible. Just do what you see everyone else doing. We do that, and with a bit of luck, we get ourselves inside. And then-"

"It gets really tricky," Harry finishes.

"Correct," Hermione says.

Harry and Hermione look once more at the stunned trio before them. "This is completely mental," Harry replies.

"Completely, utterly, without question," Hermione agrees.

"The world's mental. Come on, drink up. We've got a Horcrux to find," Ron says.

Isabella watches as they transform before grabbing Hermione's bag and tucking it into her own for now. She's going to be waiting at Grimmauld Place for their return.

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