YOUNG BLOOD. ❪ Hermione Granger ❫ ✓

four

The real Harry thought that this might just be the most bizarre thing he had ever seen, and he'd seen many bizarre things. He watched as his nine doppelgängers rummage in the sacks, pulling out sets of clothes, putting on glasses, stuffing their own things away. He felt like asking them to show a little more respect for privacy as they all began stripping off with impunity, clearly much more at ease with displaying his body than they would have been with their own.

"I knew Ginny was lying about that tattoo," said Ron, looking down at his bare chest.

"Harry, your eyesight really is awful," said Hermione, as she put on glasses.

Once dressed, the fake Harrys took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl, from the second sack.

"Good," said Moody, as nine dressed, bespectacled, and luggage-laden Harrys faced him. "The pairs will be as follows: Mundungus will be traveling with me, by broom -" "

"Why'm I with you?" grunted the Harry nearest the back door.

"Because you're the one that needs watching," growled Moody. "Arthur and Fred - "

"I'm George," said the twin at whom Moody was pointing. "Can't you even tell us apart when we're Harry?"

"Sorry, George."

"I'm only yanking your wand. I'm Fred, really."

"Enough messing around!" snarled Moody. "The other one - George or Fred or whoever you are - you're with Remus. Miss Delacour - "

" I'm taking Fleur on a thestral," Bill interrupted. "She's not that fond of brooms."

Fleur walked over to stand beside him, giving him a soppy, slavish look.

"Miss Granger with Miss McKnight by thestral."

Hermione looked reassured as she smiled at Sally. Hermione was never the best at riding broomsticks.

"Kingsley and Miss Dresden, again by thestral."

"Which leaves you and me, Ron!" Tonks brightly exclaimed, knocking over a mug tree as she waved at him.

Ron did not look quite as pleased as Hermione. He disliked how smug and happy she looked.

"An' you're with me, Harry. That all righ?" asked Hagrid, looking a little anxious. "We'll be on the bike. Brooms an' thestrals can't take me weight, see. Not a lot o' room on the seat with me on it, though, so you'll be in the sidecar."

"That's great," said Harry, lying.

"We think the Death Eaters will expect you to be on a broom," said Moody, who seemed to guess how Harry was feeling. "Snape's had plenty of time to tell them everything about you he's never mentioned before, so if we do run into any Death Eaters, we're betting they'll choose one of the Potters who look at home on a broomstick. All right then," he went on, tying up the sack with the fake Potters' clothes in it and leading the way back to the door, "I make it three minutes until we're supposed to leave. No point locking the back door, it won't keep the Death Eaters out when they come looking... Come on..."

Harry hurried into the hall to fetch his rucksack, Firebolt, and Hedwig's cage before joining the others in the dark back garden.

On every side, broomsticks were leaping into hands. Sally helped Hermione up onto the thestral. Fleur was helped onto the other one by Bill. Hagrid was at a motorbike with his goggles.

"Is this it? Is this Sirius's bike?" Harry asked.

"The very same," said Hagrid, beaming down at Hary, "An last time yeh was on it, Harry, I could fit yeh in one hand!"

Harry felt a little humiliated as he got into the sidecar. It placed him several feet below everybody else. Ron smirked at the sight of him sitting there like a child in a bumper car. Harry stuffed his rucksack and broomstick down by his feet and rammed Hedwig's cage between his knees. It was extremely uncomfortable.

"Arthur's done a bit o' tinkerin'," said Hagrid, quite oblivious to Harry's discomfort. He settled himself astride the motorcycle, which creaked slightly and sank inches into the ground. "It's got a few tricks up its handlebars now. Tha' one was my idea." He pointed a thick finger at a purple button near the speedometer.

"Please be careful, Hagrid," Arthur advised, who was standing beside them, holding his broomstick. "I'm still not sure that was advisable and it's certainly only to be used in emergencies."

"All right then," Moody called. "Everyone ready, please; I want us all to leave at exactly the same time or the whole point of the diversion's lost."

Everybody mounted their brooms.

"Hold tight now, Ron," said Tonks, and Harry saw Ron throw a furtive, guilty look at Remus before placing his hands on either side of her waist.

Hagrid kicked the motorbike into life. It roared like a dragon, and the sidecar began to vibrate.

"Good luck, everyone!" Moody shouted. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One...two...three!"

There was a great roar from the motorbike, and Harry felt the sidecar lurch. He was rising through the air fast, his eyes watering slightly, hair whipped back off his face. Around him, brooms were soaring upward and the long black tail of a thestral flicked past him. His legs, jammed into the sidecar by Hedwig's cage and his rucksack, were already sore and starting to go numb. Everyone fly higher and higher into the night sky. And then, out of nowhere, they were surrounded. At least thirty hooded figures, suspended in midair, formed a vast circle in the midst of which the Order members had risen, oblivious.

"We won't be targeted as much because they expect Harry to be on a broom," Sally said to Hermione. "But that doesn't mean we can relax. Have your wand at the ready, Hermione."

Hermione nodded, clinging herself onto Sally's back. Hagrid gave a yell and the motorbike rolled over. Harry had no recollection of where he was anymore. There were lights and shouts everywhere. Suddenly -

"NO, HEDWIG!"

And suddenly, once more, a blast had whizzed past Sally. More blasts were targeted at her and Hermione. Sally gasped as one hit her and she slipped off the thestral. Hermione, too frazzled by holding a shield and trying to remain on the thestral, was unable to help. Sally began to fall, surely plummeting to her death, but Ron and Tonks, on their broomstick, caught her. Hermione hysterically laughed in joy as Sally was still alive.