The Last Goodbye

"If it has to come to force, then it will." Moody growled, his magical eye now quivering a little in its socket as he glared at Harry. "Everyone here is over-age, Potter, and they're all prepared to take the risk." I noticed Mundungus shrug and grimace. "Let's have no more arguments. Time's wearing on. I want a few of your hairs, boy. Now."

"But this is mad, there's no need-" Harry started.

"No need!" Moody snarled. "With You-Know-Who out there and half the Ministry on his side? Potter, if we're lucky, he'll have swallowed the fake bait and he'll be planning to ambush you on the thirtieth, but he'd be mad not to have a death eater or two keeping an eye out, it's what I'd do. They might not be able to get at you or this house while your mother's charm holds, but it's about to break and they know the rough position of the place. Our only chance is to use decoys. Even You-Know-Who can't split himself into eight." I caught Ron's eye, remembering how he told me of his horcruxes. "So, Potter- some of your hair, if you please." Harry hesitated. "Now!"

Harry reached up to the top of his head, grabbed a hank of his hair and pulled.

"Good." Moody said, limping forwards as he pulled the stopper out of the flask of the potion. "Straight in here, if you please." Harry dropped the hair into the mud-like liquid. The moment it made contact with its surface the potion began to froth and smoke, then, all at once, it turned a clear, bright gold.

"Ooh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and Goyle, Harry." Hermione said, then blushed. "Oh, you know what I mean. Goyle's potion looked like bogies."

"Right then, fake Potters line up over here, please." Moody said. Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur and I lined up in front of the gleaming sink.

"We're one short." I said, searching the room for Mundungus.

"Here." Hagrid said gruffly and he lifted Mundungus by the scruff of the neck and dropped him down beside Fleur, who wrinkled her nose pointedly and moved along to stand next to me, in between Fred and George.

"I toldjer, I'd sooner be a protector." Mundungus said.

"Shut it." I hissed at him.

"As I've already told you, you spineless worm, any death eaters we run into will be aiming to capture Potter, not kill him. Dumbledore always said You-Know-Who would want to finish Potter in person. It'll be the protection who have got the most to worry about, the death eaters'll want to kill them." Mundungus didn't look reassured by this, but Moody was already pulling around half a dozen egg-cup sized glasses from the inside of his cloak, which he handed out, before pouring a little potion into each one. "Altogether then..."

We all slugged them down and it slipped easily down my throat. The potion may have looked nice, but it certainly didn't taste any better. I gasped and grimaced, feeling my features beginning to bubble and distort like hot wax. Hermione, Mundungus and I were shooting up where Ron, Fred and George were shrinking, our hair darkening and shooting back into my skull. Moody unloosened the ties of the large sacks as we gasped, now looking exactly the same as Harry.

Fred and George looked at each other and said "Wow- we're identical!"

"I dunno though, I still reckon I'm better looking." Fred said, examining his reflection in a shiny kettle.

"Bah!" Fleur exclaimed, looking at herself in a small box with a door and little buttons next to it. "Bill, don't look at me- I'm 'ideous."

"Those whose clothes are a bit roomy, I've got smaller here." Moody said, indicating to the sack. "And vice versa. Don't forget the glasses, there's six pairs in the side pocket. And when you're dressed, there's luggage in the other sack."

We rummaged through the sacks and pulled out a set of clothes each. I threw my usually baggy clothes, now tight clothes to the ground and pulled on Harry's clothing. I took a set of glasses and put them on my face, the blurry room now becoming clearer.