Mundungus shrugged and grimaced; the magical eye swerved sideways to glance

at him out of the side of Moody’s head.

“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 –“

“No need!” snarled Moody. “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 seven.”

Harry caught Hermione’s eye and looked away at once.

“So, Potter – some of your hair, if you please.”

Harry glanced at Ron, who grimaced at him in a just-do-it sort of way.

“Now!” barked Moody.

With all of their eyes upon him, Harry reached up to the top of his head, grabbed

A hank of hair, and pulled.

“Good,” said Moody, limping forward as he pulled the stopper out of the flask of

potion. “Straight in here, if you please.”

Harry dropped the hair into the mudlike 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,” said Hermione,

before catching sight of Ron’s raised eyebrows, blushing slightly, and saying, “Oh, you

know what I mean – Goyle’s potion tasted like bogies.”

“Right then, fake Potters line up over here, please,” said Moody.

Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Fleur lined up in front of Aunt Petunia’s

Gleaming sink.

“We’re one short,” said Lupin.

“Here,” said Hagrid 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 between Fred and George instead.

“I’m a soldier, I’d sooner be a protector,” said Mundungus.

“Shut it,” growled Moody. “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 protectors

who have got the most to worry about, the Death Eaters’ll want to kill them.”

Mundungus did not look particularly reassured, but Moody was already pulling

Half a dozen eggcup-sized glasses from inside his cloak, which he handed out, before

Pouring a little Polyjuice Potion into each one.

“Altogether, then … “

Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus drank. All of them gasped

And grimaced as the potion hit their throats; At once, their features began to bubble and

Distort like hot wax. Hermione and Mundungus were shooting upward; Ron, Fred, and

George were shrinking; their hair was darkening, Hermione’s and Fleur’s appearing to

Shoot backward into their skulls.

Moody, quite unconcerned, was now loosening the ties of the large sacks he had

Brought with him. When he straightened up again, there were six Harry Potters gasping

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 767