For Us . . . All of Us

Chapter 4: The Lion's Den

After a day of hardcore preparation, Ginny and Harry were standing with mugs of Polyjuice Potion in one hand and hairs in the other. They were standing in the bathroom of Harry's flat on Harry's request. He knew firsthand what it was like to drink the vile liquid.

"Ok, add the hairs," Harry instructed.

Both mugs frothed and bubbled madly with the addition of the hairs. Ginny looked at the mustard colored contents of her mug skeptically and asked, "Are you sure it's supposed to look like this?"

"Unfortunately it doesn't taste any better than it looks," said Harry, eyeing his own mug full of dull gray liquid. "Bottoms up."

It's for Draco, Ginny reminded herself before swallowing the mug in a few gulps.

It tasted horrible.

She felt like she was going to be sick. She gagged and dropped the mug, which clanked harmlessly to the floor since Harry had caste an Unbreakable charm on it. She slid to the floor while the very skin on her body bubbled as the potion took effect.

A few seconds later the transformation was complete. Ginny rose from the floor completely transformed into Emily MacNair. Next to her was Harry, completely transformed into Lars MacNair.

"Harry," said Ginny in a voice completely unlike her own. The recent improvements in Polyjuice Potion included perfect voice replication as well as the ability to keep working until the antidote was taken. "Ok, lets get going."

"All right," said Harry in a completely un-Harry-like voice.

They left Harry's flat and proceeded to the Death Eaters' first checkpoint. They moved their headquarters constantly to reduce the likelihood of Auror's pinpointing them all in one place.

The first checkpoint was down Knockturn Alley in one of the dingy shops that lined the street. They went in the fifth shop on the left, as that was the only designation that could be given. Its name had long ago been worn off the sign out front. Inside was even worse.

It was filled with all forms of horrid things. Skulls and vials of viscous poison sat on dusty shelves while various other forms of torture and death made the place quite possibly the worst that Ginny had ever entered. Harry, being an Auror, had seen much worse and therefore took the lead.

A man had come to stand behind the counter in response to the bell that had tinkled over the door when they entered. Ginny looked at the man and realized it was Lenoir. That meant that she would ask about Dissolving Potions. Dissolving Potions were highly dangerous and highly illegal, capable of killing of dissolving a human in thirty seconds or less depending on the potency.

"We need a high concentration Dissolving Potion," said Ginny to Lenoir.

"By when?" asked Lenoir.

"This afternoon," replied Harry without missing a beat.

Lenoir nodded and said, "I think the shop three doors down will be able to help you."

Ginny and Harry walked out, making sure that Harry was in front as he was supposed to be.

They're not being sloppy about this, thought Ginny as she entered the shop three doors down in the lead.

They exited a few minutes later after being told to try another shop on the street.

This is getting ridiculous, thought Ginny as she entered the seventh shop behind Harry.

After exchanging the proper passwords, Ginny was handed a piece of paper. It contained one line.

Immediately after she read it, the note burst into small bluebell flames in her hand. She waited until there was only ash in her hand the brushed it onto the floor. The she and Harry filed out of the shop.

When they had left Knockturn Alley and were back in the relative safety of Diagon Alley, Harry leaned over and whispered, "What'd it say?"

"It only gave an address," said Ginny, pushing her way through the throngs of people to the entrance to the Muggle world. "1024 Princeton St. London."

*~~~~~~~~~~*

Half and hour later they were standing between 1023 Princeton St. and 1025 Princeton St.. Harry and Ginny both concentrated on the address they had been given at the last shop. They would be able to access the headquarters the same way they had been able to access Sirius Black's family house during the summer before they're fifth year.

Sure enough a forbidding, two story house squeezed its way between 1023 and 1025 Princeton Street. As Ginny looked at the rundown façade a rage filled her, the likes of which she had never experienced before. It was all she could do to keep from running into the house and killing every last one of the bastards.

She took an involuntary step forward out of anger and was restrained by Harry's hand on her forearm. She stopped and tried hard to compose herself as Harry led the way into the house. Inside was a hive of activity, people moving through the house continuing Voldemort's evil tasks in his absence. Harry and Ginny proceeded through the house up to the second story where they were supposed to report to the leader of the Death Eaters. They didn't know who the leader was because they apparently used a Memory Charm after reporting each time that they came back from a mission.

They went to the end of the hall where two Death Eaters guarded the door to the leader's audience chamber. The guards took their wands at the door then let them pass. Ginny was glad that they'd performed the new Anti-Memory Charm before they actually got into the room. Harry led the way into the room.

It was dim and there was a fire in the grate. In front of the fire was a chair, facing the fire.

"You certainly took your time getting back," said a chillingly familiar voice.

It can't be, thought Ginny as Lucius Malfoy stood and came out from behind the chair.

"We needed to be sure that the Ministry wasn't onto us, sir," said Harry, sounding surprised.

"Surprised to see me, MacNair?" asked Lucius in a sardonic voice.

"Of course, sir. We heard you had died in Azkaban," said Harry, shock evident on his transformed face.

Meanwhile, Ginny was flat out panicking in her mind. Why was he alive when the Daily Prophet itself carried his death as their cover story over two years ago! He's supposed to be dead!

"What about you, Emily? You're awfully quiet. What do you have to say about my miraculous return from the dead?" Lucius drawled, turning to Ginny.

Ginny replied with a shell-shocked tone, which Lucius seemed to find somewhat amusing but nonetheless acceptable.

"So, was the mission successful?" asked Lucius.

"Relatively," replied Harry. "The ministry got Lestrange, though."

Ginny had expected this to anger Lucius but instead he let out a malicious chuckle and said, "Good. Then everything is going according to the plan. We did, of course, know that a few days ago when we successfully abducted my filthy, Weasley-loving son."

Lucius' eyes flashed with hate at the last statement. Ginny's eyes were likewise filled with hatred but for Lucius. Lucius, however, seemed to take it as mutual hatred for his son and said, "I know. Horrible, isn't it."

Lucius Malfoy's time in Azkaban had definitely changed him. He no longer hid his every emotion. They flashed noticeably across his face. They also changed rather quickly and randomly. There was, in fact, only one word that could describe Lucius Malfoy: insane. Azkaban had turned Lucius Malfoy into a certifiably insane man.

"Anyhow," said Lucius, casually pulling out his wand. "You two should get back to work." He pointed his wand at Ginny first and lazily drawled, "Obliviate!"

For a moment, Ginny felt as if her mind was suddenly incapable of working. Then the spell kicked in and she felt normal again, with her memory still intact.

They left the room, Lucius having done the Memory Charm on Harry while Ginny was recovering. They proceeded to their room in the large house where they would await their new set of instructions that pertained to the plan Lucius had alluded to. A plan that somehow involved Draco. A plan that they knew no more about than when they started the most dangerous undercover mission of their lives.