That night as they where getting into bed Hermione hugged Harry and held him. "I'm sorry Harry. I should have talked to you not at you. There has just been so much going on that I'm feeling overwhelmed. I don't see how you deal with all of it."
Harry shrugged, "I don't know either. I guess I have good friends. People who care. That gives me hope."
Hermione sighed into Harry's chest."I don't know how to do this. I've never been a mom before, I'm still a kid myself."
Harry chuckled, "You're several months older than me. So you think I know how to do this? At least you had good examples with your parents. I had the Dursleys."
"True. I guess all we can do is do our best?"
"Always Mione. Always."
The next morning just after breakfast Madam Bones and a young woman with bright pink hair showed up along with another female.
"Good morning. This is Auror Cadet Nymphadora Tonks. She will be assisting us in our plan today. The other individual is Auror Amanda Fairchilde. She will also be participating."
Hellos where passed around before the briefing resumed. Madam Bones pulled a vial out of her case.
"This is poly-juice potion. I believe you are familiar with its effects Mrs Potter?" Hermione nodded while blushing. "This is a stronger variant that last for a longer duration than the one you used. So it will not have to be reapplied as quickly. Any questions so far?"
Everyone shook their heads and Madam Bones went on. "Very well Moody will enter the Leaky cauldron with the Grangers. Auror Fairchilde will be poly-juiced into Mrs Potter and Cadet Tonks will be impersonating Miss Potter. Her wand will be concealed. Between the three of them they should be able to protect your parents long enough for them to activate the portkey that Moody will be giving them. It is keyed to this safe-house. I will also have a rapid response team on standby."
Emma took a deep breath, "So we'll be the public distraction or bait?"
Ms Bones frowned, "I am hoping more for distraction and less for bait. If you would rather not participate I can get another pair of auror to take your place and have the full team. However they would not be as , well muggle acting, as the two of you. Hermione is young enough but familiar with the magical world enough that Auror Fairchilde should be able to impersonate her somewhat acceptably. At least enough to the casual observer. I doubt that Dumbledore himself is watching the Cauldron constantly.
"So what are we going to be doing?" Harry asked.
"Well Muldoon and the three of you will port-key to the auror watch post for Diagon alley. You Mr Potter will be poly-juiced to replace a patrol Auror named Malloy who will take a bit of a rest at the watch post until you return."
Harry grinned, "Well that sounds cool. Hopefully better than being Goyle."
Ms. Bones chuckled. "If the younger is anything like the elder I quite imagine it will be better. Now will you need to visit Gringott's before Ollivander's to retrieve any money?"
Harry went and got his coin bag and checked, "It might not hurt. Mione you can access the vault since we're married and have your own key."
"True okay." She nodded getting her key from her trunk.
"Ok well Potter you'll have to remain in the lobby. The Goblins have some sort of security measure that detects illusions, poly-juice whatever.. They are not entirely forthcoming with details so better to keep you upstairs. Since the pointy eared little buggers don't love Wizards anymore than most love them we shouldn't be any worse off. Just kinda stand in the corner and look bored but attentive is the best way to pretend to be an auror." Moody snarked.
"Yes that is rather accurate. Muldoon will still travel with them so there will be some protection at all times."
"So how do we avoid crossing each other's paths?" Dan asked.
Fairchilde answered, "Well I do believe according to Professor McGonnegal that your daughter is an avid book lover so a brief stop at Flourish and Blotts would do nicely."
Dan laughed, "Well if it is a brief stop then that will be very out of character."
"Dad I am not that bad."
Emma and Dan both chorused, "Yes you are dear."
Hermione turned to Harry, "Am I that bad Harry?"
He raised and eyebrow and merely said, "If you parents say so I suppose they think you are."
Moody laughed as did Dan, "Well the boy's not stupid I'll give him that."
Hermione though asked a pointed question, "So how is Cadet Tonks going to impersonate Ginny?"
"Tonks you ready?" Ms Bones asked her.
"I think so. I've been studying her so should be good enough." She closed her eyes and suddenly shrank down and her features melted and shifted until she was a near identical duplicate of Ginny.
The Potter's where surprised. Ginny jumped up and ran over to Tonks, "Wow you look just like me?"
"well not quite but close enough." She said in a close approximation of Ginny. "The longer I can study you the better I can get."
"Wicked. This is cool. How do you do that?" Ginny asked poking Tonks on the cheek.:
Laughing "I'm a metamorphmagus. Its a natural ability I'm born with."
Ginny's face fell, "Aww so I couldn't learn how to do that?"
Tonks shook her head, the auburn locks of Ginny cascading. "Nope sorry. Either you got it or you don't. But don't let it get you down kid. There's a lot of other neat things you can learn to do eventually."
Ginny was disappointed but still accepted what Tonks said. "I guess. I'll learn stuff at Hogwarts?"
"Yep you sure will. Now can I borrow an outfit cause when I shifted my clothes didn't go too." She laughed at held up her arms with the robes hanging off them.
Hermione got up and nodded in the direction of the bedrooms. "Yeah lets go."
Auror Fairchilde walked up to Hermione, "Oh I need to borrow something of yours since I'll be impersonating you."
Hermione nodded, "Yeah I suppose so."
Harry had been staring at Tonks and her transformation.
Moody grunted, "Now that's a right useful ability she has there. Could have used that a few times in my career. Too bad they are so bloody rare."
Harry turned and asked, "Why are they rare?"
"Why are there as many people with blue eyes as there are? Why are there as many tall people as there are. You can answer those with your muggle science. Figure it out and if you had a desire to breed for it. Not saying you should but you could. A metamorphmagus is as rare as they are because magic picks and chooses who gets to be one. Then out of the few that get chosen only a few get the full deal of being able to shift into anyone, even copying someone. Most get to change their hair or their skin or a few features here and there." Moody mused. "A few dark lords in the past tried to breed for it. That didn't work. Two metamorphs don't breed true. It don't run in families and it don't follow any patterns."
Emma hmmd a thoughtful look on her face. "So she could look like anyone? That must make finding a date that wants her for her rather problematic."
Moody laughed, "Yeah dark lords want them for infiltration, spies and assassins and we want them for about the same reason, minus the assassination thing. Their personal lives are problematic indeed."
Ms Bones shook her head, "Moody you are the the only person I know that being pessimistic is a good mood."
Moody stood up and got some of his gear together, "Why I've lived as long as I've done. Can't get upset if you already expect the worst."
Dan asked to pass the time, "So why is it so much more useful than this poly-juice stuff?"
Moody stopped and pointed his wand at the chair he had been sitting in. It changed into a small iguana. "I just changed that chair into an Iguana. If even young Potter there knew the right spell he could change it back into a chair or a penguin. Most spells have a counter that can remove or reverse them, same with Poly-juice. A metamorph though they are a lot harder to reverse. Only a handful of spells and items can shove them back into their true form."
Dan nodded as Moody turned his iguana back into a chair, "Thank you for being so honest with me. Ever since Hermione entered Hogwarts we've felt like the headmaster was giving us rather vague and lackluster answers. Hermione tried to explain a lot of it but she's only a second year student so..."Dan finished with a shrug.
Moody nodded, "One of the greatest weapons anyone can ever have is knowledge. Without it you can't fight back properly." He grumped.
Ms Bones merely raised an eyebrow at her associate. She would have called him a friend but since he never let anyone close that would not apply.
At that moment two Hermiones and two Ginnys walked into the room. They paused with both Hermiones getting a grin at Harry's reaction.
"Close your mouth dear before dad decides to do a gum exam."
"Unless you want to take up fly fishing with your tongue, though I can think of a better use."
Harry snapped his mouth shut then went over and hugged one of the Hermiones. "Hey how did you know I was me."
"The fact that you blushed and the other one didn't when she said that."
Moody laughed slapping his knee, "Now that's paying attention lad. You can look like a person all you want but unless you have studied them closely you'll never copy all the little details a close or intimate person will notice. So keep up the vigilance there lad."
"It was my idea for her to flirt with you." Hermione grumped.
"Yeah but you still blushed." Harry chuckled holding onto his Hermione.
Hermione grumped until he kissed her on the cheek. "Okay fine yeah."
"Okay gang. Team 1 Muldoon on the jump in 3" He said tossing a length of rope to Muldoon.
"Team 2 on me we go in 6" He said holding out a length of rope.
Muldoon had pushed the rope out to Harry, Hermione and Ginny making sure they all had a good grip when the familiar hook behind the navel yanked Harry and away they went. When they arrived wherever they where going Harry promptly fell face first on the floor. Hermione landing on his back. Ginny was giggling. "That was fun. I liked that."
Helping Harry and Hermione up Muldoon laughed, "Ye got a little speed freak here Potters. She's going to be a right terror once she gets on a broom."
"That's going to be Harry's department. Not mine." Hermione shuddered.
"Muldoon. These are the special group Moody told us about?" A man in auror uniform stepped up asking.
"Aye Mac that they are. Now you ready for Malloy to swap out with him for a bit?"
"Pete take your ward in the back and get him changed up."
A medium build medium height sandy blonde auror waved to Harry to follow him. They went into a locker room where the man stopped in front of a locker and pulled out some spare uniforms. "Okay I know who you are Mr Potter. No need to be ashamed ok. Here's the poly-juice Moody sent it over earlier. You can take the uniform in there and change. And don't worry about being me I've got no self-confidence problems."
Harry was out of his league so just nodded and took the items. Malloy followed him. "When you break the seal I'll add some hairs. Moody keyed the thing to your blood I guess or I'd have pre charged it for you."
"That seems to be something he'd do." Harry mumbled setting the clothes down and beginning to strip his off. Malloy turned his back to give Harry some privacy. "At least this won't be like the last time I hope."
"Been juiced before?"
"Just once at school for a project."
"Well you'll be physically me for the next 3 hours or so. Unless we give the reversal agent. So just relax and hang in there."
"So how do I act like you?" Harry asked as he twisted the top off the vial with a small hiss. "And I opened the vial."
Smirking Malloy pulled a few hairs and handed them over to Harry. "Well pretty much to make it easy for you just walk behind and to the left of your charges. Keep an eye around you and don't say anything. If you go in Gringott's DO NOT draw your wand. That's Goblin territory and they do not allow that stuff. They've got their own guards and stuff so your job is mainly to stand around and look like you're not too bored."
"Okay I think I can handle that." He watched the hairs dissolved into the thick muddy potion. It bubbled and hissed and shifted until it was a dull bluish green. Harry threw it back trying not to taste it as Goyle had tasted horrible. This was not bad but definitely not what he would classify as pleasant. The stretching and inflating sensations he felt where quite different than with Goyle as he grew taller and more muscular until he was Malloy's duplicate. "Wow that still feels weird."
"Yeah I've had to do it a few other times for cases. I still haven't gotten used to it. Now here's how you wear the uniform."
A few minutes later Harry and Malloy stepped out. "Okay Mac I've got him kitted out as best I can. I've told him what he needs to do and how to act so that's the best I can do."
"Ok Pete hit the break room and catch up on those patrol reports. Also see if you can figure out what Jim meant on that 211 report from last week."
"No problem."
Harry walked over to Muldoon and his family. "So are we ready?"
Muldoon chuckled "Aye fellow just try and stand up a bit straighter. You're an auror that means you represent the power of the ministry. Try not to be arrogant about it but don't forget you are the one with the power."
Harry nodded and tried to walk with a purpose. Not strutting but more like how Professor McGonnegal or even Snape walked.
Going into Gringott's he nodded when Muldoon told him to take a position in the corner. The Goblins glanced at him then sneering ignored him. Harry watched as Hermione presented her key and then her, Ginny and Muldoon where taken through the door to the vaults.
Ginny screamed in sheer enjoyment at the ride down the rails in the cart. There was a brief waterfall that didn't get them wet and the cart pulled off on a siding which they got off on. A small grouping of vaults was revealed which the Goblin pointed at the one for Hermione to enter. While she had been in the bank before this was her first trip into the vaults. Her legs managed to still work after the cart ride which Ginny was still gushing to the amused goblin over. She shook her head at how much Ginny was following Harry into the thrill seeker category. She placed the key in the lock and opened the vault to gasp in shock at the amount of gold and silver coins stacked along the walls. She knew Harry didn't really understand money but this amount was close to boggling her mind. She went in and counted out enough to get Ginny her wand and a few of the school supplies that Harry and Her would not be able to give her. While in there she heard Muldoon start talking to someone so came out to see a tall red haired man with short close cropped hair talking to Muldoon and Ginny.
Ginny was looking at the man in a little bit of polite confusion when she saw Hermione come out and close the vault door. "Mom. This is Bill Weasley. He says he knows you."
Hermione plastered a fake smile on her face and walked up, "Yes we went to school with some of his family. How are you Bill?"
Looking sadly at Ginny he sighed and said, "Better than some I guess. I don't have a lot of time to talk before they get suspicious upstairs. Not the Goblins they are neutral in all this. There are people watching the alley. So don't act suspicious when you get up there but watch out."
Hermione nodded, "So what happened?"
Bill took her off to the side and began to rapidly but softly explain things. "Dumbledore happened. He came to visit in Egypt. I was wondering where Ginny was when he showed up and hit me and Charlie with a bunch of spells. Fortunately working for the goblins has improved my mind shields to the point I was able to fight it off, but I thought I'd better play along as it seemed mom and Ron where not getting the same treatment. I don't know why but he tried to make me forget about her and go along with the plans for the greater good. I watched mom, Ron and him talking outside after we where supposed to be asleep. Here's the memories of it," He slipped a pair of memory vials into her hand, "He kept talking about Harry having a destiny and now that Ginny was messed up they would have to figure some other way to control him. Dumbledore didn't like you being with Harry though. I know that. He was wanting Ginny to get with him. By any means it sounded like. Even after the way she is now."
"No. That's just disturbing." Hermione still had a few vestiges of respect in Dumbledore and hoped he wasn't the bad guy but those vestiges where being shredded more and more frequently.
"Yeah it is. Okay get those to someone you trust and can help you. The goblins can get a hold of me if there is anything else I can do. But watch out for Dumbledore and his people."
"Ok I'll try. We have Ms Bones helping us."
"Good she's a good person from all I've heard." He smiled and had a tear in his eyes. "Promise me you'll do a better job with Ginny than we did. We failed her."
Hermione rubbed Bill's arm as he turned around and walked back into the shadows. He paused and looked softly at his sister and waved. "Bye Gin. You have a good life now okay?" Then he turned and was gone.
Ginny waved back confused but not threatened as her mom had not been upset or concerned it looked like.
She turned, "Is everything ok mom?"
Hermione sighed deeply, somehow she felt that was the last time she would ever see Bill again. She had been so surprised she hadn't even asked about his brother Charlie. Composing herself she walked back to the cart, giving Ginny a hug she smiled, "Yeah its fine sweetie. His name was Bill Weasley. He's a really good guy."
Ginny shrugged, "Oh okay. He seemed nice."
Muldoon just observed silently.