LOST ↝ G. WEASLEY [1]

1 | 1997

"You're doing what?" Joey asked, nearly choking on her tea.

"We're moving Harry," Fred said as George took a seat on the other side of her.

"By you all impersonating him?" She asked again.

"And we all know that you and Hermione are the best at potions," George added in. "and since she won't be here at the Burrow until the night we need to leave, your dad was hoping we could convince you to put together the Polyjuice Potion."

"How many are changing?" Joey asked, her eyebrows furrowing together.

"Six," Fred informed her. "Me, George, Ron, Hermione, Fleur, and, well... Mundungus."

"Mundungus?" Joey asked in disbelief, her jaw dropping. "They're trusting Dung to pull this off?"

"Well, he is part of the Order, Jo," Ron chimed into the conversation, taking a seat on Fred's other side. "and it's the Order trying to move him. Bill, Dad, Kingsley, Tonks, Remus, and your dad are the ones transporting us."

"Hold on," She said, rising from her chair and leaving the kitchen, heading outside to where her father, Alastor Moody stood speaking to fellow Order of the Phoenix members Kingsley Shacklebolt and Remus Lupin.

"Hi Dad, could I have a word?" Joey asked, tugging on the man's arm gently. "In private?"

"Of course," he said, turning back to Kingsley and Remus. "Gentlemen, just a moment." He followed her out towards the field then.

"I want to help," Joey told him, "with moving Harry."

"You are helping," he assured her. "the twins talked to you about making the potion, didn't they?"

"They did..." Joey trailed off, uneasily. "but you know what I mean. I want to fight. I want to help Harry get here."

"No." he said sternly, "Absolutely not."

"Dad-"

"Josephine if you think for one second I'd put you in danger like this..." Mad-Eye trailed off.

"Dad I'm of age," she reminded him. "you know I want to help."

"You will be." he insisted. "This will be dangerous. If it goes wrong... it could be the end of everything. I'm not putting you through that."

"Ron and Hermione are," she pleaded. "I could do this. I know you're scared, but Dad, it's the right thing. You raised me to fight, I can fight. I want to fight."

"There's no one to transport you," he pointed out. "you're staying, and that's that. I can't lose you. But, brewing the potion is just as important. We can't do it without you."

"Thanks for sugarcoating," she said, giving him a small smile. "I'll do it. Is everything gathered for it?"

He nodded. "Remus and Tonks have everything needed. It's in the shed."

Joey slowly wandered back into the kitchen then, resuming her spot at the table with the three youngest Weasley brothers.

"Well?" George asked, a small smile gracing his face, accompanied with a small laugh when he saw the defeated expression written on hers. "How'd it go?"

"I'm brewing the Polyjuice," she told them. "and..."

"...and you're not coming with us." Fred finished for her with an amused smile on his face.

"And I have time to convince my father that I could be useful." Joey finished, shooting the boy a dirty look.

Polyjuice potions were lengthy, and took a great deal of time to brew. So it was during that time that Joey seized every possible opportunity to be allowed to help move Harry when the time came at the end of the month.

"How's it going?" Mad-Eye asked one day, stopping in the shed where Joey was in the middle of adding the lacewing flies into the brew.

"It's going well," Joey said with a confident smile. "and there's even enough for an extra dose, if necessary," she hinted, looking up from the brew to meet his real eye.

"Brilliant," he said. "and that way, if something happens, we know there's enough for all six of them." he said with a wink and a smile, leaving her frowning after him as he left the shed.

"I told you it's not going to work," George pointed out that night when she told him what had happened.

"Shut up, Weasley," she said, rolling her eyes.

"She's here!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, walking into the kitchen with Hermione trailing behind her, a smile on her face.

"Hermione!" everyone cheered, rising to greet their friend.

"Hi!" she said. "It's so nice to see you all!"

"Take a seat dear, supper's almost ready," Molly said, and Hermione sank down into the chair next to Joey.

"Joey, it's so good to see you," Hermione said. "how's the potion coming along?"

"Finished it yesterday," Joey said. "it's all ready for tonight."

"And you're still not going," Fred teased, and she looked down the table to see her father nodding in agreement.

"Okay fine," Joey said, throwing my hands up. "I accept defeat. I'll stay with Molly and Ginny tonight."

"Miss Moody, I'd just like you to know how grateful we all are to you for brewing this potion." Kingsley said from across the table, and Joey shot him back a thankful smile. "Truly, you have led an equally important part of this mission."

"Thank you, Kingsley," she said.

"Is everything ready, Mad-Eye?" Bill Weasley asked, and Mad-Eye nodded.

"As soon as dinner's finished, we'll head out." the man said in a gruff voice, the group all nodding in agreement.

Dinner went by quickly, with the twins trying to crack jokes to ease the nervous tension that had settled among the group, and Hermione exchanging stories with them about what she'd been doing over the summer back in the muggle world, though most of it included preparing for this moment: packing her things, getting supplies ready, even obliviating her parents when the time came to ensure their safety and well-being.

"Are we ready?" Fleur asked as everyone stood outside the Burrow, their various means of transportation at hand.

"Number four Privet Drive," Mad-Eye repeated. "we'll meet there to fetch Potter, and then rendezvous back here. Lay low while flying, and don't do anything stupid."

"We're off," George said, coming over and giving Joey a hug goodbye.

"Come back alive," she told him, looking up at him as he stepped away from the hug.

"Always," he said, everyone else each giving the girl a hug goodbye and uttering their thank you's for the potion until she finally stood facing her father.

"Be safe," she told him. "and bring Harry back."

"I'll see you when we return," Mad-Eye promised, pulling her into big hug. "On the count of three!" he yelled, turning back to the others and mounting his broom.

"One! Two! Three!"