Chapter 4 - Polyuiced Again
Harry struggled through the next week at the office, walking red-faced into meetings and rarely catching anyone's
eye. He heard the whispers of how large amounts of money had changed hands prior to Draco becoming head Auror, but paid
them little notice. It didn't matter how it happened, he thought, but it happened. On the next Monday morning
though, something changed.
`Hey Neville.' Harry said as he squeezed past a filing cabinet into their, temporarily, shared office. `Any news on the venomous tentacula outbreak in Surrey yet?'
`Yeah,' Neville replied, looking tired but pleased, `we think we have them all, there's just a small patch of Muggles in Little Whinging that are giving us a hell of a hard time getting in for removal.' At this Harry suppressed a laugh. The image of the Dursleys encountering a patch of venomous tentaculas was very amusing indeed.
Just as Harry had sat down, an inter-departmental memo fluttered into the room and began brushing at his ear. `Alright, alright!' Harry said agitatedly, as he tore hurriedly at the envelope.
`Mister Harry Potter will immediately make himself present at
a meeting in the office of Head Auror of the British Ministry of Magic,
Mister Draco Malfoy, as an urgent matter requires discussion.'
Harry sighed deeply, rose from his desk and began to jog the three flights of stairs leading to Draco's office.
***
`Well Potter, thankyou for gracing us with your presence!' Draco said, as he motioned for Harry to take a seat between Nymphadora Tonks, and to Harry's shock, Rita Skeeter.
Harry smiled and warmly embraced Tonks. `Back from Serbia already!' He grinned, but she did not return his smile.
`Actually Harry, I only got back now.' She paused. `This is what we're meeting about.'
Harry sat down, looking bemused. Draco stood up, looking overly full of himself. `Alright,' he said matter-of-factly. `The Serbs think that Nymphadora,' Tonks flinched, `is still in the country. They don't know she's left. She will be returning in an hour with her "husband",' he motioned to himself, as Tonks flinched again, `and a representative reporter from her country, Rita.'
`Right,' Harry interrupted. `So why am I here?'
It was Rita who fielded an answer this time. `Well Harry,' she began, simpering, `I am not the most powerful of witches! In a potentially dangerous situation I would do more harm than good, and it would be awfully dangerous! The fact is, the Daily Prophet would be seriously lost without me!'
At this point Draco continued. `So, Potter, what we need is a powerful wizard who is also a well recognised reporter!' Harry paused, thinking. All the wizarding journalists he could think of were rarely more than average wizards. Draco, sensing Harry's confusion, spoke again. `Or,' he smiled, `we need a powerful wizard who looks like a famous British journalist.' With this he pulled out a small cauldron from underneath the desk. It was full of what Harry immediately recognised as Polyjuice Potion.
`No.' Harry said. `You can't possibly be serious!' At this, Rita pulled a pair of scissors from her jewelled handbag and snipped off a ringlet from the middle of the dense pile of curls sitting on her head.
`You'd better make that last, Potter, because I'm not hacking any more of my hair out for anyone.' She said contemptuously. `A professional woman must look her best.' She stated, and closed the clasp of her handbag with a snap.
`So Potter,' Malfoy said with a smile, `are you up for a stint in the cold, or do you want me to find someone else to do it?'
Harry knew Draco had him at a checkmate. If he refused the ministry would be abuzz that Harry Potter had not been chosen for such an important mission. If he accepted, his pride would be wounded forever. After a minute's silence, Harry placed reputation over pride and stood up, shaking Draco's hand. `Right Malfoy,' he said, `you're on.'
***
`Come out Harry!' Hermione said impatiently. `I'm sure it's not that bad, and everyone know why you're doing this!'
`This is so bizarre!' Harry mumbled to himself, patting his hands down the strange female form he now possessed.
Underneath the lime green suit he was wearing he was sure there were bumps where there shouldn't be... and some
that were definitely missing! `I don't know about this, honey...' he replied to Hermione.
`Hurry up!' snapped the voice of Rita Skeeter. `What are you doing with my body in there?' Harry stifled a
laugh.
`Alright. I'm coming out.' He called. As he undid the latch of the door Hermione smiled, as did Draco, although for slightly different reasons.
`Looking good, Rita!' Draco said sarcastically.
`Yes, I think so,' said Rita, missing the tone, while Harry tried not to blush.
`This is only temporary, right?' Harry said while Tonks positioned him into a more feminine stance.
`Oh yes, Potter, this wont last for long.' Draco said. `At least,' he added, `I hope not.'
***
As the group waved goodbye to Rita Skeeter, Draco, Hermione, Tonks and Rita Potter walked into the ministry apparation room.
`Keep your knees together Harry!' hissed Tonks. `You're walking like a 24-year-old male Auror. What's wrong with you!' she joked.
`Oh shut up!' Harry hissed back as the group reached the centre of the room and prepared to apparate.
Draco began issuing last minute commands. `Potter, I've made a larynx-lifting patch for you, so you don't sound like a testosterone driven male.' He handed Harry a small, flesh-coloured patch about the size of a sickle. `Stick it to your throat.' He said when Harry looked at him, confused.
After the patch had melted onto Harry's skin he spoke with a high, fluttery twitter. `Will I be able to get this off Malfoy?' he asked.
`The incantation "Piello" and a good jab of the wand should do it.' Draco replied. `Tonks, all set?' he turned to the witch with bubblegum pink hair.
Harry turned to Hermione. `Goodbye,' she said to him. `Stay safe.'
`I will, I promise,' he replied, and kissed her passionately. They broke apart at the sound of a wolf whistle.
`I didn't know you swung that way Rita!' A male voice called from across the room. Harry immediately took a step away from Hermione, knowing what it looked like. `Coming out of the broom closet then?' another voice laughed. Hermione moved back closer to him and held his face in her hands.
`Don't worry,' she whispered. `This'll give the Prophet something to crow about!' And she planted her lips firmly on Harry's. After they broke apart, she remained laughing for a long time as she watched the three Aurors apparate away.
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