Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
Author's note: I know it's been awhile since my last update, and that's partially because of writer's block and partially because of how busy I've been. I won't go into details, because those are boring, just enjoy all of this. Let me know what you think. Thanks if you've returned for the ride and welcome if you just got here. Thanks.
"Metamorphmagus." Ron said to the blank faces of his two best friends. They stared back at him like he was crazy. With good reason he reminded himself.
"It's not that it isn't a good plan, mate it's just-" Harry began.
"Totally impossible!" Hermione finished, "That's not a skill, Ron. It's not some learned ability, you're born with it!"
"I know. Okay, I know." Ron said defensively, his hands in front of him. "But, who says?" They stared at him in a quiet kind of empathetic awe, "Who says it can't be learned?"
"Everyone. No one's ever learned how to do it." Harry said.
"And no one's lived through a killing curse either, but there you are Harry." Ron pointed out.
"I didn't do anything, I don't know how it happened." Harry lied. He knew exactly how it had happened. It was a lesson Dumbledore had beat into him over the years. Love had done it.
"Doesn't matter. Point is, something is always impossible until someone figures out a way to do it." Ron said triumphantly.
"Which would be a remarkably good point if we had a few decades to work out a way to do it, but we don't." Hermione countered.
"Really? The-boy-who-lived and the cleverest witch of her age don't think we can pull off something impossible? Need I remind you both that we pull off something impossible every few months! We can do this!" Ron exclaimed. They grew silent. The seed had been planted. Ron pushed ahead, "Metamorphmagi can change anything about themselves. They can become animals, they can switch genders they can change features and height. We go in and exit as different people. We wouldn't be on a clock and we wouldn't need to spend a month brewing a potion with hard to find ingredients. It's not just the best way into Godric's Hollow, it's the best way to fight this kind of war."
There was a moment of hesitation. Ron had put it a succinctly as he knew how. He had wrestled with the plan since the moment it came into his head, but there was no turning back now. He had put it before the only two people in the world who's opinions meant anything to him and now he had to find out how it landed. Harry spoke first. He always did.
"I'm.." He paused and looked at Hermione for understanding before looking Ron dead in the eye, "I'm in."
Hermione stared at her feet. Ron knew what this meant. She was debating with herself. The part of her brain that knew what they were talking about was impossible verse the part that wants to save her friend and her lover. Sometimes, even after all these years and all the times she's proven otherwise, Ron fears she might just go with her reasoned and logical impulses over her heart. And there the three sat, for minutes. Awkward is not a word Ron was fond of, having gone through one of the most awkward puberties of any of those present but sitting in that room staring at one another, much less that the three members were made up of two exes and two lovers, was awkward.
Finally as the moment was beginning to feel as though it would never end, Hermione looked up at the two boys and slowly shook her head yes. Harry sighed in relief. Ron jumped up and hugged her. They laughed and screamed with joy, before realizing how odd the situation was. Ron quickly dropped his arms and with a downcast look to Harry he returned to his chair. The moment was even more awkward than before.
* * *
Neville was getting frustrated. Every time they got close to Harry it seemed to dead end. Now Neville stood in the middle of some god forsaken forest. The muggle newspapers had indicated some kind of unauthorized light show in the trees. Sounded like magic to Neville so he went out to check on it. He did a little research too. He wanted to be sure that there was a tenable connection to Harry. He didn't find one. But he did find another connection.
Several years ago this stretch of forest was a camp site. It had taken some very good spells but Neville had managed to get the old campground receipts and logbooks. Sometime, years ago, this campground was visited by a family with the surname Granger. While there are many Grangers around the UK the coincidence was too much to ignore. Which is why Neville had found himself in this dreary place.
For once Neville was glad that Death Eaters were more soldiers than experts. The "clean up" was more than just sloppy, it was non-existent. There had clearly been a campsite here. Albeit not a terribly good one. Simple makeshift tent, evidence of a campfire at some point, cooking pots left over. There had been a battle here. Scorch marks on the trees, rushed packing, many things left behind, blood. Neville had found where Harry had been, but not where Harry was.
He had been running into this issue every time he got close and it was frustrating the hell out of him. Ginny had too much faith in him. She had put him in charge of tracking down Harry, but no one had expected them to move so quickly. They weren't fighting, everyone believed they were fighting because of what they had seen. Battle scene after battle scene. What clearly went down at the ministry. But the evidence was not pointing Neville at an ongoing fight. They were running. At a good clip too.
Which would be great if it could possibly make a difference. It couldn't and that only made it worse. He would tell them all that he found the last place that Harry had been and they would be happy. Then in private he would have to pull her aside and tell her it was yet another in a long line of dead ends. He would have to go from the crush of the celebrations to look his love in the face and disappoint her. Again.
The one thing he knew, beyond anything else he knew, he had to get ahead of Harry Potter.
* * *
Harry had to be absolutely certain that he couldn't be followed again. Everyone had put a lot of time and effort into finding ways in and out of Godric's Hollow or to helping him but no one had put much more thought into how the Death Eaters kept finding them. Sure the campsite was a part of Hermione's childhood, that one could be rationalized. But the Diner in London? They had never even been there. How could the Death Eaters had found them there? It was frustrating Harry. The others had been careful at his request.
Harry was very insistent about laying low. They discussed their battle strategy in code words and practiced the transfiguring techniques Hermione had come up with only at night. Hermione had out done herself once again, as she always did. She had gone through all the tombs she had on this transfiguring idea. An idea she didn't even really believe in, but she had figured out a rough training program anyway.
Of course Harry was becoming increasingly aware that when he was alone with Hermione she was all he could think about. He kept flashing on what Dumbledore had told him. What he had dreamed that Dumbledore had told him. He had to start making that distinction to himself. Regardless, Dumbledore had said that he needed be more than a hero. He had said that he should think about the events surrounding him when he had used before unheard of amounts of power.
Harry had tried to remember more about the incidents. But while he could recall much about the things he did he could recall very little of the why. He knew that for whatever reason he believed that casting these spells were necessary at the time. He knew that casting wordless, wandless spells was impossible but he didn't know how he had managed it. If he could figure out what had driven him, he might be able to figure out how to do these advanced transfigurations. Because after all these days of work, none of the three had figured anything out. They had to get into Godric's Hollow, they had to get that sword, and they had to do it right. But they were running out of time.
Harry was getting that feeling again, the feeling that they things were too quiet here. The skies were getting dark lately. The storm was coming. He knew he couldn't outrun it forever, but he had to for awhile yet. He didn't have the resources to fight head on, and he didn't have the time to wait around. People were dieing every day he was in hiding. Harry couldn't be here much longer.