The girls that are gone.
It was Christmas, and it was supposed to be a time of great rejoicing for all. But there was very little to be happy about. In Shell Cottage, the newlyweds, Bill and Fleur were playing host to Bill's despondent brother Ron, who had left his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, and was now feeling exceedingly guilty for having done so.
In the parental home, the Burrow, the mood was also dreary. They were under surveillence by the ministry; Ron Weasley was supposed to be home, sick with spattergroit, (The Family Ghoul was disguised for this purpose), and to make matters worse, someone was missing from the Burrow.
Ginny Weasley had never arrived at Kings Cross.
Molly and Arthur Weasley had been waiting for the train to chug into the station on December 24th (Headmaster Severus Snape had decreed that the normal long Christmas Holiday would be shortened to just a couple of days), and even after searching up and down the carriages, they found no sign of Ginny. (They frequently bumped into Xenophilius Lovegood, who was fruitlessly searching for his own daughter. Xenophilus and Luna lived over the hill from the Burrow, and he seemed certain that it was his pro-Potter writings in his publication, the Quibbler, that led to Luna's disappearance.
Ron Weasley had been planning to leave to try to find Harry and Hermione, but Ginny's disappearance had changed his plans. Instead he decided to face his family and help find Ginny instead.
Appearances meant everything. Ron couldn't just arrive at the Burrow, nor could the whole family waltz off to Shell Cottage and leave him sick in the attic.
Arthur's Weasel Patronus popped into Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and delivered a message to the twin proprietors, Fred and George, who shut up shop early and arrived at the Burrow. Only Percy, the estranged third son, and Charlie, who was in distant Romania, were absent from the Burrow or Shell Cottage.
In the end, Fleur Weasley provided the answer. Whilst the inhabitants of the Burrow and Shell Cottage visited each other, Fleur stayed at the Burrow and supposedly watched over Ron, whilst the Weasleys went over to Shell Cottage to take care of the Ginny situation. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it did seem to be working in keeping the noses of the Ministry away.
The sight of Ron at Shell Cottage came as a surprise to his family, but they put that matter aside to focus on Ginny. It was Ron, though, who began to organise the possibilities.
"So, we're sure that Ginny left Hogwarts?" Ron questioned.
Molly Weasley, who had investigated this, nodded affirmatively. She had gone to Hogwarts, and found the gates shut. Minerva McGonagall had arrived at long last (muttering under her breath about Snape), and had told the distressed Mrs Weasley that she had personally placed Ginny on board the seventh carriage (alongside Luna Lovegood). Thanking the Transfiguration Professor, Mrs Weasley had departed.
"She was with Luna, according to Professor McGonagall." Mrs Weasley said.
"The most probable scenario is that she was taken along with Luna." Ron said. "But the question remains." Ron frowned. "Is who is it the Death Eaters were after."
Mrs Weasley gave a start. "Well, obviously it's Luna - with the Quibbler writing all that it has been, the Death Eaters wanted to get Xenophilius to toe the line."
"Or they were after Ginny, and Luna was just collateral." Ron replied. "Either way, I can't see either Ginny or Luna letting the other go without a fight."
"What would they want with my little girl. She's been a good girl, considering the situation she's been in. She said she'd keep her head down."
Fred snorted inappropriately. "Don't believe that. From what we've heard, Ginny, Luna and Neville restarted Dumbledore's Army."
Mrs Weasley's eyes widened with alarm. Ginny's sparse letters had made no allusions to this fact, and Mrs Weasley was greatly distressed by her daughter's irresponsibility.
George grinned proudly. "I heard that they're even sticking up to Snape."
Mrs Weasley glared darkly at the two of them. "And now look where it's got her, honestly,I don't know why you must always go looking for trouble."
Ron cleared his throat. "Anyway, for whatever reason, it seems that Luna and Ginny have been taken. Either of them might have been taken for their own actions, or leverage."
"If Ginny has been taken for leverage," Mr Weasley began. "Then surely there would be some contact from her captors soon."
"Yes, if…" Ron trailed off, twitching uncomfortably.
Bill narrowed his eyes at Ron's lanky form. "If, what?"
"If it's us that they want something from?"
"Well, who else would it be?" Bill asked quietly. "Outside this family, who would be influenced by Ginny's capture?"
Ron shuffled and sat down; he seemed unwilling to divulge any more information.
"Son." Mr Weasley reached a hand over to Ron's shoulder. "Please. You need to tell us anything you can. Ginny's life is at stake."
Looking excruciatingly uncomfortable, Ron blurted out the answer. "SheandHarryweredating."
