Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the story line . All rights belong to J.K. Rowling
Chapter Twelve: Sins of Commission
A week later the school was turned upside down. Everything was in chaos for a short period of time. One of the students had gone missing. A full investigation had been started, utilizing the specialized talents of the staff, but to no avail. Pansy Parkinson had disappeared without a trace. One night she had gone to bed, complaining of having a throbbing headache. The next morning she was nowhere to be found. Her bed showed all the signs of having been slept in, yet no signs of a struggle. Magical means of scrying turned up nothing.
Students had been questioned, but it accomplished nothing. No one seemed to know anything of any use. Finally, Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore were forced to accept that they were not going to find out what had happened. If she had indeed been kidnapped, the perpetrators had covered their tracks very well indeed.
It was with this knowledge that Harry and the Triumvirate approached Professor Dumbledore's office one evening. At the entrance Harry said "Weasley's wizbangs." The guardian stepped aside and the rotating staircase started its upward climb. They quickly made their way up the stairs. Entering Dumbledore's outer office, they hesitated until the Headmaster noticed they were there, and invited them in.
"What can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, Professor, maybe it's what we can do for you." Harry answered.
"And what is that?"
"We think we might be able to turn up a clue as to what might have happened to Pansy Parkinson," Hermione said. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at them.
"You are aware, of course," he started, "that we have tried every approach we could to learn the truth."
"You see," Ginny said, "when you grow up with Fred and George as brothers you start to think that you can accomplish anything if you have enough nerve."
"Go on," Dumbledore said, scrutinizing her carefully now.
"Well, we know you've tried every magical means at your disposal, but Fred and George felt the Muggle methods were skills well worth learning."
"I agree, proceed."
"So we were talking about it this morning," Luna said, cutting in to the conversation. "Muggles often use animals to sense things that they can't. Dogs in particular have a very keen sense of smell. Not as good as the biting hinderfluke, perhaps, but well beyond what we humans can detect."
Dumbledore, to his credit, merely smiled at her and nodded for her to continue.
Ron started now, "I'm sure you're aware that the six of us have completed training to become animagi." Dumbledore nodded. "Well, two of us take canine forms. Neville becomes a beagle, and Ginny here becomes a fox."
"Exactly," said Neville now, finding his voice. "Maybe Ginny and I can smell her scent and track her. Especially if we can have one of her personal items, a brush or a nightshirt. Something that she would have either worn a lot or had used a lot."
"Now that is a thought," said Dumbledore, his eyes gaining back their customary twinkle. "It might be best if I cleared it with Professor Snape to bring in two animals in an attempt to have them sense something we cannot. Then it would be prudent for you to be in animal form when I brought you. The fewer people that are aware of your talents, the better."
"That's why we're coming to you, Professor," said Hermione.
"Very well, give me a short time to talk to Professor Snape. I will return then, and it would be wise if the two of you were in animal form by then. The rest of you should go to the Gryffindor common room and await our return. Harry, I need you to get your invisibility cloak and bring it to Professor Synjin-Smythe's office. I'll bring these two there and then they can transfigure under it. We'll return it to you after." He escorted the four of them out, leaving Neville and Ginny in his office.
He re-entered a little while later. "So you see, Severus, I have acquired a small dog and a fox to try this. It was something I read about in a Muggle newspaper, and I figured that since magical means had proven ineffective, we had nothing to lose by trying a non-magical solution." He walked in with Professor Snape and peered around. Shortly he found the two curled up on the floor. "Ah, there they are. Come along you two. They were trained to track things by scent. We will need something that was either used or worn by Miss Parkinson on a regular basis, Severus."
"I have just the thing, Headmaster. Her school uniform is still here. That should be sufficient, should it not?"
"Indeed, Severus, indeed."
They walked down into the bowels of the castle, and into the Slytherin common room. Professor Snape led the way down the stairs to the correct level, and into the seventh year girls dorm room.
He motioned to a uniform, hung in a closet. Professor Dumbledore got it out and held it down for Ginny and Neville to sniff. They got the scent and began sniffing madly around the room. Ginny jumped lightly up onto the bed and began smelling there. Finally, they both converged on the door, and once it was opened they raced back up the stairs and out through the common room. Out the portrait hole they raced, and back up the stairs, following the scent.
Straight for the castle entrance they made, and practically flew out into the courtyard. They headed straight out through the gigantic gates and down to the lake side, with Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape running to keep up. They made there way to a point around the edge of the lake till they were up against the forest. There they stopped, with Neville starting to jump up with his nose in the air, barking and making upward motions. Ginny was circling him, sniffing furiously, the hackles on her back sticking straight up.
"It appears, Severus, that they have come to a point where they have lost the trail. I have some small ability to communicate with animals, I shall take these two back to the castle, and see what I might be able learn. I shall of course contact you as soon as I have any news."
"Of course Headmaster," Snape replied as he left.
When they had returned to the castle and the pair had transfigured under the invisibility cloak, Dumbledore looked at them.
"Well?" he asked.
"She left under her own power, Professor, but she wasn't alone. I'd bet my last knut that it was Draco Malfoy." Neville said.
"And what makes you say that, Mr. Longbottom?"
"Well, it was definitely a masculine scent. Am I right, Ginny?"
"Oh yes, it was a masculine scent. But there was more. Where the two scents ended there was another scent. An old and powerful scent, one that reminded me of a serpent. It was scary. I didn't like the feeling it gave me at all."
"Hmm, you have given me much information, you two. Let us return to Gryffindor tower. I would like to see the others."
The Gryffindor common room was deserted except for the four young wizards and witches who were waiting for their return.
"Ginny and Neville have discovered much tonight, as I am sure they will fill you in on after I have left," Dumbledore said, handing Harry his cloak. "I have come here now for another reason. Mr. Weasley, may I see you for a moment? The others may stay. I just want to test something."
"Uh, sure Professor," said Ron, standing up and walking over to him.
Dumbledore took out his wand. "Don't worry," he said, seeing Ron's slightly panicked look. "This won't hurt a bit." He waved his wand over Ron, almost like a muggle security man would at an airport. Bright faerie fire outlined Ron for an instant, and faded quickly.
"Curious," said Dumbledore, looking at Ron with an expression crossed between concern and bemusement.
"What is it, Professor?" asked Ron, worry clear in his voice.
"It appears that you have been the recipient of a very powerful, very ancient form of magic. While I am not entirely sure of its purpose I have my suspicions."
"Am I in trouble?"
"No, no, Mr. Weasley, however, if I am correct you may not have a lot of choices open to you in the very near future. It appears that you are the recipient of a geas."
Harry, who had only been paying a cursory attention, snapped his head up at this. "What kind of geas, Professor?"
"Would someone like to fill me in, Please?" pleaded Ron.
"Yeah, me too," said Ginny.
All eyes turned towards Hermione, but before she could say anything, Harry started talking. "A geas is a magical contract. It must be seen through until it is fulfilled, or the bearer is dead. The tri-wizard tournament was a type of geas."
Ron looked at Harry, his eyes as big as saucers. "So you're saying that I have to fulfill a magical contract?"
"That's about the size of it, Mate."
Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I may be able to at least help you to discover what his geas is. Mr. Weasley, I am offering you the position of Commander in Chief of the defense forces for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Er… Professor, I… I… N… But I ca… Wait a minute… why can't I re… What's going on?"
"It appears that you have to lead the fight in the final battle, my young friend," Dumbledore said with at smile.
"But I d…" he said, a look of complete frustration on his face.
"It doesn't matter what you would like, Mr. Weasley. This is part of the geas. It may not be all of it, but it is at least a part."
"A token," said a quiet voice from behind them.
"What?" said Harry.
"A token," Hermione repeated. I wished the other night for a token in the upcoming fight. I could feel the magic flow in me, but I didn't realize what had happened until now." She exchanged significant looks with Harry.
"Is this what happened the other night?" Ginny asked.
Hermione nodded. "I really didn't understand what had happened. I was kind of scared to say anything. I don't like to speak unless I know what to say."
"Well, there you have it Mr. Weasley. You must undertake a quest to find a token and then lead our forces in the final defense. The next move is up to you."
"I'm proud of you, Hermione," whispered Harry to her. "I know that kind of admission had to be hard. Is there anything else?"
"No, that's it Harry."
She turned around as if embarrassed. No one noticed the slight smile cross her features, or the faint glow that emanated from her eyes for a split second.
As Professor Dumbledore left the common room, Ron looked up and said "Get me a map of the Islands."
"What?" said Neville.
"I want to look at it for a minute, I have an idea."
Harry nodded and pulled out his wand. "Accio map!" Quickly a map flew down the stairs and into his outstretched hand. He handed it to Ron.
Ron laid it out on a table. Everyone gathered around him. He stared at it for a few moments and then pointed to a spot in Northeastern Scotland. "There," he said.
"What's there?" Ginny asked.
"Those ruins are where we start. Are you all with me?"
"Of course Ronald," Luna replied quickly. Then she wandered back to her seat on the couch in front of the fire, humming "Weasley is our king."
"You know we're with you, Mate," Harry said. "How many times have you been there when it was my quest? We all owe you our lives in one way or another Ron. Don't worry, we'll be there."
"That's right, brother mine," Ginny said.
Hermione came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, whispering in his ear. Ron's face went red, and he squirmed uncomfortably.
"Right," he said. "Well, we'll leave right after breakfast tomorrow morning. I'll arrange it with Dumbledore for us to be gone. I think we should get some sleep so we can be rested for our journey. He turned and walked for the door, practically dragging a grinning Hermione along behind him.
The others smiled as they went their separate ways for the evening.
Author's Note: My question is three-fold. What do you think happened to Pansy? How did Dumbledore know to test Ron? What more do you think Hermione has up her sleeve?
The story recommendation for the chapter is "The Obligatory Marriage Law Fic" by Bobmin356. 22,788 words of HP/GW goodness. Wonderful one-shot.
