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Chapter 25

Missing Person

Harry found that Alastor Moody was with the headmaster but it was not about his defence against the dark arts class that they were to discuss.

"Ah, Harry," said Dumbledore, "Come in. Professor Moody wishes to speak with you."

"Ah Potter! Those two Slytherins, Brisking and Godber. Did they say anything at all about their plans - anything relevant at all about those devices?" asked Moody.

"Nothing. I never really spoke to them or even overheard much."

"But how did you know they were in the basement? Did you see what they were doing down there?"

"No sir, I just noticed them going down there often." Harry surprised himself by how easy he found it to half-lie to protect Laura.

"Did they give any indication of how the work was going? Were they annoyed for instance? Or did they seem satisfied?" Moody was rather agitated.

"What is this about Alastor?" asked Dumbledore.

"We investigated their parents. Had their home watched for quite a while. Then we discovered they were just phantoms moving about. The house was empty of anyone real. Those boys have no parents. It is my belief they were selected when very young, perhaps even as babies, for special training by one or more death eaters."

"And what about the devices. Anything more?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes. We have analysed every aspect of the spells in the greatest detail and we are now certain of exactly what they do." said Moody angrily.

"And what is that? What do they do?" asked Dumbledore.

"Absolutely nothing. Oh, the spells are very cleverly interwoven but some of them cancel each other out and the others are trivial in their effect. Those devices do not, cannot, and never will so much as make a decent cup of tea let alone port anyone anywhere!"

"So how did Godber and Brisking get out that night I wonder?" said Dumbledore. "Interesting..."

"It may be interesting but what does it mean!" exploded Moody.

"It means, Alastor, that we have been tricked and I can only think that those two must have already been in Hogsmeade. I think they must have gone out legitimately to visit Hogsmeade during the day and never came back. Whoever Harry saw in the entrance Hall it was not them."

"Ridiculous! Why would they go to such trouble..."

A head appeared in the green flames in the headmaster's fireplace. "Mr. Moody, sir, there is..."

"WAIT!" shouted Moody at the fireplace in somewhat of a fury now.

Dumbledore continued, "I suspect those two boys were tricked too. I think they really believed they were installing some kind of new port devices otherwise the legilmency would have detected their lie. They were..." Dumbledore stopped pacing up and down and stared at Harry.

He continued, more at Harry,"They were sacrificed. Sound familiar, Harry?"

"My dream! So they were deliberately set up to trap me in Hogsmeade..."

"Sir!" from the fireplace.

"What is it!" asked Moody, really annoyed now. He went over to talk to the head in the flames.

"Harry," said Professor Dumbledore, "did you remember anything more from your dream. Was there anything more about the sacrifice?"

Harry began to think furiously.

"Take your time, Harry, it's very important." said Dumbledore.

McGonagall went to the door and spoke to a house-elf. "...Make us all a nice pot of tea. Calm things down a bit."

A minute passed. "There was something about betrayal and..." began Harry.

Moody cut right in abruptly with "Harry, when did you last see Sephany Dell?"

Harry hesitated at the unexpected question then answered, "It was last weekend; last Saturday morning."

"Yes, yes, Tonks tells me you had words with her?"

"That's right, it was just... Is she in trouble? She was not seen I'm sure. She was only visible for a few minutes and was out of sight of the main street. It was only a minute or two. Tonks kept us in view. They neither of them let me out of their sight for a second. I'm sure they..."

"What did she talk about exactly?" Moody cut in again, his false eye turning rapidly as he scrutinised Harry.

"Nothing special; it was just a chat. I think I asked how she was and she asked me the same."

"Think, think, Harry! Was there nothing else? Did she... Here, you'd better read this." He held out a neatly folded parchment.

Harry read the parchment, silently but almost mouthing the words to concentrate under the gaze of the formidable trio of Moody, McGonagall, and Dumbledore.

"Sir,

"Shortly after the death eater attack in Flaye Court you asked me if I would like to take an extended leave of absence. I am very, very, unsettled and unsure of my ability to function as well as I should as an auror. I feel therefore that I must accept your kind offer. I shall contact you at a later date.

"S. L. Dell"

Harry thought hard. Then he blurted out, "I think she has been driven too severely. It seems so unfair. She is so dedicated but it is never enough. Surely..."

"Harry, please, you should not..." protested Professor McGonagall.

"No, no," interrupted Moody yet again, "I may have driven her hard in the past but since the incident I have gone very easy on her. Think again. Did she give any hint ... did she say anything else at all?"

"No really, she was more concerned for how I fared in the stasisphere and I said fine. Oh! I don't know if it's important but..."

"Yes, yes, go on." from Moody.

"She asked me if I thought she was a good person. Of course I said yes. I think she has a very high standard. Perhaps she feels she is not good enough to be an auror?" said Harry with great concern in his voice.

"A 'good person' you say, Harry? Were those her words?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes sir."

"And this was when? Immediately after asking you about your experience in the stasisphere?" added Dumbledore?

"Yes, shortly after I think." said Harry.

Dumbledore and Moody looked at one another. "Could she be thinking..." began Moody. This time it was Dumbledore who interrupted. "I think she may have cast the stasis spell upon herself. But why?"

"Disturbed mind. Troubled mind. Who knows?" muttered Moody.

"Sir, sir! What is wrong. Is she not at home?" asked Harry.

"She's gone Harry. Gone without any trace anywhere." said Mad-Eye Moody quietly then added glumly,"and I have no idea how anyone can possibly ever find her."