Night Shift
Ginny looked hard at the images coming through her crystal ball. For four days she had been scrying for Penny, but had had no luck. More and more of London seemed to becoming the maelstrom of magical interference, but still Ginny continued on, sometimes missing meals and not noticing that it was time to leave at the end of the day, when her father picked her up.
All this time, she had been gliding amongst the muggles as they went about their business on the streets and in the offices of London. One or two of the faces she kept on seeing were becoming more and more familiar to her, but she was curious about what happened in London at night.
Mr. Boggs checked in on her daily. Ginny's father had just arrived, so Ginny asked "Can I stay here tonight and keep on looking?"
Mr Boggs and Arthur Weasley exchanged looks of surprise.
"You should watch it, young Ginny. Those balls can be addictive!" smiled her father.
"Still, she is a keen scryer and has been very helpful all week - another Weasley for the Ministry I fear." Joked Boggs.
"Well, can I stay?" pleaded Ginny
"Well, not tonight, as your mother's made a big dinner for us all when we get back. Perhaps tomorrow night, if we make sure you are properly fed and well looked after."
And that was that. Ginny grumpily left and thought she had no chance of being here tomorrow, but to her surprise, her mother was really impressed with Ginny's determination and so it was that Ginny was allowed to work late the following night.
It had gone eleven o'clock the following night when Ginny's back started to complain. A friendly late-night 'Far-Seer' called Isha kept her provided with a constant supply of warm mugs of tea and the occasional sandwich or biscuit.
"Take a break, Ginny." smiled Isha.
Isha was a trained Far-Seer and Ginny had seen her working before on the crystal balls. She looked to Ginny to be in her late thirties and was dressed in exotic robes and spoke with a slight Indian twang in her voice.
"How long have you been doing this, Isha?" asked Ginny, sipping her tea.
"Oh, many years now. I was like you and had lost someone dear to me. In fact, it was your father who suggested I should come here to a Mr. Greensway - no longer here alas - who took me on."
Ginny had allowed the lack of sleep to make her ungracious and asked Isha outright "So, who were you looking for?" Ginny saw Isha's smile fade and added "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."
"It is okay Ginny. It's fine."
"It's just that I really worry about Penny out there. Sorry" said Ginny timidly.
After a pause, Isha said "It was my sister. She was never found."
"Oh, I'm sorry Isha."
"Thankyou. That's why I am here most nights. That's why I only see my two sons last thing at night and my husband weekends. But hundreds of children go missing, many in London, each year. Someone has to do something, right?" Isha flashed a cold smile.
Ginny and Isha continued scrying in silence.
It was four o'clock in the morning when Ginny found Penny.
Ginny had been exploring some of the dark alleyways, safe in the knowledge that she could not be touched. The night sky was clear and the ground frosted. Many homeless people slept in doorways or huddled in shelters between the empty, heated offices of corporate London at night.
Ginny spied a girl running from an unseen pursuer. Her heart pounded and Ginny closed in and realised with a yelp that it was Penny. Isha could be heard nearby calling SMS officers and agents to respond immediately.
Penny was being chased by a long-robed man and he seemed to be gaining on Penny. Ginny began screaming to Penny, but Penny would not be able to hear her…
Ginny looked hard at the images coming through her crystal ball. For four days she had been scrying for Penny, but had had no luck. More and more of London seemed to becoming the maelstrom of magical interference, but still Ginny continued on, sometimes missing meals and not noticing that it was time to leave at the end of the day, when her father picked her up.
All this time, she had been gliding amongst the muggles as they went about their business on the streets and in the offices of London. One or two of the faces she kept on seeing were becoming more and more familiar to her, but she was curious about what happened in London at night.
Mr. Boggs checked in on her daily. Ginny's father had just arrived, so Ginny asked "Can I stay here tonight and keep on looking?"
Mr Boggs and Arthur Weasley exchanged looks of surprise.
"You should watch it, young Ginny. Those balls can be addictive!" smiled her father.
"Still, she is a keen scryer and has been very helpful all week - another Weasley for the Ministry I fear." Joked Boggs.
"Well, can I stay?" pleaded Ginny
"Well, not tonight, as your mother's made a big dinner for us all when we get back. Perhaps tomorrow night, if we make sure you are properly fed and well looked after."
And that was that. Ginny grumpily left and thought she had no chance of being here tomorrow, but to her surprise, her mother was really impressed with Ginny's determination and so it was that Ginny was allowed to work late the following night.
It had gone eleven o'clock the following night when Ginny's back started to complain. A friendly late-night 'Far-Seer' called Isha kept her provided with a constant supply of warm mugs of tea and the occasional sandwich or biscuit.
"Take a break, Ginny." smiled Isha.
Isha was a trained Far-Seer and Ginny had seen her working before on the crystal balls. She looked to Ginny to be in her late thirties and was dressed in exotic robes and spoke with a slight Indian twang in her voice.
"How long have you been doing this, Isha?" asked Ginny, sipping her tea.
"Oh, many years now. I was like you and had lost someone dear to me. In fact, it was your father who suggested I should come here to a Mr. Greensway - no longer here alas - who took me on."
Ginny had allowed the lack of sleep to make her ungracious and asked Isha outright "So, who were you looking for?" Ginny saw Isha's smile fade and added "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."
"It is okay Ginny. It's fine."
"It's just that I really worry about Penny out there. Sorry" said Ginny timidly.
After a pause, Isha said "It was my sister. She was never found."
"Oh, I'm sorry Isha."
"Thankyou. That's why I am here most nights. That's why I only see my two sons last thing at night and my husband weekends. But hundreds of children go missing, many in London, each year. Someone has to do something, right?" Isha flashed a cold smile.
Ginny and Isha continued scrying in silence.
It was four o'clock in the morning when Ginny found Penny.
Ginny had been exploring some of the dark alleyways, safe in the knowledge that she could not be touched. The night sky was clear and the ground frosted. Many homeless people slept in doorways or huddled in shelters between the empty, heated offices of corporate London at night.
Ginny spied a girl running from an unseen pursuer. Her heart pounded and Ginny closed in and realised with a yelp that it was Penny. Isha could be heard nearby calling SMS officers and agents to respond immediately.
Penny was being chased by a long-robed man and he seemed to be gaining on Penny. Ginny began screaming to Penny, but Penny would not be able to hear her…