Part Fourteen:
Reese is Gone

" AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ginny screamed as George aimed a roman candle at her.

" NO, NO! YA CAN'T DO THAT! YOU'LL BURN 'ER!" Alex screamed back at him. The Weasley's, Harry, Hermione, and Alex were in front of the lake trying out the muggle fireworks Alex had gotten the twins. Alex had to keep telling them that you can't point the fireworks at somebody because it would burn them, unlike magic fireworks which didn't burn.
The twins didn't understand.

"Why would anyone make fireworks that burn people?" Fred asked.

" 'Cause, muggles are about as bright as a burnt out lightbulb when it comes to things like this." Alex said.

"How did you get muggle fireworks anyway?" George asked.

" Be-cause! I told you, my dad is muggle born. Half of my family is made up of muggles!" Alex answered, getting annoyed at having to tell the twins every five minutes that her dad was muggle born.

"Well sooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy! I don't know that much about your dad, I only know about your mom." Fred said.

" Hey!-What are these?" Ginny asked holding up a small pouch.

"Oh! Those don't burn. You just throw those on a hard surface and they make a loud popping noise." Alex said.

" Cool! I need a hard surface though." Ginny said.

" Let me do the honors." Hermione said. She swirled her wand around in circles ond conjured up a small, smooth, marble square thingy.

"Thanks!" Ginny said. She and Ron went to popping the poppy thingies.( A/N: Sorry, I don't know what most of these things are called. )

" NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Alex said, as Fred lit a huge pack of cherry bombs with his wand and threw them into the lake. He didn't do a very good job, and they landed four feet away from him in the water.

Water and mud went all over everybody.

After Hermione dried them all off, they went inside. Alex looked like she was ready to blow up at the twins at any minute. When they got inside the common room she said to them-

" Now don't set these off inside the building. You'll catch the place on fire. Ya here me?"

" Yes, MOTHER!" said George.

" What's going on?" asked Ron. Everyone took a good look at the common room for the first time. People looked scared. They were in huddles talking amongst themselves. Sam was with her friends. She was crying. Alex went over to her.

" Sam, what's wrong?!" she went on crying. Megan and Trinity looked sympathetically at Alex. The other people around them started looking at her that way too.

" What the hell is wrong with you people?" she asked.

" Alex, maybe I should talk with you outside." Austin Trotman said," You have been out all day, and something has happened while you were gone." he said gently.

" Just tell me what's going on!" she said. They headed toward the portrait hole and stepped outside. Almost the whole common room was silent. And then there was a loud, crying wail come from outside. Harry flew to the hole, and stepped out. Austin was holding Alex close to him, as she was clinging to him and crying loudly. Austin himself had tears in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want to tell you." he managed to choke out. Harry stood there, feeling out of place. Alex raised her tear stained face up to look at him.

" My Dad. He's gone." she said," He's dissapeared. They can't find him."

" Oh God." said Harry. Alex raised up from Austin and wrapped her arms around Harry. Harry put his arms around her tightly. Austin went back into the common room to leave them alone.

"I knew this would happen. It's all my fault! I knew that if he were to work here that something would happen." Harry said quietly.

" No, it's not your fault." came Alex's muffled voice- she had her face buried in his robes.

" I'm alone. Me and Sam are alone." she said. Harry raised her head up, and looked her in the eyes.

" As long as you're with me , Ron, Hermione, and ," he added hesitantly," Austin you'll never be alone." she put her arms around him again and Harry stroked the back of her head. They stood there quietly for a while. He and Alex went back into the common room where all of the Weasley's and Hermione came running up to her and began to say how sorry they were. All of the Weasley family looked choked up- after all they WERE family. Harry pulled Ron to the side.

" I'm going to go now. I'll be back in a little while." he said.

" Where are you going?" Ron asked.

" I have to talk to Dumbledore." Harry said. He then left through the portrait hole. As he was about to turn the corner someone shouted his name. It was Alex.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

" I need to know exactly what happened to my dad. Do you know where Dumbledores office is? Because even if you don't tell me I'll search this whole school to find it. I have a right to know and I want to know why someone hasn't tracked me down and already told me." she said in a calm voice.

" Lets go." he said. After walking through many halls they found his office. The door happened to be opened. Alex made her way in first.

" Professor?!" she caled.

" Hello Miss Hawkins." said Dumbledore, looking as if he had dreaded this moment. Almost the whole faculty seemed to be in his office. They appeared to be having a meeting.

" Look, I don't mean to sound dis-respectfull, but why hasn't anyone told me yet? I could have been in here with my sister the whole time! " she said, looking outraged.

" I am very sorry, but if you would like to know what has happened, then please sit down. You too Harry." said the professor. They did so obediantly.

" Miss Hawkins, your father was said to be missing at around eight a.m. this morning when we had been trying to find him to have a staff meeting. When we could not locate him we seent an elf into his room to retrieve him, but all the elf found was this." he said, moving a box toward Alex. She opened the lid. She had tears in her eyes. Harry leaned over just enough to see that there were many pictures, two letters, a wand, and a gold bracelet with emerald jewwels on it, and a wedding band, and engagement ring.

"Mamas jewelry. He always kept it. He wore the bracelet, but no one knew. These pictures, they're all of Mama." she opened one of the letters. She read it silently. Harry could just make out that it was a note from her father to her.

" He wrote these to me and Sam. In case he died. " she had tears running down her face now.She sat there staring into space and then started crying full blown.

" Severus, if you would take her to the infirmary." said Dumbledore. Surprisingly, Snape did so without a look of disgust on his face. In fact, he had a look of slight sympathy on his face. He hoisted Alex up and carried her out of the rrom. Alex didn't object- she didn't look like she knew what was going on around her anyway. Dumbledore shut the box and looked straight at Harry.

" We don't know what happened. We have no idea. But we have to find out. I ahve sent for Sirius. We have got some other people on the way. We need your help too, Harry. We need you to be here for this meeting so you will know exactly what is going on. We feel you play a key role in the fight against Voldemort. And we need your help just as much as you need ours." He and the rest of the staff looked at Harry with very serious faces. Harry nodded.

" Lets begin the meeting."