Lost and Found 
Chapter 2: Past Reflections 
written by: misanoe 


 Ow, was the first thought that entered Bill's mind when he woke up on bumpy 
ground, sharp stones poking at him through his clothes. What the hell had 
happened? Looking around, he took in his surrounding and realized he was 
slumped half way against a tree trunk in the god awful forest. It was dark, 
and he was alone. If he was alone ... where was Hermione! 
 At the thought of her name, his mind immediately jumped to Harry. Harry ... 
he had been searching for Hermione for six years. After her disappearance, 
Harry had gone temporarily mad, tracing every step she might have taken that 
fateful day six years ago. Every inch he went over, looking for her. For a 
year the magic community had been more then happy to help the search for 
Hermione, but their hopes dimmed after months of search without a trace of 
her. Even Ron and the Weasley family had given up on finding her; sure she 
was now resting with Harry's parents above. But Harry, nothing could stop 
him. 
 Bill had been worried that Harry would waste away in his desperate search for 
her. The events of her disappearance were very curious, almost suspicious. 
The most powerful magicians could not find the slightest hint of a trace. No 
idea what could have happened to her, she had dropped from the face of the 
earth; into this godforsaken forest Bill grimly added as an afterthought. 
 Bill could still clearly recollect the day he had found out she had gone 
missing. When he closed his eyes, he could picture perfectly that day and the 
hectic weeks that followed. Well, it was from his vantage point and there 
were many things about her disappearance that were still a mystery to him, leaving 
big gaps that his imagination had been left to fill. Bill had spent most of 
his time away from home, his work led him to exotic places with the duty of 
filling Gringotts coffers. It was, and still is a demanding job that gave him 
little time to come home and be caught up with what went about. He was the 
last to know when Ginny had her first boyfriend, although he did help partake 
in the *cough* screening *cough* Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Harry and 
himself had done on the poor bloke. Six boys and the youngest a girl, the 
blighter didn't have a chance. Charlie's engagement to that girl took him by 
total surprise, he never knew it had gotten so serious. To tell you the truth, 
he didn't even know that Charlie was seeing anyone. And Charlie was the one 
he was closest to. 
 Bill found out a week after Hermione disappeared, that she was gone. No one 
had told him, and when he had come home for a visit, he found the house 
swamped with people. It wasn't until he bumped into Harry, that he found out what 
had happened. The pandemonium that surrounded him when he appartated in his 
house, foreshadowed the serious nature of her disappearance. 


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 It was there and then, when he was walking to his room to put his pack down, 
that he collided into a frantic Harry. 

 "My god you look like hell." 
 Harry stared at him, his bloodshot eyes seemed to look right through him and 
Bill wasn't sure if Harry saw him. 
 "Bill," rasped Harry weakly. Harry's eyes took several seconds to focus on 
Bill's face. "Hermione's gone, We can't find her." He uttered. 
 Bill had never known Hermione very well. The most he could recollect at that 
moment was that she was a close friend of Ron's. He had seen her once or 
twice at the Weasley household when he came to visit for a summer, hanging 
out with Ron and Harry. She was head girl of Hogwarts, his mother had been 
sure to tell him. But beyond that ... he had no clue. Bill searched for 
something to say that would calm the young man in front of him. 
 "Don't worry. I'm sure she's fine."
 "I-I can't find her." Harry closed his eyes and leaned against the hallway. 
Harry startled Bill when he snapped his head up suddenly, his eyes fighting 
gravity by forcing themselves open.
 "I have to go." 
Bill watched Harry's figure walk quickly and determined towards the kitchen. 
His shoulders were sagging and his head tilted slightly down like a wilting 
flower. What the hell is going on Bill muttered to himself.
 Bill climbed the stairs and walked towards Ron's room and reached for his 
door, his hand stopped above the handle and he changed his mind. Ron would be 
distraught and he didn't want to make it worse by asking what happened. He 
decided it would be better if he got the details elsewhere. He began to roam 
around the house, trying to avoid the dozens of people that buzzed around in 
his house. He didn't stop until he found Charlie, who was sitting down on a 
chair in the backyard, his head resting wearily against his hand. 
 "Charlie." Bill called as he stepped into the yard. It was surprisingly empty 
of the bustling people, with the same goal of retrieving one young girl. 
Charlie's looked up and smiled wryly when he caught sight of Bill. 
 "Bloody glad your here you git." He threw an arm around Bill, enveloping him 
in a brotherly hug. "What took you so long?" 
 "I had a little time to rest before my next assignment. I decided to visit 
mum and dad and I just bumped into dozens of people and Harry who told me 
Hermione had gone missing?" 
 Charlie looked at him in askance. 
 "Oh my. No one must have thought to tell you, it's so hectic right now." 
Charlie began to walk towards the door leading into the house. 
 "Charlie wait," Bill spoke up. "What's going on?" 
Charlie had stopped when he heard Bill's voice and stood there, looking as 
though he was unsure of what to say. 
 "Hermione Granger didn't come home 8 days ago."
 "She might have just gone off somewhere." Bill looked at Charlie, who's eyes 
were at the moment trying to avoid his. 
 "What are you not telling me?" 
 Charlie averted his gaze towards the door. 
 "C'mon, let's go show mum your here. I'll explain everything to you later."
They were hit with a barrage of chatter and activity when they slid open the 
glass door that led to the kitchen. 
 "Crowds of magic users going in and out her parents house would make the 
muggles in their neighborhood suspicious. It's better to keep the search 
party here. Both her parents are here though." Charlie muttered to Bill as 
they fought their way through the crowds of people to get to the living room.
 "That's where mum, dad, Dumbledore, and several other people should be 
gathered. It's kind of like the headquarters for her search." 
 "I still don't understand," said Bill. "She could just be off taking a 
sabbatical for all we know. This is madness." He looked around pointedly at 
the dozens of magicians around them. "Bloody hell, even if she has been gone 
for a spell, why involve everyone? Surely we could handle it with fewer 
people." 
 "You have no idea." Charlie batted away the broom that fell in his way. He 
stopped and waited for Bill to catch up. "Well, here we are." 
 "Gee, thanks." Bill rolled his eyes at Charlie. "I forgot where the living 
room was." 
 "Oh, yeah. Sorry." Charlie grinned sheepishly. "It's been so crazy these past 
few days, little things are slipping my mind." 
 "Kind of like remembering you have a brother named Bill that used to live 
here, and would have appreciated a letter telling him of what's been going 
on." Bill asked dryly. 
 "Yeah, that." His gaze became distracted as he opened the door that lead to 
the living room. 


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 She walked to the river, it was cleansing, able to erase the hurt of the 
past. The past; lives swirling around her head in continuos turmoil. She was 
never completely sure if she was herself, or someone long gone. When had her 
life become so confused, so twisted? Fate; the word haunted her. Fate meant 
she was not in control of her future. She wanted control, a choice to what 
she did. Her destiny conflicted with her emotions. She was so muddled right 
now she couldn't choose. Didn't know if it was her choice to make.


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 "Bill!" Mrs. Weasley, looked up in shock then jumped up to bombarded her son 
with tight hugs and kisses on his cheeks and forehead. "I'm so sorry. I can't 
believe I forgot to owl you. It's been so hectic, nothing is going the way it 
should." Holding him tightly to her, she continued to ramble on. "Hermione 
disappeared and we can't find her. None of us can. We don't know where she is 
or what has happened. She could be anywhere? But if she was, we should have 
been able to trace her. Oh Bill, we don't know what to do." 
 "Mum," Bill tried to disentangle himself from his mother. "Mum, it's okay. 
And Charlie has already explained what's happened." He shot a look over his 
mother's shoulder towards Charlie, who in turn nodded to him. Ok so maybe he 
hasn't explained everything, but he'll tell me later. 
 Mrs. Weasley clung to her son. "You don't understand Bill. We can't find 
her," she said in distraught. 
 "Now dear, let Bill go." Mr. Weasley gently took his wife's hands from Bill 
and held them for a second, reassuring them with his own. He turned his weary 
eyes on Bill and smiled a smile that seemed to strain his face. But the 
warmth for his son was genuine when he pulled him into a hug. Letting go he 
motioned for Bill to sit on the purple patched couch formerly occupied by 
himself. 
 Mr. Weasley himself began to pace around the room, he stopped to glance at 
Bill. 
 "I'm glad to see you son, I just wish it weren't under these circumstances." 
Mr. Weasley continued to pace around, following his course on the worn 
carpet. The room was empty except for his parents, Charlie, and himself. It 
was dim, lighted only by the flickering flames in the small brick fireplace.
 "So what are we doing now?" Bill imposed, after a moment of silence. 
Mr. Weasley turned to face Bill. 
 "We're searching for her. Dumbledore has gone off to Hogwarts to use his own 
means to see if he can find Hermione. There are also several other powerful 
witches and wizards that have gone about their own way to try and seek her." 
He ran his hand through his ruffled red hair. "The ministry has arranged a 
search party which has been meeting as you see, at our house." 
 "It's not that I don't like Hermione," Bill broached," but this all seems a 
little extreme. There are people, well, everywhere. And the ministry is 
involved?" He stood up. "Is there something I'm missing?" 
 It was at that moment Dumbledore chose to appear right in front of him. Bill 
startled, took a step back and tripped back onto the couch. 
Sparing a glance at Bill, Dumbledore faced Mr. Weasley and said, "I cannot 
locate her."
 Mr. Weasley turned pale and a strangled noise came from the other side of the room.
Bill stood up, to go to his father.
 Mr. Weasley stopped him with a raised hand. "I'm all right Bill. Charlie, 
take your mother to her room to rest." 
 Charlie glanced to and fro his mother and father. Getting up, he made up his 
mind and followed his father's orders, escorting his trembling mother out of 
the room. 
 Dumbledore turned back around to face Bill and smiled. 
 "Hello Mr. Weasley."
 Bill stood up once again and nodded his greetings.
 "As to your question," Bill's ears perked up when he heard Dumbledore. 
 "Well you see, Miss Granger is," Dumbledore paused for a second, searching 
for the right words to describe her, "Very special." 


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