"Ok,
we're all ready. Let's go." Hermione said.
"What
about Draco?" Harry asked.
"He's
waiting for us just outside. Now come on, or we won't get to talk to
Lupin. Again."
"Hey,
the first time was your fault." Ron told her.
They
were making another attempt to go talk to Lupin. It was the
following Friday, and they had been unable to talk to him after
Defense Against the Dark Arts because they had to rush off to their
next class. They were about halfway there, when Harry suddenly
realized he had forgotten his ruby, their whole reason for going.
"Harry,
you are such an idiot. I'll go get it, I'm fastest." Ron said.
Ten
minutes passed. Fifteen. Twenty. No sign of Ron.
"So
much for being the fastest." Hermione mumbled.
"I'll
go look for him, and get the ruby. Maybe he can't find it."
Harry told them.
Harry
ran at top speed back up the tower, through the picture of the Fat
Lady, and up the dormitory. Ron was no where to be seen. That's
strange, thought Harry. He called out to him a few times, but
hearing no answer, decided to just grab the ruby and go.
"Where's
Ron?" Hermione asked when Harry returned.
"I
don't know. He wasn't there. Who knows, let's just go before we
miss our chance again."
*************************
Lupin,
as it turned out, had never seen the ruby. But he believed it had to
have belonged to Lily or James. Why else would it have been in
Harry's vault? He suspected it must have been a gift or something.
He didn't pretend to know everything they had ever received.
Nonetheless, he was glad to have the chance to talk with Harry,
Hermione, and Draco.
"How
come Ron didn't come?" he asked.
"He
was, but he seems to have disappeared. He went to the dormitory to
get my ruby, but never came back. I didn't see him up there either."
"Maybe
Filch is punishing him for breathing or something." Draco
suggested.
"Perhaps.
But you three should get down to dinner, unless you don't want to
eat that is." Lupin smiled.
Ron
didn't show up for dinner either. By the time dinner ended, they
were really worried. Even if he had been caught by Filch, he'd have
been back by now. As students filed out of the hall, they went up to
talk to Professor Dumbledore. He was talking to Snape.
"Er,
excuse us." Harry said, not wanting to disturb them.
"Yes
Potter?" Snape hissed. His voice always reminded Harry of a
tire losing air.
"Professor
Dumbledore, we're starting to worry about Ron. He wasn't here for
dinner, and we haven't seen him for a while."
"Hmm,
that does sound unlike Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore mused. "Did
you see him before dinner?"
"For
a while. He went back to the Common Room for something, but never
came back. That was about an hour before dinner." Hermione told
him.
"Well,
I'll let the teachers know. If anyone has seen him, we'll find out.
Not to worry," he smiled, "I'm sure there is a logical
explanation."
But
Harry wasn't so sure. True, it was unlike Ron to go missing. But he
couldn't help wondering if something horrible had happened to him.
Certainly it wasn't anything to do with Voldemort, he was dead. That
had been confirmed. What else could it be though? Ron was his best
friend, one of his few. He didn't want to lose that friendship.
"Pink
pixies." Harry mumbled to the fat Lady.
Hermione
stayed outside to say good night to Draco. He could tell she was
worried about Ron. "Don't worry," he told her.
"Dumbledore's right, there's probably a simple explanation."
"I
hope so." Hermione said, kissing him. "See you tomorrow."
Harry
sank into a fretful sleep after many hours. He tried to stay awake,
hoping against hope that Ron would come back in the middle of the
night. "Search where you may, you'll never find him." The
voice in his nightmare hissed throughout the night.