"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.