CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Ginny & Lupin
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Ginny & Lupin

Ginny Weasley had a very bad feeling. She paced the common room rolling the parchment Ron had given her in her hands. Someone - probably Harry - was in trouble and, unless she was very much mistaken, her brother and Hermione had just rushed headlong into whatever it was to try and help. In the heat of the moment she had sworn to Ron that she would do nothing for two hours. Now she regretted it. Her better judgement told her that every minute that passed was a minute wasted.

She looked down at the note. She had rolled it so much it now held the shape of a cylinder. The wax Ron had dripped on the flap had pulled away from the paper. Ginny looked at it for a moment, then flicked it away with her finger and unfolded the paper. She was headed out the portrait hole before she finished reading. As she climbed through she almost ran into a tall, thin figure. She looked up and started in surprise.

"Professor Lupin! What are you, I mean- What are you doing here?"

Professor Lupin looked at her sharply, concern in his face, "I'm here on a visit. I'd hoped to speak with Neville- Ginny? What's wrong?"

Wordlessly Ginny handed Lupin the note.

Lupin read it swiftly, his brows raising in alarm.

He took Ginny's hand, gripping it hard, and put the note into it.

"Ginny, listen carefully and do exactly as I say." Ginny nodded, wide-eyed, and Lupin continued, "Take this note and find Dumbledore as quickly as you can. Give it to him and tell him I've already set out to look for them."

Ginny nodded, then darted around Lupin running up the corridor.

Lupin hurried back down and out of the castle, flying down the stone steps running toward the woods. He crashed through them until he got to a pine glade where Sirius was on his feet, wand up, wary.

"Remus, that was you? Why are- What's wrong?"

Lupin quickly explained as Sirius let out an oath.

"Neville and Harry are not in the castle or on the grounds," Lupin continued, "Ron and Hermione went to look for them in Hogsmeade... they should have been back by now."

"Dammit! Why do those kids always insist on trying to handle things themselves?"

"Probably because they're an awful lot like us and they don't want to get one another in trouble," Lupin answered grimly.

"That was a rhetorical question," Sirius growled.

"Whatever. Listen, we need to get down to Hogsmeade, now."

Sirius nodded, turned into a large black dog, and went trotting off through the woods, Lupin at his heels.

Sirius was several yards ahead of Lupin in the woods when he skidded to a stop and began to sniff the ground frantically, finally letting out a sharp bark. Lupin picked up his pace and caught up to see Sirius sniffing a crumpled edition of today's daily prophet on the edge of a patch of ground that was strewn with leaves, twigs, and dirt thrown in all directions. Lupin felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. It was obvious there had been some sort of a struggle here.

Sirius was moving now, following a trail of thrashed up dirt and leaves away from the clearing. Even before the trail led them to the edge of the woods both Sirius and Lupin had a good idea of where they would come out. Sure enough, the trail ended at the point of the forest that came closest to the Whomping Willow.

"Someone was attacked and dragged here," Lupin said softly, "I think it's safe to assume they were taken to the willow."

Indeed, Sirius was sniffing a path of gouged turf that lead from the woods straight toward the Willow. Whoever was taken there hadn't gone willingly. There was really no choice, they had to follow.

Lupin ran toward the Whomping Willow with the dog at his heels. Sirius was faster and had passed Lupin and run ahead to the Willow. By the time Lupin got to the tree the dog had a long stick in this jaws. Lupin took it and prodded the tree trunk near the roots until there was a "click" and the violent thrashing of the branches was stilled. The dog ran and leapt into an opening at the base of the tree, with Lupin right behind him.

When Lupin dropped to the dirt floor, Sirius Black, not the dog, was standing there. They immediately began moving down the passage as quickly as they could, not saying a word to one another. They were nearly at the end of the tunnel, which they knew opened into the Shrieking Shack, when the walls trembled with a muffled explosion and the tunnel ahead collapsed in upon itself.