Chapter Five:
Tension and Hope
Back at Hogwarts in the Gryffindor common room, all the students looked depressed. There were no games of wizard's chess, instead everyone was sitting and staring into the fire. Ginny had burst into tears when she realized that Ron might never return, and she fled to the girl's dormitory. Harry went to comfort her, but wasn't successful. All they could do was bear the grief together.
"It's okay Ginny. Dumbledore's a brilliant man, he'll find them," Harry caressed her hair as she sobbed into his robes. "Don't cry. They'll be back. Haven't they been in worse peril before?"
"Nooo," Ginny muttered, as if unwilling to be consoled.
Soon she fell into a restless slumber and Harry laid her down on her bed. "Goodnight," he murmured, and bent down to kiss her tearstained cheeks before retiring in his own dormitory.
Harry met Fred and George in the common room. They were mumbling about how stupid Ron was to go after Hermione.
"Well what would you have done? At least they're together. And two minds are better than one!" Harry snapped.
George sighed. "Okay, I guess you're right Harry. See you tomorrow."
Fred stared blankly at his wand. "I want to blast that diamond to bits."
Harry shook his head. "I advise you not to do that. Maybe the diamond is the only way we'll ever see Ron and Mione again." Harry warned him.
"Sorry," Fred mumbled, as Harry trudged to his dormitory
His mind was spinning with flashbacks. He recalled the day he and Ron had flown to school and been attacked by the Whomping Willow. He remembered Ron and him facing the giant spider Aragog who had threatened to kill them. And only last year Ron had told Sirius Black, before his innocence was revealed, that if he killed Harry he'd have to kill him too. Ron his best friend, and Mione, who always thought before she did anything, and stuck firmly to her beliefs, even when it infuriated him and Ron. Harry laughed grimly as he thought about the time she had turned his Firebolt in to McGonagall to ensure that it was not hexed. Then he remembered how patiently she had helped him during the Triwizard Tournament the year before. Harry realized how empty his life would be without his two best friends. He wouldn't have any one to nag at him for cheating on his Divination homework. He wouldn't have to hold Ron back from attacking Malfoy and his gang. Harry sighed. Without Ron and Hermione, his life would be dull and depressing.
*
The next day the Gryffindor table was silent and gloomy at breakfast. Harry groaned when he realized that his first class would be Potions with Snape, and the Slytherins. He grimaced imagining the cruel comments they would make about Ron and Hermione.
"Ginny where are you headed?" he asked as the bell rang.
"Herbology with Hufflepuff," she muttered incoherently.
" I'd walk you to class, but you know how Snape will penalize me for being late."
Ginny nodded, and they parted. Harry wished that Ron and Hermione were there with him to grumble about the first class of the year.
As he approached the dungeons he saw that all of the Gryffindors were rather subdued, as their classmates were laughing and joking.
Harry felt like he might throw up. His best friends were missing, and people were partying in front of him.
Shortly after, Professer Snape entered the classroom. He sneered intensely at Harry. He could tell that Snape was enjoying the Gryffindors' misery.
"Well class, it appears that two of our students are missing. I do hope that they will be here to join us soon," Snape sniffed, and Harry knew that he was actually delighted about the disappearance of Ron and Hermione.
"Well now, today we will begin with future telling potions. Once you have successfully brewed one, Professer Trelawney, will tell you what lies in your future. If it is pleasant you may sip your potion and you will see a brief screenplay of your future life."
Parvati and Lavendar who practically worshipped the psychotic Divination teacher exchanged furtive smiles. Harry and everyone else frowned.
"Don't we get enough of her, once a day?" Harry sighed, as if resigned to the fact that his death would be predicted twice that day by the teacher he hated most, next to Snape.
"Potter, you will work with Draco here." Snape smirked, and Harry longed to glare at him for pairing him with his arch enemy. Malfoy, however, was the recipient of his glare.
Once everyone else had a partner, they copied down notes about why the ingredients of the potion were useful. Malfoy was nearly impossible to work with.
"Okay, it says here that the hair of a black dog is used to determine if you have the Grim," Harry muttered as he copied it down on parchment.
"But not everyone has the Grim, so why is it necessary?" Malfoy asked, feigning ignorance and stupidity.
"If you put the hair in a potion you may see the Grim in it. If you do not, then you aren't going to die. If you don't put in the hair you'll never know," Harry snapped. "Get it?"
"Yeah," Malfoy smirked t him. "I guess it'll be completely pointless in your potion, since you already know you have the Grim. I'll just give the extra to Professor Snape."
Harry slapped Malfoy across the face. "Shut up!" he hissed.
Snape hustled up the aisle. "What is this commotion?" he focused his attention upon Harry.
"He slapped me professor," Malfoy mumbled.
"20 points from Gryffindor, you're lucky I didn't take off more," Snape shouted, as Harry opened his mouth to protest.
Malfoy turned to Harry. "You can't get away with everything Potty," he gloated. Fred had to seize his arm to keep him from striking Malfoy again.
"I can see why Ron always try's to fight that ugly git," Harry gasped as he struggled to free himself from Fred's grip.
Suddenly the door to the dungeon opened. " Come in," Snape growled at the intruder. Harry turned to look at who would soon be forced to face the teacher's wrath. It was Ginny.
"Miss Weasley, what is it that you want?" Snape's voice was low and menacing. Ginny quivered in fear.
"I, I Dumbledore needs Harry to go to his office," she stammered, avoiding Snape's evil gaze.
"Well then Potter you may leave. You will have to make this potion later. Maybe during your detention."
"Detention?!" Harry spun around in surprise. "No one said anything about a detention."
"I changed my mind," Snape laughed cruelly at his retreating back. "That does include the 20 points I have already decided to deduct from your house."
*
Once he was out in the corridor Harry spoke to Ginny.
"Why did he send you to get me?"
"Because I was in his office already. I'm having trouble accepting the loss of my brother." Harry gazed intently in her face. It was clear that she was desperately trying to hold back tears.
"Ginny you can cry you know. It'll make you feel a lot better." He whispered tenderly.
"I don't want to be such a baby," she moaned, as she wiped a single tear from her cheek.
"You aren't being a baby. You are being a 14 year old girl who is worried about her brother, because she doesn't know if she'll ever see him again. There's absolutely nothing wrong with crying Ginny."
As Harry took Ginny in his arms she asked him if maybe, just maybe, Ron and Hermione were on a mission.
"They might be," Harry said. "Has anyone ever told you that everything happens for a reason?"
Ginny laughed softly through her tears. Harry brushed his lips against hers and then smiled. "And maybe Dumbledore wants to see me because he knows how to lure them back to Hogwarts."
Then they walked together to the Headmaster's office, their spirits considerably uplifted.
Back at Hogwarts in the Gryffindor common room, all the students looked depressed. There were no games of wizard's chess, instead everyone was sitting and staring into the fire. Ginny had burst into tears when she realized that Ron might never return, and she fled to the girl's dormitory. Harry went to comfort her, but wasn't successful. All they could do was bear the grief together.
"It's okay Ginny. Dumbledore's a brilliant man, he'll find them," Harry caressed her hair as she sobbed into his robes. "Don't cry. They'll be back. Haven't they been in worse peril before?"
"Nooo," Ginny muttered, as if unwilling to be consoled.
Soon she fell into a restless slumber and Harry laid her down on her bed. "Goodnight," he murmured, and bent down to kiss her tearstained cheeks before retiring in his own dormitory.
Harry met Fred and George in the common room. They were mumbling about how stupid Ron was to go after Hermione.
"Well what would you have done? At least they're together. And two minds are better than one!" Harry snapped.
George sighed. "Okay, I guess you're right Harry. See you tomorrow."
Fred stared blankly at his wand. "I want to blast that diamond to bits."
Harry shook his head. "I advise you not to do that. Maybe the diamond is the only way we'll ever see Ron and Mione again." Harry warned him.
"Sorry," Fred mumbled, as Harry trudged to his dormitory
His mind was spinning with flashbacks. He recalled the day he and Ron had flown to school and been attacked by the Whomping Willow. He remembered Ron and him facing the giant spider Aragog who had threatened to kill them. And only last year Ron had told Sirius Black, before his innocence was revealed, that if he killed Harry he'd have to kill him too. Ron his best friend, and Mione, who always thought before she did anything, and stuck firmly to her beliefs, even when it infuriated him and Ron. Harry laughed grimly as he thought about the time she had turned his Firebolt in to McGonagall to ensure that it was not hexed. Then he remembered how patiently she had helped him during the Triwizard Tournament the year before. Harry realized how empty his life would be without his two best friends. He wouldn't have any one to nag at him for cheating on his Divination homework. He wouldn't have to hold Ron back from attacking Malfoy and his gang. Harry sighed. Without Ron and Hermione, his life would be dull and depressing.
*
The next day the Gryffindor table was silent and gloomy at breakfast. Harry groaned when he realized that his first class would be Potions with Snape, and the Slytherins. He grimaced imagining the cruel comments they would make about Ron and Hermione.
"Ginny where are you headed?" he asked as the bell rang.
"Herbology with Hufflepuff," she muttered incoherently.
" I'd walk you to class, but you know how Snape will penalize me for being late."
Ginny nodded, and they parted. Harry wished that Ron and Hermione were there with him to grumble about the first class of the year.
As he approached the dungeons he saw that all of the Gryffindors were rather subdued, as their classmates were laughing and joking.
Harry felt like he might throw up. His best friends were missing, and people were partying in front of him.
Shortly after, Professer Snape entered the classroom. He sneered intensely at Harry. He could tell that Snape was enjoying the Gryffindors' misery.
"Well class, it appears that two of our students are missing. I do hope that they will be here to join us soon," Snape sniffed, and Harry knew that he was actually delighted about the disappearance of Ron and Hermione.
"Well now, today we will begin with future telling potions. Once you have successfully brewed one, Professer Trelawney, will tell you what lies in your future. If it is pleasant you may sip your potion and you will see a brief screenplay of your future life."
Parvati and Lavendar who practically worshipped the psychotic Divination teacher exchanged furtive smiles. Harry and everyone else frowned.
"Don't we get enough of her, once a day?" Harry sighed, as if resigned to the fact that his death would be predicted twice that day by the teacher he hated most, next to Snape.
"Potter, you will work with Draco here." Snape smirked, and Harry longed to glare at him for pairing him with his arch enemy. Malfoy, however, was the recipient of his glare.
Once everyone else had a partner, they copied down notes about why the ingredients of the potion were useful. Malfoy was nearly impossible to work with.
"Okay, it says here that the hair of a black dog is used to determine if you have the Grim," Harry muttered as he copied it down on parchment.
"But not everyone has the Grim, so why is it necessary?" Malfoy asked, feigning ignorance and stupidity.
"If you put the hair in a potion you may see the Grim in it. If you do not, then you aren't going to die. If you don't put in the hair you'll never know," Harry snapped. "Get it?"
"Yeah," Malfoy smirked t him. "I guess it'll be completely pointless in your potion, since you already know you have the Grim. I'll just give the extra to Professor Snape."
Harry slapped Malfoy across the face. "Shut up!" he hissed.
Snape hustled up the aisle. "What is this commotion?" he focused his attention upon Harry.
"He slapped me professor," Malfoy mumbled.
"20 points from Gryffindor, you're lucky I didn't take off more," Snape shouted, as Harry opened his mouth to protest.
Malfoy turned to Harry. "You can't get away with everything Potty," he gloated. Fred had to seize his arm to keep him from striking Malfoy again.
"I can see why Ron always try's to fight that ugly git," Harry gasped as he struggled to free himself from Fred's grip.
Suddenly the door to the dungeon opened. " Come in," Snape growled at the intruder. Harry turned to look at who would soon be forced to face the teacher's wrath. It was Ginny.
"Miss Weasley, what is it that you want?" Snape's voice was low and menacing. Ginny quivered in fear.
"I, I Dumbledore needs Harry to go to his office," she stammered, avoiding Snape's evil gaze.
"Well then Potter you may leave. You will have to make this potion later. Maybe during your detention."
"Detention?!" Harry spun around in surprise. "No one said anything about a detention."
"I changed my mind," Snape laughed cruelly at his retreating back. "That does include the 20 points I have already decided to deduct from your house."
*
Once he was out in the corridor Harry spoke to Ginny.
"Why did he send you to get me?"
"Because I was in his office already. I'm having trouble accepting the loss of my brother." Harry gazed intently in her face. It was clear that she was desperately trying to hold back tears.
"Ginny you can cry you know. It'll make you feel a lot better." He whispered tenderly.
"I don't want to be such a baby," she moaned, as she wiped a single tear from her cheek.
"You aren't being a baby. You are being a 14 year old girl who is worried about her brother, because she doesn't know if she'll ever see him again. There's absolutely nothing wrong with crying Ginny."
As Harry took Ginny in his arms she asked him if maybe, just maybe, Ron and Hermione were on a mission.
"They might be," Harry said. "Has anyone ever told you that everything happens for a reason?"
Ginny laughed softly through her tears. Harry brushed his lips against hers and then smiled. "And maybe Dumbledore wants to see me because he knows how to lure them back to Hogwarts."
Then they walked together to the Headmaster's office, their spirits considerably uplifted.