Chapter Five - Missing
It was raining outside. Thunder struck and flashed across the ominous sky. Students from all directions rushed towards the Great Hall for dinner.
"I've never been this hungry in my life!" Ron said, clutching his stomach in agony.
"Ron, you fuss about being hungry all the time. It gets on my nerves sometimes, and Hermione's definitely.
"But I didn't have any lunch! Stupid Snape gave me detention." Ron protested. Harry raised his eyebrow.
"We seem to be cursed. I've got detention too, tomorrow with Filch." Harry commented. "I know." He added when he caught Ron's sympathetic look.
The boys took their usual seats at the Gryffindor table.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asking nobody in particular.
"Oh yeah! Where is she?" Ron asked, eyeing the empty seat between him and Harry in confusion.
"Hermione? I saw her running towards the library when everyone else were heading to the hall." A boy named Dean who shared the two boys' dormatry told them. "She didn't tell me where she was going but she did say to you guys to not wait for her. Don't ask me why, she was in a hurry."
"Hermione! When are you going to give up?" Ron cried with dripping sarcasm.
"Ha. Nice and comfy." Ron remarked as he flopped onto one of the cushioned chairs in the Gryffindor common room, patting his round belly, satisfied.
Harry gave his friend a disgusted look and pulled out a flat checked board.
"Chess?"
"Yeah!"
"White or black?"
"Black!"
"Ok. Um. pawn to D4."
"Pawn to E5"
"Wow! 11:30 already." Ron yawned, wrapping his robe around him.
"Yep, and what an exciting night it has been. But as always, you just have to win." Harry signed, taking out his want to mend the broken chess pieces.
Everyone must be asleep now, Harry thought. But to his surprise, footsteps echoed down the girls dormitry stairs. And soon enough Ginny appeared.
Before Ron could play his role as the big brother, Ginny's urgent whisper cut him off.
"Hermione is not back yet. I'm worried, guys."
Harry's mind shot back to the dinner conversation. He hadn't realised that. According to Dean, Hermione has been in the library for over 5 hours now. Right, Hermione IS abit obsessed with studying, but she isn't so obsessed that she could miss a night's sleep. It just doesn't make sense.
"Something is very wrong." The words came out of Harry's mouth without him knowing so.
Everything went dead quiet for a moment. It's very rare that a girl like Hermione gets lost. It's nearly never possible that a girl like Hermione goes somewhere at night. And it's impossible that a girl like Hermione breaks rules. Going out at night without special permission is strictly against the rules at Hogwarts.
Harry was deep in thought until he heard something, a movement outside. The others heard it too.
"It's Hermione." Whispered Ginny.
"Thank god!" Ron exclaimed as the fat lady swung open.
"Hermione, where have you b -"
"Professor McGonagall?"
The old professor nodded. She was wearing her night wear and a disappointed expression. She shook her head.
"P-professor, w-we weren't planning to go out. Me and H-harry just finished a game of chess and we were going to go to sleep." Ron stuttered.
Professor McGonagall shook her head again. But this time she wore a sad expression.
"Y-your friend, Hermione. she's not w.ell."
It was raining outside. Thunder struck and flashed across the ominous sky. Students from all directions rushed towards the Great Hall for dinner.
"I've never been this hungry in my life!" Ron said, clutching his stomach in agony.
"Ron, you fuss about being hungry all the time. It gets on my nerves sometimes, and Hermione's definitely.
"But I didn't have any lunch! Stupid Snape gave me detention." Ron protested. Harry raised his eyebrow.
"We seem to be cursed. I've got detention too, tomorrow with Filch." Harry commented. "I know." He added when he caught Ron's sympathetic look.
The boys took their usual seats at the Gryffindor table.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asking nobody in particular.
"Oh yeah! Where is she?" Ron asked, eyeing the empty seat between him and Harry in confusion.
"Hermione? I saw her running towards the library when everyone else were heading to the hall." A boy named Dean who shared the two boys' dormatry told them. "She didn't tell me where she was going but she did say to you guys to not wait for her. Don't ask me why, she was in a hurry."
"Hermione! When are you going to give up?" Ron cried with dripping sarcasm.
"Ha. Nice and comfy." Ron remarked as he flopped onto one of the cushioned chairs in the Gryffindor common room, patting his round belly, satisfied.
Harry gave his friend a disgusted look and pulled out a flat checked board.
"Chess?"
"Yeah!"
"White or black?"
"Black!"
"Ok. Um. pawn to D4."
"Pawn to E5"
"Wow! 11:30 already." Ron yawned, wrapping his robe around him.
"Yep, and what an exciting night it has been. But as always, you just have to win." Harry signed, taking out his want to mend the broken chess pieces.
Everyone must be asleep now, Harry thought. But to his surprise, footsteps echoed down the girls dormitry stairs. And soon enough Ginny appeared.
Before Ron could play his role as the big brother, Ginny's urgent whisper cut him off.
"Hermione is not back yet. I'm worried, guys."
Harry's mind shot back to the dinner conversation. He hadn't realised that. According to Dean, Hermione has been in the library for over 5 hours now. Right, Hermione IS abit obsessed with studying, but she isn't so obsessed that she could miss a night's sleep. It just doesn't make sense.
"Something is very wrong." The words came out of Harry's mouth without him knowing so.
Everything went dead quiet for a moment. It's very rare that a girl like Hermione gets lost. It's nearly never possible that a girl like Hermione goes somewhere at night. And it's impossible that a girl like Hermione breaks rules. Going out at night without special permission is strictly against the rules at Hogwarts.
Harry was deep in thought until he heard something, a movement outside. The others heard it too.
"It's Hermione." Whispered Ginny.
"Thank god!" Ron exclaimed as the fat lady swung open.
"Hermione, where have you b -"
"Professor McGonagall?"
The old professor nodded. She was wearing her night wear and a disappointed expression. She shook her head.
"P-professor, w-we weren't planning to go out. Me and H-harry just finished a game of chess and we were going to go to sleep." Ron stuttered.
Professor McGonagall shook her head again. But this time she wore a sad expression.
"Y-your friend, Hermione. she's not w.ell."