Surprisingly, Harry's grades did not slip. In fact, they improved. He
spent all his time flying or studying. He did get a little harder on the
younger students; Ron kept saying he was turning into Percy. He was so
absorbed in himself, he didn't even participate in the celebration marking
the capture of two more Death Eaters.
"At this rate, You-Know-Who will be taken down in no time!" yelled Ron, bursting into the dorm. Harry just looked up, acknowledging that his friend was in the room, and went back to his book. Actually, it was Hermione's book; he'd borrowed it for the weekend again to catch up on what he'd missed by joining the class early.
"Did you hear me?" Ron grabbed his friend's shoulder and Harry looked up.
"Yeah, that's great Ron. Can I go back to my studying?"
"You sound like 'Mione and you act like Percy. What happened?"
"What happened?" Harry stared at him in shock. "The only adult in my life who actually cared for me is now a human vegetable, which means I'll have to live with the Dursleys for the rest of my life. If I have to go back to Privet Drive for one more summer, I'm gonna break every rule and use an Unforgivable on them!" He slammed the book closed and stormed out, leaving Ron in utter shock. He decided to go to Dumbledore with this one.
He went to Professor McGonagall's study, which was where she usually was during the weekends, and asked to see the Headmaster.
"It's about Harry, Professor."
"What Mr. Weasley?" She stood and crossed the room.
"I think Professor Dumbledore needs to know this." She nodded and escorted him to the gargoyle. They entered and rose swiftly to the office.
"Come in," and Ron wasted no time.
"Headmaster, I need to speak to you about--," he stopped, noticing that Dumbledore was not alone.
"What could possibly be that important Weasley?" came Snape's cold voice from the chair.
Dumbledore placed his hand on Ron's shoulder, "Yes, Ronald?"
Ron swallowed, eyeing the potions master, and continued. "It's Harry; something's wrong, I know it. Ever since he found out about Snuffles, he's become stricter on the first years, he's never without a book, and he just threatened to use an Unforgivable on the Dursleys!"
Snape snorted, "Well, I can't say I mind the first two."
Dumbledore shot him a warning glance. "He is just handling things in his own way. Give him time to deal with it; it was a very hard blow to take."
"Where is Mr. Potter now?" McGonagall asked.
"I don't know; he stormed out of the dormitories. I came straight to you."
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. Please return to your dormitory. We will take the matter from here." Ron reluctantly nodded and exited slowly, hoping they would change their minds and let him help.
He trudged up the stairs to the room and pushed the door open. Dean and Seamus were playing a game of Exploding Snap in the corner. They seemed surprised to see him.
"Why aren't you at Quidditch practice?"
"Cause today is Slytherin's day." Dean and Seamus exchanged a look. "What?"
"Harry came in and grabbed his cloak and Firebolt and left." Ron suddenly felt very sick. He knew for a fact it wasn't his Quidditch robe Harry had grabbed; his mother had them to sew lions on the backs. He yanked open Harry's trunk and noticed two things were missing: his Firebolt and his Invisibility Cloak.
"Oh no," he groaned and rushed back out, leaving Dean and Seamus with bewildered looks.
Ron racing down the stairs and out the portrait hole grabbed Hermione's attention away from her book. She followed, calling after him to wait. He paused for a moment, trying to decide which way to go, allowing her to catch up with him. He tried thinking about the first place the teachers would look for Harry, and he proceeded to the third floor, where he found McGonagall.
"He's gone!"
"We know, you told us. That is why we are looking for him."
"No! He's GONE! I went back up to the dorms and Dean and Seamus said he'd come back and grabbed his Firebolt. I checked his trunk and his Invisibility Cloak was gone."
"Oh my, we must find the Headmaster immediately. Come with me children." They rushed to the North Tower where they met Snape. McGonagall spared the details, but soon the four of them found the Headmaster and she explained everything.
"This is not good. He must be found before something happens or he does something drastic." As Dumbledore, McGonagall, and the two students rushed to his office, Snape returned to his dungeons. There was no need for him to be involved, they could handle it.
"Attention all faculty members, please convene in the Conference Hall in five minutes." Snape moaned, "Guess not," he mumbled.
Soon, all the teachers were assembled and Dumbledore quieted them.
"Harry Potter has gone missing," murmurs throughout the crowd, "We have very good reason to believe he flew away. I have divided up the surrounding area, including Hogsmeade and The Forbidden Forest. Please search with diligence and speed." He divided them into teams and gave them their areas. Snape was to stay behind, as was his daughter. Even Dumbledore knew no one would act up with Snape in charge.
Samantha roamed the halls while the potions professor returned to the dungeons. He wasn't about to waste his time with a runaway.
"At this rate, You-Know-Who will be taken down in no time!" yelled Ron, bursting into the dorm. Harry just looked up, acknowledging that his friend was in the room, and went back to his book. Actually, it was Hermione's book; he'd borrowed it for the weekend again to catch up on what he'd missed by joining the class early.
"Did you hear me?" Ron grabbed his friend's shoulder and Harry looked up.
"Yeah, that's great Ron. Can I go back to my studying?"
"You sound like 'Mione and you act like Percy. What happened?"
"What happened?" Harry stared at him in shock. "The only adult in my life who actually cared for me is now a human vegetable, which means I'll have to live with the Dursleys for the rest of my life. If I have to go back to Privet Drive for one more summer, I'm gonna break every rule and use an Unforgivable on them!" He slammed the book closed and stormed out, leaving Ron in utter shock. He decided to go to Dumbledore with this one.
He went to Professor McGonagall's study, which was where she usually was during the weekends, and asked to see the Headmaster.
"It's about Harry, Professor."
"What Mr. Weasley?" She stood and crossed the room.
"I think Professor Dumbledore needs to know this." She nodded and escorted him to the gargoyle. They entered and rose swiftly to the office.
"Come in," and Ron wasted no time.
"Headmaster, I need to speak to you about--," he stopped, noticing that Dumbledore was not alone.
"What could possibly be that important Weasley?" came Snape's cold voice from the chair.
Dumbledore placed his hand on Ron's shoulder, "Yes, Ronald?"
Ron swallowed, eyeing the potions master, and continued. "It's Harry; something's wrong, I know it. Ever since he found out about Snuffles, he's become stricter on the first years, he's never without a book, and he just threatened to use an Unforgivable on the Dursleys!"
Snape snorted, "Well, I can't say I mind the first two."
Dumbledore shot him a warning glance. "He is just handling things in his own way. Give him time to deal with it; it was a very hard blow to take."
"Where is Mr. Potter now?" McGonagall asked.
"I don't know; he stormed out of the dormitories. I came straight to you."
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. Please return to your dormitory. We will take the matter from here." Ron reluctantly nodded and exited slowly, hoping they would change their minds and let him help.
He trudged up the stairs to the room and pushed the door open. Dean and Seamus were playing a game of Exploding Snap in the corner. They seemed surprised to see him.
"Why aren't you at Quidditch practice?"
"Cause today is Slytherin's day." Dean and Seamus exchanged a look. "What?"
"Harry came in and grabbed his cloak and Firebolt and left." Ron suddenly felt very sick. He knew for a fact it wasn't his Quidditch robe Harry had grabbed; his mother had them to sew lions on the backs. He yanked open Harry's trunk and noticed two things were missing: his Firebolt and his Invisibility Cloak.
"Oh no," he groaned and rushed back out, leaving Dean and Seamus with bewildered looks.
Ron racing down the stairs and out the portrait hole grabbed Hermione's attention away from her book. She followed, calling after him to wait. He paused for a moment, trying to decide which way to go, allowing her to catch up with him. He tried thinking about the first place the teachers would look for Harry, and he proceeded to the third floor, where he found McGonagall.
"He's gone!"
"We know, you told us. That is why we are looking for him."
"No! He's GONE! I went back up to the dorms and Dean and Seamus said he'd come back and grabbed his Firebolt. I checked his trunk and his Invisibility Cloak was gone."
"Oh my, we must find the Headmaster immediately. Come with me children." They rushed to the North Tower where they met Snape. McGonagall spared the details, but soon the four of them found the Headmaster and she explained everything.
"This is not good. He must be found before something happens or he does something drastic." As Dumbledore, McGonagall, and the two students rushed to his office, Snape returned to his dungeons. There was no need for him to be involved, they could handle it.
"Attention all faculty members, please convene in the Conference Hall in five minutes." Snape moaned, "Guess not," he mumbled.
Soon, all the teachers were assembled and Dumbledore quieted them.
"Harry Potter has gone missing," murmurs throughout the crowd, "We have very good reason to believe he flew away. I have divided up the surrounding area, including Hogsmeade and The Forbidden Forest. Please search with diligence and speed." He divided them into teams and gave them their areas. Snape was to stay behind, as was his daughter. Even Dumbledore knew no one would act up with Snape in charge.
Samantha roamed the halls while the potions professor returned to the dungeons. He wasn't about to waste his time with a runaway.