Chapter 7
Harry spent the night tossing and turning. He'd wake every so often, sit up, and check Ron's bed hoping his friend had returned. Each time he was disappointed to find a still empty bed. By morning, he was groggy and extremely worried. Dressing, Harry went to breakfast with everyone else. As the entire Gryffindor house entered together, the other houses fell silent. They knew. Of course the whole school knew. There were only three red heads at the Gryffindor table where there should've been four. The entire house had been looking for Ron last night and it would probably continue today between classes.
At the Head Table Dumbledore and the rest of the instructors sat. Most wore concerned expressions. Even Professor Snape looked grimmer than usual. That surprised Harry. Snape would normally jump at the chance to expel Ron. He guessed the disappearance wasn't the way the Potions Master wanted to get rid of him.
"Do you think he'll come back today?" Neville asked reaching for a muffin.
"I hope so." Harry said, cutting up his eggs.
"He won't be Nothing forever will he?"
"I don't think so Neville." Staring at the eggs, Harry suddenly wasn't hungry. Beside him, Hermione reached for the salt and peppershakers.
"I looked up Nothing in the library," Hermione began sprinkling salt on her eggs. "There wasn't much, mostly how it was finally documented that people could become Nothing. Up until the 1790's, it was all a legend. Then someone returned in 1791, he'd apparently been gone for a few days. Since then there have been three documented cases of people returning," she continued. "One came back after three days and the other two after about one hundred years."
"A hundred years!" Ginny exclaimed. Hermione nodded. "We can't wait a hundred years for Ron to come back. Mum sent us a Howler last night." Across the table Fred and George shuddered.
"Well, two of them got bored with being Nothing, but the other heard his family calling for him. He returned to them and lived a normal life after that." Hermione informed the table.
"So there's a chance that Ron will come back today?" Ginny asked. "With all of us calling for him, he has to." Hermione replied. Ginny smiled. "I bet he will. He knows we love him."
"Yup." Fred and George chorused. Their confidence renewed, everyone began to eat in earnest. Once they were done, the Gryffindor students got up and headed to their various classes. Harry was walking down the corridor when he heard someone call his name. It was a Ravenclaw girl with long hair and a worried expression. She trotted up to him, books in hand.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry about Ron Weasley. It's all over the school that he's become Nothing. If there's anything I can do to help, just ask." She smiled weakly at him, but she seemed to mean what she said.
"If you could call for him, that would help. We don't know where in the school he is."
"I'll check my house and see if I can get anyone else to help out." She replied fumbling with her books.
"Thank you." Harry stared at the floor for a moment then looked back up at her. "You don't have to do this."
"I wouldn't be a decent person if I didn't," she told him. "You're a nice guy and so is he. Therefore I don't mind helping either of you." Giving him an encouraging look, she turned and left.
Maybe he'll come back today. Maybe when I go back to Gryffindor after classes he'll be there.With this thought firmly set in his mind, Harry continued on his way.
