Chapter Ten

Missing

They left Divinations feeling confused and shaken. Harry didn't mention his scar hurting to the others- he thought it would only further complicate the situation.

Lily was not in Potions that day. Nor was she at the Gyffindor table when the sky darkened and they were called down for dinner. The three of them returned to the common room that night and were not surprised to find her absent there, as well.

"I'm really worried about what happened today," Hermione said in a hushed voice, seating herself on the arm of a squashy chair. "It's like what happened to you, Harry, when Trelawney had that... prediction," she finished awkwardly, not knowing what to call it. Harry and Ron sat themselves near her.

"Do you think it was another one of those? A real prediction?" Ron asked.

"Sounded like it," Harry said darkly.

"Well, it didn't make very much sense. 'The girl whose powers I must possess. She's at Hogwarts.'" Hermione raised her eyebrows at them. "What's all that supposed to mean? Well... obviously, it's something to do with Lily, but..."

Harry felt a black fear creep into his heart. "I think maybe it's got something to do with what happened at Lily's old school," he said cautiously. "Like... whatever... whoever... attacked her there is looking for her again. And they know where she is."

Hermione and Ron stared at him, horrified.

"Did you see the look on her face when she heard what Trelawney said?" Harry added, as if he needed to convince them further.

Ron swallowed and his Adam's apple bobbed. "So what's to stop this... whoever it is... attacking her at Hogwarts?"

Harry looked at Ron, his eyes full of foreboding, and said honestly, "I don't know."

Morning came around and there was still no sign of Lily. After timidly questioning the girls in her new dorm room, Hermione discovered that she hadn't returned to her room last night- her bed had not been slept in. She met Ron and Harry in the Great Hall with a worried look on her face.

"Do you think we should tell someone?" Hermione said over the table.

Harry was looking up towards the front of the Hall, and he said, "I don't think we need to. Look," and Hermione swivelled around in her chair. McGongall and Finchley were hurrying down the length of the Gryffindor table, McGonagall leaning over every so often to speak to the students sitting along its length. Finchley looked on grimly. Eventually the two teachers stopped beside Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Have any of you three seen Lily Flanagan?" McGonagall asked in a breathless, fretful voice.

The three of them shook their heads. Finchley grew visibly paler and put a hand on McGonagall's shoulder.

"We need to search the school," he said hoarsely, and Harry heard him straining to keep calm. He was breathing hard, as if he had just run up a long flight of steps.

McGonagall turned to him and paused, indecisive. "We must not raise a panic," she said, just as quietly, although the three of them still heard her perfectly.

"But if she's done what I think she's done..." Finchley said in a rush, and McGonagall snapped at him. "Not here." She glanced briefly at Harry, Ron and Hermione, and then steered Aurian away from the Gryffindor table and out into the entrance hall.

The three of them looked at each other, shaken.

"What is going on?" Ron said helplessly.

"Let's go and find out," said Hermione stonily. "I'm tired of all this secrecy."

They checked McGonagall's office but it was empty. Deciding the two teachers must have gone to Dumbledore, they made their way up to the corridor leading onto the stairway to his office.

The way was shut.

"Password?" Hermione said desperately. "Um... any ideas, anyone?"

"Chocolate frog!" Harry shouted randomly at the gargoyle. "Peppermint swirl! Bertie Botts!"

Nothing happened. Ron's shoulders sagged. "We need an extendable ear. Where's Fred and George when you need them?"

They stood in front of the statue, trying out different words.

"It's no good," Hermione said dejectdedly.

Suddenly there came the sound of footsteps from the end of the corridoor and they spun around. Harry's heart leaped in his chest. It was Remus Lupin, striding down the corridoor, his robes swishing about him. He had his head down and looked harried.

"Professor Lupin!" Harry said, his spirits soaring at the sight of his father's old friend. Lupin saw him and smiled, but it was a strained smile, and it sat uneasily on his face as he stopped to talk to them.

"Ah, Harry... wonderful to see you! Is, er... Dumbledore about, by any chance?" He glanced up at the inert statue.

"I think he's in there, but we can't get in, we don't know the password."

"Professor Lupin, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.

Lupin looked at him and blinked, seemed to think for a moment, and quickly said, "um, just some buisness with Dumbledore, that's all." He smiled. "I really must go in." He stepped up to the entrance and said, "cockroach cluster!" and the gargoyle hopped obediently aside, revealing the smoothly rotating spiral staircase.

Hermione darted forward and said, "wait!" But the gargoyle statue slid back into its place, staring back at her resolutely. "Cockroach cluster!" she said angrily. It didn't budge.

"We're locked out," Harry said miserably.

"That's not fair!" Hermione said, her voice rising. "Why won't they tell us what's going on? Cockroach cluster!"

"Give it up, Hermione."

She sagged back against the wall and made an exasperated noise. Just when they were thinking of returning to their breakfast, the statue made a grinding sound and hopped to one side. Out of the doorway stepped someone they least expected to see.

"Dobby?"

The little house elf jumped almost jumped out of his skin. Then, spotting Harry, a grin spread across his face. "Harry Potter! It's Harry Potter sir, Dobby hasn't seen you for such a long time!"

"Dobby... what were you doing in Dumbledore's office?"

Dobby's eyes flickered, and he glanced around suspiciously. "Dobby isn't supposed to be telling anyone sir. Dobby has been sworn to secrecy."

Harry felt like shaking him, but he somehow restrained himself. "Dobby -look, a friend of mine is in trouble. I need to know what's going on. I might be able to help. If you know something, tell me!"

The elf shivered guiltily. He seemed to be having an internal struggle with himself. Finally he looked up and said. "Harry Potter has been good to Dobby..." he gave a little moan, as if fearing punishment. "Dobby has been sent to fetch the house elves, sir. To search the school, sir."

"To search for Lily," Harry prompted. Dobby nodded. "Yes, but what else? You must know what they're talking about in there."

Dobby leaned towards him and began to speak in a conspiratorial whisper, and Harry had to crouch down to hear him. "Miss Lily is in great danger, sir. Master Dumbledore and the rest have to find her before... before it's too late..."

"Dobby, you aren't telling me anything I don't know!" Harry hissed, unconciously lowering his voice to match Dobby's. "What's this great secret you've been sworn not to tell anyone?"

Dobby's eyes widened. He kept glancing furtively from side to side. "Dobby... mustn't..."

"Oh, just tell us already!" Hermione snapped harshly looking as if she wanted to strangle him, and the elf winced. Ron stared at her.

"What happened to SPEW?" He said sarcastically.

"Dobby, come on," Harry said, ignoring them and trying to keep his voice calm. "Please tell us everything you know. We might be able to help. If you don't tell us, Lily could be hurt..."

This swung it for him. Dobby, looking ashamed as if he had already caused Lily trouble, took a huge breath and began to speak.

As the elf spoke, their faces took on a look of shock, fear and disbelief. Lily, Dobby explained, was apparently descended from an ancient and very secretive line of wizards who called themselves Memnarchs (Hermione, who had read practically every book in the library and had never heard of these, shook her head in astonishment). These wizards had powers far beyond normal levels, and also - among other things- the ability to manipulate time. As a consequence, however, they were afflicted with physical side-effects everytime they used magic. The more powerful the magic, the worse the side-effects. Lily was one of the last of these Memnarchs, and because of her extraordinary powers, was being hunted by Voldemort in the hope that he could obtain her powers and use them for his own purposes.

Harry's stomach filled with sick dread at the thought of this. If Lily was caught, and Voldemort was successful, it would mean he could return to any point in time and kill anyone he wished. In doing so, he would destroy the basic fabric of reality.

Harry's brain felt like it was going to explode with worry after absorbing this information. A long silence descended after Dobby had finished, looking as guily as if he'd just robbed a bank vault at Gringotts.

"That's what happened at her old school, isn't it? Voldemort tried to capture her."

Dobby merely shrugged, as if he did not know enough about that subject to comment.

"So what is Lupin doing here?" Harry asked desperately.

"Dumbledore asked him to come, sir, he said he needed all the help he could get and that the fate of this girl affected us all. That's what he said."

Harry nodded. He wondered if any other members of the Order of the Pheonix were here, apart from Snape, of course.

"And... so you're saying... Dumbledore thinks Lily might've... used one of these spells of hers..." Hermione said, sounding overwhelmed, "... and what?"

"Gone back to a safer place," Dobby finished cryptically.

"She's gone back in time?"

"That is what the Master thinks, Harry Potter sir, but he isn't sure... Now Dobby must go, lots to do Dobby has!" He looked at them nervously and then scuttled off before they could ask another question.

Ron's face was bleached of colour. "Harry. This is bad. This is really..."

"But you heard Dobby," Harry said, standing up. His knees creaked. "If she has used a spell, Lily should be safe. It's like when we used the Time Turner, Hermione. Lily could go back in time because she'd be safe there. Voldemort couldn't touch her."

Hermione looked at him doubtfully. "Then why is Dumbledore in such a hurry to search the school? Does he know something we don't?"

"Perhaps no-one really knows if Lily will be safe or not-" Hermione said, "-and they don't want to take any chances. Personally, I agree. I think it's a stupid thing to do, using a spell like that and just disappearing, letting everyone worry about you..."

"She was scared!" Harry shouted, and then, feeling stupid, he lowered his voice and struggled to be calm. "You heard what Trelawney said. Voldemort knows where she is now. He's going to try and get her."

Ron's head suddenly snapped up, and his eyes were wide and bright. "Harry! Remember on Wednesday you thought you saw her sitting down by the lake?"

Harry stared at him, and it was as if someone had turned a switch on in a darkened room inside his brain. "Maybe that's where she went..."

"But how are we going to get to her?"

Hermione stared at them as if they were both mad. "McGonagall's Time Turner!" Ron looked as though he was going to slap his forehead, and then he walked over to the gargoyle statue and began pounding on its nose with his fist. "Dumbledore! Let us in!"

Harry hesitated, and then decided the need was great enough, and joined him. "Cockroach cluster!" He yelled.