A/N: Hello there! Another chapter, another … chapter. Right. Anyway. Moving on. It hasn't been that long since I posted Chapter 7, so you shouldn't be too angry, right? Right? Course not. This isn't a long A/N because I haven't got anything to say, which is odd. I don't know how many people have been reading my story, all I have to go on are reviews, so if you're reading thing and haven't been reviewing: stop being insensitive warts and REVIEW!!!! Thank you for your time, I'll just get on with it, shall I?

Larthawyn: I'm so pleased that you read the A/N! Hugs for you! Draco knew where to find Hermione (or he thought he did) because in Chapter 7 he had a dream/memory where he remembered hearing his father and Nott talking about it. As for where Hermione is: you might figure it out in this chapter, but you also might not. I haven't seen Ice Age in … ages. Probably a year. Gotta love Sid. Erklings came from Fantastic Beasts, just in case you were wondering. All in all, Larthawyn, I loved your review. Please keep writing them to me!

Male-chan: You might be able to guess where Hermione is in this chapter. But if you don't – you'll have to wait. Lol, I thought the last sentence of that phrase made him seem cute to me! But I'm a sucker for anything Draco!

eos elloeous: I hope this wasn't too long?

Nella Radcliffe: You'll have to wait to find out where Hermione is just like everyone else, I'm afraid! Actually, I did meet Kellie Lott. Wow, is this a small world?!?! I hope I become an author one day too, thanks for the compliment! I had great fun on my holiday! Thanks for your review, and please keep doing it!

Chapter 8: The Lions' Departure

Harry, Ron and Ginny were sitting together at the Gryffindor table again, not talking, their heads bowed. Around them, people were whispering about both Hermione's and Draco's disappearances. Everyone had a different theory of why, and all were pretty absurd. But most people knew – or, at least, thought – that Draco was behind Hermione's.

As a group of Hufflepuff fourth-year girls passed by their table, they heard one say: "Ardna Eppel says they've eloped!' The other girls giggled.

'Imagine!' squealed another one. 'A Gryffindor and Slytherin eloping! And such "enemies" as those two supposedly were!'

Ron stood up. The fourth-year girls stopped walking and stared at him, the colour draining from their faces. They realised who he was.

'Of course,' added the first girl, her voice quivering, 'Ardna Eppel has said a lot of things, none of which have been true.'

Ron turned to look at her. He towered above the poor girl, and he was glaring at her. The girls bunched together, looking terrified.

'What kind of idiots are you lot?' he said softly, shaking with rage. Harry and Ginny ignored the scene, staring at their plates. 'Hermione and Malfoy do hate each other: he kidnapped her! You tell this – this Ardna Eppel from me that she better keep her mouth shut. I don't want to hear a single other dung-brain theory from you or that Eppel girl, OK?'

The girls nodded. Ron nodded his head, once, then sat back down, breathing hard. Ginny put her hand on his arm.

'Ignore them,' she said, though she looked calmly furious. 'They're just fourth-years: what do they know?'

Ron looked up sharply.

'I knew what they were saying wasn't true!' he said loudly. 'I know that he took her against her own free will!'

Ginny looked taken aback.

'I didn't mean that,' she spluttered. 'I just meant … oh, never mind.'

The three sat in silence. Then they looked up as Neville sat down next to Ron.

'Hi Neville,' said Harry glumly.

'Hi.' Neville replied, but he was looking up at the High Table. 'Where's Dumbledore?'

'Huh?' said Harry. Then he remembered. 'Oh! Dumbledore's gone to London to confer with the Aurors.'

'Aurors?' repeated Neville, looking alarmed. 'Why?'

'Well, the Ministry don't like Hermione's disappearance, either,' said Ginny, as neither boy looked up to explaining. 'And Malfoy leaving made them even more nervous. They're convinced he did kidnap her and they're figuring out how best to go about getting them.' She paused at the look on Neville's face. 'The three of us are present at every meeting the Aurors have with Dumbledore; he lets us. We know that Hermione has an anti-tracing charm on her.'

'What about Malfoy?'

'He's moving too quickly,' said Harry, sighing. 'He's on his broomstick; they're having trouble tracking him.'

'They'll get him, though,' said Neville, nodding his head energetically. The other three nodded, but without much conviction. 'Where would he be going, anyway?'

Ron shrugged.

'To Hermione, I suppose. But still …'

'What?'

'Well, he's travelling an awfully long way to get there. But, I suppose he wouldn't hide her less than a day's ride away, would he? Even Malfoy's not that stupid.'

'Isn't it odd, though?' said Neville, looking from one to the other.

'What's odd?' said Ginny, looking up. They were all watching him intently now.

'Well, she disappeared on Wednesday, and yet he was here Wednesday night, when you took him up to Dumbledore's office?'

'Yes,' said Harry slowly.

'If he's flying a day away (at least), then how could he have kidnapped her and come back here in the same afternoon?'

Harry, Ron and Ginny looked at each other.

'Easy.' Ron said finally, looking back at Neville. 'Someone else actually did the kidnapping for him. He took her to Hogsmeade, or the edge of the grounds or something, then handed her over to someone else.'

Harry and Ginny turned to Neville, satisfied expressions on their faces. Neville shrugged.

'It's possible.'

'It's probable,' corrected Ron. Then he sighed. 'I wish she was still here. Why did we let her go off on her own?'

'I don't know.' Harry sighed too. He felt so miserable; one of his best friends was missing, kidnapped by a Death Eater's son. How could they have let Hermione go off on her own? Well, they'd always thought the castle safe, how were they to know?

'How could we have let her go off on her own?' Ron wailed again, dropping his head onto his arms.

'Oh!' said Lavender Brown from the other side of Ginny. She'd just finished talking to a Ravenclaw boy, and was now listening to Ron's wailing. 'She wasn't going off on her own. Well, not really.'

Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville and even Seamus and Dean turned to look at Lavender.

'What?' said Harry and Ron simultaneously.

'She's right,' said Parvati from Lavender's other side. She was writing a letter and didn't look up. 'She was going down to the kitchens. Something to do with house-elves.'

They all stared at them.

'Did you tell Dumbledore?' said Seamus, unbelievably.

'Of course,' said Lavender, rolling her eyes. 'We're not stupid, Seamus. He didn't seem to feel it was important.' She shrugged.

'Did she say what she was going down there for?' said Harry quickly.

Parvati looked up now, and shrugged.

'Something to do with her S.P.E.W., I think. Well, it must've been, she's not exactly into stealing food, is she? Why?' she added, seeing the looks on their faces. 'Do you think it's important?'

'Probably not,' Ron admitted. 'But at least we can ask the house-elves; they were probably the last people to see her.'

There was a pause.

'Let's go,' said Ginny, and her, Harry and Ron leapt to their feet and rushed out of the hall, calling their thanks over their shoulders.

They had just gotten out into the entrance hall when they ran into someone, quite literally. Ginny fell backwards, but Harry caught her before she hit the floor.

'Sorry,' he said, putting Ginny back on her feet.

'My fault,' said a gruff voice. They looked at the man they'd bumped in to. Short and quite round, the man was rarely seen about the castle, preferring to stay in his quarters off the kitchens. Harry had only met him once before. His name was Nyan, and he was the House-elf Manager of Hogwarts: he organised the house-elves and made sure they were healthy. Right now he was looking them up and down. His eyes came to rest on Harry's scar.

'Harry Potter.' It wasn't a question. 'Ah, yes. One of the house-elves talks about you a lot. An elf named Dobby. You know him?'

'Yes,' replied Harry. 'Quite well.'

Nyan nodded. 'Thought so. You were the one that set him free from the Malfoy's.'

Harry nodded.

'You did that elf a huge favour, Potter.' Nyan looked at Harry appraisingly. 'You're a good man.'

Harry nodded again, not sure how to respond to that.

'Thanks,' he said uneasily.

'No problem.' His eyes instead went to Ginny. 'You alright?' he asked her. 'Sorry 'bout knocking you down like that.'

'It's OK,' said Ginny, who was a little scared of this man. She moved to the right slowly, so she was half-standing behind Ron.

'House-elves are odd.' Nyan shook his head. 'Especially here. They can do things and stay secretive about them if the want: they don't even have to punish themselves.'

'Really?' said Harry, intrigued. He liked that idea, and he knew Hermione would when she heard about it. 'Like what?'

'Well, earlier this year, Dobby – your friend – disappeared for a week, but the other house-elves covered for him, doing all his jobs, you know. When he got back, I tried to get him to tell me where he'd gone, but he wouldn't say. Then, a few days ago, he left again. He's back now, though, back to work. Odd. Other house-elves have been acting oddly, too. It's all very mysterious. It feels like a conspiracy …'

It was then that Ginny decided she didn't like this strange man.

'Right, well, we should be moving on,' she said, her voice higher than usual. She tugged on Ron's sleeve gently. But Harry, for one, didn't want to go anywhere.

'Really?' he said thoughtfully. 'I wonder what they're all so secretive about…'

'Why don't we go and ask them?' Ron said to Harry.

Harry nodded. 'Good idea.'

'Yes,' agreed Ginny hurriedly. 'Goodbye – er – sir.'

'Thanks, Nyan,' said Harry, as the three walked past him and down towards the kitchen corridors.

Nyan just waved over his shoulder as he went into the Great Hall.

'That man was creepy,' said Ginny as they walked down the Fruit Corridor.

'He is a bit,' Harry agreed, coming to an abrupt stop. 'Here we are.'

Ron stretched out his forefinger and tickled the green pear. It giggled and turned into a door handle. Ron seized it and pushed it open. Harry and Ginny followed him inside.

Most of the house-elves ignored them, but Winky trotted up to them, her blouse and skirt impeccably clean, a huge smile on her face.

'Hello Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and … Miss,' she added, because she didn't know Ginny's name.

'This is Ginny, my sister,' said Ron. 'You're much happier now, Winky!'

Winky nodded energetically, her large ears flapping.

'Professor Dumbledore talked to Winky before, sirs and miss, and now Winky is a much happier house-elf!' She squeaked happily, beaming at them.

'Hermione would love to hear that,' said Ron quietly.

There was silence for a moment, before Winky broke it, saying: 'Would sirs and miss like to see Dobby now?'

'Yes, please, Winky,' said Harry, and the little elf led them between the house tables. Various elves waved and bowed as they passed. They all returned the greetings by waving. Suddenly, they stopped.

'Here we are, Harry Potter.' Winky motioned to an open cupboard. 'Dobby!' she called.

A small figure jumped from a high shelf in the cupboard, then rushed at Harry.

'Harry Potter!' Dobby squealed, throwing his arms around Harry's waist.

'Hello, Dobby!' said Harry, who was also pleased to see the elf. Dobby pulled away and beamed up at Harry, then looked at Ron.

'Mister Weezy!' he said, bowing low: he'd never gotten over Ron's "generosity" in the shape of a maroon jumper. When he straightened up, he looked at Ginny blankly. 'Hello Miss!' He looked pleased to see her, even though they'd never met.

'This is Ginny, Dobby,' said Harry, 'she's Ron's sister.'

Dobby bowed again.

'Dobby has had the pleasure now of meeting four Weezys! Masters Fredgeorge, Ron, and now Miss Ginny!'

Ginny blushed. She decided she liked Dobby.

'Dobby,' said Harry, steering the conversation back on track. 'Have you noticed who we're missing?'

Dobby looked up at Harry. He grabbed the tips of his ears and looked between the three of them.

'Miss Hermy?' he said tentatively.

Harry and Ron blinked.

'When did you start calling her "Hermy"?' Ron asked blankly.

'Dobby heard it from Hermy herself…' he mumbled. 'She said if Dobby had too much trouble saying her full name, I could calls her Hermy.' He looked at the ground.

'That's – that's fine,' Harry said, glancing at Ron. 'Anyway, Dobby, a girl – one of our classmates – said that on Wednesday, Hermione said she was coming down here. Did she?'

Dobby glanced at Winky, and then nodded. Harry sighed.

'Well? Why did she come, for how long, and when did she leave?'

But Dobby just shuffled his feet and pulled harder on his ears. Ron glanced at Harry, then looked at Winky.

'Winky,' he said kindly, 'what happened to Hermione?'

'Winky cannot say!' she squealed. 'Winky – Winky does not know!'

Ginny squatted in front of Dobby as Harry threw his hands up in exasperation.

'Dobby,' she put on a sweet voice. Dobby raised his eyes to meet hers. 'What happened to Hermione?'

Dobby looked between Harry, Ron and Ginny, then at Winky, who gave him a nod of encouragement. He looked back up at the three Gryffindors and sighed …

'I can't believe he didn't tell anyone sooner!' Harry fumed, twenty minutes later, as they walked quickly down the Fat Lady's corridor.

'Me neither,' said Ron, shaking his head, fury lining his face, too. He was clutching a large bag of food and flasks of pumpkin juice.

Ginny just jogged along silently behind them. They finally reached the Fat Lady.

'What are you all so angry about?' she asked, looking down at them.

'Cherry numbat,' said Ron flatly. The Fat Lady swung forward to admit them, clucking her tongue.

'What are we going to do?' Ginny asked the boys.

'Dumbledore's not here,' said Harry, thinking quickly. 'Malfoy would have known about it, remember what he said on Wednesday?' He looked at the other two. 'We should go after him.'

'What?' Ginny said incredulously, but Ron nodded.

'Yeah,' he said slowly. 'If he knew about both plans … they must have told him …'

Harry nodded. Ginny, however, let a frustrated cry.

'Are we planning on going?' she said loudly.

Harry and Ron looked at each other.

'Yes,' they said at the same time.

'Now we know where she is, and where he's going, we might be able to get to her first!' Ron explained. 'If Malfoy gets to her first …' He trailed off and shuddered. Ginny sighed. She understood how he felt, she really did.

Harry recognised her resignation.

'Right,' he said briskly, clapping his hands together and grinning tightly. 'Be back here in five minutes; bring your broomsticks. We'll leave from the Astronomy Tower just after that.'

He and Ron turned and ran up the stairs to the boys' dormitory, while Ginny sprinted up the girls'.

Harry threw open his trunk, grabbed his bag out, stuffed in a jumper, a cloak, his back of gold, a change of clothes. He snatched up his Firebolt and turned to face Ron, who was clutching his Cleensweep. Ron glanced towards Seamus' trunk, where they knew his Nimbus 2001 was stored.

'Do you think he'll mind?' he asked Harry.

'He'll understand. Write him a quick note.' Harry slung his bag over his shoulder. 'I'll see in the common room. Me and Ginny'll start dividing up this food.' He grabbed the sack and left Ron scribbling a note to Seamus, explaining that his Nimbus would be fine and he, Ron, would bring it back soon. He left his Cleensweep on Seamus' bed and hurried into the common room, where he met Harry and Ginny. Harry handed him some bread rolls, some plastic containers of spread, a flask of pumpkin juice and some fruit. Ron wrinkled his nose.

'Why is it all healthy stuff?' he said.

'It's not,' said Harry, stuffing his own food into his bag. 'Ginny has the sweets.'

Ron raised his eyebrows.

'Why has she got them?' he asked, watching Harry, but his head snapped around when Ginny answered.

'Because I'm less likely to eat them.' She pulled the drawstring on her bag and straightened up, grinning. Ron rolled his eyes, and turned back to Harry.

'You know, just because she's skinny doesn't mean she doesn't eat sweets,' he pointed out. Harry laughed.

'No offence, Ron,' he said, grinning, 'but you like sweets much more than Ginny.' He motioned to her. 'They're safer with her. There's not many of them, anyway. Most of the food's healthy because I don't know how much Hermione has been fed: she could be starving: we'll probably need to feed her, and I don't think it's a good idea to stuff her full of junk.'

Ron shrugged, but he knew Harry was right. He didn't want to say anything about it, but he was incredibly nervous; what if Malfoy did get there before them? He shook his mind from the worry and looked back at Ginny. He told her about borrowing Seamus' broom and she held up her own Cleensweep, looking dismayed.

'I'll never be able to keep up with you,' she said sadly. Harry and Ron exchanged a look. How would they work around the brooms' differences?

'Colin!' said Ron suddenly, snapping his fingers.

'What?' said Ginny, bewildered.

'Colin.' Ron repeated patiently. 'I know he's not on the team, but he's a reserve, so he has a broomstick here! It's a Nimbus 2000, so it'll do fine. He likes you, Gin, and we all know he adores Harry –' (Harry snorted) '- so he won't mind!' He turned to Harry. 'Harry, go into his dormitory, write a quick note and take it. Come on!'

Harry sighed and disappeared back up the stairs. Ron bounced up and down while waiting for Harry, but Ginny stood, looking out the window. Finally, Harry came running back down, holding Colin's broomstick in his hand.

'I feel bad,' he announced.

'Not half as bad as you'd feel if Malfoy gets to Hermione before us. Come on.'

They grabbed their stuff and ran out of the common room. They didn't stop running until they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower, which meant they were all severely out of breath.

'Do you think we should have told McGonagall?' panted Ginny, leaning against a parapet. Ron shook his head.

'You know what teachers are like,' he said bitterly, his hand on his side, gasping for breath. 'She'd probably think we were lying and ignore us, just like with the Philosopher's stone.'

Harry climbed up onto the parapet.

'Come on, you two,' he said, breathing deeply, trying to get his breath back. 'We can catch our breath while we're flying.'

Ron and Ginny climbed up on either side of him, Ron still holding the stitch in his side. Harry went first, swinging one leg over his broom, then pushing off from the stone. Ron and Ginny followed his lead. They hovered in the air above Hogwarts, looking in the direction they needed to go.

'If we fly quickly,' said Harry, 'we should be able to get to a town tonight.'

Ron nodded.

'Let's go.'