Author's Note: Nothing is mine. Well, except… the… umm… well, you should know the characters from Harry Potter, and the ones that you don't know are mine. Rawr.

Harry Potter and the Missing Key

Chapter One: What Happened To Ron?

As a girl around 17 stared, daydreaming, out of the window, another person , though far away, was doing the exact same thing. Neither knew about each other yet. The girl, Hermione Granger, with bushy brown hair and brown eyes, daydreamed, she thought about how this was her last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and how in a few hours, she would be leaving on the Hogwarts Express for the last time. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Hermione snapped back to reality and realized that it was probably Harry Potter; as she had agreed to meet him exactly 2 hours before the train left. She grinned as she glanced at her watch. 45 minutes late. Just like always. She jumped off her bed and rushed to the door. She opened it to find a drenched Harry, although it was blindingly sunny, and there were no sprinklers on in sight. Hermione merely blinked at him.

"Umm… Harry… what happened to you?" she asked, not knowing if she wanted to know the answer. Harry rolled his eyes and bounced inside.

"If you must know—"Harry was cut off by a loud laughing. 2 red-headed boys popped up, smiling and chuckling.

"Ah. Harry. No gossiping, you know that…" And they were about to drop a large pink water balloon on his head when Hermione shrieked,

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NO WATER BALLOONS IN MY HOUSE!!!" Fred and George sighed, and carefully put the balloon back in a large black top hat they were holding. Hermione was finally able to breathe again, and then she remembered poor Harry, sopping wet and in desperate need of grooming. Hermione pulled out her wand and muttered a few words, and Harry was dry and ready to go. Only his hair was still unbelievably messy. Hermione poked the top of his head and sighed.

"Even with magic it still can't lay flat…" Harry glared.

"Oh, quit it, Mione! You sound exactly like Mrs. Weasley!" The twins looked at each other and then said,

"Hey, guys we'd love to stay, but Peeves needs us. He's planning to drop water balloons on anyone who passes the Great Hall, and well, we're providing the balloons." Fred picked up the bucket and George opened the door. Harry looked relaxed once they left, now that there was no chance that he could get hit. Hermione was shutting the door behind them when a balloon flew through the remaining crack and a loud cackling could be heard. Harry sighed, and looked up at Hermione. Hermione groaned and performed the same charm. Time had passed by quickly so they grabbed their bags and rushed out the door.

Once they were out of the house and on the train, they walked up and down the train corridors looking for Ron, but they couldn't find him. Harry and Hermione, confuse chose an empty compartment and thought about where Ron could be.

"Maybe he missed the train again, like in second year!" Harry finally came up with. Hermione nodded.

"That's exactly like Ron. You're probably right, Harry. Anyway, we'll see him at the Sorting Ceremony." Harry nodded at Hermione's words. The entire time on the train, though, Harry was stuffing his face with Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best-Blowing Gum, Bertie-Bott's Every Flavor Bean, and more.

(sorry it's so short… heh! Happy New Years Eve, everyone!)