AUTHOR'S NOTE Sorry I haven't updated this story for a while…I'm just bad at updating in general, lol.

DISCLAIMER I don't own any of the characters…just borrowing them for a while.

…

"'Arry! You should't be out by yerself with it so close to evenin'!" Hagrid said urgently when he opened the door. He ushered Harry inside. "It isn't safe!"

Harry allowed himself to be whisked into the hut. "I'm sorry, Hagrid," he muttered. He really did feel ashamed. Somehow, only Hagrid's warning made any impression on him.

"Nah, it's not yer fault," the half-giant said. "Everyone's worried 'bout everybody. Ain't no one safe."

Hagrid sank down heavily into a giant armchair. Harry took a seat hesitantly on the couch. Fang, Hagrid's large black dog, bounded over and laid his head on Harry's knee. As he idly scratched Fang's ears, Harry watched Hagrid closely. He realized that Hagrid looked even more distraught than he was.

"Hagrid, are you alright?"

Hagrid nodded miserably. "It's just, I 'ad to send Grawp away. Didn't want anything ter 'appen to 'im." Hagrid sniffed. "An then students keep getting 'urt an I don't want anything ter 'appen to you!"

"Nothing's going to happen to me, Hagrid," Harry said quickly. "I promise."

Harry's words seemed to reassure Hagrid before he burst into tears. He even smiled. "'Arry," he said, slightly hesitantly. "If this thing that's attacking 'Ogwarts isn't You-Know-Who, then what is it?"

Harry fidgeted and shrugged. "I don't know."

"I just wish I knew you'd be safe," Hagrid said.

"Look Hagrid, if it will make you feel better, why don't I spend the night here?" Harry offered. "It's almost dark and that way you can be sure I'm safe."

Hagrid perked up. "Really? Ye wouldn't mind?"

"Nah." Harry waved a hand. "My dorm's a pretty depressing place right now."

Hagrid looked sad. "I was sorry to 'ear about Seamus."

Harry brushed him off. "I don't want to talk about Seamus, Hagrid. I want to think about simpler times when it was just Voldemort's memory or escaped convicts hunting us." He didn't seem to realize what he was saying until after he said it.

Hagrid patted his knee reassuringly. "Now I won' be getting you into any trouble, will I?"

"Don't worry, Hagrid. I won't let anyone blame you for my being here." Harry smiled a false smile. "Everything will be fine.

.i.i.i.

Ron awoke the next morning with a start. He glanced around the room wildly. Something was wrong. He could feel it. Softly, he heard Dean snoring across the room. Neville's, Seamus's, and Harry's beds were all silent and empty.

He leapt out of bed and ran down to the Common Room. 'Please let Harry be there!' he thought. When Harry was nowhere to be found, Ron raced up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

And landed swiftly on his bottom at the foot of the magical slide. "Dammit!" he swore out loud. "I can't even bang on the door?"

Apparently the shape-shifting stairs did not understand English, for the slide remained intact and taunting Ron. Angrily, he picked up an abandoned textbook and threw it at the door. It hit with a hard thunk. Ron's anger evaporated as he looked around for more heavy things to throw. An unused roll of parchment was the next to go. "HERMIONE!" Ron bellowed.

Finally, the door creaked open and a sleepy 4th year peeked out. "What is going on?" she asked groggily.

"Go get Hermione Granger!" Ron commanded. When the girl did not react immediately, Ron yelled, "Now!"

That got her moving and moments later, Hermione appeared. She looked none too pleased with Ron. "What is so important?" she asked.

"Harry's gone!"

"What?" Hermione's grouchiness instantly evaporated. "What do you mean, gone?"

Ron looked at her. "I mean he's not here. He left last night to go for a walk and I haven't seen him since."

Hermione was furious. "You idiot! You just let him go walking around alone and never went to look for him?"

"I didn't know he was going to run off!" Ron shot back defensively. "He was upset about Seamus." His anger melted into sorrow. "I guess I understood why he'd want to be alone."

Hermione blinked back tears. "We have to find him."

Ron nodded. Hermione retrieved her dressing gown and threw it on before they rushed out of the dorm. "Where do we even start looking?" Ron asked, desperation tingeing his voice.

"I don't know, Ron. I don't know what to do." Suddenly Hermione's eyes lit up and she tore down the hall. "Professor McGonagall!" she cried as she ran toward her.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, what's wrong?" McGonagall asked.

Ron looked guiltily at the professor as Hermione said, "Harry's missing."

"Again?" McGonagall sighed nervously. "All right. You two begin searching the castle. I'll alert the staff and begin searching the castle and the grounds." She glared sternly at them. "Whatever you do, do not go outside!"

After Ron and Hermione nodded their understanding, McGonagall rushed off down the hall. Hermione grabbed Ron's wrist and dragged him off in the other direction. "Maybe we should check the Great Hall," Ron suggested. "You know, just in case."

Hermione shot him a glare that plainly read, "If he's there eating breakfast, we're dead," but nodded. Together, they stood in the doorway and scanned the faces of the few students up for breakfast. Ron's heart sank when they saw that Harry was not there.

He whirled around when he felt a soft tap on his back. "Oh, it's you," he said.

Luna's first-year charge, Bricilla, blushed and looked at the ground. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Hermione glared at Ron again. "It's fine, Bricilla," she said. "Are you okay?"

Bricilla nodded, but she looked upset. "Have you seen Luna anywhere?"

"No, I'm sorry." Hermione smiled hopefully. "You haven't seen Harry around this morning, have you?"

The girl shook her head. "Uh-uh. Are you sure you haven't seen Luna?"

"Why don't you come with us?" Ron suddenly suggested. "You can look for Luna and we can look for Harry."

"Okay!" Bricillia actually smiled. "Where do we start looking?"

Ron started to say that they didn't know, but an outburst from Hermione cut him off. "Ron, I figured it out!"

"Figured what out?" Bricilla asked.

"Remember what Professor McGonagall just said?" she asked. Upon Ron's blank look, she repeated, "Don't go outside. Now think about all the people who've been hurt. Neville was by the greenhouses. Pansy was in the courtyard. Snape was at the edge of the forest and Ginny, Oliver, and Seamus – "

"Were by the Quidditch Pitch," Ron finished. "No one's been injured or killed in the castle! During the rain, no one got hurt."

"Which means that we should be safe inside the castle," Bricilla said. "Right?"

"But if Harry's outside," Ron continued, "He could be in danger."

Hermione crossed her arms. "McGonagall told us to stay inside!"

Ron sighed. "Hermione, you cannot possibly be thinking of rules right now!"

Hermione and Bricilla hurried to follow Ron as he headed for the entrance to the castle, with Hermione mumbling, "I always think of the rules!" as they ran.