Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, yadda yadda yadda. Please don't sue, I'm poor...
A/N: Ok, Gillian88 made a good point in her review…how do the first and second chapters match up? I was in a hurry, and forgot to say…the prologue is set at the end of Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts, following OoTP canon. The rest of the fic is set in Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts…no spoilers for HBP, all my own imagination. Hope that clears up any confusion!
BIG thanks to my reviewers! You rock!
Gillian – Ta so much hun! Ok, looking back, I can see that it's confusing…this is why I need a beta! See above for explanation. Once I stop deciding to post at weird times, I might take you up on the beta option…thanks a lot for offering. I'll try with the English stuff…this is what grows of reading too much fanfic and spending too much time on American boards, hehe.
Balthamos – Thanks, I'm trying my best! You should write stuff…it's always good when you do, especially cause it's original!
The morning sunlight filtered in through the blinds, sending shadows over Harry's empty bed. The other Gryffindor 6th years were getting up, but no one took much notice of Harry's empty bed, being used to him getting up at odd times. They expected to see him turn up at breakfast or in lessons, as usual. They all got ready in their normal way, and headed off to breakfast.
Ron slipped into his usual place at the table, next to Hermione. Next to him, Harry's usual seat was empty. Ron glanced at Hermione questioningly, but she simply shrugged. No one knew where Harry was a lot of the time anymore. He hadn't been the same since Sirius' death the year before. They both suspected that the long lonely summer at the Dursley's factored greatly in Harry's reluctance to talk. Dumbledore had forbidden all contact with Harry over the summer, since they couldn't risk Harry's whereabouts being disclosed. In theory, it was a sound plan…the ultimate protection for Harry. However, the plan had not been designed with Harry's emotions in mind. The long summer months of constant belittling by his relatives had simply resulted in Harry locking his emotions away, and refusing to talk about them, even when he did get back to Hogwarts. Ron sighed. Harry does have a lot of problems, he thought ruefully. And one of the main problems was that he and Hermione had no clue what to do about it.
"Ron? Ron!" Hermione cut into his musing. "Come on, we've got to get to class!" Ron looked down at his watch, and gulped. It was time for class…and if Ron knew who had assigned them double Potions first thing on a Monday, they would be on the receiving end of a nice Bat-Bogey Hex, he thought grimly.
The class were lined up outside, waiting. Hermione, conscious of the time, glanced at her watch. Strange…she could count of the fingers of one elbow the number of times Snape has been late for a class. And Harry hadn't turned up yet either…suddenly, alarm bells started going off in her head. She turned towards Ron, and, grabbing his arm, she quickly pulled him into the next corridor.
"Hey! What do you think you're…."
Ron's splutters where quickly silenced when Hermione motioned him to be quiet.
Urgently, Hermione filled him in on what had just flitted through her head. Ron listened, with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Hermione, don't bite my head off, but I don't see the connection between Harry and Snape both being late…"
Hermione snapped impatiently, "Ron, you know as well as I do that Snape isn't late. Snape's never late. Something's happened. And I've just got a gut feeling that it has something to do with Harry…he'd never miss Potions, you know that. Snape'd kill him!"
Ron slowly nodded. "Ok, maybe that makes sense. But Harry wouldn't go off without telling us…would he?"
He looked to Hermione for reassurance.
"Right?" He asked again, hopefully.
Hermione slowly shook her head. "Since last year, I don't think we can discount anything regarding Harry. If he thought that he was endangering us…"
Ron was slowly turning paler and paler.
"And if he thought that Snape was in possible danger, he'd go by himself. He wouldn't want to risk us…again" Hermione finished.
Ron said angrily, "The prat! D'you seriously reckon he's gone after Snape himself?"
Hermione nodded. "Straight into the path of the Death Eaters" she said quietly.
Ron went completely white. "You mean…you mean…you think Harry's gone straight into the hands of You-Know-Who?" His voice shook slightly.
Hermione said grimly, "I'm almost certain. Come on! We've got to tell Professor Dumbledore!"
The pair scrambled back into the Potions corridor, and tore past the rest of the class, disregarding the mixture of disdainful and puzzled looks they got.
Hermione and Ron ran all the way up to the Headmaster's office. When they reached the gargoyle, they stopped, out of breath. Having no idea of the password, they started rattling off as many differentnames of candy as they could think.
"Chocolate frog…sugar quill…fizzing whizzbees…"
Getting frustrated, Ron kicked the gargoyle and slumped down beside it.
"Face it Hermione, we're never gonna get it. That was always Harry's speciality anyway."
Hermione smiled weakly at Ron's pathetic attempt at a joke. Ready to admit defeat, the pair jumped to their feet when they heard footsteps in the next corridor.
Professor Dumbledore appeared in the next corridor, looking curiously at the dishevelled pair.
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