Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Though, I wish I had some gummy bears.

Hazardous Sanity

8/05

Chapter Fifteen: Missing

Lying all alone and restless

Unable to lose this image

Sleepless, unable to focus on

Anything but your surrender…

Thinking of You by A Perfect Circle

--..--..--

Harry Potter was missing.

It was all Ginny could think about. He was missing. Gone. But why? Why did he leave? Dumbledore apparently knew, but he seemed reluctant to reveal anymore information than they already knew. He had taken the letter with him when he left the Hospital Wing and they haven't seen him since.

Hermione was forced to explain the whole situation to Ron, even the parts about Ginny being gay. Ginny wasn't sure if that was necessary, but she knew Hermione was just trying to help. Right now they all sat in the common room around the fire place. It was a week since Harry left and Ginny forced herself out of the Hospital Wing. Madam Promfrey was furious, of course.

Over and over again, had Ron explained what he remembered from reading the letter. Over and over again had somebody walked into the common room and they were disappointed that it was not Harry. Over and over again… had the owls at breakfast swooped into view but none of them from Harry. Over and over again… had they wanted to see the Headmaster but he wasn't there.

The letter said that Harry had to go to keep them safe. It said it was the only way he can assure he didn't do anything stupid. He had to leave.

That was all it said.

Ginny slammed her hand on one of the tables in the common room. Where was he? Why didn't he say? Was he off to find Voldemort? The hand that Ginny hit the table with suddenly started shooting sharp pains up her arm, but she ignored it.

Where are you, Harry?

Ignoring the looks Ron and Hermione were giving her, she went upstairs to her now empty dorm. She lay awake, staring at the ceiling and trying to figure out why he left. Harry always knew so much that he didn't let on to, was this one of those things? Ginny felt her bed shift and looked over to see Hermione sitting on the edge of it.

"May I sleep here tonight?" she asked hesitantly.

Ginny nodded. It was becoming a sort of tradition that one of them sleep with the other when they couldn't sleep. Lately it was becoming more and more often. Sometimes she found herself holding the older girl closer to her, or being spooned and cuddled. It was sweet and nice and all… but it hurt her that it didn't mean anything in reality.

Hermione slid under the covers and tentatively moved close to Ginny and curled up at her side. Feeling her heart constrict painfully, she did the same.

Sleep came easier that night.

But so did the dreams.

--..--..--

"Ginny."

"What?" Ginny snapped at the shadowed figure who was disturbing her rest.

"I want to make up for what I did," the voice told her.

"Good for you," Ginny spat at the girl angrily. "But isn't it a bit late for that, Lana Gwen?"

Lana bit her lip. "I know why Harry Potter has left. Will that help me redeem myself?"

"Not bloody likely," Ginny sneered before realizing what the other girl said. "Wait, you know where Harry is? Tell me!"

"I do not know where he is," she sighed. "I just know why he has left."

"Then tell me!" Ginny demanded.

Lana Gwen sat on the floor, crossing her legs and motioning for Ginny to join her. Ginny did so with a huff of annoyance.

"Why did he leave?" she asked impatiently.

The other girl looked deep in thought for a moment. "Do you remember what Albus Dumbledore spoke to you about in the Infirmary? He was saying that I, you, us, we were a mere experiment for larger things. For Harry Potter."

"Yes. Yes, I remember."

"Well," Lana continued, "now that he knows what to do and what not to do from using us (she winced slightly at those words), he can set out what he originally wanted to do. What he wanted to do before the idea of infiltrating Hogwarts was in the realm of possibility."

"What did he want to do?" Ginevra asked quietly.

Lana Gwen smiled eerily. "He wanted to take over Harry Potter's body and extract the information he wanted from his mind. Then I think he would have done something irreparable to his brain. Brainwash him into joining the Dark Side or make him simply mad. He could have killed him as well, I suppose," she finished, looking thoughtful.

Ginny's mouth was slightly agape. "But why-"

"Harry Potter knows things the Dark Lord does not, but wants to know. He knows why he defeated him as a child, he knows what the prophecy says, he knows things about the order some people could only dream of knowing."

"But I'm afraid that he knows too much. He also knows everything that has happened with us, Ginevra. He has been dreaming it since the very beginning."

"Harry knows all of that? But… that means-"

"Yes. He knows what the Dark Lord is planning to do-"

"So he left," Ginny finished in awe.

"Yes," Lana nodded, "and if the Dark Lord hasn't gotten to him yet, physically or mentally, then he will soon."

He motioned to the battle raging behind him. "It's your fault." Then he shook away his sleeve and showed her his dark mark.

"I-I don't understand," the other Ginny whispered shakily.

"You will," he whispered back.

"Oh, God," Ginny moaned, burying her face in her hands as the memory resurfaced.

"What can we do?"

Lana Gwen gave her another eerie smile and said, "Absolutely nothing."

--..--..--

Ginny opened her eyes to sunlight. It was so unlike her feelings. Inside of her, it was a forever raging storm of two souls. Fighting over which reaction was which and which was real, memories that are and aren't hers getting mixed up and blurry, the constant bloated feeling that made her think she was bursting at the seams with another soul to share her body and brain with.

She was slowly going mad.

Hermione held her from behind, her arms protectively holding the other girl's back to her chest. Ginny sighed and woke up her friend to tell her what her latest dream revealed.

--..--..--

The common room was empty. Ron was staring blankly at the fire place while Ginny and Hermione filled him in. When they were done, he looked up and his eyes were hardened with a determined glint shining furiously in them.

"There has to be something we can do."

Ginny and Hermione looked at each other worriedly. Ron looked desperate.

"There's nothing," Ginny said soothingly. "Harry will just have to get through this on his own, just like he usually does."

Ron flared up. "He doesn't usually do it himself!"

"Ron…" Hermione murmured, rubbing his arm consolingly. He yanked it away and stood up.

"He usually has help from someone! He's not ready for this, yet, Ginny!" he yelled, towering over her before going to pace in front of the fireplace.

"We have to get in contact with him," he muttered to himself.

"But, Ron," Hermione said reasonably, "there's no way the school owls will know how to find him."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed.

He went on walking as if he hadn't heard them. Then, quite suddenly, he stopped dead.

"Hedwig," he whispered.

"What?" the two girls asked at the same time. They glanced at each other and blushed.

"Hedwig. He left Hedwig here."

Ginny's heart was pounding. It was too easy… Too easy… They could have just owled him all of this time? It seemed almost impossible, but yet…

"Think about it," Ron went on ecastically. "Why else would Harry leave Hedwig here? He loves her! He brings her everywhere!"

"Ron…" Hermione whispered sadly. "Maybe he left Hedwig for the same reason he left us."

Ron blinked, deterred, but then he continued on walking and talking.

"Doesn't matter. We have a way to contact Harry now, to see if he's safe! Maybe he'll let it slip where he is and we can… We can save him."

"Ron," Hermione tried again. "Maybe it was the best thing that he left. Whoever's around him is in jeopardy now."

Ron's eyes flashed. "The best?" he asked, swooping down at Hermione and grinding his teeth in anger. "THE BEST THING? HOW IS THAT THE BEST THING, HERMIONE? HE'S IN MORE DANGER THAN ANY OF US CAN POSSIBLY BE IN! HE CAN HAVE HIS BRAIN WARPED, HE CAN TURN TO THE DARK SIDE! HE CAN DIE!"

A flash of bright green light enveloped the death eater Harry, and he slumped to the ground.

His eyes remained open, reflecting the chaos of death all around him.

Ginny shuddered and blinked.

"Ron's right, Hermione. We have to contact him. It's best if the Order deals with him, not when he's left to his own devices. All alone."

Hermione suddenly burst into tears. "I didn't mean that-I was just trying to make a point-I don't want Harry to be alone! I don't want him to die! I just don't want him hurting people that he'll regret later, including one of you!"

Ginny went over to her and shot Ron a glare. "We know that, Hermione. We're all just a bit… out of sorts, you know? We'll owl Harry and decide what to do when he replies, okay. Shush," she said, smoothing her hands over Hermione's hair, "don't cry."

Ron fell back into his seat and swept a hand through his own hair. "Yeah. I'm sorry, Hermione. I just… I just don't want him to get hurt."

"None of us do. Now go get Hedwig, Ron. We have a letter to write," Ginny told him in a business like way. Ron nodded and went up to his dorm.

Ginny continued consoling Hermione, wondering who was going to reply to the letter they wrote- Harry… or somebody else?

A/N: Hey all! Sorry for the late update. I've been a bit busy with some different stories, including Shards Of A Diamond. I hope this chapter helps clear a bit more up, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask! I've decided the story will go on to chapter twenty, then I'll probably put in an Epilogue. After that a new story starts! Most likely it will be this Dark!Harry fic I plotted out all in one night ;D No Draco here... He didn't fit. He will be coming more, though, I promise.

Necrovore: Thank you!

Bleu Munkehs' in dar shey: Thanks! Heehee, I've always wanted to be a goddess ;D

Raven-Fieryblack: Oh, dear, I hope you're feeling better now! More updates are coming soon, since I've blasted through my writers block once again . Really? I'm your favorite author? -squees madly- I think they have somedownloads here for Open Office or something of that nature, if you'd be willing to try it. I would love to see something from you! ;)

Faye: Thank you! I'm glad you think so!

GoodyBad: Thanks, hun! I'm glad you liked it. You've been such an awesome reviewer these past few months, I always look foward to them . Sorry I've made you sad, though, I can help but feel slightly accomplished over it... Heehee... -sheepish-

Next Chapter: Letters

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione write a letter to Harry and send it to him through Hedwig. But who will reply? The Harry they know and love... or somebody else? Will there even be a reply?

Reviews feed my muse and make me update faster .