16
A/N: Hey all! Sorry it's taken such a long time to update, but I really am busy during the school year. I try and write as much as possible and here's what's come of it all this time! Enjoy!
- EveningSongEnchantment
Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling and don't own her delightful and simply wonderful world of Harry Potter or its characters.
Chapter 5: Diagon Alley and Departure
Harry woke up to a bright morning the next day. But knowing what he was about to do that day seemed to blot out all the cheerfulness of the sunlight that was steaming through the window. He looked around and saw that Ron and Hermione were both asleep.
He got up and started packing things into his trunk. They might not get another chance today. He was careful to leave the invisibility cloak he had inherited from his father and his broom out of the jumble of things inside. As he piled some of his books into the trunk he heard a knock at the door. He quickly shut his trunk; he didn't want anyone to know he was packing. Then he went to the door and opened it.
It was Ginny. Without being invited in she strode through the door and sat on Harry's bed. She looked at him accusingly and demanded, "What are you doing?"
Harry didn't answer. What would he do now?
"I know you were packing. What for? We don't leave for Hogwarts until September first. That's about a week away!" She put her hands on her hips and stood up. Then she noticed the broom and cloak.
"Going somewhere?"
"No," Harry lied. Well it wasn't really a lie, he wasn't going anywhere yet.
Ginny gave him a once over and opened her mouth to say more. But then Ron woke up and saw her. Harry nearly gave a sigh of relief as she shut her mouth and stared at her brother. Ron stared back and said, "What are you doing in here?"
Then he looked at Harry who gave him an expression that clearly said nosing about.
Ron was just about to tell Ginny off when she ran out of the room, face in her hands.
"That's not good."
Harry turned around to see Hermione awake and watchful.
"I heard your conversation," she said looking at Harry. "You know we can't keep her from this."
"Yes we can," Harry rebuked her, "All we have to do is keep this up until tonight and then we'll be gone."
Hermione gave him a look that said fine, do what you want and marched over to her trunk to start packing as well.
Harry looked hopelessly at Ron. He shrugged and got up to pack too.
When they had made sure that they were absolutely packed; nothing left out, they trooped downstairs to the kitchen.
There they found all the Weasleys that were currently in the house all sitting at the table. Except for Ginny who was sitting in the corner with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.
Fred and George gave Harry questioning looks which he immediately ignored.
Ron sat down and raised his eyebrows at the twins with an expression that plainly said later.
"Diagon Alley today!" Mrs. Weasley reminded them all at breakfast, "So eat quickly you lot and we'll get there early."
A quarter of an hour later they were in Diagon Alley. They had again traveled by Floo Powder and came out in the Leaky Cauldron.
Like last year, the pub was almost completely empty except for…
"All righ' you three?" It was Hagrid. With a whoosh Mrs. Weasley appeared; followed by the twins and Ginny. Charlie had stayed behind so he could pack. He was leaving to go back to Romania after everyone left for Hogwarts. "Mrs. Wealsey, Fred, George, Ginny." Hagrid said, greeting each in turn with an inclination of his head.
"Hey Hagrid!" Was his enthusiastic reply.
"I was just about ter be doin' some shoppin' meself." He said casually, "Mind if a join ya?"
"Not at all," Mrs. Weasley said with a wave of her hand.
Harry gave a grim smile. He knew what Hagrid was there for; to protect him! He sighed, well; he wouldn't have to be watched much longer. Not when he was gone anyway, it would be just him, Ron and Hermione.
"Harry, are you coming?"
Harry snapped to attention. He had been standing in the same spot for at least a minute and the others had made it half-way across the pub. Mrs. Wealsey looked concerned.
Harry hastened to catch up with them and before they could ask questions, "I'm fine," He said, "Really," He added at the look Hagrid and the rest were all giving him. Hermione and Ron looked away and started to lead the way to the door.
Ginny cocked an eyebrow at him as he passed her. Then she too followed Ron and Hermione.
"I wish you would tell me what's going on." She whispered. "It must have something to do with Voldemort."
Harry stopped short and stared at her.
"Well it's pretty obvious," She declared, "To me anyway. You've been preoccupied all summer. I know it has to do with what you and Dumbledore didn't finish last year."
Harry shrugged and moved on before Hagrid and Mrs. Weasley got suspicious. Hermione and Ron were waiting for them at the wall that led to Diagon Alley. Hermione tapped a brick and an archway appeared in the wall.
"Why won't you tell me?"
Harry turned around to face Ginny.
"Is this for some noble reason? Just like when you broke up with me."
"I wouldn't call it breaking up; I'd call it a short-term intermission in our relationship."
"Whatever," She said aggravated, "But that doesn't change the fact that you're avoiding me and not telling me something."
They got the archway and Fred and George passed them.
"We should get to the shop." And they strode in the direction of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
As Harry saw him pass Ron and Hermione he could have sworn he saw Fred wink.
They must be getting stuff for us, he thought. Before he could be questioned any further by Ginny he hurried to catch up with Ron and Hermione.
"Ginny's getting more persistent," He announced. Hermione gave him an I-told-you-so look and turned to look at Ginny. Ron frowned at Hermione's expression and then he too looked over his shoulder and his sister. He gave a barely audible "Uh oh," and point.
Harry looked and saw that Ginny had met up with Neville. Who quickly bade Ginny good-bye and left, bearing towards of his grandmother.
"That's not good,"
"Maybe he was just saying hello," Hermione suggested nervously, for she too had been watching.
"And not come and say hello to us?" Ron asked, "I don't think so Hermione."
"What're you three up ter?"
All of them jumped at the voice of Hagrid which had come directly from behind them.
"Nothing," Hermione said in all honesty. "Just waiting for you guys to catch up."
"Hmph," Hagrid said, "Really?"
How many times today were people going to say that to them?
"Really," Harry said exasperatedly, "It's not like we're scheming or anything."
Hagrid raised an eyebrow and walked off to station himself at the entrance to the Owl Emporium where Mrs. Weasley had just entered with Ginny. Harry and the others entered the little store as well to get treats for their pets.
Bill had gone to Gringott's to get money for all of them before the wedding. Harry had requested a large sum of money. When Charlie had asked why he had merely replied "To get any extra things I might need." And that was that.
Then they bought more supplies to replenish their potion kits, ("We still might need them," Hermione said at Ron and Harry's questioning looks.) She quickly shut up when she noticed Ginny near by looking suspiciously in their direction. Then the group continued on the Flourish and Blotts and bought new school books. With Hermione's assurances that they might need the spells in the books they purchased three Standard Book of Spells: Grade 7 and left to run more errands.
Here and there they met familiar faces but no one stopped to chat. Everyone was hurrying around trying to get their shopping done as fast as they could like it were Christmas rush. These days there was not much peace due to Voldemort's power. Harry felt a stab of anger at this, but then reminded himself that if he was successful that wouldn't last very long. As Harry relaxed he noticed that Ron was already at the door of the twins' shop. They all entered quickly. Mrs. Weasley insisted that they didn't need anything except to bid the twins good-bye and good luck. Since everyone was about to leave the Burrow, Fred and George had returned to their flat above the shop.
"Good luck," Fred whispered to Harry and the other two as he slipped their most useful supplies into their shopping bags.
"Call on us if you ever need anything," George said with a worried face.
"Thanks," Harry said, "And we'll be just fine. Look after Ginny for us will you?"
"Will do." And both shook Harry's hand.
Mrs. Weasley came bustling up from behind a shelf of hair-care products that turned your hair into frog spawn.
"Time to go," She said and hugged the twins in turn. "Good bye Fred, goody bye George."
"Mum," George protested as she hugged him, "It's not like we'll never see you again, we're still coming to visit."
"Right," Mrs. Weasley said wiping tears from her eyes. "Right, I'll see you later then. The rest of you lets go."
As he left the shop Harry grinned and waved at the twins. They both winked in reply and went to help a customer. Their assistant, Verity, ran up to the counter and started talking hurriedly to George who followed her to a customer who seemed to have gotten into some of the wart powder.
The street was gloomy compared to the shop. It was practically deserted. The only people that were there were looking over their shoulders every few seconds as if they expected an attack at any moment. Children kept close to their parents and no one was alone.
The Weasleys and their guests hurried back to the Leaky Cauldron. When they entered Tom, the bartender looked up hopefully; but then sadly went back to cleaning a table when he saw that they weren't going to stop and buy a drink.
"See ya later Molly," Hagrid said, "Be careful."
"Thank you Hagrid," Mrs. Weasley, "Are you sure you don't…?"
"No thanks," Hagrid said with a laugh, "You've got enough with two extra trouble makers on your hands." Then he turned to Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Harry. He gave them each a bear hug and told them "See you at Hogwarts!" then he disappeared though the fire. Ron, Harry, and Hermione smiled dolefully at him before he left. They weren't going to see him at Hogwarts but what was the point in telling him that.
When they had gotten to Ron's room and packed their new things Hermione said miserably, "Wonder what he'll do when he finds out we're not coming back?"
"And that we're missing," Harry said with a rueful grin and plopped down onto his bed.
They all sighed. Harry absentmindedly started twirling an extra quill in his fingers. They weren't going to see much of anybody until they finished this quest.
"You know," Ron said, "We must be insane to be going through with this."
Harry looked up at him and smiled, "We must have been insane to do anything we've done. What with the Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and all of those."
"Yeah," he sighed and lay down staring at the ceiling, "But this is the maddest thing we've ever done."
"Mad yes," Hermione said, "But desperate. There's a difference between plain mad and mad and desperate."
Desperate was right. If they didn't stop Voldemort then who could? If it was a question of that could they defeat Voldemort?
"Er-" Ron said, breaking the silence, "Aren't we supposed to be trying to get into the Shrieking Shack?"
"Oh yeah!" Harry cried, "It must have slipped my mind. Who wants to try first?" He looked at the other two. Both of their faces looked determined.
Hermione looked around at Ron and Harry. "It would be pointless for more than two of us to go at once."
"Why?" Ron asked.
"You are clueless!" Hermione exploded, "What do you think'll happen if we can't get into the Shack and we try to apparate there HMM?"
Silence.
"You'll probably get splinched! Or worse you could end up splinched in a place you don't even know. More terrible yet you could get splinched and half of you ends up in a place where Death Eaters are." The idea of apparating didn't sound so good anymore.
"I'll do it," Harry volunteered. "And if I don't come back in ten minutes…improvise." He finished abruptly and immediately apparated. The last thing he saw before the blackness of the apparition process was the bewildered and frightened faces of his two friends. Then he was whirling in a stream of color and sound; being pressed from all sides till he couldn't breathe. And then he landed, hard; on something that looked like a chair. Its legs had been torn off and chunks of the seat ripped out.
He quickly got to his feet and looked around. He was definitely in the Shrieking Shack. There was no mistaking the boarded up windows or rickety staircase. He had done it! He had successfully apparated into their new base. What's more he had apparated farther than he ever had before.
He chuckled to himself. This was perfect! No one would ever guess the famous Harry Potter was living in an old run down, supposedly haunted Shack. This was brilliant.
If they brought a small bookcase they could put all their books together in this room and have sort of a study place. They could put a table there with all their quills, ink bottles, and parchment. Harry had survived in Grimmauld Place so this might not be so bad.
He walked around and around the Shack thinking of all the things they could do with it. Then he realized he had been there almost ten minutes! He hastily thought of Ron's room in the Burrow and apparated immediately.
He again felt the sensation of apparition and when he appeared with a crack in Ron's bedroom he met his friends' scared faces.
"It's alright," He said, "I did it!"
Their faces relaxed and he told them all the ideas he had for the place.
"…And that next to the study could be a dueling room. We could also-" But he was interrupted by footsteps on the stairs.
They all quickly made the room as messy as they could so that no one except Ginny would think that they were packing. This was a good thing because when the door opened it was Mrs. Weasley.
She poked her head in and looked them over frowning. "You three have been up here quite a long time." Her eyes shifted to Ron's guilty face. "Probably dueling I suppose?" She said, casting an eye around the room, "Oh well, good thing for you to do in these times…" Her voice trailed off. She looked at the floor and then regained her composure, "Lunch is ready. Tell Ginny won't you? I don't know where she's gone." With that she closed the door and they heard her tromping down the stairs.
"Whew!" Ron said, collapsing in a chair next to his bed, "They don't come closer than that. At least she thought we were dueling."
"I wonder where Ginny's got to?" Harry said wonderingly. Then he shook his head and said, "She's probably outside. Come on, let's go find her."
When they had reached the front door however, it swung open. There was Ginny, looking red cheeked and breathing hard.
"Where have you been?" Ron exclaimed, "We were just coming to get you for lunch."
"I can have my own secrets can't I?" snapped Ginny, "You three seem to have a lot of them lately." Then she huffed and stormed into the kitchen.
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione. They looked as bewildered and worried as he did.
"Let's go," He said, "Before your mum gets suspicious too." Then they flocked into the kitchen for lunch.
Afterwards, when they were full of Mrs. Weasley's home cooking, they went upstairs yet again to Ron's room. There they checked to see if everything they needed for operation 'Departure' was ready. They put all the books and things they had taken out over the last few hours and put them in their trunks.
They kept their brooms out and Harry's invisibility cloak as well. Hermione had bought a broom in Diagon Alley ("You could just use one of our brooms," Ron had said. "No," she had whispered, "It'd be like stealing."). They had just finished when they heard voices downstairs.
"How are you dear?" Mrs. Weasley cried.
"Fine, just fine Molly," Came Tonks' voice.
"And you Remus?"
"Just fine."
"Anything to drink? Tea? Coffee?"
"No, just a little social activity." Said Lupin, "I wanted to see how Harry was doing."
Ron, Hermione, and Harry had started down the staircase when they had heard Tonks' voice and were now in the living room where the guests were standing.
Today Tonks had her usual hair of pinkish color and Lupin looked as worn and as ragged as ever. They were standing arm and arm talking with Mrs. Weasley.
Tonks turned and saw the three of them and said, "Wotcher Harry, Ron, Hermione."
"Hi Tonks," Harry said enthusiastically, "How are things at the Auror Office?"
"Mad," Was her reply, "I can hardly stand it. Not much free time anymore. I'll be stationed at Hogwarts again this year. So I'll be seeing you there."
Harry felt a pang of guilt. Everyone expected him to be at Hogwarts. Too soon would they find out that he was missing and so were his closest friends. What would they think the cause would be? Kidnapped? Dead? Run away? Or that he had foolishly gone after Voldemort himself? That was what he was eventually going to do. How many of them would think of the mysterious happenings on the night Dumbledore had died. Surely McGonagall would link their disappearance with the incident with Dumbledore and Harry being gone that night? Only time would tell.
A worried voice brought Harry out of his brooding.
"Harry? Are you alright?" Lupin was looking at him curiously. So was everyone else.
"Yeah," He said, "I'm fine. Just wondering where Ginny was," He added.
"Gone again?" Mrs. Weasley said exasperatedly. "You kids are acting strange. Ginny's been disappearing and reappearing and you've all been in Ron's room most of the week."
Lupin and Tonks looked at Harry questioningly.
"We've been studying defensive spells." Said Hermione, telling a half-truth, "We thought they might come in handy after last year." She gasped and bit her lip. It was always uncomfortable when they talked about what had happened last year.
Silence filled the room.
"So how are you two doing?" Harry asked, covering the awkward moment.
The rest of Tonks and Lupin's visit was more pleasant. They talked about past years and how happy they had been; forgetting what was happening now and entranced with yesterday.
Lupin kept casting worried glances at Harry and his friends. He knew something was going on. But Harry kept his mouth shut and the others followed his lead.
Eventually, the couple got up, insisting that they couldn't stay for dinner.
"Got things to do." Lupin said with a pointed look at Mrs. Weasley.
Harry hated it when they did that. It meant that there was something going on that he didn't know about. But then… they didn't know what he and his friends were planning either.
"Good-bye," Tonks said, hugging each of them in turn. She tripped on the rug on her way to Ginny knocking her into Harry.
They all lay, sprawled on the floor laughing. Tonks got up and started apologizing profusely.
"That's okay," Ginny said, and tried to get up, but her legs were in a tangle with Harry's and she fell down again; this time colliding with Hermione.
"Here," Lupin said, helping them all get untangled.
"Thanks," Hermione said gratefully.
"Yeah," Harry said, "Thanks for everything."
Lupin looked at him concerned, his expression quizzical. Then he smiled and said, "You are most welcome Harry."
He and Tonks left, hand and hand.
Mrs. Weasley quickly started them setting the table for dinner.
"Everyone is getting suspicious," Hermione noted nervously.
"Don't worry," Harry whispered, "By tomorrow morning we'll be long gone."
But they weren't.
Tonks and Lupin's visit seemed to have set off a chain reaction. Order members were flooding into the house every day after that. There was no chance for the trio to escape with so many skilled wizards close by.
"Why did they have to pick now to start coming?" grumbled Ron. He was leaning close to the table, writing.
It was two days before the departure to Hogwarts. They had just eaten dinner and were once again in Ron's room. They had claimed that they were going to pack.
"Arrgh!" Hermione cried exasperatedly, throwing down her quill. "What are we going to do? I wish they would stop coming. I can hardly stand this. My nerves are on edge! What'll we do if we don't get out of here before we have to board the Hogwarts Express?"
"Maybe we could accidentally get lost in the station?" Ron suggested.
Harry snorted. "With aurors on our left and right?"
Hermione sighed. "We'll just have to leave the night before and hope no one will notice us in the rush."
Harry snorted again, "That'll be the day." He too sighed and put his head in his hands. They needed to have a whole night's traveling to get far enough away. Maybe all the commotion in the morning would give them more time. Or maybe less… who knew? It was already seven o'clock. Could they make a break for it now? Probably not. Tonight their company had consisted of Mad-Eye Moody and Professor McGonagall. The chances of their leaving with them around were slim.
But, their chance came. About an hour later they heard a scream from the living room and hurried footsteps on the stairs. Mrs. Weasley was yelling for all of them to get to the living room immediately.
The friends looked at each other and whisked down the staircase. Ginny hurtled out of her room and down the stair in front of them.
"Urgent message… Attack on the Ministry…"
"Can't we-?" Ginny started.
"NO!" Mrs. Weasley cried, "Stay here and wait for us to return! We'll be back as soon as we can." While she was saying this Mr. Weasley had thrown Floo Powder into the grate and vanished. He was promptly followed by Mad-Eye and McGonagall.
Ginny attempted to argue with her mother but was cut short.
"We'll see you when we get back!" Mrs. Weasley said hurriedly and vanished through the fire.
Ginny looked at the other three and finding no help there ran up the stairs to her bedroom and slammed the door.
"Now's our chance!" Hermione whispered and dashed up the stairs to Ron's room tailed by Harry and Ron. The three of them topped the stairs and pounded into the room.
As quickly as they could they gathered up all the belongings they had taken out over the past week and threw them into their trunks. Then they put on muggle clothes and seized the trunks. Then they finally stopped.
"Are you guys sure about this?" Asked Hermione uncertainly.
"Of course we are." Harry snapped, trying to get his trunk closed properly, "This is serious Hermione," He added looking up at her severely.
"I know. It's just that… well…"
"I know what you're thinking, but don't."
Hermione sighed, "Ok, lets do it."
"Er—" This time it was Ron's turn to interrupt. "What about Ginny?"
Harry stopped trying to shut his trunk and stared at it. What about Ginny? Should they really leave her behind? True, she was as good as Ron and Hermione, but should they bring her? Then he made up his mind.
"No," He said flatly. Finally closing his trunk.
"But—"
"No Hermione!"
"Okay, fine."
They strapped their luggage to their brooms quietly.
They wouldn't apparate to the Shack because it was difficult enough to get themselves anywhere. Add luggage and the long distance and it would be too much for them at this stage.
Harry had brought Dumbledore last year from the Cave but that was an emergency. In desperate times we find that we can do things we wouldn't normally be able to do. That had been one of those times.
Careful not to make too much noise, they crept down the stairs and out the door. When they were out, Hermione performed a Disillusion Charm on all of them and Harry put his invisibility cloak over himself for extra measure.
He had offered it to the others but neither had accepted and said that he was more important than them. Wanting to get away as quickly as possible, Harry did not argue the point.
They kicked off from the ground and flew into the air; careful to keep out of sight from any of the windows. They might be invisible, but their brooms weren't.
For hours and hours they flew, non-stop. He had strapped the compass that had come with his broom service kit to his Firebolt. The silence was only broken when Harry shouted out directions.
It grew cold, windy, and wet as they went through clouds.
Harry wondered what had happened at the Ministry; or was it what was happening at the Ministry? Had they gotten back yet? Were they all unharmed? And how would they react when they found that the three of them were missing? Questions like these chased each other around and around in Harry's head.
It went on and on, cold, windy, wet, cold, windy, and wet. Harry was freezing. He was sure the others were too. They had to be more than half-way there. A lot more than half-way there. That trip seemed to go on forever. Harry was getting worried, shouldn't they be there by now?
Just on the brink of panic, he felt it. A cold, draining, emptiness. Dementors! He thought. His wand was out in a heartbeat.
"Lumos!" A bright light shown suddenly from the tip of his wand. There they were. On the ground below them. Eight or ten of them by the look of it; but Harry didn't have time to count. He looked around wildly for any sign of his friends. Hermione was on his left clutching her broom with what seemed to be her last bit of strength. Where was Ron?
"Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled pointing his wand at the dementors closest to Hermione. A silvery stag erupted from his wand. It charged at the dementors and knocked them down. First two, and then three, and then another two. The last one fled, closely followed by its fellows.
They were gone, but where was Ron?
Harry looked frantically for his friend; but in the poor light it was nearly impossible to see anything that was not within a meter's distance.
"Ron!" he shouted.
"Ron!" Hermione screamed hysterically, she didn't seem to be herself. Not only that, but she was beside herself with worry.
Harry flew around and around in circles trying to locate Ron, finally, he saw him. He was lying on the ground pale, wand out, and conscious, but barely. Harry motioned for Hermione to follow him and dived.
In seconds they were at Ron's side.
"Are you okay?" asked Harry urgently.
"Yeah," Ron croaked, "I'll be fine. Just need a little rest."
Hermione gave a choked sob. Tears began to drop from her eyes and onto the ground next to Ron.
"None of that!" Ron said, looking embarrassed.
"I'm sorry," Hermione sniffled, "But you really scared me."
"You scared us both." Harry said looking at Ron.
Ron gave a weak half smile. "Sorry. I almost got a patronus out though! It looked like something small."
"Good!" Harry said, "You're improving."
There was the sound of wolves howling behind them. Harry looked around, finally taking in his surroundings.
They seemed to be in a glade at the edge of a forest. Harry had on idea where they were.
Hermione picked up Harry's broom and looked at the compass. Then she pointed into the forest. "That way is north."
"I don't reckon there's anything else we can do tonight. Seeing as we're lost in the dark and Ron doesn't seem to be able to travel…"
"I can too!" Ron said indignantly and tried to get up but sank to the ground again with a groan. "Where's my broom?"
They all looked around.
"There it is!" said Hermione, pointing in the tree above them.
Indeed, it was Ron's faithful broom. Luckily it was still in one piece; not a twig out of order. The trunk and its contents seemed to be intact as well.
"I think we should spend the night here." Said Harry in a matter of fact voice, "Like I said, we can't get anymore traveling done tonight."
Hermione got Ron's trunk and broom down from the tree and she and Harry set up camp.
Hermione conjured up three comfy looking sleeping bags while Harry started a fire going. Then with blankets they had brought along they constructed and shabby, little tent.
Pleased with their work, the two helped Ron up and assisted him into a sleeping bag. Hermione snapped her fingers and ran to her trunk. She opened it and started shifting its contents around. She then gave a triumphant "hah!" and brought out a small package.
"Chocolate," She said with a grin, and with that, broke off a piece for each of them.
Ron's face brightened up considerably when he took a bite and gave a contented sigh. Harry bit into his piece and felt warmth flood through his body. By the looks of it, Hermione was feeling the same sensation.
"Useful, that chocolate." Harry joked, "Like a patronus it erases the effects of dementors."
"Wonder if it could fight them too?" He added as an afterthought. Ron and Hermione laughed at his weak attempt at a joke. In doing so, they had fulfilled Harry's intentions. And without further ado, they all went to sleep.
Now we must go back to Ginny and the Order.
When Ginny had gone into her room she was fuming. Not only did her mother tell her not to come; but Ron, Hermione, and Harry, of all people, hadn't even put up a fight! Very unusual. Was it because they thought they didn't have any hope of convincing Mrs. Weasley? Or something else?
An idea interrupted her brooding. Did this have something to do with their strange behavior?
Ginny jumped off her bed and darted up the stairs to Ron's room. She looked in to find the place a mess as usual. But there was no Harry, no Ron, no Hermione, and… wait a minute! No trunks!
Emotions mounting, Ginny ran throughout the house calling the trio. She couldn't have been in her room more then five minutes! At most ten.
"HARRY! RON! HERMIONE!" She screamed to the world at large. But no answer was to be heard. She ran back up the stairs as fast as she could and tore into Ron's room slamming the door. Breathing very hard, she searched the room for clues.
Next to the dresser, she stepped on something. It was a piece of parchment. Curious, she bent down and picked it up. Turning it over she saw Hermione's handwriting and read:
1) He has to be dead
2) He knows about Voldemort's horcruxes
3) He knows Voldemort personally
4) He knows that someone will come along to finish off Voldemort
What was going on? And what on earth were horcruxes? Nothing good, that was for sure; since it had something to do with Voldemort.
While she was still contemplating the note, she stumbled and fell. Getting up, she saw what she had tripped on. It was a book. Aggravated, she picked the book up and was about to chuck it down the stairs when she saw its title. It was Hogwart's founders. Ginny remembered that day when she, Fred, and George had discovered Ron and his friends supposedly studying. Hermione had claimed that the book was for history. But what if it wasn't? What if it was for something else? Voldemort perhaps?
No, she thought, He has nothing to do with the founders. There was no link. Ginny flopped down on one of the beds and gave an infuriated scream. …Wait. Voldemort did have a connection with the founders. He was Slytherin's heir! Did that have something to do with these… horcruxes? What ever they were. But that still hadn't explained where the others were.
Ginny mused for what seemed like hours when she heard something moving down stairs. She hastily stuffed the note into her pocked and took out her wand. She crept cautiously down the stairs.
When she reached the bottom, she looked around the corner. She saw someone in a black traveling cloak and hat. Ginny's heart was pounding.
The man didn't know she was there. She could take him by surprise and stun him. As she prepared to do just that the fireplace burst into green flame.
The figure in the living room turned and she saw it was Bill. He was wearing that hat so she hadn't seen his hair.
Mrs. Weasley appeared out of the fireplace looking harried, her eyes bloodshot.
Ginny didn't know what made her do it; both of them could have been Death Eaters in disguise. All the same, she ran to them and hugged them, wailing that they were gone, gone!
Mrs. Weasley was taken aback and wrenched free out of her daughter's embrace and looked at her frightened. Wide-eyed, she asked urgently, "What happened? Who's gone?" She looked around. Everything was normal… except for… she couldn't put her finger on it. Something was amiss. Then she noticed something very odd. Why hadn't the other three come down to greet them?
The fire came to life once more and Mr. Weasley appeared out of it.
"The others!" Ginny cried, "They've disappeared!"
Bill looked at his distressed sister bewildered. Then he too looked around.
"No," He said quietly, "They can't have… Ginny, is it Ron? Where is Harry? Hermione? Where are they?"
"I… I don't know," sobbed Ginny.
Mr. Weasley turned as white as a sheet and began searching the house wildly, calling his sixth son's name and the name of his friends.
Bill quickly followed suit and ran from room to room, looking.
Mrs. Weasley wasn't taking the news well. She fainted as yet again the fireplace erupted. This time it was Mad-Eye. He took one look at the scene and grunted forcefully, "What's going on?"
His magical eye wandered around on the ceiling and saw Bill and Mr. Weasley running to and fro frantically.
Charlie arrived a moment later. When he heard what had happened he too began to search.
There was a small pop and Professor McGonagall appeared on the scene too. She saw Mrs. Weasley and hastened to revive her.
When Mrs. Weasley was awake she began to cry uncontrollably.
"Molly," McGonagall said severely, "What happened?" But Mrs. Weasley was too distressed so she turned to Ginny.
Ginny gulped and quickly told her everything that had happened since the Order members had left, leaving out the note.
"I shall contact the rest of the Order immediately." There was another small pop and she was gone.
Mad-Eye stumped away to help search the house. The sound of clunk, clunk followed him. As he went into the kitchen Bill sprinted down the stairs and out the door.
Ginny, after seeing that her mother was okay, slipped out the door quietly and ran to the orchard. It was such a peaceful night. If only chaos weren't around.
She slowed down when she got to the orchard. Seeing no one there she collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.
She went over the past few weeks in her head trying to glean every detail she could. She started with the beginning, when it all started and went through her thoughts and memories to the end. She had found nothing else linking to the mysterious note she had found to the others' disappearance. They were obviously related but how?
She got up. It was time to call in the cavalry.
Hours of fruitless searching brought up nothing. Mrs. Weasley was hysterical and her eyes were puffy and more bloodshot than before. Professor McGonagall had returned and made her a cup of tea. Mrs. Weasley took it gratefully, but didn't touch a drop.
"Drink up Molly," Urged Professor McGonagall, "It's good for the nerves."
"Nerves?" Said Mrs. Weasley hysterically, "I don't think I have any nerves left!" She started to cry but couldn't produce tears. She then gave a dry sob and put her head in her hands.
"It's all my fault," She moaned, "I shouldn't have left them."
"Don't talk like that mum," Ginny said defiantly, "You can't change the past."
"I knew something was wrong," Mrs. Weasley continued, as though she had never heard her only daughter, "They were acting very strangely since the beginning of the year. It started right after Dumbledore…" She broke off in fresh sobs, this time the tears came.
Professor McGonagall patted Mrs. Weasley on the back and got up.
"I must return to Hogwarts. The students will be arriving in a few days and everything must be ready." She strode to the kitchen door and stopped with her hand on the handle. She turned to Mrs. Weasley, "I'm sure everything will turn out all right." With those hopeful words she left the house.
It took a while, but Ginny was finally able to get mother up to bed. Then she fell exhausted into her own.
-:-
A/N: Ooh! Wasn't that exciting? Questions must be answered. Where is the first horcrux? How will the Weasleys and the Order cope with the sudden disappearance of their beloved trio? How much does Ginny know? Deduce? And what the heck is she doing? She too seems to have secrets of her own...
Find answers in future chapters! Stay tuned for the next chapter of Harry Potter and the Search for the Hidden Souls!
- EveningSongEnchantment
