Interlude: Ron Weasley

"Have you heard anything?" Hermione asked as they shuffled into the great hall after the other students. Ginny was pressed in close behind them, Luna's hand clasped tightly in hers.

"Nothing you already haven't," Ron replied with a sigh. "Stop asking 'Mione," he hissed as she opened her mouth once more. "Nobody knows anything."

The summons had come first thing Saturday morning, announced during breakfast as the students that remained were eating. It had sat heavily on all of their minds for the rest of the day as dinner ticked slowly and slowly closer.

"Do you think it's about Hari?" She asked, wringing her hands together as they found their way to the Gryffindor table. Ginny was pulling Luna down to sit with them even though she belonged in a different house. House boundaries had been something close to non-existent since that day of the first task.

Many of the students went home after the attack, a little less than half stayed. Most of the students that stayed were either out of a sense of loyalty, or because their families were unable to make other accommodations during the first few months into the school year. All of the Weasley's stayed due to a combination of both.

"I don't know!" Ron near shouted as he sat down, pulling a cup of pumpkin juice towards himself to give his hands something to do. Hermione's mind had been all over the place since breakfast, bouncing back and forth between perfectly reasonable possibilities to absolutely insane ones. Ron was just as worried, but more than that, he was done listening to Hermione work herself into circles.

His eyes tracked over to the Slytherin table as the rest of the students filed in. It was completely empty. Not all of the snakes had gone home…but the few that hadn't were all younger years that were forced to stay. Days after the attack, Hufflepuff house had adopted the abandoned snakes into their fold and their table. For the first time in hundreds of years, not a single student from another house had anything negative to say about it.

The boundaries between houses crumbled apart like wet sand as the students rallied behind each other. All of the rivalry and animosity between houses melted away as they gathered in the great hall, infirmary, library, and kitchens. Everything else seemed to just stop as if Hogwarts was in a time vacuum, on a precipice where the students were still waiting for the aftermath of the attack.

Aurors lined the walls, walked the grounds, and wandered the halls. Their wands were always just a snap of the wrist away, their eyes hard as they scanned the mourning students going about their business, and suspicious of everyone. It turned the once great school into a silent mausoleum of fear and sorrow.

"I think if it was about Hari, they would have just announced it during breakfast," Ginny commented idly as the last of the students found their seats. The entire student population were spread out between the two occupied tables of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Even then, there weren't enough children to fill all the seats.

The large gaps where people used to be kept catching his eyes and Ron found his leg twitching in that uncomfortable way his nerves got before a hard exam. Everything about this just felt wrong…Hogwarts felt wrong.

"But what if?" Hermione argued and Ron shook his head as he took another drink of his pumpkin juice just to give himself something to do.

"Seriously, 'Mione," Ron mumbled in exasperation. "Let it go, look, there's Dumbledore now."

The professors entered from the side door, taking their seats as the headmaster continued on to the podium. Nobody looked at the single vacant chair next to McGonagall, Snape's absence an odd mixture of relief, guilt, and fear. The collected students had already been pretty quiet, as every other meal had been, but once Dumbledore stood in front of them, the silence that fell over them was so quiet, Ron could hear those closest to him breathing.

"Thank you for your patience," the headmaster began, voice low and tranquil but still those the furthest back in the great hall could hear every word. "I know these last two weeks have been difficult for all of us. The Ministry has been working diligently to find those responsible and has provided Hogwarts with security until this situation can be resolved."

Ron caught Hermione's eyes across the table, and he found himself reaching for her hands as she was trying to dig her nails into the wood. She gave him a poor attempt at a smile that looked more of a grimace but squeezed his hands back and returned her attention to the headmaster.

"There will be a memorial service on Wednesday for those we have lost to this terrible tragedy. All of your families are invited to attend and if you wish to say something during the service, please speak with your head of house by Monday evening. If you are in Slytherin House, please see Deputy Headmistress McGonagall as she will be acting as your head of house for the time being," Dumbledore paused as the students began to whisper quietly amongst each other, and he waited until they calmed once more. Ron found his leg bouncing again and his palms were sweating where Hermione's were still gripping them.

"Proceeding the memorial, the rest of the week will be left for each of you to grieve how ever you see fit. Classes will resume the following Monday," he turned from the podium and made his way around the large table to take his seat for dinner. The food started to appear on the two occupied tables, and everyone turned to their meals, whispering softly to each other.

"Did he just say classes?" Hermione hissed, her nails digging so deep into Ron's palms that he winced and had to pull his hands away. "It's barely been two weeks! What about Hari! What about Professor Snape!"

"Quiet Hermione," Ginny shushed as the other students started to look at them. "I didn't think you would be one to argue about classes."

"People are dead, Ginny! And our friend, our best friend is missing! How can you think about anything else?" Hermione stood suddenly, shaking off the hands of the younger Weasley who was trying to get her to stay in her seat. "Headmaster! What about Hari?! Have you heard anything about Harielle Potter and Professor Snape?!"

Dumbledore looked up from his meal before he stood once more. "Miss Grainger, I understand your want to find your friend, but the Ministry has assured us that they are handling the situation."

"How?" She rebutted, and Ron slid further down into his seat as all eyes turned to them. Next to Hermione, Ginny went suddenly very still and pale. He tried to catch her eye, but her gaze was fixed on the teachers table. Ron tried to find what she was looking at, but only saw the empty seat of the potion's professor, Trelawney distractedly making tea, McGonagall's severe frown, and Moody sipping hurriedly at his flask. Whatever it was that caught her attention, Ron couldn't see.

"How are they handling it?" She was near shouting now. "Have you heard anything new? What's going on?"

Ron could see the aurors along the walls shifting as Hermione all but screamed her questions. Two broke away and started to approach the Gryffindor table when Dumbledore waived them back.

"Rest assured, Miss Grainger, when something is found, you and young Mister Weasley there will be the first to know."

"But Headmaster –"

"That is quite enough, Miss Grainger," McGonagall's voice cut her off and Ginny's urgent pulling hands finally forced Hermione back into her seat. "Everyone, resume your meal. As the headmaster has stated, when we know, you will know."

Hermione was gripping her fork as if she were going to stab someone with it, while everyone else around them continued to eat. Ron found himself unable to do more than push his own food around, appetite gone.

"Why aren't they telling us anything?" Hermione whispered, her eyes red and wet as she fought not to cry. "Why?"

"Quiet," Ginny hissed, the grip on her own cutlery just as tight. "Eat your food and keep quiet."

"Gin?" Ron asked hesitantly, as he caught the slight shakiness in her voice. "What's wrong?"

"Not here," she whispered urgently. "Just eat quickly, and then meet me in the clock tower at midnight."