Chapter 2: The Missing Friend

They had almost finished clearing the table when they heard the front door open, and several sets of footsteps began walking down the hall, taking care to be quiet so as not to awaken Mrs. Black. The door to the dining room slid open, and several members of the Order of the Phoenix entered, each with an obviously displeased look on his or her face. Hermione was surprised. In general, the members of the Order were usually a good-natured lot. She recognized two of the members, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Remus Lupin. She knew Lupin well. He had been one of her professors in her third year, and as a close friend of Sirius and the Potters, had been involved in the adventure with Sirius' escape. While she didn't know Shacklebolt quite as well, he had always been kind and friendly to the teens living in the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Now both men looked angrier than she had ever seen them. Hermione looked around, trying to locate the source of their displeasure. Finally, she spotted it. Or rather, spotted him.

It was no wonder that she hadn't noticed him before. Mundungus Fletcher was so short that he barely came up to the shoulders of the two wizards in front of him. His stringy hair looked as though it hadn't been washed in days, a conclusion that was supported by the strong smell of alcohol and tobacco coming off him.

Mrs. Weasley looked at him furiously, but before she could speak, another voice rang out.

"Mundungus Fletcher. Have you ANY idea what you have done?" Hermione was shocked. She recognized the voice, of course, but had never heard it speak in such a harsh tone. Albus Dumbledore strode purposefully into the kitchen, his intense blue eyes focused solely on the visibly trembling thief in the middle in of the room. Hermione had never seen Professor Dumbledore so angry. It both fascinated and frightened her. She couldn't tell whether it was just her eyes playing tricks on her, but it seemed that the entire room had grown darker, even as the fireplace Mundungus was slowly backing toward burned higher.

Mundungus opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, as though daring him to try to make some excuse.

"All of you, out now," Mrs. Weasley said to the teens. "This is Order business. It's no concern of yours." Normally, they would have all wanted to stay, but this time, there were no complaints as they quickly left the room. Obviously, the Weasley children were just as surprised and intimidated by this new side of Dumbledore as Hermione.

Fred and George were first up the stairs, walking quickly ahead of the group, whispering so softly Hermione could not hear what they were saying. Somewhat surprised they had not simply apparated, she wondered what they were whispering about. Perhaps the sight of Dumbledore so angry had finally convinced them to give up the trouble-making ways, she thought, but then quickly changed her mind. Fred and George were never going to change.

Hermione, Ron and Ginny climbed the stairs. The doorway on the right led to Ron's room. The original plan had been that Harry would share the room with him, but since Dumbledore had been delaying allowing Harry to come to the headquarters all summer, Ron had been all alone. The three teens walked into the room, and were surprised to find a large, snowy white owl waiting, her yellow eyes gazing at them intensely.

"Hedwig," Ginny exclaimed breathlessly. Hedwig was Harry's owl, a gift from the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid, for his 11th birthday.

"Oh, blimey," Ron said, pointing to the letters tied to Hedwig's leg. "I'm sure he's mad. At least he hasn't learned how to send Howlers," he said, looking at the other two to see if they had found his forced attempt at humor funny.

Hermione walked quickly over to the owl and grabbed the letters. There were three, one each for her, Ron, and Sirius. Handing Ron his letter, she opened hers, and read.

I've just been attacked by Dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here.

She felt somewhat sick to her stomach. Even with all the useless letters they had been sending, Harry had at least maintained an attempt at friendly communication. But after everything this summer, she knew that this must be the last straw. She looked over at Ron. "What do we do?" she asked, not fully expecting an answer.

With a sigh, Ron grabbed a piece of paper and quickly wrote,

Dad and Dumbledore are working things out with the Ministry. We'll let you know when we know more.

He stood up and went to tie it on to Hedwig's leg, but before he could finish, Hedwig's sharp beak flashed down, pecking Ron's finger hard.

"Bloody 'ell," he exclaimed, jumping back and looking at the owl in horror. Hermione could see blood dripping onto the carpet.

"Harry must have told her not to come back until we give him real answers," she realized.

"So she had to bite my finger half off? That seems a bit excessive, don't you think?" Ron grabbed a cloth, and wrapped it around his finger to try to stop the bleeding. "So… what now?"

"We'll have to wait until the meeting is done. Given that Harry was attacked, he obviously can't stay there. Once the Order decides how to get Harry over here, we'll let him know. Dumbledore can't insist on keeping Harry in the dark after this," she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

They waited in silence for the meeting to end. Ginny began playing with Pigwidgeon, Ron's small, excitable owl, while Ron paced back and forth. Hermione just sat on the spare bed watching the other two, trying to suppress the guilty feeling that was welling up inside of her. After about 15 minutes, the door opened. "About time," Ron exclaimed. "Mum, what on earth is..." He fell silent, and began to blush furiously as Dumbledore strode serenely into the room.

The kindly twinkle was back in his eyes, but his voice was still very stern. "The Order has discussed the situation, and has decided that Harry will come here for the rest of the summer." Hedwig fluttered over from the desk where she had been perched, landing on the bed next to Hermione. "Ah, Hedwig, I thought I might find you here," Dumbledore said, then turned his attention back to the teens.

"I understand that this is not pleasant for you, but you must not tell Harry anything. Do not even reply to his letters." He must have seen the surprise and anger in their eyes, because he quickly explained. "While we do not know for certain, there is a possibility that the dementors that attacked Harry tonight were sent by Lord Voldemort. If this is the case, then he is certainly watching the house, and will be prepared to attack when we attempt to move Harry. Any form of contact with Harry could betray our plans to Voldemort, giving him information that could jeopardize Harry's life."

"But if You-Know-Who is watching the house, isn't Harry in danger?" Ron asked.

"As I said, Mr. Weasley, we do not know for certain that Voldemort ordered this attack. Even if he did, there is magic in that house that protects Harry while he is there. I saw to that personally when I delivered him to his Aunt and Uncle all those years ago. But just in case, there are now three very trustworthy members of the Order standing guard at the Dursley's. Members of the Order will escort Harry here in a few days, once we are confident that it is safe to move him. And so, I say again, we have things under control. Harry will be safe, but you must not do anything to risk Voldemort learning of our plans."

Hermione had a natural respect for authority, much more so than Harry or Ron, but she still had to say something. "Professor, I don't think this is a good idea. Harry can be reckless at times. He's angry, he's frustrated, and he's probably a little bit scared. That's not a good combination in anybody."

Dumbledore studied her for a moment, his eyes peering over his half-moon spectacles. "I understand your concerns, Miss Granger. And I believe you are correct. Harry will undoubtedly be angry. But he will be alive, and that is what is important." He stood, and walked calmly over to the door, before turning back to address them one more time. "Remember, it is only for a few more days."

"So, we can't tell Harry anything," Hermione said, defeated. "OUCH!" she screamed, then looked down at her hand where Hedwig had pecked her. "I'm sorry. I really am. I don't like this any more than you do," she pleaded with the owl, even though she wasn't sure that Hedwig understood her.

Hedwig gazed unblinkingly at Hermione, then pecked her hand once more.

The next few days were some of the slowest in Hermione's life. With the exception of Sirius, the Black family had been some of the less noble members of the wizarding community, and their house reflected the fact. The rooms were filled with strange and dangerous objects and creatures. In the ten years since Mrs. Black had died, those creatures had spread, to the point where it now seemed as though the house itself had a will of its own, which was none too pleased with the current inhabitants' attempts to make it suitable once more for living in. But that wasn't why the days seemed so long.

Hermione was both anticipating and dreading her friend's arrival. Though she was thrilled that he would finally be here, she knew that it would not be a joyful reunion at first. How could she possibly explain why she had ignored his pleas for news at such a difficult time in his life? Somehow, she didn't think that a promise to Dumbledore would be enough of a reason to placate Harry.

Tonks still came to dinner most nights, and Lupin, who had been away for some time on a mysterious assignment for the Order, moved back into the house. They were a welcome addition, bringing some much-needed mirth to the normally somber meals. Tonks was a metamorphmagus, meaning that she could transform herself at will just be thinking about it. Although Hermione was sure that it was a very useful ability in her work as an Auror, at meals, Tonks primarily used it to make funny faces, to everyone but Mrs. Weasley's delight. But what relieved Hermione the most was when Lupin mentioned that both he and Tonks would be among the group going to escort Harry there the next night.

The next evening, Hermione waited with Ron in the room that he and Harry would be sharing. Downstairs, the Order was having a meeting. She wasn't at all interested in what they were discussing, but apparently, Fred and George felt differently. She had noticed them earlier whispering and pointing discreetly, and had seen what she thought was an extendable ear poking out of Fred's pocket. But all that she could think about was her friend's imminent arrival.

"Think he's getting close?" Ron asked for what must have been the tenth time that night.

Hermione suppressed a frustrated sigh. "Ron, as I said, I didn't hear exactly, but from what Tonks said, it sounded like the plan was to leave the Dursley's around nine. I'm guessing it will take an hour or so to fly here, so that means around 10. But we really have no idea, so continually asking me if I think he's getting close won't actually accomplish a thing," she finished, her frustration finally showing through at the end.

"Just asking," Ron muttered. They fell back into silence once more.

Only a few minutes later, the door opened. Hermione and Ron both jumped to their feet, but were disappointed to discover that it was only Mrs. Weasley. She seemed bothered by something, but refused to answer any questions, insisting instead that they go down to the dining room. Hermione and Ron made their way quickly downstairs.

There were over two dozen members of the order crowded into the room, but they were all strangely silent. All eyes turned to look at Hermione and Ron as they entered, then turned once back to Dumbledore, who was seated at the head of the table. He looked far older than Hermione had ever seen him look. A sick feeling began to spread throughout Hermione's body. Whatever was happening, it was serious, and it had something to do with Harry.

Finally, Dumbledore spoke. "As planned, a group of Order members traveled to the Dursley's this evening to escort Harry here." He paused for a moment before continuing. "However, when they arrived, Harry was gone." Hermione struggled for breath. She was startled when her bottom hit a chair; she had not even realized that she had sat down.

"Was it..." Ron asked, his voice trailing off, clearly unwilling to say Voldemort's name.

Dumbledore shook his head. "We can't be sure, but we don't think that Voldemort was involved. It appears as though Harry ran away. However, we don't know how he managed to get past Kingsley, Emmeline and Sturgis without being seen. However, the real question is, where has he gone? He is vulnerable, and we need to find him now. Has he ever mentioned anything that might give a clue as to where he might go?"

Hermione shook her head, still struggling to comprehend exactly what was happening. Harry missing. Beside her, she could see Ron just as shocked as her. Without a word, Sirius stood from the table and began walking toward the door.

"Sirius, where are you going?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

"To find my Godson," came the angry reply. They could hear Sirius footsteps down the hall, then the outer slammed shut.

Hermione gazed in horror around the room. "You can do something, right?" she asked. "You can find him." No one said a word. A thought suddenly popped into her head. "Hedwig," she exclaimed, then, without another word, ran upstairs to Ron's bedroom.

She ran over to the desk, grabbed some parchment, and wrote quickly,

Harry,

I'm so sorry for everything this summer. I know that you must be furious with us. Please understand, we thought it was for the best. We still love you. Please tell us where you are so that some of Dumbledore's people can bring you back here safely. Please, Harry.

Hermione

She turned, and located Hedwig, perched on the top of the dresser. "Come here, Hedwig," she called. Hedwig glided silently down, landing on the desk beside her. She heard a noise and was surprised to discover that the everyone from downstairs had followed her up here. Most of them were looking at her, plainly confused. "Hedwig can find Harry anywhere," she explained quickly.

She went to tie the letter to Hedwig's leg, but once more, Hedwig savagely pecked her hand. "Hedwig, please. I know this isn't the answer that Harry wanted, but he's missing, and we need to find him before … anyone else does." she pleaded, hot tears running down her cheeks. After a moment, Hedwig gave a soft hoot, then stuck out a scaly leg. "Thank you," she said softly as Hedwig flew out the window.

An awkward silence filled the room. Nobody moved, and nobody spoke. Hermione wondered how long it would take for Hedwig to return. She could fly very quickly, but there was no telling how far away Harry was. As the minutes crept by, Hermione moved to the bed, still looking out the window, watching intently for any sign of Hedwig's return. It was an uncomfortable feeling, knowing there were so many people standing behind her, watching her.

It felt like hours had passed when Hermione finally spotted a white dot in the distance, headed their way. She jumped to her feet and ran to the window, trying to see for sure if it really was Hedwig. It was.

The snowy owl landed on the windowsill next to Hermione, and patiently waited as she untied the letter. As soon as the letter was firmly in her grasp, however, Hedwig took off once more, flying away into the night, despite Hermione and Ron's frantic calls.

With a feeling of dread, Hermione looked at the note. An icy cold spread throughout her whole body.

I'm done with you all. Don't come looking for me.

She dropped the note and fell to her knees, the room spinning around her. She was dimly aware of Lupin running toward her to grab the note, which he read aloud for the others. On hearing these words, a faint murmur arose from the group. They all looked uncertainly at Dumbledore, waiting for some indication of what to do now.

Hermione looked at the old professor. She could see the pain in his eyes, the sorrow as he realized that he had been wrong. Her grief turned to anger as she stared into his bright, blue eyes. "WHY?" she screamed. "AFTER EVERYTHING HE WENT THROUGH THIS YEAR, YOU STUCK HIM IN THAT HOUSE WITH... THEM! WHY?" She could see the shock on everyone's faces, but she didn't care. "WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, YOU STUPID OLD MAN!"

Not waiting for a response, she ran toward the doorway. The crowd parted for her, and she ran over to the bedroom she shared with Ginny, slamming the door shut behind her. She could see the horrified expression on Ginny's face, but she had no desire to explain. She threw herself down on the bed and cried.