A/N: This is it for this story for now. I wrote this for the SIYE challenge, and this is how far the challenge went. I have plenty of ideas to continue this story and I know this shouts 'sequel', and I will write it. It will just take some time.

Chapter 5: Weasley Woes

Bill,

You probably already heard from mum that Ginny is missing. And you might also have heard about this so called 'Soul Debt'.

Dumbledore reckons that Ginny is the victim of a 'Soul Debt' as he called it. But I don't believe that. Mum thinks I should forget about it, since Dumbledore can't be wrong. And I get the feeling that dad just doesn't know what to believe.

You remember that story mum and dad used to tell about 'Selling your soul to the Devil'? Well, according to mum, that is what a Soul Debt is all about. I guess they think that this 'Harry Potter' has sold his soul to the Devil or something.

Ginny met Harry Potter, or at least mum and Dumbledore said the boy was Harry Potter, in Diagon Alley. I don't know if Harry Potter did sell his soul to the Devil or not, but the boy we met in Diagon Alley certainly didn't.

Firstly, the boy was wearing clothes that were way to big for him. The glasses he wore were taped together with that cheap tape stuff we saw in the local muggle stores. Surely if someone sold his soul to the devil he would not look so poor. Dad reckons that the boy was wearing a glamour to lure in poor girls like Ginny, rubbish if you ask me.

Secondly, in the story the girl died instantly right? I remember mum and dad telling me that. The boy and Ginny were hugging for more then 30 minutes before Dumbledore managed to pry them apart. After that both the boy and Ginny struggled hard to get back to each other. Why would you want to touch someone who might kill you? Dad reminded me that there are different versions of the story, but the struggling did not fit any version of the story I know about.

Thirdly Soul Debts are supposed to be evil. Whatever happened in Diagon Alley was not evil. In fact I would say it was good. It did not feel wrong or evil to me. It felt right and good. Dad looked strangely at me when I said that but did not comment on it any further.

I'm writing all this to you since I couldn't think of anyone else to talk to. Charlie would probably react like dad and not know what to believe. Whatever I have to say would not fit in Prefect Percy's Perfect Little world. And the twins would just take the mickey out of me.

I would like your help in finding out what happened to Ginny, and then convince the rest of the family that that boy in Diagon Alley was not the source of whatever happened to her. I don't care if it was Harry Potter or not.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Ron

PS. The name of the owl is Hedwig. She was supposed to be a birthday present for Ginny, But now I guess I better keep her.

Ron read over the letter he had written over a couple of times and felt disgusted with himself. The letter sounded like he was desperate, and was not very manly. He was desperate, but he did not want Bill to know that.

Ron decided to grab some new parchment and try again and this time he would at least try to sound cool. Ron walked away from the letter he had written and rummaged through his desk to find new parchment. Once he found it he turned around just in time to see Hedwig pick up his previously finished letter and fly off with it.

"Bloody bird," Ron muttered to himself, knowing quite well that Hedwig was probably delivering the letter to Bill now. Or so Ron hoped.

A couple of minutes later the smells of dinner arrived in Ron's room. Quickly Ron went downstairs to the kitchen.

Dinner that evening, like all meals since their visit to Diagon Alley one week ago was a quiet affair. The twins tried to joke around, but one stern look by their mother and they stopped.

Ron glanced at the family clock. Ginny's hand was still pointed towards 'lost' like it had for the last week. But as Ron was watching the hand slowly moved. It stopped at 'home' for a bit, before going back towards 'lost' were it stayed for a bit, before going towards 'home' again. It looked as though the hand could not decide if Ginny was 'home' or 'lost'.

"Look at the clock!" Ron said, following Ginny's hand as it once again moves from 'lost' to 'home'.

The whole family looked at the clock as one.

"What the?" Fred and George said at the same time.

Ron looked over at his parents and saw them looking at the clock, both speechless.

"The clock is not supposed to do that," Percy said frowning.

"Really? I thought it always worked like that," George said sarcastically.

"Yeah, Ginny is just lost at home," Fred added unhelpfully.

Finally Arthur and Molly reacted. Arthur went outside, probably to search for Ginny, while Molly rushed upstairs, leaving Ron and his brothers at the table.

"Do you think Ginny is really home?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"No one survives a Soul Debt," Percy said hotly, before he got up and went upstairs.

Ron looked after him and nodded his head sadly. Percy took Ginny's disappeared the hardest, but he believed that Dumbledore was right without questioning it.

"I would say where ever Ginny is, she feels lost," Fred said.

"But it is starting to become her home," George added. Both twins were still looking at the clock. Ron thought they were unusually serious.

"The two of you never believed the Soul Debt story either?" Ron asked carefully.

Both twins turned towards Ron and looked seriously at him.

"Whatever happened in Diagon Alley, it was not evil," George said seriously.

"Anyone who thinks so would have to be blind and unfeeling," Fred said equally serious.

Ron looked at his twin brothers incredulously. He had thought that they would just make fun of him if he talked to them. But it seemed he was wrong. Ron had never seen the twins this serious before.

Ron opened his mouth to say something, but before he could Arthur and Molly returned, both shook their head. Ron took that to mean that they had not found Ginny.

"Ginny is not here," Molly said, on the verge of tears.

"But surely this means that she is at least alive?' Ron asked carefully.

"We are not sure," Arthur said, shaking his head.

Four days later found Ron in his room reading one of his Martin Miggs comic books, but he was not really reading it. Instead Ron was worrying about his sister. It was Ginny's birthday today, and the family clock was still acting strangely, but there was no sign of Ginny.

The hooting of an owl made Ron look up and he saw Hedwig fly in through the open window and drop a small package on the bed. Without so much as a glance at Ron Hedwig flew back out of the window, Ron assumed to hunt.

Warily Ron approached the package and saw that it was from Bill. When Ron opened it he saw that it contained a crystal ball that was slightly bigger then a snitch. Attached to it was a small note.

Ron,

I received your letter. This is a special crystal ball, speak my name in it and we can speak to each other. It is saver to speak this way.

Bill

Ron looked back at the crystal ball hesitantly. He had never heard of a crystal ball doing such a thing.

Thinking about Ginny Ron shrugged and spoke Bills name to the crystal ball. A moment later Bills face appeared in it.

"Ron?" Bill asked.

"It worked!" Ron said surprised.

"You received my package then," Bill said relieved.

"Yeah," Ron said, making himself comfortable on the bed.

"You wanted to talk to me about Ginny?" Bill asked warily. Though Ron had no idea why Bill should be wary.

"Yes, what do you think happened to her? You read my letter right?" Ron asked quickly.

"Yeah, I didn't know you had such a soft heart, or were that literate," Bill said teasingly.

"Shut it, that ruddy owl took the letter before I could correct it," Ron said irritably.

"Don't let Ginny hear you call Hedwig that, she has taken right to it, even though it arrived two days early for her birthday, though Ginny will probably get jealous due to the attention Hedwig is giving Harry," Bill said smirking.

"I'm glad... What? You know where Ginny is?" Ron asked when the full impact of what Bill just said hit him.

"Yes, I know where Ginny is, all I can tell you is that she is with Harry Potter," Bill said warily.

"Is that the boy from Diagon Alley?" Ron asked.

"Yes, Harry is the boy from Diagon Alley,"

"I guess that is okay then, when will Ginny come home?" Ron asked hopefully

"She can't come home, neither can Harry," Bill said, shaking his head sadly.

"Why not?"

"It is more then my life worth to tell you that," Bill said warily.

"What is going on Bill?" Ron asked angrily.

"Ginny and Harry have to train for something, don't ask me for what, the training will take a long time," Bill explained patiently.

"Can I at least talk to Ginny?" Ron asked.

"Sorry, Ron, but no. I'm not with her at the moment, and even if I was, I don't know if I would get permission for that," Bill said sadly.

There hung an uncomfortable silence between the two brothers after that statement.

"How did you end up with Hedwig Ron?" Bill asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

At first Ron was taken aback by the sudden change of subject, but then was glad that Bill asked that.

"That is a funny story actually. When we went to buy Hermes for Percy, Ginny saw this snowy owl and wanted to have her at once. Alas we did not have the money to buy two owls so we left without buying her. The twins got mad at Percy for parading Hermes in front of them and they turned his hair green, mum was scolding the twins when Ginny started walking across the street and well, you know the rest of what happened in Diagon Alley.

"When we got home mum send Percy, the twins and me outside. To everyone's astonishment the snowy owl Ginny wanted so much turned up at the Burrow then and settled on my shoulder. So I decided to give it to Ginny. But when mum and dad found out they flooed the emporium, but they said they never had a snowy owl in stock. So I had kept her ever since," Ron told to Bill.

"Typical," Bill muttered under his breath.

"You said that Hedwig had taken to Harry? But didn't Harry buy his own pet?" Ron asked.

"Harry never made it past Gringgots, he actually had just arrived in the alley before he met Ginny and well, he never got the change to buy anything," Bill explained.

"Why? What happened to Harry?" Ron asked, perplexed.

"Can't tell you that, sorry," Bill said, shaking his head.

"O well, would you know why Ginny's hand on the clock keeps switching between 'lost' and 'home'?" Ron asked.

"It does that? I guess Ginny is starting to feel at home then," Bill said smirking.

"Shouldn't you tell mum that Ginny is actually alive?" Ron asked, thinking about how that would at least cheer her up.

"You think that is a good idea?" Bill asked warily,

"Yes, you have no idea how she has been lately, at least now she can have some hope," Ron said.

"You are right of course, you better give this globe to her then," Bill said, sounding resigned.

Quickly Ron bounded down the stairs and found Molly in the kitchen working on lunch.

"Mum, Bill wants to speak to you," Ron said, holding out the crystal ball.

"Ron? What?" Molly asked, looking from Ron to the crystal ball.

"Just take it!" Ron said exasperated.

"Hi mum," Bill said from the crystal ball. That was all encouragement Molly needed and she took the crystal ball.

Ron left to go back up to his room. Just as he reached it Molly's voice echoed through the house.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? SHE CAN'T COME HOME?"