Fred and George had been enjoying a very productive day of sales when they realised that something was afoot in the village. In a matter of minutes their shop had gone from being bustling with students, to virtually deserted. A quick glance into the streets showed that the village in general seemed to be getting evacuated.
"What's going on?" Fred called across the street to the wizard who ran a shop selling stationary. Like the twins he was also at the door of his shop, wondering where his customers had gone.
"Not a clue," The wizard shouted back. "One minute I had customers, the next minute they began to leave the shop."
"Maybe it's some sort of emergency up at the school," George mused as they watched as the few students they could see headed towards the castle.
"Either way, it's ruined our day," Fred grouched as the twins returned to the shop. "We could have made a fortune today. Hogsmeade weekends are always our big weekends, and with this one being the last before Christmas, it could have made us a fortune."
"There's nothing we can do but carry on and hope our customers return," George said diplomatically.
"I guess so," Fred agreed with a weary sigh as he went back to work.
For the next half hour the twins stacked shelves and sorted their stock, but the only customers they had were people not associated with the school. Eventually even the other customers dried up, and for the first time since they'd opened their shop in Hogsmeade, Fred and George found themselves with an empty shop and no customers in sight.
"Why do I get the feeling we're missing something important?" Fred asked with a frown. "It's one thing for the students to disappear, but what about the other shoppers. We haven't had a customer for nearly ten minutes."
As if to prove him wrong, the door to the shop suddenly opened and two wizards entered the premises. However, it was immediately clear that the two men were not customers and they proved it by flashing their badges identifying themselves as Aurors.
"Is there a problem?" George asked warily. Despite the problems with their family, the twins had never had any conflict with the dark and the Ministry, and they wanted to keep it that way.
"We're investigating a missing student," The first Auror answered. "We're putting the village on lockdown so we can begin our search. I'm afraid you're going to have to close the shop."
"Of course," George answered with a nod.
"We also want to search the place and ask you a few questions," The second Auror said. "Don't worry, you're not being discriminated against, we're shutting every shop and searching it," He added with Fred opened his mouth.
"Who are you looking for?" Fred asked. As long as everyone in the village was getting treated the same way, he had no problems with helping the Aurors.
"Harry Snape," The first Auror said. "Have either of you seen him today?"
"No, he doesn't visit the shop much," George answered, a bad feeling building in the pit of his stomach. If it had been almost anyone else who was missing, he wouldn't have thought twice about it, but he couldn't help but fear that his brothers were somehow involved in this mess.
"I would have thought a shop like this would appeal to most of the students," The second Auror remarked, gazing around at the colourful displays and fun filled products available to buy.
"As I'm sure you're aware, our family has history with Harry and his family," Fred said. "He's welcome here, but we're not friends of any sort. I think he just finds it easier to stay away."
"So he hasn't been in today?" The first Auror asked.
"No," George answered. "And we haven't seen him either. We've been run off our feet and haven't left the shop all morning."
The two Aurors nodded, and after a search of the shop, they waited while Fred and George locked up, before asking them to stay out of the way of the investigation.
"If we need to talk again, will we find you here?" The first Auror asked.
"We'll either be in the shop, the flat above the shop or at our family home, The Burrow," Fred answered. "But I really don't see how we can help you. As we've said, we haven't seen Harry today."
"We might still have further questions," The second Auror responded before the two wizards headed onto the next shop to continue their search.
Fred and George watched the activity in the village through their shop window for a few seconds. The two Aurors they'd spoken to were not the only ones in the village. Harry's family also seemed to be around as they spotted both Severus Snape and Voldemort talking with some of the Aurors.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" George asked his twin.
"I am," Fred replied in a sombre voice. "Let's just hope we're wrong."
"Let's go and find out then," George said, turning away from the window.
Heading upstairs to their flat, the twins connected the floo network and headed home. With it being a weekend they expected both their parents to be home, and sure enough they found Molly and Arthur in the front room. Molly was sitting knitting, while Arthur was reading the papers, the radio playing quietly in the background.
"Hello boys," Molly greeted with a thin smile, putting her knitting to one side. Even though she was much better than she had been following Ron's death, there was still a frailness and listlessness about Molly these days.
"Isn't it early for you to be here?" Arthur asked with a frown as he checked the time. "I would have thought your shop would have been packed."
"There's a crisis down in the village," Fred explained. "All the shops have been closed for the day."
"Can they do that?" Molly asked.
"Apparently," George answered with a shrug.
"So what is this crisis?" Arthur questioned.
"Harry's missing," Fred replied, as both he and George watched their parents for their reaction.
Both Molly and Arthur appeared shocked, but neither of them looked as though it was something they already knew. Granted, they didn't exactly seem heartbroken by the news, but both of the twins would swear it was the first they were hearing of it.
"Are Bill and Charlie here?" Fred asked.
"In the kitchen playing chess," Arthur responded.
Fred and George headed into the kitchen, where they found their two eldest brothers engaged in a game of chess. Both Bill and Charlie looked up when they entered the room, and like Arthur they asked why they were home so early. Again, Fred and George repeated that Harry was missing, and while Bill and Charlie both seemed shocked, the twins weren't sure it was genuine.
"It's you two, isn't it?" Fred demanded.
"What's us two?" Bill asked with a confused frown.
"You're involved in Harry's disappearance," George accused.
"We're what?" Charlie laughed as his parents entered the kitchen.
"What's going on?" Arthur asked, sensing some tension in the room.
"Fred and George think we have Harry hidden somewhere," Bill answered. "You can go and check our rooms if you want."
"We don't think he's here," Fred said. "We just think you two have something to do with his disappearance."
"Fredrick, that is a terrible thing to say to your brothers," Molly scolded.
"Come on Mum, you know how they feel about Harry and his family," George protested.
"Yes, and they're quite within their rights to hate them," Molly said defensively. "But hating someone and wanting to see their downfall is not the same as kidnapping them."
"It depends on how eager they are to see their downfall," Fred pointed out. "You two were planning something over the summer, and don't deny it."
"We won't," Charlie said. "You're right, we have been looking at ways to get rid of the dark, but we haven't come up with anything solid. You know that You-Know-Who is the real threat, and with his Horcruxes, he's indestructible."
"He might be, but his grandson isn't," George argued. "What were you thinking, that you would get rid of his family one at a time and he would be so grief stricken that he would retreat into himself?"
"Now that is a good plan, George," Bill remarked with a smirk. "I wish we'd thought of that."
"Sadly, we're still plan free," Charlie added with a shrug. "We don't know what's going on with Harry, but good on whoever has taken him. It's about time people fought, rather than just roll over and let the dark get what they want. Maybe this is the start of the revolution."
"Deny it all you want, we know you're involved," Fred said. "You were up in Hogsmeade earlier in the year casing the joint."
"We were visiting Ginny," Charlie argued. "She is our little sister, and in case you didn't notice, she's all alone in that school with several members of You-Know-Who's family. We're just keeping an eye on her."
"You better not have dragged her into this," George warned. "We know you're behind this, but let's just hope you've had the sense to leave our little sister out of your hair brained scheme."
"We would never do anything to cause problems for Ginny," Bill insisted fiercely.
"Let's hope you're right," Fred muttered.
"Enough," Molly interjected in a sharp voice. "I will not have my children accusing each other of such things. Haven't we already lost enough? We need to stick together, not tear each other apart."
"Tell them that," George said, shaking his head at his two older brothers. "If they've done what we think they have, they've just doomed themselves. We're just going to have to hope they don't drag the rest of us down with them."
C.O.T.D.
Hermione was less than happy to be back at school, but her father and brother had been adamant that they would prefer it if she was safe at Hogwarts. Voldemort and Severus had called in the Ministry and they were organising the search party down in Hogsmeade, but Hermione wanted to help. Unfortunately, she'd been sent back to school and she was currently pacing the floor in the head dorms.
The group had gathered in the head dorms to wait for news, and it was no longer just the couples who had gone down to Hogsmeade together. Vince and Greg had turned up, along with Pansy, Millicent and Tracey. Then Dean, Neville and Seamus had poked their heads in to see if there was any news and they'd ended up staying for a while as well.
"It has to be the Weasleys," Hermione said for the hundredth time.
"More than likely, but how do you prove it?" Draco asked. "Until we find Harry we can't go around accusing people."
"Watch me," Hermione hissed as she turned and stalked towards the door.
"Hermione," Draco called, running after his girlfriend as she stalked out of the head dorms. "Where are you going?"
"Ginny," Hermione answered. "She's involved, I know she is."
"Even if she is, she's not going to admit it to you," Draco argued as he followed his girlfriend to Gryffindor Tower.
"She will if I make her," Hermione replied in a low voice.
When they reached Gryffindor Tower, Hermione spat out the password and even though The Fat Lady tried to protest, Draco followed his girlfriend into the common room. It took Hermione two seconds to locate Ginny, and she stormed over to the redhead who was sitting on a sofa, her nose in a book.
"Where is he?" Hermione demanded, yanking the book from Ginny's hands and throwing it across the room.
"What the hell," Ginny cried, jumping up in annoyance.
"Where is he?" Hermione repeated in a low voice. She was aware that everyone was watching them, but she really wasn't bothered. "I know you know, so if you know what's good for you, you'll tell me. Where is Harry?"
"That's what this is about," Ginny said with a laugh. "I heard your precious nephew was missing."
"Not missing, kidnapped," Hermione corrected.
"Maybe he ran away," Ginny suggested. "Maybe he realised just how twisted his family is and decided to leave."
"Maybe I'll forget myself and show you just how dangerous I can be," Hermione threatened in a low voice. "I won't ask again Ginny, where is he?"
"I don't know," Ginny answered in a slow but sure voice. "I haven't seen him today."
"You haven't seen him all day?" Hermione scoffed.
"No," Ginny replied. "I was up early and I was down in Hogsmeade with the first group of students. I bought a few pieces and I was back in the common room before most people even got down there in the first place. Ask around, I'm sure there's plenty of people who can tell you I've been here for hours."
"That proves nothing," Hermione insisted.
"It proves I wasn't down in Hogsmeade when Harry vanished," Ginny countered. "And tell me this, Hermione. How can I know where he is, when I was up here in Gryffindor Tower?"
"I don't believe you," Hermione hissed.
"Why don't we ask," Ginny said, turning to the crowds of watching Gryffindors. "Will someone please tell Hermione that I've been in Gryffindor Tower for hours?"
"Well?" Hermione demanded, glancing around the crowds. "No-one needs to be scared," She added in a softer voice. "All I want is the truth."
"I saw her," A timid second year admitted when her friends nudged her in the side. "And she's right, she was here for hours. She was definitely here at lunchtime."
"See?" Ginny gloated with a smug smirk as a few other people confirmed that she'd been in Gryffindor Tower for a long time. "Sorry to ruin your theory, Hermione, but I'm innocent."
"We'll see about that," Hermione muttered. "Just remember that Harry knows the truth, Ginny. When we find him, and we will find him, he's going to tell us everything. I promise you that if you were involved in whatever has happened to him, you'll regret it. I'll personally make sure of it."
Hermione smirked slightly as Ginny let out an uncontrolled shiver, and giving the younger witch one more threatening look, she turned on her heel and stalked out of Gryffindor Tower, Draco at her side.
"What do you think?" Hermione asked Draco as they slowly headed back to the head dorms.
"I think if she's involved, and there's a good chance she is, she's been very crafty," Draco replied. "Unless Harry can tell us otherwise it's going to be practically impossible to place her in Hogsmeade at the time Harry disappeared."
"Maybe so, but if she's involved I don't need to prove it to anyone," Hermione replied. "If she's involved, I'm going to make her pay."
"Something tells me you already have an idea how," Draco remarked.
"Let's just say there's a little something brewing," Hermione said with an evil smirk.
Even though he was firmly on her side, Draco felt a shiver of apprehension at Hermione's vow. If Ginny had been involved in whatever had happened to Harry, it was the stupidest mistake of her life as Hermione was going to make her regret it. Draco wouldn't want to be in Ginny's shoes once Hermione had set her sights on her. To be honest, he figured the redheaded witch would be lucky to escape from whatever Hermione had planned with her life. Although if she had been involved in Harry's disappearance, then she deserved everything she got and Draco had no sympathy for her. In fact he had no sympathy for anyone involved in what was happening with Harry, and he hoped that everyone who'd set out to cause trouble would be severely punished for their actions. Not that he had any doubt about that, as anyone who was stupid enough to mess with The Dark Lord's family was only ever going to end up in serious trouble.