Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. No money is made from this.
Chapter 7 - The Trace
With a pop Harry apparated right on the doorstep of his home in Godrics Hollow.
"Thank god it's Friday." He mumbled to himself while stepping inside. Even better a quiet Friday night with his three youngest out of the house and a welcome chance to relax from the countless overtime of the last weeks. Inside the house though, he found it a bit too silent. Ginny was nowhere to be seen and Teddy's room was abandoned.
"Maybe they went for some shopping." He reasoned and made himself comfortable on the couch. Only moments later he was fast asleep. When he finally woke up, Harry felt a sharp pain in his back and pulled out a rather hard toy soldier left to rest on the couch by one of his little demons. He really needed to enforce the rule that toys are not to be scattered around the house. Getting up and placing the soldier on the coffee table he glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. 7.30 and still there was no sign of anybody on the house. He decided to floo call Hermione & Ron to see if something had happened.
Sticking his head in the fire he shouted:"Hermione, Ron are you there?"
"Harry, yes we're both here. Is anything the matter?"
"Yeah or are you only checking that we haven't killed your offspring yet." Ron laughingly interrupted his wife.
"No guys, I was just wondering if you know where Ginny and Teddy could be? They haven't been home since I arrived 2hours ago."
Harry asked not joining in on Ron's joke.
"When Ginny brought James, Albus and Lily she said something about visiting Fleur. You should probably check there."
"Thanks Hermione. I'll do that. Bye."
Only moments later Harry's head was back in the fire place.
"Fleur, Bill, someone home?"
" 'arry of course, you want to come over too?"
"Ehm, no Fleur thanks, but Ginny is with you then, isn't she?"
"Yes Harry I am. Teddy was supposed to tell you. I thought you could use some bonding time."
"Teddy? So he is not with you?" Harry's voice had suddenly got a tone of panic. "Because he isn't with me either. The house was empty when I came home."
Now clearly Ginny was alarmed too.
"What? Oh no – that boy I swear, you don't suppose... oh god I hope nothing happened. I'll be back in just a moment Harry."
Harry got back to his feet and went straight to his godson's room checking the wards on the way. They were all intact, nobody had entered the house, so clearly Teddy had left on his own accord and Harry had a pretty good idea why. Just how was the question.
"He would have been unable to floo...", but then his train of thought was interrupted as he noticed the open window. Glancing to the corner where Teddy's broom usually stood he growled at the empty space. Of course, he had taken the Firebolt. Unbelievable.
"Harry, Harry, where are you?" Ginny came running upstairs, guilt and fear clearly written across her face.
"Do you know what happened, where he went? I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left him alone."
Harry put up his hand to interrupt her.
"This is in no way your fault. The wards are all good, so he left because he wanted to. Flew actually, the broom is gone and the window open. And since today is The Friday, I'm pretty sure he flew that Firebolt to London."
Although you could still sense her worry, furry quickly overruled Ginny.
"How dare he? What is he thinking? On broom to London when we explicitly told him to stay put."
A little calmer she continued.
"What are we doing now? I don't like the idea of him being out there on his own. It's going to be dark soon enough."
"I know, me neither. Can you go back to Fleur and ask Victoire for the names of his friends. I'll contact Ron & Hermione. Meet me there."
After Ginny had flooed back to Fleur, Harry had apparated straight to his friend's house. They only lived 15 minutes down the road but today he had no patience to walk there like he so often would. Arriving with a pop he spotted Hermione through the kitchen window and she hurried to meet him at the entrance.
"Harry what's going on, you look worried?"
Stepping through the door he sunk into a chair.
"Teddy is missing." Noticing the panic in her eyes he quickly added:
"Left with his broom Hermione. Alls wards are intact, his window was open. We had an argument last week about him visiting London with friends today. I told him no, because of the exams so when the house was empty today he left anyway."
Resting his face in his hands, he let out a sigh. "What am I going to do Hermione? I mean, it's getting dark outside and on a broom from here to London. What if something has happened to him?"
Harry's face was yet again buried in his hands. He had barely noticed Ron entering at the beginning of his explanation.
"He's a good flyer mate. He'll be alright, besides there isn't much we can do. We don't know where he went and what route he took."
"I'm not just waiting around hoping he turns up while god knows what could happen to him." Harry's raised voice filled the kitchen when he sprung to his feet.
"Calm down Harry, that's not what Ron meant. And keep it down, would you, the children are upstairs."
He gave her an apologetic look and she continued.
"However Ron is right, there is little we can do. We could search Diagon Alley of course, but somehow I doubt we'll find him there."
"I agree Hermione and actually I was hoping you can help me. I know he is with his friend Alex and I will contact his parents first. However Ginny is getting the names of his other friends and I hoped you'll help me get in contact with their parents. Your office has access to the Hogwarts contact details." Harry looked at her expectantly but she seemed reluctant.
"Ron, Harry, Hermione..." Ginny's voice came from the living room.
"Kitchen Ginny" her brother called back.
Ginny entered and placed a piece of paper on the table telling them that Victoire had known the full names of the three friends Teddy mostly hang out with, but didn't know about any plans or favourite places. Her husband grabbed the paper and motioned for Hermione to follow her.
"Harry I don't think we should do this."
"I am not just going to sit here and wait Hermione."
"And I didn't say you should. Stop being such a prat. I know you're upset, but that's no reason to let it out on me."
He moved to answer but was cut off by a sharp look from her.
"Now, rather than going to three different houses in the hope someone has an idea where their children are and in the meantime scare the poor parents, I suggest we first check Teddy and the three others for underage magic. If they have used their wands within the last hours I can track back the spell to the location. And I doubt Teddy found London without at least one point–me charm."
"You're able to do that?" both Ron and Harry seemed shocked.
Hermione gave a disapproving look and shook her head.
"Honestly guys, one would think two high class aurors would know about things like this. And yes I can do it, although I need to go to my office of course. The tracing is commonly used with magical children missing, normally younger ones though, since they tend to do accidental magic when scared or panicking. Once turned 11 we usually only try tracing after a child is missing for 24hours. I can make an exemption though, no doubt."
"Ehm Hermione, how many children go missing, you make it sound like you have done this lots of times?" Her husband questioned disbelieving that he knew so little about Hermione's job at the ministry.
She shrugged. "It happens occasionally. Most cases are muggleborn children who perform accidental magic and in panic start running away since they don't know what's happening. As we get notified of such outbursts I then had to find the child, which is easiest done by the trace of the magic outburst. The whole thing is rather complicated in theory, but I assure you if they have performed magic, I can find out where they were at that time. It will give us at least an indication as to where to search."
"Alright, I actually don't care how you do it as long as it works. The Firebolt has built-in navigation, but maybe we find something else, so let's go." Harry said impatiently and they both left for the ministry, while Ginny went back home in case Teddy came back. That left Ron alone to take five kids to bed.
"Bloody brilliant. Thanks Teddy."