Flashback to platform nine and three quarters, then Hogwarts…
As Ron and Hermione made their way through the magical barrier onto Platform nine and three quarters, they began to discuss their thoughts on getting chosen to be the Gryffindor prefects this year. It couldn't get any better for the two of them, especially as Dumbledore had also promised the pair a 'bonus' payment this school year at Hogwarts in return for their fake friendship with Harry.
Ron was particularly happy, feeling he finally finally had the same level of respect from his mother she normally reserved for Bill and Charlie, not least because she had just spent a good portion of her share of Harry's money Dumbledore had been siphoning off on a brand new Firebolt 2, he couldn't wait to see the look on Harry's face when he found out that he, Ron actually had something better than what Harry had for a change, hell, with luck, he might even decide to resign from being a Quidditch seeker and pave the way for Ron to take his place!
After Ron had said goodbye to his mum and made his way onto the train, followed by Hermione, they made their way to the prefect's carriage at the very back of the train. "I would love to see the look of pure jealousy on Harry's face when he finds out we are prefects and realizes he isn't as oh so important as he thinks, but at least we'll have free reign to take control of him and reshape him to have a little more respect for his betters and the best part about it all, he'll have no choice but to obey" sneered Hermione with Ron guffawing in response.
They were slightly disgusted (but not at all surprised) to find that Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson had been made Slytherin prefects.
After receiving their briefing in the prefect's carriage, Ron and Hermione began their patrol of the corridor. After about ten minutes, they were approached by Neville who had a rather concerned look on that plump face of his.
"What's up mate, you look like you've seen a ghost!" chimed Ron. "It's Harry, I haven't seen him anywhere at all on this train" Neville paled. Ron and Hermione stared at each other blankly, come to think of it, they hadn't spoken to or seen Harry since they had arrived at the King's Cross entrance. "Maybe he's just so upset with the recent turn of events, he doesn't wanted to be hounded by everyone, so has hidden beneath that invisibility cloak of his?" suggested Hermione in an optimistic tone.
"Whatever", Ron sniffed, "just so long as he is definitely here with us once we reach Hogwarts, so that we can receive our first payments from Dumbledore". "Uh, oh", he suddenly mumbled as he saw trouble approaching just after Neville left in the form of Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't weasle dung and miss mudblood", drawled Malfoy snidely, with Crabbe and Goyle very badly trying to suppress their sniggers.
"Piss off you steaming pile of ferret dung!" snarled Ron, with his wand out and Hermione with hers out too.
"Haven't seen Potter anywhere on this train, figured he might be hiding with the pair of you having a three way!" Malfoy said snidely.
Before Ron could curse or hex Malfoy, Hermione cut in "For your information Malfoy, we haven't seen Harry either, so why don't you leave us alone before I assign you a week's detention on our first week back!"
Malfoy was stuck what to say, muttering a "Humph!" until suddenly he exclaimed "WHAT?! Don't tell me Little Miss Mudblood has been made prefect, wait until my father hears about -" and crumpled onto the floor due to Ron casting a silent stunner spell at Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle could only gawp wordlessly like demented birds.
"Ron!" Hermione looked at Ron desperately. "I was only defending you, calling you a mudblood is bang out of order!" Ron growled. "I know, I appreciate it, but as prefects, we must set an example!" Hermione admonished. "Can't have them reporting us for this, sooooo….. Obliviate!" she said, waving her wand at the trio. Malfoy woke up after another few minutes, shrugged and walked off to the prefect's carriage.
"If we don't see Harry at least once before we reach Hogsmeade station, we can kiss goodbye to a significant chunk of our bonus 'friendship' payment from Dumbledore, remember that part of the contract for receiving any of Harry's money was that we see him at least once at each stage, meeting him during the summer holiday and traveling with him to Hogwarts!" Hermione whispered worriedly.
"No kidding" scoffed Ron, feeling pity that maybe he wouldn't be replacing his Cleansweep broom with a Firebolt to match Harry's this school year after all.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?" Ron heard down the corridor as the food trolley was being pushed towards their door, but for once, he wasn't at all hungry, his lack of appetite no doubt brought on by his concern about the lack of Harry Potter.
It was the same once everyone had arrived at Hogwarts, Ron ate relatively little at this start of the year feast compared to previous years and Hermione was gripping onto her own hair in frustration and telling her fellow Gryffindors to shut up, seeing as Harry's absence hadn't gone unnoticed by everyone else. The two of them were so distracted by the thought of Harry, they barely paid attention to the sorting ceremony or Dumbledore's speech, although they did comment on the toad like woman who was the new Defense Against The Dark Arts Teacher, her name Dolores Umbridge as she gave her speech.
"Blimey, who let that toad like creature into Hogwarts?!" sniggered Ron, momentarily forgetting Harry. Hermione just shook her head and buried it in her hands on the table edge, not knowing what to feel about Harry's absence. The absence evidently hadn't gone unnoticed by the staff either, especially Dumbledore. He had a very purplexed look whilst looking in the direction of the Gryffindor table, whilst the teachers were whispering to one another about something 'not seeming to be quite right'.
Once the feast was over and everyone started making their way to their dormitories, Dumbledore approached Ron and Hermione, his usual twinkle in his eyes absent. "I appreciate the two of you might feel tired out already from your prefect duties, and I shall allow you both to carry out those duties once more tonight to help guide the first years. However, I would also appreciate it if afterwards, the two of you were to come to my office, in order to discuss a certain problem I think hasn't gone unnoticed by either of you." Both Ron and Hermione knew it was obvious Dumbledore was referring to Harry's absence at Hogwarts. "Yes, sir, of course we will", Hermione nodded.
After Dumbledore saw the pair head up the stairs towards Gryffindor, McGonagall followed him close by. "Do you think it's appropriate to discuss Harry's apparent disappearance with his two best friends?" she asked with pursed lips. Dumbledore nodded gently, before adding "Of course, Minerva, especially when the way that their very futures are shaped are largely tied to the success of Harry, not withstanding the fact they have been shall we say 'compensated' very generously for the inconvenience of being in Harry's company for five years when they could have better enjoyed life with the likes of Neville Longbottom instead."
Parts of what McGonagall just heard caused her to hear alarm bells ringing inside her mind. What did Albus mean by them being 'inconvenienced' by Harry? As far as she could see, they were like family, nothing less, and what did he mean by 'compensation' for this alleged 'inconvenience' from Harry?
"Albus, something isn't adding up here, and I'd like an explanation as to why… meh, never mind", she suddenly momentarily looked unfocused as Dumbledore silently cast a Confundus charm on her to stop her questioning Harry's friendship with Ron and Hermione and risk her finding out that the friendship was a lie.
Before they knew it, they were at the gargoyle in front of the staircase to Dumbledore's office, with the password being 'Drooble's Best Blowing Gum'. As Dumbledore made his way through into his office, he could hear a faint, but continuous klaxon like sound coming from his tracking contraption that he used to monitor Harry. According to his contraption, Harry had disappeared off the face of the earth. Dumbledore sat at his desk and rubbed his eyes in frustration. This was simply not possible. Harry couldn't be dead either, as the contraption would disintegrate the instant his death took place.
"Albus, you don't suppose You-Know… Voldemort has anything to do with Harry's apparent disappearance? Or what if he has literally found a way to leave Earth and live a new life on the moon?"
Dumbledore almost choked with laughter on the lemon drop he had started on, before returning to his serious expression.
"No Minerva, that is too far fetched even for Harry or Voldemort. I'm thinking Harry's 'disappearance' is the work of non-human creatures, however many non-human creatures such as Goblins are not on very good speaking terms with the vast majority of humans, so even if this problem was the work of Goblins, it's going to be almost nigh on impossible to extract any information from them on the matter."
"But Albus, surely the Ministry can get us a subpoena to force the goblins to give us any information…" Dumbledore cut her off whilst shaking his head despairingly. "Wouldn't work, as Gringotts and the rest of the Goblin world in magical Britain has it's own sovereignty in which the Ministry Of Magic has zero power over, owing to a treaty signed in 1896."
"But Albus, this is Harry Potter we are talking about, there has to be a way. For Merlin's sake, for all we know, he could be locked away as a slave for Voldemort", Minerva sniffed looking ready to cry any second.
Rubbing his eyes wearily, Dumbledore sighed heavily, "I will find a way, but unfortunately it will require extensive research, by which time, anything could have happened to Harry."
Dumbledore then went to his desk, sat down heavily as if totally exhausted, summoned a drinking glass and a bottle of oak mead and poured himself some into the drinking glass, and offered McGonagall some too which she declined. "I have taken the liberty of requesting the presence of Hermione and Ron, and I intend to interrogate the two of them as deeply as possible in case there is even the most miniscule of information they may be holding onto that could be a clue to Harry's whereabouts. Although I doubt sincerely that they would allow Harry out of their sight in this manner, I'm leaving no stone unturned."
McGonagall transformed herself into her cat animagus form and sat on Dumbledore'desk just as there was a knock on the door. "Enter!" Ron and Hermione slowly approached his desk as Dumbledore conjured up two seats. "Good evening you two, a pleasant sight the two of you, although the circumstances are rather less than pleasant, potentially a matter of life or death." He offered the pair a lemon drop each, which they felt obliged to take.
Staring at them with a grandfatherly like look of affection and his eyes twinkling brilliantly, he put on a business like tone of voice, "Now then, let's get down to business. You two know exactly why I asked you both to come here tonight", to which Ron said "Harry's missing and before you interrogate us so extensively, no, we had no idea Harry would disappear like this, he gave us no warning whatsoever, neither was he acting in any way out of the ordinary, apart from maybe refusing to go around Diagon Alley with us. He claimed he had 'important' business at Gringotts, but told us nothing more". This shocked Dumbledore immensely. "Important business? Apart from withdrawals from his vault, he has no other business dealings available to him as long as his vaults are under my command. Did you notice anything suspicious about him during your journey to the train". Ron was unable to answer satisfactorily to that question, but now was Hermione's turn. "I never saw him with his trunk between leaving Diagon Alley and arriving at King's Cross come to think of it, however, I merely assumed he had concealed it to help protect himself." "Forgive me, but did it not occur to either of you to question his motives the moment he broke out of character with the two of you? What if he had been placed under the Imperius curse to do another's bidding", Dumbledore asked somewhat icily. Ron again, "That's not fair, we are NOT his babysitters, look at Hermione, you've upset her!" Hermione looked like she was going to cry any moment whilst Ron held one hand in an attempt to comfort her.
"True that may be, but let me remind you", chided Dumbledore, "Failing your responsibilities with Harry means financial failure for the two of you, the only way this charm on Harry's assets to give us all a share each will work is to remain affiliated with him as closely as possible, one of us fails our duties to him, we all lose out, and need I remind you Ronald Weasley the trouble your family would give you when they find your windfall to them, courtesy of Harry comes to an abrupt end?"
Ron suddenly looked more pale than a ghost at the thought of his entire family disowning him and finding himself in the dumps, so to speak.
"As it stands, neither of you will be receiving a penny of your 'bonus' from Harry's vaults until Harry is located and brought back here, so it'll be in both of you's best interests to assist me in the process", Dumbledore said as both Hermione and Ron looked like Christmas had just been canceled at the thought of losing out on any extra money. "I shall eventually require the two of you to travel with me in my mission to locate Harry. This mission has it's risks, I won't hide that from either of you, risks that may place you at death's door, given we will be exploring unchartered territory. However, that is a risk I am more than willing to take, maybe it will do the two of you the good of Merlin?"
"What's say we refuse?" Ron blurted out. Dumbledore gave him a deathly cold look worthy of a basklisk stare.
"Then I shall personally see to it the two of you have your magic bounded and the two of you banished to a life lesser than even that of a muggle who sufferers the most terrible pain and discomfort", Dumbledore hissed in a most unusual tone for his character.
"But you can't…" interjected Ron furiously. "I think you find I very well can, and I have before to some of those who came before you", smiled Dumbledore, with his blue twinkle in his eyes returning.
"Fine then", huffed Ron.
"The two of you had better be going to your dormitory now, I shall arrange to see the two of you when I require your assistance further in locating our Harry. You can use my floo to get there if you want." Hermione and Ron looked at each other, and shrugged as Dumbledore threw green powder into his fireplace and the pair walked into the green flames and disappeared instantly with the flames.
"Now to make our own floo journey, we need to alert Harry's *cough* 'family' *cough* to his disappearance and carry out a sweeping search of 12 Grimmuald Place to ensure that they aren't harboring the boy", explained Dumbledore as McGonagall transformed back into her human self.
"And what if they are?" asked McGonagall warily.
"Attempted kidnapping charges?" suggested Dumbledore as if he secretly loved the idea of Sirius and Lupin locked away in Azkaban and Harry feeling destroyed with no family left leaving Harry under his total control.
"Pffft, kidnapping, Albus, are you barmy? Do you even know what the definition of kidnapping is? Even if Potter is at 12 Grimmuald Place, he would come by choice and both Remus and Sirius would protect him from the totalarian life you forced him into that isn't necessary even though he has the weight of Voldemort on his shoulders. Please explain how…" McGonagall went quiete with a flick of Dumbledore's wand.
"I suggest you keep your nose out of my important business Minerva, if you know what is good for you. You don't want me to rape you again like I did the night after the demise of Harry's parents do you?" Dumbledore asked with flames in his eyes for a split second. McGonagall shook her head whilst looking like she was in a trance until Dumbledore flicked his wand to bring her back to normal again.
He threw some more green powder into the fireplace.
"Now, come Minerva, we've got business to take care of at 12 Grimmuald Place". "Albus! Don't you think it's impolite to turn up unannounced? Ought you notify him of your visit beforehand?" admonished McGonagall. Dumbledore gave her his unnatural stone cold stare again, then disappeared into the green flames. McGonagall sighed heavily and reluctantly followed him into the green flames.