Ron was unutterably bored. Whilst not normally being one to get bored in Diagon Alley, he found himself actually looking forward to going home. Not surprising really, since the other two shoppers accompanying him were a certain Molly and Ginny Weasley. Add to that the idea that the principle object of the trip was to buy dress robes, and you had a specifically Ron-sized purgatory. "Dress robes..." shuddered Ron internally. Maroon dress robes. Arrgh.
It wasn't that he didn't realise what Molly was trying to achieve. He knew his parents were feeling guilty over what had happened to Ginny over the progress of only her first school year. Goddamnit, they all were. But it wasn't even as if Ginny seemed the least bit interested in shopping at the moment. He made a desperate effort to distract Molly.
"Look, there's Quality Quidditch. Couldn't we have a quick look around inside?"
"Ron dear, you know we couldn't possibly afford -"
"I know that. Just let me have a look..."
Molly glanced worriedly at Ginny, who shrugged charitably and smiled, "Go on, mum. We've dragged him around all day. Let's give him a break and go and look at the brooms!"
Molly smiled at her daughter and followed to where Ron was staring with the rest of the crowd outside the window in wonder at the collection of glossy racing brooms in the window, Ginny next to her.
Ron looked at his sister's face and felt happier. She'd always been a passionate Quidditch fan, especially with five brothers who all played the sport. It was good to see her smiling.
He turned back to the brooms. They really were beauties; finely produced Cloud Catcher 88s, with polished mahogany
handles and sleek twigs forming the tail. Way out of the Weasley budget of course, but who cared about that.
"Are you sure these brooms are meant to go as fast as the label says?" his mother enquired, a worried look on her face. "Ninety miles an hour seems a little speedy."
"Of course they are, Mum. How else is Harry supposed to catch the snitch?"
"Really?" Molly looked doubtful. "I hate to think of Harry racing about on those brooms. It sounds awfully dangerous."
"Oh mum, you are a worrier. Harry can look after himself or they wouldn't have let - Oh." He paused, and began to look up and down the street. "Where's Ginny gone?"
"Did she go inside?" asked his mother.
"I don't think so..." replied Ron, peering into the shop.
"Well then," said Molly, beginning to walk increasingly quickly towards the corner of the street, making towards Gringotts, "Where is she?"
Ron looked up at the slight edge in his mum's voice and saw fear fill her eyes as they turned the corner to find nothing. Molly scanned the crowd and turned to Ron. "Right," she began sternly, "I'll look in the shops. Ask as many people as you can if they've seen her."
The next hour was the worst of Ron's life. After searching Diagon Alley endlessly, there was still no sign of
her.
"You'll have to contact the ministry," advised Barnabus Marner, an employee of the ice-cream stand outside the pub, who had become part of the impromptu search party that had formed as the search became less and less fruitful. "Your best chance is to contact the services and get some aurors on the case."
A woman who worked at the Department of Magical Trade lent them her portkey and his mother used it gratefully. Ron
followed her silently as his mother hurried through the endless corridors and felt relief fill him slightly as his dad
rushed round the corner. That feeling was quickly crushed as he overheard his parents' conversation.
"Molly, we need to put her down as missing. McGivern. said that they can't put her down as being kidnapped until they have more evidence," his father said, worry etched into his voice.
"What do you mean, more evidence?" Molly replied hysterically. "They can't think Ginny's run
away! She was unhappy because of what happened, but not enough to..."
"I know Molly, I know. I'm so sorry," Arthur replied as Molly fell in to his arms. She began to cry and as Arthur wrapped her into a hug Ron heard her whisper, "Please tell them to find my baby. Please."
Ron quickly turned away. He couldn't stand seeing his parents like that. And for the first time in ten years Ron Weasley sat down and cried.
The next morning the front page was full of the story, with the headlines screaming news of Ginny's disappearance.
But Ginny Weasley was never seen again. After the Great War, when Harry finally defeated Voldermort, her parents were given hope. Maybe Voldermort had taken her captive and he'd kept her alive as a trophy. But she was not found, and so her name was placed with the hundreds of others who had died. And slowly people began to forget about a little girl called Ginny Weasley. But her family never did, and every night they prayed that their little girl would be given back to them. And every night their prayers went unanswered.
The months pass, and a shiver of pain runs up Arthur Weasley's spine as he listens to his wife sobbing next to him on the bed. Four years now, and a shroud of darkness lies heavy on them. Such sorrow that cannot be resolved. Until one autumn day...
-->