Ch4: PROBLEMS
MINERVA'S POV:
"What do you mean, Dementors?" asked Minerva McGonagall. She, Filius Flitwick, Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge and Percy Weasley were in Dumbledore's office, discussing Luna Lovegood. Fudge smirked and looked quite pleased with himself.
"I knew something like this was going to happen, therefore I've called the Dementors so they're close by if we need them... and since it looks like Miss Lovegood has left the castle, I find that my actions has been done justice."
"Nonsense!" snapped McGonagall and Flitwick quickly agreed. Flitwick was the head of Luna's house, and both of them were rather fond of the clever and shy, yet stubborn girl.
"Minerva," said Dumbledore, looking old and sad, "there is nothing we can do about this, I am afraid. Mister Fudge has shown me himself what the Alethiometrist said and if that is the actions we need to make to keep Harry safe then it is in our place to do so."
"You have became far too overprotective of that boy," said McGonagall with a frown. "We can not keep scarifying everyone who might be a threat to the boy in Merlin knows how many years! It is not the way!"
"Harry is important to the Wizarding world, imagine what would happen if he got killed or went missing? The world would be in hysterics in a matter of hours. It might be just what Voldemort needs to make his decisive blow."
McGonagall opened her mouth and closed it again. She did not know what to say to that. The Headmaster had obviously made his decision, and the unfairness of it all had her already shaking with anger. She couldn't imagine what Luna's reaction to the news would be and she prayed with her heart and soul that the poor girl would never have to know.
"Albus," said Filius Flitwick, looking concerned. "You do realize who we are talking about? Luna Lovegood, the one who stood by Harry's side that time in the Ministry, the one who never gets any detentions-" Flitwick gave a sideways glare to Snape "-except from Severus, but he likes no one but his own anyway." (Snape glared back) "Miss Lovegood is a kind and caring young woman. If nothing less she could protect Mr. Potter."
The Minister of Magic cleared his voice; eager to say something and tired of being the listener.
"It doesn't matter how caring she is now," he said, "because she will decide the outcome of the future match concerning Potter and You-Know-Who. She might help - yes - but we can not afford take the chance. We can help him. The best thing would be to make sure she has nothing to say in the matter at all."
While he talked McGonagall couldn't help but wonder if this Minister was as sincere as he gave out to be. She - and she wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore did as well - suspected that Fudge was still angry at the Quibbler for posting the article about Harry, putting the Daily Prophet in bad light while proclaiming that the Minister had done a poor job as well. The Quibbler belonged to Luna's dad, and what could be worse for Mr. Lovegood than having to fear for his daughter's life? McGonagall shook her head in pity and rage at the Minister and focused back on what he was saying.
"-the Dementors were only meant as a guard, but they are under the order to capture Miss Lovegood and stop her in any way possible if she escapes. I have no idea, Dumbledore, how you managed to warn her when you were with me all the time, but I suspect you have your ways..."
"That could have been my fault," said Snape, looking thoughtful. All the heads in the room turned in surprise. "I ordered her up here under a detention to give a message to Dumbledore - saying that we needed more Unicorn hair - but she never returned. I suspected that she had somehow managed to get away from the detention with Dumbledore's help and I planned to talk to her about it as soon as possible, no sooner than the following Potion class tomorrow morning."
A silence followed, everyone deep in thoughts. Albus stroked his beard.
"When was this Severus?" the grey man asked curiously.
"About 5 o'clock this afternoon," came the answer and Dumbledore nodded.
"That makes sense. She could very well have overheard the whole conversation, we weren't exactly noiseless. She never told me about your message Severus."
The Minister looked outraged. "This is unheard of! We must act right away, or this girl won't even have a trial! The Dementors are told to show no mercy! Dumbledore, do you know if this girl can make a corporeal Patronus?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "No, as far as I know young Harry is the only one who can tell us that."
"Should we ask him, Albus?" drawled Snape's voice from somewhere to McGonagall's left.
"No..." said Cornelius Fudge, a smirk playing in the corner of his mouth as he went over to a window on the other side of the office. "There's no need for that. The Dementors have already arrived Hogsmade. Let's just hope that she is alone and doesn't struggle against them. Then she'll be fine... for a little longer."
Minerva felt her insides clench and looked into Flitwick's worried gaze. She instantly knew that he was thinking the same as her.
There was no way this girl would be fine.
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HARRY'S POV:
"Hermione," said Harry, pacing around the Common room. "Why is it that we haven't seen Ron today? I can't even find him on the Marauders Map. Something must be wrong!"
"I'm sure he's alright," Hermione tried to reassure him. "He's probably just angry... you know how he is."
"He looked so betrayed," said Harry quietly and an uncomfortable silence settled over them.
"Yeah," said Hermione finally, walking behind him and putting her arms around him, nuzzling his neck. "I wish we had decided to tell him before he figured it out on his own."
"Tell me about it..."
"He'll show up, he can't avoid us forever," she said reasonably, and Harry was about to answer her when the Common room portrait went up abruptly, revealing a breathless McGonagall.
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger," she said, "I need to talk to you both... and Mr. Weasley also if he is around."
"We don't know where he is, professor," said Hermione sadly. "He's been gone since last night. Nobody has seen him since then."
"I have," someone said from the other side of the room. "I saw him a little after dinner."
Everybody turned around and spotted Ginny, who looked like she had big trouble restraining herself from hexing the Gryffindor pair that had hurt her brother so. Hermione instantly looked anxious.
"What did he say?"
"We don't have time for that now, Ms. Granger," said McGonagall. "Let's go somewhere private, shall we? Yes, you too if you please, Ms. Weasley."
They went out of the Common room and turned left. McGonagall guided them to a nearby classroom that was currently unused. When all of them had gotten inside safely she locked the door with a charm. Turning to face them, she pocketed her wand and looked at them seriously.
"Mr. Luna Lovegood is gone and in trouble. We assume she has left the castle this afternoon, but we don't know for sure. Do you know where she is or where she could be?"
"Why? Is it serious?" asked Hermione, and all of them were uncomfortably aware that nobody had seen Ron either after that time.
"That is not in my place to tell you," said McGonagall sourly. "In fact, I am not supposed to tell anything to anyone about this, not even the rest of the staff. However, you are the ones who know her best and I could not stand doing nothing."
Harry was stunned. They were the ones who knew Luna best? Ginny perhaps, but certainly not him or Hermione! "What can we do?" he asked.
"You may begin to tell me whether or not she can produce a Corporeal Patronus, she will need it now."
He shook his head. "No, she can't, not when it really counts. She's close though."
McGonagall nodded, but didn't look relieved.
"You mean she's in danger from Dementors?" asked Ginny worriedly.
"I am afraid so."
"But professor, how can that be? What is Dementors doing here? Why isn't anybody trying to help her?"
"I understand your concern Mr. Potter," said McGonagall softly, "but at this moment she is in more danger from the Minister himself. Even I do not understand this properly and it is entirely out of my control. All I know is that it is not looking too good for her right now."
"We have to help her, professor," said Harry at once and the two other students quickly agreed.
"You are not to do such a thing! Do that and you would be expelled for sure!"
Harry stared in shock at McGonagall's face, which had turned from being upset and serious to wild looking and scared. He got an uncomfortable feeling that this had something to do with him.
"Then why are you telling us this?"
The professor sighed. "I had hoped you knew where she could have went. This castle has many secrets and not even Albus is aware of all of them."
Neither Harry, Hermione or Ginny said a word to that. They didn't know her well enough, and even if they did it was always hard to tell with Luna.
When McGonagall turned, unlocked the door and went out, Harry turned to the others.
"What about Ron? Do you think he could've followed Luna?"
Hermione looked at Harry for a moment and then turned her gaze to Ginny, who shrugged.
"Hardly. But it's a coincidence that we can't ignore. What if he have?"
"Then we have to find him," said Harry instantly, already knowing what Hermione would say to that.
"But you heard what professor McGonagall said! She's going to expel us!"
"That only proves it's important doesn't it? It's probably because of those Dementors - if he's with Luna then that means he's in danger from them too. Remember what happened in our third year, Hermione? We weren't the ones who they were to capture, but they still tried to suck our soul out."
"What about the Map?" asked Ginny, trying to find another solution to the mess.
"We can't find him there," said Harry. "That means he is either out of bounds or somewhere in the castle like the Room of Requirement that the map can't spot. However, I've already checked that room and he's not there either."
Ginny glared at them. "Well, he certainly wasn't in the mood for talking when I saw him earlier. He was quite angry." She smiled a little when she saw Hermione flinch. "Whatever you said to him couldn't have been the best way for him to find out about you two."
Now it was Harry's turn to flinch. "That's just it. We didn't tell him, he found out on his own. He walked straight in on us."
Ginny's eyes widened. "That's not good."
"Tell me about it..."
"I want to say `I told you so,' but I won't, even though it's tempting. I did ask for it after all."
"Thanks..."
"No problem."
"But still," interjected Hermione, not giving up her case just yet, "expulsion-"
"-is a small price to pay compared to lose Ron. I know I have the `saving people thing,' but right now it doesn't matter. I refuse to lose another person, not because of something like this! And certainly not a friend that's like a brother to me," said Harry with finality, and everyone knew that the conversation was over.
They were going to find Ron, and Luna too if they could.
They all separated; Ginny went to the Ravenclaw common room to see if they knew anything significant about where Luna could have went, Harry went to his dorm to check the map once again (just in case) and to get his Invisibility cloak, while Hermione went to the library to find a spell that could help them locate where Ron was.
They just hoped it wasn't too late.
^ - * - ^
I must admit I am genuinely afraid of flames right now. It's probably because I deserve them. However, I hope I can please you with telling that the next chapter is done, and that I'll post it in three days. If you still want me to continue that is?
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