𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 | Harry James Potter x Reader

YR 6 ☆•°~'* 09

❈🌠➵9¾♌ ⚯ 🗲━━━━━★. *･｡ﾟ✧⁺

Y/N's heart dropped into her stomach. There was an odd buzzing, like TV static, filling her mind. She stared blankly at Kingsley, then at Dumbledore, and back again.

'M-missing?' she said, her voice oddly devoid of emotion. 'They... they go on business trips,' she added almost automatically. 'They're not missing.'

This time, Tonks shook her head. Y/N turned to her for any sort of comfort, but there was none.

'They're not...'

'Y/N,' said Tonks gently, 'the Order has been keeping close contact with your parents. They know of the dangers they might be in, now that You-Know-Who is back in the open with his Death Eaters. They did not have any trips scheduled at this time of year.'

Y/N didn't say anything. Her mouth had gone dry.

'We entered their house, we checked everywhere,' Kingsley said. 'But there was no trace of them.'

Y/N, who was still in denial, simply shook her head.

'M-maybe they just left... to- to the cinema or...'

'Magic leaves traces, Y/N,' Kingsley continued. 'Especially Dark magic. There was barely any sign of a struggle, other than an upturned chair and a broken mug. I alerted Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic immediately, but...'

His voice trailed off. Dumbledore heaved a sigh and looked at Y/N somberly.

'The Ministry is currently too busy with matters of keeping the magical population safe,' he said slowly. 'They do not deem the safety of the Muggle population as a priority at the moment.'

'What are you saying?'

'The Magical Law Enforcement Squad has been alerted to Emilia's and Jonathan's missing status,' Dumbledore explained. 'But they informed us that their and the Auror office's first priority is to keep the wizarding population safe. They told us, regrettably, that they have a lot to do already, and they're understaffed, so it might take a while for them to get to your parents' case.'

'No one's looking for them?' asked Y/N, looking around the room again. 

Dumbledore shook his head. 

'What about the Order?' she asked earnestly. 'You- you are looking for them?'

'We are trying to,' said Kingsley in his deep voice. 'Unfortunately, the Death Eaters who took them left no clue as to where they had gone.'

Y/N's hands shook upon the arms of the chair they were resting on. 

Whatever was left of Y/N's will to live had crumbled away in five short minutes. Her heart seemed to clench on itself, her stomach twisting into a tight knot and a lump obstructed her airways. 

'The other members of the Order are all busy with other missions,' said Dumbledore. 'Remus Lupin is away and there's no means of contacting him at the moment, it's too dangerous to do so with the environment he's dealing with. Tonks is stationed in Hogsmeade as part of her Auror duties, and Kingsley is obligated to continue his patrolling of the rest of the Muggle families.'

Y/N was staring blankly at the tiled floor of Dumbledore's office. 

'If it's any comfort,' Professor McGonagall spoke for the first time, 'the Muggle law enforcement has been alerted and they are actively looking for them-'

'They're as good as dead,' Y/N croaked.

She couldn't say that she hadn't expected something like this to happen. She was marked, the Death Eaters were bound to target her family. She just did not expect it to happen so soon...