The Dream Trilogy Book One: To Dwell On Dreams (A Harry Potter FanFiction)

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Image by the incredible Visenya at The Dark Arts

Chapter Song: Shout by Tears For Fears

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Chapter Twenty Seven

Ron Weasley ran his fingers along the stone wall as he traipsed wearily through the silent corridor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hermione had made him grab an hour or so of sleep that afternoon, put apart from that he hadn't stopped since Harry's disappearance over twenty four hours ago. 

Why hadn't he gone after him? Sirius' arrest had hit him hard, he hadn't sounded at all like himself when he'd stormed from the Gryffindor common room, and now he'd vanished into thin air. That couldn't possibly mean anything good. 

Dumbledore was still desperately trying to help Sirius, and Ron hadn't seen him since their meeting the night before, but his dad had sent him an owl to tell him they were working with several others at the Ministry to try and make Cornelius Fudge see some sense, and had apparently had as much sleep as Ron and Hermione. 

Professor McGonagall was apparently in constant communication with the headmaster though, and along with Ron and Hermione had rallied the other prefects into searching the school grounds for Harry when he hadn't returned to the Gryffindor tower. The two of them had checked the Marauder's Map what felt like a million times to no avail, but they and the other prefects were still determinedly combing through every room the school had to offer, even going to far as to search the Forbidden Forest whilst they'd had some daylight.  

Well, most of the other prefects, Ron thought as he climbed yet another set of stairs, his legs heavy as lead. Draco Malfoy had apparently organised an impromptu party in the Slytherin common room, and when McGonagall had questioned him on this, he'd simply argued he'd been conducting a head-count to make sure no other students had vanished. 

Git. 

But then, what did Ron expect? If something bad had happened to Harry, as much as he didn't want to think it might, it was almost certainly Lucius Malfoy and the rest of the Death Eaters that were behind it. 

But how could anyone have got onto the Hogwarts grounds, it was so well protected? The only other option would be that Harry had completely left the grounds, maybe snuck off to Hogsmeade? Hermione had insisted they confess to McGonagall about the secret passageway they had to the village, just in case that's what Harry had done, but so far a search of the town had given nothing either.  

Ron had been heartened by several of the younger students volunteering as well, giving up their own time to help teachers and prefects look inside every nook and cranny, but the longer the search went on, the more worried Ron was getting. It was like a constant knot in his stomach, and he kept finding himself absently turning to ask Harry is advice, only to find him not there. 

His brothers had done their best to cheer him and the rest of the school up, but Fred and George had a different notion of being worried, and it mostly involved 'not doing it' as well as a set of Dr Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks going off in the Great Hall. Ron had been able to appreciate their effort, if not the actual results. 

Hermione had been looking after him though, keeping him together, and he hoped he'd been doing the same for her. The thought of her made him finally admit defeat, and think about heading back to the Gryffindor tower to see if anyone had made any progress, and maybe just to sit down for a little while. 

So he changed directions and began heading home, kindling the smallest hope that someone would be there to greet him with something new. Preferably Harry's sheepish face, which Ron could give a friendly thump too before they all laughed about what a silly numpty he'd been for scaring them all so badly.