The Girl Who Vanished

Chapter 21: The Waiting Game

It had been hours. Hours since anyone has heard anything about Ginny Weasley and how she, too, had become a victim of the monster that was terrorizing the school. However, instead of laying in the hospital wing like the rest of the victims, the youngest of the Weasley clan was snatched way and taken somewhere secret.

She was taken to the chamber.

And the school was in shambles.

Alex, Aeron and Lucian were sitting in the common room, huddled around Alex's Lite Brite with no vision in mind. The three just silently placed the glowing pegs in random spots, sometimes creating a full picture, sometimes just poking the light up board with no rhyme or reason.

"Are you sure muggles actually play with this thing?" Aeron questioned as he placed his green peg besides Lucian's. The older of them was tugging at his hair nervously, the circles the lined his under eyes more exaggerated as the days went by.

"I'm certain," she mumbled before ripping the pegs out of the board one by one, erasing the picture she was working on. "Apparently it was her favorite toy as a kid."

"I don't know, Lex," Lucian continued as he flipped through one of his textbooks, "I mean have you ever heard of a thing called a television? Now that sounds fascinating. Learned about them in my Muggle Studies class. It's a little box that plays movies and stuff like that."

"'The Breakfast Club'" Alex smiled, "It's one of Callie's favorite movies. You can watch it on a television, I think."

Her lips rose at the corners at the thought of her muggle born friend, only to drop into a frown once she remembered that friend's current condition. The red tones in her hair made the green in her typically warm skin stand out. It's been weeks since she's looked her normal glowing self.

The common room wasn't vacant as it usually was, some older students were earnestly studying for what the group could only assume were their NEWT's or OWL's, as was Lucian. His large hand fiddled with the Brite Lite absentmindedly as he dug his curly head into his Potions book, trying his hardest to memorize the incantations associated with the Draught of Peace.

"It should be turquoise in color," he groaned. "Does this look turquoise?"

"Mate, it's orange," Aeron replied with a hint of jovialness to his voice.

Lucian dropped his head against his book with a thump, making the illuminated board rattle on the table. A deep frustrated groan filled the corner of the common room they occupied.

"Shit," he muttered through his teeth at his fourth failed attempt to finalize his potion.

"You'll get it, Lucy. It's a difficult spell," Alex tried to comfort, although her eyes didn't leave the glowing pegs she held in her hand, often trading some with Aeron who only wanted the green ones.

"I know I will. I have to. It's for my exam, Lex," he sighed. "I bet Ana would have been able to help me. She'd finish the potion in half my time, I reckon."

Aeron paused his involvement with his drawing, which looked to be a green snake, at the mention of Ana's name. His brows dropped in the center, making his whole face appear downturned.

"She definitely would have. Potions is her strongest subject," Aeron smirked before returning his pale hands back to the green pegs. "I really miss her."

"Me too," called from behind him.

By the fireplace sat Draco, undetectable to the three of them since he had been silent up until that point. His pale skin looked dreadfully thin and weathered, like he hadn't seen a wink of sleep in months. The robes hung off his shoulders like they were a size too big or haven't been washed since he's started school. But given his sister being petrified, he was justified in looking quite disheveled.