Songbird ; Fred Weasley

Seventy-four

"You have to be kidding me!"

"Mavis—"

I stopped pacing and glared at Harry, our new head of Aurors who's being just as useless as Robards.

"Two of my brothers are missing, Harry!"

"And they went missing eighteen years apart." He said calmly. "There is no proof that it's connected. Daniel was eleven when he was taken. Reuben is twenty-five and he may just have—"

"What?" Sarah snapped, cocking an eyebrow. "Up and left?"

Harry sighed and leaned on his desk.

"He's an adult. Him disappearing for a few hours is completely legal. We can't use recourses on it when there's no proof something illegal happened to him. Mavis, you know this."

I clenched my jaw, knowing he was right but still not accepting it.

"I don't give a shit about recourses! Reuben would never leave his pregnant wife like that, and he always has his phone on him. Plus, he was supposed to be at my flat, and Reuben doesn't flake out when he makes a promise."

"My husband is in danger. I know he is." Sarah said. "Open an investigation, Mr Potter. I swear to Merlin if you don't—"

Sarah was cut off as my phone started ringing. I sighed and pulled it from my pocket.

Max

I pressed my phone to my ear and stepped out of Harry's office.

"What's up, Max?"

"Hey babe. I really don't want to worry you or anything, but Flynn's sort of freaking out."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he just read a letter from Hogwarts. They can't find Eliza."

"What?"

"They've searched the grounds. They've searched everywhere, but they think she ran away, though Eliza loves it at Hogwarts so I don't get it."

All the blood drained from my face, and I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth, forcing back a cry.

"Mavis?"

"Reuben's missing." I said, shutting my eyes as tears started streaming down my cheeks. "He never showed up this morning and no one can reach him. Sarah doesn't know where he is. I don't know where he is."

"What? Shit... are you— holy shit. Where are you right now?"

"At the ministry." I cried. "Fred, Sarah and I are speaking to Harry. Well, Fred's taking care of Dora while Sarah and I try to get Harry to open an investigation."

I heard Max sigh heavily.

"Max, what if this has something to do with Daniel? And my stalker? Daniel was taken by a death eater. He was in Slytherin. Reuben was in Slytherin. Eliza got sorted into Slytherin when she started her first year, and I'm a Slytherin as well."

"Babe, listen. Babe... don't make any assumptions yet, okay? Nothing ties anything together. I don't want you to start panicking—"

"Too late. I'm definitely panicking. My brothers are missing, Max. And Eliza too... what if Spencer is next? He's the last of my siblings who got sorted into Slytherin."

"Okay, yes, I know. But maybe there's some explanation to all of this. A logical explanation. Why would someone kidnap Daniel eighteen years ago, and then wait that long before kidnapping someone else?"

"I don't know! Max, I don't know anything and that's the fucking issue. I'm so scared. I need to find them."

After ending the call, I marched into the office and all eyes fell on me.

"Eliza is missing." I said, staring at Harry. "She's fifteen years old, Harry."

This time, Harry stood up straight.

"She was at Hogwarts, but no one can find her. She's disappeared without a trace. If you won't start an investigation now, I will." I said, then turned to Fred whose eyebrows were drawn together, Dora asleep against his chest. "I need to find Spence. Can I—"

"No." Fred immediately shook his head. "Not on your own."

"I'll take Theodora." Sarah offered. "I'll bring her back to my place and wait to see if Reuben shows up. You two go find Spencer."

-

"Spencer!" I shouted as I marched into his flat, having used the key he had given me.

Fred followed me, both of us spreading out to check every room, but we both came up empty.

I stared at Fred as he stood in the doorway to Spencer's kitchen.

I knew he could see the fear on my face, because he immediately tried reassuring me.

"He might just be out." He said softly. "You don't know if—"

I shook my head.

"His phone is on his nightstand along with his wand. All of his shoes are there too, and his jacket is on the wall."

"Mavis—"

"They're all gone and—"

My sentence came to a halt when Fred froze all of a sudden, his eyes wide.

"Fred?"

He was as stiff as stone, and when he dropped to the floor, I let out a cry, clamping a hand over my mouth in shock.

My legs wouldn't move. All I could do was stare at him.

Fred...

Panic flushed through me, especially when I realised someone had to be in the flat, their eyes on him in order to curse him.

I couldn't move.

Why can't I move?

"Spence?!" I called out, my breath shaking. "If this is some kind of sick joke of yours—"

I let out a scream when I heard a door slam. I fell backwards, my back colliding with the wall.

A person stepped through the doorway, looking down at Fred's unmoving body.

Then he lifted his head, and I felt my heart drop. I shook my head slowly, and I started to cry when I started putting a few pieces together.

"Hi Mavis." He let out a breath and stalked towards me.

I shook my head again, pushed off the wall and sprinted. I ran into the hallway, straight for the door but it was shut.

I cried hysterically as I tried the lock, and when it wouldn't budge, I pulled my wand from my pocket, but I was shaking and then I dropped it.

A hand grabbed onto the back of my collar, and I cried out as he pulled me back against him, wrapping his arm around my shoulders to keep me in place.

"I'm so sorry 'bout this, Mavis." He said softly, and I noticed he held a cloth in his free hand. "Your fiancé will be able to move again soon."

"Why are you doing this?" I cried, trying to claw my way out of his arms, but he didn't budge.

"Because you're my daughter, and I love you." He pressed a kiss to the side of my head, and I gasped as he pressed the cloth to my face.

It was full of chemicals that I accidentally inhaled too quickly as I gasped.

I continued struggling while I started feeling hazy, whatever chemicals was on it, slowly making me go to sleep.