The missing boys ✔

Part 5: The train

It was evening. Ginny and Luna were both squeezed into the same tiny armchair back at the burrow. Mr. Lovegood was reluctant to impose on them after he found out about Ron being missing but Mrs. Weasley insisted that both their daughters would be good company for each other and left him to sit with his wife, who was still unconscious, but stable. Ginny was holding the beloved toy hippogriff her brother had left with her in one hand and Luna's hand in the other. Luna was still slightly out of it from the calming draught they'd given her at St. Mungo's but the healers said she'd be back to her old self soon enough.

The two girls were very still. Ginny was too worried to talk and Luna was still in shock. The blonde girl gazed around the room listlessly. Her eyes found the little clock that her mother had admired. It had all nine members of the Weasley family on it.

Luna watched the little hand that housed Ron's picture. Currently it stated that it was traveling, but as she watched it started moving. Luna stared at the hand on the clock as it settled itself on a new destination. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't find the words to explain what she was seeing, so she nudged Ginny and pointed at the clock.

Ginny looked up and her mouth opened too, but she, like Luna couldn't even explain the ominous sensation she was feeling. So instead of speaking, she opened her mouth as wide as it would go and let out a scream of fear.

Bill, Charlie, Molly, and Arthur all ran into the room. They found Ginny crying and pointing at the clock. The blood vanished from Molly's face the second she saw her son's hand in the "Mortal Peril" position, and Bill put his arm around her to stop her from collapsing. Arthur had to steady himself by putting his hand on Charlie's shoulder. Charlie exchanged glances with his brother. This was bad, very, very, bad.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Come on, Harry!" chirped Ron as the two ran across the train station. The pair had spent hours trying to find the place and the temperature had dropped a good fifteen degrees leaving both boys shivering. They had burned through all the food Ron had brought and the sun was beginning to set.

Harry caught up with his new friend easily.

The two came to a halt near a train guard.

"Hey, what platform is the next train to London at?" Ron asked the man.

The guy looked at them suspiciously.

"Why are you asking, where are your parents?" he demanded. The old man had dealt with more than his fair share of runaways before and his cold eyes scanned the pair suspiciously.

Ron floundered for a second. When the two had stopped into gas stations to ask instructions to this place they had claimed their parents were waiting in the car, but that excuse wouldn't exactly fly this time.

"We were going to see my Auntie off because she's going on a trip," Harry piped up innocently. "I needed to use the loo though and my cousin took me," said Harry, gesturing at Ron, "and now we can't remember how to get back to her and my Uncle."

The man's harsh stare eased up and his tone got a little friendlier.

"Oh, well, they'll be over on platform five, it'll leave in about half an hour."

"Thanks!" said Harry, and the two boys darted off.

"Stop by the ticket booth if you two get lost again!" the man called.