Marooned - Fred Weasley

Chapter 9: The Missing

Sarah was running, face stained with tears, searching desperately for McGonagall, Flitwick, Dumbledore, even Snape would do. She saw the Gryffindor team exit their tent but it was too late to stop now, and she suddenly crashed into someone. She expected to hit the ground, instead she felt arms wrap around her and whoever caught her held their ground.

"You okay, there, McCauley?" she looked up to see Fred and his face dropped when he saw she wasn't smiling. His eyebrows furrowed, "What's wrong?" not letting go of her just yet.

"I need to find a teacher, someone, right now, like this second," she spoke hurriedly, looking around the stadium.

Fred turned to his twin, "George, go get McGonagall, she just passed over there," he pointed to his right and George ran quickly.

"What's going on?" asked Harry, making Wood turn away from his conversation and wonder too, taking a few steps towards her.

"It's Hermione, she's-" her voice breaks and doesn't continue, because Harry understood and he's now as livid as her.

"Miss McCauley," she heard the voice was looking for. Sarah turns to her and Fred reluctantly lets go of her, looking over her face, wanting to wipe away her tears but he picks up his broom and bat he had dropped instead. Sarah explains to McGonagall how she found Hermione, and after a muffled gasp, McGonagall turns to Wood, "This match ought to be cancelled, I'm afraid."

"We can't cancel Quidditch," protested Wood.

"Silence, Wood," scolded McGonagall, "You and your teammates will go to Gryffindor Tower. Now. Mister Potter, you stay, please."

"You okay?" whispered Fred, and George stared at Sarah, waiting for her response. She nodded and they followed the rest of the team.

"Miss McCauley, we'll need to gather Mr Weasley too, before you take us to Miss Granger."

McGonagall looked for Ron into the crowd and Sarah hurried them and two Healers to where she had found Hermione, near the library.

"Hermione," breathed out Ron at the sight of her, dreadful look on his face.

Next to her was a strange looking mirror, that Sarah picked up. The two Healers helped carry Hermione onto a hospital bed, set her on it and Sarah stared at her.

"Do any of you know what this means? It was next to her," she shows them the little mirror.

Harry and Ron shake their heads. Sarah sighs, this couldn't be happening, not to her friend, not to Hermione.

"Who's doing this, Professor?" asked Sarah with a defeated look.

McGonagall looks at her, the boys and Hermione, "We are having trouble getting to the bottom of it, ourselves. I'm afraid we don't know yet, miss McCauley."

She left then, leaving Sarah and the boys around Hermione, truly speechless.

When she walked back to the common room, she walked pale and weak like a ghost. She entered it and the twins turned to her. She tried to smile at them but only the corner of her mouth went up. She looked around instinctively then she realized she couldn't see Selena anywhere. Her heart sank again, and her head started turning erratically, analyzing every corner.

"Where's Selena?" she asked in a breath and George inhaled sharply, realizing he hadn't seen her in a while either. Sarah could feel a dark cloud covering her mind, bringing in sorrow and tears again, when the portrait hole opened and Selena walked in. Sarah jumped to reach her, "Don't do that again!"

Selena recoiled at her high pitched voice, "What? Walking?"

"Hermione's been petrified," explained Sarah and Selena's face dropped, realizing she could be next. Sarah pulled away and walked to Fred, sighing in relief.