Riddled

|4| Where's Harry?

It was finally time for the Weasley family's annual trip to Diagon Alley, to buy their books for the school year ahead. Ginny was excited to finally be allowed to tag along, since she was starting her first year at Hogwarts and needed supplies. She hardly ever went to Diagon Alley, and certainly not to buy books. Ron was annoyed by her excitement and complained that she was turning into Hermione and that she would be the first Weasley in history not to be sorted into the Gryffindor house; Ron was convinced it was Ginny's fate to become "a stuck-up Ravenclaw".

"We're running low on Floo powder, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley told her husband, gazing into the flowerpot where the Weasleys kept their Floo powder. She offered Harry the flowerpot, allowing him to go first. But Harry only stared back at Mrs. Weasley; he'd never traveled by Floo powder before. Fred, George, and Arthur went first to demonstrate. Ginny was sometimes still baffled by Harry's Muggle upbringing. All though he was a year ahead of her in school, he still had so much to learn about the wizarding world.

After Fred, George and their father had disappeared one by one into the dancing emerald fire, it was Harry's turn. He looked unsure of himself as he tossed the silvery sand into the fire and stepped into the green flames.

"Remember to speak clearly!" Mrs. Weasley warned him.

Harry nodded. As he opened his mouth, he inhaled ashes from the fire and said weakly, trying to suppress a cough, "D-di-diagonally!" The flames swallowed him up and he disappeared from the fireplace, just as the others had. His green eyes, brighter than ever against the flames, met with Ginny's milliseconds before he vanished.

"Do you think he said it right? Do you think he got to Diagon Alley okay?" Ginny asked, turning to Ron. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Ginny, that's the most you've spoken in days since Harry's arrived. Why's that? Oh, right... You fancy him." Ron said teasingly with a deadly smirk on his face.

Ginny seethed with anger at Ron's vicious comment, her fists curling tightly. But she had no time to make a retort; it was her turn to use the Floo powder. She took the flowerpot and tossed the powder into the fireplace, stepped in to the flames, and recited clearly: "Diagon Alley!"

When she made it through, she reunited with Fred and George, who were looking anxious.

"Did Harry come through yet?" George asked. "Dad's gone off looking for him; we don't know where he is."

"I haven't seen him," said Ginny. "Oh Merlin, he's probably gotten off at the wrong grate!"

"Don't worry, Ginevra, love always finds its way back," said Fred tauntingly. Ginny winced at the sound of her given name. She'd always hated it. Molly had always liked it because Ginevra meant "fair one" or "juniper". Ginny tried to punch Fred in the arm but he took a swift step backwards.

Soon, Molly, Ron, and Percy had arrived.

"Where's Harry?" said Molly.

"We don't know," said Ginny. "We don't think he ever came through."

"Could've gotten off at the wrong grate," said Percy.

"We've got to find him!" said Molly. "You children stay put. Percy, make sure they don't get into any sort of trouble!" she rushed down the sidewalk, passing Flourish and Blotts. Ginny heard a girl's voice behind her.

"Ron!" it was Hermione, a friend of Ron's. She ran toward the Weasleys and stretched her arms out to hug Ron, who tried to back away. "Oh, it's so good to see you again! Where's Harry?"

"We don't know, we think he got off at the wrong grate. We traveled by Floo Powder," Ron explained.

Hermione gasped. "He could be anywhere!" she said. Ron nodded.