Ginger Malfoy

Something Is Wrong

Albus Potter woke up with a dizzy head.  He had had the strangest dream, and he longed desperately to tell Ginger and Rose about it before he forgot it all.

He tripped over his own feet as he tried to get out of bed and shuffled along the floor with his arms out to keep from falling.  He ran to his closet and put on his robes, quickly ran a comb through his messy dark hair, and made his way quickly down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

As he made his way to the Ravenclaw table, he saw that the two cousins were not there.  

He glanced across the sea of faces at the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables as well, but didn't see them.  He assumed they had slept in, for he hadn't seen them all last night and they had probably stayed up late in the girls' dorms.

He ate his food without a worry in his mind (except the fear of completely forgetting his dream before he saw his redheaded friends again) until a girl with curly brown hair and bright green eyes tapped on his shoulder.

"Sierra," he said.  "What is it?"

"I was jus' gonna ask you if you've seen Rosie," she said worriedly.  "I 'aven't seen 'er since last night when she went to the library with Malfoy to study."

"No, I thought she was with all of you in the dorms," Albus said.

"Damnit!" Sierra cried, her eyes welling up with tears.  "What if somethin's 'appened to 'er?"

"Watch your mouth, girl," a passing female ghost said sharply.

Sierra shuddered.  "I'm never gonna get used to that," she giggled through her tears.

Albus chucked a little as well, but then the seriousness overtook them again as the matter at hand became ever-clearer.

"Let's ask a professor," he suggested, holding out his hand and giving her a friendly smile, despite his growing fear and worry.

Sierra wiped her eyes and cheeks and nodded, taking his hand and walking off with him towards Professor Rarity of Charms, who was nearest to them and the easiest to talk to in Albus' opinion.  Maybe it was just because she was the head of his house, but he trusted and looked up to her a lot, and enjoyed her class thoroughly.

"Professor," Albus chirped politely.  "May I ask you something?"

"Of course you may, Mr. Potter," the blonde-haired woman said sweetly.

"We were wondering if you had seen Rose Weasley today.  And Ginger Malfoy too, while we're at it.  The two of us haven't seen them since last night and they aren't at breakfast."

"Well I suppose they've slept in," she said dreamily.

"But they 'aven't!" Sierra cried.  "At least not Rosie.  She's in my dorm room, and she never even came to bed last night!"

Professor Rarity's eyebrows rose.  "Are you sure of this?" she asked, her normally airy tone beginning to sound more solid and serious.

"Definitely," Sierra nodded, her eyes beginning to tear up again.

"Don't worry about this.  It'll all turn out right in the end.  Now please sit down, you two, we are about to have announcements."

The two scurried back to the Ravenclaw table, Sierra trying to hold in all her tears and Albus looking as confused as ever.

The Headmistress cleared her throat loudly up at the podium and everyone became silent in an instant.

"Attention, students," she said calmly, as if she didn't want their attention at all, "for I have an important announcement to make.  If anyone has information to the whereabouts of the five missing students, who are predominantly Slytherin, they should come to me or another teacher immediately with what they know.  The other teachers and I suspect foul play on Slytherin's part, based on other events from the beginning of the year."

All of Slytherin house groaned and complained at her comment, but  Sierra and Albus just looked at each other.  Five missing?  Who else was gone?

He looked at the Slytherin table again and noticed that Violet and Lobelia Zabini were sitting together at the end of the table with three empty seats all around them.

A lump began to grow in his throat as he realized that Levee, Josh, and Alex were missing as well.  His fear began to multiply as he imagined what the blonde girl could be doing to his friends at this very moment.  He was about to say something to Sierra, but the Irish girl looked broken up enough, and he didn't want to worry her further.

The rest of breakfast was like normal, and when students began to leave the Great Hall to get their school things, Albus ran to the boy's lavatory so he could think.

He stood in front of the mirror and looked at his nervous reflection.  He turned the tap on and put some cold water on his face, which calmed him down a bit.

When he glanced back up at the mirror again, he could no longer see himself.  The mirror was clouded and foggy.  He tried to wipe the fog off, but when he had cleared off the mirror, his reflection was no longer him.

His bright green eyes dulled to a olive color.  His hair lightened a bit and slicked back.  His reflection grew in height and now had the build of a strong older teen.  The changes continued until Albus was facing Josh Rosier in the mirror.

"Rosier?" he asked confusedly.

"Yes, Potter," the reflection said suavely.  "I had to reach you because I thought you'd like to see this."

Albus had no idea what he meant until the Slytherin boy brought Ginger up to the mirror.

"Albus!" she screamed.  "Help me!"

Levee's cackling could be heard in the background, as well as Rose's bold retorts.

"Don't alert the professors that we have them, Potter, or you will be in for a world of pain.  Come into the Forbidden Forest, tonight, and fight us like a man for your friends.  If you come with help, or if you don't show yourself, well," he gestured to his blonde companion, who was now holding a wand to Rose's throat, "things won't be pretty for these two."

Albus nodded solemnly and ran out of the bathroom, water and sweat dripping from his face and his heart racing.  He had no idea what to do.  Rose usually was the one who knew what to do in these situations.  Or Professor Rarity.  But right now, he didn't have anyone.  He couldn't have anyone.

He wanted to alert the professors, despite Josh's warning, because he couldn't imagine two teenagers being able to ward off a dozen experienced wizards and witches, but then again, he had seen Levee's power firsthand and didn't want to test her.

He ran off to class, realizing he was very late, and after he apologized to his teacher, he sat in class quietly, making a plan.  He knew what he needed to do.  All he would need was some parchment and a very fast owl.  He prayed everything would work out in the end, like his favorite professor had said.

But right now, all he had was hope and the overwhelming feeling that something was very wrong.

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A/N: OOOHH.  I'm scared, are you?  Haha, anyways, I'm going off to camp all week and so I won't be able to update or read any of your lovely comments this week, however, keep leaving them because it makes me immeasurably happy.  Me being gone also means that I had to write this chapter quickly and leave it unedited for now, so if there are mistakes, I'm sorry. :(

This chapter is dedicated to TotallyNotSugarDrunk for her ship name Alber (Albus/Ginger).
Runner up goes to Pokemon_Potterhead for his ship name GingerAle (Ginger/Alex).

These are now the official ship names, so when you comment, go ahead and use them.(;

Love you all, and keep on voting and commenting.  It makes my day. <3