New Beginnings

Chapter 10

Harry couldn't stop staring at Draco, heavy blush burning his cheeks. They were interrupted by the bell.

"I have to go, are you sure your okay?" 

"Y-yeah I'm fine." Harry backed away quickly, unsure of how to deal with the amount of genuine concern Draco was exuding. People in general that cared about him were rare. The last had been the Weasleys and Hermione, which turned out to be fake. Harry didn't want, or need, a repeat.

Draco had always been a confusing subject for Harry. After third year his insults got less insulting and blurred the line between insult and compliment. He got so much more handsome too, leading to an awkward crisis in the prefect bathroom. He so desperately wanted Draco to like him romantically, but the thought seemed impossible. Like Ron had said, he was a freak and Draco deserved better.

They split up with Draco heading back to the Slytherin common room and Harry running upstairs so he could get some sleep.

 
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By now a few weeks had passed with Ron still absent and no one any wiser. 

Harry was deliberately waiting for the Halloween half term to kill him and there was just one week to go. Which is why he'd spent these few weeks cleaning up the chamber and prepping for Rita's article.

The Weasleys had come by the castle once, Molly coming to collect Ron's belongings after it was apparent the boy was missing and not just pranking them. That was the day everything became very real for Ginny who'd been seen hours later in the arms of some boy crying her eyes out. 

Hermione had taken it better, though her appearance was in constant decline. She'd undertaken a solo investigation into Ron's death, because Harry needed to "grieve" alone, but kept him informed. So far she had nothing.

It was a dreary Monday when the mail came. The weather matching the sombre atmosphere perfectly and almost ominously considering Rita's article had been published.

Hermione wasn't in the great hall yet but Ginny and the twins were, most houses still filling up. The usual morning screech of owls heralded the arrival and Harry tried to not to look excited by mail.

Hermione came sliding into the seat opposite as her owl landed, not really paying attention until she caught site of a bold headline.

Hogwarts; A Mystery

(The play on Bathilda Bagshots famous book had been Rita's idea and a brilliant one too.)

Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry has been surrounded by mystery for decades. 

However today the question of competency is in everyone's minds as Albus Dumbledore has yet to face claims of the disappearance of one Hogwarts own student.  Ronald Weasley, last seen three weeks ago, has yet to be found and still the headmaster turns a blind eye. 
Questionably the only staff to make a formal comment was one Dolores Umbridge, the new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher and former Undersectary to the Minister of Magic. "The staff here at Hogwarts are doing everything in their power to find the missing child and rest assured he will be returned safe and sound." 
Many of the staff declined comments, most vicious the deputy headmaster and head of Gryffindor, Minerva McGonagall.
But are the staff really doing everything they can? Can they be trusted to look after the nation's children? When their own headmaster does nothing. The last child to go missing was found dead in a bathroom and her murderer kept on as gamekeeper, a position he still holds today.        
What does this mean for Ronald Weasley?