FicWad

Disclaimer: The characters appearing in this story, while looking like the characters in the Harry Potter stories, are really just very good look-a-likes. I don't own Harry Potter or any of the other characters, so we have to do it this way. Many thanks to my beta readers Swordchucks and Evan Mayerle for their excellent assistance.


Chapter 4
One of Our Potters is Missing

Harry woke spooned with Luna, but sometime during their sleep they'd reversed positions so that she was the one doing the spooning on the other side, so she was up against his back. She had her arm around him, holding on to his chest. He tried to gently move it off his chest, but she tightened her arm grip, and it didn't move. He opened his eyes and found himself staring into the face of Mr. Lovegood.

"Do you and Luna want to tell me something?" he asked gruffly.

Luna popped up from behind Harry and said, "Yes, Daddy. We're going to Stockholm today to get Harry some better clothes."

"And you two?"

"We're just sharing the blankets to stay warm."

"Of course," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, if we're going we should go soon."

He pulled on some pants and a shirt, grabbed some socks and hiking boots, and left the tent. Luna got out of bed and went over to her trunk which was set up next to Harry's at one end of the inflated matrices. Harry got up, too.

"Harry? It's traditional for you to turn around while I get dressed, unless you're a girl, too, which I'm pretty sure that you aren't."

"Uh, sorry," he said as he turned around, turning red with the memory of how he could be so certain she wasn't a girl.

"It's just the nature of the thing. If we were married, it would be different, of course. When I was little Mum would get me dressed and kick me out of the tent while she and Daddy got dressed." She emphasized the last word to indicate it didn't mean what it said.

"You know, I really don't want to know about your parents' sex lives."

"I'm sorry. It's so easy to make you blush. I'm heading outside. You can get dressed now."

Harry did so, quickly. He found Luna and her father cooking something over the fire.

"What is it?" he asked as she handed him a long metal fork with something on the end above the fire.

"It's a sausage in a roll. You have to cook it slowly, otherwise you burn the outside, then the bun doesn't taste good, unlike marshmallows where burning the outside can be sort of fun, and it still tastes fine."

Harry found out that the bun around the sausage came from a muggle refrigerated package. And it did taste good. You had to do it carefully to get the "Pop and Bake" biscuits to cook all the way through. The sausages were another muggle item, called "precooked." Just because they were precooked, didn't mean they were warm, and you had to heat them in the fire first, then wrap them in the dough and cook the whole thing, slowly. They tasted good.

After breakfast, they cleaned up and Mr. Lovegood put some wards around the camp. He explained what he was doing while he cast the spells. "If we didn't do that, we'd have to clean all the food products and scraps, hoist them on a rope from a tree, as well as the garbage bag on another rope, and make sure everything was secure. This way we'll keep the wildlife away, and any people who might come near."

"Is it just muggles? Or everyone?"

"Oh, everyone. When we're camping we usually don't see anyone, but there have been instances where irate politicians think this is a good time to let me know physically how much they disagree with my reporting."

"You've been attacked?"

"It's more like the personally delivered howler. Not much to worry about. Most politicians are cowards. But sometimes they employ brave but stupid enforcers. Not hard to avoid. Besides, it gives me the opportunity to use this spell."

He flicked his wand at Harry, who dodged a fast moving cream pie.

"Daddy! Clean that up!"

"Yes, Luna." He vanished the remains of the spell. "Don't be disappointed," he said, totally misinterpreting Harry's expression. "It's really just for show. It doesn't taste at all good.

"Now, if you're ready, we'll apparate to Stockholm. Ever been there, Harry?"

"No, sir. I've never been anywhere but Surrey, Hogwarts, Devon, and London."

"We'll have to fix that. Well, give me your hand, and I'll side along you. Luna, we'll meet at that park. . . ."

"Yes, Daddy. I know the one. With the fountain with the horses."

"Uh, no. The one with the band stand."

"But Daddy, there's no place to appear with any privacy."

"All right, we'll go to the one with the fountain."

Luna whispered to Harry, "And it's closer to the magical shopping district."

They apparated to the Swedish capital. Harry first wanted to go to the local Gringotts branch and get some money. Once inside he had to do some blood ritual to get a new key to his trust vault and his family vault as Molly hadn't returned his key last year.

"I didn't even know I had a family vault."

"It is smaller than many, but the Potters are an old family, and they have placed many things in it over the years. You may not access any money from it, but since you were eleven you should have had access to the rest of the contents," the goblin told him.

"Now, is there any way to get money while I'm here?" Harry asked.

"Of course, Mr. Potter." The door of the office opened, and another goblin appeared outside it. "Just follow Sentcash."

They followed the other goblin, who led them to the carts. "Hey, my vault is in England."

"Do you wish to go to your vault or not?" the goblin asked irritated.

"Yes. . . ."

Harry got in the cart and it took him to his vault, or what he had just found out was his trust vault. He took a large bag of galleons from it.

"Can I see my family vault?" he asked. The goblin started the cart. It raced through the tunnels and finally ended up outside another vault.

"Key please," the goblin said. Harry handed over the second key and got up. The vault contained a much larger pile of gold and silver coins, as well as paintings, chests that seemed to have jewels and jewelry, some weapons, and a shelf of books. There was one shelf of books that had no titles, and they went from very old to the last one which was a muggle school composition book. Grabbing a book at random, he found it to be written in French. He put it back, and pulled out an older book. That one was written in some other language in Gothic letters. He took the muggle book from the bottom shelf and started reading about potions. He glanced through it and something caught his eye.

Severus says that if you substitute three clockwise with one counterclockwise stir and repeat three times, the potion will be more powerful. While that is true, it also tastes worse, which he insists is the way potions are supposed to taste.

The rest of the page was just more on potions. However, it had chapters about ingredients, why certain ones worked with others, how they mixed and didn't mix, and which to avoid mixing. He decided that maybe he could really learn potions, rather than just how to mix them according to the recipe that Snape posted.

The one next to it looked fairly new, too. It was about transfigurations. Like the others, it was hand written, with neat chapters and wand diagrams along with pronunciation guides. He grabbed that too.

He realized that the Lovegoods would probably be bored waiting for him, so he left the bookshelf, resolving to return. He stopped at a case of jewelry, and picked out a pair of earrings with winged horses. He wasn't sure what kind, only that they weren't thestrals. He left the vault.

Converting a large number of galleons to muggle money, they left the magical district and went shopping for Harry's clothes.

*

That morning Arthur relieved his son, Bill, on guard duty at the Dursleys' house.

"Any sign of Harry?" Arthur asked quietly.

"No. And Hestia said she hadn't seen him last night, either."

"I'm going to talk to him today. I don't care what Dumbledore says, this has gone on too long."

"I don't understand any of this, Dad. Why are we guarding Harry here? Wouldn't Hogwarts or Headquarters be better? More secure? And we wouldn't have to have someone outside at all time. They're warded."

"What do you mean?"

"There are no protective wards here, Dad. There's a few warning wards, but that's it."

"But Harry always came here because the wards were supposed to protect him."

"I'm telling you, Dad, there are no wards to protect him here. Trust me. I'm a professional."

"I do trust you, Bill. What I'm having a hard time understanding is why Dumbledore thinks Harry's protected here. Can you stop by the house after work and make sure the Burrow's as secure as we can make it? I'm taking Harry away from here today. I'll wait for the Dursleys to be gone, but if they don't go, I'll get him before my shift is over."

"Yes, I'll be there. Good luck, Dad."

"Thanks, Bill."

*

It was two males to one female, so shopping went fairly quickly. Harry got a new (if somewhat redundant and what Luna called "uninspired") wardrobe. He also bought a backpack, binoculars, and a camera and lots of rolls of film. He also got his first pair of trainers that fit his feet, as well as some hiking boots.

Harry had the group stop back in the magical shopping district and paid to have an international letter sent to Ron. It cost more, but had next day delivery. The letter would be portkeyed to England and owled from there to arrive the next day.

They then apparated back to the camp. Harry invited them to ceremony he called "The Burning of Dudley's Old Clothes." Luna laughed at Harry's strange dance as he threw item after item of worn out, too large clothes into the fire. Finally he tossed in his old trainers. They caught on fire but then caused a terrible stink. Harry levitated them out of the fire, and threw a bubble headed charm around them to contain the smell. After they stopped smoldering, he transformed them into rocks, and asked Hedwig to drop them in a lake. They ate dinner and relaxed around the campfire.

"You didn't have to do that, Harry. After you turned them into rocks you could have just tossed them into the woods," Luna commented, putting an arm around him, as they watched Hedwig fly around, having gotten rid of the former trainers.

"True, but this was much more satisfying," he answered, putting his arm around her without thinking.

*

Arthur Weasley watched the Dursleys' house through the morning. Dudley went out, and eventually Petunia left. He then went to the door and knocked. After a short wait, he knocked louder. And again. Finally, he cast an unlocking spell and entered the house. Closing the door behind himself, he removed the invisibility cloak and called out to Harry. No answer.

A short time later, he hurried to Mrs. Figg's place, and went inside.

"Is anything the matter, Arthur?" the old woman asked.

"Harry's not at his house. As far as I know, he hasn't been there all week." He threw some floo powder into the fireplace and yelled for Albus Dumbledore.

His shouting, of course, got no reply, because the headmaster was in vacation on the beaches of Spain.

*

That evening, the Order of the Phoenix gathered in the dining room of Grimmauld Place. The table had been removed and the extra space was filled with chairs. Minerva McGonagall was desperately trying to call the meeting to order. There was a bang, and the participants quieted down. The origin of the explosion walked to the head of the room.

People had seen Albus Dumbledore in the most outlandishly colored robes. That did nothing to prepare anyone for seeing him in a wide brimmed straw hat, Hawaiian shirt, Bermuda shorts, and sandals. Ron, in the crowd, wished Colin Creevey was there with his camera.

"Thank you for your attention. May I please have a synopsis of what is going on?" he called out, reaching the front of the crowd.

After several people tried at once, Arthur was given the floor, and he explained how he hadn't found Harry in his relatives' house.

Mad Eye was next. He described his interview with the Dursleys; how Harry had left at the train station, and how Vernon didn't know who Harry had gone with, if anyone, since he didn't see anyone with Harry at the time.

"Why isn't Severus here?" Dumbledore asked, looking around.

"He wasn't feeling well," McGonagall answered.

"Headmaster?" Bill Weasley began.

"We're no longer in school, William, you may call me Albus."

"Albus, then. Why are there no protective wards around Harry's house?"

"There are, my dear boy. I set them myself."

"I checked, myself. There are no protective wards. There isn't even an anti-fire one. That house is completely unprotected, magically."

"I used very old magic, William. It was based on the sacrifice of Harry's mother. You've probably never encountered it before."

"I've encountered all sorts of sacrifice powered wards. The Aztecs were especially good at powering their wards with massive numbers of sacrifices. And I've detected wards set up millennium ago by wizards who never passed their secrets down. I tell you, there are no wards on that house except the warning ones."

"Albus?" McGonagall asked, staring at him.

"I placed those wards myself the night I dropped Harry off. As long as he lives there and calls it home, as long as his mother's relatives are there, he'll be safe there."

"That explains it," one of the twins said.

"Indeed it does," the other confirmed.

"That explains what?" Dumbledore asked, upset that someone knew something that he didn't.

"Harry has never called it home. . ."

"He's always just called it his uncle's house . . "

"Or that place where he goes. . . "

"We once heard him refer to it as his prison. . ."

"But he was referring to it before we pulled the bars off the window of his room. . . "

"Very true, brother. But he never . . ."

"Ever. . ."

They finished together, "called it home."

Bill nodded, "That does explain it. If you were invoking the Blood Clan Protection ritual and he had been rejected by his relatives . . ."

"Which he was," Mad Eye commented.

"or didn't consider, in this case, the house his home. . ."

"Which he didn't," one of the twins reiterated.

"Then the wards have been gone, probably for years."

"But, but, but. . . ." Dumbledore sputtered. "How could you know about that spell?"

"I told you. In the area of warding: I. Am. A. Professional." Bill finished and sat down. To George, who was sitting beside him, he stage whispered, "Don't try this at home."

"So, now what?" McGonagall said, angrily, turning towards the headmaster.

"Well, that doesn't change anything, Harry's still missing. Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley?"

Several red heads answered, "Yes?"

"No, Mr. Ronald Weasley. Have either of you received any word from Harry?"

"No, sir." they both answered.

"Did he give any indication that he was not returning to his relatives' house?"

Again the answers were negative.

"Do you know who he might have gone with?"

Ron answered. "Sure. He would have gone with us. We're his best friends. He wouldn't go with anyone else. He doesn't really have any other friends."

"That's not true, Ron. He was friendly with the whole. . . ." she stopped, thought for a moment, and continued, "the whole special study group."

"You mean the DA," Ron said. Suddenly he slapped his hand to his forehead and yelled, "Ow!" He removed it, and there above his eyes, written in boils, was the word "SNEAK".

"Oh, Ron!" Hermione said, as people around them started to laugh.

After an explanation and a mirror, Ron burst out, "Bloody hell, Hermione, it's not as if it's a secret anymore. Even Umbridge knows about it now!"

"Ronald Billius Weasley! Watch your language," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.

Hermione answered Ron, "Yes, but it was a binding magical oath with consequences that you signed. The fact that other people know about it doesn't mean you're released. I thought I told everyone that before we left Hogwarts."

"Well, you didn't tell me."

"Actually, I did; you and Ginny, at the same time."

"If I may bring this meeting back to its purpose!" Dumbledore shouted.

Everyone quieted down, except Ron who would whisper angrily to Hermione every now and then for the rest of the meeting.

"Thank you. So, no one has heard from Harry?"

No one had. Arthur spoke up, though.

"Depending on how he counts, we should hear from him either today or tomorrow."

"Why is that?" Dumbledore asked.

"We told him to owl us every three days to make sure that he was fine."

"You shouldn't have done that. It could have drawn attention to him had Voldemort found out that he was doing that."

"In any case," Arthur continued, "If he thought the meeting at the station counted as a contact, three days later would be tomorrow."

"Very well, let me know as soon as possible. Everyone else, we'll meet tomorrow night. Meanwhile keep you eyes and ears open, but don't breathe a word of this to anybody. The last thing we need is the press or Voldemort to learn that Harry's missing. Alastor, Kingsly, Nymphadora? Can I see you after the meeting?" Tonks glared at him for using her first name.

Everyone else slowly, noisily left. Just before the door closed, they heard Ron yell, "What do you mean, the only way to make it go away is to personally apologize to Harry! He's bloody missing!"

"Now that the troops are gone, let's go back to Hogwarts and find Harry," Dumbledore said.

"You knew all this time where he was?" Tonks asked, getting angry.

"No, but I have the means to find him at Hogwarts." They flooed to the headmaster's office. Dumbledore waved his wand in front of a bookcase, and part of it opened, revealing several deep shelves. From one, he pulled a complicated machine, full of silvery bars and circles, some of them gimbaled to allow free movement. In the middle of it were some strange oval depressions. Dumbledore put the device on his desk and turned to the other thing in the secret shelf. It was a shiny pink, plastic box that looked a lot like a miniature steamer trunk. On the front was a picture of a plastic woman and the name "Barbie." Opening the trunk revealed a naked, plastic, man shaped doll. Tonks noticed it wasn't anatomically correct. Dumbledore took a shirt and trousers out of the wardrobe compartment, and dressed the doll.

"This is all very, er, /interesting/, Dumbledore," Kingsley Shacklebolt said, "but I thought we were going to find Harry."

"This will find Harry, my boy. I put tracking charms on his muggle clothes, and linked them with these doll clothes. Once I put the doll into the machine," he placed the doll's feet in the oval depressions, "ta-dum!"

It would have been more impressive if something had happened.

"I don't understand it," Dumbledore muttered. "I have it! I put these tracking spells on his clothes several years ago, and as his clothes are almost all worn, he probably got rid of them. Let me try some others."

The results were similar, although Tonks felt that she would always have the memory of Dumbledore dressing a black haired Ken doll to warm her in her old age.

"Third time the charm?" the long bearded headmaster said. He slipped the shoes on the doll, saying, "His trainers were fairly worn out, but they were new to him this year; I slipped the spell on them one day in the great hall, and later connected it with these," he indicated the toy shoes.

"Didn't it ever seem strange for him to only have old, worn out clothes that don't fit?"

"It's all the rage in the muggle world!" Dumbledore explained. "Alas, I feel I am too old to jump at a fad, but obviously Harry isn't."

Kingsley and Tonks shared a look.

This time, when he put the doll in the contraption an arrow spun and pointed.

"Ah, I knew we would hit upon something of his that he still owned. North East. I think that would be
Dundee. Shall we go?"

"Do we have coordinates? Or just apparate and hope we arrive somewhere near each other?" Tonks asked.

Kingsley objected, "Really, Tonks, must you always be so practical? If we spread out we can do more damage."

Dumbledore frowned at them as Mad Eye snickered. "Fine! Hang on." He pulled a book out of the bookcase and looked up apparition points in Dundee.

"There," he said, pointing at one. "Let's all go apparate there. Well? What are you waiting for?"

Tonks and Shacklebolt looked at Mad Eye. He rolled his eyes (his magical one going into a vertical spin) "We can't apparate from Hogwarts. Even you know that, Albus."

"Oh, right. Well, let's be off." He picked up the contraption with the doll still attached, and started out the door. The aurors followed. After leaving Hogwarts grounds, they apparated. Arriving in a dark park they made their way to a street lamp and checked the finder again.

"That way," Dumbledore said, unnecessarily, as they could all see the metal arrow. They headed down the road that went the closest to the direction the arrow pointed. After fifteen minutes, they were still walking, although they had received some very strange looks until they had disillusioned themselves.

Mad Eye stopped them with a word, and directed them to a park he had seen not too far back. "Albus, this isn't getting us anywhere. Let me have the thing for a minute."

Dumbledore reluctantly handed over the machine and was surprised when Moody apparated away. In less than two minutes he was back.

"Just as I though. I went to the coast and it pointed across the North Sea. He's in Norway or something. I'm not going to hunt for him in some forsaken foreign country tonight. I'll see you," he pushed the device back into Dumbledore's hands, "tomorrow morning. Good night." He disapparated.

"Either of you want to visit the fiords tonight?"

"I have to get some sleep before my shift starts," Tonks said. "If he's really in another country, can't we just assume that he's having a vacation and leave him alone?"

"No, it's much too dangerous. He must be returned to his family."

Shacklebolt looked surprised. "Why? I thought we discovered that there were no wards there. He would be much better protected to be off somewhere where no one knew where he was."

"Oh, right. Then he'll have to go to Grimmauld place. Yes, well, I guess Alastor and I will start our little foreign adventure tomorrow."

He disapparated, followed soon after by Tonks and Kingsley.