Chapter 6
“Ron!”
“Ron, you need to come back!”
“Mum will be upset if you don’t!” George dropped his hands to his sides as he glanced around the room. Harry and Hermione were searching every inch of the room for the missing Weasley. “This isn’t working,” he said at last.
“We just have to keep trying.” Harry told him.
“But we’ve been doing it for hours. We even skipped dinner,” Hermione said, giving up and sitting in a chair. The common room looked empty with everyone gone. Normally at this time of night half of Gryffindor would be crowded in here talking. Instead people were out calling for Ron. McGonagall had taken the first years and were checking the Quidditch field. Everyone else was scattered about, yelling for Ron.
“He’s got to be here,” Harry said. “He wouldn’t have just left the school.”
“He might have.” Fred said, entering the room with Lee Jordon. “We don’t know anything about being Nothing.”
“That’s right.” Lee replied. “No one has ever come back.”
“Don’t say that.” Hermione snapped. “Ron will find a way.”
“But he was awfully depressed,” Lee pointed out. “Maybe being Nothing is easier.”
Harry shook his head. “That can’t be true.”
After he’d found Hermione, Harry had returned to Gryffindor to start yelling for Ron. He didn’t understand what had happened to make Dumbledore and McGonagall so anxious about Ron’s disappearance, but he wasn’t about to disobey their orders now. Hermione had found it silly to be shouting Ron’s name, as did the other Gryffindors who’d walked in on them, but Harry wouldn’t quit. When Dumbledore had returned after sending an owl to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, he’d explained everything to them.
He feared that Ron had become Nothing. It happened when someone was extremely depressed. From what he could tell, that may have happened to Ron. There was a chance to get him back though. A person who became Nothing tended to stay in the area they had lived in for a time. The longer a person was Nothing though, the more they forget about themselves. Once they’d forgotten, it became nearly impossible for them to return. Ron was living at Hogwarts, therefore he had to be somewhere.
Harry crossed his arms and surveyed the area. “I’m not giving up until he comes home.”
“Harry’s right,” George said, puffing out his chest. “We’ve got to keep it up. Ron’s our little brother and Mum’ll be mad if we lose him.”
“Right!” Fred exclaimed just before cupping his hands to his mouth and shouting Ron’s name. George and Lee joined in and soon the common room was filled with their voices. Harry felt confident. His friend would come back. He had to. Harry didn’t know what he’d do without him.
After a few minutes Hermione tugged at his sleeve.
“How did Dumbledore know that Nothing forget who they are? Didn’t Lee say that no one had ever come back?”
Harry shrugged. Dumbledore just knew things; sometime it was better not to question how.
“Maybe one or two have come back.” He suggested.
“Possibly,” she said, chewing on her bottom lip. “I’m going to the library. Maybe I can find some helpful information there. Besides, my voice is giving out.”
“You do that.” He nodded and she slipped out the portal.
“Wow. I wish I could do that.” Ron said admiringly as a man carved out a replica of the Arc De Triumph from ice. He and Miss Nothing had spent the afternoon touring Paris. They’d hung out in all the tourist areas, both Muggle and magic. Now that night had fallen they found themselves touring the kitchens of the great restaurants. Miss Nothing liked to watch the Muggle chefs create works of art out of food. With so many delectable delicacies, one couldn’t help but feel hungry. The problem was, Ron didn’t.
“Something eats, we don’t.” She’d told him when he’d whined about a chocolate mousse. He’d been eyeing the dessert for sometime, wishing he were hungry and mad that he wasn’t.
“But it’s chocolate.” Ron whimpered. “I can’t even taste it.”
“I know,” she’d said, looking as gloomy as he was for a moment before whisking him to another part of the restaurant.
“I’m impressed he can get so much detail.” Miss Nothing commented as she circled the carver.
“No kidding. I couldn’t do that.”
“Me either,” she replied, coming to a halt by a pail of water that the man was using to smooth out the sculpture. They watched until the man was finished then wandered off. The night was growing late and Ron didn’t feel tired. Another side effect of being Nothing he assumed.
They poked their heads into several different discos and clubs, stopping in to dance for a few minutes. It was fun, but Ron was growing bored. He wanted to go back to Hogwarts and see everyone. Even if they couldn’t see him, he wanted to at least watch them. Miss Nothing hadn’t.
“There is plenty of time to go back, besides it’s night time. Very little happens at night unless you want to watch Mrs. Norris and Mr. Filch pace the halls. Very boring. It’s been like that for years.” Miss Nothing leapt up onto a barstool and danced to the wild beat of the music. Ron decided she had a point.
Later on he asked Miss Nothing how old she was, she said she couldn’t remember, but had been watching Hogwarts for thirty Something years. That meant she was at least forty-five years old, probably older. She shrugged as if it wasn’t anything important. Ron was amazed. She hadn’t aged. Neither would he. He’d be fifteen forever while his friends grew up.
“It’s true, you won’t,” Miss Nothing explained as they walked along the Seine River. “It’s not bad though. You never end up with wrinkles.”
“It’s sad though,” Ron whispered. She apparently didn’t hear him, just continued walking. He didn’t want to become like Miss Nothing though no name, no past. He wanted to remember everything he’d been and his friends. They were still important to him.
“I want to show you something. It’s one of my favorite spots in the world.” Miss Nothing said apparently noting his prolonged silence. Taking his hand she looked into his eyes. “We need to hurry though. It’s almost dawn there and you won’t want to miss the sunrise.”
In a blink of an eye they were there. Ron wasn’t sure where he was until the first rays of sunlight washed over the land. Sand. He saw sand, palm trees, and ruins. Behind him he could hear a river flowing. The sun rose higher illuminating the ruins of an ancient Egyptian temple. He could see the crumbling pillars and broken walls. Murals and hieroglyphics were bathed in light making them appear golden. He could make out carved jackals and pharaohs.
“Isn’t it beautiful? You should see the pyramids at sunset,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. He smiled. It was beautiful, but a sad beautiful. The once grand building was dying. Slowly being whittled at by sand, wind and time.
Glancing over at Miss Nothing, he noticed for the first time a melancholy expression on her face. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was she bemoaning the fact that she could never touch or feel this place or was it something else?
“Say,” he began, startling her. “My brother Bill is in Egypt working for Gringotts. What do you say we go and see him?”
“Why would you want to do that?” She asked giving him an odd look.
“Because he’s family and I’d like to see him. Plus I want to know what sort of super secret dangerous curse he’s having to deal with.” He suddenly looked bright and cheery.
“Hmm. Sounds interesting.” Miss Nothing admitted. “Lead the way.”