After leaving the pub, Jane continued to walk around the city. She saw a place to buy fish and chips (a perfect British lunch in her opinion) located next to a little public garden. The garden was overgrown but had clean benches so seemed like a perfect place to have her lunch.
When she finished her meal she continued exploring the city. She passed several museums but didn't stop until she came to one about Egypt. Jane didn't know why, but she felt herself drawn to the place, and as a light rain was starting to fall she decided to step in and have a look.
The museum was fascinating! At every turn, she found something that caught her eye. And although she was enjoying herself she kept having this odd feeling, a sort of prickling down her spine.
As she finished looking at a rather disturbing display of skeletons sitting in over-sized pots, she turned and caught a man looking at her. He was a pudgy looking man in a tan suit and bow-tie, with a name tag showing he worked at the museum. He quickly looked away and so she continued on, thinking nothing of it. But she noticed the man always seemed to be close by and would speedily look away when they made eye contact.
Jane was being watched.
Jane had no idea who the man was or why she seemed to have attracted his attention, but with an explanation for the odd, prickly feeling identified, Jane hurried through the rest of the museum and back onto the busy London streets.
It was getting late in the day and she wanted to head back to her flat and begin the process of unpacking. She just had to figure out where her flat was.
She starting walking in the general direction she thought she should go, but got distracted thinking about the little man at the museum (and how disturbing it was to think a stranger was watching you) that she completely lost track of where she was going until she suddenly realized she was standing in front of her flat.
Well, that was lucky.
Standing in the kitchen, Molly Weasley gazed absentmindedly out the window. She saw the sun peek out for a moment, only to be swallowed once more by the clouds which had been present all day. A small puff of dust rose into the air as a few mischievous garden gnomes dug into her meticulously planted vegetable beds.
For most, it was a perfectly normal day; nothing particularly special about it. But for her, it was bittersweet. Today was her baby girl's birthday. But her baby girl wasn't there. She was missing.
After Molly had woken, finished off the business of making breakfast for her family, and got them off to work, she had settled down at her kitchen table and wrote her daughter a happy birthday letter, just as she had the previous three years.
She used to write more often. But with each letter, Molly would be on edge waiting for a response. And when none came, her heart would ache a bit more; a sort of depression settling over her for weeks after.
Her husband couldn't stand to see her in such a state and sat her down for a heart to heart a year ago. It wasn't that he wanted her to give up on them ever finding their baby, but he did want her to accept the fact they may never do so, and Molly needed to move past her grief.
Bollocks! Move past her grief. What nonsense! A mother does not stop worrying for her children; even more so if a child has simply gone missing without a trace. As long as there was breath in her body, Molly Weasley would not 'move past her grief' or give up on finding their Ginny. And Arthur Weasley, Merlin love the man, could shove it!
Molly turned her head to look at the family clock; it was a marvelous invention. The clock showed where each member of her family was. It had been damaged a few months before the Battle of Hogwarts, and setting it right again hadn't been made a priority. Eventually, it had been mended, but Ginny had gone missing by that time, and since she'd already come of age, the clock needed her consent to track her. Without her there to give it, Ginny's hand on the clock was stuck in 'Lost'.
Shaking herself out of her reverie, Molly started making a mental list of what she still wanted to do that day. Chucking a few gnomes was certainly on it.
Mrs. Weasley wasn't expecting anyone home for a few more hours, so she was quite startled when she heard a pop, and even more startled when her youngest son came running into the kitchen.
"MUM, MUM," he shouted, "I SAW HER! I SAW HER, MUM!"
Taking hold of his arms as he wildly waved them about, Mrs. Weasley tried to calm him so she could properly hear what he was going on about. "Saw her? Who are you talking about, dear?"
"GINNY, I SAW GINNY!"
Mrs. Weasley took a second to fully comprehend what he'd just said.
She had given birth to seven children, and running a household of that size was not for sissies. It had been noted over the years that Molly Weasley was not a woman you wanted to mess with. So when she drew herself up to her full height, and placed her hands on her hips, Ronald Weasley flinched out of habit.
"Ronald Weasley," she stormed, "that is not something you joke about!"
"I'm not joking, Mum!" he replied. "Really, I saw her! She was in The Leaky Cauldron! I called out and tried to run after her, but by the time I got through the crowd and outside she was gone. I looked for over an hour but couldn't find her anywhere! I know it was her, Mum, I know it was."
Feeling a little faint, Mrs. Weasley grabbed onto the table to steady herself. Looking out her window, she noticed a letter laying on the sill. Rushing over, she threw open the pane and saw the words 'Ginny's Mother' displayed. Unfolding the parchment, she realized it was the letter she'd written to Ginny just that morning. She hastily read, and then re-read the words that had been freshly added to the back.
"Ron," Mrs. Weasley whispered, "go get your father."
Plopping down onto a kitchen chair, she clutched the letter and took in a long shaky breath. Molly knew it would do no good to get her hopes up. So Ron thought he'd seen her; it wouldn't be the first time. Molly herself saw her daughter every day. She would catch a glimpse of red and swear it was Ginny's hair. Or she would see a broom sweep by overhead and think the flyer sat on the broom just the way her Ginny did. There was always something around that reminded Molly of her little girl, and, occasionally, there had been times she thought they really had found her. But there had been something in Ron's voice this time. Something, different. Something confident.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there before she heard the 'pop' of apparition outside. Seconds later, her husband's head appeared in the kitchen doorway.
Graying, and walking slightly slumped with age, Arthur Weasley had been her center of strength for over 30 years. Seeing him now sent an odd mix of joy and calm through her. He would know what to do.
Within an hour, the Weasley abode (lovingly nicknamed the Burrow) had started to fill up. When Ron had disapparated to the Ministry of Magic to get his father, he'd seen his girlfriend Hermione Granger, who also worked at the Ministry, and quickly shouted to her what had happened. Hermione ran to the Aurors office, and relayed to their best friend, Harry Potter, what Ron had been yelling about. She really hadn't caught much of it. But she'd heard him shouting about Ginny, and knew from Ron's flustered behavior something was going on. And so, they too, set off for the Weasley's.
Arthur sent messages to Ron's brothers, via Patronus Charm, letting them know they were needed at the Burrow as soon as possible. Of the four, only George, along with his wife Angelina, had been able to come right away. Bill had been home, but received an urgent message from work just as the Patronus arrived, so his wife Fleur, and their young daughter, Victoire, had gone to the Burrow in his place.
The group assembled in the living room and Molly wanted to reveal the newest bit of information once all the family had arrived. But not knowing how long that would be, she relented and allowed Ron to tell his story.
"I'd just walked into The Leaky Cauldron", he began, a faint pop sounding outside. "I sat down and ordered my drink. I noticed someone with red hair on the other side of the room, but didn't pay any attention until she started walking toward the door. I only saw her back at first, but when she opened the door, she sort of twisted around and that's when I saw her face... it was Ginny. I know it was Ginny."
"Ron," Hermione started, voicing what others in the room were thinking, "we've all thought we've seen her before, but I don't believe Ginny could suddenly show up in Diagon Alley and no one else see her."
"I know what my sister looks like!" he yelled. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he quickly apologized, "I didn't mean to yell at you. And yes", he said taking a calming breath, "there have been a few times in the past, when I saw someone who looked like her. But this is different. I swear to Merlin the woman I saw at The Leaky Cauldron was Ginny."
"I know you believe it was," Hermione soothed, "but, maybe you just saw someone with red hair and wanted it to be Ginny?"
"Except he wasn't the only one to see her," came a voice from the doorway. Bill Weasley had arrived, unnoticed, while Ron was recounting his tale. "Hey Mum," he said, giving his mother a quick kiss on the cheek before settling himself on the couch beside his wife.
"Sorry I'm late," he continued. "I got an urgent message from the curator at the Egyptian Museum. He remembers meeting all of you, including Ginny, back when we went to Egypt on holiday. Apparently, a young woman came into the museum today, bearing a striking resemblance to my missing sister. He hadn't seen her in years so couldn't be sure, but thought I ought to know anyway."
"Mum show them the letter," Ron yelled.
The letter, which had up until then, stayed clutched in Mrs. Weasley's hand, was passed for all to read. And re-read.
Everyone was oddly quiet as they took in what they'd just heard and read.
Then the room erupted as everyone began talking at once.
"Why would she sign it Jane Thorn?"
"Why didn't she come to the Burrow?"
"Where could she have possibly been all this time?"
"Do you think she's still in London?"
And other such questions were being shouted over each other. Only Harry remained silent until finally he shouted, "QUIET!"
At the sound of his outburst, everybody settled down, and waited for him to continue.
"If Ginny really is back, we need to find her, as quickly as possible. That name she signed, Jane Thorn, does it sound familiar at all?"
All heads shook, 'No'.
"We have to find a way to contact her again."
"Send another letter," Hermione suggested. "If this Jane Thorn really is Ginny, we should send another letter. The owl found her once, it can find her again."
Jumping up, Mrs. Weasley summoned quill and parchment before running to the kitchen table, where she took a seat. As one, the others stood and followed; crowding around the table.
"What should I write?"
Everyone chimed in with their suggestions, so it took a good half hour before Mrs. Weasley completed the note.
Would you please meet with me at 9:00 tomorrow morning in The Leaky Cauldron? It's a matter of great importance.
Please send your reply with the waiting owl.
Hoping to see you there,
Molly Weasley
A general agreement had been reached to not use either the names Ginny or Jane, since there was confusion about who'd actually received the previous letter. They sent it with Hermes, a family owl, who had very strict instructions to not leave the recipient without a reply; even if he had to peck her all night!
The group all waited impatiently for the reply to come, and became very excited when an owl came flying in, but it wasn't Hermes. A handsome Postal Owl had brought them a message from one of the other Weasley brothers.
Da,
Got your Patronus; haven't been able to get away. Expect me sometime later tonight. I'll get all the details then.
Love,
Charlie
They settled back down and continued waiting in silence; the minutes ticking by at an agonizingly slow pace.
Finally, several hours after he'd flown off, Hermes returned with a piece of parchment tied to his leg. Rushing to the table where the owl had landed, Mrs. Weasley took the note. With shaking hands, she read off the words:
Molly Weasley,
As you can see, I received your message. Yes, I will meet you tomorrow morning at 9:00 in The Leaky Cauldron.
Sincerely,
Jane Thorn
PS…I will be wearing a white sweater.
A loud noise made them all turn to see someone stepping out of the fireplace. Dusting ash from his robes, Percy, the fourth Weasley son, said, "I came as soon as I could, Father."
Moments after Percy's arrival, Charlie appeared. And so, with the whole Weasley clan finally present, all were caught up on the events of the day and discussions began about what would happen tomorrow.
Of course, everyone wanted to be at the meeting, but Mr. Weasley reasoned, "If we all show up, and it's not Ginny, I imagine Ms Thorn will be rather panicky seeing such a large group. And if it is Ginny, well, there's a reason she hasn't come home. I think a small group will be easier than a room full. I say three of us, four at most, should make the trip. Molly will go, and Harry, you should be there in case this turns out to be an Auror matter. As for you boys, which of you would like to go?"
Well, that wasn't the right question. They all wanted to go. But after several minutes of bickering, Bill spoke up loudly, "Ron should be the one to go. Of all of us, Ginny was closest to Ron."
There were mumbles of agreement as Mrs. Weasley surveyed the room. Her large and loving family had been broken after the finally battle. With one son killed, continuing on had been a difficult process. Two years later, her only daughter completely disappeared. The thought of Ginny being reunited with them, and filling that missing piece, had her reaching for a tissue.
The tension that had enveloped the house when the news broke began to dissipate. At least it started to, until a loud, "Ahem", sounded. All heads swiveled to the dark haired man, with lightning bolt shaped scar, who had broken the silence.
"Ummm guys..." Harry Potter began, "there is someone...else ... that should go." An eerie silence took over the room as twenty eyes stared blankly at him.
Shifting uncomfortably under the weight of the stares, Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, you know I'm right," he said.
The twenty eyes began shifting back and forth with each other. They all knew who else was... but none of them wanted to admit it.
When she finished her meal she continued exploring the city. She passed several museums but didn't stop until she came to one about Egypt. Jane didn't know why, but she felt herself drawn to the place, and as a light rain was starting to fall she decided to step in and have a look.
The museum was fascinating! At every turn, she found something that caught her eye. And although she was enjoying herself she kept having this odd feeling, a sort of prickling down her spine.
As she finished looking at a rather disturbing display of skeletons sitting in over-sized pots, she turned and caught a man looking at her. He was a pudgy looking man in a tan suit and bow-tie, with a name tag showing he worked at the museum. He quickly looked away and so she continued on, thinking nothing of it. But she noticed the man always seemed to be close by and would speedily look away when they made eye contact.
Jane was being watched.
Jane had no idea who the man was or why she seemed to have attracted his attention, but with an explanation for the odd, prickly feeling identified, Jane hurried through the rest of the museum and back onto the busy London streets.
It was getting late in the day and she wanted to head back to her flat and begin the process of unpacking. She just had to figure out where her flat was.
She starting walking in the general direction she thought she should go, but got distracted thinking about the little man at the museum (and how disturbing it was to think a stranger was watching you) that she completely lost track of where she was going until she suddenly realized she was standing in front of her flat.
Well, that was lucky.
Standing in the kitchen, Molly Weasley gazed absentmindedly out the window. She saw the sun peek out for a moment, only to be swallowed once more by the clouds which had been present all day. A small puff of dust rose into the air as a few mischievous garden gnomes dug into her meticulously planted vegetable beds.
For most, it was a perfectly normal day; nothing particularly special about it. But for her, it was bittersweet. Today was her baby girl's birthday. But her baby girl wasn't there. She was missing.
After Molly had woken, finished off the business of making breakfast for her family, and got them off to work, she had settled down at her kitchen table and wrote her daughter a happy birthday letter, just as she had the previous three years.
She used to write more often. But with each letter, Molly would be on edge waiting for a response. And when none came, her heart would ache a bit more; a sort of depression settling over her for weeks after.
Her husband couldn't stand to see her in such a state and sat her down for a heart to heart a year ago. It wasn't that he wanted her to give up on them ever finding their baby, but he did want her to accept the fact they may never do so, and Molly needed to move past her grief.
Bollocks! Move past her grief. What nonsense! A mother does not stop worrying for her children; even more so if a child has simply gone missing without a trace. As long as there was breath in her body, Molly Weasley would not 'move past her grief' or give up on finding their Ginny. And Arthur Weasley, Merlin love the man, could shove it!
Molly turned her head to look at the family clock; it was a marvelous invention. The clock showed where each member of her family was. It had been damaged a few months before the Battle of Hogwarts, and setting it right again hadn't been made a priority. Eventually, it had been mended, but Ginny had gone missing by that time, and since she'd already come of age, the clock needed her consent to track her. Without her there to give it, Ginny's hand on the clock was stuck in 'Lost'.
Shaking herself out of her reverie, Molly started making a mental list of what she still wanted to do that day. Chucking a few gnomes was certainly on it.
Mrs. Weasley wasn't expecting anyone home for a few more hours, so she was quite startled when she heard a pop, and even more startled when her youngest son came running into the kitchen.
"MUM, MUM," he shouted, "I SAW HER! I SAW HER, MUM!"
Taking hold of his arms as he wildly waved them about, Mrs. Weasley tried to calm him so she could properly hear what he was going on about. "Saw her? Who are you talking about, dear?"
"GINNY, I SAW GINNY!"
Mrs. Weasley took a second to fully comprehend what he'd just said.
She had given birth to seven children, and running a household of that size was not for sissies. It had been noted over the years that Molly Weasley was not a woman you wanted to mess with. So when she drew herself up to her full height, and placed her hands on her hips, Ronald Weasley flinched out of habit.
"Ronald Weasley," she stormed, "that is not something you joke about!"
"I'm not joking, Mum!" he replied. "Really, I saw her! She was in The Leaky Cauldron! I called out and tried to run after her, but by the time I got through the crowd and outside she was gone. I looked for over an hour but couldn't find her anywhere! I know it was her, Mum, I know it was."
Feeling a little faint, Mrs. Weasley grabbed onto the table to steady herself. Looking out her window, she noticed a letter laying on the sill. Rushing over, she threw open the pane and saw the words 'Ginny's Mother' displayed. Unfolding the parchment, she realized it was the letter she'd written to Ginny just that morning. She hastily read, and then re-read the words that had been freshly added to the back.
"Ron," Mrs. Weasley whispered, "go get your father."
Plopping down onto a kitchen chair, she clutched the letter and took in a long shaky breath. Molly knew it would do no good to get her hopes up. So Ron thought he'd seen her; it wouldn't be the first time. Molly herself saw her daughter every day. She would catch a glimpse of red and swear it was Ginny's hair. Or she would see a broom sweep by overhead and think the flyer sat on the broom just the way her Ginny did. There was always something around that reminded Molly of her little girl, and, occasionally, there had been times she thought they really had found her. But there had been something in Ron's voice this time. Something, different. Something confident.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there before she heard the 'pop' of apparition outside. Seconds later, her husband's head appeared in the kitchen doorway.
Graying, and walking slightly slumped with age, Arthur Weasley had been her center of strength for over 30 years. Seeing him now sent an odd mix of joy and calm through her. He would know what to do.
Within an hour, the Weasley abode (lovingly nicknamed the Burrow) had started to fill up. When Ron had disapparated to the Ministry of Magic to get his father, he'd seen his girlfriend Hermione Granger, who also worked at the Ministry, and quickly shouted to her what had happened. Hermione ran to the Aurors office, and relayed to their best friend, Harry Potter, what Ron had been yelling about. She really hadn't caught much of it. But she'd heard him shouting about Ginny, and knew from Ron's flustered behavior something was going on. And so, they too, set off for the Weasley's.
Arthur sent messages to Ron's brothers, via Patronus Charm, letting them know they were needed at the Burrow as soon as possible. Of the four, only George, along with his wife Angelina, had been able to come right away. Bill had been home, but received an urgent message from work just as the Patronus arrived, so his wife Fleur, and their young daughter, Victoire, had gone to the Burrow in his place.
The group assembled in the living room and Molly wanted to reveal the newest bit of information once all the family had arrived. But not knowing how long that would be, she relented and allowed Ron to tell his story.
"I'd just walked into The Leaky Cauldron", he began, a faint pop sounding outside. "I sat down and ordered my drink. I noticed someone with red hair on the other side of the room, but didn't pay any attention until she started walking toward the door. I only saw her back at first, but when she opened the door, she sort of twisted around and that's when I saw her face... it was Ginny. I know it was Ginny."
"Ron," Hermione started, voicing what others in the room were thinking, "we've all thought we've seen her before, but I don't believe Ginny could suddenly show up in Diagon Alley and no one else see her."
"I know what my sister looks like!" he yelled. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he quickly apologized, "I didn't mean to yell at you. And yes", he said taking a calming breath, "there have been a few times in the past, when I saw someone who looked like her. But this is different. I swear to Merlin the woman I saw at The Leaky Cauldron was Ginny."
"I know you believe it was," Hermione soothed, "but, maybe you just saw someone with red hair and wanted it to be Ginny?"
"Except he wasn't the only one to see her," came a voice from the doorway. Bill Weasley had arrived, unnoticed, while Ron was recounting his tale. "Hey Mum," he said, giving his mother a quick kiss on the cheek before settling himself on the couch beside his wife.
"Sorry I'm late," he continued. "I got an urgent message from the curator at the Egyptian Museum. He remembers meeting all of you, including Ginny, back when we went to Egypt on holiday. Apparently, a young woman came into the museum today, bearing a striking resemblance to my missing sister. He hadn't seen her in years so couldn't be sure, but thought I ought to know anyway."
"Mum show them the letter," Ron yelled.
The letter, which had up until then, stayed clutched in Mrs. Weasley's hand, was passed for all to read. And re-read.
Everyone was oddly quiet as they took in what they'd just heard and read.
Then the room erupted as everyone began talking at once.
"Why would she sign it Jane Thorn?"
"Why didn't she come to the Burrow?"
"Where could she have possibly been all this time?"
"Do you think she's still in London?"
And other such questions were being shouted over each other. Only Harry remained silent until finally he shouted, "QUIET!"
At the sound of his outburst, everybody settled down, and waited for him to continue.
"If Ginny really is back, we need to find her, as quickly as possible. That name she signed, Jane Thorn, does it sound familiar at all?"
All heads shook, 'No'.
"We have to find a way to contact her again."
"Send another letter," Hermione suggested. "If this Jane Thorn really is Ginny, we should send another letter. The owl found her once, it can find her again."
Jumping up, Mrs. Weasley summoned quill and parchment before running to the kitchen table, where she took a seat. As one, the others stood and followed; crowding around the table.
"What should I write?"
Everyone chimed in with their suggestions, so it took a good half hour before Mrs. Weasley completed the note.
Would you please meet with me at 9:00 tomorrow morning in The Leaky Cauldron? It's a matter of great importance.
Please send your reply with the waiting owl.
Hoping to see you there,
Molly Weasley
A general agreement had been reached to not use either the names Ginny or Jane, since there was confusion about who'd actually received the previous letter. They sent it with Hermes, a family owl, who had very strict instructions to not leave the recipient without a reply; even if he had to peck her all night!
The group all waited impatiently for the reply to come, and became very excited when an owl came flying in, but it wasn't Hermes. A handsome Postal Owl had brought them a message from one of the other Weasley brothers.
Da,
Got your Patronus; haven't been able to get away. Expect me sometime later tonight. I'll get all the details then.
Love,
Charlie
They settled back down and continued waiting in silence; the minutes ticking by at an agonizingly slow pace.
Finally, several hours after he'd flown off, Hermes returned with a piece of parchment tied to his leg. Rushing to the table where the owl had landed, Mrs. Weasley took the note. With shaking hands, she read off the words:
Molly Weasley,
As you can see, I received your message. Yes, I will meet you tomorrow morning at 9:00 in The Leaky Cauldron.
Sincerely,
Jane Thorn
PS…I will be wearing a white sweater.
A loud noise made them all turn to see someone stepping out of the fireplace. Dusting ash from his robes, Percy, the fourth Weasley son, said, "I came as soon as I could, Father."
Moments after Percy's arrival, Charlie appeared. And so, with the whole Weasley clan finally present, all were caught up on the events of the day and discussions began about what would happen tomorrow.
Of course, everyone wanted to be at the meeting, but Mr. Weasley reasoned, "If we all show up, and it's not Ginny, I imagine Ms Thorn will be rather panicky seeing such a large group. And if it is Ginny, well, there's a reason she hasn't come home. I think a small group will be easier than a room full. I say three of us, four at most, should make the trip. Molly will go, and Harry, you should be there in case this turns out to be an Auror matter. As for you boys, which of you would like to go?"
Well, that wasn't the right question. They all wanted to go. But after several minutes of bickering, Bill spoke up loudly, "Ron should be the one to go. Of all of us, Ginny was closest to Ron."
There were mumbles of agreement as Mrs. Weasley surveyed the room. Her large and loving family had been broken after the finally battle. With one son killed, continuing on had been a difficult process. Two years later, her only daughter completely disappeared. The thought of Ginny being reunited with them, and filling that missing piece, had her reaching for a tissue.
The tension that had enveloped the house when the news broke began to dissipate. At least it started to, until a loud, "Ahem", sounded. All heads swiveled to the dark haired man, with lightning bolt shaped scar, who had broken the silence.
"Ummm guys..." Harry Potter began, "there is someone...else ... that should go." An eerie silence took over the room as twenty eyes stared blankly at him.
Shifting uncomfortably under the weight of the stares, Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, you know I'm right," he said.
The twenty eyes began shifting back and forth with each other. They all knew who else was... but none of them wanted to admit it.
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