Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 252: The Disappearance of Harry

Ever since Fred had swapped Ron’s wand with a Trick Wand, he and George had been eagerly waiting to see the results. But a week later, Ron hadn’t noticed a thing—in fact, he hadn’t used his wand even once. The twins were beyond disappointed.

“It seems we’ve got ourselves an obedient little brother,” Fred sighed one evening, clearly deflated. “He’s actually following the rule about not using magic outside school… and he’s sticking to it.”

St. Catchpole was a large village with a notable wizarding population, and as long as muggles weren’t around, the Ministry generally overlooked minor magic use. The restriction against underage magic was effectively just a formality here. Even Cedric and Percy practiced spells in their rooms on occasion, and Kyle and the twins cast charms regularly without issue.

But Ron, ever the rule-follower, was frustratingly well-behaved in this respect. Which meant that Fred and George’s grand plan to test the Trick Wand would have to wait.

“If only he were this obedient at school,” George said with a sigh. “Maybe Gryffindor would actually stand a chance at the House Cup.”

“Exactly,” Fred agreed, then turned to Kyle. “By the way, Kyle, we’re heading to Diagon Alley tomorrow. Want to come along?”

“Sounds good,” Kyle replied. “What time are we leaving?”

“Morning,” George answered. “We need loads of books, and Ginny has to get her school things too, so we’re going early.”

They finalized the time, and Fred and George headed off.

Back in his room, Kyle tried to read, but he found he couldn’t focus. Whether it was the anticipation of the trip or something else, his mind just wouldn’t settle on the page. With nothing else to do, he turned off the light and went to bed early.

...

It felt like an eternity before the sky finally brightened. Kyle got up, ate a quick breakfast, and made his way to The Burrow, where the Weasleys were just sitting down to eat. Despite his insistence that he’d already eaten, Mrs. Weasley filled his hands with several bacon sandwiches, and Ginny offered him a seat.

After Kyle sat down, Mr. Weasley, looking up from his meal, asked, “Has your father already gone to the Ministry?”

Kyle nodded. “He got a letter half an hour ago and rushed off.”

“Ah, it’s probably those same people causing trouble,” Mr. Weasley muttered. “They’re upset about the new Muggle Protection Act, so they’re dumping all their dark artifacts in muggle areas. They think they’re being clever, getting rid of dangerous items while causing chaos for us.”

“Well, they’re succeeding,” Kyle replied, shrugging.

For the past few weeks, the Daily Prophet had reported almost daily about muggles stumbling upon cursed items.

The Ministry’s Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes was swamped, especially as these artifacts were affecting not just people, but animals, too. Even insects had been found behaving aggressively; one report mentioned palm-sized purple ants. This explained why Chris had been called to the Ministry so early.

“It’s only a temporary victory for them,” Mr. Weasley said with a determined smile, taking a bite of his sandwich. “Scrimgeour and the Aurors have started investigating, so I doubt anyone will risk throwing out any more cursed items now. Just a matter of time before we catch them.”

“Go, Dad!” Fred and George cheered in unison.

“Quiet!” Mrs. Weasley chided, swatting the twins. “Be careful, Arthur. Those people are dangerous, and you’ve been temporarily suspended from this investigation.”

“It’s only for three days, Molly,” Mr. Weasley reassured her. “Kingsley told me there’s been a surge of traffic in Knockturn Alley lately—they’re all likely scrambling to offload their dark artifacts.”

“Why don’t they just put their things in Gringotts?” Kyle asked. “Surely the Ministry can’t search there?”

“Good question,” Mr. Weasley replied, thinking for a moment. “Maybe they don’t want their cursed objects to ‘contaminate’ their gold…”

After breakfast, Mrs. Weasley lifted a flowerpot of Floo powder from the kitchen mantel and turned to everyone.

“Alright, guests first—Harry, you go ahead!”

Harry blinked in surprise. “What… what do I do?”

“Kyle, why don’t you go first and show him how it’s done?” Mrs. Weasley suggested.

Harry shot Kyle a relieved look as Kyle took a pinch of Floo powder from the pot. Throwing it into the flames, he stepped into the green fire and shouted, “Diagon Alley!” In an instant, he was spinning through the network of fireplaces before stumbling out into the Leaky Cauldron.

The place was buzzing with activity, likely due to the approaching start of term, and every table was packed. As he dusted himself off, he saw Fred, George, and Mr. Weasley emerge, one by one. Mr. Weasley looked around anxiously as he stepped out.

“By Merlin’s beard… Kyle, did you see Harry Potter?”

“No,” Kyle replied, shaking his head. “Wasn’t he right behind you?”

Mr. Weasley’s face paled. “He went in before me… Oh no, we’ve lost Harry Potter…”

A moment later, Percy, Ron, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley all emerged from the fireplace. Upon hearing that Harry hadn’t appeared, Mrs. Weasley’s face went ashen, and she nearly collapsed. Fred caught her quickly, steadying her.

“Arthur…” she whimpered, clutching her chest. “Harry’s lost… what will we tell his aunt and uncle?”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Weasley,” Kyle said, trying to calm her. “Harry’s probably just gone through the wrong fireplace. Knockturn Alley has a portal connected to the Floo network, doesn’t it?”

“Yes… yes, you’re right,” Mrs. Weasley replied, clinging to this hope. “Where in Knockturn Alley does it lead…? I can’t seem to remember…”

“Stay calm, Molly.” Mr. Weasley took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I remember Kingsley mentioning Borgin and Burkes.”

“That horrid shop with all the dark magic artifacts?!” Mrs. Weasley’s face grew even paler.

Without another word, she sprinted toward the Leaky Cauldron’s back door, with Mr. Weasley hurrying after her.