Chapter 241: The Missing Harry and Ron

Luna picked up The Quibbler and began reading aloud in her dreamy voice:

"About seven or eight years ago, Rita Skeeter began publishing defamatory articles and reports. People have always wondered where she gets her scandalous information.

"At the same time, after Gilderoy Lockhart graduated from Hogwarts, he disappeared for a few years and then suddenly embarked on a literary career, recounting his heroic exploits in vivid prose.

"On the surface, these two seem unrelated. But is that really the case?

"Recently, new evidence has surfaced suggesting that Lockhart and Rita Skeeter are, in fact, the same person.

"If you examine Lockhart's background, you'll notice an uncanny resemblance to Rita's.

"Both graduated from Ravenclaw, both have golden hair, both are of mixed wizarding heritage, and—if you look closely—even their facial features are somewhat similar.

"'Gilderoy Lockhart is not a man!' said Mrs. Berryshiff.

"'I've met him in person, but he didn't like me,' she added.

"Mrs. Berryshiff, visibly upset, tapped her cane on the ground as she spoke. 'Merlin's beard! What kind of man would resist my charms? Fifty years ago, I was the belle of Hogwarts. I'm convinced Lockhart is actually a woman!'

"Mrs. Berryshiff's condemnation has sparked much debate.

"'I don't think it is a coincidence that Lockhart's and Skeeter's writing style are strikingly simlar' said international editor Xenophilius Lovegood.

"Furthermore, countless other pieces of evidence suggest a deep connection between the two.

"In truth, the author of this article believes Rita is an Animagus. She transforms into Lockhart's form to gather intelligence and then writes books based on the stories she hears, deceiving the public.

"The public must act! Write to the Improper Use of Magic Office and report Rita Skeeter for being an unregistered Animagus who impersonates Lockhart…'"

To be honest, this issue of The Quibbler was quite entertaining. With an interesting storyline.

William was reminded of the gossip magazines he used to buy every week in his past life.

Before long, Cedric and Cho resumed their argument. They only stopped when the trolley witch arrived with snacks.

It seemed Cedric truly had a deep dislike for Lockhart.

The group began sampling various snacks and trading Chocolate Frog cards.

Cedric, back in his usual adoring mode, started unwrapping snacks for Cho.

Watching the display of affection, William felt an overwhelming urge to kick Cedric out the window.

However, he didn't get the chance because Annie was busy trying to shove a Chocolate Frog into his mouth.

"That's too much!"

The two began wrestling, with Hermione cheering William on from the sidelines, urging him to "teach Annie a lesson."

But then, with a glint in her eye, Hermione joined the fray, pinning William down to help Annie.

Meanwhile, Luna stared intently at Boba Tea with her wide, gray eyes, making the cat visibly uneasy.

At that moment, the compartment door slid open, and the Weasley twins entered with Ginny.

The three of them looked flustered, with Ginny on the verge of tears.

"They're not here either!" Ginny said, her voice trembling.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, confused.

Taking advantage of the distraction, William gently pushed Hermione off and got up.

He adjusted his hair, which had gotten mussed during the scuffle.

"Harry… he's missing," Ginny said, tears brimming in her eyes.

Fred grabbed a drink from the snack trolley and gulped it down, while George plopped onto Cedric's lap, panting from exhaustion.

After searching through so many compartments, the twins were clearly worn out.

Wait… does cedric have his wand on his pocket? Or some kind of magical artifact?

"How could Harry go missing?" William asked in surprise.

"Can you get lost on a train?" Annie added, puzzled, "That's a new level of cluelessness."

"He didn't get lost," Ginny explained, "I was the third-to-last to pass through the barrier at King's Cross, and Harry was right behind me. There's no way he got lost."

"How could you not notice someone missing?" Cedric asked incredulously.

Ginny blushed. "We were running late today. When we got to the station, the train was about to leave in five minutes.

"We all rushed aboard without saying proper goodbyes, and it wasn't until after we were on the train that I realized Harry wasn't with us."

"Maybe he's in another compartment? Have you searched everywhere?" Cho asked.

"Not yet. It's just been the three of us looking, and we've only covered half the train," Ginny replied before suddenly freezing.

"Wait… where's Ron?"

Fred and George exchanged awkward glances, coughing lightly.

Ron might not have the strongest presence, but being completely forgotten by his sister? That was a new low.

"Well, shall we all search together?" Luna suggested excitedly. She loved games like this.

"That would take forever," William interjected, shaking his head.

"Do you have a better idea, William?" Hermione asked.

"Of course. Wizards should use magic," William replied matter-of-factly.

He turned to Fred. "Do you have a Niffler with you?"

"Of course. I always keep this little guy close," Fred said, pulling a small Niffler out from his robes.

The Niffler squeaked nervously, seemingly shy under so many watchful eyes.

"Let's head to the train entrance," William said.

Leading the group, William made his way to the train's entrance, attracting a crowd of curious students along the way.

Some of the onlookers thought Akali's Mystery Shop was presenting a new product and followed out of sheer curiosity.

William ignored the growing audience and pointed his wand at the floor.

"Homenum Revelio!"

If Harry and Ron were on the train, their traces would appear at the entrance. There was no need to search compartment by compartment, which would be a huge waste of time.

Golden mist sprayed from the tip of his wand, revealing traces of recent magical activity in the train.

"Accio!" William cast another spell, and Fred's Niffler floated into his hands.

"Alright, start searching," William instructed.

The Niffler sniffed the floor, diligently following faint traces like a well-trained search dog.

Soon, Neville's golden silhouette appeared, desperately searching for Trevor, even though the toad was perched on his shoulder.

Next, Draco Malfoy's image materialized, with Pansy Parkinson lurking behind him.

Pansy held a stick and smacked Draco on the head before dragging him into a compartment.

For a moment, William was tempted to abandon the search for Harry and Ron and check out that compartment instead.

Unfortunately, Fred's Niffler wasn't as well-trained as professional ones. After sniffing around for several minutes and circling some glowing footprints, it shook its head, indicating it couldn't find Harry or Ron.

The two of them hadn't boarded the train.

Wait…

William's eyes caught sight of something outside the window, a car flying through the distant clouds!