"Oh, the thrill of the chase as I soar through the air

With the Snitch up ahead and the wind in my hair

As I draw ever closer, the crowd gives a shout

But then comes a Bludger and I am knocked out."

—Ingolfr the Iambic, 1400s Norway

THE THRILL OF THE CHASE

An Investigative Auror Mystery

DMLE Office

"Malfoy, you know card tricks right?" Ron Weasley called across the dragonpen of the DMLE, breaking the stillness of the night shift. "Teach me one."

Draco looked up from where he'd been dozing at his desk, coffee mug in hand. "Ah, Weasley. I'm not sure you could handle the complexity."

"Oh, go on. If I can beat you in chess, I can pick this up, easy."

"That was a fluke, and you know it."

"Sure. Whatever." Ron levitated his pack of Quidditch League playing cards over to Draco's desk, Dragomir Gorgovitch waving merrily from the front. "Teach me."

With a sigh, Draco stood, shuffling the pack with a wave of his wand. "Ok. Tell me to pick a card."

"Right." Ron nodded and cleared his throat. "Pick a card, if you will."

"Nice flourish. Now I put my card back and you hold the deck to your forehead."

"Er..." Ron said hesitantly. "No occlumency, right?"

"Weasley, I thought you wanted to learn." Draco quirked an eyebrow. "Hold the deck to your forehead and envision the card I just took. Think about it very clearly and hold it in your mind."

Ron closed his eyes and nodded. "Ok."

"What was my card?"

"Nine of hearts. Nine of hearts?"

"Very good." Draco held up the card. "Not bad for a Gryffindor, I suppose."

"I'll not take offence to that this time, Malfoy." Hermione called, watching them from her office doorway.

"I'm pleased to see you're learning, too." He smirked over his shoulder. "Now, let me try."

Ron took a card and returned it the deck. "Ok. What was my card?"

"Jack of Diamonds." Draco confidently replied.

"Not even close!" Ron laughed. "I thought you were supposed to be teaching me? Looks like you got schooled, Malfoy!"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the pair of them, taking note of Draco's barely hidden smirk. "Come on boys, we've got work to do."

Charing Cross Alleyway

"Auror Granger, Auror Weasley, Mr. Malfoy." The Mediwizard greeted them.

"Healer Caldwell." Hermione shook his hand. "We appreciate you coming out at this time of the morning. What do we have here?"

Caldwell walked them over the scene. "Basic blunt force trauma to the back of the head, no doubts on the cause of death at least. However, the possessions of the victim are what's most intriguing."

"Oh?" Hermione questioned as they stopped at the body.

"He had on his person a ring, reasonably expensive, and a cloth napkin."

"A napkin?"

"Yes, and this is most peculiar. The napkin has the words 'forgive me' written across it." Caldwell passed the cloth to Hermione.

"And this symbol here?" She gestured to an icon of twigs bundled in a corner.

"I couldn't be sure. I believe Auror Patrol are looking into it." Caldwell told her.

"Not peculiar." Draco said, peering over Hermione's shoulder. "An upset lover. Break up of a relationship."

"Perhaps." Caldwell replied frostily. "Although I'm sure further analysis will be-"

"And the napkin is from Twig Clippers." Ron added. "Exclusive professionals club. I used to go with Ginny quite a bit. Nice place. Fancy."

Draco hummed to himself. "Ah, the case of the quick-tempered Quidditch player."

"What makes you say he plays Quidditch?" Hermione asked, as Draco and Ron momentarily stared open-mouthed at her.

"Hermione, how could you not know who this is?" Ron gaped. "It's Ulysses Greensmith! Appleby Arrows! Keeper of the century!"

"For someone so knowledgeable, it's surprising you work so hard to blank out anything related to sport." Draco smirked. "Mind you, I've always been a Holyhead Harpies man myself."

Hermione bagged and sealed the napkin before handing it back to Caldwell. "I'm going to take that as a compliment, Malfoy. So what makes him quick-tempered?"

"Known for it on the pitch." Ron bent down to examine the body. "Suspected of casting illegal jinxes against Pride of Portree a few years ago after the match had gone on a couple of days. What's that in his pocket?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't spot it earlier." Caldwell knelt down and unbuttoned the victim's jacket. "It seems to be a playing card. Could be a message from the killer?"

"No. No way. Absolutely not." Ron backed up. "You have to be kidding."

"Does the Jack of Diamonds mean something to you, Mr Weasley?" The Mediwizard questioned, holding up the playing card.

Ron rounded on Malfoy. "How did you do that? How did it get there?!"

"Card tricks, Mr. Weasley?" Caldwell frowned. "A man has lost his life here."

Ron threw his hands up. "It wasn't me!"

"So shameful, Ronald Weasley." Draco shook his head as Hermione barely managed to retain her professional composure. "So shameful."