Author's note: Written for QLFC, genre Crime. This is my first time writing this genre hope you like it and well, fave and follow.
Crunching of leaves didn't alert his soon to be victims, he walked briskly, not bothering to hide his presence at all. If they realise that he had been here, it would be really none of his concern, this was not a game for blackmail, simple murder. It would be better if they decided to call the Aurors, it will lessen his work. He didn't want to keep the incident secret at all. The main aim was not getting caught in the act, otherwise, dead bodies been found was not a problem.
He smirked as the door unlocked with a simple Alohomora. People have gotten lax with security since the Dark Lord died, all the more easy for him.
The floorboard creaked under his footstep, and that finally got the occupants' attention, he heard a faint feminine whisper and then there was a distinct sound of footsteps and door opening.
"Who's there?" Asked a male voice, "Show yourself!"
He smirked to himself, entering the man's line of vision, he barely gave his target a second glance before saying distinct words, "Avada Kedavra," And the body of the man fell to the floor with a distinct thud, a woman's scream soon followed the silence.
Second time there was the call of the same words, and then only a toddlers cries for her mother were heard until the neighbouring family heard it and decided to investigate and found a dead couple and their three year old child passed out of exhaustion.
Several days later, another house was found with a dead couple, and then another and then another.
'Pitter patter raindrops,' Sang the sweet melodious voice of the three year old with slightest of the lisps. 'Pitter patter raindrops.' She repeated. Blonde curls reaching down her shoulders, covering her childish round face, big innocent stormy grey eyes, staring into nothingness, the rhyme stuck on her lips like a broken record.
'She has gone into shock,' The Healer announced, 'Trauma...'
She let the words hang in the hollow of the night, the distant howl of the wolf and the rhyme of the three year old the only things could be heard.
For a long moment, Neville Longbottom couldn't even move, he was well aware why he didn't want to be an Auror, and situations like these just reminded him the exact reason. He glanced at the Healer, Hannah Abbott, they had gone to school together but never talked until seventh year. Nonetheless, she had been the first to point out the fact that Auror was a job that didn't suit him, at all.
"Not that I doubt your capabilities, that's not it," She had explained at the slightly hurt expression on Neville's face, "I mean, you were the one who helped us all when Harry wasn't around in Seventh Year, under Snape's reign, and you faced Voldemort when everyone else lost hope, thinking that Harry was dead. It is just that, you are brave, no doubt there, but you seemed like a stability chasing person, and job as an Auror doesn't quite guarantee stability."
Neville had blinked at her in confusion, as to how did she know so much then proceeding to say that she had him figured out wrong, not quite explaining the fact that she was indeed right and he was fulfilling his Gran's dream. Her last wish. He had a plan, though, of retiring after ten years or so. And then probably getting some peaceful job quite as Hannah had described.
But the problem in question was not him right now, it was the recently orphaned three year old, from the looks of the place, it had been her third birthday, a mashed cake was found lying on the cream carpet, a big red candle of number three broken into two lay beside it. The table on which the cake had been standing was probably blasted by a curse not intended for it, because only pieces of it could be found scattered throughout the room. Confetti and remains of crackers singing Happy Birthday were scattered on the battered floor. Not quite the happy birthday for the little girl.
The suspicions led to the same killer they had been chasing for a while now, some believed them to be killers, but they had no leads to conclude. The deaths had nothing in common, save for all the murdered people were parents and their children had been spared, which quite removed the suspicion of remaining Death Eaters, they didn't possess mercy. They were few in number and contemplations showed that they had left continent. Neville felt like they were just waiting for them under disguise, plotting something.
"You still think it's them?" Harry Potter asked, standing in the doorway, Neville had no idea how long he had been standing there contemplating. The little girl was now in Hannah's arms and she cooed to her softly, the singing hadn't stopped. Neville turned to face his colleague and best friend, working together had brought them closer. He was in his Auror uniform, just like Neville, both of them were field workers, while Ronald now did a desk job, after a couple of close calls and mishaps, Hermione had drawn a line after be returned home with 30 bones broken.
"It is unlike them to spare children," Harry continued when Neville didn't answer. "And leaving children of ages three to five alive doesn't make sense."
"There's a missing link," Neville insisted, "Something that will explain the relation between past five murders."
"I'm not sending her to orphanage," Hannah voiced as the Aurors went into contemplative silence, conversing through eyes. "She is too scared, she was the only one who saw it happen. I'm taking her."
Harry and Neville looked at each other, the latter crinkled his brows and the former gave an almost imperceptible shrug.
"Taking her home or St. Mungo's?" Neville asked.
"Psychiatric ward in Mungo's isn't child friendly," Hannah spoke in explanation, Neville nodded, having spent his childhood in the gloomy room, begging his parents to talk to him, he knew, "I'm taking her home. I'll file the paperwork both for St. Mungo's and Ministry, if need be, I am adopting her."
The gaze of two Aurors turned to the still singing toddler, her blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, her fancy robes battered with dust and dirt. Harry in melancholy, compared her to Cinderella after clock had struck twelve. But this Cinderella had lost so much more.
Another silent conversation passed between two Aurors and finally Harry gave his permission.
"Let's go back to the office, Nev," He said after Hannah had gone, Neville still stared at the ruins of the room, "We have work to do."
"Another?" Neville exclaimed as the junior slid the file towards him.
"Auror Wood gave this," The Junior said, "Wants you in the office in ten."
"How old is the kid this time?" Neville asked the disturbed looking Junior.
"2 and a half," Shuddered the young man in front of him, "They seem to be getting younger."
Harry who shared the office with Neville looked at him and an unsaid promise passed between them.
"This has to stop," Neville said with certainty.
Harry nodded, both of them knew the pain of being orphaned at an young age, seeing half a dozen kids go through it, was not exactly a walk in the park.
"It seems," Senior Auror Wood said to them as they entered his office, "This case is getting personal... And much more serious."
"Emotions will not be involved," Harry assured.
"But you are nowhere close." Senior Auror cut them off, "Off the case, both of you."
Neville sat calmly on the chair opposite to Senior Auror, "I have a hunch, of sorts, Wood."
Elijah Wood narrowed his eyes, "Death Eaters?" He asked with narrowed eyes, "You sure?"
"There's no reason for them to do so," Harry said from beside Neville, "But the whole method screams them. And the estranged ones are not exactly sane enough to look for a reason to kill people."
"Serial killers," Wood concluded.
"Weren't there spies keeping weather eye on the activity of them?" Neville asked.
"Yes," Wood agreed absently, "But why parents? Muggle borns do make sense, but random sets of parents and orphaning young children, doesn't quite make sense. And there have been no activity from them, zero, we thought they have gone dormant."
"What about the reformed ones in our network?" Harry asked, "Malfoy? Zabini? Greengrass?"
"Greengrass?" Neville asked turning to Harry. "What about her?"
"She was engaged to Nott," Wood answered for Harry.
"And Nott has been missing since the Battle of Hogwarts seven years ago," Neville completed.
"But why now?" Wood wondered, "And why parents. Well, we need to call in Greengrass..."
Daphne Greengrass had definitely changed from the Ice Queen they knew in Hogwarts. In a moment of melancholy, Harry thought this to be some morbid reunion of Hogwarts days as Malfoy, Zabini and Greengrass sat in their office, Terry Boot and Padma Patil, the Intelligence and Forensic experts stood against the wall, and Hannah was watching everyone from Neville's seat, her eyes scanning the small room and the people seated.
"Quite the sweet reunion," Malfoy voiced Harry's thoughts. "Let's brainstorm, then. I suppose that's why we've been summoned."
And so they did.
"Greyback and Nott escaped," Greengrass said, "Haven't heard from them. Others gave fleeting messages, letting us know they're alive, asking us to join them."
"So, there's an underground network building?"
"Yes, perhaps," She agreed, "But I doubt they will get followers. After the fall of Dark Lord there's no one who will voice the old ideals."
"Then why the deaths?" Voiced Hannah, "Why killing people with kids?"
"No idea," Malfoy replied.
"There's a speculation though," Zabini said, after sharing a look with Greengrass, "It's all her theory, but it might be plausible."
"What?" Everyone turned to the blond woman.
"Orphans are quite vulnerable target, psychologically," Greengrass explained, "The one who started the war and the one who ended it, both were orphans..." She stated, letting the statement hang and it comprehension dawned on Harry's features, for a moment he was back in Dumbledore's office, looking over the memories about Tom Riddle.
"Hannah," He asked, "Who handles the orphanage?"
"No idea," She replied, it's under Muggle institutions, "But we have no clue where the funding comes from..."
Neville's and Harry's eyes met and they nodded. To the orphanage, it was.
"I'm coming," Greengrass claimed, "I have some unfinished business with Nott."
"You're not authorised," Neville argued. "It's risky."
Her eyes flashed, she rolled up the sleeves of her robes to show scars running down her arm, "I don't mind risks," She told him, "He scarred not just my body, but my soul. Plus, I have something that will lure him out of his rabbit hole."
Padma and Terry pretended to be a Muggle couple looking into adoption and others followed with Dissulisionment charm cast over themselves.
The recently orphaned children were nowhere to be found.
Terry and Padma exchanged a glance and Padma continued, "You see, my school friend was recently murdered and I heard her daughter was put into the custody of this orphanage," She said with fake tears in her eyes, "And I thought that if I cannot take care of her daughter what sort of friend am I, hence I am looking for Emma Kingsley for adoption. If it's possible?"
"Wait here," She answered, and trotted out of the room.
Padma and Terry exchanged glances.
"Arm yourselves," Harry's authoritative voice said.
There wasn't even a faint rustling to be heard.
A few minutes passed and the door of the spacious office creaked open again.
"I had no idea," Said a cold voice from the doorway, "You knew Donna Kingsley, Patil. Or that you and Boot were married. You work under Investigation and Intelligence, don't you?"
Theodore Nott cane into their line of vision, "Well, you will be expelled, if need be, we're not ready enough to be exposed, yet."
"So there're more?" Terry asked, and earned a sneer as an answer, "I'm not silly enough to babble my plan to you people, even though you're gonna die. Talk wastes time," -He pulled out his wand-, "This is quick, Avada Kedavra."
Harry had pushed out Padma out of the way, and meanwhile Neville grabbed hold of Nott.
"Then, perhaps," Neville said, "Veritaserum can make you talk."
Hannah Abbott's eyes widened in disgust and she wrinkled her nose.
"Is it possible to manipulate children in such a way?" She asked Neville and Harry who had just briefed everyone about Nott's testimony.
"Apparently yes, that's what happened with Voldemort," Neville answered, "Martha is still with you?"
Hannah nodded as Neville referred to the child they had found in the house two weeks ago. Her instincts didn't let her leave the child in orphanage and her instincts were oh so right.
"And what about the other kids?" She asked.
"Still missing," Neville sighed, "They had a plan B, but location would not have been divulged until last minute. They are going to feed hatred, manipulation and all that is bad in their minds, unless we find them and regain the children."
"Promise me you'll find them." She asked.
They did, but how they did it is a whole different story.