Chapter 3: An Unorthodox Scene

Alexis was rather pleased that the actual scene where the murder or at least the body had been left, was protected by an invisible ward, under which no one could pass without the Headmaster's say so. This meant that the scene was inaccessible to anyone that might want to approach the scene, whether merely curious students, or the murderer themselves. And without the need of supervision from the Headmaster or another Professor.

When Alexis passed under the protective bubble, she stood back and surveyed the scene. She furrowed her brow as she noted that Professor Snape was out in the open. She frowned deeply, thinking that this couldn't be the scene of the crime. After all, it was practically smack dab in the middle of the grounds. It was extremely risky, the murderer could have been seen by anyone. 'Were they that arrogant, that they could kill him in plain sight?'

"Who was the first person to come upon the scene? Other than Miss Jones?" Alexis asked as she pulled out her wand and placed a spell on her hands so she wouldn't leave traces of them all over the place, before proceeding to do the same with her feet. Afterward she placed her bag on the floor and crouched by it. For a few seconds, she dug around the inside before pulling the small notebook and a pen.

"Professor Sprout, she's in the infirmary with her student, I assume you will like to ask her questions?" the Headmaster responded. Alexis merely nodded she stood back and busily scribbled in her notebook before approaching the body.

"Is this how he was first found?" she asked, gesturing to Snape. He was sprawled on his back, his hands practically at his side. Though he was extremely pale, the blood on the front of his robes was mostly dry, though it had soaked his entire front. There parts where the blood was even crusted, though it was hard to tell because the blood could hardly be seen due to the fact that the Professor wore black.

"I believe he was rolled on his back."

"Makes sense," Alexis nodded, seemingly speaking more to herself, crouching down close next to the body and noting some blood stains on the grass. Very little blood, that she hadn't noticed it at first glance. She ran her fingers gingerly across the slash in his chest, before proceeding to look through his robes. She frowned when she didn't find something she expected to find on him. "Has anything been removed?"

"No."

Alexis frowned at this, before turning. 'No wand. Was it lost? Or taken?.' Standing slowly, she walked back, keeping her face staring at the grass. She could see a small trail, where grass was bent and a tiny trickling of blood.

Dumbledore watched the young Auror curiously. Briefly, he wondered whether he should be alarmed, or relieved that Alexis Smith seemed so unconcerned that the body she was aloofly regarding was that of the ex potions-master, one of her own Professor when she was a student. He supposed he should be relieved that the girl was unconcerned as it allowed her to do her job to the best of her abilities.

After all, the girl had once been Severus' student. And despite how smart she had been, despite the fact that she had gone on to become a Prefect and Head Girl and despite the fact that she was a bright student, even she had not escaped the Potions Master's sharp tongue.

Alexis tried to follow the trail but found that the blood ceased outside the bubble. She supposed that considering it had probably rained a bit, in the morning or previous night, the trail was eradicated. Frowning, she stepped back into the bubble and faced Professor Dumbledore.

"Do you have any idea who might have done this?"

"I have a hard time believe anyone in my staff would do this. Or any of the children for that matter. Most of the staff is quite used to Professor Snape's... personality. As for the students, I'm sure many would desire something particularly nasty upon Severus, but between the thought and the act..." the Headmaster trailed off with a shrug.

Alexis stared at the Headmaster with a raised brow. "Are you always so blase when someone on your staff is killed? Or has the last six years rendered you immune," Alexis asked, not unkindly. "Last year, I believe Dolores Umbridge ran into some trouble in the Forbidden Forrest. The year before that an imposter-Moody was submitted to a Dementors Kiss. The year before that, you hired a werewolf who quit after running lose and almost attacking a couple students. The year before that, Gilderoy Lockhart was somehow damaged to the point he's permanent interned in St. Mungos. And before that, another mysterious death. I know that even in my years in school, a Defense Professor never lasted more than a year, but none of them ever were committed such harm."

"What can I say, the last six years have been anything but ordinary," the Headmaster said with a shrug.

"Perhaps all these strange occurrences will die down when Harry Potter has finished his schooling. I understand he's always at the center of everything that goes wrong in this school," Alexis said, looking at the Headmaster.

Albus stared with twinkling eyes at the girl, wondering what she was getting at. "I suppose its one of the consequences of having a target literally etched on one's forehead."

Alexis didn't make a reply to that. Merely stood, surveying the body and the scene, the cogs of her brain working. "I imagine there have been other strange occurrences this year. I would like to hear them. Perhaps there is something there to help me riddle this out."

Albus sighed. "Katie Bell was cursed during the first trip to Hogsmead, touching a dark object she was set to deliver under the imperious curse, to me. She was in St. Mungos until recently. Ronald Weasley was poisoned at the beginning of March drinking mead from Professor Slughorn, who was intending to give it to me. Harry Potter, Ron's best friend, saved his life."

"Harry Potter," Alexis said, bemused. However, she shook her head. "Doesn't seem that they're related. After all, those plots have the common goal of getting to you, and for all intents and purposes, failed," Alexis said, turning to Professor Snape's lifeless body. "This was pretty direct. However, it wouldn't really hurt. I would like to speak to Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Katie Bell. After interviewing Professor Sprout. I think it would be all right to remove Professor Snape. Although a St. Mungo's Healer should run diagnostics before his arrangements for burial or whatever are made," Alexis stated.

"Katie, Harry and Ron are Gryffindors." Albus informed with a weary sigh.

"And where would Professor Sprout be?" Alexis asked, moving back to her bag and sipping it up. She hoisted it on her shoulder as she turned to Professor Dumbledore, however, she wasn't looking at him but rather doing something in her notebook quickly. He stared at the girl, thinking that she was rather all over the place.

Blasé as he may seem to her about Snape's murder, he was very much interested in knowing who had killed his spy and ruined all his plans. Though, he wasn't heartless as just to be thinking about himself and his schemes. It hurt to think of Severus, who he still often saw as that broken and strange child, come to this. For his life, and his second chance, to be squandered by someone like this. Despite the task he'd set for Severus, he'd hoped that in the end, the boy would live to be able to take back his life and... be happy.

"I imagine the Hospital wing," he answered, deep in thought. "Wouldn't you rather see to your room?"

"Not just yet," she replied, as she walked out of the bubble and waved to him before striding up to the castle. She had a lot of work to do.

TBC...

A/n: Please Review.