AN: I want to thank everyone for their reviews, and especially csiaddict2…my first reviewer and my new beta for this story! Thank you so much!!
"Ok…so how are we going to find evidence in a case where the murder weapon is magic?" Grissom pointed out, looking back where the body of the girl had been.
"We could always stop by the M-o-M." Nick shrugged. "They keep tabs on any wand that uses an Unforgivable Curse…Avada Kedavra being one of them."
"What, we came back to Vegas for nothing?" Catherine laughed.
Greg looked over the crime scene. "Maybe not for nothing…there may be a way we can find evidence…it's more just a theory of mine…"
The other three CSI's glared at Greg with a look that clearly said, "Spill."
"I've noticed throughout the series that wizards and witches with longer wands are more powerful." Greg quickly explained. "For instance, Albus Dumbledore has a pretty long wand…and he is very, very powerful. 'Professor' Umbridge, on the other hand, has a much shorter wand, and is pretty…weak as magic folk go."
"And?" Grissom asked; arms folded over his chest, growing impatient.
"If I could test Sirius' and Harry's wands, then I could at least get a scenario going; Avada Kedavra has got to blow back its victim at least a little bit. And Sectumsempra has got to vary in power…"
"You know, I've been thinking 'bout Sectumsempra," Nick cut in, his Texan accent clearly showing. "You think Snape ever gave it to the Death Eaters when he was spying for Dumbledore? Just to…show that he 'trusted' them or something?"
Everyone stopped, thinking. Except for Catherine…who only understood half of what the fanboys were saying.
Nick's right, silently passed between the thoughts of Grissom, Nick, and Greg.
"I sure as hell hope not…" Greg whispered. "That just made our job a whole lot harder…rogue Death Eaters could be anywhere…"
Grissom grimly nodded. "Correct. Greg, your theory makes sense…why don't you and Nicky stay here; test Greg's theory. Catherine and I will go check out the Ministry of Magic. Agreed?"
Catherine, Nick, and Greg all nodded simeoultaneouly and Grissom stepped over to Catherine, placing his hand on her shoulder; on top of the charmed vest. They almost immediately disappeared and Nick and Greg turned to each other.
"I thought Cath had the wands…" Nick said, disappointed.
"Nope," Greg grinned, holding up the two wands. "You know how fun practicing wandless magic is?"
"Okay," Nick laughed. "You are officially awesome."
"Yeah," Greg grinned. "I know."
"Ready to go back to the lab?"
"Definitely."
The two boys climbed into one of the Tahoes that their job provided them with, Nick in the driver's seat. The engine started up and they drove off, knowing that soon they'd be breaking about a dozen wizard laws…in the name of Las Vegas law.
Greg was slightly amazed at the fact that he could do any wandless magic; leave alone summon something that was at least five feet away. More powerful than I thought? Maybe?
The two pulled into the parking lot of the CSI building. They got out in silence, each of them taking the short jump from the floor of the van.
"Think we should stop by Doc Robbins?" Nick asked on their way in, watching the number of lab rats working on separate cases. "Tell him that there's no way he'd even be able to guess what happened to the girl?"
"Maybe. We need to send someone else back up to the scene to check for any trace evidence of anything." Greg pointed out. "Magic may be the killer…but…"
"We don't have Griss," Nick interrupted.
"Grissom. Is. In. England." Greg laughed. "We're the ones he and Cath left behind. We have to send someone."
Nick had a 'thinking' look on his face. "Guess you're right. Warrick?"
"He's the only CSI not working on a case right now." Greg nodded. "Unless you count Brass. But he's more of a detective."
Nick nodded in reply just as they were walking past Warrick's office. "Hey, Warrick!" he called, jolting the CSI from his computer.
"God, Nick," he swore under his breath. "What do you want?"
"Can you help us with a scene?" Greg asked, putting on his best smile. He almost laughed at the shocked expression that appeared on Warrick's face…but was able to hold it in.
"I didn' know Grissom died!" Warrick grinned.
"He didn't…but…well, let's just say…he's not available for comment, kay?" Greg bended the truth so easily. "Can you please just help us with a scene? It's not like you have any cases right now."
"Fine." Warrick rolled his eyes. "What am I looking for?"
"Trace evidence of anything." Nick stepped in. "Whether it looks like it might mean something or not. A shard of glass…anything."
"Kay…hold on, where is it?"
"The Alley." Greg laughed. 'The Alley' was a running joke with the CSIs. It was the one alley in all of Las Vegas where the most crimes happened. No other alley came close.
"Oh, great," Warrick groaned. "See ya' guys."
Greg and Nick nodded at their friend, who was now walking out the front door, and then made their way back to the morgue.
"Ok, you guys have some explaining to do," Doc Robbins said as they walked in, now in blue scrubs. "There is no way this girl is dead!"
"If we told you how she died you wouldn't believe us," Greg shook his head.
"Try me," the older coroner said with a small smile.
"You ever heard of Harry Potter?" Nick asked, knowing the answer.
"Of course!" the doctor exclaimed. "Who wouldn't have?"
"It's real." Greg interjected before Robbins could continue any rambling. "This girl was killed by Avada Kedavra."
The coroner stopped cold. You almost would have expected him to have stopped breathing…which he may have for a few seconds. "Harry Potter is…real?"
Greg and Nick nodded.
"This just made my job a whole lot harder…" Robbins muttered. "Sectumsempra on the forehead, right?"
The two CSI's were pretty shocked that the doctor knew anything about Harry Potter other than the basics that everyone knew.
"Uhm…yeah. Actually." Greg nodded, still stunned.
"Well, you guys know more than I do." Robbins said matter-of-factly. "I can't give you any more evidence from this girl. There's nothing in the wound; and she died from magic. You…however many of you are working on this case…are on your own."
Nick and Greg sadly nodded, and walked back out of the morgue, pulling their scrubs off in the process.
"Wonder if Cath and Griss have found anything from the M-o-M…" Nick thought out loud, and Greg was thinking along the same lines. Something told him this wasn't the first case where magic was used…it almost seemed as if Sectumsempra was going to be this new killer's signature.
Pre-meditation…Greg thought with a pang in his head. This isn't the last we're seeing of this guy…
Suddenly Greg's cell phone rang alive and the two CSIs jolted up from their slump in the break room.
"Sanders." He said as he flipped it open to his ear.
"Greg it's…." the sentence was never finished, overcome by static.
"Grissom?" Greg asked, confused.
"Yeah. The wand…registered…anybody." Grissom said; several parts of his sentence blotted out.
"Griss, just come back…I can't hear half of what you're saying." Greg laughed. "And the half I do hear doesn't make sense."
"O…" and the line went dead. Hope he was saying okay…
"What'd he say?" Nick asked, any tiredness immediately leaking out of him.
"Dunno." Greg said, staring down at his phone. "Static…these stupid phones don't get enough coverage for what we have to pay for them…I think he's coming back to tell us what Catherine and he found, though."
Nick and Greg sat in silence for a few minutes before another voice boomed down the hallway.
"Hey guys," Warrick greeted as he walked in the break room. "Is this the kind of thing you were looking for?"
Warrick held out an evidence bag with a splinter of wood in it. Greg looked over at Nick and felt as if they were both thinking the same thing. From whatever wand was used…
"Yes!" Greg leaped up, feeling sure that they'd be able to tell whoever did this with their new evidence. "Thank you!"
Nick jumped up beside his friend and grabbed the evidence bag from Warrick.
"Thanks, Rick," he said, grinning at the tiny shard of wood. "We so owe you."
"Hodges?" Greg now asked Nick. The Texan nodded. "Urgh…I hoped I wouldn't have to deal with him today…"
Greg grabbed the bag and rushed down to Trace, where David Hodges was working on some other piece of evidence.
"Here." He said, shoving the bag in front of Hodges. "What kind of wood is it, are there any traces of feather or reptilian scales on it, is there anything else in it other than wood…the whole nine yards."
"I'm backed up with the Winters' case," Hodges sneered. "And the Storms' case. And the Kidds' case…"
"I don't care what cases you're backed up with Hodges." Greg growled. "This is your first priority right now, okay?"
"Since when did Grissom appoint you Supervisor?" Hodges sneer never left his face.
"Grissom does not like you, Hodges." Greg evilly grinned. "I helped him immensely with this," he motioned to the wood. "case. If he hears you've been giving me a hard time it won't be too long before something happens…hopefully, you're fired."
Hodges gulped and grabbed the bag. "Okay…I'll work on this. Happy?"
"Not exactly." Greg replied as he turned around and found Nick leaning against the doorway and grinning. "Oh…sorry…had to."
"Yeah, I know." Nick rolled his eyes. He then turned to his left and stopped moving. "Look, they're back. How'd it go, guys?"
"Terribly." Catherine muttered. "Yes, there was a wand that used Avada Kedavra on the night the girl…Susan Hausner…died."
"And…?" Greg asked impatiently.
"It wasn't registered to anyone." Grissom said indifferently.
Greg and Nick groaned. "Back to square one." Catherine said sadly.
"Sanders." Hodges called Greg back, and Greg quickly turned back around and walked into Trace. "This was quick. The wood you gave me was a blend of actually several different kinds…some I've never even seen. There's nothing else in it or on it other than wood."
"Perfect." Greg grabbed the wood with the plastic evidence bag it was in and walked back out to his teammates.
"So?" Nick asked, having already caught Catherine and Grissom up.
"Nothing good." Greg said sadly, pushing the wood back in its' bag. Hold on…we can test Harry's and Sirius' wands…it'll at least get them in the clear.
"We need to go back to Sirius and Harry." He said abruptly, quickly placing his hand on Catherine's shoulder, the other two doing the same. "1, 2, 3."
The four CSIs spun back in front of the Potters' house, and a black dog soon came bounding up to them, transforming into Sirius Black quickly. Catherine's breath hitched…and she wasn't quite sure why.
"So?" Sirius asked, Harry soon coming up behind him.
"We're going to need to take a sample out of the wood in your wands." Greg explained. "We found a shard of wood at the scene. I know it's not out of either of your wands…but we know that it is from a wand. Just wanna rule you guys out."
"Of course." Sirius and Harry immediately replied, not taking a second to think about anything.
"By the way, that reminds me…" Sirius smiled. "We need to get you guys wands....except for you, Mr. Grissom, as you lack magical talent…as well as people skills."
"So I've heard…" Grissom's eyes narrowed, and Catherine had to laugh.
