Chapter 4: Mother Hen, The Red, And The Chosen One
"Professor Sprout? My name is Alexis Smith. I'm looking into the murder of Professor Snape and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions," Alexis said, speaking in a low but stern Professional voice. The woman, who was hovering over a bed on a female student, merely nodded in a daze.
Alexis took time to note the girl that lay asleep on the bed. The girl was not particularly tall, and was slightly overweight for a girl her age and stature. Her face, was not unpretty, though Alexis imagined the girl must get quite some grief over the somewhat large and protruding mole on the left side of her face by her jaw. Alexis imagined the girl probably used her straight blonde hair to cover it up.
Stepping away from the bed, she felt Professor Sprout behind her. "Is that Megan Jones?" Alexis asked gently when she turned to face the woman. The Herbology Professor nodded, her eyes watery as she stared forlornly at her student lying prostrate on the hospital bed.
She'd already spoken to Madam Pomfrey about the girl. Much to Alexis' annoyance, the girl was in a catatonic state and there was no way to snap her out of it, so whatever the girl knew or saw, was trapped inside her. All the girl could do now was sit for long periods of time without moving or saying anything, or reacting at all to her surroundings. They'd had to use charms to get her to lay down and shoved a potion down her mouth for her to sleep.
Normally, Alexis could use Virataserum and simply get around it. As an Auror she was authorized to use it on her cases as the need arose. However, being as Megan Jones was underage, she couldn't do a thing. Not without the consent of her parents, and the chances of that happening were slim to none. Most parents closed rank around their children when they thought any possible threat to them.
"Professor, I just need to ask you what happened this morning. Could you tell me?" she said politely.
Professor Sprout nodded and took a handkerchief out of her pocket to wipe her eye while Alexis opened her notebook once more. "I usually eat a light breakfast, and head out to the Greenhouses before class starts. As you must remember, depending on the lesson plan and the class, we use different ones. Today I had the sixth years and I was coming out of the castle and heading to them, when I heard a scream," she paused at this.
Alexis waited patiently for the woman to recover herself. Sometimes when witnesses were retelling an event, there were parts of it, that for one reason or other, caused then anxiety. Alexis wasn't surprised that hearing a scream had done so to the woman. And Professor Sprout had always had a sort of maternal, nurturing personality.
After some sniffling and getting control once more of her breathing, Professor Sprout went on. "Of course, I ran to the direction of the screaming, but by the time I got there, she had stopped screaming. Megan was kneeling, with this horror struck look on her face, and her mouth open, but she wasn't making a sound. I tried to talk to her, shake her, but she just didn't notice me.
"Then I followed her eyes, wondering what she was staring at and I saw him," Professor Sprout said, her eyes clouding over as if reliving the moment. "He was like a large ink stain on the grass. I thought it was rather odd, knew something was terribly wrong. I thought perhaps he'd been attacked, or stunned, I never imagined-"
"Then what happened?" Alexis prompted gently after a few minutes of silence.
"I approached him, calling his name. When I got to him and rolled him over... the first thing I noticed was that he was so pale. I looked down and... there was so much blood on his robes," at this, the woman burst into fresh tears. Alexis frowned slightly but comforted the woman by patting her. After a few more minutes, the Herbology Professor calmed enough to speak once more.
"That's when Hagrid got there. I told him to stay there, after I recovered a bit from the shock. I told him I would go to inform the Headmaster and if any other students should come near, to keep them away. I had to levitate Megan onto a stretcher to bring her to the Hospital Wing, before heading to see the Headmaster," Professor Sprout went on, barreling through the end of her tale. "By the time we got back, there were so many students gathered trying to see. Professor Dumbledore sent all the children back to the castle and cancelled Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures for the day, and also wouldn't let students out on the grounds. After the Headmaster I arrived, I went back to check on Megan."
"Professor Sprout, did you notice anything strange about Professor Snape lately?" In response, the older woman shook her head. "What about yesterday? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?" Professor Sprout once more shook her head once more. Alexis sighed, she hadn't had very much hope the woman would be able to provide anymore information. "Professor Sprout, I would like to ask you for a roster, of your class from this morning? Maybe one of them saw something. It needn't be just at this moment, but perhaps by dinner?"
"Of course," Professor Sprout said with a nod of her head.
"Thank you, Professor. I hope for a speedy recovery for Miss Jones."
XX
After that, Alexis had gone to see Professor McGonagall, expecting she'd be in her office, if not teaching class. It appeared that she was on break, but in her office as Alexis had expected.
First she has asked to speak with Katie Bell, as she was the first to be attacked that school year. However, it had led to nothing. The girl didn't remember anything. Alexis supposed she expected that, after all if she had, the culprit behind the other attacks would have been apprehended already.
Ron Weasley arrived with Harry Potter in tow. "Weasley, Potter, this is Auror Smith. She is here to ask you a few questions," Professor McGonagall stated as they walked in. The boys exchanged glances, both of them apparently on edge about this. Alexis wondered if this was out of normal teenage anxiety about being questioned by an authority figure, or if there was more to it.
"What about, Professor?" Harry asked. 'I always imagined him taller and more impressive,' Alexis thought.
"I understand you were poisoned Mr. Weasley. I'd like to hear about it, from the start," Alexis replied, as she scribbled in her notebook. She noted how the boys seemed to relax.
"Well," the boy started uncertainly, turning red. "I was in Gryffindor tower and I sort of ate some chocolates left for Harry. I didn't know that someone had put a love-potion in 'em and when Harry saw he took me to see Slughorn for an antidote, which he gave and after we were toasting with some mead. And thats it," the boy said with a shrug. "The rest gets sort of fuzzy."
"Mr. Potter? Anything more you'd like to add."
"When Ron drank the mead he sort of fell, and was foaming at the mouth. And I used a bezoar," Harry said with a shrug. Alexis eyed the boys for a moment. The story seemed true enough. She sighed and prepared to tell them that was all. "Are you here about the poison and the necklace?" Harry suddenly asked, unable it seemed, to help himself.
"No Mr. Potter, I am here about the murder of Professor Snape. Why do you ask?"
"Do you think they are connected?" Harry asked.
Alexis eyed the boy, wondering if he was always so inquisitive, or if there was a point. "Not at this time. Is there something you would like to say, Mr. Potter? Something perhaps that you think may be pertinent to Professor Snape's murder, or the two prior incidents?" The boy hesitated for a moment, before shaking his head. However, Alexis could see that he was doubtful. But she didn't want to push the matter at the present, knowing that it wouldn't particularly help. "Very well then, that is all."
The two boys nodded and hurriedly left the office. Once they were gone, Alexis turned to Professor McGonagall. "Professor, I would like to ask you about Mr. Potter's years here. I've come to understand that they have been quite... eventful."
"I don't see how this pertains to your job, Miss Smith," Professor McGonagall said warily.
"I'm sure it doesn't pertain strictly to the case, but I need a certain understanding about the castle's inhabitants and what life here has been like for them, if I wish to find the culprit behind Professor Snape's murder. Mr. Potter's involvement in the biggest events can't be helped," Alexis stated calmly. "This will be off the record, strictly confidential and I won't put details of Potter's school years in my report, if you wish."
In response to this Minerva McGonagall only sighed and motioned for her to have a seat. Though what she herself was aware of was not everything, it still made for a lengthy tale. Alexis tried not to make herself too comfortable as she sat opposite of the woman before her. She needed to be alert, for whatever she found out. You never knew what would shed a light on a case.
TBC...
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