Ron saw Lavender the next morning with a sweet smile on her face.
'Hey, sleep alright?' He asked politely as she chose to sit down beside him, the rest of Ron's dorm mates acknowledged her with a wave and smile.
'Yeah, better than I have been,' when Ron gave her a quizzical look, she continued. 'Hermione hasn't been sleeping too well; she's been having the worst nightmares that I swear have been keeping the Gryffindor girls up. Us dorm girls have tried to sort her out but she just wasn't having any of it. Anyways, Pav spoke to Madam Pomfrey about it and we got her some potion-y thingy and she slept much better last night but, Pomfrey told us to measure it out for her and keep an eye on it. Apparently, she thinks Hermione could top herself,' Lavender's eyes widened and her voice lowered as she spoke, not in all concern but it "oh-my-Merlin-isn't-that-gossip-and-a-half!". Ron knew that Lavender wasn't a cruel person, she just liked to gossip and sometimes forgot that these were real people involved and not just story characters that she could do with as she wished.
Lavender began to daintily pick up food from around her and chit-chatted with the boys around her.
Ron knew that today was the day that lessons would restart for the main suspects involved, they had been allowed time off lessons. For once, he was happily looking forward to lessons as he knew it would help distract him from all of the investigation and it would definitely benefit Hermione hugely. For Lavender, he wasn't so sure.
Lessons dawdled on and Ron found himself with a mound of homework due to the work that he had missed. But he was glad as he knew it would keep his mind off the passing of his best friend. Hermione seemed slightly cheered at the thought of piles of work and was putting her hand up regularly, not as fast and as often as she normally would have but she made an effort nevertheless. Professor Snape didn't seem to mind.
However, there was just one part to the lessons that Ron could not bear; Harry had always been his partner and had always sat next to him and part of Ron seemed missing as that chair sat empty. He thought Hermione sensed it as she when she was in his lessons; she sat next to him with a comforting smile and a gentle touch on his arm.
But all in all, Ron thought today had done him, but mostly Hermione, the world of good and he finally thought that maybe, just maybe, one day he would be able to put Harry to rest. For now though, Harry would still linger, almost haunt, his side. Certainly until someone was placed in prison for his death.
Peace seemed to be half returned to Hogwarts; Harry's funeral had sort of settled the fear and anxiety and now that everyone had returned to lessons, life almost seemed back on track. But all of that was shattered.
A piercing, wail of a scream crashed through corridors, windows and through every open door. It was filling Hogwarts, engulfing and halting every student it touched.
Death returned.
'Shit Fox, whatta we got?' Stone shook his head with despair.
'It's another body sir, found dead at six this evening.'
'Found by?'
'Young first year Huffelpuff, she was in a complete state of shock and has been given some sleeping potions.'
'Won't be able to speak to her, eh?' Stone did not really care for the state of the girl, he just wanted her statement. Fox nodded as they walked towards the body. 'Nasty.'
'I didn't expect it sir,' muttered Fox honestly, he hadn't thought the murderer would strike again; it seemed to him that the Potter murder was just a one off.
'You can never assume anything in this line of work.'
Fox turned his back to the body while Stone crouched down.
'Alright Doc? How's the wife?' Stone said with a gruff chuckle. Doc looked up and smiled; that was a running joke.
'Dave's fine thanks.'
'What have you got for me?'
'A dead body,' both men had seen more of their fair share of dead bodies and this was just another one to add to the never-ending list of corpses. Yet, it being a young person did make it slightly harder for Doc but Stone had never really seen the difference... unless it was a baby, personally that would always hit a chord.
Stone just raised an eyebrow and waited
'Body's still warm so not dead, hmm, more than an hour or so,' Stone smiled, this was good.
'Between five and just before six?'
'I would guess around there, you can never be totally sure. Stabbed.'
'You can see that,' muttered Fox.
'In simple terms for you Stone, stabbed with this knife,' Doc said as he pulled the knife out slowly and his assistant placed a protecting charm over it. 'Blade was around five inches in length, only a few centimetres in width but incredibly sharp. Pen knife, I'd say. Or much alike. Blade went pretty much right the way through from what I can see, seems to have gone straight through the heart. Somebody had knowledge and knew how to get it over with quickly and silently, they were dead pretty much as soon as the knife pierced their skin. Simple.'
'Man or woman?'
'Hmmm,' Doc seemed to deliberate. 'Could be both really, the knife was rather potent and you can never tell how strong someone in a rage can truly be. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' Doc quoted as he stood up, Stone shook his hand once Doc removed a bloody glove. 'I'll be able to tell you more later.'
'Thanks,' he nodded, spun around and paced off. Fox fell into step quickly.
'Well, that's one suspect removed from our list,' Fox tried to look on the bright side of it all.
'Or they could have murdered Potter and someone decided to enact revenge. They could have known and been blackmailing the real culprit,' suggested Stone with a superior air. 'We'll just have to find out.'
'Shall I get the rest together sir?'
'Yes, I think we can be assured that it was one of the remaining four,' he nodded his head, something told him that this latest victim had found out or had seen the original murder and so it could only be one of the surviving quartet.
There was now a serial killer on the loose in the middle of a bustling packed school of hormonal teenagers. They needed to wrap this one up fast before they had thousands of parents and superior staff weighing down on their shoulders.
At first I had no idea as to why we were all be shepherded in to a small, empty classroom. But soon thing slotted into place and, to be honest and a little cocky, I don't think anyone else guessed until the words came out of Stone's mouth.
Clue A, was that scream – something serious must have happened or a Huffelpuff girl had received some new shoes.
Clue B, a huge arrival of aurors – either someone was dead or there was a party (where was my invite?) or someone was a death eater.
Clue C, finding Ginny was going to same place as me – I highly doubted a family reunion.
Clue D, Hermione and Draco were already waiting – or maybe there was a secret, a forbidden romance that I had seriously missed.
Clue E, Stone and Fox's arrival – I doubted that they had come to for a cuppa.
Clue F, no Creepy – dun, dun, durrrrr!
Colin Creepy was as dead as my Aunt Nora.
For some reason, Hermione began to cry but I comforted her with a half hug and some whispers of support. Draco seemed to somehow get even paler. Ginny just hung her head and fiddled with a cardigan button.
'Are they killing us off?' Trust Draco to think the world revolved around him; I think I saw Stone hide a smile.
'No, it's more likely than he knew something about the killer's identity.'
I caught on the quickest.
'So whoever did him in must have killed Harry,' I left it there. Stone nodded for confirmation.
'You will each have an auror to protect you,' on cue, four aurors came through the door.
'Alice Denton will be with you Miss Weasley,' Denton was tall and had a great pair of tits – need I say more? As I watched Gin and the auror walk out, I knew Harry wouldn't mind me risking a good look, he would understand.
'Tina Maple with you Miss Granger,' my eyes nearly popped out of my head, it was Hermione in ten years time! I murmured a goodbye and she nodded in reply. Both shuffled off, the woman's arm around Hermione's shoulder.
'Will Willow, Draco,' a name has never suited a man so more than it did this time. The man looked like he would snap between two of your fingers and he made Draco look tanned! His voice seemed to float around the room and his face held a look of constant disappointment and depression.
'Lastly, Ron my boy, you get,'
'A playwizard girl newly turned auror?' I asked cheekily and received a gruff laugh from Stone.
'Naah, I'm keeping them to myself,' he rubbed his hands together. 'Patrick Dawn,' mine looked normal. Scruffy brown hair, tall but built like a dragon and dark blue eyes.
'Alright mate?' He had the slightest hint of an Irish accent... maybe he'd brought some whiskey with him.
I turned to leave and follow the pattern that everyone had done before me but I wasn't having any such luck.
'Sit down,' Fox spoke for the first time and his tone was light and friendly – they wanted information.
'Look, I know what you want and I'm afraid I haven't got anything. Luckily, I've managed to get a favour from Malfoy and I should have some strong, let's face it, gossip pretty soon.'
'What does that blonde make of this?'
'Lavender?' Stone nodded. 'She's acting like it's another story, not serious murder. I think she's rather enjoying it. She'd like to have it down as Hermione, I think, but I just can't see it. Not Draco, we've agreed on that.'
'Why?' Asked Fox. Up until now, he had seen the young Malfoy as a real contender.
'He's all talk and if he was to have someone killed, he would never do it himself, the Malfoys never get their hands dirty. No, I'd say he's more scared than Gin is. Of course, I can't see it as Gin but she's got a bit of a temper, not as bad as Mum, but... you know.'
'So that just leaves you, eh?' Chuckled Stone.
'I 'spose it does really,' I gave them both a smile.
'So basically you've got nowhere?' I nodded. 'Same,' we shared a small smile. 'But this next one should help us; we'll start our questionings in the morning. Give you some time to sweat.'
'Or set our alibis and stories straight,' I winked as I left the room.
