The vandalism in the castle is becoming more problematic, the students are now concerned, and Severus has no idea who is behind it. The other problem is that Severus is having inappropriate sexual, er, reactions toward Hermione and, if discovered, could terminate his position as Headmaster. But was the drowning a coincidence or something more sinister? Could the drowning be related to the messages on the walls? Severus must stay focused if he's going to suss out the clues in time.

Murder, Magic, Mayhem, and Madness

This is a murder mystery—a character does die in this chapter.

The End of September

Hermione, Ginny, Amanda and Shawna Halsey, the fifth-year prefect and the new Gryffindor Seeker, hurried down to the Prefects' bathroom to take a swim before turning in for the night. The boys would be finished, and they wanted a good swim before curfew. Hermione grimaced at the wet spots that eventually became wet shoeprints which were apparently leading away from the bathroom, scoffing at the errant behavior of the boys.

Ginny giggled, deftly drying wet shoeprints off the corridor floor as they walked so they wouldn't slip. "Really, you'd think they'd have dried off before running back to the common rooms!"

"Rather odd, though," Amanda said, slipping on a bit of water closer to the door, and Hermione grabbed her hand to help her steady herself.

Ginny intoned the password and held the door open for the others to pass. Amanda was the first in and quickly crossed to the benches, stopping at the pile of towels lying, soaking wet, on the floor. Hermione nearly bowled Shawna over since the girl had stopped just a few steps into the bathroom. The room was a mess. The towels were knocked off the benches onto the floor and a few floated in the tub. "What the…? Did the boys do all this?" Amanda asked, turning around as she bent down to pick them up and wrinkled her nose. "They sure left the place a mess!"

Shawna was staring at the soapy water. "Hermione, Ginny, what's that? In the water?"

Hermione turned and her mouth dropped open. Nearly covered by a large clumps of bubbles was a girl with a mass of brown hair was floating in the Prefect pool. In her robes. Face down. "Shawna! Go get Professor Snape! Hurry!" Hermione dove in, swimming for girl's body. She rolled the girl over, and Amanda started to scream, her voice echoing off the marble walls. It was Tabitha Wellington; her eyes open as if she'd been hit by the Avada Kedavra. "Amanda! Get help. Someone. Any one!"

"Professor McGonagall!" Amanda screeched. She turned and ran away. Ginny stood at the pool's edge, still staring mutely at Miss Wellington, floating in Hermione's arms. Hermione dragged the girl to the side of the pool. "Help me!" Together they hoisted her out and Hermione began CPR, praying between each resuscitation blow that she wasn't too late.

"What do I do?" Ginny asked worriedly, kneeling across Miss Wellington's body from Hermione, her hands opening and closing as she watched Hermione count off her compressions on the girl's chest.

"One. Two. Nothing. Three. Yet," Hermione grunted as she made fifteen compressions and then moved quickly to the girl's head. "Watch carefully." She gave made a demonstration of pushing Miss Wellington's head back while pushing her chin down opening up the girl's airway. Leaning forward Hermione gave her two resuscitation breaths and moved back to kneel at the girl's chest and carefully placed her hands pushing down on the girl's chest again. "Did, four, you, six, see, seven, that? Eight. Nine. Ten." She counted of her fifteen compressions.

Ginny nodded but looked confused. Hermione shifted back to Miss Wellington's head. "Tilt back, open mouth and cover with yours, blow." She gave a breath to the immobile girl. "Opens her airway," she finished, and then gave a second breath. Ginny nodded. Hermione resumed her compressions, counting them out until she did all fifteen. "Now, like I did, give her two breaths."

Ginny tipped the head back like Hermione had and blew into the girl's mouth. "Good again," Hermione encouraged her as Ginny exhaled into the girl's mouth.

They continued undaunted, Hermione forcing herself to continue, fighting for the girl's life.

"What are you doing?!" Professor Sprout exclaimed, following Severus into the bathroom. Shawna leaned around the buxom professor and gasped.

Hermione didn't break stride as she answered, "CPR."

"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation," Severus answered, kneeling beside Miss Wellington across from Hermione. He swept his wand over the girl's body and sighed, dropping his head for a moment. "Miss Granger, you can stop."

"No, she only drowned," Hermione insisted, aghast when Severus reached out to stop Ginny from giving her two breaths. Hermione shifted quickly to breath for the girl, ignoring the Headmaster's arm on hers.

"Miss Granger, she's gone."

Hermione ignored him, tears welling as she repositioned at the girl's chest. "NO! This works!" A second wave a light glided over Wellington's body as Hermione did her compressions. "Really! I have to!"

She hadn't realized Madam Pomfrey had arrived until the kindly woman placed her hands on Hermione's arms. "Dear, the Headmaster's right, she's gone."

"No, no, no," Hermione insisted, still counting the compressions off in her head. "This works! I have to keep going!"

Amanda stifled a cry from the doorway, and Ginny quickly moved to stand by her, both girls grabbing each other's hands for support as they watched the scene. Severus enlarged a towel, draping it over the dead girl's body as Madam Pomfrey forced Hermione to rise. Hermione watched as Madam Pomfrey made one more swish of her wand covering the girl's face and Hermione staggered backwards in shocked dismay. Severus was instantly on his feet, moving swiftly to Hermione as she unknowingly nearly backed into the pool, and he pulled her to him to keep her from falling. Impelled by the momentum of the motion, Hermione threw herself into Severus' arms, clinging to him as she broke down and wept for the Hufflepuff girl she barely knew.

Severus held her tightly as she cried, shifting his weight only once to raise a hand to motion the newly arriving Professor McGonagall to remove the other three girls from the room. Professor McGonagall, quick on the uptake, even given her shock at the scene, nodded. Professor McGonagall quickly Transfigured a towel into a stretcher, and Hermione heard her gently usher Ginny, Shawna, and Amanda away with her. Professor Sprout, sobbing over the death of her charge, managed to keep the presence of mind to help Madam Pomfrey carry the girl to the hospital wing.

Severus stood, holding Hermione as she cried, his hand occasionally rubbing on her back in a reassuring manner, and tried soothing her with soft whispers. Hermione's grip on his body was tight, grasping onto him as if her life depended on it.

Hermione, for her part, was unconsciously aware of what was going on, but her mind was a whirl with the guilt and grief of Tabitha Wellington's drowning. "I tried to save her," she finally said into Severus' chest.

"I know," he replied softly. "There wasn't anything you could do. It was too late for her."

"Her eyes were open," Hermione said, her thoughts incoherent even to herself. "They are blue." Severus nodded, his chin rubbing the top of her head as he shushed her. "I didn't know her very well. She was a Prefect, but we didn't talk much." Hermione sniffed, and Severus pushed her off him as he handed her a handkerchief. "If I'd only been here earlier, but the boys had run off for the bath, and we thought we'd let them swim first, you see." She wiped the tears from her face and blew her nose. "Because it's not as much fun swimming with that lot, and we wanted to be by ourselves, before curfew." Severus nodded, cleaning the handkerchief with a flick of his wand. "Thank you, sir."

"Her—Miss Granger, I know you well enough to know that you were kind and thoughtful toward Miss Wellington in life, even if she wasn't in your circle of friends." Severus watched her face carefully, and Hermione glanced up at him, grateful for his comment. "I also know that, while a tragedy, her drowning was not your fault. Her death was not caused by your delayed use of the bathroom. You apparently had no idea she was planning on utilizing the facilities and therefore wouldn't have known to come at an earlier time. You are in no way at fault for her death."

She nodded, knowing he was right, but the sense of guilt still nagged at her.

"If I may ask, when were the boys here?" he asked softly.

Hermione had been wiping her nose, and gazed back at him, shrugging. "Right after Quidditch practice. We were waiting until after they were done," she replied. Severus cleaned the handkerchief again, indicating for her to continue. "They had just returned to the common room, so we took that as our cue that the room was available—boy free."

Professor McGonagall returned, entering the bathroom and walking over to gently place her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "The girls are all in the hospital wing for the night. Perhaps it would be best if I were to escort Miss Granger there, Headmaster. She would undoubtedly benefit from some Calming Draught and a good night's rest."

Severus nodded and gently cupped Hermione's chin, looking her directly in the eyes. "I will be up to see you shortly. I would appreciate it if you didn't consume any Sleeping Potions until I do."

Hermione nodded, but Professor McGonagall inhaled in shock. "Severus!"

He looked up at Professor McGonagall, and then at Hermione. "I want to look around and speak to the Aurors, make sure there isn't anything untoward. I will need to know what you saw and what happened, considering the unusual pranks occurring. I need to assure myself and the staff that this incident was an accident and not somehow related to the vandalism." He looked up at Professor McGonagall and gave her a stern gaze. If the other girls have not already taken a Sleeping Potion, it would be best to speak to them tonight. Otherwise, I will require their cooperation with me tomorrow."

Professor McGonagall stiffened, protectively drawing Hermione away from him to guide her out. "Of course the girls will cooperate with you, but I will give Madam Pomfrey your message. I dare say, I believe the others have already been given the necessary potions for the night." Severus nodded as Hermione was maneuvered to leave with her.

The Aurors that Hermione remembered who had investigated the incident of the book and knife, were scanning the corridor as they passed. Hermione stopped and looked at Mr. Dorsey.

"There were footprints in the corridor when we were walking to the bathroom," she said. "Ginny dried them." He cocked his head, his brow furrowed as the other Auror, Mr. Anderson, approached.

"Leading from the bathroom to the stairs," she continued, pointing in the direction they'd seen the footprints. "There had been more water of course closer to the bathroom, fading out as whoever left them had walked away."

"Do you remember how large they were?" Mr. Dorsey asked.

Hermione shook her head. "Not really, I wasn't paying that close attention to them. But I do remember thinking they were left by one of the boys leaving the bathroom. They were wide, and spaced apart like—possibly from someone in a hurry… and come to think of it, it wasn't a footprint like you'd see if someone was barefoot, more like a shoe. I could be mistaken but I don't remember toes."

"Are you sure?" Mr. Anderson asked. "Would you be willing to let us see your memory in a Pensive like before?"

"Gentlemen, there is time enough for this later," Professor McGonagall admonished softly, holding onto Hermione more protectively.

"No, it's all right," Hermione said, feeling a bit more at ease in the comforting grip of her Head of House. "Of course you can. What I am sure of is the amount of water." Turning, she drew their attention to look back toward the bathroom door. "Closer to the door there was a lot of water, as if the person was wet, and tried to dry their robes. The amount of water lessened as they came this way and by about here the footprints were more pronounced, defined." She turned to face the other direction. "Of course we were coming from that direction so it seemed like the amount of water increased, not decreased. But the footprints were more visible starting about here, where we are, to about at that door and grew fainter as the person walked away," she said, emphasizing her words by pointing.

The Aurors followed her explanations intently. "Thank you, Miss…" Mr. Dorsey started to say and Mr. Anderson interloped, "Granger," receiving a nod from Mr. Dorsey as he continued. "You are sure about what you saw?" Hermione nodded and he smiled at her. "Very well then, thank you. That helps somewhat. I would still like to view the incident as soon as possible."

"I am taking Miss Granger to the hospital wing, gentlemen. You may see her later," Professor McGonagall said, ushering Hermione away. She soothed Hermione's shoulder as they walked, shushing her when she tried to ask questions.

Ginny was still awake when Hermione was escorted to her bed. Amanda and Shawna were sound asleep in their beds. "Hi, I didn't want to take my Sleeping potion until you got here," Ginny said, sitting up. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Hermione said, changing quickly to her pajamas.

"Girls," Madam Pomfrey chided softly. "In bed with you, Miss Granger. I dare say, you've had quite a shock tonight."

Hermione climbed into bed, accepted the Calming Draught, but looked at it thoughtfully. "Professor Snape is coming to see me. He specifically wanted to ask me questions…"

"Tonight?" Madam Pomfrey asked, turning to Professor McGonagall, who nodded solemnly. "After what you've been through?"

"No, it helps!" Hermione stated. "Really. Telling Professor Snape and the Aurors what I did and saw… I realize I did as much as I could, under the circumstances." She felt tears welling up again and Professor McGonagall produced a handkerchief for her. "Thank you. If I get it over now, telling them now, I won't have to tomorrow, will I? It'll be easier, and it still fresh in my mind so if there is something important, I won't have forgotten."

Both women stiffened, murmuring their discontent, but they were silenced as Severus, followed by the two Aurors entered the room. Mr. Dorsey was pleased to see Ginny awake, and asked her a few questions, one being permission to borrow her memory as well, much to the indignation of Madam Pomfrey. Severus carefully explained how the extraction spell worked and had Hermione draw out her memory of the evening starting from when they'd descended he stairs to when Hermione spoke to the Aurors in the corridor. Ginny watched in rapt concentration of the process, repeating the spell several times for Severus' assurance. She concentrated on the same timeline, starting from the descent on the stairs, finding Tabitha Wellington, and helping Hermione breathe for the girl, up to when Professor McGonagall ushered her out. Hermione watched her friend extract the silver strand and slip it into the vial Severus held for her. He thanked them, still looking at the two vials in his hands, examining the silvery mist inside.

After he left, Ginny looked at the cup resting on the bedside table, which held her Sleeping Potion. "You know I don't think I even need that now. It's like the whole thing didn't happen."

"I know," Hermione said, lying down to get comfortable. "The memory is gone, so we don't remember it. Odd, huh?"

Madam Pomfrey nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Not now, but you two will be spending the night here when the Headmaster returns the memories back to you. Get some sleep." She turned and ushered Professor McGonagall to follow her to her office. Professor McGonagall hovered over her charges a moment, touching Hermione's cheek and caressing Ginny's hair as she bid them good night, sighing as she gazed at the other two sleeping girls and left, leaving Hermione and Ginny alone to whisper to each other before they finally fell asleep.

Severus held onto the memories until Friday, informing her professors that she'd be in the hospital wing all weekend, thinking it would be better on the girls, knowing they'd have the weekend to grieve. Both he and the Aurors had reviewed the memories several times, and Severus was awed each time at how quickly Hermione reacted to the emergency and the valiant effort she'd made in trying to save Miss Wellington's life. But it was for naught. The girl had possibly been hit with a weak Avada Kedavra, but not strong enough to actually her kill outright, but definitely one that had stunned her. She had actually drowned in the pool as she floated in the water. There had been signs of a struggle. Towels were knocked on the floor, thrown about, and Miss Wellington's wand had been found across the room over by the taps suggesting that the girl had been disarmed. The last few spells cast from it had been two defensive spells, one an attempt to disarm her attacker.

There was no other evidence. He and the Aurors had combed the bathroom, and Mr. Dorsey had tried every revealing spell he knew, although Severus had scoffed at his attempts. Mr. Anderson had walked the corridor for clues several times, but found nothing. In the end, the official report was accidental drowning caused by a student duel. In the papers, it was merely an accidental drowning.

Several of Miss Wellington's friends were excused from lessons for the first two days, allowing them time to grieve. Many of the students, especially the fifth-years and many of the Hufflepuffs, had downcast expressions, some with red noses and puffy eyes. As the week wore on, things began to slowly return to normal, although speculation as to who Miss Wellington had dueled was rampant enough that even the staff had to try and squelch the rumors.

Friday after their last classes, Professor McGonagall escorted Miss Weasley and Hermione to the hospital wing to retrieve their memories. Severus had carefully instructed Miss Weasley on how to return the memory and had her practice the spell, repeatedly, until she could do it to his satisfaction, then had her watch as Hermione did the process in demonstration.

Hermione began to cry as soon as the memory settled into place. Severus dried her cheeks as he stared into her eyes, looking for signs of misalignment or misplacement. She clung to him, his robes clenched into her fists, as she sobbed. He felt at a loss, wanting to hold her, but refusing to show too much concern in front of witnesses.

Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey guided Ginny to replace hers, so neither was paying too close attention to his predicament. He rubbed Hermione's back as he, ever so faintly, murmured what he hoped was reassuring sentiments.

Ginny's breath caught as the memory settled, and the girl desperately fought back the sobs, sniffling loudly. Madam Pomfrey watched her for signs of misalignment or misplacement, soothing the girl as much as she could as she too began to cry.

Madam Pomfrey handed each girl a dose of Calming Draught and ordered them to change into pajamas. Severus waited outside the curtain until the Healer gave each girl a sleeping draught before he turned and left.

~oo0oo~

Severus entered Minerva's office, wishing he didn't have to continue with his earlier discussion with his Deputy Headmistress.

"As I informed you, Sue Li is going to be dropping out." Minerva got up and removed the school registry from its locked drawer. "I wanted to show this to you. I had pulled out the registry to record the removal of Sue Li and the death of Tabitha Wellington and had found that the page had been defaced. It isn't just any page, it is the list amended to the school registry, by year, with the names of the Muggle-born students returning the school to finish the year deprived of them because of the war." She set the book down on her desk facing him. Under the heading of seventh-year, a number of students' names were crossed off with red ink.

Severus scanned down the list of names.

Justin Flinch-Fletchley

Hermione Granger

strikeMegan Jones/strike – not returning

strikeSue Li/strike – gone

strikeHarry Potter/strike – not returning—accepted Auror training program

Joaquin Schmitt

strikeWilliam Summers/strike – home schooled

Dean Thomas

strikeCrane Vander Ark/strike – home schooled

strikeRonald Weasley/strike – not returning—accepted Auror training program

strikeTabitha Wellington/strike – dead

"Who could have done such a thing?" Minerva demanded as soon as Severus looked up. "I keep this locked in my office at all times!"

"Are you sure that the names were not crossed out by one of the school governors as they had done previously the last year?" suggested Severus. "Have any of them asked to see the rolls?"

"Severus!" she exclaimed, outraged. "No. I'm sure that a governor did not deface the school registry this year. I have sole custody of the registry as is within my job duties. The entry would have been marked with the reason for leaving or not returning, as I wrote down for the Van Arks and Summers boys. But I do not cross names off! I certainly didn't cross off Sue Li, and none of the governors know that she is dropping out as I only just received her father's post this morning. You are the only one I've told. Besides, I wouldn't have written gone as the entry for the reason of Miss Li's departure, I'd have written withdrawn. And this isn't my handwriting. Look!"

The words 'gone' and 'dead' were in the same red ink, and definitely a different handwriting than Minerva's. That meant that the remaining returning Muggle-born seventh years were possibly all targets.

T B C ~

~~oooo0oooo~~

Author's Notes:

I had Hermione use the standard2 breaths/15 compressions for this story, assuming that, as a dentist's daughter, she might have been taught basic CPR. In 1998 the CPR ratio was 2 breaths/15 compressions for one-man CPR or 2 breaths/5 compressions for two-man CPR. The new current guidelines are for 2 breaths/30 compressions. The reason why CPR was changed to 30 compressions to 2 breaths was that it allowed greater and continued profusion pressures to stay at a higher levels within the body versus the 5 to 2 ratio previously used, which creates a better outcome.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary on :

Exsufflicate: Ex*suf"fli*cate\, a. Empty; frivolous. [A Shakespearean word only once used.] Such exsufflicate and blown surmises. -Shak. (Oth. iii. 3, 182).

Many thanks to my betas, Pookah, CourtneyRochelle, and MadBrilliant for helping me clean up my many mistakes. I really appreciate it more than you can possibly know. I'd be ashamed to show my story to anyone without your invaluable help. And to era1960 for being there when I needed to bounce ideas and have a second opinion, thank you for being a friend.